Brussels South Charleroi Airport announced today the opening of a new route to Ljubljana, the capital city of Slovenia. As from 29 October, this new route will be operated by Wizz Air twice a week. This is the 6th destination proposed by the Hungarian airline from Brussels South Charleroi Airport.

Ljubljana was built near the Alps in the centre of Slovenia on the Ljubljanica river. The turbulent history of the city (a Roman city destroyed by the Huns under Attila’s orders, and later by the Ostrogoths and Lombards) and two major earthquakes resulted in numerous architectural styles that makes it a captivating city to visit.

Strolling in Ljubljana and crossing the Dragon bridge (the dragon is the symbol of the city) are a must-do.

To celebrate the launch of this new route, Wizz Air is selling tickets as from €22,99 (per person, per journey, all taxes included. Tickets are available for booking on www.wizzair.com.

BSCA 14.05.2012

Air passenger transport in the EU27 in 2010
Highest growth in number of passengers in Copenhagen, Vienna, Milan and Rome airports

In 2010, London/Heathrow remained the EU’s busiest passenger airport, with 66 million passengers handled, down by 0.2% compared with 2009. Paris/Charles de Gaulle (58 mn, +0.5%) and Frankfurt/Main (53 mn, +4.1%) were the second and third busiest airports, followed by Madrid/Barajas (50 mn, +3.9%) and Amsterdam/Schiphol (45 mn, +3.7%). Nine of the top 30 airports registered decreases in the number of passengers handled in 2010, with Dublin (-10.1%) showing the largest fall, followed by London/Stansted (-7.0%), Manchester and Athinai (both -5.2%). The largest increases were observed in København/Kastrup (+9.1%), Wien/Schwechat (+8.7%), Milano/Malpensa (+7.9%) and Roma/Fiumicino (+7.6%).

London/Heathrow (39 mn) handled the most extra-EU passengers, Amsterdam/Schiphol (25 mn) the most intra-EU passengers and Madrid/Barajas (19 mn) the most national passengers.

These figures are published in a report1 from Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, on air transport in the EU27 in 2010. This report also looks in detail at national, intra-EU and extra-EU air transport of passengers and freight, as well as the most important airport pairs within the EU27.

Gradual slow down of the growth in the number of air passengers
In 2010, nearly 777 million passengers2 were transported by air in the EU27, split into 323 million passengers on intra-EU flights, 291 million on extra-EU flights and 163 million on national flights. Quarterly data show a decrease in air passenger transport in the second quarter of 2010 (-1.3% compared with the second quarter of 2009), due to the Icelandic volcanic eruption. Growth returned in the third quarter of 2010 with passenger number up by 5.8% compared with corresponding period of the previous year. Since then however, there has been a gradual slow down of the growth, air passenger transport increasing by 5.1% in the fourth quarter of 2010 and by 3.5% in the first quarter of 2011.

Detailed figures: http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAct ... anguage=fr

1. Air passenger figures have been calculated excluding double counting of national and intra-EU passenger transport, i.e. not counting the same passengers twice, once reported by the origin airport as departures and once by the partner airport as arrivals. Since the EU27 aggregate excludes double counting on intra-EU traffic, Member States' figures do not add up to the EU27 aggregate. For example, a person flying from Paris to London will be counted in France as a ‘departure passenger’ and in the United Kingdom as an ‘arrival passenger’ but only once at EU27 level.

2. Air transport at airports in the Member States with a total transport of more than 150 000 passengers carried in 2010 is covered.

Eurostat press release 14/05/2012

Passenger traffic in first 20 years triples 43-year total at the old location

On its 20th anniversary, Munich Airport can look back at an unparalleled success story. In the two decades since opening on May 17, 1992, the airport's rapid growth has led to a relentless rise in the rankings of European airports, culminating – so far – in a number six ranking among Europe's top 10 airports in 2011. Even more impressive than the traffic statistics is Munich's popularity with passengers. Over the past eight years, the Bavarian hub has earned the title of Europe's Best Airport six times in the global passenger survey conducted by Skytrax, the respected London-based aviation consultancy, and has twice ranked second.

Since it opened, Bavaria's gateway to the world has handled nearly 500 million passengers. To put this figure into perspective: after just 20 years of operation, the new airport has already handled about three times as many passengers as the old Munich-Riem Airport saw in its entire history from 1949 until it closed on May 16, 1992.

Annual growth in passenger traffic has averaged 6 percent during the airport's first two decades. This is significantly higher than the average increases posted by all other German airports during the same period (3.7 percent). Munich has also experienced above average gains in take-offs and landings. During the 20 years at the new location, the number of aircraft movements has passed the 6.5 million mark and increased at an average annual rate of 4 percent. The volume of airfreight handled over the first 20 operating years adds up to 3.1 million tonnes, and has shown an impressive average annual growth rate of 7.3 percent.

One of the main driving factors behind the unrivalled success of Munich Airport is its development into one of Europe's leading hubs. It began in the mid-1990s with the decision by Lufthansa to station two long-haul aircraft in Munich for the first time. That marked the start of a steady expansion in hub traffic in Munich. The percentage of passengers changing planes in Munich has more than tripled from 12 percent in 1992 to 40 percent today. Lufthansa now operates a fleet of 125 aircraft in Munich, including 24 wide body jets for intercontinental traffic. The thriving hub traffic at Munich Airport benefits in particular the people and the economy of Bavaria by providing them with fast and direct access to 241 destinations in 70 countries around the world.

With Terminal 2, which Munich Airport has jointly operated with Lufthansa since the summer of 2003, and the satellite terminal currently under construction and due for completion in 2015, the airport’s annual passenger handling capacity will rise to 50 million. Now it is an urgent priority to move forward decisively with the expansion of the runway system. For some time now, the two existing runways, which have a capacity of 90 schedulable aircraft movements per hour, have been fully "booked up" during peak periods.
In line with its dynamic traffic growth, Munich Airport is constantly gaining power as a motor of the economy and “job generator”. In its inaugural year, Munich Airport provided employment for 12,000 people. Today the 550 companies and public authorities employ a total workforce of more than 30,000. Because each new job at the airport results in another job being created in the surrounding region, the airport's impact on employment can be felt far beyond the perimeter fence.

In addition to the dense network of European routes – with more European destinations than any other airport – passengers at Munich Airport have an attractive range of intercontinental destinations available to them. The number of weekly take-offs and landings to intercontinental destinations – such as New York, San Francisco, Sao Paulo, Johannesburg, Beijing, Singapore, Bangkok and Tokyo – has increased fivefold, from 52 to 278, since the start of hub development in 1995. By establishing excellent connections to the world-wide air transport route map, Munich Airport now yields significant competitive advantages for the entire southern German economy in global competition among regions. The new satellite terminal and the planned third runway will create the necessary conditions to enable Munich Airport to continue serving as a reliable infrastructure facility and job engine for the state of Bavaria and city of Munich in the future.

Flughafen München GmbH (FMG) Corporate Communication, May 11, 2012

Austrian Airlines Traffic Result April: Passenger growth by 9.9 percent
• 985,000 passengers carried – increase by 9.9 percent
• Passenger load factor improved by 5.9 percentage points

Austrian Airlines carried 985,000 passengers in April 2012 which is equivalent to a passenger increase of 9.9 percent in comparison to April last year. The average passenger load factor, at 76.7 percent, was 5.9 percentage points over the figure for the same month last year. The capacity measured in available seat kilometres (ASK) rose by 1.5 percent. The figure for revenue passenger kilometres (RPK) rose by 10 percent.

In the period from January to April 2012, the number of passengers carried rose by 10.2 percent compared to previous year’s figure: 3,338,100 passengers flew with Austrian Airlines. The load factor rose by 3.2 percentage points to 72.3 percent. The capacity measured in available seat kilometres (ASK) rose by 5.1 percent. The figure for revenue passenger kilometres (RPK) rose by 9.9 percent.

Austrian Airlines CCO Karsten Benz: “The strong growth in passenger numbers clearly confirm us on our track. Our goal is to lead Austrian Airlines into a successful future. We therefore must continue to focus on our company reform program.”

Europe
In April 2012, around 808,500 passengers flew with Austrian Airlines within Europe. This is 11.6 percent more passengers than last year. The load factor grew by 4 percentage points to 74 percent. Austrian Airlines increased the ASK by 4.4 percent, the RPK rose by 10.4 percent.

In the period from January to April 2012, around 2.7 million passengers flew with Austrian Airlines within Europe. This is 11.7 percent more than last year. The load factor rose by 3 percentage points to 68.6 percent. The figure for ASK rose by 6.7 percent, and the one for RPK by 11.6 percent.

Intercontinental
In April 2012, the number of passengers carried on intercontinental flights rose by 7.1 percent to 144,600. The load factor, which is 79.2 percent, was 8.1 percentage points over the figure of the previous year. Austrian Airlines increased its ASK by 0.2 percent. The figure for RPK rose by 11.7 percent.

Austrian Airlines carried more than 511,500 passengers in the period from January to April 2012, or 4 percent more than last year despite the crisis in the Middle East. The load factor rose by 3.7 percentage points to 75.4 percent. Austrian Airlines increased its ASK by 3.3 percent. The figure for RPK rose by 8.7 percent.

Charter
In April 2012, passenger volume stood at 31,900 which is 13.8 percent less than previous year. The load factor rose by 1.1 percentage points to 75 percent. Austrian Airlines reduced the ASK by 12.9 percent. The figure for RPK fell by 11.6 percent.

In the period from January to April 2012, Austrian Airlines carried 114,400 passengers in the Charter segment. This figure is 4.8 percent more than last year. The load factor fell by 0.3 percentage points to 74.1 percent. The figure for ASK rose by 10.6 percent, while the one for RPK rose by 10.2 percent.

AUA 10/05/2012

Brussels South Charleroi Airport registered a total of 591,930 passengers in April. This represents an increase of 17% compared to the 504,030 passengers registered in the same month last year.

The increase is explained by the beginning of the summer season, which means the start of typical summer destinations and frequency increase on several existing routes, and also the launch of 10 new destinations such as Nice, Munich (Memmingen), Corfu and Rodez (France).

Compared to April 2011, the most successful destinations in terms of passenger growth are Thessaloniki, Lamezia (both operated by Ryanair) and Belgrade (Wizzair).

This passenger growth was principally registered during off-peak hours, therefore it fits perfectly into the airport’s strategy to focus on manageable growth, in accordance to the airport’s current operational constraints.

BSCA 11/05/2012

The first A380 for Malaysia Airlines (MAS) returned to Toulouse on 9th May following completion of interior furnishing and cabin system tests in Hamburg. The aircraft is now stationed at the Airbus flight line for final system checks prior to the start of the customer acceptance process and delivery at the end of the month.



The national airline of Malaysia will become the eighth operator of the A380 and will commence commercial service between Kuala Lumpur and London effective 1 July this year. Altogether, the carrier has ordered six A380s and has specified a premium three-class layout for the aircraft, seating a total of 494 passengers. The MAS A380 fleet will be powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines.

The aircraft is painted with the base design of Malaysia Airlines’ bright new livery. Additional features of the livery developed specially for the MAS A380 will be applied post-delivery.

10 May 2012 Airbus Press Release

Fraport Traffic Figures – April 2012: FRA’s Upward Trend in Passenger Traffic Continues

Fraport AG welcomed about 4.8 million passengers at its Frankfurt Airport (FRA) home base in April 2012 – up 2.8 percent year-on-year. The reporting month even surpassed the previous April peak figure set in 2011 by some 130,000 passengers – despite the fact that this year’s Easter break occurred earlier and shifted holiday traffic into March 2012.

Aircraft movements at Frankfurt declined due to the nighttime flight curfew (from 23:00 to 05:00) as well as the shorter Easter vacation period in April 2012. Thus, FRA registered 40,149 takeoffs and landings in April 2012, down 0.5 percent year-on-year. Airfreight decreased by 10.5 percent to 167,739 metric tons, while accumulated maximum takeoff weights (MTOWs) dropped by 1.6 percent to approximately 2.4 million metric tons.

From January to April 2012, almost 17 million travelers used the FRA global hub. This represents a three percent jump compared to the same four month period last year. During this period, airfreight tonnage fell by 11.8 to 644,516 metric tons. Aircraft movements from January to April 2012 declined by 1.4 percent to 152,597 takeoffs and landings – due to strike-related flight cancellations and the nighttime ban at FRA.

Fraport’s five majority-owned airports around the world served a total of 7.3 million passengers in the reporting month – growing by 1.7 percent year-on-year. At Peru’s Lima Airport (LIM), traffic surged by 13.5 percent to some one million passengers year-on-year. Furthermore, LIM recently won its fifth SkyTrax Award – for the fourth consecutive year – as Best Airport in South America.

Antalya Airport (AYT) on the Turkish Riviera served 1.5 million passengers in April 2012 – a 7.8 percent decline compared to the same month last year. This drop can be primarily attributed to a stabilization of the political and social environment in North Africa, which had resulted in many international passengers shifting their travel plans to Fraport’s Turkish airport in the spring of 2011.

On the Bulgarian Black Sea coast, Burgas Airport (BOJ) registered a 1.7 percent gain in traffic to almost 20,000 passengers. Meanwhile, Varna Airport (VAR) welcomed 26,182 passengers in April 2012, following the reopening of the airport after several months of reconstruction from mid-October 2011 to the end of February 2012.

Fraport 11.05.2012

65,000 Passengers expected in 2012

The Low Cost Carrier Germanwings is expanding its network to EU-capital Brussels, the largest urban area in Belgium. “We will start our operations May 20th from Brussels to Stuttgart with eleven flights per week. From June 11th on we operate 16 flights per week. We fly three times per day during the week and one flight on Sunday”, Senior Vice President Heinz Joachim Schoettes said. Germanwings is expecting to carry 65,000 passengers from Brussels to Stuttgart in the remaining months of 2012. Schoettes added: “In the full year of operation 2013 we expect to transport more than 100,000 passengers.”

The airline also offers smart connect flights from Brussels via Stuttgart to more than ten European cities like Vienna, Palma de Mallorca, Split or Istanbul.

The Cologne based Carrier is operating this summer 2012 to more than 90 destinations around Europe including Israel and Northern Africa. Germanwings has a young fleet of 32 jets type Airbus A 319.

Germanwings, Brussels, May 10th, 2012

. More comfort with three new cabins
. A latest-generation aircraft which is more environmentally-friendly

On its flights to Mauritius, Air France is continuing to invest in its reference products which combine quality and comfort, and on 8 May introduced the Boeing 777-300 ER with a capacity of 468 seats divided between three cabin classes: 14 seats in Business class, 32 seats in Premium Voyageur and 422 in Voyageur (Economy).

A choice between three cabin classes

1. The Business class cabin is equipped with a «full sleep» seat, which is longer and wider. It had been completely redesigned to provide more comfort and is one of the most spacious and most comfortable seat beds on the market (over 2 m long and 61 cm wide).

2. Located between the Business class and Voyageur cabins, the Premium Voyageur cabin provides the comfort of a private space thanks to its fixed-shell seat which offers 40% additional space compared with the seat in the Voyageur (economy) cabin.

The cabin has been designed to provide maximum comfort, with an adjustable footrest, headrest and a 19-inch seat (48 centimetres) as well as numerous practical functions such as an electric socket, a wide table tray, an individual reading light and noise-reducing headphones.

3. In the Voyageur cabin, passengers have latest-generation seats with an adjustable footrest and headrest as well as an individual screen.

A wide choice of in-flight entertainment in all cabins Each seat is equipped with its own individual in-flight entertainment system, enabling passengers to choose when they want to watch, stop or pause a programme.

Every month, Air France adds new features to its entertainment programme, which has movies, TV series, French and international news channels, games and even foreign language lessons. In total, there are up to 600 hours of programmes on offer: between 85 and 100 films and a juke box of 200 to 300 CDs depending on the system, 25 radio stations and around twenty interactive games.

The Boeing B777-300ER, a latest-generation aircraft which is more environmentally-friendly

The Boeing 777-300ER offers a high level of comfort and is extremely efficient in terms of fuel consumption, limiting the environmental impact of each flight.

• Greater autonomy: Air France’s Boeing 777 has a non-stop operating range of 14,000 kilometres.
• A greater payload: with its powerful GE 90-115B engines, the Boeing 777-300ER can carry greater amounts of cargo, even over long distances. The Boeing 777-300ER can carry 23 tons of cargo. The maximum payload of Air France’s 777-300ER is approximately 57 tons (passengers and cargo) and 40 tons for the 777–200ER.
• An exceptional environmental performance: equipped with the most advanced technology and latest-generation engines, the Boeing 777-300ER presents the best energy and environmental performance in its category. It consumes 20% less fuel than the Boeing 747, resulting in the same reduction in CO2 emissions, with an average consumption of 3.1 litres per passenger per 100 km.

Its GE90-115B second-generation engines are also compatible with the strictest regulatory standards in terms of noise.

Up to 14 weekly flights
Air France operates up to 14 weekly flights to Mauritius together with Air Mauritius. Air France operates up to 4 weekly flights by Boeing 777-300ER with three cabin classes and Air Mauritius operates up to 11 weekly flights by Airbus A340-300 with two cabin classes.

Air France 9 May 2012

Features widest and tallest cabin of any business jet

Airbus is again exhibiting an ACJ319 at the EBACE show in Geneva, giving visitors the opportunity to see how the widest and tallest corporate jet cabin fits into the same ramp space as traditional business jets.

The Airbus ACJ319 is the newest in the Comlux fleet, is being exhibited for the first time, and features a cabin by Comlux America. It is certificated to carry 19 passengers, and features lounge areas, club seating and two private rooms that convert to bedrooms, one of which has an ensuite bathroom.

More than 15 Airbus corporate jets are offered for VVIP charter worldwide by almost 15 companies, highlighting their popular appeal.

“Exhibiting an Airbus corporate jet alongside traditional offerings from other manufacturers allows potential customers to see and touch what we have to offer, which is quite simply the best cabin in the sky,” comments Airbus COO, Customers, John Leahy. “Airbus corporate jet cabins offer more where it counts, in comfort, space and freedom of movement,” he adds.

With extra fuel-tanks for intercontinental range, the Airbus ACJ319 can fly nonstop from Europe to much of Africa, the Americas and Asia, and one-stop to most of the world.

Airbus corporate jets are derived from the world’s most modern aircraft family, delivering benefits such as fuel-efficiency, reliability and ease of maintenance.

These benefits are enhanced by regular product improvements, which enable them to maintain their competitive edge over time.

Airbus corporate jets have won some 170 orders since the company delivered its first corporate jet in the mid-Eighties, and are the only bizjets flying on every continent, including Antarctica.

10 May 2012 Airbus Press Release