Posts by Dylan Cinjee

airberlin is continuing to grow and is set to expand its flight offers considerably in the summer of 2018. airberlin is planning the most extensive schedule in its history with around 100 long-haul flights per week. Passengers from Dusseldorf can look forward to two new destinations in the airberlin route network: from 1 May 2018, airberlin will fly to Toronto in Canada four times a week. The red-and-white airberlin jets will depart five times a week as of 2 May 2018 from the North Rhine-Westphalian state capital to Chicago. The round trip to Chicago starts at 373 euros including taxes and fees. Tickets for flights to these new destinations will be available for booking from 1 August 2017.

“We are writing the first chapter in the new airberlin’s success story. We now have three additional long-haul aircraft in our fleet. We are already the largest provider of US flights in North Rhine-Westphalia and Berlin. And we will continue to expand. Supplementing the US programme with additional flights to Canada is the next step on the road to success.” explains airberlin CCO Götz Ahmelmann.

In comparison with last year, airberlin is also increasing its market leadership at Dusseldorf Airport with 13 per cent more long-haul flights. In total, airberlin offers 57 flights a week from Dusseldorf to the USA. No other airline flies from North Rhine-Westphalia to the USA more frequently: airberlin provides connections between Dusseldorf and New York (JFK) twice a day. airberlin operates daily flights from Dusseldorf to each of the following destinations: Boston, Los Angeles, Orlando, Miami and San Francisco. airberlin has increased the number of flights to Orlando with two additional flights compared to last year. airberlin is the only to fly from Europe direct to Fort Myers, which it does three times a week. During the summer of 2018, airberlin will also fly to Cancun, Mexico and to Varadero, Cuba twice a week. Furthermore, there will be flights from Dusseldorf to Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic three times a week.

“The North Rhine-Westphalian state capital is our most important hub. airberlin’s growth is also good news for the Dusseldorf aviation market.” explains Ahmelmann.

Emirates and flydubai today unveiled an extensive partnership which will see the two Dubai-based airlines join forces to offer customers unmatched travel options. Both airlines will continue to be managed independently, but will leverage each other’s network to scale up their operations and accelerate growth.

The innovative partnership goes beyond code-sharing and includes integrated network collaboration with coordinated scheduling. The new model will give flydubai customers seamless connectivity to Emirates’ worldwide destinations spanning six continents. For Emirates’ customers, it opens up flydubai’s robust regional network.

The two airlines will also further develop their hub at Dubai International, aligning their systems and operations to ensure a seamless travel experience through the ultra-modern airport; currently the world’s busiest for international passengers.

HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman and Chief Executive of Emirates Group and Chairman of flydubai, said: “This is an exciting and significant development for Emirates, flydubai, and Dubai aviation. Both airlines have grown independently and successfully over the years, and this new partnership will unlock the immense value that the complementary models of both companies can bring to consumers, each airline, and to Dubai.”

Emirates today has a wide-body fleet of 259 aircraft, flying to 157 destinations (including 16 cargo-only points). flydubai operates 58 New-Generation Boeing 737 aircraft to 95 destinations. The current combined network comprises 216 unique destination points.

The partnership is working to optimise the networks and schedules of both airlines, to open up new city-pair connections offering consumers greater choice. Additionally, this will help both airlines feed more traffic into each other’s complementary networks. By 2022, the combined network of Emirates and flydubai is expected to reach 240 destinations, served by a combined fleet of 380 aircraft.

The Emirates and flydubai teams are working together on a number of initiatives spanning commercial, network planning, airport operations, customer journey, and frequent flyer programmes alignment.

The partnership will be rolled out over the coming months, with the first enhanced code-sharing arrangements starting in the last quarter of 2017. Further details will be communicated as they become available.

Fully owned by the Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD), both Emirates and flydubai are operated independently and under separate management teams.

Thomas Cook Netherlands will offer travel to Tunisia in the spring of 2018, following her English colleagues.
 
From other countries within the Thomas Cook Group, Tunisia has been offered as a result of easing travel advice from the various ministries. The measures taken, from the hotels offered through Thomas Cook, have been thoroughly checked in recent months and with the ease of travel advice from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, there is no reason to offer this affordable holiday country. There are also possibilities to offer the possible autumn holiday but no final decision has yet been taken.

TUI Netherlands will be offering holidays again to Tunisia from next spring. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has adapted the travel advice to Tunisia. Holiday trips are possible with the exception of some border areas.

Other countries within the TUI group, like Belgium and Germany, has been offering Tunisia this summer. The hotels have taken safety measures to reduce risks, as well as local authorities. The travel group itself has carried out a safety check on the measures taken by the hoteliers. The Tunisian hoteliers, local authorities and local people have been waiting for The Netherlands to adapt the travel advice. They receive Dutch guests with open arms, the last country in Europe.

Arjan Kers, General Manager TUI Netherlands: “Now that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has adapted the travel advice, there is no doubt that Tunisia is an accessible holiday country. We carefully compile our offer and will offer Tunisia again from next spring. In case of a big question, we may be able to offer travel again this coming autumn holiday; The price-quality ratio of holidays to Tunisia has always proved to be very interesting for Dutch travelers. “