anna.aero - Airline network news & analysis

New airline routes launched (14 – 20 May 2013)

anna.aero — Thu, 23 May 2013 14:03:10 +0000

28 airlines launched a total of 53 new services last week, including a fair portion of seasonal services, like Lufthansa’s summer link between Munich and Vancouver. Other highlights include Pegasus Airlines’ maiden route to Spain, Batik Air’s and Garuda Indonesia’s expansion in Jakarta and Etihad Airways’ entry into the Amsterdam market. The rest of this week’s new routes (A – Z by airline)

Wizz Air shrinking in Poland and Czech Republic, growing in Hungary, Macedonia, Romania, Serbia and Ukraine

anna.aero — Thu, 23 May 2013 14:02:57 +0000

Wizz Air’s capacity is up 9% this summer, but 25 routes have left the network completely to help make room for over 60 new ones. A further 26 routes have relocated to nearby airports. Most of Wizz Air’s network growth is coming from markets where Ryanair does not have much of a presence, if any, though Budapest is a notable exception. Next year, Budapest (and Geneva) headquartered Wizz Air will celebrate its tenth anniversary, but the airline still tends not to reveal much about its inner workings, especially when it comes to its financial performance. However, one thing that can [...]

Darwin Airline selects Cambridge Airport as first UK base

anna.aero — Thu, 23 May 2013 14:02:49 +0000

Lugano-based regional carrier Darwin Airline has chosen Cambridge as its first base in the UK, operating four international routes from the beginning of September with Saab 2000s. We have the details and an exclusive interview with the airline’s CCO. Swiss regional carrier Darwin Airline announced this week that Cambridge Airport would be its first base in the UK, when it launches flights to Amsterdam, Geneva, Milan Malpensa and Paris CDG from the beginning of September using one of the airline’s 50-seat Saab 2000s. At present, the only other scheduled service from Cambridge Airport is with Blue Islands to Jersey during [...]

Mahan Air inaugurates Guangzhou as its second Chinese destination

anna.aero — Thu, 23 May 2013 14:02:40 +0000

Mahan Air launches twice-weekly link from Tehran Airport to Guangzhou Airport. Mahan Air’s Tehran to Guangzhou Mahan Air commenced services on the 6,100-kilometre route from its Tehran (IKA) base to Guangzhou (CAN) on the Pearl River. Beginning on 19 May, the carrier offers twice-weekly flights between the two cities. The A310-operated service comes in addition to Mahan Air’s existing thrice-weekly link connecting the Iranian and Chinese capitals. Speaking at the welcome ceremony, Mahan Air’s Director of Marketing and Route Development, Hossein Hosseini, said: “Launching flights to the beautiful city of Guangzhou as our second gateway to China is a sign [...]

Düsseldorf Airport, Malta Airport, Warsaw Airport share big Euro ANNIE award for airline growth; Turkish airports also win big

anna.aero — Thu, 23 May 2013 14:02:22 +0000

There’s no voting for these awards, it all boils down to cold, hard facts and figures. Yes, the Euro ANNIEs are back for their fourth annual outing, and there are some fascinating winners. Nine awards, 11 winners (we can explain), spread across eight different countries. Yes, it’s that time of the year when anna.aero hands out its legendary Euro ANNIE awards to airports, based on rigorous, scientific data analysis and nothing else. These are the awards that can only be won by airports generating more passengers, and attracting more airlines and routes. This year we have nine prestigious awards, going [...]

Vancouver set for record-breaking year in 2013

anna.aero — Thu, 23 May 2013 14:01:46 +0000

With more than half of Vancouver’s residents speaking English as a second language only, the city’s airport, Canada’s second largest and serving the country’s third most populous metropolitan area, boasts an impressive network of services to China, with most routes seeing growth this summer. Serving one of the world’s most “liveable cities”, Vancouver International Airport was Canada’s second largest airport in 2012. The coastal seaport city in British Columbia is the eighth largest in Canada (just over 600,000 inhabitants in 2011 Census), however the wider metropolitan area boasts 2.3 million residents, making it the most populous in Western Canada and [...]

easyJet launches first route to Norway; adds new service to Olbia

anna.aero — Thu, 23 May 2013 14:01:10 +0000

easyJet commences services from London Gatwick Airport to Bergen Airport; launches low-frequency flights from London Luton Airport to Olbia Airport. easyJet’s London Gatwick to Bergen easyJet expanded its offering at London airports in the course of last week. On 15 May, the carrier launched twice-weekly services from London Luton (LTN) to Olbia (OLB), which it already serves from six other airports. The 1,400-kilometre route is operated using A319s. In addition, on 20 May, easyJet inaugurated its first service to Norway and now offers daily flights connecting London Gatwick (LGW) and Bergen (BGO), which it operates using A320s in competition with [...]

Mahan Air looks to China for future growth

anna.aero — Thu, 23 May 2013 14:00:36 +0000

Mahan Air, has grown-up in the shadow of Iran Air and is not afraid of going toe-to-toe against the MEB3, yet still after 20 years of flying and having carried over 30 million passengers, Iran’s first privately owned carrier continues to post some enviable growth statistics. Iran’s first privately-owned airline, Mahan Air, was established in 1992 and began operations the year after, and has only failed to post annual passenger growth once (in 1997) in its 20 year history. Having carried 5.1 million passengers last year, representing a near 5% increase over 2011 figures, the carrier has its eyes on [...]

Denmark’s double celebration in 2014 – Eurovision hosts and airports to break 30m

anna.aero — Thu, 23 May 2013 13:59:42 +0000

Denmark will be hosting Eurovision 2014 after Emmelie de Forest won the 2013 contest in Malmö at the weekend. The influx of foreign visitors expected for the 39-country, Europe-wide song contest may well be the additional traffic boost that sees Denmark’s airports top 30 million annual passengers for the first time next year. With the Danish nation still on the come down from its win at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest (renowned for its quirky performances, eccentric outfits and bizarre lyrics), the country’s airports will be rubbing their hands together, expecting a traffic boost next year, which could well help [...]

Jet2.com inaugurates Lanzarote base; Qatar Airways’ 787 returns to Heathrow; Ryanair hits downtown Manchester with low fares

anna.aero — Thu, 23 May 2013 13:58:43 +0000

In this week’s Network Planning Community News, anna.aero reports from the Canary Islands where Jet2.com opened its latest base. We also have news from Manchester and London.

Novosibirsk Airport: International traffic doubles in just two years; Chinese and European routes wanted

anna.aero — Thu, 23 May 2013 13:56:49 +0000

With annual growth of 20% and international passengers doubling in numbers in just two years, Novosibirsk Tolmachevo Airport’s remote location seems to be benefiting its ongoing traffic development — anna.aero examines the airport’s success. Russia’s largest airport east of the Urals is situated at the crossroads of major transit routes between Europe and Asia, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that the airport focuses on attracting major global cargo freighters for technical stops as well as the development of passenger traffic. The latter seems to be working out well – in the first four months of 2013, passenger numbers [...]

Wizz Air launches eight new routes from five of its bases

anna.aero — Thu, 23 May 2013 11:32:27 +0000

Wizz Air inaugurates four new routes from Bucharest Airport;adds one destination to its respective networks from Budapest Airport, Gdansk Airport, Katowice Airport and Sofia Airport. Wizz Air continued to increase the connectivity across its Eastern and South-Eastern European bases last week, as it launched a total of eight new routes in that period. Highlights include the addition of four new destinations from Bucharest (OTP), as well as the airline’s first ever flights to Malta (MLA). The carrier also strengthened its offering to Norway from Gdańsk (GDN) with the launch of a seventh destination in the country. Last but not least, [...]

Vueling adds seven new destinations from Barcelona

anna.aero — Thu, 23 May 2013 11:26:27 +0000

Vueling launches flights from Barcelona Airport to Casablanca Airport, Oslo Airport, Tangier Airport, Helsinki Airport, Luxembourg Airport, Bergen Airport and Fez Airport. Vueling considerably expanded its network offering from its Barcelona (BCN) base in the course of last week, when it launched services to a total of seven new destinations in four different countries, including three routes to Morocco and two to Norway. The Spanish carrier operates all services using its fleet of A320s and faces competition from at least one carrier on each of the newly launched routes. Launch Date Origin Destination WF* Competition 16-May-13 Barcelona (BCN) Casablanca (CMN) [...]

Ukraine International Airlines connects Kiev and Bishkek

anna.aero — Thu, 23 May 2013 11:22:02 +0000

Ukraine International Airlines launches four-weekly flights from Kiev Borispol Airport to Bishkek Airport. Ukraine International Airlines commenced services on the 3,400-kilometre route connecting Kiev Borispol (KBP) and the capital of Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek (FRU) on 18 May. Four-weekly flights are offered in this intra-capital market, which has been left unserved following AeroSvit’s withdrawal in September 2012. Ukraine International Airlines deploys 737-300s to operate the service.

Pegasus Airlines flies to Barcelona and Pristina

anna.aero — Thu, 23 May 2013 11:19:05 +0000

Pegasus Airlines connects Istanbul Sabiha Gokcen Airport and Barcelona Airport with daily flights; adds low-frequency services from Antalya Airport to Pristina Airport. Pegasus Airlines expanded its offering by two new routes in the course of last week. On 16 May, the Turkish carrier commenced services on its first route from Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen (SAW) to Spain, making Barcelona (BCN) its maiden destination in the country. Pegasus Airlines offers daily services on the route, on which it faces indirect competition from Turkish Airlines’ thrice-daily flights from Istanbul’s main airport. In addition, Pegasus Airlines inaugurated twice-weekly services from Antalya (AYT) to Pristina [...]

Nok Air launches domestic services to Ranong

anna.aero — Thu, 23 May 2013 11:15:20 +0000

Nok Air inaugurates daily flights from Bangkok Don Mueang Airport to Ranong Nok Air, the Thai low-cost carrier based at Bangkok’s secondary airport, launched services from its Bangkok Don Mueang (DMK) base to Ranong (UNN) on 15 May. The carrier (code DD) offers daily flights on the 500-kilometre route, which it operates under the Nok Air Mini brand, using Saab 340s operated by SGA – Siam General Aviation (code 5E).

MEA inaugurates flights to Najaf, its third destination in Iraq

anna.aero — Thu, 23 May 2013 11:08:58 +0000

MEA launches low-frequency service from Beirut Airport to Najaf Airport in Iraq. MEA, the flag carrier of Lebanon, expanded its offering in Iraq last week, as it commenced operations on the 900-kilometre route from its Beirut (BEY) base to Najaf (NJF) on 15 May. The carrier, which already serves two Iraqi cities (Baghdad and Erbil) with daily flights, offers a twice-weekly schedule on the newly launched route. Iraqi Airways provides competition in the market from Beirut to Najaf, which it serves with four-weekly flights. A321s are used by MEA on the route.

Indonesia AirAsia connects Jakarta and Johor Bahru

anna.aero — Thu, 23 May 2013 11:06:23 +0000

Indonesia AirAsia launches four-weekly service from Jakarta Airport to Johor Bahru Airport in Southern Malaysia. Indonesia AirAsia added the southern Malaysian city of Johor Bahru (JHB) as the third destination it serves in the country from its Jakarta (CGK) base. Beginning on 16 May, the airline offers four-weekly frequencies on the 900-kilometre route, which it serves using its fleet of A320s. Johor Bahru, located just north of Singapore, offers numerous attractions, including a major tourist draw – Legoland Malaysia.

Mandala Airlines adds Yogyakarta from Jakarta

anna.aero — Thu, 23 May 2013 11:01:39 +0000

Mandala Airlines commences services from Jakarta Airport to Yogyakarta Airport. Mandala Airlines launched services on the sixth domestic route it offers from Jakarta (CGK) on 16 May, and now offers daily services on the 450-kilometre route to Yogyakarta (JOG), the capital of the special region of the same name in Java. Competition to Mandala Airlines’ A320-operated schedule comes from Garuda Indonesia, Lion Air (70 weekly flights each), Batik Air (who also launched this week), Indonesia AirAsia (thrice-daily services each), and Sriwijaya Air’s twice-daily flights.

Lufthansa launches new seasonal link to Vancouver from Munich

anna.aero — Thu, 23 May 2013 10:53:33 +0000

Lufthansa connects Munich Airport and Vancouver Airport with seasonal daily services. Lufthansa, which already serves Montreal in Canada with daily flights from Munich (MUC), added Vancouver (YVR) as a second destination in the country from its southern German base. Beginning on 16 May, the carrier offers daily departures on the 8,400-kilometre route, which it operates using A330-300s until 5 October. Set for record-breaking year in 2013, Vancouver is featured in this week’s anna.aero analysis.

JetBlue Airways starts flights from Anchorage to Seattle

anna.aero — Thu, 23 May 2013 10:49:18 +0000

JetBlue Airways starts flying from Anchorage Airport to Seattle-Tacoma Airport connecting the two airports with daily flights. JetBlue Airways entered the market from Anchorage, AK (ANC) to Seattle, WA (SEA) on 17 May, challenging the incumbent Alaska Airlines (with between 18 and 19 daily flights) and United Airlines (two daily flights). The carrier offers daily services on the 2,300-kilometre route, which it operates using its A320-fleet. Announcing the routes last December, Scott Laurence, JetBlue’s VP, Network Planning said, “JetBlue brings a breath of fresh air and competitive fares to the Anchorage-Seattle market. “We’re sure the all-inclusive fare, when coupled with [...]

Jet2.com launches new routes to Menorca, Split and Corfu

anna.aero — Thu, 23 May 2013 10:33:55 +0000

Jet2.com connects East Midlands Airport and Menorca Airport; Leeds/Bradford Airport and Split Airport; and Manchester Airport and Corfu Airport. Jet2.com increased its summer offering from three UK airports in the course of last week, as it launched low-frequency services to destinations in Spain, Croatia and Corfu. All newly launched services are operated using 737-family narrow-body equipment. Launch date Origin Destination WF* Competition 17-May-13 East Midlands (EMA) Menorca (MAH) 2 Ryanair (2), Thomas Cook Airlines (2), Thomson Airways (2) 18-May-13 Leeds/Bradford (LBA) Split (SPU) 1 20-May-13 Manchester (MAN) Corfu (CFU) 1 easyJet (3), Ryanair (2), Thomas Cook Airlines (2), Thomson Airways [...]

Jet Airways starts flying from Kochi to Kuwait City

anna.aero — Thu, 23 May 2013 10:28:53 +0000

Jet Airways launches services from Kochi Airport to Kuwait City Airport via Abu Dhabi Airport. Jet Airways expanded its offering to Kuwait City (KWI) on 16 May, when it launched a stopping daily service from Kochi (COK) via Abu Dhabi (AUH), complimenting its existing twice-daily non-stop schedule from Mumbai. Flights on the new route are operated using 737-800s in competition with Kuwait Airways’ also daily non-stop flights from Kuwait City to Kochi, and Air India Express’ thrice-weekly schedule via Mangalore.

Icelandair makes Anchorage its eighth US destination

anna.aero — Thu, 23 May 2013 10:26:16 +0000

Icelandair launches seasonal flights from Reykjavik Keflavík Airport to Anchorage Airport in Alaska. Icelandair commenced seasonal flights on the 5,400-kilometre route from its Reykjavik Keflavík (KEF) base to Anchorage, AK (ANC) on 15 May. The service is offered with twice-weekly frequencies and operated until mid-September using winglet-equipped 757-200s. Birkir Holm Gudnason, CEO of Icelandair, commented: “In addition to opening up a new market for Icelandic tourism, travellers will now have a refreshing new option when flying from Alaska to Europe.”

germanwings connects Stuttgart and Brindisi

anna.aero — Thu, 23 May 2013 10:22:07 +0000

germanwings launches low-frequency flights from Stuttgart Airport to Brindisi Airport. germanwings commenced operations on its only service to Brindisi (BDS) on 18 May, when it linked the Italian destination with Stuttgart (STR). Weekly (Saturday) frequencies are offered on the route until 19 October, and operated using A319s. Brindisi Airport, in the heel of Italy, outperformed many other Italian airports last year, by growing its passenger numbers by 2.1%.

Germania launches flights from Kassel to Palma de Mallorca

anna.aero — Thu, 23 May 2013 10:12:58 +0000

Germania starts low-frequency schedule from Kassel-Calden Airport to Palma de Mallorca Airport. Germania, which in the preceding week added four routes from Bremen, inaugurated services on the 1,400-kilometre route from Kassel-Calden (KSF) to Palma de Mallorca (PMI). Twice-weekly schedule is offered on the route and operated using 737-700s. Kassel-Calden is Germany’s newest commercial airport, having only opened in April of this year.

Garuda Indonesia adds two domestic destinations to its offering from Jakarta

anna.aero — Thu, 23 May 2013 10:06:39 +0000

Garuda Indonesia launches services from Jakarta Airport to Bengkulu Airport and Tanjung Pinang airport. Garuda Indonesia commenced operations on two domestic routes last week, as it connected its Jakarta (CGK) base with Bengkulu (BKS) on the west coast of Sumatra, and Tanjung Pinang (TJQ), the second-largest city of the Indonesian Riau Islands located 40 kilometres off the Singaporean shore. Beginning on 15 May, daily flights are offered on both routes and operated using 737-500s. Garuda Indonesia competes against Lion Air’s thrice-daily and Sriwijaya Air’s twice-daily flights on the first route, while the latter carrier also operates in the market from [...]

Frontier Airlines launches three new routes from Denver

anna.aero — Thu, 23 May 2013 10:03:28 +0000

Frontier Airlines expands its offering from Denver, CO, with three new routes to airports in Cincinnati, OH; Eugene, OR; and Fresno, CA. Frontier Airlines increased its offering from Denver, CO (DEN) last week, as it launched services on three new routes. While only one of them is operated with more than thrice-weekly frequencies, all three face competition from at least one airline. Launch date Destination WF* A/c Competition 16-May-13 Eugene, OR (EUG) 3 A319 United Airlines (13) 17-May-13 Cincinnati, OH (CVG) 7 A320 Delta Air Lines (6), United Airlines (6) Fresno, CA (FAT) 3 A319 United Airlines (19) Source: Innovata [...]

Etihad Airways finally launches flights to Amsterdam

anna.aero — Thu, 23 May 2013 09:57:00 +0000

Etihad Airways adds services from Abu Dhabi Airport to Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. Etihad Airways inaugurated services on the 5,200-kilometre route from its Abu Dhabi (AUH) base to Amsterdam (AMS) on 15 May. The carrier now offers daily frequencies on the route, which it operates using A330-200s. Also operating on the route are Etihad’s code-share partner in the market from Amsterdam to Abu Dhabi, KLM (daily flights), and Garuda Indonesia, which offers four-weekly services. Amsterdam becomes Etihad’s second new route of 2013, following the launch of Washington Dulles service back at the end of March.

Delta Air Lines adds Madison to its Salt Lake City network

anna.aero — Thu, 23 May 2013 09:46:53 +0000

Delta Air Lines connects Madison, WI, to its Salt Lake City, UT, base. Delta Air Lines commenced daily operations on the route from Salt Lake City, UT (SLC) to Madison, WI (MSN) on 18 May, and now operates to the capital of Wisconsin from six points across the US. The carrier offers daily CRJ700-operated flights on the 1,900-kilometre route. “We’re pleased to expand existing Madison service with a new, convenient non-stop flight to Delta’s hub in Salt Lake CIty,” said Joe Esposito, Managing Director, Network Planning for Delta. “The introduction of two-class service, will offer customers significant access to the [...]