Expedia to launch in Spain
Expedia Corporate Travel (ECT) is set to launch in Spain.
The online company said it would provide a full localised service with online booking and management tools in Spanish.
It will be ECT's sixth office in Europe after France, the UK, Germany, Belgium and Italy.
Christophe Pingard, ECT's vp Europe, said: "Spain adds another piece to Expedia Corporate Travel's expansion of its global presence, ensuring we service each new market's unique needs while maintaining a globally consistent, high level of service."
AEA criticises Dutch travel tax
A new passenger travel tax imposed by the Dutch government was criticised by the Association of European Airlines (AEA).
Travellers leaving airports in The Netherlands must now pay €11.25 for European flights and €45 for inter-continental trips.
The new levy, described by the Dutch government as an environmental tax, is expected to raise €350m a year.
Ulrich Schulte-Strathaus, the AEA's secretary general, said: "For the AEA airlines, greenhouse-gas emissions per passenger and per kilometre have reduced almost 20% over the last ten years.
"This has been achieved through investment in more efficient aircraft, and the tailoring of capacity to demand resulting in fewer empty seats.
"This new tax will contribute nothing, absolutely nothing, to that process."
ICAO rejects EU's trading scheme
Members of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) have rejected the EU's Emissions trading Scheme (ETS).
Delegates at its assemblyin Montreal said that while they backed the concept ETS, it should not be applied to aircraft from foreign countries without mutual consent.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) backed ICAO stand and said it was "deeply disappointed" in "Europe's failure to accept a global approach to emissions trading, based on mutual consent."
The Association of European Airlines described the outcome as "disappointing, but not
unexpected."
HRG launches cash processing tool
The Hogg Robinson Group (HRG) has launched a new automated web-based cash processing tool.
The travel management company said HRG Expedite was developed in response to client requests for a tool specifically to manage cash expenses.
"More UK corporates using TMCS to book rail"
More UK companies are suing travel management companies to book rail trips, Steve Fosh, head of distribution for the Association of Train Operating Companies.
Mr Fosh, who was speaking at the first Evolvi Rail Forum in London, said: "Increasingly corporates are turning to TMCs to deliver the complete travel package and importantly provide ever richer levels of management information.
"Easy to use, web based ticketing issuing systems (TIS) have been developed like Harry Weeks Travel's Evolvi to meet the demands of the corporate consumer."
Grahame Weeks, chairman of Harry Weeks Travel said: "The rail industry is changing and this drives us to continue to develop as leading rail experts.
"This is a crucial time for the rail sector as it brings important challenges relating to CSR and environmental issues as well as technological advances."
Aeroflot profits drop
Russian carrier Aeroflot reported a drop of 25% in its profits for the first half of 2006 to RUB3.2bn (€90.5m).
It said that turnover rose by 21.7% to RUB33.5bn (€947m) while costs rose by 15.4% to RUB31.9bn (€902m).
Ryanair to launch 70 new routes
Ryanair, Europe's biggest low cost carrier, is to launch 70 new routes across Europe this month.
The Irish airline said there would be new services from Barcelona, Dublin, Dusseldorf, East Midlands, Liverpool, Madrid, Pisa and Stockholm and the opening of two new bases in Belfast and Valencia.
* see BTE Analysis
* see BTE's recruitment site www.businesstraveljobs.com