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July/August 2023


Finnair Serves up 35 Years of Flights to China


FINNAIR is celebrating 35 years of flying to China and connecting Asia with Europe.


This major milestone for the Nordic carrier comes as it also celebrates its centenary as one of the earliest pioneers in aviation. Finnair’s first flight to China took off on 2 June 1988, with a new non- stop service to Beijing, becoming the first Western European airline to offer non-stop flights between Europe and China. This exciting route followed five years after Finnair launched its revolutionary service to Japan in 1983. This was due to technological


advancements with extra


fuel tanks on their DC-10 aircraft, enabling it to fly via the North Pole to facilitate the shortest routes between Europe and Asia possible.


Thanks to its geographic position based at Helsinki, Finnair was able to act as a bridge between Europe and Asia across the short northern route enabling it to continue its expansion across the region. The launch of services to Shanghai in 2003 made Finnair the only Northern European and oneworld airline to offer direct flights to Shanghai at the time. Finnair was also the first carrier to open a non-stop route between Europe and Chongqing in 2012, and became the only European carrier offering a direct connection between Europe and Xi’An the following year.


Icelandair and Turkish Airlines Sign New Codeshare Agreement


LOW-COST airline Ryanair has welcomed a Barcelona Court of Appeal ruling over the business practices of online travel agents (OTAs).


It upheld Ryanair’s statements on online travel agent practices to overcharge customers by applying ‘service charges,’


LET your stresses drift away onboard Stena Vision, which is set to go into service on the Rosslare to Cherbourg route this month. Stena Vision features the luxurious Pure Nordic Spa which boasts soothing saunas and Jacuzzis, as well as offering a variety of beauty treatments including manicures, pedicures, facials, massages and body scrubs.


Passengers can begin their holiday in style and allow the stresses of everyday life to float away while sailing to their holiday destination, soaking up all the calming spa has to offer.


Providing unrivalled comfort and choice for passengers on the route,


ICELANDAIR and Turkish Airlines have signed a codeshare agreement. With this agreement, the two airlines will be providing seamless connections to their customers and expand the number of destinations on both carriers’ networks.


Online Travel Agents Lose Against Ryanair in Spanish Court


Ryanair said. Ryanair’s Dara Brady said: “Damaging practices are true and supported by extensive documentary evidence,” it said.


“Some OTAs frustrate


Ryanair’s direct communications with customers and block refund payments.”


“We encourage all customers to book their flights directly on the Ryanair website or app to access the lowest fares and direct customer services.” OTAs do not have any commercial agreements with Ryanair and are not authorised to sell their flights.


‘Spa-tacular’ Facilities Onboard Stena Line’s Ferry to France


Fly Atlantic Push Back Launch Date To Spring 2025


FLY Atlantic, a new airline aiming to implement transatlantic flights from Belfast International Airport to the United States have pushed back its launch date until 2025. Originally, the new airline was set to


launch in Summer 2024 with routes to Europe and North America. However, this date has since been pushed back. Chief Executive of Fly Atlantic, Andrew


Pyne highlighted that “spring 2025” is the new target for the airline’s launch. Pyne further stated that, “The key issue is availability of aircraft. With the bounce


back in passenger volumes globally post- pandemic, it’s become tougher to find suitable aircraft at the right price, hence the delay.”


The original announcement was made


back in November 2022, in which the airline highlighted that it is intending to operate to 35 destinations from Belfast International Airport.


The introduction of this airline would


create 21,000 new jobs by 2030, with 1,000 jobs within the airline and a subsequent 21,000 jobs in the tourism and support sector.


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