LH aggressively promotes Africa

[sn26567]

Tunisia is getting back to normal, but obvioucly tourists and businessmen alike will be less prone to fly to that country, despite the greatly reduced rates at tourist destinations.

Libya is in the eye of the storm. There are indeed cancellations, but also increased capacities for evacuation: LH for example has sent an A340-600 instead of an A320 to Tripoli today.

What i wanted to point out is that bmi has cancelled flights to Tripoli only one day after introducing them. Unfortunate timing...!

Furthermore (and out of topic), all flights between Brussels and Tripoli have been suspended until further notice, according to a spokesperson of Afriqiyah Airways.

[DeltaWiskey]

Flight between AMS en tripoli (both klm and afriqiah) have also been suspended until friday at least.

Maybe you can split this into a separate topic?

[EBKT]

TAP Portugal from 05JUN11 is launching 3 weekly Lisbon – Bamako service, where the Star Alliance member continues its North/Central Africa expansion.

Service is to be operated by Airbus A319 or A320 aircraft to capital of Mali

Schedule:

TP258 LIS2200 – 0110+1BKO 32S 357
TP259 BKO0200 – 0705LIS 32S 146
source: Airlineroute.net 28/02/2011

More competition coming up for SN within the *A network. That's a pity...

[sn26567]

More competition coming up for SN within the *A network. That's a pity...

Yes, especially since TAP could easily specialise in South America and leave Africa (except former Portuguese colonies) to SN.

[cnc]

if you want an alliance with members that protect SN and use it as a key member then star alliance is not what you are looking for.

[LJ]

More competition coming up for SN within the *A network. That's a pity...

Yes, especially since TAP could easily specialise in South America and leave Africa (except former Portuguese colonies) to SN.

At least LIS is for trvellers from Southern Europe more enroute than BRU. Furthermore, Iberia is also increasing Africa. Thus it would be logical for Star to let TP have some African destinations (not everyone in Europe will be willing to travel via BRU or CDG)

[euroflyer]

I think you cannot assume that ANY alliance would be the place to protect one member from competition of another.

After all, members of the alliances are still independent companies which first want to make (more) profit. When and if it helps to work together, they will do so, but if they have a chance to realize an advantage, they will always do. Therefore it is logical there will be no safe area for SN regarding the Europe-Africa traffic. But in *alliance they have the chance to realize some advantages for themselves as well here by attracting connecting pax mainly from northern Europe (UK, Scandinavia) via their hub BRU. Even within the LH group, with a much much closer relation than within *alliance, SN will have to proof they are more profitable and more competitive than LH or LX or OS or bmi or LH Italia or whoever may come on any specific route before they will get the OK to operate that route exclusively for the LH group. Alliances are not the end of competition ...

[LJ]

TAP Portugal from 05JUN11 is launching 3 weekly Lisbon – Bamako service, where the Star Alliance member continues its North/Central Africa expansion.

.....

More competition coming up for SN within the *A network. That's a pity...

Spanair is also increasing its flights between Barcelona and Bamako from weekly to two times a week (source http://airlineroute.net/2011/03/07/jk-bko-s11/ )

[sn26567]

Lufthansa expands brussels airlines codeshare coverage in West Africa

Lufthansa has further expanded codeshare agreement with brussels airlines, which now covers additional cities in West Africa: Accra, Banjul, Conakry, Cotonou, Douala, Monrovia and Ouagadougou.

Codeshare routes and flight numbers:

Route	LH Codeshare	SN Operating
Brussels – Banjul – Conakry	LH5668	SN223
Conakry – Banjul – Brussels	LH5669	SN224
Brussels – Monrovia	LH5548	SN227
Monrovia – Banjul – Brussels	LH5547	SN227
Brussels – Douala – Accra	LH5546	SN365
Douala – Accra – Brussels	LH5551	SN365
Brussels – Lome – Accra	LH5552	SN265
Lome – Accra – Brussels	LH5553	SN265
Brussels – Ouagadougou – Cotonou	LH5558	SN263
Cotonou – Ouagadougou – Brussels	LH5559	SN264

Source: airlineroute.net

You will observe that for triangular flights LH uses two flight numbers where SN uses only one.

[RoMax]

I don't know if this is new, but I just find a website of the LH group wich is about the African network of the LH group. Already quite some time ago they launched the French website "partirenafrique.com", but this website is only in French. The new (?) website is "flytoafrica.be" it is in English, French and Dutch. It's actually not really more than a map of Africa with all the LH group destinations on wich you can click for more information and above the map there are the logo's of OS, BD, SN, LH and LX on wich you can click (you will go the their own websites if you click on it).

I think it's clear wich airline is the Africa specialist in the LH group. It's a belgian website (.be) it is also available in Dutch, SN is the airline with the most AFI destinations (wich is also mentionned on the website). Also the two links below the map (General conditions and Privacy Policy) are linked to the SN website.

http://www.flytoafrica.be/index.html

[BRUMRU]

http://www.flytoafrica.be/index.html

Just checked that website, I had no idea SWISS fly to Mauritius and got excited thinking it was a new destination - so had a further look, and in fact it's Eidelweiss - which appear here to be incorporated into Star Alliance African destinations . It's only once a week though - couldn't one of the Star Alliance airlines commence a more frequent service? I know AF and MK have the bulk of the Euro market ... but I'd love to see either SN/LX/OS start or LH resume service to MRU ....

[cnc]

I know AF and MK have the bulk of the Euro market ... but I'd love to see either SN/LX/OS start or LH resume service to MRU ....

MK? that cargo airline went bankrupt about a year ago

[LJ]

I know AF and MK have the bulk of the Euro market ... but I'd love to see either SN/LX/OS start or LH resume service to MRU ....

MK? that cargo airline went bankrupt about a year ago

MK = Air Mauritius

[cnc]

MK = Air Mauritius

oh right, i was thinking of MKA