Aviation

The vision of traveling by hydroplane has again become a reality as Airsea Lines recently begun its routes to nine Cycladic islands daily from the port of Lavrio. In its first phase, the hydro-port of Lavrio services passengers to and from Kalymnos with daily flights and as peak season approaches the routes will extend to Ios, Tinos, Patmos, Amorgos, Paros, Myconos, Santorini and Andros.

Aviation and tourism officials in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, last month praised the latest expansion moves by Qatar Airways, which includes the addition of a new link between Malaysia’s capital and the tropical Indonesian island of Bali.

The fifth largest airline in the United States, US Airways, has recently commenced its direct daily flights to Athens from Philadelphia in its attempt to bring closer “two cities with a Greek name” as Eric Mathieu, the airline’s managing director of international sales, said at a press conference in Athens. This coincided with the airline launching direct flights to Zurich and Brussels.

“Value for less money, reliability, simplicity and safety are the four key issues for the success of our company,” said Andreas Engel, international communications manager for Germanwings, at a recent press conference held in Athens. He said the low cost airline plans to expand its destinations in Greece this year from four to seven, thus connecting not only Athens and Thessaloniki to Europe but also Heraklion, Rodos, Mykonos, Kavala and Corfu.

British Airways recently re-launched its business club – a true boon for long-haul business travelers – that includes up-market amenities that begin with the initial ticketing and culminates in a unique cabin bed.

The European Commission has given airlines and member states six months to make the EC’s new air passenger rights regulation work. It said it would provide airlines with full support in an effort to complete the process.

British Airways’ country commercial manager for Greece, Freddie Stier, last month proudly presented the latest news on Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 5.

The Association of European Airlines (AEA) publishes its report every quarter, and produces an annual figure at the end of each calendar year. The reports include not just baggage handling performance of its member airlines, but also their performance in other areas.

Dr. Yiannis Paraschis late last month took over from Alfred van der Meer as the new chief executive officer of Athens International Airport. The forty-seven-year-old industrial engineer joined the airport’s management team shortly after its establishment in 1996, and he was the key contributor to the development of the company from the onset.

The European Union late last month reached a agreement that gives airlines greater freedom to choose trans-Atlantic routes and potentially lead to lower fares. While details of the pact were not released as we went to press, it is intended to allow European airlines to fly from anywhere in the EU to any point in the U.S., and vice versa, while shedding rules that restrict how much carriers are allowed to charge fliers.