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September/October 2024


Wendy Wu Tours Unleashes Their Most Spectacular


Japan Tours Yet WENDY Wu Tours has proudly unveiled its most extensive and immersive collection of specialist Japan tours to date, featuring a range of carefully curated itineraries for 2025 and 2026.


Presented in the brand-new brochure, this collection offers travellers an unmatched opportunity to explore the very best of Japan with the convenience and assurance that only Wendy Wu Tours can provide. As the number one specialist tour operator


to Japan in the UK, Wendy Wu Tours has expanded its portfolio to include the largest number of Japan holidays and departure dates available. The new collection showcases a diverse array of experiences, from the iconic highlights to hidden gems that only a specialist tour can uncover. Travellers will be able to immerse themselves fully in Japan’s rich culture, history, and natural beauty, with every detail meticulously planned and included.


Belfast City Airport Celebrates One Year of £1.2M Aspire Lounge


BELFAST City Airport and Aspire Airport Lounges have marked one year since it opened its £1.2 million refurbished lounge. Since then, Aspire has welcomed over 125,000 people through its doors, with the investment increasing capacity from 70 people to accommodate 178 seats. In celebration of the anniversary, Kathy Toye, Commercial Manager at Belfast City Airport, said: “The feedback we have received since opening the new Aspire Lounge last year has been exceptional, with passengers commenting on its comfort and style, and the outstanding service delivered by the team.


“It has truly set the standard for premium travel in Northern Ireland, elevating the airport experience with a perfect mix of luxury and convenience.


Belfast International Airport Reaches Busiest


July on Record BELFAST International Airport, a member of VINCI Airports, has announced that July 2024 was the busiest July ever recorded at the airport.


It comes as over 700,000 passengers jetted off to 70 destinations with almost 6000 flights recorded during the period as the peak school holiday period got underway. The busiest day was 14th July and saw over 26,000 passengers travelling


through the


Airport. Dan Owens, Chief Executive Officer,


said: “This year we expanded our range of routes and frequencies for the summer period, which have helped drive the July figures we are releasing today. All of our airlines have added new destinations to our route portfolio including Malta, Bodrum, Tunisia and Larnaca which indicates that there is clear demand to travel to a wide range of destinations.”


The most popular destination in July was Palma in Mallorca with 40,000 passengers heading to this favourite Spanish hotspot.


Other popular


destinations included Faro, Paris, and Dalaman in Turkey.


The data also shows that 90% of passengers waited for less than 15 minutes to get through security and comes just days after the


was given a ‘good’ rating by the Civil Aviation Authority for the services it provides to passengers with reduced mobility.


airport


Ryanair Announces Partnership with TravelFusion


RYANAIR has announced yet another “Approved OTA Aggregator” partnership with Travelfusion, the world’s largest flight aggregator who are now authorised to offer


Ryanair’s low fare flights to their network of OTA partners providing full price transparency. This new deal


will ensure that customers


who book Ryanair flights through Travelfusion OTA partners, can access their bookings in their myRyanair account without needing to complete Ryanair’s customer verification.


“Coupled with our speedy security processing times – an average of only six minutes – and our excellent location in the heart of Belfast, passengers travelling through Belfast City Airport can enjoy a seamless and relaxing start to their journey.”


Created by DV8 Designs, the refurbished lounge incorporates Northern Ireland inspired design, drawing inspiration from the iconic Giant’s Causeway.


It also features sound-proof booths, purpose-built


workspaces, an enhanced food and beverage offering, and views of the airfield.


easyJet and Virgin Atlantic Partner in Pilot Exchange Programme


EasyJet and Virgin Atlantic have partnered in a pilot exchange programme that will see a cohort of easyJet pilots


join


Virgin Atlantic to a


experience wide-


body flying secondment. From November 2024, 20 easyJet pilots will swap A320 flying for the


right-hand


seat as a co-pilot to train on Virgin Atlantic’s Airbus A350 fleet for around three years, returning to easyJet at the end of the placement. The partnership


will


provide easyJet pilots with over 1500 flying hours with the opportunity to experience operations on a state of the art,


wide-


body Airbus A350 and further their flight deck experience over long- haul routes on the youngest transatlantic


fleet, while Virgin Atlantic will benefit from highly- trained experienced short haul easyJet pilots from across Europe joining its team.


Loganair Celebrates City of Derry Milestone


with Loyal Passengers LOGANAIR celebrated carrying 400,000 passengers on the popular Glasgow through City of Derry Airport by surprising long-time travellers with free tickets. Eleanor and Gerry Loughlin, who live in Glasgow, have been loyal passengers on this route for over 40 years. Originally from Glasgow and Donegal, respectively,


the


couple used the route frequently while they lived in Donegal, flying back to Scotland to visit Eleanor’s family. Now based in Glasgow, they continue to use the service to reconnect with friends and family in Donegal and Strabane. Eleanor said:”We’ve been flying this route


for decades, and it’s always felt like a bridge between our two homes. We haven’t decided where to go with our free tickets – we might take another trip to spend time with our family or try somewhere further afield!” The Glasgow to City of Derry route holds a special place in Loganair’s history, having been operated by the airline at various times over the past 40 years. The service’s enduring popularity reflects the deep historical connections between the communities in Glasgow and the Northwest of Ireland.


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