Delta Air Lines announced the largest expansion in Mexico in the airline´s history after receiving U.S. Dept. of Transportation (DOT) approval for 12 new nonstop routes between the U.S. and Mexico by June, including the airline´s first flights into Merida. The new routes are awaiting Mexican government approval. If approved, the routes will include legs from Atlanta to Merida, Acapulco and Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo beginning April 12, as well as flights from Cincinnati to Los Cabos and Cancun starting on June 1.

The SkyTeam Governing Board announced that Middle East Airlines, Air Liban (MEA), Lebanon´s national carrier, has taken the first steps toward becoming a SkyTeam Associate Airline. Air France will serve as the airline´s sponsor during the joining process, with completion expected within the next 15 months. “We are pleased that MEA, with an established presence in the Middle East region and in the Arabic world, is interested in affiliating itself with SkyTeam,” said Jean-Cyril Spinetta, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Air France KLM. “The alliance looks forward to working with the airline and providing all passengers with additional opportunities in this high-growth market.”

Air Madrid is becoming the first new client for Discover the World Marketing in 2006. The carrier has selected Discover for its sales and marketing representation in Mexico outside of Mexico City beginning in January. "We are contemplating adding more service," said Rene Weinberg, Air Madrid´s Director of Alliances and Expansion. "So we wanted to increase our sales coverage outside of Mexico City to maximize the revenue opportunity within Mexico. Discover the World Marketing made an excellent fit and we are confident they will help us achieve our goals."

Brazilian airline GOL is planning to operate daily flights between Brazil and Panama, through the Company´s code-share agreement with Copa Airlines. Through the previous agreement the two companies operated only four flights per week.

Austrian´s flights to Erbil in Northern Iraq will be the first offered by any European carrier to the still war-stricken country. Commencing on March 9, 2006 the flights will initially operate twice a week (Thursday & Sunday) increasing to three per week from April 6. The service will be operated using an Airbus 319 and will depart Vienna arriving Erbil the following day. The flight connects with the flight from London. The city of Erbil is a safe gateway into Iraq with a population of one million making it the fourth largest city in the country. The United Nations has plans to establish a support point for Iraq in Erbil from where there is rapid overland access to the cities of Mosul, Kirkuk and Sulaymaniyah. Erbil is in the developing and expanding economic region of Kurdistan where a range of international companies are already active, Austrians regional office was opened this month.

Dominican tourism minister Felix Jiménez revealed this week in Madrid that President Leonel Fernandez has inked a memorandum of understanding with Germany-based aeronautics consortium GAE (Global Aviation Enabling) in a bid to create a national carrier under the name of Dominican Airlines, due out in 2006. GAE president and CEO Andreas Denecker said the mission of transporting passengers to the Dominican Republic in a safe and comfy “helps put the Dominican Republic on the map as a great travel destination. In addition, this new airline will create new jobs for the Dominican people.”