A message found on Yahoo News by AFP
The head of Irish budget airline Ryanair Tuesday defended his plan to charge passengers to use on-board toilets, saying it would lead to "less passenger inconvenience" during flights.
Ryanair Chief Executive Michael O'Leary revealed last month the carrier was looking at the possibility of installing toilet doors in its planes which would only open with the insertion of a one pound coin (1.10 euros, 1.40 dollars).
"In our discussions with (aircraft maker) Boeing they haven't yet been able to manufacture a toilet door that will take coins in it," he told a news conference in Madrid Tuesday.
"But I think it's a logical development, if you use the toilet for example in train stations in England you pay to use the toilets. I don't see any reason why people on board an aircraft wouldn't pay to use the toilet."
He said the on-board charge would mean more passengers would use the toilets at airports, and would lead to "less passenger inconvenience on board the aircraft."
"We will charge for every possible thing we can think to charge for, but it will always be the passengers' choice whether they pay it or don't pay it," he said.
O'Leary said the company is now running an online competition to see what else the carrier can charge for on board.
"The suggestion I like best so far is a passenger in Sweden who has suggested that we should produce rolls of toilet paper with my picture on it."
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Centralwings grounded for good
The end has come for Centralwings. LOT Polish Airlines has decided to finally close its former low-cost subsidiary. Already in September last year Centralwings switched to charter flights, but it needed a wonder to make any revenue from charter flights in winter. So seven planes have been stuck on the tarmac, contributing to further losses.
Contracted charter flights for the summer season will be operated by LOT, who took over commitments from Centralwings. Future of about 200 employees (including this lady on the right :) remains unclear.
Centralwings was created in August 2004. It reported 120 million zł net loss for 2008.
The EC orders fuel competition to enter Polish airports
The European Commission decided that every airport serving over 2 million passengers annually will have to welcome an alternative jet fuel supplier. So far there was only one supplier of fuel on most of the Polish airports - Petrolot, which is owned by PKN Orlen and LOT Polish Airlines. The EC deemed it as a monopoly and ordered changes. The changes will affect Warsaw, Kraków and Katowice and also Gdańsk in the close future.
"Letting another supplier of jet fuel can cause that more aircraft will be pumping their fuel in Poland due to increase of competitiveness," said Leszek Stokłosa, CEO of Lotos Tank, a company that hopes to benefit from the new regulation.
Friday, March 27, 2009
Final farewell to Etiuda terminal in Warsaw
On Saturday evening, March 28, authorities of Warsaw airport will close the Etiuda terminal, which was serving low-cost carriers and their passengers. Last November it was decided that LCCs will be moved to the main airport building starting on March 29, the day of implementing the summer schedule.
"Etiuda was a temporary solution, created to cater for rapidly growing passenger traffic, while Terminal 2 was under construction," said Jakub Mielniczuk, spokesperson for PP Porty Lotnicze, which owns, manages and operates most of Polish regional airports and the Warsaw's Frederic Chopin International Airport.
"The passenger comfort that Etiuda provided was far from what the Chopin Airport wants to offer passengers, no matter their airline or destination," added Mielniczuk.
Etiuda was used by Wizz Air, Norwegian Air Shuttle, Germanwings, Easy Jet and Iceland Express.
"Etiuda was a temporary solution, created to cater for rapidly growing passenger traffic, while Terminal 2 was under construction," said Jakub Mielniczuk, spokesperson for PP Porty Lotnicze, which owns, manages and operates most of Polish regional airports and the Warsaw's Frederic Chopin International Airport.
"The passenger comfort that Etiuda provided was far from what the Chopin Airport wants to offer passengers, no matter their airline or destination," added Mielniczuk.
Etiuda was used by Wizz Air, Norwegian Air Shuttle, Germanwings, Easy Jet and Iceland Express.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Alialia introduces new internal service
On Wednesday Alitalia announced a speedier service between Rome and Milan to tackle Italy's high-speed train, which will soon make the trip in three hours.
Alitalia will increase the number of dedicated check-in counters at the airports and offer a home pick-up and destination-delivery of the passengers to prevent them from switching to fast trains. The total trip will take 3 hours and 20 minutes, including an hour of flight.
The new high-speed train inaugurated by Premier Silvio Berlusconi Tuesday takes only three hours between the two city centers. However, it won't be fully operational until December. The new air offer will be launched in April.
Alitalia has recently been adopting a rescue plan - it merged with the smaller Air One and has Air France-KLM as a 25 % minority shareholder.
Alitalia will increase the number of dedicated check-in counters at the airports and offer a home pick-up and destination-delivery of the passengers to prevent them from switching to fast trains. The total trip will take 3 hours and 20 minutes, including an hour of flight.
The new high-speed train inaugurated by Premier Silvio Berlusconi Tuesday takes only three hours between the two city centers. However, it won't be fully operational until December. The new air offer will be launched in April.
Alitalia has recently been adopting a rescue plan - it merged with the smaller Air One and has Air France-KLM as a 25 % minority shareholder.
Zmiany w SAS
Skandynawskie Linie Lotnicze SAS wdrażają program konsolidacyjny zwany Core SAS. Grupa składająca się z osobnych spółek SAS International, SAS Danmark, SAS Sverige i SAS Norge zostaną połączone w jedno, co przyniesie firmie oszczędności. zwolnienia obejmą ok. 3 tys. osób.
SAS chce się skupić na obsłudze rynku skandynawskiego i krajów nadbałtyckich. Część obsługa naziemna SAS Ground Services, SAS Technical Services i SAS Cargo zostanie przekazana firmom zewnętrznym (oprócz SAS GS w krajach skandynawskich i m.in. w Polsce).
Firma sprzeda mniejszościowe udziały w liniach nie przynoszących dochodu, m.in. Spanair, airBaltic czy Estonian Air.
Na niektórych trasach nastąpi zmniejszenie liczby połączeń. Na trasach regionalnych SAS wprowadza samoloty CRJ900 NextGen (na zdjęciu), które zastąpią wysłużone MD80. te ostatnie są po prostu zbyt duże na regionalne trasy, zużywają dwa razy więcej paliwa i trudno je zapełnić pasażerami.
W poniedziałek miałem przyjemność wziąć udział w spotkaniu prasowym SAS, na którym ogłoszono szczegóły zmian i zaprezentowano samolot CRJ900 NextGen.
Pytana o to, czy redukcja załogi SAS dotknie jej polską część, p. Elwira Sabatowska, reprezentująca SAS w Polsce odpowiedziała mi:
Zwolnienia nie dotyczą personelu w Polsce. Dla wyjaśnienia - personel obsługujący rejsy na trasach z Polski do Skandynawii należy głównie do SAS Danmark (loty Warszawa - Kopenhaga oraz Gdańsk- Kopenhaga) i SAS Norge (Gdańsk- Oslo); ponadto nie planujemy zmniejszenia częstotliwości bądź likwidacji żadnego z tych połączeń.
New routes from Warsaw
Here are the recent additions to the summer flight schedule from Warsaw that takes effect on March 29.
TAP Portugal will fly to Lisbon 5 times a week starting on June 10, and every day between July and September.
LOT Polish Airlines will fly to Belgrade 5 times a week and to Dnepropetrovsk two time a week, and then four times a week.
Alitalia launches new route to Milano Linate on March 29 with daily flights. It is an addition to Warsaw-Milan Malpensa route which is served by LOT and remains in the schedule.
Norwegian Air Shuttle will fly to Dubrovnik once a week starting on June 18. It reopens the route to Athens for the summer season, to Split and to Warna, Bulgaria.
WizzAir launches Saturday flights to Burgas and Korfu. The carrier will move their operations from Bologna to Bologna/Forli Airport. Spanish LCC Clickair relaunches Warsaw-Barcelona route.
Polish regional airline Jet Air introduces Warsaw-Berlin Tegel via Bydgoszcz three times a week.
All low-cost carriers will move their operations to Warsaw Airport the main terminal, old T1 zone.
TAP Portugal will fly to Lisbon 5 times a week starting on June 10, and every day between July and September.
LOT Polish Airlines will fly to Belgrade 5 times a week and to Dnepropetrovsk two time a week, and then four times a week.
Alitalia launches new route to Milano Linate on March 29 with daily flights. It is an addition to Warsaw-Milan Malpensa route which is served by LOT and remains in the schedule.
Norwegian Air Shuttle will fly to Dubrovnik once a week starting on June 18. It reopens the route to Athens for the summer season, to Split and to Warna, Bulgaria.
WizzAir launches Saturday flights to Burgas and Korfu. The carrier will move their operations from Bologna to Bologna/Forli Airport. Spanish LCC Clickair relaunches Warsaw-Barcelona route.
Polish regional airline Jet Air introduces Warsaw-Berlin Tegel via Bydgoszcz three times a week.
All low-cost carriers will move their operations to Warsaw Airport the main terminal, old T1 zone.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
