31 aug 2015

‫األثنني‬ ‫‪31‬اغسطس‪2015‬‬

‫‪http://alwafd.org/‬‬

‫الصراع على هدم مصر للطيران متى ينتهى؟‬ ‫دار خالل األيام القليلة الماضية جدل واسع حول استقالة الطيار سامح الحفنى‬ ‫رئيس القابضة لمصر للطيران من منصبه‪ ..‬وهل هى اقالة ام استقالة‪...‬‬ ‫اإلعالم تناول الخبر كونه إقالة وليس استقالة‪ ..‬والطيار سامح الحفنى أكد‬ ‫أنها استقالة وانها ليست المرة األولى التى يقدم فيها على هذه الخطوة بل‬ ‫إنها تكاد تكون الثالثة أو الرابعة خالل الـ‪ 17‬شهراً التى قضاها رئيسا ً‬ ‫للقابضة لمصر للطيران‪.‬‬ ‫‪...‬ولكن كونه ابنا ً لهذه الشركة وطياراً من طياريها فكان يتراجع عن هذه‬ ‫الخطوة لعلمه بجسامة المسئولية التى أوالها إياه الطيار حسام كمال وزير‬ ‫الطيران وثقته فى اختياره لرجل يشاركه جسامة مسئولية قطاع من أخطر‬ ‫القطاعات فى مصر وهو الطيران المدنى الذى يتعلق بصناعة دقيقة وحساسة‬ ‫وهى صناعة النقل الجوى‪ ..‬ناهينا عن المؤامرات التى يتعرض لها هذا‬ ‫القطاع وخاصة الشركة الوطنية مصر للطيران من جهات عدة ومن وقت‬ ‫آلخر ومحاولة تحميله أخطاء غيره كما حدث فى فترة سابقة مع قطاع‬ ‫السياحة مثالً وفشل المسئولين عنه ومحاولتهم تحميل تذاكر الطيران‬ ‫والدعوة إلى السموات المفتوحة وقتها مسئولية فشلهم الذريع رغم المبادرات‬ ‫الكثيرة التى قدمها قطاع الطيران المدنى وقتها ومازال يقدمها برئاسة الطيار‬ ‫حسام كمال وزير الطيران‪.‬‬ ‫وحقا ً ياسادة‪. ..‬كان الحفنى على قدر المسئولية وقدر ثقة كمال به واستطاع‬ ‫أن يعبر بالشركة الوطنية من الخسارة الى الربحية‪ ،‬حيث نجح فى خفض‬ ‫الخسائر من ‪ ٢‬مليار و‪ ٩٠٠‬مليون إلى ‪ ٥7٠‬مليونا ً فقط بنسبة تصل إلى‬ ‫مايقرب من ‪ ٪٨٢‬بخالف نجاحه فى إصالح العديد من الشركات التابعة وال‬ ‫أعتقد ان وزير الطيران كان ليصمت خالل فترة الحفنى‬

‫‪http://alwafd.org/‬‬

‫إذا رأى أن إداراته للشركة الوطنية ال تتفق ورغبته كوزير فى النهوض بها وكل‬ ‫القطاع الذى يحمل همه على كتفه وخاصة أننى أعرف كمال عن قرب وأعرف أنه ال‬ ‫يتوانى لحظة عن متابعة كل كبيرة وصغيرة فى مجال مسئوليته «الطيران المدنى»‪..‬‬ ‫ولكن كون الجهات الرقابية خرجت بتقارير حملت فيها الحفنى مسئولية مخالفات فنية‬ ‫داخل المطار وتتعلق باصطفاف الطائرات بطريقة مخالفة‪ ،‬وتحويل قطعة أرض غير‬ ‫مستغلة بمطار القاهرة الدولى إلى مقلب للقمامة وحجز المخلفات فإن هذا ال ينتقص‬ ‫من الجهود التى بذلها الحفنى وشكره كمال عليها ولكن يبقى أن حسام كمال هو وزير‬ ‫الطيران والمسئول األول واألخير عن هذا القطاع الحيوى وصاحب القرار األول‬ ‫واألخير فيه ألنه هو من تحاسبه القيادة السياسية وإذا كان قد اتخذ قراراً باستبعاد‬ ‫الحفنى فهذه رؤيته التى يجب أن تحترم‪ ...‬وإذا كان الحفنى هو من تقدم باستقالته‬ ‫رافضا ً تحميله أخطاء غيره فهذا حقه‪ ...‬كما أنه حقه أن يدافع عن سمعته المهنية‬ ‫وخاصة أن الشماشرجية وكدابين الزفة والمطبالتية جاهزون فى أى وقت للنفخ فى‬ ‫التهاب أى مشكلة تهدد كيان مصرومصر للطيران والطيار حسام كمال نفسه اكتوى‬ ‫بنار كدابين الزفة هؤالء عقب توليه رئاسة الشركة القابضة خلفا ً للطيار توفيق‬ ‫عاصى ومازال ينكوى طالما أراد أن يعبر بقطاعه إلى بر األمان فإن الكارهين لهذا‬ ‫الوطن المنتشرين فى كل الوزارات وكل القطاعات لن يرضوا إال بأن تظل مصر فى‬ ‫صراعات دائمة وإال تنهض أو تتقدم أبداً‪.‬‬ ‫همسة طائرة‪ ..‬يا سادة‪« ..‬إقالة أو استقالة» المحصلة واحدة رحل الحفنى وجاء‬ ‫شريف فتحى‪ ..‬وتبقى مصر للطيران تلك الشركة الوطنية التى تحمل اسم حبيبتى‬ ‫مصر هى الباقية وهى من تحاك المؤامرات ضدها وهى من يجب ان يسعى الجميع الى‬ ‫رفعتها وتطويرها والخروج بها الى رحاب أوسع من تلك المؤامرات التى تحاك ضدها‬ ‫منذ تولى اإلخوان أمر مصر وحاولوا بشتى الطرق تفتيتها والقضاء عليها ولكن رحل‬ ‫اإلخوان وبقيت الخاليا النائمة والشماشرجية وكدابين الزفة الذين لن يرحموا الشركة‬ ‫الوطنية‪ ...‬فليرحمها أبناؤها وليصطفوا فى ظهر رئيسهم الجديد فليس المهم من يدير‬ ‫المهم أن تظل مصر للطيران درة الطيران المدنى متأللئة فى كل بالد العالم تحمل اسم‬ ‫مصر وعلم مصر للعالم أجمع‪ ...‬ويبقى سؤال الى من يهمه األمر‪ ..‬الصراع على هدم‬ ‫مصر للطيران‪ ..‬متى ينتهى؟؟؟‪.‬‬

‫‪http://www.moheet.com/‬‬ ‫رئيس مصر للطيران الجديد‪ :‬تطوير أسطول الشركة أبرز أولوياتى‬ ‫قال شريف فتحى‪ ،‬رئيس الشركة القابضة لمصر للطيران‪ ،‬فى أول تصريح صحفى‬ ‫له‪ ،‬إن وزير الطيران حسام كمال كلفه بتنمية موارد الشركة والرجوع إلى منطقة‬ ‫الربحية‪.‬‬ ‫وأضاف في تصريح له‪ ،‬أن أولى خطواته العاجلة هى تطوير أسطول الشركة؛ نظراً‬ ‫إلى خروج بعض الطائرات من الخدمة بنهاية العام الجارى‪ ،‬منوها بأنه يجتمع اليوم‬ ‫مع رئيس اللجنة المكلفة باختيار عروض إليجار طائرات لتنضم إلى أسطول الشركة‬ ‫الحالى‪.‬‬ ‫وذكر فتحى أنه ستتم دراسة كافة المعوقات التى تواجه الشركات التابعة لمصر‬ ‫للطيران والبدء فى وضع حلول سريعة لتفادى استمرار مسلسل الخسائر‪.‬‬ ‫ولفت إلى أن وزير الطيران شدد على ضرورة وضع تصور لتغذية وتنمية شبكة‬ ‫خطوط مصر للطيران على األجل الطويل‪ ،‬ما يعطيها القدرة على المنافسة وتحقيقها‬ ‫لمكاسب من خالل تلك الشبكة‪.‬‬ ‫وأوضح فتحى‪ ،‬أنه سيتم وضع قراراته على أسس علمية متخصصة تتيح للشركة‬ ‫المنافسة وتحقيق األرباح مرة اخرى بعد سنوات من تحقيق الخسائر‪.‬‬ ‫أصدر الطيار حسام كمال‪ ،‬وزير الطيران المدنى‪ ،‬الخميس الماضى‪ ،‬قراراً بتعيين‬ ‫شريف فتحى رئيسا ً لمجلس إدارة الشركة القابضة لمصر للطيران خلفا ً للطيار سامح‬ ‫الحفنى‪.‬‬ ‫عمل شريف فتحى فى مجال الطيران المدنى ألكثر من ‪ ٢7‬عاماً‪ ،‬وتقلد العديد من‬ ‫المناصب فى العديد من دول العالم‪ ،‬يذكر منها مدير إقليمى للخطوط الملكية الهولندية‬ ‫وخطوط نورث وست الجوية األمريكية‪ ،‬المدير اإلقليمى لالتحاد الدولى للنقل الجوى‬ ‫(األياتا) فى الشرق األوسط وشمال افريقيا‪ ،‬ومستشار لرئيس مجلس إدارة الشركة‬ ‫القابضة لمصر للطيران ومدير عام ادارة تعظيم العائد والمنظمات الدولية بمصر‬ ‫للطيران ورئيس لمجلس إدارة شركة اير كايرو والمدير التنفيذى لشركة العربية‬ ‫للطيران‪.‬‬

http://www.fool.com/ At Least One Middle Eastern Airline Giant Is Fueled by Subsidies Emirates may be a commercially viable business, but Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways looks like a state-funded boondoggle.

The Persian Gulf region is home to three rapidly growing airlines: Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Etihad Airways. This year, the top U.S. airlines -- American Airlines (NASDAQ:AAL),Delta Air Lines (NYSE:DAL), and United Continental (NYSE:UAL) -- have invested a considerable amount of effort in proving that all three are state-subsidized enterprises.

The three Gulf carriers have expanded rapidly in the U.S. in the past few years, thanks to Open Skies treaties that have ended government regulation of which airlines fly which international routes. But American, Delta, and United want the U.S. government to step in again, arguing that Emirates, Qatar Airways, and Etihad Airways are competing unfairly.

The U.S. legacy carriers purportedly uncovered $42 billion in state subsidies and similar benefits to the three Gulf carriers over the past decade. Some aspects of the charges they have leveled are debatable.

However, in the case of Etihad Airways, there appears to be overwhelming evidence of massive state subsidies.

Aviation as a strategic industry The governments of the United Arab Emirates and Qatar have wisely realized that their oil wealth won't last forever. As a result, they have actively worked to diversify their economies.

The airline and air cargo businesses have been central to those plans.

Not only do they provide jobs directly, they also help boost the broader economy by making it easier to do business in the region.

As a result, the government of Qatar and the emirates of Dubai and Abu Dhabi have all set up airlines -- Qatar Airways, Emirates, and Etihad, respectively -- and invested heavily in them. Emirates is the oldest of the three, having been founded in the 1980s. Qatar Airways launched in the early 1990s, while Etihad Airways was only launched in 2003.

http://www.fool.com/ Living on government subsidies?

In January, the Partnership for Open & Fair Skies -- backed by American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Continental -- released a white paper detailing subsidies and quasi-subsidies to the Gulf carriers. The report quantified the subsidies as follows: at least $17 billion in subsidies for Etihad, more than $16 billion for Qatar Airways, and at least $5 billion for Emirates.

Each of the Gulf carriers has rejected these claims to one extent or another. In the case of Emirates, the oldest and largest of the three, the subsidy claims are weakest. The biggest part of the supposed subsidies to Emirates came in the form of fuel hedging losses that Emirates moved off its books in 2008-2009. Yet Emirates has countered that this was done only for accounting purposes and that it ultimately covered the losses.

The other main subsidy allegation for Emirates relates to Dubai's policy of keeping airport usage fees dirt cheap despite its heavy spending on airport infrastructure. However, since any airline operating in Dubai can benefit from this policy, this isn't a clear case of government subsidies to Emirates.

The case against Etihad Airways is compelling Even if Emirates doesn't rely on government subsidies to stay in business, the same can't be said for the other Gulf carriers. The evidence that Etihad Airways relies upon subsidies from Abu Dhabi's government is especially compelling.

In June, Etihad acknowledged that it had received $14.3 billion in capital from the government in the form of $9.1 billion of equity and $5.2 billion in loans.

Even the loans are more like equity investments, as Etihad is not paying interest and has no set repayment schedule. Furthermore, in the past week, Etihad revealed another $2.5 billion capital injection that occurred last year.

Etihad Airways has argued that the government's investments in it don't automatically make it a subsidized business. However, if the government does not expect a reasonable return on its investment, then the cash infusions look much more like subsidies.

Etihad earned a "record" paper profit of just $73 million last year, and would have lost hundreds of millions of dollars had it not sold a subsidiary to a different part of the group. If it were publicly traded, Etihad's market cap would be a tiny fraction of the sums Abu Dhabi's government has "invested" in it -and the company might even be totally worthless.

http://www.fool.com/

This isn't very surprising. The Gulf carriers are chasing the same passengers with similar business models. Given that Etihad is the youngest and smallest of the three, it is fighting from a position of weakness. And since all three airlines are growing so quickly, they need to reduce fares for economy passengers and offer ever-more luxurious accommodations for first-class customers to stimulate demand. That's a clear recipe for weak profitability.

The case for action is mixed Unfortunately for American, Delta, and United, offering a strong case that Etihad (and perhaps also Qatar Airways) is state-subsidized may not cause the U.S. government to act to slow its growth.

Several U.S. airlines rely on the sanctity of Open Skies treaties to smooth their global expansion plans. Others benefit from connecting traffic generated by the Gulf carriers. U.S. consumers are saving money thanks to the availability of cheap fares to many international destinations.

Perhaps most significantly, the three Gulf carriers have firm orders for hundreds of Boeingplanes worth tens of billions of dollars (even after customary discounts). Etihad alone has 92 firm orders outstanding -probably worth nearly $15 billion after discounts.

In other words, there are strong competing economic interests arguing for allowing Etihad and its rivals to grow unchecked in the United States.

Even if they are competing unfairly against American, Delta, and United, the U.S. government could reasonably decide not to intervene.

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http://www.afr.com/ British Airways just can't get enough of Boeing's 747 If it's the end of the line for Boeing's 747 jetliner, nobody told British Airways.

The largest operator of the hump-backed icon - dubbed the Queen of the Skies on its debut in 1970 - is plumping up seat cushions, hanging fresh curtains and upgrading entertainment systems on 18 planes. Yet competitors can't seem to park the four-engine aircraft fast enough.

Upgrading the best-selling 747-400 version of the jumbo bucks a wave of retirements that have cast doubt on the model's future, with Singapore Airlines and Japan Airlines, which once vied with BA for the title of No. 1 operator, ending flights more than three years ago.

Demand for the latest 747-8 variant has also faded as airlines prefer leaner twin-jet types.

A clue to BA's lingering love affair with the 747 lies in the model's ability to eke out capacity from scarce operating slots at its London Heathrow hub at a time when lower fuel prices make retaining older planes an option. The revamped jets, the first of which returns next month from a refit centre in Cardiff, Wales, will also get 16 extra business-class seats, aiding deployment on lucrative trans-Atlantic services.

"It makes hard business sense," JLS Consulting Director John Strickland said. "These aircraft have a lot of life in them and can be used in very effective commercial ways. Given the capacity constraints at Heathrow and the high demand they have on certain routes, it's still a very good model."

http://www.afr.com/ DWINDLING NUMBERS While BA has parked or scrapped 15 of its oldest 747s, about half its remaining 42 planes were built in the late 1990s, and "ought to have a good 10 years of life at least left in them," said George Ferguson, a Bloomberg Intelligence analyst.

Of the 694 747-400s built between 1988 and 2009, only 266 passenger variants remain in service, down from 362 in 2011, according to analysis of fleet data held by Ascend Worldwide, he said. Most are retired as they approach their mid-20s.

Air New Zealand, ANA Holdings, Malaysia Airlines and Philippine Airlines have abandoned the 747-400 this decade and Delta Air Lines will retire its last 13 by 2017.

The arrival of Boeing's 777 in 1995, just six years after the 400's introduction, marked the start of the jumbo's slow decline, with its stablemate able to carry almost as many people but with two engines. The latest 787 Dreamliner and the Airbus Group SE A350 are hastening the retreat by combining twin-jet economics with composite materials that offer a 20 per cent efficiency saving versus planes far newer than the 747.

CHICAGO, NEW YORK United Airlines will speed retirement of 21 747s once its first A350s arrive from 2017, said spokeswoman Megan McCarthy.

Boeing is also slowing output of the 747-8, the stretched model that replaced the 400, amid weak sales. The backlog for the passenger version stands at just 17 planes after delivery of the last of 19 ordered by Deutsche Lufthansa. Air China and Korean Air Lines are the only other significant buyers.

At British Airways, the revamped 747s will be no shrinking violets, with the jets earmarked for high-frequency destinations including Chicago, Boston and New York, as well as cities such as Lagos, Dubai, Riyadh and Kuwait where the onus is on maximizing seat numbers on one or two daily flights.

With fuel costs forecast to fall further amid concern over a slowing Chinese economy, BA's combination of "mostly-paid-for 747s" and modest spending on "surface treatments" will look more and more attractive versus a bill in excess of $US250 million for the latest Boeing and Airbus models, said Robert Mann, an aerospace consultant in Port Washington, New York.

PREMIUM BOOST The relatively low capital outlay on sprucing up the 747s means BA will be under less pressure to utilise them should the cost and demand landscape change, according to Strickland.

"If things turn sour they can stand any of these aircraft down almost at a moment's notice knowing there are no expensive capex commitments," he said. "They can dip into the availability of these aircraft and not worry that they have an expensive asset that needs to be sweated come what may."

The extra business seats on the revamped 747s will take the total to 86, only 11 fewer than on BA's Airbus A380s, making it easier to switch between models without crimping availability of high-yield berths. The change pares overall capacity to 275 seats. While that's 40 per cent fewer than on the superjumbo, the A380 is a niche model for the airline, with just 12 orders.

http://www.afr.com/

DUE SOME TLC BA's 747 refit parallels the introduction of newly minted planes including the 787-8, the first example of which arrived in 2013 alongside the A380, and larger 787-9, due to enter service in October. Jumbo cabins will be harmonised with the new fleet through common features including Panasonic swipe-screen entertainment systems with 500 movies and television programs, and matching curtains, carpets and seat covers.

British Airways declined to specify how long the upgrade will prolong the 747's lifespan, though it has said the bigger 787 variants and Airbus's largest A350 will be used to phase out some jumbos through 2023.

Kathryn Doyle, BA's cabin interiors manager, said the company has no concerns about customer acceptance of a plane whose genesis dates to the mid-1960s.

"We know the aircraft has a special place in the heart of many of our customers," she said, adding that the Queens have more than earned "some well-deserved TLC."

http://www.thenational.ae/ Etihad Airways said to be seeking $500 million to buy new planes Etihad Airways, the Abu Dhabi carrier, is seeking to raise as much as $500 million for fleet expansion, according to two people with knowledge of the matter.

The fundraising may include financing from export credit agencies, operating leases and bank loans for five aeroplanes, the people said, asking not to be identified as talks are private. Several groups of local and international banks are bidding to provide the financing, the people said.

An Etihad spokesman declined to comment.

The airline has invested in minority equity stakes in eight carriers from Australia to Italy as it seeks to funnel traffic through its Abu Dhabi hub and compete with larger regional peers, especially in markets where aviation rights are restricted or competition is tough.

Etihad, which has more than 200 aircraft on firm order, took delivery of one Airbus A380 in August and is set to receive another in November. It will take four Airbus A321s from August through to November and a Boeing 787 in April 2016, the spokesman said.

The A380 scheduled to fly to New York will feature the Residence, itsultra-luxurious offering, starting from December 1. The airline has 111 passenger and cargo destinations worldwide, which it serves with a fleet of 118 Airbus and Boeing aircraft.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/

Airline review: Swiss economy class, Zurich to Singapore It's hard to think of an economy class meal that was better than this one.

THE ROUTE Zurich to Singapore.

THE PLANE A340-300; Swiss claims this four-engine Airbus as its flagship. With a range of about 11,000 kilometres, it can serve all Swiss destinations nonstop and with a full payload.

THE LOYALTY SCHEME Swiss is one of Star Alliance's 28 member airlines.

CLASS Economy, window seat 24K. DURATION The 12-hour, 35-minute flight takes off late and arrives in Singapore half an hour behind schedule – so much for that famed Swiss punctuality.

THE FREQUENCY Swiss flies once a day from Zurich to Singapore. The non-stop service was launched in 2013.

THE SEAT The cloth seat has a pitch of 32 inches (81.3cm) and is 17.3 inches (43.9cm) wide. A bulky entertainment box under the seat in front of me blocks half my legroom, which makes sleeping awkward. I jam one leg under the seat, the other between the seat and wall, and somehow manage to grab a few winks on this overnight flight. The economy cabin features 164 seats in a 2-4-2 layout, tapering to 2-3-2 towards the rear.

BAGGAGE Economy passengers can check a bag weighing up to 23kg and carry a piece of hand luggage weighing up to eight kilograms for free.

ENTERTAINMENT The seat-back entertainment system's handset controls are hard to master at first (the airline is introducing a touch screen system on Boeing 777-300ERs that will be integrated into some routes from next January). There are 23 new-release movies on offer (some available in multiple languages) but it's the music choices that impress most. Who wouldn't smile seeing The Wiggles listed next to the Wiener Philharmoniker (Vienna Philharmonic)?

http://www.stuff.co.nz/

FOOD Although I'm not vegetarian, I choose the wholewheat penne with aubergine fricassee because it's designed by Hiltl – the Zurich vegetarian eatery that's been cooking up a storm since 1898 (Guinness World Records lists it as the world's oldest vegetarian restaurant). The eggplant is melt-in-your-mouth soft and delicious – in fact I'm hard-pressed to think of an economy-class meal I've enjoyed more.

Hiltl dishes are served across all three classes – I peek at the biz-class menu to find out what Hiltl concoction was offered at the pointy end (gnocchi with saffron sauce, asparagus and Datterini tomatoes). The other rave-worthy thing on my tray is the tightly curled shaving of Tete de Moine (monk's head) cheese. Invented by monks more than 800 years ago, the semi-hard cheese is now an iconic export for Switzerland's French-speaking Jura region. Sadly, there is nothing remarkable about the omelette, tomato and spinach breakfast served before landing.

SERVICE Perceptive. After choosing Quollfrisch lager to accompany my dinner, I glance again at the flight attendant manning the drinks trolley.

"Would you like something else?" she says, immediately understanding my look. Well, yes, ja, oui, si, gea (to use all five languages – English, German, French, Italian and Romansh – adopted by the airline).

Lemonade would be dandy so that I can mix a shandy.

ONE MORE THING The drinks trolley includes Rivella – a much-loved Swiss soft drink made from milk whey. The attendant will pour a taste if you're unsure of committing to an entire cup.

THE VERDICT The check-in agent warned that my seat was a leastpreferred seat but wouldn't elaborate on the reason. The economy cabin features 11 of these "limited-comfort seats" where legroom is compromised – next time, I'd insist on knowing more. Dinner was an unexpected highlight – it was enough to make me consider turning vegetarian.

http://centreforaviation.com/ British Airways: IAG's favourite child should follow reformed sister Iberia's unit cost example In a May-2013 report on British Airways, we called it the favourite child of parent IAG. Its good behaviour was being rewarded with new fleet toys, while sister Iberia was scolded to mend its ways.

BA should match its best ever operating margin in 2015 and better it in 2016, even covering its cost of capital a salutary model for its European counterparts. After the global financial crisis, margin recovery was mainly due to unit revenue growth. A RASK downturn in 2014 and 1H2015 has seen margins improve through lower unit cost, but these were largely thanks to lower fuel prices. Even a premium brand cannot always rely on unit revenue growth and BA still needs to cut CASK, with a focus on labour. It remains one of Europe's higher unit cost airlines and Iberia has cut CASK more successfully.

Iberia's reformed ways have been feted like the return of the prodigal and now BA has two more siblings. Up and coming teenager Vueling has been given significant trust and responsibility for one so young, while new arrival Aer Lingus will demand much parental attention. BA will need the maturity and determination of the eldest child to graduate to full value-creating adulthood.

http://www.albawaba.com/ EgyptAir chairman sacked over ‘mismanagement’

The Egyptian minister of aviation, Hussam Kamal, discharged on Thursday Sameh El-Hefny from his position as head of the state-owned EgyptAir company following a report of mismanagement from the administrative watchdog, Al-Ahram Arabic website reported.

The report found that unused airplanes and scraps were left along part of an airplane runway. A piece of land owned by EgyptAir was also turned into a dump, reported Al-Ahram Arabic news website.

El-Hefny told Al-Ahram that he resigned, and denied responsibility for these violations, saying that this is the responsibility of the Cairo airport company.

EgyptAir had accumulated LE10.11 billion in losses over the three years following the 2011 uprising, ElHefny said in December 2014.

In December, the national airline hired Texas-based airline advisory firm, Sabre Airline Solutions, to prepare a restructuring plan.

http://www.breakingtravelnews.com/

Etihad expands codeshare with Belavia Airlines Etihad Airways has expanded its codeshare partnership with Belavia Belarusian Airlines, to offer travellers a daily service between Abu Dhabi and Kiev, Ukraine, via Minsk National Airport.

Under the agreement, which commenced from 20 July 2015, Etihad Airways has placed its EY flight code on Belavia’s daily services between Minsk and Kiev.

Belavia and Etihad Airways signed an initial codeshare agreement in 2013, allowing travellers to fly on Etihad-operated flights from Minsk to Abu Dhabi, and onwards to Ho Chi Minh City, Brisbane, Perth, Melbourne and Sydney.

Belavia Airlines General Director, Anatoly Gusarov, said: “Our partnership with one of the world’s leading airlines is rooted in a vision of offering the best services and experiences to our customers, we have been pleased with our journey together so far, and look forward to growing our partnership and widening our horizons.”

During the two-year partnership, more than 750 joint flights were operated on the Abu Dhabi - Minsk route, and both airlines carried over 110 thousand travellers.

Etihad Airways’ Chief Strategy and Planning Officer, Kevin Knight, said: “The strategic partnership with Belavia Airlines establishes our presence in the Ukrainian market, and provides air travellers with more options to fly to Minsk and onwards to Kiev.

“The codeshare also gives Etihad Airways’ customers a new choice of destination with the benefit of a single combined ticket.”

http://www.zawya.com/ Cairo becomes headquarters of Lufthansa sales organization for all of North Africa and Near East Celebrates success of Cairo route which helps bring more traffic between Germany and Egypt and offers additional travel opportunities for local travelers Lufthansa today announced that Cairo has been made the regional headquarters for European airline group's sales organization for North Africa and the Near East. With the growing importance of the Egyptian market, the company has appointed a country manager for Egypt who will be based at the group's Cairo sales headquarters.

"Egypt remains one of our key markets in this region, always playing a significant role in Lufthansa's network. Now with Cairo becoming the regional headquarters, we are confident the entire Lufthansa Group will benefit from this market's leadership role across North Africa and the Middle East," said Frank Van den Steen, the Lufthansa Group's new Sales Director for North Africa & Near East.

Van den Steen, who previously led the company's sales organization in Tunisia for North Africa, Malta and Senegal, is optimistic about the growth of business across the entire region. In addition to Egypt, the new sales region includes Tunisia, Algeria, Libya, Morocco and in the Near East: Jordan and Lebanon.

"North Africa is one of the Lufthansa Group's strongest growth markets, and with the Egyptian Tourism Authority reporting a 9% increase in travelers to Egypt in H1 2015 we are confident that we will be able to work together to ensure these encouraging figures continue to increase not only in Egypt, but across the area.

In addition to offering new travel opportunities into the Egyptian capital, Lufthansa provides its customers excellent flight connections to all corners of the globe. Our opening of a regional headquarters in Cairo is a sign of our commitment to the region and we plan to continue expanding services across the continent," noted Van den Steen

http://www.zawya.com/ With Cairo's popularity as both a leisure and business destination, Lufthansa successfully launched the Cairo - Munich route at the start of the 2015 summer season and operates four weekly flights in each direction between both cities. The route, complementing the daily Frankfurt service, offers excellent connections via Lufthansa's Bavarian hub Munich to Europe, North & South America and Asia.

"It is an exciting time for business in Egypt and with new plans from the Egyptian Tourism Authority to re-invigorate the country's tourism industry we look forward to working together to bring more tourists to Egypt, thus contributing to the country's tourism sector as well as expanding economic and business prospects,"said Zied Gueblaoui, Lufthansa's newly appointed Country Manager for Egypt.

The Cairo - Munich route operates four weekly flights, with flight LH 587 departing Cairo on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 02:10, landing at 06:10 in Munich. LH 586 departs Munich on Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 21:25, landing at 01:10 the following day.

Munich, Europe's only 5-star airport according to Skytrax, is one of Europe's most popular and punctual airports. From its home in Terminal 2, Lufthansa offers business and leisure travellers from Egypt a global network this summer with over 200 destinations in 76 countries.

Passengers from Cairo will find seamless connections throughout the entire Lufthansa network encompassing 11,000 of weekly flights to over 103 cities in 321 countries.

"Our passengers' convenience and comfort have always been paramount to us. More and more personalisation is being rolled out to provide our customers a complete and individualized travel experience from the time they book up until their arrival. And for 2015, our customers are enjoying full spectrum of new product offerings on board, with the latest in cabin design," said Tamur Goudarzi-Pour, Lufthansa Vice President Sales & Services for the Middle East, Africa & Southeast Europe.

Goudarzi-pour was in Cairo to bid farewell to the outgoing Director of Sales for Egypt, Gregor Wende who is retiring after 40 years of service for the airline.

Lufthansa is currently investing 1 million euros daily in on-board product enhancements with all new premium cabins' being retrofitted in Lufthansa's wide body fleet - encompassing over 100 aircraft.

The multiyear investment program will culminate in the fourth quarter of 2015 with a consistent product across the entire long haul fleet. The new First Class, Business Class and Premium Economy cabins have already garnered the excitement of Egyptian customers in the region flying through Lufthansa's German hubs and will soon be available on every wide-body aircraft in the fleet.

Additionally, the Lufthansa Group has undertaken its largest-ever fleet renewal program since its founding. Over 260 aircraft, valued at 36 billion euros (list price) will join the fleet in the next decade. This includes 34 Boeing 777-9x and 25 Airbus A350-900 wide body aircraft, the latter of which will enter into service next year.

It is the largest investment program of any German company and will allow the Frankfurtbased airline group an opportunity to continue enhancing its products and services globally "This is truly an accomplishment for any airline. We thank our loyal customers, travel industry partners and employees in Egypt and across North Africa as well as Near East who assisted in building bridges that have fostered robust business and cultural ties between the Arab world and Germany, Switzerland and Austria," added Goudarzi - Pour.

In addition to Lufthansa German Airlines, Swiss International Airlines and Austrian Airlines serve the Cairo as well as other cities across the region, offering the most comprehensive network of flights from Frankfurt, Munich, Vienna and Zurich.

http://atwonline.com/ Tyler to retire from IATA next year IATA CEO and director general Tony Tyler will retire in June 2016 after serving five years in the position.

Tyler’s retirement was announced Aug. 28 and the search for his successor has begun.

“After five years as director general and chief executive officer of IATA, I believe it will be time for me to retire and leave the organization. It is a great privilege and responsibility to lead IATA, and I am proud of what the IATA team is achieving during my term of office. I greatly appreciate the support I receive from the board of governors and the membership at large, and from my colleagues. I remain fully committed to leading IATA until my successor is appointed in June next year,” Tyler said in a statement.

IATA board of governors’ chairman and AeroMexico CEO Andrés Conesa said Tyler was “a very effective leader, who is achieving much in his role as director general and chief executive officer. I regret that he will be leaving the Association, but respect his decision to retire next year after a long and successful career in aviation.”

Conesa said that the search will now start for a successor to be appointed at the next IATA AGM in Dublin in June 2016.

Before joining IATA in 2011, Tyler was CEO at Cathay Pacific Airways, from where he also served as IATA chairman from June 2009 to June 2010. He succeeded Giovanni Bisignani as IATA DG. Tyler has proved a popular and highly-respected leader, both within the IATA airline membership and among the many industries, agencies and government bodies with which IATA works.

A passionate believer that airlines and aviation are a force for good in the world, he has championed many issues and initiatives, including passenger rights legislation that is fair and reasonable on airlines; smarter, more efficient and lessobtrusive security screening processes; global, equitable eco-aviation standards; and a new framework – New Distribution Capability -- to enable modern distribution system practices.

He has also overseen a major internal restructuring of IATA to improve the association’s organizational effectiveness.

But Tyler’s work and travel schedule is also grueling. He told staff that he while he enjoyed working with everyone in “this great organization”, he had decided that “five years will be long enough for a lifestyle which is demanding in terms of both time and travel”.

He added to ATW, “I’ll always love the airline business, but after nearly 40 years in it from next June I’ll be loving it from a distance!”

‫ادارة العالقات العامة ‪ -‬الشركة القابضة‬ ‫لمصر للطيران‬