October 17, 2023 – Aviation.Direct

Cityjet and Air Nostrum come under a joint holding company called Sara

Amely Mizzi 17 October 2023 18:38

For many years, there has been talk of bringing Air Nostum and Cityjet under the umbrella of a joint holding company. It has now been announced that a strategic alliance of nine European companies, including three regional airlines, is to be formed under the name Sara. The holding company will be managed by executives from Cityjet and Air Nostrum. The result will be Europe's largest provider specialising in ACMI and charter services. However, the flight operations will not be merged - at least not for the time being. Air Nostrum, Hibernian Air, Cityjet DAC and Cityjet A/S will be represented under the Sara umbrella. The alliance also includes other subsidiaries of the main members. Anem, Anto, Air Nostrum Global Services, Ara and Ard Aer are also part of the alliance. The 80 percent majority in Sara will be held by the current shareholders of Air Nostrum. 20 percent will be held by the shareholders of the Cityjet Group. Together, they will have a group fleet of 74 aircraft. The fleet is to be expanded to 100 aircraft within the next three years. For the time being, only a joint holding company will be created, which the company itself describes as a strategic alliance. The brands Air Nostrum, Cityjet, Hibernian Air and those of the subsidiary airlines will continue to exist on the market. The branches will also remain unchanged. In total, the Sara Group employs 2.500 people and operates mainly on behalf of other airlines as part of wet lease and charter contracts. The company plans to continue to grow in this segment in both Europe and North Africa.

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United Airlines flies to London with Boeing 777-300ER

Ermal Muji 17 October 2023 16:53

The US airline United Airlines recently announced a change in flight schedule. This affects the San Francisco-London Heathrow route, on which a change in aircraft is to take place. The US airline United Airlines will make changes to the San Francisco-London Heathrow route during the next summer period. There will be a change in aircraft on the route, one of three flights will be operated with Boeing 777-300ER aircraft instead of Boeing 787-9. This change in aircraft is to apply from May 23, 2024 to September 2, 2024, according to the Aero Routes portal.

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SWISS no longer flies to Beirut

Ermal Muji 17 October 2023 15:37

The airline SWISS has cancelled all flights to and from Beirut. The reason given is the current situation in the Middle East and the ongoing conflicts, which appear uncertain. The Swiss airline SWISS has had to take drastic measures in its flight schedule. The airline, based in Basel, recently announced that flights to and from Beirut can no longer be operated temporarily. The cancellation will remain in place until October 28, according to the Travelnews portal. It is still uncertain whether the Lebanese capital will be served after this date; this depends on the situation in the Middle East.

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Hainan Airlines resumes flights to Paris

Ermal Muji 17 October 2023 14:06

Hainan Airlines will reactivate the Chongqing-Paris CDG route during the winter season. Hainan Airlines plans to reactivate the Chongqing-Paris CDG route during the winter season. The carrier plans to operate a weekly flight on this route starting November 28, 2023. The flights in question will be operated with Boeing 787-9 aircraft, according to the Aero Routes portal.

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AMC Airlines had to make a stopover in Palma de Mallorca due to a death

Jan Gruber 17 October 2023 11:14

The Boeing 737-800 with the registration SU-BPZ, operated by AMC Airlines, had to interrupt the charter flight AMV1583 from Cairo to Madrid due to a death on board. The medium-haul jet landed in Palma de Mallorca between. During the flight, a 67-year-old Portuguese citizen died for reasons that are still unknown. However, external influences are considered to be ruled out. The Spanish authorities have ordered an autopsy. After landing in Palma de Mallorca, the deceased was removed from the Boeing 737-800 by an undertaker. The flight to Madrid was able to continue after about four hours.

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Delta Air Lines expands wine offerings

Amely Mizzi 17 October 2023 11:02

This fall, Delta is expanding its signature wine program to include 17 premium wines offered on a rotating menu onboard. Available in all Main Cabins and higher service classes, the wine service offers a diverse selection of flavors, allowing guests to choose the perfect pairing to transform their in-flight meal into a fine dining experience. "While selecting a list of delicious wines itself was of paramount importance, Delta's criteria in selecting program partners went far beyond the finish of a wine," said Kristen Manion Taylor, SVP of In-flight Service. "The final selection represents brands that share Delta's values - brands that reflect the diverse community of the wine world and are leaders in their industry when it comes to sustainability." Working with world-renowned Master Sommelier Andrea Robinson, Delta teams have created a wine list that is sophisticated, balanced, diverse and delicious. An extensive selection process shortlisted hundreds of candidates.

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Leipzig: Smartwings has taken up Etihad Holidays charter

Amely Mizzi 17 October 2023 10:53

On behalf of Etihad Holidays, the Czech airline Smartwings has been connecting Leipzig/Halle Airport with Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates, twice a week since October 14, 2023. The charter route is operated with medium-haul Boeing 737-Max-8 jets. The package tours can be booked via the Etihad Holidays website at www.etihadholidays.de and in travel agencies. Among other things, 15-day tours from 999 euros per person with stops in Abu Dhabi, Al Ain, Dubai and Ras Al Khaimah are offered. Transfers and excursions are already included in the price. The holidaymakers spend their stay in four and five-star hotels including breakfast or all-inclusive. With the new destination Abu Dhabi and Dubai, which is back on offer after 2019, two metropolises on the Arabian Peninsula can be reached non-stop from Leipzig/Halle in the winter season, complementing the range of sunny destinations on the Mediterranean, the Red Sea and the Atlantic.

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Nuremberg: Smartwings has started Abu Dhabi charter

Amely Mizzi 17 October 2023 10:49

On behalf of Etihad Holidays, the Czech airline Samrtwings now connects Nuremberg Airport with Abu Dhabi three times a week. The first flight with a Boeing 16-Max-2023 took place on October 737, 8. Nuremberg Airport's current winter flight schedule includes around 40 destinations, including Abu Dhabi for the first time. Airport Managing Director Dr. Michael Hupe describes the prominent new addition as a "special enrichment for our route network". "Our goal is to double the number of German holidaymakers flying to Abu Dhabi in the next few years," says Lamia Azimi, Managing Director of Capital Holidays (Europe) GmbH. Capital Holidays, a subsidiary of Tourism 365 as part of the ADNEC Group and an independent tour operator based in Munich, offers the flights to Abu Dhabi including an attractive selection of hotels as package tours. Passengers from Nuremberg can travel to Abu Dhabi in around six hours on Mondays, Wednesdays or Fridays with the charter airline Smartwings. Holidays with flexible travel durations can be booked. Only Boeing 737-Max-8 aircraft are used.

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Westbahn offers senior citizens' tariffs permanently

Jan Gruber 17 October 2023 10:45

Westbahn will permanently offer the senior fare introduced at the beginning of September 2023. Initially, it was said that it would only be bookable for a few weeks. Now it has been decided that this will be made a permanent offer due to high demand. "It was very important to us to make the offer as customer-friendly as possible. With the West Senior Fare, we can offer the advantages of a senior fare without the typical disadvantages to date, such as a restriction on travel times and the need for a senior fare card. With this campaign, we are setting new standards in terms of customer-friendly pricing for people aged 65 and over," explains Managing Director Thomas Posch. Since the special campaign was introduced in September, tens of thousands of seniors have already opted for Westbahn's offer. "We were surprised at how much our passengers made use of the West Senior Fare. The response was many times higher than expected. This underlines the high demand for uncomplicated mobility for seniors," explains Westbahn Managing Director Florian Kazalek. Due to contractual agreements with the Eastern Region Transport Association, the senior fare cannot be used for journeys within the VOR area. This affects, for example, the routes to/from St. Pölten and Amstetten from Vienna.

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Otter and rat on board escape: animal smuggling gone wrong

Jan Gruber 17 October 2023 10:26

Customs officers and employees responsible for security checks at airports can tell many stories about the unusual things passengers can bring with them. Often, these are live animals that are taken along, more or less well hidden. Unfortunately, these are often smuggled. Shortly after the take-off of a Vietjet flight from Bangkok to Taipei, one such operation went badly wrong. Animals escaped from a smuggler and then found their way through the cabin. For example, someone who had first noticed an albino rat on his way to the toilet was frightened. And that wasn't all: another passenger found an otter under a seat that was around a meter long. The cabin crew then tried to catch the animals and asked the owner via an announcement to come forward immediately. A woman then actually came up to the crew and said that the white rat belonged to her. At first she didn't want anything to do with the otter. But the crew did not give up and was able to uncover extensive animal smuggling. In addition to the rat and the otter that escaped, a snake, a marmot, two more otters, 28 turtles and two other unspecified rodents were found in the lady's luggage. That was enough for the airline, which filed a criminal complaint and handed the woman and her "zoo" over to the police. Criminal proceedings have now been initiated against her in Taiwan. In the best case scenario, the smuggler will be released.

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More articles from the category

October 17th

Cityjet and Air Nostrum come under a joint holding company called Sara

United Airlines flies to London with Boeing 777-300ER

SWISS no longer flies to Beirut

Hainan Airlines resumes flights to Paris

AMC Airlines had to make a stopover in Palma de Mallorca due to a death

Delta Air Lines expands wine offerings

Leipzig: Smartwings has taken up Etihad Holidays charter

Nuremberg: Smartwings has started Abu Dhabi charter

Westbahn offers senior citizens' tariffs permanently

Otter and rat on board escape: animal smuggling gone wrong

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