News in brief from Ryanair, easyJet, ITP and Amphitrion Holidays, Vueling and clickair, and BAA
Ryanair trumps BA in June
Budget carrier Ryanair carried twice as many passengers as British Airways last month.
Europe's largest short haul airline reported serving 5.8 million travellers in June, an increase of 13% year-on-year.
British Airways' June figures released last week show total system-wide volume at just 2.9 million, down 4.9% compared to the same month last year.
Full-service network carrier BA has struggled against the low ‘no-frills' fares offered by budget carriers such as Ryanair and easyJet.
BA recently announced a raft of cost cutting measures including staff and capacity reductions.
Arbitrators were called in last week after talks between BA and staff unions over a pat freeze and redundancies failed to reach agreement.
www.ba.com
ITP signs Athens-based Amphitrion Holidays
International Travel Partnership (ITP) has strengthened its coverage in Greece with the addition ofAmphitrion Holidays SA, an Athens-based travel agency.
Travel agency network ITP said Amphitron was a market leader in its home country in both leisure and corporate travel.
Amphitrion also provides marine and other specialist travel arrangements.
www.itptravel.net www.maxims-travel.com
easyJet volumes hold steady
easyJet carried 4.1 million passengers last month, topping its figure for the same month 2008.
But the budget short haul carrier saw its load factor drop 0.6% despite a 1% rise in traffic year-on-year.
easyJet's rolling 12-month figures showed passenger numbers up 7.9% compared to the same period in 2008.
Load over the last 12 months increased 1.9% to 85.2% year-on-year.
www.easyjet.com
Vueling and clickair set merger deadline
clickair and Vueling have announced a formal merger date.
From July 19 clickair as an airline will cease to exist. The brand will disappear completely in November when the last clickair aircraft are repainted.
The union will see Vueling's fleet size increase from 17 A320 aircraft to 35.
The merger opens up the UK market to Vueling when the airline begins to serve clickair's London Heathrow routes.
www.vueling.es
Etihad paves the way for Cyprus code share
Etihad Airways and Cyprus Airways have signed an agreement which paves the way for a code share between the two airlines.
The code share is expected to come into effect in September when Etihad flights will operate a CY code between Larnaca and Abu Dhabi.
Etihad first launched its four flights a week service between the two capital cities on June 14.
Peter Baumgartner, Etihad's chief operating officer, said the new agreement supported the airline's expansion in an important market.
www.etihadairways.com
BAA appeal set for October
BAA's appeal against the decision by the UK Competition Commission, ordering it to sell three of its seven airports, is due to be heard on October 19.
The airport owner, a subsidiary of the Spanish conglomerate Ferrovial, claims the Commission was affected by bias in making its ruling.
The Commission said BAA must sell two of its three London airports, Gatwick and Stansted and one of its two Scottish airports, either Glasgow or Edinburgh.
The hearing before the Competition Appeal Tribunal is expected to last about four days.
www.baa.com