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Ethiopian Airlines announces flights to Marseille, France

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Ethiopian Airlines announced that it has finalized all preparations to launch a thrice weekly flight to Marseille, France as of July 02, 2019.


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Marseille is the second-largest city of France and main city of the historical province.

The flight to Marseille will be dispatched as per the schedule below:

Flight

Number Frequency Departure

Airport Departure time Arrival Airport Arrival

Time Sub fleet

ET 0734 TUE, THU, FRI ADD 23:45 MRS 05:45 ET 787
ET 0735 WED,FRI,SAT MRS 23:05 ADD 06:35 ET 787

Regarding the upcoming services, Group CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, Mr. Tewolde GebreMariam, remarked, “It gives us great pleasure to launch flights to Marseille, connecting France’s second largest city to the over 60 African destinations we serve, through our hub Addis Ababa. We’ve been flying to Paris since 1971, more than 48 years, so we are not new to the market in France. But we are very happy to expand our services closer to the customer in Marseille now. The connectivity we are establishing between Europe and Africa is facilitating trade, investment, tourism and people-to-people ties.”

As we forge ahead on the path of growth and success as envisioned in Vision 2025, we will keep on opening new routes to all corners of the world bringing Africa ever closer to the rest of the world.”

Marseille marks Ethiopian’s 20th destination in Europe. Ethiopian is currently serving 120 international destinations across five continents with young aircraft with average fleet age of five years. It will also bring the number of passenger flights the airline operates to European cities to 61 per week.

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40 airlines, 60 airports confirmed for CONNECT Middle East, India & Africa forum in Dubai

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More than 40 airlines and over 60 represented airports have confirmed their participation at the inaugural CONNECT Middle East, India and Africa – co-located with Arabian Travel Market 2019 and taking place at Dubai World Trade Centre on Tuesday 30th April and Wednesday 1st May.

With up to 300 delegates, the forum will include a diverse conference program, including panel discussions, keynotes, Q&A’s and airline & industry briefings as well as unlimited one-to-one meetings pre-scheduled for airlines, airports and suppliers – all combined with endless informal opportunities for networking.

Throughout 2018, the busiest long-haul Middle Eastern flight route was Dubai International Airport to London Heathrow Airport, with 7,109 flights between March 2018 and February 2019, according to the latest analysis from leading travel data provider OAG.

In terms of short-haul flights, the busiest Middle Eastern route was between King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah and King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh with 35,419 flights, while the busiest international route within the region was between Dubai International Airport and Kuwait International Airport with 14,581 flights.

Nick Pilbeam, Divisional Director, Reed Travel Exhibitions, said: “2018 was a busy year for flight routes both to and from the Middle East and as we look ahead this trend is expected to continue with IATA predicting an extra 290 million air passengers on routes to, from and within the region by 2037 – with the total market size increasing to 501 million passengers during the same period.

“This projected growth underscores Dubai, and of course the Middle East, as the ideal location to bring together professionals from the aviation and tourism industry for the inaugural CONNECT Middle East, India and Africa forum.”
In 2018, GCC airlines added 58 new flight routes – focusing on areas of consistent and substantial growth – according to research from Colliers International – based on a sample of 10 airlines including Emirates, Etihad, flydubai, Salaam Air, Oman Air, Gulf Air, Saudia, flyadeal, Air Arabia and IndiGo Airlines.

Looking at the UAE alone, almost 50% of new routes introduced in 2018 were to destinations across Europe – with the second largest share of new flights connecting the UAE with Russia.

Karin Butot, CEO, The Airport Agency, said: “With two thirds of the world’s population within an eight-hour flight from the GCC it is an ideal base for exploring some of the world’s most interesting and previously inaccessible corners of the world. And, GCC as well as various Middle Eastern airlines are making it even easier with the continuous addition of new and direct flight routes.

“2019 is set to be an exciting year for new routes – particularly between the Middle East and Europe – with various new and direct flights announced by UAE airlines to destinations such as Budapest, Naples, Prague and Belgrade as well as an increased number of flights to Barcelona and London.”

The inaugural CONNECT Middle East, India and Africa will witness a strong delegation of both Middle Eastern and European carriers such as Air Arabia, Oman Air, Saudia, Etihad, Flynas and Flydubai– as well as airports including London Stansted, Basel, Bologna, Vienna, Fraport TAV Antalya and Belgrade.

With a focus on the European aviation market, a keynote from Annabelle Lepiece, Partner for CMS DeBacker and CMS Belgium titled ‘European Union External Aviation Policy’ will discuss the ongoing negotiations for comprehensive air transport agreements between the EU and the GCC which are being hampered by protectionist voices.

Also taking place on day one of the forum will be a panel titled ‘Regional Focus: What are the opportunities and challenges for the Middle East region?’ will address the on-going geo-political challenges and volatile fuel prices affecting the aviation industry at present while discussing how new and emerging destinations are positioning themselves to attract and develop significant air passenger traffic.

Other highlights from the two-day forum will include a training workshop on the ‘Simpson Paradox’, an Airbus briefing session which will provide an update on the current Airbus product line and a China Southern Airline briefing which will discuss the airline’s dual-hub strategy between Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport and Beijing Daxing International Airport as well as their cooperation strategy.

CONNECT’s online meeting system is opened, so that delegates can plan and book their onsite appointments in advance. Please log on to: www.connect-aviation.com/2019-meia/ for more details.

CONNECT Middle East, India & Africa will form part of the newly launched Arabian Travel Week, an umbrella brand comprising four co-located shows including ATM 2019; ILTM Arabia and new consumer-led event – ATM Holiday Shopper.

Arabian Travel Week will take place at Dubai World Trade Centre from 27 April – 1 May 2019.

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American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association welcomes new leadership

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The Board of Directors of the American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association (AIANTA) is pleased to announce the appointment of Sherry L. Rupert as the new Executive Director for the tourism association charged with extending the voice of tribal tourism in the United States. Ms. Rupert, the Executive Director of the State of Nevada Indian Commission and former Board President of AIANTA, is an American Indian of Paiute and Washoe heritage.

Ms. Rupert’s appointment comes after careful consideration by the board and reflects the leadership’s commitment to expanding AIANTA’s impact in working with tribes to develop, sustain and grow tourism programming in Native American communities.

With extensive experience in tribal tourism, economic development, marketing, tribal relations and legislative advocacy, Ms. Rupert is the ideal candidate to assume the position of Executive Director of the organization.

In her former position, she managed Nevada’s Indian Territory, the state’s official arm for promoting Native American tourism, and created and produced the annual Nevada Tribal Tourism Conference for more than a decade. Her work at the national level includes serving on the U.S. Department of Commerce Travel and Tourism Advisory Board (US TTAB) and AIANTA’s Board of Directors since 2010. She is also the recipient of multiple awards for her work in tourism and economic development and she was also instrumental in passage of the Native American Tourism and Improving Visitor Experience (NATIVE) Act during her tenure as AIANTA Board President.

“I have served the state of Nevada and Nevada’s tribes proudly these last 15 years as their Indian Affairs Director and now look ahead to serving all of the nation’s tribes,” said Ms. Rupert. “I believe strongly in AIANTA’s mission and in the provisions of the NATIVE Act and was proud to be a part of the Act’s passage. I am equally proud to now be able to have a hand in implementation of the Act. I would like to thank Camille Ferguson for her leadership and for building a strong foundation with which to move forward.”

Ms. Rupert replaces Camille Ferguson, who announced she is stepping down from her position to return to her family and home community of Sitka, Alaska, where she will focus on growing tourism and economic development opportunities for the Sitka Tribe of Alaska as the Economic Development Director. Ms. Ferguson will continue to serve as an advisor to AIANTA during the transition period.

Ms. Ferguson spent six years building, growing and stabilizing AIANTA as a national organization. Her work has contributed to the awareness of the importance of Native American, Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian tourism nationally and internationally. Her testimony before Congress led to the funding of the NATIVE Act and her efforts also resulted in the signing of a memorandum of understanding between the Department of the Interior, Department of Commerce and AIANTA, and finalizing a cooperative agreement with the Bureau of Indian Affairs to implement provisions of the Act.

“I am excited for AIANTA as Sherry Rupert takes over leadership of the organization,” said Ms. Ferguson. “With the structures in place, the path will be much easier to navigate, especially with Sherry’s institutional knowledge and history with AIANTA. I am confident and know I will see great things happening in Indian Country, especially with stable funding secured this year through the NATIVE Act.”

Replacing Ms. Rupert as AIANTA Board President is Emerson Vallo (Pueblo of Acoma), the Chief Executive Officer of the Isleta Business Corporation, where he oversees and manages all company assets, existing businesses and future business development opportunities.

”I have been serving on AIANTA’s Board of Directors for several years now and have seen the positive progress in AIANTA’s mission,” said Mr. Vallo. “The leadership Ms. Ferguson exhibited propelled AIANTA to the next level. Our Board President Ms. Rupert, with her strong leadership and extensive experience in tribal tourism and legislative advocacy, has been the catalyst for the Board to make tough decisions in bringing AIANTA to the forefront. With Ms. Rupert’s appointment as Executive Director of AIANTA, we will continue on this progressive road to build AIANTA and to continue to advocate for all of Indian Country tourism.”

Mr. Vallo, who has served on AIANTA’s Board of Directors for more than six years, was appointed to the New Mexico Tourism Department (NMTD) as a Commissioner by then Governor Susana Martinez and is the current Native American representative to the NMTD.

He has served as Chairman of the Board of Directors for Acoma Business Enterprises, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Haak’u Museum and Director for Sky City Cultural Center and Museum. He actively participates in the Junior Achievement program of New Mexico and has taught several classes around the State of New Mexico. His efforts are focused on the economic development of his Pueblo, the welfare of his native lands, and the promotion of cultural tourism in New Mexico and all of Indian Country.

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San Francisco International Airport purchases six new electric buses

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Today Proterra announced that San Francisco International Airport (SFO) has purchased six 40′ Proterra Catalyst E2 electric buses and three 60 kW Proterra plug-in chargers, joining a growing list of airports across North America transitioning to electric buses for airport ground transportation. The new battery-electric bus fleet will reduce Bay Area emissions and support SFO’s goal of carbon neutrality by 2021 while cutting its bus operating costs.

As one of the fastest-growing airports in the U.S., SFO has ambitious plans in place to reduce its carbon footprint. SFO’s Five-Year Strategic Plan sets goals of carbon neutrality across airport-controlled operations by 2021 and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent from a 1990 baseline. Part of that plan includes the creation of a Clean Vehicle Policy to promote the adoption and deployment of low emission vehicles by both airport departments and ground transportation providers. The new battery-electric Proterra Catalyst buses will replace six diesel buses in its current operating fleet and will eliminate more than 23 million pounds of greenhouse gas tailpipe emissions over the 12-year life of the vehicles. SFO expects to purchase additional battery-electric buses to replace its CNG vehicles, for a greener, more modern fleet.

“Earth Day serves as a call to action; an opportunity for us to reaffirm our commitment to the environment,” said Airport Director Ivar C. Satero. “SFO is an airport industry leader in sustainability, and we have set big goals to achieve zero net energy use, zero waste, and carbon neutrality. By deploying San Francisco’s first public battery-electric buses, we’re on the path to zero emissions in our ground transportation services, leading the way in our quest to be the world’s most sustainable airport.”

The new electric buses will integrate batteries that are designed and manufactured down the street from the airport at Proterra’s Silicon Valley headquarters in Burlingame, California. With 440 kWh of battery capacity on board, the buses will be part of SFO’s fleet that currently provides buses to shuttle passengers between the terminals, long-term parking garages and other airport locations along daily routes.

SFO joins other California airports that are leading the electrification trend across ground transportation fleets, including Sacramento International Airport (SMF) and Silicon Valley’s Norman Y. Mineta San José International Airport (SJC). Beyond California, five additional airports across the country have chosen Proterra electric vehicles for their ground transportation needs, including Raleigh-Durham International Airport (RDU), Honolulu International Airport (HNL), John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) and LaGuardia Airport (LGA).

“San Francisco International Airport has long been a leader in sustainability and joins other forward-thinking airports around the country in transitioning ground fleets to 100 percent battery-electric buses,” said Proterra CEO Ryan Popple. “We are proud to help one of our local airports offer superior service and meet its sustainability goals while also providing reduced vehicle maintenance costs and lower total cost of ownership.”

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Allegiant Air to offer scheduled service to Mexico

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Allegiant Air today filed an application with the U.S. Department of Transportation to offer scheduled service between the United States and Mexico.

Allegiant Air currently serves more than 450 domestic routes. This will be the company’s initial venture into scheduled international service.

“Unlike other U.S. carriers, Allegiant has always been laser-focused on leisure travel and providing access to affordable, non-stop flights for those who wouldn’t otherwise be able to go on vacation,” said Maury Gallagher, Allegiant chairman and chief executive officer. “Offering service to Mexico will provide a whole new array of options for travelers to discover world-class destinations that may have been previously out of reach.”

“We believe that providing scheduled service to Mexico will also be of great economic benefit, by stimulating traffic and providing additional competition in the international leisure market,” he continued. “It will not only bring exceptional value to travelers, but will also enhance both tourism and business impact in the communities we serve.”

The DOT application is the first step in the process for Allegiant to begin scheduled service to Mexico. Projected dates and locations for commencement of service will be announced at later dates as the process moves forward.

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