http://www.bignewsnetwork.com/

Airways says new acquisition Alitalia can only Etihad

survive through change

ROME, Italy - Etihad Airways, a key investor in Alitalia, believes Italy's national

airline has "fantastic potential to grow" but only if it embraces change.

Speaking in Milan to the International Forum of Sovereign Wealth Funds, James

Hogan, the President and Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways, and Vice

Chairman of Alitalia, said that, "last year, Alitalia was on the verge of collapse."

"We invested 560 million euros as part of a 1.76 billion restructure of Alitalia," said

Mr Hogan. "Today, we are the largest single shareholder, with a 49 per cent stake.

What did we see in Alitalia that nobody else did? A great brand, a great network,

but a poor business in need of a new direction."

Hogan said Etihad Airways saw great potential for both airlines to grow efficiently

by working together. "Partnership offers lower risks, greater rewards and faster

outcomes than 'going it alone'," he said. "That's good for Alitalia, good for Etihad

Airways, good for Italy and good for consumers."

Hogan added that Etihad Airways and Alitalia had complementary route networks

which, combined, offered approximately 200 destinations.

He said Alitalia gained significant new flight connectivity by connecting with

Etihad Airways at its hub in Abu Dhabi, providing extensive access to destinations

across Asia, and in Australia and Africa destinations not served by Alitalia.

But he said the Etihad Alitalia partnership offered much greater benefits for

customers including the alignment of inflight product and service, expansion of

both carriers' frequent flier programs, and synergy benefits including joint

procurement and resource sharing.

Recently, Etihad Airways and six equity partners, including Alitalia, participated in

an innovative capital raising, through which US $700 million was collectively

sourced from global financial markets.

"Alitalia's Chairman, Luca Cordero di Montezemolo has a clear vision for the

success of the Alitalia business, one which we share fully. Together, we are

working to re-establish the airline to its rightful place as one of the great

international brands," said Hogan.

"Alitalia is ascending. But it still faces challenges. It cannot afford to revert to past

practices. For Alitalia to survive and thrive, there must be a relentless focus on

costs and efficiency, coupled with a commitment to delivering quality, innovation

and value for money. Through our partnership, we can achieve success together,"

he said.

http://nycity.today/

UNITED AIRLINES CEO OSCAR MUNOZ ADOPTS NEW

STRATEGIES; ACCEPTS THE FAULTSUnited Airlines CEO Oscar Munoz has started his tenure with an apology from his

company for not taking enough care of its customers and employees. The CEO said that

situation at the airline has started improving and he will ensure that United Airlines meets

expectations of its customers. United Airlines and Continental merger has left many

people fuming, especially employees.

In a video message, CEO Oscar Munoz said that since he took over the control on

September 8, many steps have been taken to ensure higher flyer satisfaction and better

performance of employees. Frequent fliers have given a mixed response to CEO‟s

message, according to a report published in Fortune magazine. In a recently writer letter to

staff, Munoz said, “I recognize that the journey hasn‟t always been smooth and it won‟t be

fixed in a day. This is a marathon with a running start. I‟m ready to take this team forward.

It‟s time for a new day. Come with me.”

There are a few positive things about the way Munoz is ready to accept the mistake United

Airlines management has made in the past. And, he is ready to fix the problem. And, he

has asked for some more time to streamline the things and improve the operations of the

airline.

With a personal message from CEO Munoz, United Airlines published advertisements in

13 publications across the country. United Airlines has also launched a website

UnitedAirtime.com for customers to give their valuable feedback. The company will

continue to focus on improving customer experience.

Continental and United Airlines merged in 2010. United Airlines is affiliated with Star

Alliance. In 2014, United Airlines suffered another setback to its Airline Quality Rating

(AQR) to -1.62 from -1.43 in 2013.

United Airlines also fared bad in on-time performance. For United Airlines, on-time

performance declined to 76 percent in 2014 compared to 79.3 percent during 2013.

Customer complaints increased to 2.71 for every 100 thousand flyers compared to 2.14 in

year 2013. Mishandled baggage reports increased to 3.67 for every 1,000 passengers

compared to 3.67 in 2013.

Clearly, on most of the factors representing the quality of service, United Airlines

performed worse in 2014 compared to 2013.

On Skytrax, customers gave a rating of 3 out of 10 to United Airlines. However, with Mr.

Munoz in control, we can expect improvement. Or maybe the airline has already hit the

bottom and only way ahead is improvement.

According to Bloomberg report, “Munoz became president and CEO after the board

replaced Smisek amid a government probe and an internal investigation into the airline‟s

dealings with the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey.”

In his earlier message to employees, Munoz said, “We‟ve heard that you want to be

empowered to do good work with effective tools. We will give you the right tools to

deliver the service and reliability I know we are capable of.”

In few months, we might see how United Airlines will perform under Mr. Munoz. Munoz

has not yet announced any changes to United Airlines team.

http://www.thecairopost.com/

El Sheikh SharmBritish Airways Launches Direct Flights to

and “On Business” Program

CAIRO, Egypt: British Airways, one of the world‟s leading international premium airlines,

continues to reaffirm its commitment to the Egyptian market, most recently with the launch

of direct flights from London Gatwick to the popular Red Sea resort of Sharm El Sheikh

operating on British Airways‟ fleet of Airbus A320. In addition to its latest, free business

loyalty program “On Business”

As a member of the On Business program, businesses of all sizes are grouped into tiers

based on their spend and are able to earn points across the British Airways, Iberia and

American Airlines networks based on the fare paid. On Business members benefit from

exclusive rewards, discounts, as well as the ability to earn Avios, the frequent flyer currency

of British Airways. In addition, On Business points can be redeemed for reward flights and

upgrades or the option of choosing money off selected flights across their global network.

On Business gives companies unrivalled service, great savings and access to a worldwide

network of destinations – all helping corporate travel budgets stretch further, and benefit

from more rewards.

Combining award-winning service and loyalty programs with regular departures, effective

September 14, 2015, customers will be able to choose from two flights a week to the diving

holiday hotspot. Flights will increase to three times a week during the winter months offering

even more options and flexible flying times. Gatwick airport is very well located with

excellent public transport links into the heart of London and elsewhere.

Customers can choose to fly with hand baggage only or pick a price that includes 23kg

checked luggage allowance. Traveller fares include complimentary on-board food and the

ability to check-in online, via mobile or at the airport, while Club Europe travellers can also

enjoy an upgraded dining experience, lounge access, increased baggage allowance and

priority boarding.

“Sharm El Sheikh is a consistently favorite tourism destination and a key destination for

British Airways,” said Mervat Alfy, Commercial Manager for British Airways in North Africa.

“As we continue to explore opportunities to offer our valued customers industry-best

service with convenient routes to preferred destinations, this new flight from Gatwick

a year is certainly a ]1[million passengers38 Airport, the UK‟s second largest airport serving

welcome addition to help promote tourism to Egypt.”

Colm Lacy, Head of Commercial Gatwick, said “We‟re really pleased to add another route to

our 2015 portfolio, bringing our total short haul network to 49 routes and 19 long haul.

“Sharm El Sheikh is only five hours away and it‟s a popular choice with families and a

favorite with divers thanks to the crystal clear waters”.

The launch of the Sharm El Sheikh route closely follows British Airways‟ announcement

earlier this year that flights to and from Egypt have been relocated to the more spacious,

modern and practical design of London Heathrow‟s Terminal 5. Terminal 5 lounges can host

up to 2,500 people with 112 stores and restaurants and much more to provide travellers with

an even more superior customer experience.

About British Airways

British Airways has a worldwide route network that covers 170 destinations in 80

countries. One of the world‟s largest international airlines, British Airways carries

approximately 36 million passengers around the world every year.This year, British Airways

was voted “Airline of the Year” by frequent travelers from across the world at the Business

Traveler Airline Awards.

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/

day ultimatum-14Nigerian aviation workers threaten strike, give

Trade unions in the aviation sector have given the Nigeria

Civil Aviation Authority, NCAA, a 14-day ultimatum to

promote their members who were due for promotion or risk

industrial action.

The ultimatum was issued by the National Union of Air

Transport Employees, NUATE, and Air Transport Senior Staff

Services of Nigeria, ATSSSAN, on Sunday in Lagos.

The unions accused the NCAA management of nonchalance

to the promotion of their members which they claimed had

been due since January 2015.

The NUATE General-Secretary, Olayinka Abioye, told aviation

correspondents that the unions were prepared to ground

activities in the sector if the concerned authority failed to

yield to their requests.

Mr. Abioye said that it was a worrisome development that

those that were due for promotion were yet to be

interviewed.

He recalled that NUATE had, at its congress on September30,

given the management till October 14 to effect the promotion

of the concerned workers.

Mr. Abioye urged the management of NCAA to respect the

terms and conditions of employment as contained in the

condition of service entered into by all parties.

http://gulfnews.com/

has been designated the UAE Civil Aviation 5 October

Day to promote UAE civil aviation sector‟s

achievements

Dubai: His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the

UAE and Ruler of Dubai, has been given “The Aviation Man of the Year” title by the Civil Aviation Sector

during the UAE Civil Aviation Day.

“Awarding Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum the „Aviation Man of the Year‟ title is an honour to the

UAE Civil Aviation Day because it is a recognition of a man who spared no effort to improve the UAE civil

aviation sector, in light of a wise vision that strikes a balance between holding advanced positions on the

international civil aviation level and maintaining a distinguished standard of aviation quality and safety,”

said Engineer Sultan Bin Said Al Mansouri, Minister of Economy and Chairman of the General Civil Aviation

Authority, in a statement from the Authority on Sunday.

October 5 has been designated the “UAE Civil Aviation Day” by the Cabinet to promote national awareness

of the UAE civil aviation sector‟s achievements, he said.

Shaikh Ahmad Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, President of Dubai Civil Aviation and Chairman and CEO of Emirates

airline and Group, said that the aviation industry in the UAE has made “qualitative leaps on all levels”.

“From this standpoint, the UAE occupies second place after the United States in terms of the number of

bilateral agreements and memoranda of understanding to facilitate air traffic between it and the majority of

countries. The air traffic across the state‟s airspace is expected to increase to 1.2 million movements by the

end of 2020,” he said in the statement.

International trade

Shaikh Ahmad noted that the development of the air transport sector in the country has facilitated

transportation and enhanced international trade “due to the immense potentials of this sector in terms of

capacity and services provided for travellers, airlines and airfreights.”

The UAE civil aviation sector contributes up to 12 per cent in the GDP (gross domestic product). It supports

sectors including tourism, trade and industry, creating around 250,000 jobs in the different sectors,

according to the statement.

A number of aviation sector developmental projects are taking place in the UAE. For instance, the ongoing

expansions of Abu Dhabi Airport will increase its capacity by 2017. When the Midfield terminal is completed,

Abu Dhabi Airport will be able to accommodate 40 million passengers every year, as per the statement.

Recent achievements

Also, in September 2014, Dubai Airports announced a $32 billion (Dh117.69 billion) Dubai government-

approved expansion of Al Maktoum International that will increase capacity to 120 million passengers a

year.

Meanwhile, Mohammad Abdullah Ahli, Director General of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority and CEO of the

Dubai Air Navigation Services, pointed out two recent achievements: The UAE being ranked first in aviation

safety and security, and Dubai International Airport ranking as the world‟s largest airport in terms of the

number of international passengers.

Ismail Balushi, GCAA Assistant Director General of Aviation Safety Affairs, said that the UAE has had

achievements in aviation safety.

He added that the UAE has topped the list of countries in terms of applying aviation safety standards as per

the International Aviation Safety Assessment programme run by the International Civil Aviation

Organisation (ICAO).

Hamad Al Muhairi, Assistant Director-General for Aviation Security, said that the GCAA developed and

implemented relevant electronic services, such as a service that enables the reporting of incidents related

to the security and safety of aviation as well as hazardous cargo.

The General Civil Aviation Authority also announced the organisation of the Aviation Investment Summit on

November 9, in conjunction with the Dubai Air Show.

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