“It is apparent from our statistics that there is continued and growing consumer demand for air travel. While airlines worldwide are responding to this demand by increasing their capacity, they are also committed to making significant investment in new, more efficient aircraft.”
John Weber, managing director, Aviation Services, OAG
Growing consumer demand for air travel continues, with almost 20 million more seats available in July than the equivalent month a year ago. According to the latest statistics from OAG, a record 300 million seats were available – up 7% – with a 5% increase in the number of timetabled flights to just over 2.5 million. Within this global figure, the low-cost sector shows a 23% increase of over 76,000 more flights year-on-year and a 27% rise in the number of seats available, representing an extra 12.9 million low-cost seats compared to July 2006. The budget sector accounted for 16% of all flights (up from 13% a year ago) and 20% of all seats (a rise of 4%). Aircraft fleet data from OAG's sister company, BACK Aviation Solutions, reveals there are 38,234 planes operating worldwide compared to 36,803 the same time last year, an increase of almost 4%. North America accounts for nearly one third with 13,800 aircraft, followed by Europe with 10,390. The regions showing the largest year-on-year increases are Asia Pacific (6.6%) and Africa (6.2%). John Weber, managing director, Aviation Services, at OAG, comments: “It is apparent from our statistics that there is continued and growing consumer demand for air travel. While airlines worldwide are responding to this demand by increasing their capacity, they are also committed to making significant investment in new, more efficient aircraft.”
Star Alliance opens third lounge
The third Star Alliance-branded lounge worldwide – and the first in North America – opened last month at Los Angeles’ Tom Bradley International Airport. It joins similar facilities currently available for alliance passengers in Zurich and Nagoya, with two further examples scheduled to open next year at London Heathrow and Paris Charles de Gaulle.
Replacing 12 former lounges used by individual members, the latest LA facility occupies an area of 15,000ft2 and seats up to 264 First and Business Class passengers. There are separate areas for relaxation, showers, and business centres equipped with free wireless internet connections, telephones and fax/copy/scanner/print machines.
Located on the fifth floor of the international terminal, adjacent to the south-side security checkpoint, the lounge is open to Star Alliance Gold members as well as premium fare passengers holding a ticket on any of the six resident alliance airlines operating from LA: ANA, Asiana, Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, Swiss and Thai. Collectively, they offer 74 weekly international flights out of Los Angeles. Low-cost rewards
Flybe, which claims to be Europe’s largest regional airline, has launched the UK's first low-cost customer loyalty scheme open to all passengers – but of particular interest to frequent flyers. Its new Rewards4all programme offers points for each one-way flight purchased, with just four round-trip Economy Plus journeys, or eight in Economy, earning a free return flight. Five Economy Plus returns (or 10 in Economy) earns a year's free access to Flybe's executive lounges. Comments Mike Rutter, the airline's chief commercial officer: “This latest announcement is part of Flybe’s constant innovation and commitment to invest in our regular customers. We currently carry the highest percentage of business travellers in the low-cost sector, and our new Rewards4all scheme will help develop and maintain those relationships. “Flybe offers the full range of services for busy business flyers, from dedicated check-in, free seat assignment and lounge access to ticket flexibility and now a professional and generous rewards programme that they can benefit from every time they travel.” Moscow airport switch
Lufthansa has become the latest carrier to announce plans to switch its operations from Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport to Domodedovo next summer. The move will also see other members of the Star Alliance – Swiss, Austrian, bmi, Singapore Airlines, Spanair and Thai Airways – shifting to the newer airport, which is further out (40km/25 miles) from the city.
| 
|
