Royal Jordanian to Cancel Seven Flights as Volcanic Ash Cloud
Royal Jordanian (RJ) was forced to cancel seven flights on Sunday as a volcanic ash cloud from Iceland continued to block European airports for the fourth day in a row.
RJ flights on Sunday to Geneva-Zurich, Paris, Milan, Vienna, Frankfurt, Kiev and London were cancelled, while a flight to Barcelona was rerouted to Madrid, according to the RJ website.
About 30 countries have now closed or restricted their airspace, with the cloud of fine mineral dust particles from Iceland now extending from the Arctic Circle in the north to the French Mediterranean coast in the south and from Spain into Russia, Agence France-Presse reported (see story on page 6).
On its website, www.rj.com, the airline also says passengers affected by the closure of European airports will be rebooked onto the next available RJ flight, and can have their tickets refunded if they decide not to travel.
RJ Media Director/Spokesman Basel Kilani told The Jordan Times that RJ constantly updates its website on developments regarding any flights based on information it receives from European airports, and called on travellers to check the website regularly.
Minister of Foreign Affairs Nasser Judeh said all embassies and missions abroad are following up on the situation of Jordanians whose flights to and from European countries were cancelled due to the cloud of volcanic ash.
In a circular issued Sunday, a copy of which was obtained by The Jordan Times, the minister instructed all embassies and missions abroad to inform the ministry of developments in this regard, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported.
Due to the cancellations in flights from Amman to European destinations over the past few days, many travellers have been stranded in Jordan. For some it was an opportunity to rest and relax, while for others it was a source of annoyance.
Charlotte, a Belgian university student who came to Jordan to conduct research, said she was supposed to go back home Monday around 2:00am before the flight was cancelled.
“It is not a big problem for me. I am a university student, so it is okay, but I do not know when I will go back yet,” she told The Jordan Times.
However, she added that the cancellation has been a source of stress for her boyfriend Rek, who came to Jordan on an unplanned visit last Tuesday.
“He wanted to surprise me with a short visit. But his visit now is longer because of the cancellation,” Charlotte said, adding that her boyfriend, who works in a lab, is “a little bit stressed”.
Airline Stocks Fall, Led By Continental, United
Airline stocks declined Wednesday. At last check, the NYSE Arca Airline Index shed a fraction at 24.95 points with all but two of its 13 components trading down. Continental slipped 1% to $13.47, United parent UAL Corp. fell 1% to $6.68 and US Airways lost less than 1% at $3.74. Trading up were shares of AMR , Gol and Ryanair . The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell nearly 12 points to 9,530.
Travel associations to Withdraw Support Singapore Airlines Company
Following the announcement of withdrawal of support of Singapore Airlines by all major travel trade associations namely: TAAI, IAAI, TAFI, ETAA, IATO and ADTOI, these associations have now decided to withdraw support to SilkAir, which is a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines from January 1, 2009. Biji Eapen, President, IATA Agents Association of India (IAAI), informed that the decision was taken jointly by these travel associations in view of non-compliance in paying five per cent commission to agents.
Travel trade associations are pressing for their demand of five per cent commission from international airlines, as agents have to pay 1.2 per cent Service Tax to the government on international tickets, while they have to pay 0.6 per cent Service Tax on domestic tickets.
Jetstar Tweets Cheap Flight Sydney-Melbourne Seats
The price war on the Sydney to Melbourne airline route intensified today, as Jetstar Tweeted $19 flights to Tullamarine Airport.
The move comes after Singapore-based low budget carrier Tiger Airways launched daily $39 services on the same route last month.
Jetstar announced the new service, which begins on October 25, via social networking site Twitter.
The company’s website struggled to keep up with demand, as travellers rushed to snap up 10,000 free tickets to coincide with the launch.
Jetstar, which is part of the Qantas group, will offer five flights per day between Sydney and Tullamarine, as it cut its Sydney to Avalon services from seven to four per week.
Jetstar CEO Bruce Buchanan said the route was already Australia’s busiest business and leisure route.
“The time is right for us at the moment,” he said.
“In the current environment people are looking for a good deal.”
Jetstar grew passenger volumes by 19 per cent in the 2009 financial year, with nearly 14 million passengers travelling throughout its Australian domestic and international networks in the past year.
Airlines Companies Expect Recovery Airfare For Business-Class Flight Service
Airlines can expect a modest recovery in premium airfares in 2010 as business travelers begin returning to the skies, American Express Co.’s business-travel unit said Wednesday. Globally, domestic business-class airfares will be flat to up 5%, while long-haul and international flights could see ticket prices rise by 1% to 6%, the group said. Projected growth in GDP next year will be the primary driver for business travel, as well as pent-up demand among businesses that slashed travel budgets this year and put off customer meetings. For North America, which accounts for nearly a quarter of all global traffic, domestic business-class airfares are likely to climb 2% to 7% next year, and 1% to 6% or long-haul and international flights, American Express said.
