EGYPTAIR News12 may 2016

‫انخًيض‬ ‫‪12‬يبيى ‪2016‬‬

‫‪http://www.shorouknews.com/‬‬

‫أنًبَيب رزفغ انذظز ػٍ شذٍ انذقبئت ػهً يصز نهطيزاٌ‬ ‫أصذرد وسارح انُقم األنًبَيخ قزارا ثزفغ انذظز انًفزوض يُذ َىفًجز ‪ 2015‬ػهً شذٍ انذقبئت يغ‬ ‫انزكبة ػهً يزٍ ردالد انطيزاٌ انظيبدً األنًبًَ انًزجهخ إنً يطبر شزو انشيخ‪.‬‬ ‫وكبَذ طهطخ انطيزاٌ انًذًَ األنًبَيخ قذ أخطزد كبفخ شزكبد انطيزاٌ األنًبَيخ ثزفغ انذظز انًشبر إنيه‬ ‫ثصىرح رطًيخ رًهيذا الطزئُبف ردالرهب ثشكم طجيؼً إنً يطبر شزو انشيخ‪.‬‬ ‫جبء انقزار األنًبًَ اإليجبثي ركهيال نجهىد انظفبرح انًصزيخ فً ثزنيٍ ػهً يذي طزخ أشهز‪ ،‬ثبنزُظيق‬ ‫يغ انقطبػبد انًؼُيخ ثىسارح انخبرجيخ فضال ػٍ طبئز انجهبد انًصزيخ األخزي انًؼُيخ وثصفخ خبصخ‬ ‫وسارد انظيبدخ وانطيزاٌ انًذًَ وانذاخهيخ في يصز يٍ جبَت‪ ،‬ويغ انجهبد انًؼُيخ ثىساراد انُقم‬ ‫وانخبرجيخ وانذاخهيخ ثبنذكىيخ األنًبَيخ يٍ انجبَت اآلخز‪.‬‬ ‫وقبل طفيز يصز في ثزنيٍ انذكزىر ثذر ػجذ انؼبطي‪ ،‬إٌ انقزار األنًبًَ يًثم رطبنخ ريشيخ قىيخ رؼكض‬ ‫انزشاو يصز انكبيم ثبنًؼبييز انذونيخ انخبصخ ثزأييٍ انًطبراد وثصفخ خبصخ يطبر شزو انشيخ‪ ،‬ديث‬ ‫جبء هذا انقزار رُفيذا نهزىصيخ انزً رفؼهب انىفذ األيًُ األنًبًَ ثؼذ سيبرره انثبنثخ نًطبر شزو انشيخ فً‬ ‫شهز يبرص انًبضً‪ ،‬يؤكذًا أٌ انقزار يكشف دزص انجبَت األنًبَي ػهً انزؼبوٌ ثيٍ انجهذيٍ؛ يٍ أجم‬ ‫اطزؼبدح ػبفيخ انقطبع انظيبدي ثشزو انشيخ‪.‬‬ ‫يذكز أٌ دىاني ‪ 1٧0‬أنف طبئخ أنًبَي ساروا يصز خالل األشهز انثالثخ األونً يٍ هذا انؼبو‪ ،‬ديث رؼزجز‬ ‫يُبطق انغزدقخ ويزطي ػهى في يقذيخ انًقبصذ انظيبديخ نهظيبح األنًبٌ في يصز‪.‬‬

http://www.futuretravelexperience.co m/

Europe’s airlines set to benefit from in-flight connectivity advancements European-based travellers have faced a patient wait for in-flight connectivity to gain traction among the region’s airlines – largely because the carriers have been waiting for technology to catch up with demand – but they are now starting to invest more readily, and the impact on the customer experience will be palpable.

While Norwegian Air Shuttle started the rollout of free in-flight Wi-Fi back in 2011, and Lufthansa has offered connectivity on select longhaul services for more than half a decade, the emergence of new, highquality connectivity services has encouraged more airlines to take the plunge in recent months.

For International Airlines Group (IAG), patience seems to have paid off.

Having refused to make an early move in the onboard connectivity space, the Group, which includes British Airways, Aer Lingus, Iberia and Vueling, has just announced that it has opted to invest in Gogo’s 2Ku technology. In total, 118 British Airways, four Aer Lingus and up to 15 Iberia aircraft will be fitted with 2Ku. Up until this month, Virgin Atlantic was the only European carrier to have announced an investment in the 2Ku solution.

Elsewhere, Lufthansa is continuing to take a leadership role.

Having committed to Inmarsat’s Ka-band Global Xpress (GX) service to bring connectivity to short- and medium-haul services, it has also signed up to a flight trial programme of the new Inmarsat/Deutsche Telekom European Aviation Network S-band hybrid satellite/ATG connectivity network, starting in 2017. Carsten Spohr, Lufthansa’s Chairman and CEO, aptly highlighted the thinking behind the carrier’s determination to be seen as a connectivity pioneer in Europe. ―We continue to strive for excellence when it comes to our passengers’ flying experience,‖ he said, ―and the provision of reliable, consistent broadband connectivity aboard our planes, which will match that of high-speed home broadband in terms of speed and quality, is of extreme importance to us.

(1)

Another of the major European airline groups, Air France-KLM, is equally active. A tie-up with Orange has seen in-flight connectivity trialled on two Air France Airbus A320s, the AirFi solution has been trialled on two KLM 737-800s, while KLM’s Boeing 787 Dreamliners and a Boeing 777-300 aircraft already carry in-flight Wi-Fi. Speaking at FTE Europe in Amsterdam last month, Peter Verheijde, Air France-KLM’s Head of Research and Development In-flight Entertainment and Connectivity, explained that although the airline group has different ambitions and motivations for its long-haul and short/medium-haul services, full connectivity is being pursued for the entire fleet. While onboard connectivity brings about a number of passenger experience benefits – including the ability to browse the internet and stream content including live TV to personal electronic devices – Verheijde stated that the Group’s investment will ultimately have much more wide-reaching benefits. For instance, the connected cabin, he said, empowers crew to undertake real-time service recovery in-flight and provide a more personalised level of service to customers. In-flight connectivity also creates a big retail opportunity, he explained, with passengers able to browse and purchase items on their own devices while flying.

This is a benefit that IAG has also recognised. Upon the announcement of its decision to invest in the 2Ku connectivity service, it stated in a release: ―In the future, inflight Wi-Fi will also transform the duty free experience allowing travellers to order from their phones and tablets and arrange for items purchased onboard to be delivered to their homes.‖ And this point is crucial. While passenger demands and technology improvements are almost ―forcing‖ major European carriers to invest in in-flight connectivity, more effective business cases built on new revenue creation opportunities are also proving to be highly convincing factors.

(2)

(3) Low-cost and leisure carriers are also getting in on the act, buoyed by the prospect of making money from in-flight connectivity solutions while concurrently improving the passenger experience. Among these airlines, portable connectivity solutions are proving to be especially popular, partly because of the low implementation costs and simple set-up. The likes of Volotea, Iberia Express, Arkefly and Transavia have invested in such solutions, and while they don’t offer full blown access to the internet, they do provide a form of entertainment on services that would otherwise offer no form of IFE. Importantly, portable connectivity solutions also create new revenue streams, with passengers able to buy duty free items and destination-based activities, for instance, via the portals.

Europe’s major low-cost carriers also look poised to make moves in this market. Ryanair’s Chief Technology Officer and Head of Ryanair Labs, John Hurley, recently told FTE that the carrier is taking portable IFEC solutions ―seriously‖, while easyJet CEO Carolyn McCall has previously recognised the fact that onboard connectivity will ―come eventually, but not until it is consistently good‖. With a new generation of connectivity solutions now on the horizon, perhaps easyJet will soon review its stance.

With passenger demand for in-flight Wi-Fi continuing to rise, technology developments making high-speed, reliable connectivity services more freely available to European airlines, and the carriers themselves starting to identify new connectivity-centric revenue generation opportunities, it is becoming increasingly difficult, if not impossible, for Europe’s airlines to put off investment in onboard connectivity.

Qatar Airways Delays Launch of World’s Longest Direct Flight Qatar Airways has delayed the launch of the world’s longest direct flight — from Doha to Auckland, New Zealand — by two months because of the late delivery of Airbus A350s, an airline spokeswoman said. ―I can confirm we are looking at February. It is due to aircraft availability, specifically the delay of delivery of A350s,‖ the spokeswoman told Reuters.

Qatar Airways increased pressure on Europe’s Airbus over aircraft reliability last month, saying it had some ―issues‖ with the A350 passenger jet barely a year after it entered service.

Its 17.5 hour service to Auckland, which would eclipse the current record holder by nearly 500 miles, had been due to start on Dec. 3.

At present, the world’s longest flight is a Qantas flight from Dallas/Fort Worth to Sydney.

The flight distance between Doha and Auckland is approximately 9,030 miles.

http://english.ahram.org.eg/

Germany resumes direct flights to Sharm ElSheikh: Ministry Germany has decided to "immediately" ease restrictions on air flights between its airports and the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm ElSheikh, the Egyptian foreign ministry and German embassy confirmed.

The move will see the resumption of direct air trips between the popular beach town and the European country, according to both sides.

A number of European airlines and governments introduced restrictions on flights to Sharm El-Sheikh over security concerns after a Russian passenger jet crashed in Sinai in October 2015, killing 224 people, most of whom were holidaymakers.

German airlines were among many foreign carriers who banned check-in luggage on flights from the city's airport, and direct flights from German airports subsequently stopped.

But the ban, in place since November 2015, has been overturned.

"Based on appropriate security measures on the part of the Egyptian safety and security aviation authorities, luggage will be immediately re-allowed to be carried when travelling from Sharm El-Sheikh airport to Germany," read a Wednesday statement by the German embassy in Cairo sent to Ahram Online by email.

The embassy said that special security technology will be implemented and trained personnel will be assigned for baggage handling at the passenger terminal at Sharm El-Sheikh airport in a bid to "minimise to the lowest possible level security risks of baggage delivery and transfer."

The Egyptian foreign ministry said Wednesday the decision to lift the ban on joint transportation of check-in luggage was issued by the German transport ministry.

(1)

Germany's aviation authority has officially notified all tour operators of the ban removal which will see flights resume normally to the Red Sea resort, the ministry added in a statement.

The foreign ministry said talks between the governments of two countries to alleviate the constraints lasted for six months.

Egypt’s ambassador in Berlin Badr Abdel Atty said the decision came following a recommendation by German air travel inspectors who conducted security examination at airports in Sharm El-Sheikh and other Red Sea towns in March.

He said the decision mirrors Egypt's "compliance to international airport security standards."

He added that the move also "highlights that Germany is keen to push forward cooperation on airport security and open the door to the recovery of the tourism sector in Sharm El-Sheikh and Egyptian tourism generally."

Around 170,000 German tourists visited Egypt in the first quarter of 2016, mainly frequenting the popular Red Sea beach resorts of Sharm and Hurghada.

Egyptian tourism, a pillar of the economy and a key source of hard currency, has taken a blow since the plane crash, with Sharm ElSheikh believed to be suffering the most.

The Egyptian affiliate of the Islamic State militant group claimed responsibility for the October crash, saying it had smuggled a bomb on board.

Following the crash, the British government halted direct flights between Sharm El-Sheikh Airport, from which the passenger jet had departed, and British airports. It has since deployed expert teams to assess security practices at Egyptian airports, but flights to South Sinai have yet to be resumed.

(2)

‫ادارة العالقات العامة ‪ -‬الشركة القابضة‬ ‫لمصر للطيران‬