anna.aero - Airline network news & analysis - Comments

Comment on Syrian market growing rapidly; Syrianair operates 40 routes but foreign carriers have over 80% of international market by Andreas Akerman (anna.aero)

Andreas Akerman (anna.aero) — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 11:21:37 +0000

Our apologies, Timur. You are quite right. Although there are different definitions of which continent Turkey is located in, we always count it as a European country. The non-reference to Turkey in this article is just an oversight on our behalf.

Comment on Syrian market growing rapidly; Syrianair operates 40 routes but foreign carriers have over 80% of international market by Timur

Timur — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 10:43:41 +0000

“Among the top 12 countries, two are in Europe.”

Turkey is IN Europe, according to The Council of Europe, International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), Eurocontrol, European Civil Aviation Conference, Airports Council International. BUT according to anna.aero’s “authority” NOT.

Comment on By George; Belfast City is one of the Best airports in the UK; easyJet and Ryanair help traffic grow by 10.5% in H1 2010 by Arthur Dent

Arthur Dent — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 11:22:03 +0000

Ryanair will axe services from BHD this winter. It may only be five routes but it’s over a third of all capacity at the airport. Still, I dare say the other carriers at BHD won’t be too upset …

Comment on Morocco’s airports handle record 1.6 million passengers in July; passenger numbers up 15% in first seven months by Arthur Dent

Arthur Dent — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 22:33:32 +0000

I see that Norwegian has just announced plans to start 3 new routes to Agadir and 2 new routes to Marrakech starting this winter. More good news for the Moroccan market!

Comment on Saudi Arabia’s Sama ceases services; 70% of network was allocated to international flights to eight cities by Hani

Hani — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 12:42:48 +0000

A sad but expected move.

ZS was never really in the market nor was it one of my favorites. It’s weird flying times and lack of domestic flights (even for between main airports) were always disappointing. I flew with them 3 or 4 times back in 2007 when things looked prettier.

The lack of a proper healthy competitive aviation spirit and authority in Saudi Arabia has plagued the airline and our hopes of seeing commercial aviation growth. Nasair which is doing much better and have a more solid presence is not fully out of the woods.

Sad.. I was really hoping for SAMA to turn things back around and see that smart Mosaic livery in the air with more 737NG.

Comment on Europe’s third-largest LCC Norwegian continues aggressive growth; long haul next in sight by Hiko

Hiko — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 10:03:33 +0000

Let´s see how NAX will continue. The third position in Europe is great but Norwegian is not so hard low-cost company, offering for example transfers or something like frequent-flyer programme. So it is not real opponent for Ryanair or EasyJet and I feel people in Scandinavia doesn´t need to travel for (almost) free, northmen want to feel safe with their “own” company.
Good luck to Norwegian!

Comment on Europe’s third-largest LCC Norwegian continues aggressive growth; long haul next in sight by James

James — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 09:11:20 +0000

Great interview. It’s very interesting to see how Norwegian has “quietly” grown up to be Europe’s third largest LCC, and all the more remarkable given the relatively small population in the Nordic region.

Comment on New routes launched during the last week (Tuesday 17 August – Monday 23 August): by amaia

amaia — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 09:10:54 +0000

Norwegian to start from Torp TRF airport in Norway

Comment on Growth in UK-France market coming from non-Paris routes; Ryanair cuts back as Air France and Flybe forge closer links by Ralph Anker

Ralph Anker — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 09:32:14 +0000

The table you refer to only lists RYANAIR routes. That is why there is no reference to Flybe routes (or easyJet routes etc). Apologies if that was not clear from the accompanying text.

Comment on Air Arabia now serves 44 destinations in 22 countries from Sharjah, including 13 in India and Athens in Europe by Andreas Akerman (anna.aero)

Andreas Akerman (anna.aero) — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 08:25:35 +0000

You are quite right, Pan. Athens Airport has confirmed this to us. Thank you for pointing it out.

Comment on Ryanair finally embraces Greece; Allegiant moves in on Myrtle Beach; Flydubai adds two new routes; Tel Aviv attracts new airlines; airBaltic finds Finland fertile by Yigal

Yigal — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 13:35:58 +0000

Tel-Aviv is not the capital of Israel. Jerusalem is.

Comment on Air Arabia now serves 44 destinations in 22 countries from Sharjah, including 13 in India and Athens in Europe by Pan

Pan — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 19:36:02 +0000

I think that since 18th August, Air Arabia dropped Athens from its destinations.

Comment on LATAM Airlines Group S.A – a route planning perspective: Biggest South American carrier, but few points served in Europe/US… by Mike Clayton

Mike Clayton — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 03:51:54 +0000

Re Lan/TAM. Don’t forget! > L A N flies to Sydney/SYD. Onward connections to Asia/S E Asia available via this routing!

Comment on Cirrus Airlines operates German niche business routes; only scheduled carrier serving Hof-Plauen and Mannheim by Anonymous

Anonymous — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 17:29:27 +0000

“Team Lufthansa” is no more. Cirrus are not officially affiliated with Lufthansa anymore. But LH seems to support them for one or the other reason, most apparent by the fact that the E-Jets operate to secondary markets under LH code and callsign. As if LH were in need of additional 70-seaters…

As for the flights for KIV, these are proper Air Moldova flights on which C9 put their code. Probably it’s a requirement in the bilateral agreement to have codes from both countries on all flights and nobody else wanted to be affiliated.

Comment on LATAM Airlines Group S.A – a route planning perspective: Biggest South American carrier, but few points served in Europe/US… by Henk Ombelet

Henk Ombelet — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 16:23:06 +0000

You forgot to mention that LAN actually does fly to Australia and New Zealand.

Regarding the alliance choice – it would be bad for competition if two of the strongest Latin American carriers join the same alliance – whether that’s Star or oneworld. Star is also already talking to COPA, TACA and Avianca. Having 5 alliance members (and 7 if you include subsidiaries AeroRepublica and OceanAir) in Latin America would seem a bit much. So either LATAM joins oneworld, or TACA-Avianca and possibly Copa have to rethink their alliance strategy.

Comment on Only half of America’s top 30 airports reporting capacity growth; Charlotte only airport growing more than 10% by Simon

Simon — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 16:17:31 +0000

US Airways has long since discontinued its Charlotte-Honolulu route.

Comment on LATAM Airlines Group S.A – a route planning perspective: Biggest South American carrier, but few points served in Europe/US… by Jose Mulet

Jose Mulet — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 14:59:22 +0000

I would join STAR. If the new LATAM carrier is after the long haul markets in Europe in particular, then flights to cities such as: MAN-BRU-MUC-CAI-CPH-IST-LIS would feed into smaller European destinations via STAR carriers. IB already flys to many Latin American cities. Great potential for air cargo as well.

Comment on London Heathrow’s third runway; never let the facts get in the way of a good story… by Fergus

Fergus — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 15:53:24 +0000

I’m surprised that (unless I’m just being stupid) you don’t include an analysis of traffic levels over time – the main argument I see people putting in favour of another runway (or a whole new airport!) is that passenger numbers are bound to go on rising. Taking into account environmental factors this seems an enormously dubious assumption, but all the same I’d be curious to see how strongly the statistics back it up so far…

Comment on Few UK airports reporting growth; APD increase, strikes, the economy, exchange rates and the World Cup all factors by steve

steve — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 05:52:26 +0000

How about the rip off taxes that people are finally waking up to, I fly into UK 10 or 12 times a year on long haul flights in business class. I now fly on a seperate ticket in economy to connect in say Amsterdam, Frankfurt or Paris to my long haul flights and save a fortune in taxes. I calculated to have saved over 3000 pounds in taxes last year.

Comment on New routes launched during the last week (Tuesday 3 August – Monday 9 August): by Banuthev

Banuthev — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 17:19:07 +0000

Are you sure Mihin Lanka has two A320s ?

Comment on Growth in UK-France market coming from non-Paris routes; Ryanair cuts back as Air France and Flybe forge closer links by veronique at RENNES

veronique at RENNES — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 09:27:16 +0000

In the 2010 routes chart, are missing routes from Flybe hub SOUTHAMPTON and also mission are 2010 ROUTES from Birmingham/Exeter/southampton/Edinburgh/Manchester to RENNES.
Which means that now AF will be able to sell all those Uk routes to Rennes.

Comment on New routes launched during the last week (Tuesday 27 July – Monday 2 August): by Chris

Chris — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 09:28:48 +0000

I’m afraid you have forgotten a route that was launched down under! It’s totally ok-we’re often forgotten down here . Virgin Blue on Monday 2 August launched their direct daily flights between Sydney and Ayers Rock/Uluru. The route launch flight was operated by a full Boeing 737-800, but normally it will be operated by a 104-seat Embraer 190. Prior to the commencement of services, Qantas and QantasLink were the only airlines to service Uluru. On the Sydney route, Qantas was the only operator, operating its daily Boeing 737-800 service on the route. Virgin Blue previously operated services to Alice Springs from Sydney and later Adelaide, although these services were cancelled in 2005. Uluru is the airline’s second Northern Territory destination and will be a fierce competitor to Qantas’ previous monopoly on the destination.

Comment on Alitalia maintains Air One brand as ‘smart carrier’ to attack easyJet at Milan Malpensa; five A320s serve 14 destinations by Vanni Gibertini

Vanni Gibertini — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 14:36:50 +0000

Lufthansa Italia will start serving PMO from MXP with 8 weekly flights

Comment on Alitalia maintains Air One brand as ‘smart carrier’ to attack easyJet at Milan Malpensa; five A320s serve 14 destinations by Simon

Simon — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 14:10:30 +0000

Windjet also fly between Milan Malpensa and Catania

Comment on New routes launched during the last week (Tuesday 6 July – Monday 12 July): by Krystof

Krystof — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 13:20:02 +0000

Well, I would not judge the type´s safety record as it depends mainly on its operators, which are mainly based in the world´s developing regions with not very good safety record at all…But there are many L410s still operated in Europe with no serious accident for at least several years…

Comment on anna.aero in Moscow: Fast-growing Avianova stimulates Russian market; looking at top 100 cities for expansion by Andreas Akerman (anna.aero)

Andreas Akerman (anna.aero) — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 12:26:34 +0000

Thanks for pointing that out.

Comment on anna.aero in Moscow: Fast-growing Avianova stimulates Russian market; looking at top 100 cities for expansion by Russian

Russian — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 11:47:48 +0000

“Currently, the airline’s only route to be operated with multiple daily flights is between Moscow and St Petersburg” – not true. Rostov-on-Don (Rostov-na-Donu) had 2 daily flights from Moscow at the time of publication, and now has 16 weekly.

Comment on Ryanair eyeing Turkish market; finds solution to fleet growth by Vytautas

Vytautas — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 13:03:54 +0000

This “let’s see what Airbus can offer” reminds me of a simple cat-mouse play with Boeing. A game on a grand scale, though.
Looking forward to get tickets to Antalya for 10 Euros!!!

Comment on Ryanair eyeing Turkish market; finds solution to fleet growth by GILL SWIFT

GILL SWIFT — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 15:43:15 +0000

If Ryanair flys to Turkey (especially Izmir) I for one would be absolutely delighted. They wouldn’t regret it as there are SO many Irish coming here now for holidays as the € is so good against the Turkish Lira.

I travel from Izmir to Ireland regularly and have to use Turkish Airlines.

GO FOR IT !!

Comment on New routes launched during the last week (Tuesday 6 July – Monday 12 July): by David Bentley

David Bentley — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 16:02:31 +0000

The LET L-410 is a wonderful little workhorse and surprisingly comfortable even if its safety record isn’t brilliant. Had the pleasure to fly on one (and surviving) operated by Cabo Verde Express a few years ago. It is still widely in use in Africa, Asia and Latin America.