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HOLIDAY SPENDING PRIORITISED DESPITE INFLATION


European hypersonic startup aiming for four-hour flights to Australia


WHILE Qantas is aiming to take the title for the World’s Longest Flight, a new Eu- ropean hydrogen-powered airline startup claims it could fly from Europe to Austral- ia in just four hours. Switzerland based Destinus is set to test a new prototype aircraft this year. Speaking to CNN, the company’s BDM, Martina Löfqvist said it aims to launch in the 2030s. “We try to go very, very ultra-long range,” Löfqvist said. “That is to fly from Europe all the way to Australia at Mach 5.” Using kerosene would become quite heavy, while hydrogen is very light in comparison.” Destinus has already conducted successful test flights with its first two prototypes.


BRITISH consumers are still prioritising their holidays despite increased pressure on finances, according to new data from Barclays. The bank’s Consumer Spending Index found that despite these on- going inflationary pres- sures, Brits are still keen to book holidays to look forward to later in the year.


Spend with airlines increased by 32.1% year-on-year in April, a slight uplift compared with March (28.5%).


Train Travel Tops Flying in Europe WITH


www.nitravelnews.com


June 2023


airfares


remaining high even for short intra-Europe flights, train travel is fast


becoming a top choice for travellers. According to reports around 70% of all inter- European


business


Qantas To Launch World’s Longest Flight in 2025


QANTAS plans to take the crown for the world’s longest flight in late 2025 with its flagship Kangaroo route from Sydney to London. It hopes to launch nonstop London flights


from Sydney in 2025 which will last 20 hours, covering 17,020 kilometres. The first of its kind flight has been several


years in the making under Qantas’ ‘Project Sunrise’ initiative. The current title holder for the world’s longest flight is Singapore Airline’s New York service.


travel is by rail. This has combined to create a more competitive rail friendly travel market and there is the growing move by choice to more sustainable transportation, while some governments get tough on emissions by banning some short- haul flights altogether.


UBER is adding a new flight booking feature for UK users. It allows users to book flights directly in the Uber app. The new Uber flights tool will be available to all UK users this summer.


Icelandair Passenger Levels Rise Over 20% Since Last Year


ICELANDAIR announced their April passenger numbers were up 22% on last year. This is part of a continuing trend of a rise in passenger numbers this year for Icelandair, especially with a rise in international passengers in particular. On- time performance also reached a level of 84%, a significant improvement on last year’s number, demonstrating the leading Icelandic airline’s emergence as a major player in the transatlantic aviation market.


In April 2023, Icelandair‘s passengers were 296 thousand, compared to 242 thousand in April last year, an increase of 22%. Capacity in April was 17% higher than last year. Passengers on international


flights were 273 thousand, compared to 219 thousand in April 2022, an increase of 25%. Passengers to Iceland were 104 thousand and 53 thousand from Iceland. Via passengers were around 116 thousand. On-time performance on international flights was 80%. The load factor


The Star Wars Production Returns to the Canary Islands


THE Canary Islands have hosted numerous Hollywood productions over the years. With its magnificent and varied nature, the Spanish archipelago offers many unique filming locations. It has now been confirmed that the new Star Wars film adaptation will return to the Canary Island of Fuerteventura.


Hollywood productions often choose the Canary Islands for its climate and its volcanic landscape of rolling dunes and spectacular gorges. In June 2017, the filming of Han Solo: A Star Wars Story (Disney) took place in Fuerteventura’s Pecenescal Valley.


The next instalment of the Star Wars film series returns to Fuerteventura


The Cabildo on the island of Fuerteventura has


now confirmed that Disney could return for the next instalment of the new Star Wars film series. The island’s desert landscape will be the chosen location for filming in 2023. And it’s not the first time. Parts of Solo: A Star Wars Story, released in May 2018, were also filmed on the island.


The Irish holiday favourite Fuertuventura has 90


miles of beaches, deserts and volcanic landscapes, making it the perfect backdrop for the film adaptation.


2022 – a record year for filming in the Spanish archipelago


The year 2022 was particularly favourable for


the Canarian film industry, as shown by the data collected by Canary Island Film. That year, 164 productions were shot on the islands, including films, series, documentaries, short films and animations,


representing an investment of €224 million across the archipelago, 128% more than the previous year. This had a direct impact on the labour market, contributing to 15 300 jobs. It should be noted that even during the pandemic that paralysed the world in 2020, the Canary Islands hosted 80 productions from around the world.


Other Hollywood productions in the Canary Islands


The United States, along with Sweden, the United Kingdom, Germany, Italy, France, Norway, Finland, Denmark, Luxembourg and Spain, are just some of the source countries that have decided to film in the Canary Islands.


Filming will soon begin on the second season


of The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power. The series, based on Tolkien’s fairytale world, has chosen the island of Tenerife as one of the filming locations. Filming will take place in the Teide National Park, making it one of the destinations we will see in the next season of this Amazon Prime series. The series is expected to be released in 2024.


The Canary Islands have always been a popular destination for international filming. The film The Mother, released in 2022 and starring Jennifer López, Gael García Bernal and Joseph Fiennes, was filmed in Gran Canaria and other Hollywood productions such as Fast and Furious 6, the Netflix series The Witcher, Rambo V and Black Mirror have been filmed in the Canary Islands. In the past, classics like Moby Dick (1956), A Million Years Ago (1966), When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth (1970) and My Enemy (1985) were filmed here.


on international flights was 83.4%, an increase of 7 ppt year-on-year, and a record load factor for April. The load factor on North American routes was very strong, totaling 85.3%, and improved by 10.4 ppt compared to April last year. Passengers on domestic


flights were 23 thousand, which is around the same as in April last year. Load factor on domestic flights was 77.2% and on time performance was 84%, improving significantly year on year.


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