Heathrow Skyport

UNITED CONTINENTAL HOLDINGS has launched a trans-Pacific joint venture with Japanese carrier ANA.

The deal will see UNITED AIRLINES and CONTINENTAL AIRLINES align schedules, fares, and terms and conditions with ANA.

The airline's will also coordinate sales and marketing and improve benefits offered to frequent flyers.

Jeff Smisek, president and chief executive officer of United Continental Holdings, said: "We are pleased to launch our joint venture with ANA, as it will offer travellers greater choices, convenience and flexibility for their trans-Pacific travels."
The joint venture connects 295 US cities, 43 Japanese cities, and 11 routes between the two countries with nearly 120 flights per week.

AIR FRANCE is set to launch a new non-stop service from Paris-Charles de Gaulle to Cape Town in South Africa.

The service will starting on November 3, 2011 with three weekly flights.

Pierre Descazeaux, SVP Air France-KLM Africa and Middle East, said: "After Air France started operating its A380 on the Johannesburg route in February 2010, the launch of non-stop flights to Cape Town illustrates Air France-KLM's desire to continue its expansion policy in South Africa by offering customers 24 weekly services from its two hubs at Paris Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam Schiphol to South Africa as from winter 2011."

LUFTHANSA has announced Miami will be the next US destination to be served by the carrier's flagship A380, following New York-JFK and San Francisco.

Starting June 10, Lufthansa will be operating daily A380 flights from Frankfurt to the city making Miami the sixth Lufthansa A380 destination.

A spokesman said: "Lufthansa will be the first airline to operate A380 at Miami International Airport.

"When the eighth A380 comes into service provisionally in May, the A380-fleet will be operating 84 long-haul flights weekly, logging more than half a million kilometres.

"Each week more than 44,000 passengers around the world will be able to fly with Lufthansa's new flagship."

DELTA AIR LINES has seen a 0.5 per cent increase on system traffic compared to last year on a 6.2 per cent increase in capacity.

The airline's traffic results for March 2011 also showed that load factor had decreased 4.5 points to 79.7 per cent.

Domestic traffic increased 0.7 per cent year over year on a 3.2 per cent increase in capacity.

Domestic load factor decreased 2.1 points to 83.3 per cent while international traffic increased 0.2 per cent year over year on a 10.9 per cent increase in capacity.

CONTINENTAL and LOT POLISH AIRLINES, both Star Alliance members, have announced a codesharing deal on flights between select destinations in the United States and Europe.

Jim Compton, executive vice president and chief revenue officer of United Continental Holdings, said: "We are pleased to partner with LOT and sign this codeshare agreement, which provides Continental customers improved access to Poland.

"It's another significant step in our growing cooperation with fellow Star Alliance members."

BRUSSELS AIRLINES is set to add three new destinations and 709,000 additional seats to its network this summer season.

As well as new scheduled services to Marrakesh, Agadir and Lamezia Terme, the carrier is also increasing frequencies and seat capacity on numerous European destinations.

During the summer season, Brussels Airlines will perform 806 European return flights per week, an increase of 28 flights compared to last summer and 63 flights compared to the winter season.

TAP has launched a new direct service between Lisbon and Bordeaux, the airline's sixth French destination.

The Lisbon-Bordeaux operation will start with six connections per week, moving to a daily service at the start of June.

A TAP spokesman said: "Bordeaux is the sixth largest metropolitan area in France, and one of the largest on the European coast.

"It is also a very popular tourism destination and along with Paris and Nice, Bordeaux is one of the country's key 'brand images'."

The Portuguese carrier also serves Paris, Lyon, Marseilles, Nice and Toulouse and has 149 flights per week between the two countries.

IBERIA is offering passengers a range of new destinations in the Middle East and South Africa.

The expansion is thanks to the merger with British Airways in January and BA is also expanding supply, by adding its code to Iberia flights to San Jose in Costa Rica and to Panama City.

A spokesman said: "Passengers will enjoy better connections and timetables, since the two airlines will coordinate their services.

"In coming weeks and months the flights operated by each airline will progressively become available on the other's web site and telephone reservations lines."