Air France inaugurated last week direct flights between Paris and Santiago de Chile, which represents a 70 percent route capacity expansion, the French carrier reported in Chile.
Air France´s General Manager in Chile, Jean Christophe Durrieux said the implementation of the new service was based on expanding demand, mainly for traveling to Europe and Asia, and “the company´s determination to invest in Chile”.
However, Mr. Durrieux anticipated an assessment period in coincidence with European winter, to evaluate demand and definitively decide on the number of profitable weekly flights from Chile which has a 15 million market.
Virgin Atlantic has launched direct services between Manchester and Barbados since November 13. The weekly service is being operated by a Boeing 747-400 as part of the airlines continued expansion drive.
Flight VS077 will depart from Manchester International airport at 10:25 am and arrive at Grantley Adams International airport, Barbados at 3:05 pm. The return flight VS078 will depart Barbados at 7:25 pm, arriving into Manchester at 7:25 the following morning.
TAM Airlines, the leading domestic and second largest international carrier in Brazil, accomplished its inaugural flight to New York City, four times a week on the Rio de Janeiro-Sao Paulo-New York City service.
TAM has also clinched a codeshare agreement with American Airlines to operate Sao Paulo-New York City nonstop three times a week, on behalf of both partners. TAM will be operating the Airbus A330-200s aircraft on the route.
The European Parliament voted Wednesday to create an EU-wide blacklist of airlines that do not meet international standards, one of a series of measures aimed at improving air safety.
Responding to a string of fatal plane crashes that claimed hundreds of lives this year, European Union lawmakers want carriers deemed unsafe to be banned from operating anywhere in the EU. At the moment, an airline banned in one EU member state can still operate in another.
British Airways is set to invest £100 million in a major overhaul of its long-haul business class, which the airline´s CEO Willie Walsh claims will be the “best in the air”.
The enhanced changes will be introduced from mid 2006.
The multi-million pound investment will build on the success of the airline´s existing Club World flat bed and aims to set new standards for business travelers.
United Airlines (UA) applied with the Department of Transportation for five new routes from Chicago and Los Angeles to Mexico.
The applications are for peak-season service out of Chicago via two new routes: service to Cancun eleven times a week and daily service on UA to Puerto Vallarta.