Dubai International opens new $1.2 billion concourse

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: Air & Sea Air & Sea

Published: 26 February 2016 26 February 2016

Dubai International, the world’s number one hub for international passenger traffic, increased its capacity from 75 million to 90 million this week with the opening of Concourse D, the result of a US$1.2 billion investment to enhance service and boost capacity for the more than 70 international airlines that will now call it home.

“We continue to invest in the development of top-flight infrastructure to augment service levels for our international airlines and their customers while providing the capacity needed to meet growing demand,” said HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Airports; President of the Dubai Civil Aviation Authority; Chairman and CEO of Emirates Group. “Concourse D has been designed with the customer at its heart. Shorter walking distances, more comfortable seating areas, more choice in lounges and a world-class retail and F&B offering are sure to impress and delight our passengers and our airline partners.”

The first flight to be welcomed at the facility was today’s British Airways’ flight 105. This historic first operation followed months of intensive testing and a successful operational trial involving 2,000 members of the public earlier this month. The trial volunteers played the role of passengers arriving at, departing from and transiting through Concourse D, testing way-finding signage, food and retail outlets and the flow of passenger traffic within the new building. Two airlines will operate from Concourse D on day one (British Airways, Royal Jordanian) with the remainder phasing in operations over the next several weeks.

“Aside from its many customer-centric features, Concourse D continues our legacy of providing timely capacity,” said Paul Griffiths, CEO of Dubai Airports. “Today we also announce our 2016 forecast which projects 85 million passengers will visit Dubai International this year. With the addition of Concourse D, Dubai International is getting both bigger and better.”

The concourse is linked to the newly renovated Terminal 1 by a dedicated airport train that can transport 300 passengers per trip. Designed around a central atrium, Concourse D offers short walks to open gates, which will allow travellers to board directly from the waiting area, giving them more freedom and time to enjoy the full array of exciting food and beverage outlets.

A number of world renowned brands will be introduced to Dubai and the region for the first time – including a casual dining concept The Kitchen which will offer passengers creations from the renowned celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck. Dubai Airports will also introduce the first Pret a Manger in a Middle Eastern airport. Other firsts for DXB include Butlers Chocolate Café and Camden Food Company which will bring healthy yet tasty dining options using organic and natural products. For those who enjoy a little theatre with their food, YO! Sushi will be a popular addition to the airport, while the CNN News Café will be a favourite for news junkies who want to stay connected to world affairs over coffee. Other new outlets include Lebanese favourite Sharwarmanji and Taqado Mexican Kitchen, both popular local examples of street food, in addition to a second Masale by Taste of India outlet but on a larger scale. Concourse D will also have established traveller favourites such as Giraffe – which will open its second outlet at Dubai International – Starbucks, KFC, Krispy Kreme, McDonald’s, Brioche Doree, The Noodle House, Cavier House & Prunier, Draft House sports bar, and Costa Coffee.

The new concourse will offer plenty of comfortable seating spaces and wellbeing concepts such as Be Relax and the ever-popular ‘SnoozeCubes’ which provide a convenient way to rest between flights. It will also feature a total of nine lounges spread over 6,926m2, including five airline lounges, a new Al Majlis lounge, two Dubai International Hotel lounges and a Marhaba VIP lounge.

JC Decaux will exclusively operate Concourse D's advertising concession, introducing Dubai International's largest provision of digital and other advertising structures to date. In addition, the existing successful partnership with JTI will see the provision of three additional smoking lounges in Concourse D.

Dubai Duty Free has a total of 175 vendor installations in Concourse D spread over an area of 7,000m2, bringing the operation’s total retail space at DXB to 33,000m2. Fashion offer covers a total of 1,000m2 divided into two zones, perfumes and cosmetics cover a total area of 1,500m2 while liquor and food occupies nearly 1,000m2.

On the apron, Concourse D provides 21 contact stands, of which four will be able to accommodate Airbus A380 or Boeing 747 aircraft, and 11 remote stands with a design capacity for 18 million passengers.

Norwegian to offer direct flights between Paris and U.S.

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: Air & Sea Air & Sea

Published: 20 February 2016 20 February 2016

Norwegian will launch flights from three United States airports to Paris’ Charles De Gaulle Airport on July 29. Service will commence with four weekly flights from New York’s JFK International Airport, two weekly flights from Los Angeles International Airport and one weekly flight from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. This will be Norwegian’s first operation from Charles De Gaulle Airport. The airline currently operates flights from Paris Orly International Airport to five Scandinavian destinations.

In less than three years since the launch of its U.S. operations, Norwegian now has more nonstop routes from the U.S. to Europe than any other European airline. The airline already provides nonstop service to London, Copenhagen, Oslo and Stockholm, as well as seasonal service to Bergen. In total, Norwegian offers 38 routes from the U.S.

“Launching our fifth major European nonstop destination from the U.S. clearly underlines our commitment to the American market. Paris is one the most visited cities in the world, attracting both business and leisure travelers alike all-year round. We see great potential and demand for our transatlantic service and we will continue to offer customers more direct flights and more affordable fares from additional cities both in the U.S. and Europe,” said Bjørn Kjos, Norwegian’s CEO and founder.

Flights to Paris are now available for purchase at Norwegian.com/us, with introductory fares starting as low as $175 one-way, including taxes. For the lowest available fares to any Norwegian destination, check the Low Fare Calendar.

“It’s always great news to hear about new service to France. We think it demonstrates a confidence that American demand for travel to France will be strong again this year, and that the market can expand and support additional service. This confidence reflects well on our destination,” said Anne-Laure Tuncer, Director USA at Atout France, France Tourism Development Agency.

All Paris flights will be operated on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, one of the world’s most modern and eco-friendly fleets. Last year, Norwegian was named the Most Fuel-Efficient Airline on Transatlantic Routes by the International Council on Clean Transportation.

Emirates and Cruise Baltic signs strategic partnership

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: Air & Sea Air & Sea

Published: 25 February 2016 25 February 2016

Today Cruise Baltic has announced that Emirates has become a strategic partner of Cruise Baltic. Instrumental in effecting the formation of this new, joint agreement is Claus Bødker, Director, Cruise Baltic, working in close co-operation with Emirates’ management in both Copenhagen and Dubai.

Emirates fly to more than 150 destinations on six continents, with routes to Copenhagen, Oslo and Stockholm in the Baltic Sea region.

Says Claus Bødker: “This partnership commitment made to us by Emirates is such significant and welcome news. By networking together, implementing new, joint marketing initiatives and targeting the same source markets - including those of Asia and Australia, which are ‘booming’ - I am confident that we can reach our respective objectives of attracting even more cruise visitors to the Baltic Sea region.”

Paul Starrs, SVP Global Sales, Emirates (Dubai) commented: “For several years Emirates has been active within the cruise industry sector, however, our commitment to Cruise Baltic reflects our need to focus on priority markets, as well as the more traditional. We can combine our resources and together meet any challenges facing the airline and cruise industry; and with our complementary premium products, will look to secure the highest standards of guest experience.”

Cruise Baltic is a network of cruise destinations in the Baltic Sea offering easy access to 10 countries on a string with an ‘ocean of adventures’. The network - founded in 2004 with 12 destinations - has now grown in 2016 to 29 destinations.

American Airlines adds nonstop from Los Angeles to Auckland

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Written by Teijo Niemelä Teijo Niemelä

Category: Air & Sea Air & Sea

Published: 11 November 2015 11 November 2015

American Airlines will add new nonstop service between its trans-Pacific gateway hub at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and Auckland Airport (AKL) in June 2016, pending regulatory approvals. The route to Auckland provides American's customers direct access to a new destination and further strengthens the airline's joint business with Qantas Airways. American has added six new trans-Pacific routes over the last three years, nearly doubling its presence in the region.

"Auckland is a thriving destination for business and leisure travelers, and it adds to the growing strength of our global network across the Pacific," said Doug Parker, American's chairman and CEO. "We've seen a strong increase for demand from U.S. customers who need more nonstop access to New Zealand. We are excited to be the first U.S. carrier to offer a truly premium experience between Los Angeles and Auckland."

Qantas Group Chief Executive Officer, Alan Joyce, said the new Los Angeles-Auckland service is another example of the customer benefits of the expanded Qantas American Airlines joint business. "American Airlines is one of our most important partners, and our joint business allows both airlines to provide an enhanced network and better service for customers across the Pacific.

"American's new non-stop Los Angeles-Auckland service is supported by Jetstar's domestic connections to eleven destinations within New Zealand and Qantas Group's nearly 40 daily flights to Australia. The new route across the Pacific is great news for travelers, the local New Zealand tourism industry and the corporate market," said Joyce.

The two CEOs met earlier in the day with New Zealand Prime Minster John Key to present details of American's new service that is planned to operate on the following daily schedule starting in June 2016.

American plans to operate its new daily service between LAX and AKL with the newest addition to its fleet, the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner. The Dreamliner features a state-of-the-art onboard travel experience including international Wi-Fi, as well as higher humidity and pressurization closer to sea level conditions, leaving customers more refreshed after their flight. Every seat has a touchscreen monitor equipped with up to 260 movies, 240 TV shows, 13 radio channels, 350 albums and 20 games, along with universal AC power outlets and a USB connection. The aircraft is configured with 28 fully lie-flat Business Class seats, each with direct-aisle access. There are an additional 55 Main Cabin Extra seats with extra legroom, and 143 Main Cabin seats.

The flight will be operated as part of American's joint business with Qantas, which remains subject to regulatory approvals. Earlier this year, the two airlines announced increased options between the U.S. and Sydney Airport (SYD) with American launching a new nonstop flight from LAX, and Qantas adding a new flight from San Francisco International Airport (SFO), both beginning in December.

Through their enhanced relationship, American and Qantas intend to provide increased connectivity to markets beyond their key gateways. As the leading airline with the most daily flights in Los Angeles, American's extensive network from its LAX hub can connect customers traveling from New Zealand to more than 50 destinations. These destinations include convenient connections to the world's top financial centers, including New York and London, in addition to other top markets throughout the U.S., Mexico, the Caribbean, Central and South America. American has a rich history as Southern California's premier carrier, including 80 years serving Los Angeles. American has nearly 200 daily departures at LAX, the only three-class transcontinental service and unrivalled customer service on the ground and in the air.