Focus On AIRLINES
Lufthansa’s fifth A380 Visited Istanbul The world’s largest passenger jet, Lufthansa’s flagship A380, landed at Istanbul Ataturk Airport on Saturday, 19 March 2011. Lufhansa’s A380 made first visits of this aircraft type to several European airports on Saturday 19th of March. A380 made its first landings in Warsaw’s Frederic Chopin International Airport, Istanbul Ataturk Airport, and Luqa International Airport in Malta. In the last leg of the tour the aircraft returned to Frankfurt. Lufthansa has ordered 15 A380s, holding an option for another five, and deliveries are expected to be completed by 2015. It is set to become the largest operator of the airliner in Europe. The German airline received its first A380 on May 19, 2010. Seating 526 passengers in Lufthansa’s three-class configuration, the A380 can carry about 60 per cent more passengers than the Boeing 747-400 now in service. Its size is impressive, standing just over 24 meters high and 72.7 meters long with a wingspan of just under 80 meters. This summer, passengers will be able to fly with the A380, the most modern aircraft in the Lufthansa fleet, to five destinations: Johannesburg, New York (J. F. Kennedy), Beijing and San
Francisco (from 10 May) and Tokyo (Narita). A sixth destination, which has yet to be announced, will be included in the A380 schedule by the middle of the year. Lufthansa Turkey General Manager Gregor Wende said at the meeting organized for the arrival of Lufthansa’s fifth A380, “Turkey is one of the important destinations of Lufthansa’s network. Today, coming to here with our new A380 plane, we are showing our appreciation to Turkey as they host us here since 1956”, said Mr. Wende.
German airline presently serves four destinations in Turkey, with non-stop flights to Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir and Bursa. All flights provide lean onward Lufthansa operates 73 weekly flights connections to Lufthansa’s German to Turkey. With non-stop flights to destinations, to well over 100 European Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir and Bursa, cities and some 200 destinations Lufthansa presently serves four Turkish worldwide. cities from its gateways in Frankfurt Lufthansa underlines its commitment and Munich. As of April 2, 2011 Antalya to Turkey in particular by introducing will be added to the network. a seasonal summer service from Lufthansa steadily increased its Munich to Antalya as of April 2, 2011. presence in Turkey. In 2010, Lufthansa The weekly service, to be operated launched its new service from Munich by an Airbus A321 aircraft, will depart to Bursa, connecting the Turkish Antalya every Saturday at 6.05pm, city thrice a week to Germany, to reaching Munich in time for convenient Europe and the world. From its connections to almost everywhere in hubs in Frankfurt and Munich the Europe. n Lufthansa strengthens its presence in Turkey
Saudi Arabia’s Nasair Launch Flights to Turkey Saudi Arabia’s budget air carrier Nasair has started direct flights between Adana and Jeddah and Riyadh and Hatay. Nasair Marketing Director Turki al-Jawini said that Nasair made its first scheduled flight to Istanbul’s Sabiha Gokcen International Airport. He said Nasair also started flights to Adana and Hatay. Al-Jawini said flights would contribute to improvement of relations, underlining that the airlines would fly four times a week
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NewFocus May & June’2011
between Istanbul and Jeddah, three times between Jeddah and Adana, two times between Hatay and Jeddah and two times between Hatay and Riyadh. Al-Jawini said Nasair was the first airlines company organizing direct flights from Saudi Arabia to Hatay and Adana, and noted they planned to carry 50-60 thousand passengers. Nasair, a subsidiary of the National Air Services (NAS), is a Saudi Arabian domestic low-cost airline. The company’s head office is located on the first floor of the Al Salam Centre in Riyadh. Commercial flights were launched on 25 February 2007. n