Icelandair boosts Glasgow and Manchester flights

Icelandair is boosting the frequency of flights it operates between Reykjavik and its UK hubs at Glasgow and Manchester airports this winter.

From September 25, the Icelandic carrier will run two extra weekly flights from the British airports, bringing its total number of UK regional links to four.

Vueling set to debut at London Heathrow

Spanish low-cost carrier Vueling will touch down on British soil for the first time this summer when it takes over several routes operated by newly acquired Clickair.

The two airlines will formally complete a merger on Thursday (July 9), boosting Vueling's route network to 46 destinations and making it Spain's second largest carrier.

AirAsia X adds more flights to Kuala Lumpur

AirAsia X has responded to strong demand for its route between London Stansted Airport and Kuala Lumpur by adding two extra weekly flights.

The no-frills carrier had operated the link five times a week since its launch in March, but following strong ticket sales it now becomes a daily service.

Budget airline plans standing-only flights

China's first private airline, Spring Airlines, is pushing the concept of no-frills travel to the extreme, announcing plans to strip its aircraft of seats.

Spokesman Zhang Wuan unveiled the proposal yesterday, telling CCTV that standing-room-only cabins could accommodate up to 40 per cent more passengers.

The move follows comments by China's vice premier, Zhang Dejiang, who argued that citizens "should be able to get on a plane like catching a bus".

Storm clouds gather for ailing SkyEurope

The future of SkyEurope remains in doubt after the continental low-cost carrier was forced to file for bankruptcy protection from its creditors last week.

Followings months of declining passenger numbers, the Slovakia-based airline has sought protection from a Bratislava District Court in an effort to restructure its debt.

Wind Jet to fly from London Luton to Forli

There will be a new way for travellers to reach Italy from next week.

Wind Jet, the Catania-based airline, (website: w4.volawindjet.it) will start flying from London Luton to Forli on Thursday, July 2.

Swiss International Air Lines' discount for young flyers

Prior to the low-cost airline revolution, child fares were the norm. Then, the low-costers shook up the market and children aged two and over were treated as adults and charged accordingly.

Now Swiss International Air Lines has introduced a child fare that is 33 per cent less than the standard adult fare. The taxes, fees and other charges will still be applied to tickets for children.

Air Canada to allow pets as hand luggage

Air Canada passengers will soon be able to carry their pets as hand luggage on international flights, following a change to the airline's baggage policy.

The Canadian national carrier, along with its regional affiliate Jazz, will become one of the few airlines to allow cats and small dogs in the cabin from July 1.

Delta to drop routes from Edinburgh and London Gatwick

Delta Air Lines is the latest carrier to announce that it will be axing routes this autumn.

Citing high jet fuel prices, softer travel demand and the spread of Swine Flu, Delta says it will reduce some services from September.

Of most interest to UK flyers will be services from Edinburgh and London Gatwick airports.

Austrian Airlines switches terminal at Heathrow Airport

Austrian Airlines (website: www.aua.com) is moving to Terminal 1 at London Heathrow Airport.

From Tuesday, June 16, travellers taking flights with Austrian Airlines will have to make their way to Check-in Zone K in Terminal 1 rather than Terminal 2.

Qatar Airways moves forward start dates for Amritsar, Goa flights

British travellers bound for India will be able to take advantage of Qatar Airways' new routes to Amritsar and Goa.

The airline has announced that it has moved forward the launch dates for the new services.

Flights from Doha to Amritsar will now start on October 11, while flights to Goa will take off on October 25.

Iraqi Airways 'reaches deal' over London flights

Iraqi Airways has reportedly struck a deal with aviation authorities in Britain over the resumption of direct flights between Baghdad and London.

Sobhi al-Shebani, the director of civil aviation at the airline, told Aswat al-Iraq news agency that the green light had been given for direct services to be launched.

The national carrier's fleet was grounded during the first Gulf War in 1990, but it was able to resume flights to Arab countries after the fall of Saddam Hussein.

Newquay Airport resumes summer flights to Dusseldorf

Passengers travelling from Newquay Cornwall Airport will soon have the option of flying non-stop to Dusseldorf with Lufthansa Airlines.

From June 20, the German national carrier will be operating a weekly Saturday service to the popular business destination in the heart of the Rhein-Ruhr region.

Manx2.com unveils Belfast to Blackpool connection

Low-cost carrier Manx2.com has confirmed that it is to launch a twice daily service between Belfast International and Blackpool Airport next month.

The new connection will operate six days per week, excluding Sunday, with the first flight taking to the skies on July 6. One-way fares start from £49 all inclusive.

AA becomes latest airline to accept PayPal

American Airlines has become the latest carrier to allow online customers in the UK to pay their fare using money transfer service PayPal.

The new payment option appeared on aa.com last week, making it significantly easier for British debit cardholders to pay for their flight booking.

Air France/KLM, Delta sign transatlantic deal

The two largest airlines on either side of the Atlantic have finalised a mammoth deal which paves the way for them to operate as a single carrier.

Air France/KLM and Delta will coordinate on transatlantic flight schedules and ticket prices under the new pact, as well as harmonising on-board products.

The carriers already operate as codeshare partners, providing 200 daily flights – or 25 per cent of passenger capacity – between Europe and the US.

Spanish low-cost carrier relocates to Heathrow

Spanish low-cost carrier Clickair (website: www.clickair.com) has confirmed that it is moving all of its UK services from London Gatwick to London Heathrow Airport.

Under the new schedule, the airline's direct flights to Bilbao, Seville, Vigo and La Coruna will all be switched to the UK's main hub from June 1.

Eastern Airways debuts at Liverpool Airport

Liverpool John Lennon Airport is to benefit from two new connections to Aberdeen and Southampton this summer, courtesy of Eastern Airways.

From July 6, the regional airline will operate three flights per weekday to each destination, with departures staggered throughout the day.

Icelandair to resume Glasgow Airport services

Icelandair has confirmed that it will resume operations at Glasgow Airport this autumn, with the return of a twice weekly connection to Reykjavik.

The Icelandic flag carrier will be operating the flights between August 27 and November 8, running outbound services from Glasgow on Thursday and Sunday.

Air Arabia begins Stansted operations

Air Arabia, the Middle East's largest low-cost carrier by market share, has begun operating flights from London Stansted Airport to its base in Casablanca.

The airline will run the service four times per week, with flights leaving London at 7.20am on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, and arriving in Morocco at 9.50am.

Cathay Pacific to fly fewer London-Hong Kong flights

Cathay Pacific is to reduce the number of services between London and Hong Kong. During May, the Hong Kong flag carrier will operate 17 fewer flights and plans further cuts for June. Currently, there are four daily flights between the cities.

Cathay will also reduce the number of flights to Frankfurt, Paris, Sydney and several cities in Asia. According to a report in The Times, the airline will cut the number of seats on offer by 8 per cent.

New Bulgaria connection from Luton

Wizz Air has confirmed that it will begin operating a new service from London Luton Airport to the Bulgarian seaside resort of Varna.

The European low-cost carrier plans to begin the route this summer, with flights departing twice a week between June 27 and September 5.

TAP passengers face Gatwick cancellations

Passengers flying to or from London Gatwick Airport with TAP, the Portuguese national airline, face the prospect of delays and cancellations next week, TravelMole reports.

The flag carrier is bracing itself for a series of one-day stoppages organised by pilots working for its subsidiary company, Portugalia.

Lufthansa launches mobile boarding pass

Lufthansa has extended the availability of its popular mobile boarding facility to include a long-haul destination for the first time.

The airline is now giving passengers on its Frankfurt to Vancouver service the option of being emailed or SMS texted their boarding pass.

New low-cost airline Flydubai ready for take-off

The Gulf emirate of Dubai - owner of Emirates Airline - has announced the launch of its first low-cost airline Flydubai (website: www.flydubai.com).

The budget airline's first destinations will be Beirut, Lebanon, starting June 1 and Amman, Jordan, flying on June 2.

Lufthansa suspends Bristol to Frankfurt route

Germany's largest airline, Lufthansa, is suspending its flight service between Bristol Airport and Frankfurt from May 1.

The decision came after passenger figures had been dropping over the last few months, a result of the current economic climate.

First EU flight for Iraqi Airways

Iraqi Airways has operated a flight to Europe for the first time in nearly 20 years.

The landmark service departed from Baghdad on Friday (March 27), the transport ministry confirmed, stopping over at Athens before landing in Stockholm.

Europe-bound services from the troubled country had been inconceivable in recent years, but Iraq's security situation has improved greatly since 2007.

Air France improves London City schedule

Air France has revised the departure times for its London City to Strasbourg link, which is operated in conjunction with subsidiaries CityJet and VLM.

Twice daily services between the two cities are running every weekday, with flights departing from London City at 11.05am and 5.55pm. Return services leave at 8.15am and 5.15pm local time.

New Jersey to Stansted route

Aurigny Air Services is to launch a new service from Jersey to Stansted Airport in May.

The carrier will begin to operate the new route on May 1 and flights will take place daily between the two airports.

Outbound flights will depart from Jersey at 3.35pm and arrive at Stansted at 4.50pm. The inbound flights will leave Stansted at 1.05pm and land in the Channel Island at 3.05pm.

New East Midlands to Guernsey route

Aurigny Air Services is hoping to launch a new route from East Midlands Airport later this year.

The carrier is planning to operate a service from the airport to the Channel Island of Guernsey, thisisnottingham.co.uk reports.

As noted by the site, Aurigny Air Services is awaiting approval for a license for the service. If this is granted, then it will aim to launch the return flights, which should take approximately one hour and 15 minutes each way, at the beginning of May 2009.

Thomas Cook announces luggage fee

Thomas Cook has announced changes to its baggage allowance fees, which could see passengers charged £30 to check-in a bag on a long-haul service.

From March 2 2009, the chartered airline will begin charging customers with flight-only bookings £8 each way on short haul services and £15 each way on long haul schedules for the privilege of taking luggage.

Singapore reduces Manchester flights

Singapore Airlines has announced that it will reduce its services to Manchester Airport as part of a global initiative to lower its capacity.

The national carrier of Singapore will decrease its flights to the UK's north-west regional airport to three a week, which is down from the current five-weekly schedule.

Oneworld carriers relocate

Two prominent oneworld alliance airlines have announced that they will be moving their operations to London Heathrow Airport's Terminal 3.

Iberia and British Airways will join existing members American Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines, Royal Jordanian and Finnair at the terminal on February 25, 2009, just before upgrades commence to bring it up to the same standard as Terminal 5.

Qantas increases London flights

Qantas will increase the number of services on its London Heathrow Airport to Sydney route from June 2009, Australia's flag carrier has revealed.

Following the delivery of an additional double-decker Airbus A380, the 'Flying Kangaroo' will continue to operate three services a week on its London schedule but from June it will be increased to five.

Thomson voted most punctual charter airline

Thomson Airways has been crowned as the country's most punctual charter airline in a new report.

The UK's third largest airline, which was formed with the re-branding of Thomsonfly and First Choice, was discovered to be the most punctual airline operating services from Edinburgh Airport, Glasgow Airport, Newcastle Airport and London Stansted Airport.

Using data from last summer, the UK Charter Airline Punctuality report calculated the average period of delay for each airline, with Thomson achieving just 24 minutes.

Eastern adds Leeds to Southampton service

Eastern Airways is increasing the frequency of its services from Leeds Bradford International Airport to Southampton Airport.

The Humberside-based regional airline will add a new 2.20pm weekday flight to its existing 6.50am and 5.40pm services from February 16, 2009.

Passengers will arrive in Southampton at 3.30pm after a 70 minute flight and can check-in at Leeds Bradford just 30 minutes before departing.

Gatwick gains Norwegian service

Passengers departing from London Gatwick Airport will soon have the option of flying to a greater selection of Norwegian destinations.

This follows an announcement made by Norwegian airlines, which disclosed that it will begin operating a three-times daily service to Oslo, a twice-daily to Copenhagen and daily schedules to Bergen, Stavanger and Aalborg from the end of March 2009.

Kiss unveils summer Tenerife route

Kiss Flights has announced that it will operate a once-weekly summer service from Bristol Airport to Tenerife.

The seat-only tour operator will provide this route for sun-seeking British travellers from July 3 to October 30, 2009 on a Viking Airlines' Boeing 737.

This route joins a number of others announced by the start-up carrier over the past couple of weeks, including schedules from London Gatwick Airport or Manchester Airport to Fuerteventura, Tenerife and Sharm el Sheikh.

SAS to sell Bmi stake

Scandinavia Airlines (SAS) has announced plans to sell its stake in the British regional airline bmi.

The multi-national carrier for Denmark, Norway and Sweden currently owns 20 per cent of bmi, but has disclosed that it is looking to streamline its operations in a "global recessionary environment".

Loganair launches Cardiff route

Loganair has announced the introduction of a service from Cardiff Airport to Aberdeen Airport from April 19 2009.

The Scottish airline will begin operating daily flights to the city later this year, in what will be the industry's first ever scheduled flights between the two destinations.

In addition, the route will offer Welsh passengers the opportunity of connecting to other remote Scottish locations, such as the Shetland Islands.

Edinburgh regains Copenhagen link

Edinburgh Airport has regained its Copenhagen service, after Cimber Sterling announced that it would be begin operating the route from March.

The Danish airline, which has recently bought parts of its former rival Sterling, will operate a twice weekly service to Copenhagen, which will increase to three times a week during the summer season.

Iran Air increases Tehran flights

Iran Air has announced that it will add a fourth weekly flight to its London Heathrow Airport to Tehran Imam Khomeini International Airport service.

Acting as a temporary summer measure, the additional service will commence from March 29 and will continue to operate until October 24, 2009 increasing the airline's schedule to four times a week. Flights will depart Heathrow's Terminal three on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays at 4.00pm and arrive in Tehran at 1.20am the next day.

Cathay Pacific launches mobile check-in

Cathay Pacific has become the latest airline to introduce a mobile service that allows its passengers to check-in from remote locations.

The Hong Kong-based airline has introduced the Mobile Check-in service, which will enable customers to select their preferred seats and will send users a barcode that can later be used at self check-in kiosks at participating airports.

Sun-Air launches London City flight

Sun-Air has revealed that it has begun operating flights between London City Airport and Billund in Denmark.

The Scandinavian airline, which is a franchise partner of British Airways, disclosed that it has now started scheduling two flights from the docklands airport on weekdays, with one service departing from the UK's capital on Sundays.

FlyLAL cancels operations

The Lithuanian Airline flyLAL has been forced to stop all of its services, after its proposed purchase by an investment fund faltered.

The eastern European carrier ceased its operations on Saturday (January 17), after Swiss Capital Holdings failed to transfer the proposed £700,000 fee that it had agreed to purchase the airline with.

Eastern launches Oslo route

Eastern Airways has begun operating services from Aberdeen Airport to the Norwegian capital Oslo.

The UK regional airline, which is based at Humberside Airport, has launched daily flights to the destination, with week-day services departing Aberdeen at 10.20am and arriving in Oslo at 1.05pm local time and Sunday services leaving at 12.20am and landing at 3.05pm.

New aircraft for SAS Copenhagen route

Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) has begun servicing its Birmingham to Copenhagen route with a new aircraft.

Passengers flying from Birmingham to the Danish capital will now be carried on one of Bombardier's NextGen CRJ900s.

Flights serviced by the new plane will depart Birmingham at 10.30am and 6.50pm, arriving in Copenhagen at 1.35pm and 9.50pm respectively.

VLM commences City to Eindhoven route

VLM Airlines has begun operating twice-daily services between London City Airport and Eindhoven.

The Belgian airline, which specialises in flights between the UK capital and western European countries, has taken over the schedule previously operated by its partner carrier CityJet.

Singapore Airlines reduces London services

Singapore Airlines has temporarily suspended a service on its London Heathrow Airport route. That is according to Air & Business Travel News, which has reported that the national airline of Singapore has to cut one of its daily flights from the UK's busiest airport amid struggling passenger numbers.

Flight SQ319, which departs Heathrow at 6.15pm, and the inbound service SQ308, which leaves Singapore at 9.05am, are the unfortunate services affected by this decision.

Norway to launch Gatwick service

Norwegian Air Shuttle has announced that it will operate a service from London Gatwick Airport to Copenhagen from next year, as it unveiled a raft of new European routes.

The budget airline will offer passengers the option of two daily return flights to the Danish capital from March 29, 2009, with weekday departures leaving Gatwick at 8.55am and 7.40pm.

Weekend flights will commence at slightly different times, with services leaving London's second largest airport at 10.40am and 7.40pm.