Egyptair: Umrah/Ramadan/Summer peak season update

EgyptAir will lease 2 B767-300ER aircraft over the peak Umrah/Ramadan/Summer season (10AUG10-19SEP10). The aircraft are configured with 285 seats in an all-economy layout.

Both B763s will almost exclusively fly CAI-JED-CAI, with each aircraft operating 3 daily rotations (for a total of 6 daily flights). EgyptAir's existing scheduled services on the route remain unchanged.

This represents a significant capacity increase on CAI-JED over this period. Here is a breakdown:

• the existing 5x daily scheduled MS flights on the route, equate to approx 15,500 seats per week.
• the additional B763s flights will add a further 25,000 seats per week.

In total EgyptAir will offer over 40,000 seats per week on the route during AUG-SEP. To put this into perspective this is similar to offering 6 daily return flights with an A380.

In addition to this, Saudi Arabian Airlines are also offering a similar number of seats during this peak period.


Source: Horus!

Continental launch Cairo service from May 2011

Continental Airlines from 18MAY11 is launching Daily Newark – Cairo service on board Boeing 777-200ER aircraft. Schedule below:

CO134 EWR1730 – 1055+1CAI 777 D
CO135 CAI1255 – 1805EWR 777 D 19MAY10-

Source

Etihad Abu Dhabi - Alexandria Schedule

ETIHAD from 12JUL10 launches Abu Dhabi – Alexandria service with Airbus A320, 4 times a week.

Schedule below:

EY663 AUH1000 – 1305ALY 320 x247
EY662 ALY1405 – 1900AUH 320 x247

Source

News

• EgyptAir: Effective today, the airline has increased flights on the prime European route, CAI-LHR, from 8 to 10x weekly flights. MS779/MS780 is operated using the A330-200. The airline also operate a weekly LXR-LHR flight.
• AlMasria Universal Airlines: the airline is continuing its strong growth in the Saudi market by adding a second daily flight on the CAI-Yanbu route. With this increase the airline will offer a total of 28x weekly (or 4 daily flights) to KSA, placing the company in a good position to achieve their target of capturing 15% of the Egypt-KSA market during their first year of operation.
• Sun Air: the Sudanese carrier has increased flights on the KRT-CAI route to 14x weekly (2x daily) flights with the addition of a second daily service. Other airlines operating the route are EgyptAir (21x weekly flights), Sudan Airways (10x) and Kenya Airways (7x).
• Olympic Air: it seems OA will cancel their Athens-Alexandria route from 19 July.
• Etihad Airways: the airline will launch their new AUH-ALY route on the 12JUL10 ... the very same day Air Arabia Egypt start HBE-AUH.

Source: Horus!

Etihad to start flights to Alexandria in July

The service will operate every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday

Dubai: UAE flag carrier Etihad Airways will start a four flights-a-week service to Alexandria in Egypt from July, subject to government approval.

The service will operate every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday from Etihad’s home base in Abu Dhabi to El Nouzha Airport in Alexandria.

James Hogan, Etihad Airways Chief Executive, said: “Etihad is pleased to announce this new service to Alexandria, Egypt’s second largest city.

“Alexandria is an important strategic destination which will serve the Egyptian expatriate population living in Abu Dhabi and across the UAE, as well as growing numbers of business and leisure travellers looking to fly to the city.”

The new service will offer air travellers convenient onward connections via Abu Dhabi to a number of key destinations across the airline’s global network, including the GCC, Australia, China, Japan and the Indian Sub Continent.

Etihad will operate an Airbus A320 aircraft on the Abu Dhabi to Alexandria route which is configured to carry 136 passengers. The airline started flights Cairo in November 2004 and flies double daily to the Egyptian capital.

Hogan added: “Etihad Airways is grateful to the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority and the Egyptian Civil Aviation Authority for their support, which has enabled us to move forward with these important new services.”

Source

KLM Nov 2010 changes to Cairo

As per 01JUL10 GDS timetable display, KLM on 11NOV10 and 14NOV10 is to operate MD11 aircraft on Amsterdam – Cairo service, instead of Boeing 777-200ER. With the aircraft change, planned schedule will be revised.

Details:

KL553 AMS1140 – 1700CAI M11 11NOV10
KL553 AMS1115 – 1635CAI M11 14NOV10

KL554 CAI0410 – 0800AMS M11 12NOV10
KL554 CAI1830 – 2220AMS M11 14NOV10

Source

EGYPTAIR W10 Operation Update 3: Mumbai Increases

As per 30JUN10 GDS timetable display, latest changes to EGYPTAIR’s planned 2010/11 Winter International operation as follows:

Cairo – Frankfurt A330/B737-800 mix operation
330 Day x13 738 Day 13

Cairo – Mumbai Increase from 4 to 5 weekly
MS968 CAI2255 – 0755+1BOM 738 x45
MS969 BOM0855 – 1215CAI 738 x56

Source

Belair/airberlin launch new Basel – Egypt routes in W10

Belair, a member under airberlin group, is operating NEW Basel – Luxor and Basel – Marsa Alam service for Winter 2010 season.

These service begins in November 2010. Schedules:

Basel – Luxor
4T3316 BSL0750 – 1320LXR 320 4
4T3317 LXR1405 – 1445HRG1545 – 1945BSL 320 4

Basel – Marsa Alam
4T2176 BSL0750 – 1330RMF 320 2
4T2177 RMF1415 – 1955BSL 320 2

Source

More news...

• EgyptAir have now published details of their new flights to Lusaka (Zambia) which launches 02NOV10. The flight will operate twice a week via Dar es Salam. The schedule for both DAR and LUN will be

• 
  
  CAI DAR MS841 22:10 05:00 -2-4-57 5:50 A320 0
  DAR LUN MS841 06:00 07:30 --3---7 2:30 A320 0
  LUN DAR MS842 08:30 11:55 --3---7 2:25 A320 0
  DAR CAI MS842 12:55 17:40 --3---7 5:45 A320 0
  DAR CAI MS842 12:55 17:40 1---5-- 5:45 A320 0
  
  

• Air Arabia Egypt have now confirmed Abu Dhabi will be their next destination from HBE. Flights will start on 12JUL10.

• Turkish airline, Onur Air, plans to start a new airline in Egypt. The airline is operate charter flights from the Red Sea to various European cities. The yet to be named airline is expected to start operations in December 2010 with 2 aircraft if they are receive the necessary approval from the Egyptian authorities.

Other news

• Air Arabia Egypt Route Update:
  • Kuwait: HBE-KWI increases from 4 to 7x weekly flights (daily) from 01JUL10.
  • Amman: HBE-AMM operated with 4x weekly flights.
  • Khartoum: HBE-KRT operated with 3x weekly flights.
  • Beirut: HBE-BEY launches 01JUL10 with 4x weekly flights.
  • Next Destinations: Due to bilateral restrictions (which is limiting the airlines ability to launch new routes), E5 currently have an aircraft sitting idle in HBE. This has resulted in the airline reshuffling their route plan, with Abu Dhabi now expected to be the next new destination from 10JUL10 with 4x weekly flights. This is an interesting choice given the proximity between AUH and parent company's hub in SHJ. Having said that Abu Dhabi is the only major Arab city not to have an air link to Alexandria, so this is a natural void to fill.

• AlMasria Universal Airlines Route Update:
  • New Destination: Today UJ launches it's third Saudi destination with a new 7x weekly (daily) service connecting Cairo with Qassim (ELQ).
  • Development: AlMasria growth in the scheduled market has been impressive, in particular their growth in KSA. They now operate no less that 3 daily flights to the country; 1x daily CAI-YNB, 1x daily ALY-JED, 1x daily CAI-ELQ and intend to start flights to Abha soon. Unlike other Egyptian private airlines, AlMasria has shunned the traditional charter market to focus on building scheduled services, which is long overdue. This along with Air Arabia Egypt (launching scheduled services this month) and Nile Air (planning to do so next month), is a positive sign of the development of private Egyptian airlines.

• Imminent Launch of Nile Air:
  • Dates: According to an update on the airline's website, commercial operations will start in July 2010. The fleet currently consists of 2 leased A320 aircraft.
  • Details:There are no details regarding which routes they will operate, however they seem like a professional outfit. Note: they have an order for 9 brand new A321s with Airbus, which is the largest order by an Egyptian private carrier.

• Imminent Launch of Nesma Airlines:
  • Aircraft Deliveries: The first aircraft for the new Saudi-backed Egyptian airline arrived in CAI last week. The ex-BD A320 named 'Bertha' (SU-NMA) will be joined by a second aircraft (SU-NMB) next week. Both aircraft are leased from ILFC.
  • Details: Details of the airline's planned operations are limited, however the following was quoted in the press: "Scheduled and charter services will link cities in Egypt and Western Europe with destinations in the Middle East, and Saudi Arabia in particular. Transporting pilgrims to Saudi Arabia for the Hajj and Umrah is expected to be a major part of the new airline's business plan."

• Smart Aviation Company Turboprop Order
  • Reports indicate the airline will soon announce an order for Bombardier's 78-seater Q400. The first aircraft is likely to arrive in time for the Avex Airshow in Sharm El Sheikh in November.

• Kuwait Airways New Egypt Routes:
  • Sohag: KU will become the first airline to inaugurate flights to Egypt's newest airport, Mubarak International Airport from August 2010.
  • Marsa Alam: the airline has announced plans to launch flights to the resort airport this summer. Jazeera Airways operated KWI-RMF last summer but no longer operates the route. Given the heavy investment made by Kuwait companies in Marsa Alam and Port Ghalib, this route is not a surprise. Of all Gulf airlines, Kuwaiti airlines have the strongest presence in the Red Sea with flights from KWI to Sharm El Sheikh, Hurghada and now Marsa Alam.

• LOT Polish Airlines New Egypt Route:
  • Warsaw to Cairo: the airline has announced plans to launch WAW-CAI from October 2010, connecting two Star Alliance hubs. Details have yet to be published.

• Aeroflot:
  • Red Sea: the airline will dramatically increase flights (and capacity) to the Red Sea resorts of Sharm El Sheikh and Hurghada this winter. Currently each destination is served with a daily A320 flight from Moscow (SVO), however from November each airport will receive 2x daily flights with the 260-seater IL-96.
  • New Routing: Aeroflot will also re-route their current bi-weekly SVO-Luanda (Angola) non-stop B767 flight via HRG from 07DEC10. The flight (SU345/346) will operate SVO-HRG-LAD-HRG-SVO with the A320. This will certainly be the strangest scheduled service operating to Egypt.
  • Cairo Airport: The Russian airline will maintain its 2x weekly SVO-CAI flights. The route was served with 4x weekly flights until earlier this year.

Source: Horus!