Category: Coronavirus (Page 1 of 33)

Lufthansa launches direct flights from Hyderabad to Frankfurt

January 19, 2024 / WIL BALDWIN

Furthering its commitment to India and enhancing its presence on the subcontinent, Deutsche Lufthansa AG (Xetra: LHAG) German Airlines is pleased to announce direct services from Hyderabad, capital of the Indian state of Telangana and Frankfurt, Germany.

Once known as the City of Pearls due to its historical significance in the pearl and diamond trade, Hyderabad has long been a hub for merchants and traders from all over the world. Today, Hyderabad is India’s 4th largest city, an emerging technological, aerospace and Indian pharma hub, with a strong presence of major multinational companies including Google & Microsoft as well as Boeing & Airbus. As a growing capital city in a prosperous state, both Hyderabad and the State of Telangana have contributed to the economic success of India today. An investment hub as well as a centre for innovation, Hyderabad combines the old-world charm of its rich history with the dynamism of 21st century India.

As the leading European carrier in India, Lufthansa now operates direct connections from Germany to 5 destinations in the country with Hyderabad-Frankfurt being the latest addition to its global network. As the fastest growing major market for Lufthansa globally, capacity growth in India exceeds pre-pandemic levels.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including expected delivery dates. Such statements are based on current expectations and projections about our future results, prospects and opportunities and are not guarantees of future performance. Such statements will not be updated unless required by law. Actual results and performance may differ materially from those expressed or forecasted in forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including those discussed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Lufthansa connects India Silicon Valley to Munich and beyond

November 8, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

Deutsche Lufthansa Group AG (Xetra: LHAG) connected the Indian metropolis of Bengaluru with Munich, the capital of Bavaria when its new service began on November 4, 2023. Alongside Delhi and Mumbai, Bengaluru is the third Indian city with a direct connection for travelers via Lufthansa’s 5 star Munich hub and is India’s third-largest city. The Indian city serves an IT hub and a center of the aerospace industry.

India in Focus

With a legacy in India that spans more than 90 years, the Lufthansa Group will be operating 64 weekly frequencies between India and Europe by January 2024. The Indian aviation market is currently the 3rd largest globally. This Bengaluru-Munich service represents Lufthansa’s strong commitment to the Indian market as Lufthansa Group’s capacity to India now exceeds pre-COVID levels.

Currently operating service three times a week and conveniently arriving the same day at 8:05 in Munich, Lufthansa guests will enjoy their experience on one of the most modern and fuel-efficient long-haul aircraft, the Airbus A350-900. As with all services to India, local cuisine and catering will be offered to passengers onboard their direct service from India’s “Silicon Valley” to Munich and beyond.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including expected delivery dates. Such statements are based on current expectations and projections about our future results, prospects and opportunities and are not guarantees of future performance. Such statements will not be updated unless required by law. Actual results and performance may differ materially from those expressed or forecasted in forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including those discussed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

ANA Announces Updates to the FY2023 Flight Schedule

August 31, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

Tokyo, Japan, August 30, 2023 – All Nippon Airways (ANA) has announced updates to its flight schedule for fiscal year 2023 (FY2023). Beginning December 6, all roundtrips on the Narita-Honolulu route will be operated by the specially painted “FLYING HONU” Airbus A380 aircraft featuring Hawaiian inspired sea turtles. ANA will offer the most seat capacity on its Honolulu routes in its history, exceeding pre-COVID levels.
A summary of the recent update concerning the international flight schedule is given below.

Schedule for October 29, 2023 – March 30, 2024:

*1 No operation on 12/3 and 12/5. Flights on 12/4 will be operated.
*2 For flights departing from overseas, the dates of the implementation are the following day.
*3 For flights to/from Haneda airport, please check the ANA Application or website for departure and arrival terminals (Terminal 2 or 3).

United to resume flights to Beijing Flying and reintroduces daily service to Shanghai

August 11, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

Chicago, Illinois, August 11, 2023 /PRNewswire/ – United Airlines (Nasdaq: UAL) today announces it will resume daily flying between San Francisco and Beijing this November and will increase flying to Shanghai with daily flights from San Francisco, starting October 1, 2023. These enhancements to United’s Asia Pacific schedule are enabled by agreement between the governments of the U.S. and China to increase flights between the two countries.

Shanghai flights are currently available on United.com and on the United app, while the Beijingschedule will be updated in the next week.*

* Flights pending government approval.

Australia Back on Tourist Map as International Visitors Return

February 21, 2022 / WIL BALDWIN

Qantas flights from eight overseas destinations are touching down in Australia today, bringing the first international tourists in almost two years and an eagerly anticipated boost for the country’s tourism industry.

The Qantas Group will fly more than 14,000 passengers into Australia this week as quarantine and border barriers for international tourists come down.

QF12 from Los Angeles was the first to land at 6.20am and flights from other international destinations including Vancouver, Singapore and London will arrive into Sydney throughout the day. Jetstar’s first unrestricted international flight JQ18 will touch down in Melbourne from Phuket at 10.05am and QF70 from Delhi to Melbourne will arrive at 1.35pm.

Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said bookings had been strong since the Australian Government announced the country was opening to international visitors, and today’s arrivals will be the first of many.

Qantas restarted its international network for Australian citizens and visa holders on 1 November 2021, with a number of routes coming online since then. Sydney to Dallas recommenced flying on 16 February, and flights to other destinations are scheduled to relaunch in coming weeks including:

Melbourne to Honolulu (Jetstar) – From 1 March
Sydney to Honolulu (Jetstar) – From 3 March
Melbourne to Denpasar (Jetstar) – From 14 March
Sydney to Denpasar (Jetstar) – From 15 March
Brisbane to Singapore – From 27 March
Sydney to Manila – From 27 March
Sydney to Denpasar – From 28 March
Darwin to Dili – From 30 March
Brisbane to Los Angeles – From 1 April

Flying Kangaroo to Launch New Flights to Iconic Australia Outback Town

February 9, 2022 / WIL BALDWIN

Qantas (QAN.AX) announced today it will add Broken Hill to its domestic route network for the first time, with the airline to begin direct flights from Sydney starting on April 8, 2022. The airline will operate two weekly round trip flights between Sydney and Broken Hill with its 50-seat Q300 aircraft.

QantasLink CEO John Gissing said the service will create stronger connections for the far west of New South Wales for both business and leisure travelers. Broken Hill Regional Council Mayor Tom Kennedy welcomed the announcement of the new Qantas services as they will provide the local community with additional choice and flexibility.

Broken Hill is the newest destination to join QantasLink’s extensive regional network, with the airline now operating flights to 57 regional and rural towns across Australia. With the inclusion, the Group has launched 52 new domestic routes, including many country destinations since the start of the global pandemic, as Australians seek new holiday adventures closer to home.

The flights will operate on a Monday and Friday to offer Broken Hill residents an easy long weekend in the city and allow visitors to make the most out of their outback exploration. Fares will start from $269 one-way, but to celebrate the new destination, Qantas is offering a special sale fare starting from $189 one-way, available for sale until 21 February, unless sold out prior.

Singapore Airlines Extends PPS Club And KrisFlyer Elite Statuses For Third Year

January 17, 2022 / WIL BALDWIN

Singapore Airlines (SES: C6L.SI) is extending PPS Club and KrisFlyer Elite statuses, rolling over Elite miles, pausing the expiration of miles in 2022, and introducing new program benefits that further rewards its loyal members.

All PPS Club and KrisFlyer Elite statuses that are due to expire between March 2022 and February 2023 will be automatically extended for another year. This supports our members, who have been unable to fly as before due to the Covid-19 pandemic, and follows a similar extension in 2020 and 2021.

Elite miles earned by KrisFlyer Elite members, in the 12 months prior to the latest extension, will be credited back into their accounts after the extension. Elite miles earned during the previous membership qualification cycle will also count towards their requalification in the March 2023 to February 2024 cycle.

KrisFlyer miles that expire in 2022 will be automatically extended by six months at a time, at the end of each month.

Rewards earned from the PPS Rewards and KrisFlyer Milestone Rewards that are due to expire in 2022 will be extended to 31 December 2022. This offers members greater flexibility in utilising the rewards earned from flying with SIA.

From February 2022, KrisFlyer members also enjoy additional benefits when they fly on Scoot.

PPS Club and KrisFlyer Elite tier members can enjoy priority boarding, complimentary standard seat selection, an additional 5kg check-in baggage allowance with any baggage purchase, as well as 25% more KrisFlyer miles for every mile earned when travelling on Scoot flights.

In addition, KrisFlyer members can earn 2.5 Elite miles for every KrisFlyer mile earned from flying on Scoot, up from 1 Elite mile for every KrisFlyer mile. This enables members to upgrade to higher KrisFlyer membership tiers at a faster rate.

SIA has also launched two new KrisFlyer Milestone Rewards, which can be enjoyed by members who have earned 1,000 and 2,500 Elite miles.

QANTAS and Jetstar Airlines Adjust Third Quarter Flight Capacity Settings

January 16, 2022 / WIL BALDWIN

Qantas and Jetstar are adjusting flying levels to better match travel demand in light of the sudden growth in COVID-19 cases. The Qantas Group now expects domestic capacity for the third quarter of FY22 to be at around 70 per cent of pre-COVID levels, down from the 102 per cent that had been planned. The schedule changes are focused on reducing frequency of services and size of aircraft to minimise inconvenience for passengers as much as possible.

The Group’s total international capacity for the same period will fall from 30 per cent to around 20 per cent of pre-COVID levels. This reduction is driven by increased travel restrictions in countries like Japan, Thailand and Indonesia and is mostly impacting Jetstar’s leisure routes. Other markets – such as London, Los Angeles, Vancouver, Johannesburg and India – continue to perform well.

Customers will be contacted directly from late January if their booking is impacted by cancellations and offered alternative flights that in most cases are likely to be a difference of a few hours if travelling domestically.

Qantas and Jetstar continue to have 100 per cent of their available Australian-based crew stood up, which has helped to minimise the resourcing impacts of some needing to self-isolate during the summer peak. This 100 per cent crewing level will be maintained despite the capacity reductions announced today, giving both airlines a significant buffer to manage ongoing isolation requirements and resulting in a more reliable schedule for passengers.

An assessment on the financial impact of these changes will be given at the Group’s half year results in late February, by which time a clearer picture will have emerged on swing factors such as actual demand levels; potential loosening or tightening of travel restrictions in countries overseas; and consumer response to the reopening of Western Australia next month. No material adjustments have been made to capacity expectations for Q4 FY22.

To give customers more confidence when they book international and domestic flights, Qantas has extended Fly Flex, which enables customers to change their travel dates as often as they need, fee-free (a fare difference may apply).

Denver Airport to Offer More European Flights in 2022 Than Pre Pandemic

December 27, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Story by Alicia Cohn from the Denver Business Journal

Flights between Denver and Europe in summer 2022 will increase by 23% compared to the pre-pandemic summer of 2019, according to Denver International Airport. With new flights beginning or resuming in 2022, DIA “is scheduled for more transatlantic capacity than at any other time in the airport’s history,” the airport said in a press release.

DIA offers more than 20 international destinations, and will expand its European offerings in 2022.

Click the link below to read the full story!

https://www.bizjournals.com/denver/news/2021/12/27/denver-airport-european-flights-2022.html?ana=yahoo

Virgin Australia Restarts International Flights

December 16, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Thursday 16 December 2021 – Virgin Australia has restarted international flights, today operating the first of the airline’s daily Fiji services since being relaunched 12 months ago. The inaugural flight, departing Sydney International Airport, was sent off in spectacular style, with Virgin Australia CEO, Jayne Hrdlicka marking the occasion with a departure gate launch party to remember.

Passengers were treated to branded coconuts, free beach tote bags by Australian resort-wear brand Double Rainbouu, tropical Boost juices, and a performance by Fijian-Australian and 2022 Eurovision contestant, Paulini Curuenavuli, who sang a rendition of Madonna’s ‘Like A Virgin’ before a traditional Fijian song.

For the final departing gift, CEO Jayne Hrdlicka announced that all passengers would each receive a free Economy return flight anywhere on the Virgin Australia domestic network, as a thank you for their support and loyalty.

o celebrate the return of Virgin Australia international flights, Virgin Australia has dropped a 48-hour snap Fiji sale with return Economy fares available from as low as $369* between Melbourne and Fiji. Sale fares are now available to book at virginaustralia.com until midnight this Friday 17 December 2021, or until sold out.

Archives