New York City, New York, United States, 13 November 2020 / TRAVELINDEX / The Sustainable Aviation Fuels as a Pathway to Net-Zero Aviation Report shows that a transition to carbon-neutral flying is possible, with SAF the most promising decarbonization option in the near term.

There are enough sustainable, renewable feedstocks to fuel all aviation using SAF by 2030. Scaling up SAF production to meet the net-zero ambition, however, depends on several new technology routes and significant multistakeholder collaboration. The main challenge will be developing appropriate commercial, financing, incentives and regulatory mechanisms.

SAF as a feasible route to net-zero aviation

In 2019, aviation accounted for 3% of human-made carbon emissions. Hybrid-electric and hydrogen-powered aircraft could help the industry reach the next efficiency target, but development and deployment at scale could take 10 to 20 years and the technology will initially be limited to smaller, shorter-range aircraft.

Furthermore, in 2019, fewer than 200,000 metric tons of SAF were produced globally, a tiny fraction of the roughly 300 million tons of jet fuel used by commercial airlines.

More positively, SAF has already fuelled more than one-quarter of a million commercial flights and is compatible with existing aircraft and fuelling infrastructure.

Even following the challenge to aviation during the COVID-19 pandemic, members of the CST coalition are continuing their commitment to drive energy transition in aviation towards the goal of net-zero aviation.

An economic opportunity for developing markets

Aviation delivers significant benefits globally, not least to developing markets, from where a sizeable portion of global aviation demand is expected to come. The current crisis may also present an opportunity for countries with low renewable power prices and ready access to feedstock. If these countries act now, they can benefit from energy transition in aviation and become global SAF production hubs.

“The structural changes happening in the industry are an opportunity to rebuild and transition towards a low-carbon future and meet the sustainability demands of its consumers,” said Christoph Wolff, Head of Mobility Industries at the World Economic Forum.

To this end, the CST initiative is working on a pilot project to create a SAF sector in India and plans to replicate this process in other markets that have the necessary conditions to foster a valuable SAF industry.

Building scale is key to improving cost

This report, written in collaboration with McKinsey & Company, shows that despite feedstock availability and even if all currently announced SAF projects are completed, capacity will only increase to approximately 4 million tons annually, which equates to approximately 1% of global jet fuel demand in 2030.

Currently, SAF is more than double the cost of conventional fuel. As further innovations and efficiencies of scale in production are achieved, prices will drop.

“We see the classic Catch-22 problem as in other energy transition discussions. Insufficient scale drives per unit costs high and high costs keep demand low. Some structural solutions could break this impasse – B2B contracts, prioritized aviation and airport fee structures etc. that will give fuel producers the required support to invest in production capacity,” said Daniel Riefer, Associate Partner, McKinsey & Company.

Investments can accelerate promising new technologies

Fuels produced from used cooking oil and other lipids will contribute most to developing capacity in the short term. New technologies take time to mature and develop, but investment decisions, including building larger demonstration plants, are needed now.

Power-to-liquid fuels can contribute the most to SAF capacity, but will only prove effective after 2030 under current development plans. Fuels made from CO₂ and green electricity will require financial support for their technology to mature and will need access to renewable electricity.

There is no silver bullet for net-zero aviation. No single feedstock will be practical in every geography or yield enough SAF to meet all demand. Even as costs fall, SAF will have higher production costs than fossil fuels, though a rising carbon price may enable parity in the 2030s.

While the report demonstrates that enough feedstocks are available globally to make SAF economically viable and scalable, several factors are required. These include supportive regulatory frameworks, measures to stimulate demand from corporate and private customers, and innovative ways to finance the transition. The CST coalition is debating how to meet these challenges and help aviation earn its right to keep growing.

Clean Skies for Tomorrow

The World Economic Forum’s CST initiative, established in 2019, is a mechanism for leaders throughout aviation’s value chain to facilitate the transition to net-zero aviation by mid-century. In partnership with ambitious senior leadership throughout industry, government and civil society, this public-private partnership is driving a shift to zero-emissions aviation through SAF and other clean propulsion technologies.

The Green Horizon Summit (9-11 November) and Race to Zero Dialogues (10-12 November) are hosted by the World Economic Forum. They bring together leaders from business, government and civil society to ensure the post-COVID recovery is sustainable and inclusive. The events will hopefully spur greater climate action on industry, transport and oceans as well as drive green finance. Check out more on our events page. All sessions will be livestreamed.

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Madrid (Spain) – September 30, 2019 (travelindex.com) – The Secretary-General of the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), Zurab Pololikashvili, and the CEO of Iberia, Luis Gallego, have signed a cooperation agreement in favor of sustainable tourism, at the headquarters of the airline.

The two organizations share a commitment to enhancing the environmental, social and economic sustainability of the tourism sector, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

This agreement represents a starting point based on which the UNWTO and Iberia will develop and execute specific projects to forge a new leadership in the tourism sector resulting in new resources and actions aimed at achieving the goals of the 2030 Agenda, especially Goal 13, to combat climate change.

The UNWTO Secretary-General said: “We are very happy to sign this agreement with Iberia, with whom we have been working for more than 10 years; together we can carry out projects for the sustainability of tourism worldwide.”

Luis Gallego stated: “At Iberia, we have been working for many years on initiatives making us increasingly sustainable. From today going forward, we are committed to cooperating with the main global organization in the field of tourism to jointly strengthen the sustainability of the tourism sector.”

Environmental sustainability is a priority for Iberia, and to that end, it is working on different initiatives both on the ground and in the air to make flying cleaner. These initiatives include, among others, the renewal of the fleet with more efficient aircraft, electric vehicles at airports, reduction of the use of plastics and recycling of on-board waste, digitalization of processes and renewable energy in its facilities.

About Iberia: Iberia is Spain’s number one airline and is the leader on routes between Europe and Latin America. Together with its subsidiary Iberia Express and its franchisee Iberia Regional Air Nostrum, it offers around 600 flights a day to fifty countries in Europe, America, Africa, the Middle East, and Asia, with a fleet of 145 aircraft. In 2017 Iberia received its 4th Skytrax star; in 2016 and 2017 it was the most punctual airline in the world and, in 2018, the third in Europe, according to FlightStats. Iberia has its hub at the Madrid airport and is a member of the OneWorld alliance, which offers more than 14,000 daily flights to nearly 1,000 airports in more than 150 countries.

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Seoul (South Korea) – June 4, 2019 (travelindex.com) – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that Lufthansa Group Chief Executive Officer, Carsten Spohr, has assumed his duties as Chairman of the IATA Board of Governors (BoG) for a one-year term effective from the conclusion of the 75th IATA Annual General Meeting in Seoul, Republic of Korea. Spohr is the 78th chair of the IATA BoG. He has served on the BoG since May 2014.

Spohr succeeds Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive His Excellency Akbar Al Baker, who will continue to serve on the BoG.

“I’m honored and excited to take on this role at this important time for our industry. We face a number of challenges, including growing protectionism, high taxes and trade wars. Probably the greatest challenge of all is sustainability. The Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA) is a major achievement that will stabilize our carbon emissions from 2020. Now we must map out the path to achieving our much more ambitious 2050 goal — to cut net emissions to half 2005 levels. Aviation is serious about its climate change commitments. And we will be pushing hard for governments to do their part by sorting air traffic management inefficiencies and laying the policy framework for the commercialization of sustainable aviation fuels,” said Spohr.

Spohr has been Chairman of the Executive Board of Deutsche Lufthansa AG since 1 May 2014. In this role, he manages the Lufthansa Group comprising the business segments Network Airlines, Eurowings and Aviation Services, with around 135,000 employees worldwide. Spohr began his aviation career after receiving a graduate degree in business engineering at the University of Karlsruhe and holds an A320 family captain’s license.

“I look forward to working with Carsten as Chair of the IATA Board of Governors. As we continually seek to broaden the IATA membership, his experience within the Lufthansa Group will be particularly valuable.

I also want to thank Akbar Al Baker for his strong leadership and support as Chairman over the last year. Under his leadership, IATA has made progress on a number of IATA initiatives including New Distribution Capability, One ID and digital transformation. Akbar also encouraged our gender diversity initiatives, leading to the creation of the association’s Diversity and Inclusion Awards to recognize those companies and individuals who are leading in this effort,” said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General and CEO.

IATA also announced that JetBlue Airways President and CEO Robin Hayes will serve as Chairman of the BoG from June 2020, following Spohr’s term.

IATA (International Air Transport Association) represents some 290 airlines comprising 82% of global air traffic.

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Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) – January 25, 2019 (travelindex.com) – Ethiopian Airlines, the largest Aviation Group in Africa and SKYTRAX certified 4-Star global airline, is pleased to announce that it will restructure its U.S. network, adding frequencies and shifting gateways as of the summer of 2019. The new U.S. network is aimed at giving passengers travelling between the U.S. and all over Africa the best possible connectivity and shortest routes, whether they are traveling for leisure, business or government work.

Accordingly, Washington D.C. flights will be increased from current daily to ten weekly flights. The new additional three flights will pass thru Abidjan with service continuing on to Addis Ababa. The current three weekly flights to Chicago will be increased to five weekly flights. From the planned daily flights from the New York area to Addis Ababa, four will be served via Lomé from Newark and three will be via Abidjan from JFK Airport. Lastly, there will be a new gateway, Houston, which will replace Los Angeles, and will operate three times per week to Addis Ababa via West Africa. The new Houston flights will be the only connection between Houston and Africa and will facilitate the travel of the huge African community in the Houston area, as well as oil and other companies doing business in the continent. Flights will be served with latest technology aircraft, the Boeing 787, which offers unparalleled on-board comfort.

Regarding the route restructuring, Group CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, Mr. Tewolde GebreMariam, remarked, “The U.S. is among our most important markets owing to the presence of a large African community and growing business and tourism ties with Africa. Our new route structure with additional frequencies to multiple gateways and the opening of the new route to Houston are aimed at responding to the market demand and availing the best possible connectivity to over 60 African destinations.

On board our flights, our customers will continue to enjoy our premium and award-winning service on the most technologically advanced commercial aircraft, the Boeing 787. In line with our Vision 2025 strategic roadmap, we will keep on expanding our U.S. and African network so as to facilitate people-to-people ties and the flow of investment, trade and tourism.”

Further details regarding start dates and timetables for the new services will be forthcoming.

Africa’s leading carrier, Ethiopian Airlines, has been expanding its international destinations which have now reached more than 119. Manchester, Moscow and Mogadishu are just some of the new destinations the airline launched recently.

About Ethiopian
Ethiopian Airlines (Ethiopian) is the fastest growing Airline in Africa. In its seventy plus years of operation, Ethiopian has become one of the continent’s leading carriers, unrivaled in efficiency and operational success.

Ethiopian commands the lion’s share of the Pan-African passenger and cargo network operating the youngest and most modern fleet to more than 119 international passenger and cargo destinations across five continents. Ethiopian fleet includes ultra-modern and environmentally friendly aircraft such as Airbus A350, Boeing 787-8, Boeing 787-9, Boeing 777-300ER, Boeing 777-200LR, Boeing 777-200 Freighter, Bombardier Q-400 double cabin with an average fleet age of five years. In fact, Ethiopian is the first airline in Africa to own and operate these aircraft. Ethiopian is currently implementing a 15-year strategic plan called Vision 2025 that will see it become the leading aviation group in Africa with Six business centers: Ethiopian International Services; Ethiopian Cargo & Logistics Services; Ethiopian MRO Services; Ethiopian Aviation Academy; Ethiopian ADD Hub Ground Services and Ethiopian Airports Services. Ethiopian is a multi-award winning airline registering an average growth of 25% in the past seven years.

For more information about this press release, please contact etuspr@gmail.com or:
Mr. Asrat Begashaw
Manager Corporate Communications, Ethiopian Airlines
Tel 251-1)517-89-07/656/165/913/529
CorporateCommunication@ethiopianairlines.com
www.ethiopianairlines.com

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Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) – January 2, 2019 (travelindex.com) – The African Union’s (AU) long held ambitions for a fully integrated continent is closer to becoming reality this year thanks the vision of one particularly ambitious airline and more governments tweaking their visa policies for fellow Africans.

Almost three decades after it was first proposed, African countries finally launched the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM), a major step towards opening the continent’s skies. This version of the AU initiative is largely based on the Yamoussoukro Decision of 1999 (pdf).

As industry insiders have long claimed, the single air market should result in cheaper and more regular flights between African cities in the long-term. The reality for many African travelers has involved expensive and complicated trips between African cities with multi-stop itineraries—sometimes in Europe before heading back to the destination African city.

African countries also became marginally more open in 2018, building on the success recorded last year. The African Development Bank’s 2018 Africa Visa Openness Index showed the small improvements, but even then Africans still require visas to travel to over half of other African countries.

One highlight in visa liberation policies saw Ethiopia open up its borders to African visitors with a visa-on-arrival push, the largest African country by population to do so to date. All of the top 20 most visa-open nations in Africa saw increased travel and tourism figures, the Visa Openness Index says.

As Africans fly more around the continent for tourism or trade, it’s likely they will do so via Ethiopian Airlines and carriers it has partnered with or helped revive as part of its strong pan-African strategy.

A $300 million aircraft purchase drive has seen Ethiopian Airlines boost its fleet and expand its destinations within the continent, enhancing its continental dominance. Beyond helping African travelers get around the continent, Ethiopian Airlines’ widening reach is a boon for African inbound tourism: starting next year, the airline will start helping Chinese visitors process visas to travel across Africa. Already, Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital and hub of the national carrier, has overtaken Dubai as the world’s gateway into Africa

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Phuket (Thailand) – October 22, 2018 (travelindex.com) – The fastest growing airline in the world has just arrived in Phuket. With five direct flights a week from two cities in India, GoAir are only just starting.

“Phuket is our first international route. Our inaugural flight landed on the island on 11th October and the level of interest from Indian travellers has been excellent. Thanks to Gulu Lalvani, who convinced me to open-up Phuket to the Indian market, we are making Phuket our Thailand hub. We already have routes from Mumbai and Delhi to Phuket, and by the end of next year we will increase this to 10 cities flying direct to Phuket,” commented Jeh Wadia, Managing Director, GoAir.

India is a country of more than 1.3 billion people with a rapidly growing appetite for international travel. World Bank data shows that almost 22 million Indians travelled overseas in 2017 while the UN World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) predicts that India will account for 50 million outbound tourists by 2020. That these figures look set to more than double in three years is no surprise to Mr. Gulu Lalvani, Chairman of Royal Phuket Marina.

“I have been looking at India for a number of years and India holds great potential for Phuket. Indians are already familiar with Thailand, but never before have there been direct flights into Phuket. Having worked closely with GoAir and highlighting Phuket’s potential to them, I am very excited to see Jeh Wadia and his team have invested in Phuket and think this is the beginning of great things for the island.”

The start of direct flights to Phuket could not have come at a better time for the island. Opening up Phuket to the second largest country in the world, will help to soften the impact declining arrivals from China.

“The upside for Phuket is clear and the potential is limitless. These direct three-to-four flights from India will benefit Phuket’s economy immensely. As well as bringing more lucrative Indian weddings to Phuket, their average holiday spend is high. Typically May and June have the lowest hotel occupancy in Phuket, yet this is the school holiday period in India and a time when many Indians travel. GoAir’s direct flights will help to provide a big boost to the island’s tourism businesses during this period,” added Mr. Lalvani.

“India has the highest level of pollution in the world today and once Indian travellers realise they can go non-stop to the paradise island of Phuket, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Indian arrivals out number Chinese arrivals within three years.”

Owned by Waida Group, one of India’s oldest conglomerates established in 1736, GoAir is a leading LCC in India and was recently reported to be the fastest growing airline in the world by Routes Online.

“We will also soon be flying into Don Mueang International Airport in Bangkok. Thailand is a big part of our international expansion, it is a destination popular with Indian travellers and Phuket is at the heart of that,” explained Mr. Wadia. “Ninety percent of our fleet are new and within six months this will be 100%. We placed an order for 164 planes and have taken delivery so far of 41. Our plans for Phuket and the region are big.”

For more information go to www.VisitPhuket.org

Book your hotel in Phuket, Thailand and around the world in 55 countries at best rates available. Pay at the hotel. Book now at HotelWorlds.com!

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Kihawah (Maldives) – August 27, 2018 (travelindex.com) – Anantara Hotels, Resorts and Spas, the original hospitality brand to place indigenous experiences at the heart of luxury travel launches the Anantara Private Jet Experience; an incredible voyage of discovery around the Maldives, Sri Lanka and Thailand. Guests can now seamlessly combine luxurious stays at Anantara properties with the ease and convenience of private jet transportation. Signature hotels, Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas and Anantara Peace Haven Tangalle Resort, have been intrinsically linked for the first time, offering a marvelous way to discover the hidden treasure of this breathtaking corner of the world.

Elevating the Anantara concept of luxury travel to new heights thanks to a partnership with MJets, the bespoke aviation airline, discerning travelers can now curate the ultimate tour of the Indian Ocean. Embarking in the fabled city of Bangkok, known for its vibrant street life and elaborate shrines, guests can soar between the luscious jungle and coconut fringed shores of Sri Lanka to the myriad blue tones of the spectacular Maldives.

Larger groups are easily accommodated in the Gulfstream V, with a three-zone cabin environment for working, dining, entertaining and resting, the GV is the natural choice for ultimate luxury travel. Amenities including shower facilities, fully reclining beds, state of the art entertainment systems and two flight attendants, are sure to deliver guests in a state of blissful relaxation.

The Cessna Citation X, is perfect for more intimate groups accommodating up to eight passengers in utmost comfort. As one of the fastest business jet in the world, its interiors boast aesthetically pleasing and spacious cabins with no compromise on luxury and comfort. Features include fully reclining body club seats, entertainment systems and one flight attendant for optimal, personalised service. Sip champagne and feel the stress melt away as the shores of Sri Lanka emerge.

Upon touching down at Colombo International airport, transition seamlessly from the runway to a waiting private limousine ready to whisk travellers to their awaiting slice of heaven; a private villa overlooking the bay of Anantara Peace Haven Tangalle. Sheltered by a crescent of golden sand, Anantara Peace Haven Resort is an unexplored paradise located in Tangalle on Sri Lanka’s southernmost shore.

At a resort where indulgence blends authentic indigenous elements and international flair, activities in Tangalle are endless, ranging from Aryurvedic Wellness Journeys to exhilarating surfing and personalised spa experiences. After dining on sustainably sourced cuisine, brought from farm to cliff side table by a private chef, master the art of Sri Lankan cuisine by taking an exclusive cooking class. Toast the ocean views from a private veranda and relax as the sun dips below the horizon signaling the end of another day in paradise.

As soon as a fleeting hint of restlessness takes hold again, guests can summon a private jet to take off to the spectacular Maldives. From the window of a private sea plane watch as the twenty-six atolls unfurl below, stretched like a necklace across innumerable shades of blue oceans. Upon arrival at Anantara Kihavah Maldives Villas, it is clear that nature reigns. Overwater villas feature a two-tiered deck with shaded swinging daybed, dining area and ocean hammocks above, and a sunny lower deck with loungers and steps into the lagoon. Choose the sunset side of the island for evenings tinged with fiery blush. Villas are at one with natural surroundings, with coconut trees jutting through some of the villas’ ceilings and lush canopies offering shade and seclusion.

By day, those with a taste of adventure will be satiated by the unparalleled diving accessible from the coral reefs. Dip toes into the aquamarine lagoon of a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and snorkel with mantas and whale sharks or stroll along immaculate, snow-white beaches. By night, be transported to a faraway galaxy with a private stargazing session in the only observatory in the southern Indian Ocean.

The Anantara Private Jet Experience can be tailored to suit each guest’s individual tastes and requirements and scaled to accommodate intimate couples’ celebrations or larger group parties. Begin a quintessentially Anantara journey by contacting one of the experience butlers for more information.

Anantara is a luxury hospitality brand for modern travellers, connecting them to genuine places, people and stories through personal experiences, and providing heartfelt hospitality in the world’s most exciting destinations. The collection of distinct, thoughtfully designed luxury hotels and resorts provides a window through which to journey into invigorating new territory, curating personal travel experiences.

From cosmopolitan cities to desert sands to lush islands, Anantara connects travellers to the indigenous, grounds them in authentic luxury, and hosts them with passionate expertise. The portfolio currently boasts over 35 stunning properties located in Thailand, the Maldives, Indonesia, Vietnam, China, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Mozambique, Zambia, the UAE, Qatar and Oman, with a pipeline of future properties across Asia, the Indian Ocean, Middle East and Africa.

Anantara is a member of Global Hotel Alliance (GHA), the world’s largest alliance of independent hotel brands.

Book your luxury resort in the Maldives and around the world at best rates available. Pay at the hotel. Book now at HotelWorlds.com and Earn HolidayClicks Points for every dollar spend!

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Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) – 10 July 2018 – July 10, 2018 (travelindex) – Ethiopian Airlines, the largest Aviation Group in Africa and SKYTRAX certified Four Star Global Airline, is pleased to announce that it has finalized preparations to resume daily flights to Asmara, Eritrea on 17 July 2018 with the most technologically advanced commercial aircraft, the Boeing 787. This follows agreements reached in Asmara between H.E. Dr. Abiy Ahmed, Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia and President H.E. Isaias Afewerki of the State of Eritrea.

The flights will be operated on a daily basis leaving Addis Ababa at 9:00 and the returning flight leaving Asmara at 11:00. For mor

Regarding the resumption of flights to Eritrea’s capital, Group CEO, Ethiopian Airlines, Tewolde GebreMariam said:

“We at Ethiopian feel an immense honor and joy to resume scheduled flights to Asmara after 20 years, following the visit to Eritrea by H.E. Dr. Abiy Ahmed, Prime Minister of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia. With the opening of a new chapter of peace and friendship between the two sisterly countries, we look forward to starting flights to Asmara with the B787, the most technologically advanced commercial aircraft, which gives customers unparalleled on-board comfort.

The resumption of air links will play a critical role in boosting the overall political, economic, trade and people-to-people ties between the two sisterly countries.

Thanks to Ethiopian extensive network of more than 114 international destinations in 5 continents, our flights to Asmara will avail best connectivity options to the vast Eritrean Diaspora Community across the world and will boost the flow of investment, trade and tourism into Eritrea.

Very quickly, we plan to operate multiple daily service and to start cargo flights in view of the huge market potential between the two sisterly countries.”

Asmara is the capital and the largest city of Eritrea and is situated in Eritrea’s central Maekel Region. It is home to the Eritrean National Museum and is known for its early 20th-century buildings including the Art Deco Cinema Impero, one of the world’s finest examples of Art Déco style building, Cubist Africa Pension, eclectic Orthodox Cathedral and former Opera House, the futurist Fiat Tagliero Building, the neo-Romanesque Church of Our Lady of the Rosary, neoclassical Governor’s Palace and much more.

About Ethiopian
Ethiopian Airlines (Ethiopian) is the fastest growing Airline in Africa. In its seventy plus years of operation, Ethiopian has become one of the continent’s leading carriers, unrivalled in efficiency and operational success.

Ethiopian commands the lion’s share of the pan-African passenger and cargo network operating the youngest and most modern fleet to more than 110 international passenger and cargo destinations across five continents. Ethiopian fleet includes ultra-modern and environmentally friendly aircraft such as Airbus A350, Boeing 787-8, Boeing 787-9, Boeing 777-300ER, Boeing 777-200LR, Boeing 777-200 Freighter, Bombardier Q-400 double cabin with an average fleet age of five years. In fact, Ethiopian is the first airline in Africa to own and operate these aircraft.

Ethiopian is currently implementing a 15-year strategic plan called Vision 2025 that will see it become the leading aviation group in Africa with eight business centers: Ethiopian Regional Services; Ethiopian International Services; Ethiopian Cargo & Logistics Services; Ethiopian MRO Services; Ethiopian Aviation Academy; Ethiopian In-flight Catering; Ethiopian Ground Services and Ethiopian Airports Services. Ethiopian is a multi-award winning airline registering an average growth of 25% in the past seven years.

For more information about this press releas about this press releas about this press releas about this press releas, please contact:
Mrs. Aniley Eshetu
A/Manager Corporate Communications, Ethiopian Airlines
Tel 251-1)517-89-07/656/165/913/529
CorporateCommunication@ethiopianairlines.com
www.ethiopianairlines.com

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Doha (Qatar) – November 12, 2017 (travelindex.com) – Qatar Airways are the first Middle East carrier to announce direct flights into Thailand’s third international airport, U Tapao- Rayong Pattaya International Airport (UTP).

Starting with four flights a week from 28th January 2018, the airline will use their new Boeing 787 Dreamliner with 232 seats in economy and 22 seats in business class from Doha.

With more and more flights into U Tapao expected, and a new ferry service close to the airport directly to Koh Chang, this news will have an enormous impact on the region and in particular for the Koh Chang’s Island’s tourist industry.

As Thailand’s second largest island, it has been already experiencing a steady increase in the number of visitors who are taking vacations there.

This is likely to increase dramatically, now that the Thai government has rubber stamped their ambitious plans to spend millions on infrastructure along the Eastern Seaboard Corridor.

This is all great news for Siam Royal View Resort, the largest mixed-use development on Koh Chang, who have recently launched their new Marina Condominiums and Riverside Villas, to keep pace with the island’s popularity.

The Tourism Authority of Thailand have just announced that 28.64 million tourists arrived in Thailand in the first ten months of 2017, an increase of nearly 7% year on year.

Visitor figures have been steadily increasing on the island too. Since 2010 -2015 there has been an increase of over 220% to 1,106,149 hotel registrations, and that does not count the number who stay in non-registered accommodation.

With the recent announcement of a ferry service linking Pattaya to the island, the future looks even brighter.

Hanspeter Siegrist, a Director at Siam Royal View said, ‘One reason that we have not seen more tourists in the past has been the limited number of 3-5 star accommodation options available on Koh Chang. It is with this background that we are now building more villas and condos close to our Marina, and will expand our successful Peninsula Beach Hotel with more capacity.’

Property owners will benefit from the superb facilities at Siam Royal View, one of South East Asia’s largest beach resorts. It has over 2km of sandy beaches, 4km of waterfront, over 100 beach and pool villas, a yacht marina, a pitch & putt golf course, boutique hotels, swimming pools, restaurants, beach bars and wellness facilities.

The Koh Chang archipelago has over 50 islands to explore nearly all year round, making the island one of the top boating areas in the World.

For more information about the Siam Royal View Resort, just visit www.kohchangmarinacondo.com or www.siam-royal-view.com for more information.

Contact:
Mike Bridge
mikebridgeceo@gmail.com

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Montreal (Canada) – October 9, 2017 (travelindex.com) – The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced industry performance statistics for 2016 showing that system-wide, airlines carried 3.8 billion passengers on scheduled services last year, an increase of 7% over 2015, representing an additional 242 million air trips. This information is included in the 2017 edition of the IATA World Air Transport Statistics (WATS), the yearbook of the airline industry’s performance.

Highlights of the 2016 airline industry performance:

Passenger:
– Once again, airlines in the Asia-Pacific region carried the largest number of passengers. The regional ranking (based on total passengers carried on scheduled services by airlines registered in that region) is:
1. Asia-Pacific 35% market share (1.3 billion, an increase of 11.3% compared to 2015)
2. Europe 26% market share (992.4 million, up 6.1% over 2015)
3. North America 24% market share (911.5 million, up 3% over 2015)
4. Latin America 7% market share (275.1 million, up 1.8% from 2015)
5. Middle East 5% market share (206.1 million, an increase of 9.1% over 2015)
6. Africa 2% market share (84 million, up 6% over 2015).

– The top five airlines ranked by total scheduled passengers carried (domestic and international) were:
1. Southwest Airlines (151.8 million)
2. American Airlines (144.2 million)
3. Delta Air Lines (143.3 million)
4. China Southern Airlines (114.5 million)
5. Ryanair (112 million)

– The top five international/regional passenger airport-pairs were almost the same as they were in 2015, and all were within the Asia-Pacific region:
1. Hong Kong-Taipei (5.2 million, up 2.1% from 2015)
2. Jakarta-Singapore (3.4 million, up 0.9% from 2015))
3. Bangkok Suvarnabhumi-Hong Kong (3 million, a decrease of 3.14% from 2015)
4. Kuala Lumpur–Singapore (2.8 million, up 3.3% from 2015)
5. Hong Kong-Seoul (2.8 million, down 15% from 2015)

– The top five domestic passenger airport-pairs were also all in the Asia-Pacific region:
1. Jeju-Seoul Gimpo (11.6 million, up 4.6% over 2015)
2. Sapporo-Tokyo Haneda (7.7 million, down 1.2% from 2015)
3. Fukuoka-Tokyo Haneda (7.3 million, a decrease of 4% from 2015)
4. Melbourne-Tullamarine-Sydney (7.3 million, down 4.6% from 2015)
5. Hanoi-Ho Chi Minh City (6.4 million, up 16.2% from 2015)

Passenger Traffic by Nationality:
A new feature available this year in the WATS+ edition is the ranking of passenger numbers in terms of nationality (citizenship). Highlights include:
– US Citizens are the world’s most prevalent travelers. Some 810 million passengers traveled on US passports in 2016 comprising 21% of all passengers worldwide.
– Internationally, American citizens also took top place, comprising 9.5% of all travelers. This was followed by citizens of the UK (7.8%), Germany (6.5%), China (6.4%) and France (4.1%).
– Domestically, US citizens were also the most prevalent travelers at 29.9%, followed by China (19.0%), India (5.2%), Indonesia (4.4%) and Japan (3.5%).

New Model Airlines:
New Model Airlines¹ (NMAs), a classification that includes Low Cost Carriers (LCCs), accounted for 28.3% of all passengers in 2016, up from 27.1% of passengers in 2015. Network carriers account for 69.5% of total passengers while leisure carriers² contributed 2.2% to passenger volumes.

Measured in revenue passenger kilometers (RPK), NMAs accounted for 20% of global traffic, reflecting the concentration of this sector on short-haul flying. By the same RPK measure, network carriers accounted for 77% of traffic with leisure carriers comprising 3% of traffic.

Cargo:
– The top five airlines ranked by total freight tonnes carried on scheduled services were:
1. FedEx Express (7.1 million)
2. United Parcel Service (4.7 million)
3. Emirates Airline (2.5 million)
4. Qatar Airways (1.8 million)
5. Cathay Pacific Airways (1.6 million)

Airline Alliances:
– Star Alliance maintained its position as the largest airline alliance in 2016 with 38% of total scheduled traffic (in RPK), followed by SkyTeam (33%) and oneworld (29%).

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First published at TravelCommunication.net

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