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Peacock Aviation taking legal action against Gambia carrier

March 29, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

Nigerian Peacock Aviation company that worked as General Sales Agency (GSA) for the Gambian Mid Africa Aviation Company Ltd. that traded in Nigeria under the name Fly Mid Africa has petitioned the Gambian Government over the non-payment of passengers’ air ticket refunds before it exited Nigeria.

The petition which was dated February 12, 2019 and also copied to the Nigerian High Commission in the Gambia through its legal counsel Abrahams Ayobami  & Co. stated: “We are Solicitors to Peacock Aviation and Allied Services Ltd. [henceforth referred to as ‘Our Client’], a company duly registered under the Laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria with its registered address situate at No. 19, Mojidi Street, Off Toyin Street, Ikeja, Lagos State, Nigeria and on its instructions and behalf we write you this petition.

“Our client was appointed the General Sales Agent [GSA] of ‘MID AFRICA AVIATION LTD’ trading under the name ‘FLY MID AFRICA’ on 24th April 2017 when the said company commenced its Airline operations in Nigeria.”

According to the counsel, “Our client, among other things was to manage and operate a city office to sell tickets to customers, a task our client was able to achieve within a record time of four weeks of operation.”

The petition stated further that, “Upon commencement of operations of the Airline, the cash sales in our client’s custody was used to take care of operation fees such as Air Landing, Parking Fees, Passengers’ Service Charges, Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority [NCAA] Fees, Catering, and Crew Hotel Accommodations.”

“With the above looking promising, the Airline ran into issues with their flight schedules which led to the cancellation of February and March 2018 flights and finally suspension of operations until further notice.”

While the suspension was still on, the airline got instructions to commence refund of issued tickets to customers which was carried out until exhaustion of all the funds at hand by the GSA according to its counsel.

“Our client then made a request for funds to be released to liquidate the outstanding refunds but same has remained hitherto unmet by the management of Fly Mid Africa Airlines for over one year now.”

The petition also has it that, there is still an outstanding refund of about Eleven million one hundred and fifty six thousand, six hundred and one naira fifty one kobo [₦11,156,601.51] and our client’s unpaid International Air Transport Association [IATA]/Billing Settlement Plan [BSP] Sales Overriding Commission of about Seven Million Naira [₦7,000,000] only with customers showing their grievances in all manners including laying siege to the GSA business premises and disrupting its activities.

Meanwhile, some have even threatened to commence legal actions against it; more so as customers are aware that tickets issued on the IATA BSP platform have been refunded and therefore query the reason for non-payment of their refunds.

Despite several email communications between our client and the said Fly Mid Africa Airline with reconciliation and adjustment of account settled between the parties, still the Airline has refused to release funds to pay innocent travelers their well-deserved refund even after leaving them stranded, disappointed and uncompensated, according to Chief Segun Phillips, Group Executive Chairman, Peacock Travels and Tours Limited.

However, in a bid to settle the matter amicably, the GSA wrote to the Nigerian High Commission in The Gambia to wade into the matter but was referred back to the Gambian Commission in Abuja as the right channel for resolving such issue.

As it stands, there is the total outstanding refund of about Eighteen million one hundred and fifty-six thousand six hundred and one naira fifty-one kobo [₦18,156,601.51] amounting to tickets refunds and GSA unpaid IATA BSP Sales Overriding.

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United: Top-ranked LGBTQ airline

March 29, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

United Airlines today announced that for the eighth consecutive year, it has received a perfect score of 100 percent on the 2019 Corporate Equality Index (CEI), a premier benchmarking survey and report on corporate policies and practices related to LGBTQ workplace equality, administered by the Human Rights Campaign (HRC) Foundation.

“United is proud to receive this recognition as it speaks to our focus on building a more inclusive and caring workplace and customer experience,” said Human Resources and Labor Relations Executive Vice President Kate Gebo. “We believe that advocating for inclusion is at the heart of connecting people and uniting the world, and United is determined to continue working with organizations such as the Human Rights Campaign to help champion LGBTQ inclusion.”

“The top-scoring companies on this year’s CEI are not only establishing policies that affirm and include employees here in the United States, they are applying these policies to their global operations and impacting millions of people beyond our shores,” said HRC President Chad Griffin.

The 2019 CEI evaluates LGBTQ-related policies and practices including non-discrimination workplace protections, domestic partner benefits, transgender-inclusive health care benefits, competency programs and public engagement with the LGBTQ community. United’s efforts in satisfying all of the CEI’s criteria results in a 100 percent score and the designation as a Best Place to Work for LGBTQ Equality.

United has worked with the Human Rights Campaign on its training initiatives including teaching employees about preferred pronouns and the persistence of gender norms and other steps to make United an inclusive space for both customers and employees. The airline’s latest efforts include developing comprehensive training modules and exercises to continue employee education on how to be a better ally in both the workplace and to customers. Over the past year, United has also opened more LGBTQ Business Resource Groups across the country, reaching more employees.

This recognition follows the airline’s recent announcement that United became the first U.S. airline to offer non-binary gender options throughout all booking channels in addition to providing the option to select the title “Mx.” during booking and in a MileagePlus customer profile. United customers and employees have the option to identify themselves as M(male), F(female), U(undisclosed) or X(unspecified), corresponding with what is indicated on their passports or identification.

Alongside partner organizations, customers and employees, United will continue working to build the world’s most inclusive airline. For more information on United’s commitment to diversity and inclusion, click here.

Every customer. Every flight. Every day.

In 2019, United is focusing more than ever on its commitment to its customers, looking at every aspect of its business to ensure that the carrier keeps customers’ best interests at the heart of its service. In addition to today’s announcement, United recently released a re-imagined version of the most downloaded app in the airline industry and made DIRECTV free for every passenger on 211 aircraft, offering more than 100 channels on seat back monitors on more than 30,000 seats. The multimillion-dollar investment in improving inflight entertainment options will benefit the more than 29 million people expected to fly United’s DIRECTV-enabled planes this year.

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Aviation Safety: Fatigue management

March 28, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

In aviation operations, managing fatigue is important because it diminishes an individual’s ability to perform almost all operational tasks. This clearly has implications for operational efficiency, but in situations where individuals are undertaking safety-critical activities, fatigue-effected performance can also have consequences for safety outcomes. Fatigue is a natural consequence of human physiology.

Because fatigue is affected by all waking activities (not only work demands), fatigue management has to be a shared responsibility between the State, service providers and individuals.

A brief history of flight and/or duty limitations

For most workers, hours of work are part of the working conditions and remuneration packages established through industrial agreements or social legislation. They are not necessarily established from a safety perspective.

However, the need to limit pilots’ flight and duty hours for the purpose of flight safety was recognized in ICAO Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) in the first edition of Annex 6 published in 1949.  At that time, ICAO SARPs required the operator to be responsible for establishing flight time limits that ensured that “fatigue, either occurring in a flight or successive flights or accumulating over a period of time, did not endanger the safety of a flight”. These limits had to be approved by the State.

By 1995, ICAO SARPs required States to establish flight time, flight duty periods and rest periods for international flight and cabin crew. The onus was on the State to identify “informed boundaries” that aimed to address the general fatigue risk for flight operations nationally. At no time have ICAO SARPs identified actual flight and duty hours because it had proven impossible to identify global limits that adequately addressed operational contexts in different regions.While ICAO SARPs apply only to international operations, many States also chose to establish similar flight and duty time limitations for domestic operations. States generally used the same flight and duty limits for helicopter crew as for airline crew.

The fallacy of flight and/or duty limitations is that staying within them means that operations are always safe. Buying into this fallacy suggests that scheduling to the limits is enough to manage fatigue-related risks. However, more recent SARP amendments related to prescriptive limits have highlighted the responsibilities of the operator to manage their particular fatigue-related risks within the limits using their SMS processes.

And then there was FRMS….

Fatigue Risk Management Systems (FRMS) represent an opportunity for operators to use their resources more efficiently and increase operational flexibility outside the prescriptive limits, whilst maintaining or even improving safety. In implementing an FRMS, the onus shifts to the operator to prove to the State that what they propose to do and how they continue to operate under an FRMS, is safe.

In 2011, SARPs enabling FRMS as an alternative means of compliance to prescriptive limitations were developed for aeroplane flight and cabin crew (Annex 6, Part I).  At the time of development, it was necessary to address concerns that airline operators would take this as an opportunity to schedule purely for economic benefits at the cost of safety. Therefore, while often referred to as “performance-based” approach, the FRMS SARPs are nevertheless very prescriptive about the necessary elements of an FRMS and require the explicit approval of an operator’s FRMS by the State.

Since then, similar FRMS SARPs were made applicable for helicopter flight and cabin crew in 2018 (Annex 6, Part III, Section II).

But what about air traffic controllers?

Despite their obvious impact on flight safety outcomes, ICAO SARPs have never required the hours of work to be limited for air traffic controllers even though some States have had hours of duty limitations for air traffic controllers for many years. This is about to change. Amendments to Annex 11, becoming applicable in 2020, will require that ICAO States establish duty limits and specify certain scheduling practices for air traffic controllers. As for international airline and helicopter operations, States will have the option of establishing FRMS regulations for air traffic service providers.

Fatigue Management SARPs today

Today, ICAO’s fatigue management SARPs support both prescriptive and FRMS approaches for managing fatigue such that:

  • Both approaches are based on scientific principles, knowledge and operational experience that take into account:
    • the need for adequate sleep (not just resting while awake) to restore and maintain all aspects of waking function (including alertness, physical and mental performance, and mood);
    • the circadian rhythms that drive changes in the ability to perform mental and physical work, and in sleep propensity (the ability to fall asleep and stay asleep), across the 24h day;
    • interactions between fatigue and workload in their effects on physical and mental performance; and
    • the operational context and the safety risk that a fatigue-impaired individual represents in that context.
  • States continue to be obliged to have flight and duty time limitations but are under no obligation to establish FRMS regulations. Where FRMS regulations are established, the operator/service provider, can manage none, some or all of its operations under an FRMS, once approved to do so.
  • Prescriptive fatigue management regulations now provide the baseline, in terms of safety equivalence, from which an FRMS is assessed.

In practice…

In Airlines:  The Fatigue Management amendments to the Annex 6, Part I, in 2011 led many States  to reviewing their prescriptive limitation regulations for pilots based on scientific principles and knowledge (refer text box) and identifying further requirements for operators to manage their fatigue-related risks within the prescribed limits.  Fewer States have reviewed their prescriptive limitation regulations for cabin crew.

In every case, despite a refocus on providing adequate opportunities for sleep and recovery, altering existing flight and duty limitations remains a very sensitive and difficult task because it impacts income and work conditions as well as the constraints of pre-existing employment agreements. It is made even more challenging for States whose flight and duty time limitations are legislated.

Where States have reviewed their prescribed flight and duty limits, the increased awareness of the relationship between sleep and performance has served to highlight the responsibilities of the individual crew member and the airline to manage fatigue, and in some cases have resulted in the prescribed limits sitting alongside a set of regulations  that make these responsibilities more explicit, e.g. the FAA’s Fatigue Risk Management Program, EASA’s Fatigue Management requirements, CASA’s Fatigue Management requirements and CAA South Africa’s Fatigue Management Program.

The scientific principles of fatigue management

 

  1. Periods of wake need to be limited.  Getting enough sleep (both quantity and quality) on a regular basis is essential for restoring the brain and body.
  2. Reducing the amount or the quality of sleep, even for a single night, decreases the ability to function and increases sleepiness the next day.
  3. The circadian body-clock affects the timing and quality of sleep and produces daily highs and lows in performance on various tasks.
  4. Workload can contribute to an individual’s level of fatigue.  Low workload may unmask physiological sleepiness while high workload may exceed the capacity of a fatigued individual.

Many States have established, or plan to establish, FRMS regulations, often at the encouragement of their airlines. The FRMS challenge for States continues to be whether they have the resources to provide the necessary oversight from a scientific and performance-based perspective, particularly when the same regulations usually apply to a variety of domestic flight operations. While FRMS requirements are onerous and time-consuming, the few airlines who have so far managed to get FRMS approval for particular routes have found the operational flexibility gained to be worth the effort.

General scheduling principles

 

  1. The perfect schedule for the human body is daytime duties with unrestricted sleep at night. Anything else is a compromise.
  2. The circadian body clock does not adapt fully to altered schedules such as night work.
  3. Whenever a duty period overlaps a crew member’s usual sleep time, it can be expected to restrict sleep. Examples include early duty start times, late duty end times, and night work.
  4. The more that a duty period overlaps a crew member’s usual sleep time, the less sleep the crew member is likely to obtain. Working right through the usual nighttime sleep period is the worst case scenario.
  5. Night duty also requires working through the time in the circadian body clock cycle when self-rated fatigue and mood are worst and additional effort is required to maintain alertness and performance.
  6. The longer a crew member is awake, the worse their alertness and performance become.
  7. Across consecutive duties with restricted sleep, crew members will accumulate a sleep debt and fatigue-related impairment will increase.
  8. To recover from sleep debt, crew members need a minimum of two full nights of sleep in a row. The frequency of recovery breaks should be related to the rate of accumulation of sleep debt.
  9. Keep short notice changes to a minimum, especially where they infringe or overlap the  Window of Circadian Low (WOCL).
  10. Duty periods associated with high workload (such as multiple, challenging landings and in marginal weather conditions) may need to be shortened and extensions avoided where at all possible.

In Helicopter Operations:  For some States, the recent amendments to Annex 6, Part II (Section II) have highlighted the need to establish flight and duty time limits for helicopter crew members that better relate to the context of helicopter operations, rather than using the same limits as for airline pilots. Within those limits, the helicopter operator is expected to build crew schedules that use both fatigue science and operational knowledge and experience.

A new fatigue management guide for helicopter operators, currently under development in ICAO, identifies general scheduling principles based on fatigue science to guide helicopter operators in building “fatigue-aware” schedules that offer optimum opportunities for sleep and recovery (refer text box).

The particular challenge in helicopter operations, however, is that so many helicopter operations are unscheduled. While some helicopter operators will be able to operate within prescribed limits and effectively manage fatigue risks using an SMS, many types of helicopter operations, such as those that require unscheduled, immediate responses, possibly in high-risk settings, will benefit from the operational flexibility and safety gains of an FRMS.

In Air Traffic Control Services: Next year, States are expected to have established prescriptive work hour limits for air traffic controllers, while FRMS regulations remain optional and can be established at any time. However, the nature of the relationship between the Air Navigation Services Provider (ANSP) and the State will influence how the implementation of fatigue management regulations will unfold. In most cases, the State provides oversight of only one ANSP and although there is a current trend for privatisation, many of the ANSPs are fully or partially owned by the State.

In an industry sector that is often largely self-regulated, the distinction between a prescriptive fatigue management approach and FRMS may become blurred. However, a refocus on safety and not only organisational expediency or personal preference is likely to have substantial effects on the way controllers’ work schedules are built in ANSPs across the world. This is a “watch this space”.

Fatigue Management Guidance for ICAO States

The Manual for the Oversight of Fatigue Management Approaches (Doc 9966) received another update this year – Version 2 (Revised) – and an unedited version (in English only) will shortly replace the current manual available for download here. On this website you can also find the following:

  • Fatigue Management Guide for Airline Operators (2nd Edition, 2015)
  • Fatigue Management Guide for General Aviation Operators of Large and Turboject Aeroplane (1st Edition, 2016)
  • Fatigue Management Guide for Air Traffic Service Providers (1st Edition, 2016)
  • The Fatigue Management Guide for Helicopter Operators (1st Edition) is expected to be available later this year.

The Fatigue Management Guide for Helicopter Operators (1st Edition) is expected to be available later this year.

The author, Dr. Michelle Millar, is the Technical Officer (Human Factors) and the NGAP Program Manager at ICAO. She heads the ICAO FRMS Task Force and has been involved in the development of ICAO fatigue management provisions since 2009. Her academic background is in sleep, fatigue and performance.

 

Travel News | eTurboNews

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WOW Air shut down: Thousands stranded

March 28, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

This is the email WOW Air passengers received after the airline shut down and flights were canceled: Dear WOW air guest, thank you for contacting us. We regret to announce that WOW air has ceased operation, and all flights have been cancelled. Further information can be found at WOW Air.

Following the news that WOW Air has ceased operations after failed negotiations to save it, leaving thousands of passengers stranded, Ralph Hollister, Associate Travel & Tourism Analyst at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers his view:

“The closures of smaller sized airlines such as WOW Air come as little surprise. Even major airlines such as Ryanair with significantly higher profit margins are suffering with the issues at the root of these closures – high fuel prices and overcapacity.

“With finances having already been in decline for a number of months, WOW had to reduce its fleet from 24 to 11, along with reducing the number of destinations available to customers.

“Overcapacity is a factor which can be managed unlike fuel costs, but timeliness is critical and WOW acted too late.

“Smaller airlines need to be more sensitive to changes in the market. Being one step ahead in terms of potential future decreases in demand for specific routes will enable airlines to decrease flight frequency proactively.

“This will decrease the amount of empty seats and most importantly, keep them afloat in a highly competitive industry.” 

 

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Nicolas Chammaa as General Manager of Vida Downtown Dubai

March 28, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

Emaar Hospitality Group, the hospitality and leisure business of Emaar Properties PJSC, has appointed seasoned strategic and results-driven leader, Nicolas Chammaa, as the General Manager of Vida Downtown.

Overseeing all aspects of the hotel, Nicolas will be responsible for the day-to-day operations and in driving the hotel’s strategic growth. He has almost two decades of experience in the hotel business, including at well-known properties in Bahrain, Oman, UAE, and the Philippines. Nicolas graduated from Notre Dame University with a bachelor’s degree in Hospitality Management and Tourism.

Olivier Harnisch, CEO of Emaar Hospitality Group, said: “Nicolas’s appointment aims at further strengthening the growth of Vida Downtown. With rich knowledge gained from some of the finest hotels in the world, his industry insights and passion will ensure that the hotel delivers the highest standards of guest service.”

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Budapest Airport launches new winter routes

March 27, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

Launching 15 new winter routes in total, Ryanair route additions will see 3 new destinations on Budapest Airport’s route map. Facing no competition on its new operations to Lappeenranta, Luxembourg and Poznan, Ryanair will be providing further variety to passengers traveling to and from Hungary.

As Budapest Airport’s blistering summer schedule is launched this weekend, the Hungarian gateway continues its route network expansion into the winter timetable with Ryanair. Confirming the addition of another 6 new services – Catania, Gothenburg, Lappeenranta, Luxembourg, Poznan and Tel Aviv – the ultra-low-cost carrier (ULCC) will be offering a total of 46 routes from Budapest during the winter season.

“In just three years Ryanair has come close to doubling the number of passengers it has welcomed to Budapest Airport as early forecasts predict the carrier will deliver more than three million travelers to our gateway in 2019,” said Balázs Bogáts, Head of Airline Development, Budapest Airport. “Even before this summer season has begun, it’s great to announce that Ryanair will once again be enriching our route network from the winter with new destinations, as well as increased services on proven successful routes.”

As the ULCC also confirms frequency increases on its existing links to Berlin Schönefeld (9 times weekly), Copenhagen (daily), London Stansted (25 times weekly), Milan Bergamo (11 times weekly) and Prague (9 times weekly), an estimated over 3 million Ryanair customers will pass through Budapest throughout the summer and winter seasons, recording a robust growth of 17% and significantly reinforcing the airline’s growth at the Hungarian capital city airport.

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 Iranians open homes to travelers stranded by floods

March 27, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

As dramatic videos of deadly floods leaving behind destroyed vehicles and other damage circulate on Iranian social media networks, ordinary Iranians are doing what they can to help the affected citizens, including travelers whose Nowruz holidays have been unexpectedly disrupted. While criticizing the government for its inadequate response to the deadly flooding that has ravaged the country, ordinary Iranians are engaging in spontaneous relief efforts for the stranded and the displaced.

A 10-minute flash flood in the city of Shiraz, perhaps the most popular tourist destination in the country’s south, killed at least 18 and injured scores more on March 25. Many of the victims are said to have been visitors. Now, locals in the birthplace of classical Iranian literature are inviting panicked holidaymakers to their homes, offering unconditional stay and food. “All services will be offered for free until the harsh weather dies down,” one placard held by a volunteer in Shiraz read. Some even offer free body repairs for cars damaged in the downpours. Several local hotels and restaurants have joined the spontaneous campaign, dubbed “My Guest.”

Similar public initiatives are underway to deliver badly needed assistance to those hardest hit in the northern provinces of Golestan and Mazandaran. The aid is flowing in the form of cash donations as well as basic supplies collected from communities across Iran, including those still recovering from a devastating 2017 earthquake in the country’s west.

The government of President Hassan Rouhani has been under immense pressure for its perceived failure to handle the disaster. The president himself is under fire for staying away from the flood-hit areas. Seven days following the heavy rains, he has now traveled to the northern areas to oversee the relief operations. The government has already promised 7.1 trillion rials ($169 million) in compensation to affected households.

The powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has also established a strong presence. The force’s commander, Maj. Gen. Mohammad Ali Jafari, was seen visiting inundated neighborhoods in the country’s north half-submerged in floodwaters. While both the government and the IRGC have stepped in, some Iranians are interpreting the promises of more relief as publicity stunts meant to burnish their status and rooted in political rivalry between moderates and hard-liners.

An initial investigation into the deadly disaster in Shiraz has now pointed to negligence as the main cause of the deaths. According to a report by a crisis management team, one of the old watercourses in the city had been blocked by local authorities, probably for urban planning purposes, leading to the destructive overflow.

Meanwhile, the governor of Fars province noted that warnings had been issued two weeks before the disaster. But some social media users argue that all roads leading to the site of the flash floods should have been blocked. “How where you unable to block people but managed to fully cordon off the tomb of Cyprus the Great on his commemoration day?” one person tweeted. Every year, Iranian nationalists organize the Cyrus Day ceremony on Oct. 29 to remember the founder of the Achaemenid Empire. But in recent years the plans have been hindered by a security clampdown by the Islamic Republic, which deems such activities pro-monarchist.

Coverage of the massive flooding included more from Iran’s ancient history. The iconic Persepolis monument, 60 kilometers (37 miles) northeast of Shiraz, reportedly remained unscathed amid the flooding. According to local officials, underground canals built by ancient Persians to avert flooding protected the UNESCO World Heritage Site. The news prompted praise from many Iranians, who drew comparisons between the current government’s handling of such crises with that of their forefathers.

Yet despite the trauma, the floods have not produced only sad news. Pictures went viral of a smiling young couple who had planned their wedding in Golestan province for March 28. They decided to hold the ceremony earlier. Instead of a grand hall, the bride and the groom wed before the other displaced in a temporary accommodation center.

Travel News | eTurboNews

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Beverly Hills SLS Hotel appoints new sales leader

March 27, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

The SLS Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Beverly Hills welcomed Jake Megrikian as director of sales and marketing, following the property’s $22 million investment in redesign timed to its 10-year anniversary in 2018. Megrikian will oversee revenue production for the hotel’s newly-upgraded guestrooms and suites; meetings and events across 30,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space, including the refreshed Garden Terrace; and the hotel’s critically-acclaimed restaurants, including The Bazaar by José Andrés and Somni.

“Mr. Megrikian joins our team during a new chapter for the hotel, and we are thrilled to have him at the helm of our new identity in luxury,” says General Manager Christophe Thomas. “His understanding of the inner workings of a high-profile hotel, coupled with an innate marketing prowess will continue to position the SLS Beverly Hills as the city’s premier modern luxury destination on a global scale.”

Megrikian’s experience in hospitality began at age 15, working from the ground up in the food & beverage and banquet departments at the Hotel Marriott Armenia Yerevan. Within eight years of moving to the United States, Megrikian acquired management positions in room operations as well as events and sales across Marriott International and Hilton brands.

In 2011, Megrikian joined the InterContinental Los Angeles Century City at Beverly Hills team as a senior sales manager. As the youngest director of sales & marketing across InterContinental Hotels & Resorts worldwide when appointed, Megrikian proved an invaluable asset with record-breaking revenue production for both leisure and business bookings at InterContinental Los Angeles. By working closely with the Los Angeles and California tourism boards, Megrikian emphasized and positioned the hotel as a destination to major international markets.

Earning numerous accolades for leadership and development throughout his career, Megrikian received the 2014 SITE (Society for Incentive Travel Excellence) Kevin Forde Spirit Award and served as co-chair of SITE’s Young Leaders program, which brings together future leaders of the incentive and meetings industries. In 2017, Meetings Today Magazine spotlighted him on a list of “Meetings Trendsetters,” highlighting his passion and dedication to exceptional service in meetings and events.

His personal interests are in travel, aviation, and of course, spending time with his family. Megrikian’s global perspective is underscored by travel to over 33 countries and proficiency in three languages. He currently serves on the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board’s international sales committee.

Travel News | eTurboNews

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Any WOW Air reservation may not materialize: Airline has major problems

March 25, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

“Bummer that WOW Air is potentially going under – had a very flawless experience with them. But does this mean fewer tourists in Iceland?”, a disappointed passenger posted to twitter.

Icelandic tourism professionals did not yet comment on the hopeless sounding situation of Wow Air.  The airline was founded by an Icelandic entrepreneur, Skúli Mogensen. It first flew to Paris on 31 May 2012 and later that year took over an existing airline, Iceland Express.

WOW Air based in Iceland is fighting for survival. On Sunday evening rival IcelandAir, the potential rescuer announced  that Icelandair Group has decided that its possible involvement in WOW air’s operations, as announced on 20 March 2019, will not materialize. Therefore, all discussions between the parties have been canceled.

Today Indigo Partners Will Not be Investing in WOW Air According to a recent statement made by the company, Indigo will not be negotiating further with WOW Air and instead will be opening talks with Icelandair Group.

The 9:30am flight from London Gatwick to Reykjavik in Iceland was canceled this morning at short notice, with more flights canceled later in the day according to its website.

Wow Air then issued its own statement saying: A majority of WOW air Bond Holders and other creditors of WOW air are in advance discussions with the aim of reaching an agreement on a voluntary restructuring including an agreement of converting current debt into equity and fund the company towards long term sustainability. Further information will be given tomorrow.

Within hours, Wow Air started canceling flights – including the early morning trip from Reykjavik to Gatwick, due to leave at 6.20am on Monday. The return leg to the Icelandic capital, due to leave Gatwick at 9.30am, was also grounded.

Wow Air has also canceled trips from Reykjavik to Chicago and Pittsburgh on Monday, with links to Brussels and Barcelona grounded on Tuesday.

 

Travel News | eTurboNews

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Tourism Managers on the move: New GM at Avani Seychelles

March 25, 2019 by Forimmediaterelease

The Avani Seychelles Barbarons Beach Hotel & Spa has welcomed Nico Vivier as its new General Manager.

Nico Vivier arrives in Seychelles with a wealth of experience having been previously at Anantara Sir Bani Yas Island where he was promoted Nico Vivier to hotel manager.

The South African national oversaw the operations across three properties – Anantara Desert Islands Resort & Spa, Al Sahel Villa Resort, and Al Yamm Villa Resort – on Sir Bani Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.

Vivier started his career in hospitality nearly two decades ago in Johannesburg, South Africa, and has been working in destinations such as Seychelles and Tanzania before joining the Sir Bani Yas team as executive assistant manager in charge of F&B in August 2016.

Travel News | eTurboNews

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