Naples is calling...........KLM gear up for a new service to the the port city of the Neapolitan Riviera

KLM, the Royal Dutch Airline, will be starting a brand new service to the heart of the Neapolitan Riviera, the port city of Naples.

This vibrant and beautiful Italian port city will be KLM's tenth destination in Italy, which we will be operated on a seasonal basis during the summer months. The airline will be operating the route daily during July and August with Boeing 737-700/800 aircraft. For the rest of the season, the airline will only fly there at the weekend.

Reduce plastic waste in Italian waters........

Air Italy pulling out of PSO routes from Sardinia

Photo Air Italy

Air Italy, has reluctantly decided it will have to pull away from the 'Public Service Obligation routes from Sardnina it announced on Tuesday 16th April.  The news follows a meeting with President Solinas held in Villa Devoto in the presence of a delegation from Air Italy and Alitalia, however, the proposal given to the airlines was unsustainable according to Air Italy.

Air Italy has stated on several occasions that it is not able to share routes from Olbia with Alitalia, the routes just don't attract enough passengers to break even for two airlines. On 12th March, Air Italy agreed to fly from Olbia to Rome and from Olbia to Linate (and vice versa), without financial compensation from the government, to protect its staff of over 500 people and the investment made over the last 50 years in the service of Sardinia. Unfortunately, the proposed solution would not guarantee these objectives and would result in an even more negative result than that already envisaged in the proposed no-compensation solution.  Therefore, having both Alitalia and Air Italy on the routes will make them untenable.

Marriott's The Luxury Collection arrives in Cyprus with Parklane in Limassol

Parklane in Cyprus                  Photo Marriott

The Luxury Collection, part of Marriott International announced this week the opening of Parklane, a Luxury Collection Resort & Spa, Limassol. 

The exciting property is owned and operated by Parklane Hotels Limited, and marks Marriott International’s entry into Cyprus – and the first international luxury branded resort in the country. Parklane joins an ensemble of over 100 Luxury Collection hotels and resorts in more than 30 countries and territories, offering world travellers indigenous and intimate, local experiences.

“We are excited to put Cyprus on the map for our Global Explorers as our newest property in the region,” said Anthony Ingham, Global Brand Leader, The Luxury Collection. “With a deep-rooted history that today can still be experienced by visiting iconic landmarks such as the medieval Limassol Castle, paired with modern architecture and cultural happenings, the vibrant coastal city of Limassol is one of the most up and coming destinations in the world today.”

Building a world class terminal: Delta employees, partners mark the start of demolition at LAX

Photo Delta

Demolition has officially started on Terminal 3 at Los Angeles International Airport, commencing the first phase of construction on the $1.86 billion Delta Sky Way project.​

Delta employees along with representatives from Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), contractor Hensel Phelps, and design firms Gensler and Arup gathered for a celebratory event to mark the milestone in the project, which will modernize, upgrade and connect Terminals 2, 3 and the Tom Bradley International Terminal (Terminal B). The event was held in an area of the terminal that is now closed to the public as construction gets underway and included a ceremonial wall demolition. Attendees also signed a steel girder that will be placed in the final facility.

London Stansted Airport firefighter helps bring some Easter joy to hundreds of children

Simon Phillips, a firefighter with White Watch at London Stansted, will bring Easter joy to hundreds of children from across the region thanks to the egg-ceptional generosity of companies and people across the airport and in the local community.

Simon has collected over 2,000 Easter eggs from big-hearted businesses and colleagues across the airport which are being donated to hospitals and children’s charities across Essex and Hertfordshire.

This is the sixth year Simon has successfully taken on the challenge of the annual egg collection, seeing him collect nearly 7,000 eggs to date, bringing a smile to the faces of children unable to be at home for Easter or facing family hardship. 

Air Italy issues a statement on the Delta, United and American Airlines allegations

The largest US carriers (and their alliance partners) control about 90% of all transatlantic traffic.

As sanctions and route restrictions being placed on Qatar Airways and Air Italy imposed by the US become a strong possibility, the Italian airline Air Italy wants to set the record straight, it issued the following statement on Thursday 19th April.

Travel tips and Easter advice from Manchester Airport

Photo Manchester Airport

Travel tips and Easter advice from 

Manchester Airport

Tips, tools and advice issued to help passengers fly through with ease this summer

New signage across the site set to help infrequent users

New car parks coming to increase capacity with passengers urged to always pre-book

The advice comes as 1.9m set to jet off over the Easter holidays

Ahead of what is set to be a record summer for passenger numbers at Manchester Airport, and with the Easter holidays just around the corner, it is today issuing a range of advice, tips and tools to help its 28.5m customers have a smooth airport experience.

As well as spending £1bn to transform the airport for the future, with the first phase now open, the Northern hub has also made a raft of short-term changes, all of which are detailed here to help infrequent passengers this summer.

Top Three Tips To Fly Through This Summer:

Allow plenty of time for your airport journey – getting here and getting through
Be ready for security – coats off, plus liquids, gels and pastes sorted before security
If driving, ensure you pre-book your parking

Want to win a pair of British Airways business class tickets to New York? Go on...be a Good Egg

It's almost the Easter weekend when so many people go off on a quick break or swap chocolate eggs or perhaps both, so the UK's British Airways has hit on an amusing competition to get some more publicity!

The carrier will be flying almost 200,000 customers around the world, reuniting families and loved ones this weekend, so the carrier is appealing to customers travelling between Friday, April 19 and Monday, April 22nd to tell them why they’ve been a Good Egg over the weekend, by Tweeting British Airways using the hashtag #BAGoodEgg.

Silver Airways’ “Kazoo” takes to the skies!

Photo Silver Airways

As the new official airline of the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, the Floridian Silver Airways, the leading airline of the I-10 Gulf Coast region, unveiled the first themed aircraft for a Double-A Minor League baseball team.

The Saab 350 with a bright new livery has been named after the  Pensacola Blue Wahoos’ mascot, “Kazoo” and rolled out of the carriers Orlando maintenance hangar today and made its maiden flight to Pensacola International Airport where it was unveiled to the ball team and the local community.

Riyadh to get A380 service from 21st April

Emirates expands its A380 network 

with the introduction of scheduled service to Riyadh

Special Expo livery A380 of Emirates           Photo Emirates 

There will be even more choice for Emirates passengers going to or from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from 21st April when the Dubai based carrier introduces the super spacious A380 into the schedule.

Riyadh, the Saudi capital and most populous city will be the 51st destination to join the Emirates A380 network.  From 21st April flight EK817/818, currently operated by a Boeing 777-300ER, will now be operated by the iconic and highly popular A380. EK 817 will depart Dubai at 1850, arriving in Riyadh at 1935. The return flight EK 818 leaves Riyadh at 2125, arriving in Dubai at 0035 the next day. 

Singing pilot returns to help passengers over come flying fears

British Airways’ singing pilot Stuart Beech, who rose to fame on Michael McIntyre’s BBC 1 ‘Big Show’, returns home to Manchester in May to help more people overcome their fear of flying.

Stuart, from Oldham, Greater  Manchester, is part of the British Airways’ Flying with Confidence team who have helped more than 50,000 nervous customers take to the skies since the courses first started over 30 years ago.

It was during one of the courses at Christmas that comedian Michael McIntyre surprised Stuart and invited him to fulfil a lifelong ambition and sing in front of a packed house at London’s Theatre Royal.

China’s Airbus H135 final assembly line starts operations

Airbus Helicopters has expanded its industrial footprint and partnership with China with the opening of the H135 final assembly line in Qingdao. The factory is the first helicopter FAL built by a foreign manufacturer in China, as well as the first H135 FAL outside of Europe.

The opening of this FAL follows a cooperation agreement signed between Airbus Helicopters and China in 2016 for the purchase of 100 H135s destined for the Chinese market. Ninety-five of these 100 helicopters will be assembled on this FAL from 2019 onwards.

Main components including the main fuselage, main gearbox kits and rear fuselage will be shipped to Qingdao from Donauwörth, Germany and Albacete, Spain respectively.

The 6,500sqm Qingdao plant is composed of four working stations, a paint booth, ground and flight test areas, and a delivery centre. The site will employ around 40 people, 23 of whom received on-the-job training in Donauwörth.

CFM investigating LEAP -1A & 1B engine issues.

The aircraft engine giant, CFM International, is said to be monitoring closely its LEAP engines following a build up issue said to be behind the engine failure on a Boeing 737 Max 8 of US budget carrier, Southwest Airlines on 26th March.

CFM has told operators to inspect the LEAP-1A and -1B engines looking for a build-up of carbon or other materials on fuel nozzles. This build-up, often called coking, could cause hot-spots and premature wear which could cause a failure in the turbine blades. Its believed it was this that caused the engine failure Southwest jet on a ferry flight to Victorville for storage from Orlando. 

Airbus Helicopters awarded Australia’s ARH Tiger support contract extension

Photo Airbus

Airbus has been awarded an extension of the Australian Army’s Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter (ARH) Tiger through-life support (TLS) contract by the Australian Department of Defence, it was announced this week. 

Airbus Australia Pacific Managing Director Andrew Mathewson said that the five-year, TLS contract extension reflected the current standing of the Tiger in Australia.

“Airbus is committed to ensuring the success of the Australian ARH Tiger fleet, and we have worked closely with the Australian Army and our industry partners to improve the fleet‘s performance over many years,” he said.

2019 Passenger Choice Awards crowns Norwegian the ‘Best Low-Cost Carrier in Europe’ at the

Norwegian has been named ‘Best Best Low-Cost Carrier in Europe’ at the prestigious 2019 Passenger Choice Awards. 

The APEX Passenger Choice Awards represent one of the highest accolades in the industry as winners are directly voted for by passengers and take into account factors such as seat comfort, cabin service, food and beverage, entertainment, and Wi-Fi.

Norwegian was the first airline to offer passengers free in-flight Wi-Fi on all European flights in 2011. The airline became the first to introduce live television over the skies of Europe in 2015 and in late 2018 it took delivery of its first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner equipped with inflight Wi-Fi. In 2019 Norwegian became the first low-cost airline to offer customers free Wi-Fi for the full duration of intercontinental flights. Customers can choose the service that suits their requirements between a completely free package to a premium service allowing the streaming of video and other multimedia content.

US airlines backing Qatar Airways

A number of aviation businesses from the United States of America have come out in support of the Doha based Qatar Airways and urged the US authorities not to restrict the Qatari's operations into the country.

New York's hometown airline and the biggest operator out of Boston, JetBlue, along with Atlas Air cargo and FedEx have sent a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao in which they urge against any restrictions being placed on Qatar Airways or Air Italy for fear of a retaliation against them and lead to the collapse of open-skies agreements.

Qatar Airways hits back over false Air Italy investment claims

The Doha based Qatar Airways has hit back at recent US media speculation and political assertions that it is acting improperly over its investment in Air Italy.

Qatar Airways owns 49% of Air Italy's parent company AQA, the same amount that US mega-carrier Delta hold in Virgin and Aeromexico. It is also the same level of investment fellow gulf carrier Emirates held in Alitalia.

The national carrier of Qatar wanted to set the record straight after the recent false accusations relating to its shareholding in Air Italy. Qatar Airways’ investment in Air Italy, and operations to the United States, are fully compliant with the U.S.-Qatar Open Skies Agreement, the January 2018 U.S.-Qatar Understandings, and a side letter that accompanied the discussions.

Explore Riga

Riga an artistic jewel of a city!

Riga, the capital of Latvia, is one of the largest cities in all the Baltic states and is a key economic centre for the region. It is also home to the largest collection of  Art Nouveau buildings in the world, indeed the old town of Riga is a UNESCO World Heritage Site because of the historic architecture. Whilst the architecture may hark back to times long ago and there are a vast array of museums and cultural ports of call to visit the city maintains a young and vibrant heart. This is perhaps because of the number of young people attending university in the city as well as tourists coming for the nightlife.  Riga's main attractions include Riga Cathedral and St. Peter's Church and don't miss either the 14th-century Riga Castle, which now houses the official residence of the President of Latvia.  

Eating out in Riga is a relatively cheap activity with numerous restaurants or varied cuisine type and price tag.  Alus Seta, in the Old Town, is a great choice for your basic, but hearty veg and meat dishes, with either big portions or buffet style and low prices. Probably best to go elsewhere for seafood but everything else here is great value, oh, and it serves great beer too!

If you fancy pancakes, then Šefpavārs Vilhelms, Šķūņu 6, is the place to go for the best and probably cheapest stuffed pancakes in town, this is a delightful place and recommended for good grub at cheap prices.

Stargorod, Republikas square 1, next door to President Castle is a hot little place to head to for the local food at good prices. It is a big place, lots of TV screens, can be noisy, lively and jolly busy during various sporting events. The beer is top quality too and well worth a visit, just for that!

There is a charm to the city that makes it a great destination for a city break, English is widely spoken, as is Russian, some German and of course Latvian.  Getting around is easy thanks to the trolleybuses, trams and minibuses that abound the city and the cost is very reasonable.

Places to stay

One of the best mid-priced hotels in the city is the Mercure, which is both stylish and cool as well as contemporary and comfortable. This is a 4 star Superior hotel in the heart on Riga's historic centre next to the Central Railway station, occupying a magnificent 1901 Art Nouveau building designed by the world-famous architect K. Peksens. Easy walking distance to Old Town and cultural landmark attractions: Freedom Monument, National Opera, Dome Square. It has a nice fine dining restaurant and bar, also worth a visit is the luxurious spa.

Pullman Riga Old Town Hotel is in the heart of Riga's historic centre occupying a magnificent building from 1789 merged together with a completely modern structure. It lies exactly in the Old Town and neighbors Dome Square, Parliament, National Theatre, F reedom Monument, National Opera. Refined restaurant and bar, Vinoteca by Pullman, Tea Deli, luxurious SPA with 19 m swimming pool, comprehensive conference facilities with 8 rooms, parking area support the 155 room five star hotel facility.

More hotels in Riga can be found here, including the popular Dome Hotel & Spa, Garden Palace and Astor Riga. 

The Ibis Riga Centre is a vibrant hotel that has recently been refurbished into one of the outstanding midscale hotels in the centre of Riga, 90 meters from Central Station. A hotel used to be here ever since it was built in 1895 by Karl Johan Felsko. The inspiring design of our rooms, the modern Book Lounge and the charming round the clock light meal restaurant represent the new concept of the ibis brand. Riga old town, Freedom monument are within a 500 m radius.

More hotels in Riga can be found here, including the popular Dome Hotel & Spa, Garden Palace and Astor Riga.

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Marcus Hotels & Resorts assumes management of the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Schaumburg, Illinois

Marcus Hotels & Resorts confirmed it has assumed management of the Hyatt Regency Schaumburg in Schaumburg, Illinois with effect of 1st April.

Targeting travellers seeking a seamless, intuitive experience, from efficient personalised, high-touch business meetings to memorable family vacations, the newly renovated Hyatt Regency Schaumburg is conveniently located approximately 15 miles from Chicago O’Hare International Airport and 30 miles from downtown Chicago, and is situated among some of Chicagoland’s most popular attractions and energetic business hubs. Directly across the street from Woodfield Mall, one of the largest shopping centres in the United States, Hyatt Regency Schaumburg is also close to other popular leisure destinations such as the Schaumburg Convention Centre, Legoland Discovery Centre, The Ned Brown Preserve, and hundreds of shops and exciting restaurants. For savvy business travellers, the hotel neighbours many regional and national corporate headquarters and offers easy access to one of the world’s busiest airports.

British Airways engineer re-imagines famous musical theme from Lakme for the airlines 100th year

To mark its centenary British Airways has released a new composition based on the famous piece of music, Flower Duet, which featured in Delibes’ opera Lakmé.

Flower Duet theme from Delibes’ opera Lakmé reimagined to reflect British Airways’ history, in the airline’s centenary yearMusic composed by British Airways’ quality engineer Lyndon Ooi whose day job involves checking that British Airways’ aircraft are fit to fly from a technical perspective

The original version of the music will also be recognisable as it has featured in a number of adverts from across the airline’s history, and is also played in the cabin during boarding.

The new version has been composed by Lyndon Ooi – a quality engineer at British Airways – whose day job involves checking that British Airways’ aircraft are fit to fly from a technical perspective.

The reworked composition is made up of 10 variations representing 10 significant milestones in British Airways’ history. It rises, falls, speeds up and slows down to moments including the formation of Imperial Airways, the introduction of the new jet age, Concorde’s farewell and the opening of Heathrow Terminal 5.