IN THE AIR ➔ Air Berlin's nip and tuck
airports and concentrate on developing its hubs in Berlin and Dusseldorf. “In order to become profitable
AIR BERLIN has embarked on a dramatic ‘Shape & Size’ programme in order to turn round the company’s financial welfare and return to profit. Germany’s second-largest airline says improved capacity utilisation, an increase in revenue per passenger and cost-saving efforts have not been enough to counter higher costs resulting from the
UIA'S MOSCOW CONNECTION
UKRAINE International Airlines has launched three daily flights between its Kiev hub and Moscow Domodedovo airport, with a convenient connection from the airline's daily service between London Gatwick and Kiev. UIA will operate two of
the new Kiev-Moscow flights, with the third flown by its codeshare partner and Oneworld alliance member, S7 Airlines. Through fares from London Gatwick to Moscow start from £125 one way and £194 return including taxes. UIA flies between London Gatwick and Kiev Boryspil Airport daily and UK customers are eligible to join its frequent flyer programme, the Panorama Club. The airline operates around 500 flights a week.
country’s aviation tax regime and increasing oil prices. Its Shape & Size programme
will therefore see capacity reduced by more than a million seats in this second half of the year, with eight aircraft taken out of service, while unprofit- able routes will be cancelled and frequencies reduced. The airline will also partially withdraw from some regional
we need to make cuts in our flight routes and in our fleet,” said Air Berlin chief executive officer Joachim Hunold at the presentation of the airline’s Q2 financial results. Hunold said regional airports are the casualties of the aviation tax, with Munster/Osnabruck to London among the routes being axed, as well as the Hanover-London and Paderborn to London and Manchester services. “The aviation tax together
with the existing competitive pressure makes it impossible to pass on the increased price of kerosene to customers in its entirety. In order to prevent further damage to the already low-margin airline traffic in Germany, the aviation tax should be abolished as quickly as possible,” said Hunold.
GATWICK'S VIETNAM LINK
Five minutes with... Gary Kershaw
PROFILE
Country Manager, UK & Ireland SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS
Gary has been in the airline industry for over 23 years and is currently responsible for all South African Airways’ commercial and operational activities in the UK & Ireland. Prior to joining SAA, he held senior positions at Air New Zealand, US Airways, oneworld and Air Canada.
What is your most memorable business travel trip and why? That would have to be getting stuck in San Francisco with a colleague on 9/11 while on our way to Hawaii for a conference. I remember watching the second aircraft fly into the World Trade Centre live on TV and thinking we weren’t going anywhere for quite a while. It took us five days to get home and at one point we were booked to fly Los Angeles- Sydney-Bangkok-London.
What is your worst business travel experience and why? I once went to Sydney for the day to evaluate a new GSA for US Airways in Australia. I’d just started a rotten cold on the way back and in Singapore I was downgraded from Club World to a middle seat in economy next to a screaming child. We then stayed on the tarmac in Singapore for a further two hours as Afghanistan’s airspace had closed and the pilot had to file a new flight plan.
What is your favourite destination worldwide and why? North Conway in The White Mountains of New Hampshire. It’s totally isolated, surrounded only by lakes and mountains.
VIETNAM Airlines launches direct flights from London Gatwick to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City this December, initially operating two flights a week to each destination. Pham Ngoc Minh, Vietnam Airlines’ chief executive says, “Launching the first direct route between Vietnam and the United Kingdom is a breakthrough in our European route development strategy. This will create favourable conditions for development and cooperation between the two countries, as well as between Vietnam and the European Community as
a whole in terms of trade, investment, education and cultural exchange.” Flights from Gatwick to Lagos also commence this month as Air Nigeria launches its first international route outside Africa. Flights will depart from Gatwick daily at 2230, arriving into Lagos at 0430 the next day, with the return leg leaving Nigeria at 1410 and landing back into London at 2010. In addition, low-cost carrier
Air Asia X switches its London to Kuala Lumpur service from Stansted Airport to Gatwick this October.
What three items do you never leave home without when on business? My MacBook Pro, Bose noise reduction headphones and Tumi Luggage.
What single thing could be done to improve your business travelling life? I’d happily pay a fee to join a security line at airports for people who understand how the 'get naked programme' works and don’t leave keys, small change or their mobile phones in their pockets!
What destinations would you like to visit next and why? I’m five months into my role at SAA and really looking forward to exploring Southern Africa. What I have seen so far has been incredible and makes me want to get to know it so much more.
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