First African Hotel for St. Regis

St. Regis Hotels & Resorts, part of Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, has announced the debut of The St. Regis Mauritius Resort, marking the brand’s first hotel in Africa. Situated on the south-western tip of the island, the resort is located on the white natural beaches at the UNESCO World Heritage site of Le Morne, bordered by a turquoise lagoon. The resort features 172 guestrooms and suites, ranging from 700 to 2300 square feet, all with terraces and views of the Indian Ocean. The beachfront St. Regis Villa features a private entrance, four luxurious bedrooms with private pools and gardens, entertainment and dining areas, an infinity pool, a bar and private spa treatment room. Simply India offers a dining experience created by Michelin-starred celebrity chef Atul Kochhar, with a modern interpretation of authentic Indian cuisine. There are six other dining experiences, ranging from a blend of French and traditional Mauritian cuisine, to a modern Asian menu. Inspired by the legendary St. Regis New York hotel which opened in 1904, there’s the 1904 Bar, whilst the region’s first Iridium Spa includes a full-service salon, relaxation lounge, jacuzzi, sauna and steam rooms, as well as a dedicated men’s grooming salon and a 24-hour fitness club. There are a wide range of aquatic activities, including wind and kite surfing, deep-sea fishing, diving, snorkelling, canoeing and kayaking, as well as catamaran and sunset cruises. The Kite Flyers Club offers complimentary childcare services for children from four to 12, including beach bonfires and kite-making, indoor and outdoor play areas, the children’s kitchen corner, and a swimming pool. Optional activities include guided excursions to the zoo and sugarcane museum, cooking classes and horseback riding. Situated in the heart of the resort, the manor house comprises seven luxurious suites with in-room spa facilities, a private 24-seat cinema, a drawing room for indoor entertainment and games, a swimming pool, as well as a library and conservatory. Other leisure facilities at the resort include a beachside swimming pool, a tennis court and a resort boutique. For private celebrations, the Astor Room can be booked for events hosting up to 100 people.

Premier O.R .Tambo is 4-star

Premier Hotel O.R. Tambo has received a 4-star grading from the Tourism Grading Council of South Africa. The grading comes off the back of the hotel’s latest upgrades, which include a new 40-seater conferencing venue (the Harvard Room), a range of state-of-the-art conferencing technology and equipment upgrades, and a new spa. The results of the grading report reflect these upgrades, with special mention of the hotel’s ‘vast attention to detail regarding electronics, electrical equipment, amenities and guest comfort.’ The report also makes mention of the hotel’s food, which is listed as ‘highly professional’, and the team who are ‘professional with extensive leadership (and) management’. The 275-room hotel is down the road from O.R. Tambo International Airport, and 800 metres from the Rhodesfield Gautrain station.

Marriott to Launch in Lagos

Plans have been concluded to bring the Marriott Hotels brand to Nigeria, following the multi-billion naira agreement signed by Quantum Luxury Properties Limited and Marriott Hotels. The planned 5-star hotel, which will be located on the Ozumba Mbadiwe waterfront on Victoria Island, will comprise 150 rooms. The Lagos Marriott Hotel is expected to be launched in 2014. Marriott International began operations in Africa in 1982 with the Cairo Marriott Hotel, and it has a regional presence consisting of nine properties in three countries offering 3,941 rooms. Nigeria has recently witnessed an upsurge in hotel development, with international brands such as Radisson Blu, Four Points by Sheraton, Ibis and Legacy, all establishing a presence in Lagos. Other groups have hotels under construction, including Accor, Hilton, IHG and Protea. Other groups who have signed deals with the hope of entering Nigeria’s robust market for the first time, include Kempinski, Mantis and Wyndham.

BA Maps out Seat Plans on New Aircraft

With the first of the airline’s new long-haul aircraft only six months away from delivery, British Airways has announced the cabin design and layout for its Boeing 787 and Airbus A380 aircraft. 214 customers will enjoy the comforts of the new BA Dreamliner, and the A380 will be the largest aircraft in the BA fleet, with 469 customers. The 24 Dreamliners and 12 A380s will feature the elegant cabin designs fitted on British Airways’ new Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. All eight 787-8s will feature a new Club World 2:3:2 layout, the latest generation World Traveller and World Traveller Plus seats. In addition, the new A380 will also have an enhanced version of First. British Airways is set to be the first European airline to operate both new aircraft types, with its first Dreamliner arriving in May and A380 deliveries starting in July. The BA Dreamliner will have 35 seats for customers in the new Club World triple configuration of 2:3:2; 25 seats in a World Traveller Plus layout of 2:3:2; and a further 154 seats for those travelling in World Traveller, with a 3:3:3 configuration. On the British Airways A380, there will be 14 seats in First on the main deck, with extra personal and stowage space; the Club World cabin will feature 44 seats in a 2:4:2 configuration; and there will be 199 seats in World Traveller, with a 3:4:3 layout. The A380 upper deck will feature 53 seats in the new Club World triple configuration of 2:3:2; 55 seats in a 2:3:2 World Traveller Plus layout; and World Traveller will have 104 seats in a 2:4:2 configuration. Both new aircraft will also feature the airline’s latest Thales in-flight entertainment system. Customers will also benefit from new larger screens in all cabins and an easier to use system with shortcut buttons. They will also be able to connect personal devices, such as laptops and use the in-seat power available for the first time in all cabins.

Delta and Virgin Atlantic to Form Alliance

Delta Air Lines and Virgin Atlantic Airways have reached an agreement for a new joint venture that will create an expanded trans-Atlantic network and enhance competition between the UK and North America. As part of this joint venture agreement, Delta will invest $360 million in Virgin Atlantic, acquiring a 49% stake currently held by Singapore Airlines. Virgin Group and Sir Richard Branson will retain the majority 51% stake and Virgin Atlantic Airways will retain its brand and operating certificate. Highlights of the agreement include: a fully-integrated joint venture that will operate on a “metal neutral” basis, with both airlines sharing the costs and revenues from all joint venture flights; a combined trans-Atlantic network between the UK and North America, with 31 peak-day round-trip flights; enhanced benefits for customers, including co-operation on services between New York and London, with a combined total of nine daily round-trip flights from London-Heathrow to John F. Kennedy International Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport; reciprocal frequent flyer benefits; shared access to Delta Sky Club and Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse airport lounges for elite passengers. The share purchase and the joint venture are expected to be implemented by the end of 2013. All of Delta’s flights between the U.S. and London-Heathrow feature fully-flat bed seats, offering direct aisle access in the BusinessElite cabin. These flights also offer Delta’s popular Economy Comfort seating in the forward section of the Economy cabin. Economy Comfort offers four additional inches of legroom and 50% more recline, compared to standard Economy seats. All cabins offer in-seat audio and video-on-demand, with a broad range of in-flight entertainment options. Delta also will begin introducing in-flight Wi-Fi service on international flights in 2013. Virgin Atlantic has recently completed a £150m upgrade program. A new Upper Class cabin has been introduced across its Airbus A330 aircraft, which features the longest fully-flat bed in the sky. This is complemented by a redesigned onboard bar and new Clubhouses at both JFK and Newark airports. The airline’s Boeing 747 leisure fleet has been completely refitted and features onboard connectivity and VERA Touch – Virgin Atlantic’s award-winning touch screen in-flight entertainment system – offering passengers hours of entertainment at their fingertips.

Hilton to Open Second Hotel in Alexandria

Hilton Worldwide is set to further strengthen its presence in Egypt, following the signing of a management agreement with Delta for Tourism & Hotels Company, to introduce a new Hilton Hotels & Resorts property to the city of Alexandria. The new 158-room Hilton Alexandria Corniche, a conversion property, is expected to open as a Hilton-branded hotel in 2013, and will be Hilton Worldwide’s 19th property in Egypt and it’s second in Alexandria. Hilton Alexandria Corniche will enjoy a prime location and imposing presence in Alexandria’s most upscale district on the city’s Corniche. Surrounded by stylish residences and boasting stunning views of the beachfront and Mediterranean Sea, the property will feature two large function rooms, four meeting rooms, a business centre, three restaurants - two of which will be speciality - and two bars. Leisure facilities will include a health club and spa, private beach and an outdoor pool.

Free Holiday Season W-Fi for Mango Flyers

G-Connect in-flight Wi-Fi will be available free of charge to Mango customers on all enabled flights between Durban and Johannesburg, in both directions. The airline’s Wi-Fi service was launched in May this year. The gratis period takes place during December, through to 31 January 2013. Mango expects to transport more than 75,000 customers on the Durban and Johannesburg route between 11 December and 31 January 2013. With an up-time of over 95% and average speeds of 1Mbs on enabled aircraft, the G-Connect In-Flight Wi-Fi service exceeds many terrestrial line speeds. Next year, Mango and G-Connect plan to introduce on-demand entertainment, live television and limited games across its In-Flight Wi-Fi network. Recently, Mango became the first South African airline to offer a booking and payment channel through its mobi site, with plans afoot to launch an iPad application soon.

Lufthansa Plans Premium Economy

 Lufthansa is expanding its product portfolio and will equip the entire Lufthansa long-haul fleet with a Premium Economy. The supervisory board has approved the investment capital for the introductory project to achieve this.
 At the beginning of next year, a project group will be formed to manage the introduction and define the precise features of the product, as well as a detailed timetable. Premium Economy will be installed on the entire intercontinental fleet.
This substantially upgraded Economy product will fill the gap between the superior Business Class segment, which features a seat that can be converted into a fully-flat bed on one side, and the classic Economy Class on the other. This will appeal to both leisure travellers seeking additional comfort and business travellers.

Maputo Route for BA

Comair Limited, operator of British Airways in southern Africa, will commence with scheduled services between Maputo International Airport and Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo International Airport in May next year. The flight schedule comprising daily return flights with a double daily service on Tuesdays and Saturdays, is timed to enable ease of connectivity for international travellers transferring through O.R. Tambo International Airport to Maputo. Bookings to-and-from Maputo are already available for sale. Flights will also be added to ba.com as well as integrated and sold through the kulula.com website shortly. For travel agents operating in Mozambique, selling systems are currently being activated and will be available early next year.

BA Ramps Up Inflight Entertainment

British Airways has become the first UK airline to enable customers to watch their in-flight entertainment screens from the second they reach their seat to the moment they arrive at their destination. BA customers will now be able to spend even more time – up to an hour more – enjoying movies, top TV shows and a wide selection of music onboard the airline’s flights. The extension to in-flight entertainment is part of a £5 billion investment programme by British Airways, which includes new aircraft, refurbished cabins and better lounges. In line with other UK carriers, BA currently starts its in-flight entertainment system once the aircraft has taken off and following various announcements, and turns it off 15-20 minutes before the aircraft lands. The airline was given the green light by the Civil Aviation Authority to introduce extended in-flight entertainment on its fleet of long haul aircraft.

ExecuJet Africa Adds Helicopters

 ExecuJet Africa has teamed up with Acher Aviation to offer a range of services, including helicopter management and charter, as well as specialised support to the oil, gas, mining and resource exploration sectors.
ExecuJet’s fleet now includes three helicopters from Acher Aviation, including a Bell 407, an Agusta 109 Power and the Eurocopter EC310, plus access to other models. The six-passenger Eurocopter EC310 is currently based at ExecuJet’s Lanseria facility and completed its first charter flight during November.
The specialised services available to the oil, gas and mining sectors include hoisting operations, oil pipeline inspections, equipment and cargo transportation, and remote location support. ExecuJet clients have access to all the benefits of helicopter ownership. The company takes care of aviation legislation compliance, aircraft maintenance co-ordination, staff recruitment and productive aircraft operation.

Arik Flies to Kinshasa

Arik Air is expanding its regional African network with the addition of new flight services from Lagos, Nigeria to Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo. The first commercial flight on the route takes place on Wednesday, 5 December and will subsequently operate twice weekly on Wednesdays and Sundays.
The announcement means Kinshasa has now become Arik Air’s third destination in Central Africa, following the inclusion of flights to Luanda, Angola in 2011 and Douala, Cameroon in August this year.
 The new Lagos-Kinshasa service will operate via Douala, Cameroon with outbound flights departing from Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos at 11h10 and arriving at Douala International Airport at 12h40. Flights will then continue on to Kinshasa, departing from Douala at 13h25 and arriving at N'djili International Airport in Kinshasa at 15h25.
The return flights will leave Kinshasa at 16h10, arriving in Douala at 18h10 and will thereafter leave Douala at 18h55, arriving in Lagos at 20h25. Passengers can still take advantage of the existing thrice weekly flights between Lagos and Douala on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. This service departs Lagos at 11h10 and arrives in Douala at 12h40. The return flight departs Douala at 13h25 and arrives in Lagos at 14h55. The Lagos-Kinshasa route will be served with a Boeing 737-700 Next Generation aircraft. The 737-700 is a two-class compartment and the configuration is 12 Business Class seats and 112 Economy Class. Business Class passengers will enjoy a 44-inch seat pitch with cradle-style seats, while Economy Class passengers will have a seat pitch of 34 inches. Kinshasa is Arik’s 12th African destination.

Trouble for Air Malawi

Independent Online reports that the government of Malawi has announced that its national airline has been placed in voluntary liquidation. A new company, Air Malawi (2012), has been created and the government intends to select an investor to help recapitalise the airline.
So far, 11 local and international companies, including Ethiopian Airlines, South Africa's Comair and Botswana's Global Business Network, have expressed an interest in partnering with the airline. Air Malawi is saddled with debt of over $50 million, according to airline sources, arising mainly from the grounding of two of its four aircraft. The government will settle all of the company's debts.
 Two Air Malawi Boeing 737 aircraft have been parked at a maintenance hangar in South Africa for three years, after the airline failed to pay for repairs and storage fees. The carrier has had to fly leased aircraft at “enormous cost and reduced frequency on the profitable routes” within the country and in the region.

SAA Upgrades Food Menu

South African Airways has brought Tsogo Sun’s Executive Chef, Benny Masekwameng onboard to upgrade its premium and regional onboard menu. Masekwameng is the Executive Chef of the Tsogo Sun hotel group and a MasterChef South Africa judge, and his signature dishes will be introduced on all of SAA’s international premium class and regional flights. SAA refreshes its food and beverage menu annually. Each SAA customer is offered a menu selection, which includes Halaal, Kosher and Vegetarian options.

New Johannesburg Business Hotel

 Sun International has announced its intention to develop a business hotel-focused brand, starting with its new hotel in Johannesburg, early next year. The Maslow Hotel, Sun International’s new business hotel, is due to open on the 7th of January, following a R250-million refurbishment of the hotel formally known as The Grayston.
The scope of work encompassed a complete internal and external refurbishment, including guestrooms, modernisation of the public areas, food and beverage outlets, landscaping of the gardens, reconstruction of the conference centre, and the addition of individual meeting rooms.
“We were inspired by the psychologist Abraham Maslow and his well-known ‘Hierarchy of Needs’, hence the new name of the hotel, and have applied his straightforward approach to understanding customers’ needs in our service philosophy,” said General Manager, Johan Scheepers.
Situated in the heart of Sandton’s business district, on the corner of Rivonia Road and Grayston Drive, The Maslow will offer complimentary Wi-Fi throughout the hotel, 13 meeting rooms, a conference centre with a multi-divisible ballroom and auditorium, and techno gym.
The average size of the rooms is 32m² and each unit is fitted with a power shower, a media hub, 40-inch flat-screen TV and speciality coffee maker.
 The rooms are also soundproofed with blackout curtains. From a food and beverage perspective, the Lacuna Bistro and Bar is referred to as a “sophisticated urban bistro serving international cuisine”. The bistro menu features tapas, sandwiches, tarts, salads and pasta dishes. At the heart of the lobby is the signature Wayfarer Lounge, a business class type lounge, featuring washrooms with showers, and a supply of power sockets. The Maslow Hotel is also one of the first properties within Sun International to feature the Africology Spa. Sun International is hoping to roll out the Maslow brand to other hotels across Africa, in the future.

New ASATA CEO

 The board of the Association of South African Travel Agents (ASATA) has announced the appointment of Otto de Vries as the new Chief Executive Officer of the association. He replaces Robyn Christie, who left to join Travelport in October. De Vries has 24 years of experience in the travel industry and the ASATA board want him to take the organisation into a new era.
“Otto brings a wealth of experience and a wonderful energy,” said Claude Vankeirsbilck, President of ASATA. “He is well versed with ASATA and its plans going forward, and I am confident he will implement the strategy of ‘Compliance, Confidence, Consensus’ most effectively.” De Vries will start at ASATA on 2 January. “I’m looking forward to the challenge and in particular working with the industry on issues that affect us all,” said De Vries. “ASATA will continue to make a difference and implementing the new strategy will be an exciting time for us all.”

Mango Launches New Routes

Low-cost South African airline, Mango will begin operating daily return flights between Johannesburg and Port Elizabeth, as well as Cape Town and Port Elizabeth, from 5 December. A leased-in aircraft will initially be used to operate one return flight daily between the respective cities until early next year, when Mango expects to add additional capacity to its own fleet.
 “There is a requirement for a low-cost carrier on the Johannesburg-Port Elizabeth and Cape Town-Port Elizabeth routes, and with the recent exit of capacity, Mango has brought forward its plans by a few months in order to accommodate market demand,” said CEO Nico Bezuidenhout.
 He added that the new route is one of several planned for the next 18 months, with a focus on the east-African seaboard. Mango’s first flight between Johannesburg and Port Elizabeth will depart on 5 December.

Delta Celebrates Time in Nigeria

Delta Air Lines will celebrate its fifth anniversary of service between Nigeria and the United States next month. Delta commenced scheduled services between Lagos and Atlanta in December 2007 and currently carries on average 3,000 passengers a week between Nigeria and the United States.
 This year, Delta has strengthened its commitment and business ties to the market with the introduction of flat-bed seats on its daily non-stop service between Lagos and Atlanta in September. Delta also introduced a dedicated Protocol Service at Lagos airport for BusinessElite customers, who receive a personal escort for its business customers through check-in, customs and immigration, lounge pick up and luggage assistance.
 In other Delta news, a second wave of recruits has joined Delta’s Business Internship Programme in Africa. The Delta-funded initiative, designed in conjunction with local business schools, was launched in 2011 in Nigeria, Ghana, Senegal and Kenya, and earlier this year in Liberia.
 The one-year programme offers African students valuable work experience and training in a number of key business areas such as sales, marketing and administration. Interns are fully integrated into the Delta sales force in each country, becoming a team member with specific projects and responsibilities. The end of the one-year programme culminates in a visit to the United States to meet with senior executives and learn more about how an international organisation such as Delta operates.

Dreamliner Delivery for Qatar

 Qatar Airways has become the first Middle Eastern airline to take delivery of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Space, comfort and luxury are key features of the aircraft, with Qatar Airways working closely with the manufacturer to have custom-made seats fitted.
The aircraft is also the world’s first 787 to be fully connected with wireless facilities, enabling all passengers in both Business and Economy cabins to remain connected with the ground through Wi-Fi and GSM telephony options, allowing for the sending of both text and MMS messages.
Personal power ports are available in every seat, equipped with USB, MP3 and other charger ports, including laptop power outlets. The fully interactive inflight entertainment system offers more than 1,000 video and audio options to every passenger. The Dreamliner is the first mid-size airplane capable of flying long-range routes. Qatar Airways’ customers will experience improved lighting, bigger windows, larger overhead bins, lower cabin altitude and enhanced ventilation systems, among other features.
The new 787s feature a total of 254 seats in a two-class configuration of 22 in Business Class and 232 in Economy. With a 1–2–1 configuration in Business Class, the layout features two less seats than competitors on conventional wide body aircraft.
There’s also a 22-inch wide armchair that converts at a touch of a button into different cradle positions, before reaching an 80-inch long, 30-inch wide flat-bed offering great legroom. The 787 is quieter than other aircraft, with the largest windows in the industry and first-of-its-kind electronic touch pad controls to adjust the amount of light entering the cabin. Dynamic mood lighting throughout the aircraft helps passengers adjust their body clocks according to the change in time zones, as lighting is automatically altered during the flight.

Perumal to leave Avis

Avis Southern Africa has announced that its General Manager of Marketing, Jessecca Perumal, will be leaving the company on the 23rd of November. According to Avis, Perumal has decided to take up an opportunity outside of the industry. “I would like to thank her for the significant contribution she has made to the Avis brand and family during the past four years,” said Keith Rankin, Chief Executive of Avis Rent a Car Southern Africa. “I will start the process to find a suitable replacement. In the interim, the marketing team will report to me.”

Johannesburg Launch for Ethiopian Dreamliner

Ethiopian Airlines will start using the B787 Dreamliner in Johannesburg from 14 December. ‘Cloud Nine’ or Business Class is equipped with sleeper seats, while the Economy Class has reclining seats with more legroom and a spacious cabin. The aircraft has state of the art on-demand audio and video services, with 15.4-inch IFE screens and 85 channels in Business Class, whilst Economy Class has 8.9-inch screens and 80 different channels. The Dreamliner has higher humidity for a better cabin altitude/pressure; bigger storage for onboard luggage; 60% smaller noise footprint than peer airplanes; the biggest windows in the sky; and unique and adaptable lighting.

Comair and Mango Go Head to Head

A fight is brewing between the remaining two competitors in the South African budget airline space. Against the background of the recent filing for liquidation by 1Time and the debate that has ensued over the role of state-subsidised Mango, Comair Limited has highlighted that Mango, as a separate legal entity from SAA and a state-owned enterprise, is legally required to publish its financial statements, which it allegedly has not done since its inception six years ago.
 Comair operates kulula.com and British Airways in the local market, and says that it believes that the funding of Mango with tax payers money partly contributed to the failure of 1Time. Mango CEO Nico Bezuidenhout has responded by stating that Mango will only reveal its financials, if kulula does so first. CEO of Comair, Erik Venter responded that Comair, as a listed company on the JSE, releases detailed financial results every six months in accordance with the Companies Act, the rules of the JSE and based on International Financial Reporting Standards.
 “Comair has an obligation to reveal its results as a listed company,” said Venter. “Kulula.com is merely a brand of Comair Limited – it is not a separate company from Comair. Although Mango is a subsidiary of SAA, it is a separate company and needs to report as such.” No doubt, this is not the last we are going to hear of South Africa’s two budget airlines going head to head, as the competition whittles away and the fight over the remaining piece of the pie intensifies.

Etihad Increases Baggage Allowance

Etihad Airways has increased the complimentary baggage allowance for Coral Economy Class guests to 30kg. That doesn’t include travel to/from the USA and Canada, where baggage policies are regulated on a per-piece basis. Members of the Etihad Guest programme will enjoy additional allowances. For example, an Etihad Guest Elite member travelling in Economy will now be able to check as much as 50kg of baggage on a complimentary basis. The new guidelines will also allow for complimentary carriage of some sporting equipment. In addition to the standard checked baggage allowance, a guest in any cabin will be able to check in up to 15kg of Scuba dive equipment and golf bags weighing up to 15kg on a complimentary basis. In March, Etihad increased the baggage allowance for premium passengers to 40kg for Pearl Business class and 50kg for Diamond First class.

Summer Cape Town Flights for Condor

Condor – the Thomas Cook-owned leisure carrier – touched down for the first time at Cape Town International Airport on 4 November. Condor will operate twice-weekly overnight flights between Frankfurt and Cape Town on Sundays and Wednesdays until the end of April, providing more than 14,000 additional seats to Cape Town over the next six months. It uses a B767-300 with 270 seats in three classes - Economy, Premium Economy and ‘Comfort’ (Business) Class. Condor is punting its Premium Economy service, which offers an additional 15cm legroom, ‘premium’ meals, a cocktail service including a snack, free alcoholic drinks, a large variety of newspapers and magazines, free seat reservation and a separate check-in in Frankfurt.

ExecuJet Africa Opens Lagos Facility

ExecuJet Africa has officially opened its fixed-based operations facility at Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos. ExecuJet now offers FBO and maintenance services from the company’s state-of-the-art facility, which comprises a 4,700 square metre hangar capable of accommodating a Boeing Business Jet, a 25,500 square metre concrete apron and a VIP lounge.
The facility also has full MRO and technical support capabilities, and offers authorised line maintenance support for Bombardier, Dassault Falcon and Hawker Beechcraft aircraft. The forthcoming approval from local aviation authorities will enable ExecuJet to expand the maintenance services offered and aircraft types supported. "We have sourced the best engineers from around the world, and are thus also able to communicate in various languages,” said Ettore Poggi, ExecuJet Africa’s Managing Director. “We have also sent some of these engineers for additional training at the manufacturers to obtain updates on the very latest aircraft. We have also sourced local engineers and staff and are committed to the transfer of skills and the training of local aspiring engineers.”

Award for Avis SA

Avis Budget Group has named Avis South Africa the Avis Licensee of the Year for Europe, Middle East and Africa. Avis South Africa has approximately 140 locations in South Africa. “The Avis Budget Group’s award specifically recognises our ongoing commitment to providing customers with world-class products and services, and for responsible corporate citizenship,” said Keith Rankin, Chief Executive of Avis Rent a Car Southern Africa. “It’s an amazing and highly motivating achievement that underlines the daily reality of our company ethos of People, Environment and Community.” According to Rankin, Avis’ Customer Satisfaction Index has played an important role in attaining this tribute, enabling the company to keep close to changing customer needs, to developing technology and to social trends. Avis operates car, van and truck rentals, as well as coach charter services for groups from 10 to 60, and is constantly introducing new services such as chauffeur-driven vehicles and point to point transport, as well as catering for the physically disabled.

Comair Take on 1Time Liquidation

South African aviation company Comair has responded to the news that budget airline 1Time filed for liquidation on Friday.

In the process, Comair pointed out that 10 of the 11 independent, private airlines launched in South Africa since deregulation in 1991, have failed, leaving only kulula.com and British Airways, which are both operated by Comair.

“Due to the less efficient fleet it operated, the ultimate closure of 1Time was inevitable,” said Erik Venter, CEO of Comair.

“However, we are certain that in the absence of state-subsidised Mango, 1Time would have made adequate profits to upgrade its fleet and be sustainable over the long term.

Based on the previously released financial statements of SAA, and recent parliamentary comments, Mango made a loss of half a billion rand since its 2006 launch, due to undercutting the viability of the private low cost carriers.” 1Time announced on Friday that it had applied for business liquidation, and that all of its flights had been grounded.

The firm had about R320-million in short-term debt and had been in negotiations with creditors since March.

Virgin Reintroduces Direct CT Seasonal Flights

Virgin Atlantic has re-introduced its direct seasonal flights between Cape Town and London from 18 October. The schedule will continue until April 2013. Flights will operate three times a week until the end of October, and from then will move to daily flights. “By introducing the direct flight for summer, we believe this will drive additional tourism to both London and Cape Town. The direct route also cuts down costs, whichever way you’re flying,” said Simon Newton-Smith, Virgin Atlantic’s Country Manager for South Africa.

New SA Low-Cost Airline

 New South African domestic airline FlyGoAir is set to launch, with Lanseria as its major hub to the north-west of Johannesburg. According to media reports, the airline is set to operate an "affordable premium service" on routes that are currently not well served by other airlines. It's due to start operating on 26 November, with its first route being the Lanseria - Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport route, with estimated airfares of R999-00 per person one way, inclusive of all taxes.
The airline plans to offer in-flight services such as meals, beverages and alcohol, and has also designed a unique loyalty reward programme, in which passengers qualify for a free flight after every six flights flown. According to CEO, Reg Sivsanker, “FlyGoAir is bold in wanting to take to the skies in tough times", but he believes in its competitive advantage and in the future, the airline hopes to expand its services by adding flights to the more popular destinations, which, he says, will further improve FlyGoAir’s competitive edge. FlyGoAir also plans to launch another two routes in January, to Polokwane and Pietermaritzburg respectively, with other routes said to be in the pipeline for next year, including flights from Lanseria to Bloemfontein and George, as well as a service from Kruger Mpumalanga to Cape Town. FlyGoAir will work with an online reservation system, which will take bookings from only two calendar months in advance. “Passengers can be assured; they will not have to suffer the same fate as those passengers who lost money on advance bookings on airlines that folded,” said Sivsanker.
 Although FlyGoAir has appealed to the public and the industry to be positive and “welcome the airline that is trying to make a difference by adding value and choice to air travel in South Africa”, industry players warn that it had better have deep pockets if it wants to survive in the current economic climate. “Anyone trying to launch an airline in the current trading environment is extremely rich or brave,” said Erik Venter, Comair CEO. “Fuel is at its highest price in history, as are airport charges.
 An added challenge for any operation from Lanseria is that fuel has to be brought in by road transport. Further to this, the market is in decline as a result of higher ticket prices needed to cover operating costs.” Blacky Komani, 1time CEO, adds the current state of the aviation industry in South Africa is very competitive, with most operators reporting losses due to overcapacity and high input costs.
 “I sincerely hope the new player has deep pockets to weather the aviation storms. The last thing the industry needs is another player going under.”

Fresh Air Commences Flights

 Fresh Air, the Zimbabwean-registered airline which recently entered into a joint venture agreement with South African low-cost carrier, 1time Airline, is set to take to the skies on 2 November, with its first flight departing O.R. Tambo International Airport, en route to Victoria Falls Airport, Zimbabwe. This follows as Fresh Air officially acquired the traffic rights to commence operations. As initially agreed, the JV encompasses 1time utilising its fleet of aircraft to serve the Fresh Air route, which subsequently replaces 1time’s current Livingstone flight schedule in favour of flights between Johannesburg and Victoria Falls Airport. The route schedule, as it stands, includes three weekly flights from O.R. Tambo International Airport on Mondays and Fridays at 10h40 respectively, as well as a Sunday flight at 10h20.

New Booking Tool for BA

Customers visiting ba.com will now find it easier to book flights on the British Airways website, thanks to a new registration scheme. The new service offers customers a simple registration option during the booking process, so they can save their personal details to make future bookings easier and quicker. When customers log in, their personal information and APIS details are automatically entered to every new booking, taking out the hassle of adding them each time.
 Like other online retailers, such as Amazon, the new British Airways easy registration option allows customers to quickly sign up, providing only their name, email address and password, or to log into their existing registered customer or Executive Club account, while in the booking process. A post-login landing page will display all upcoming flights, providing easy access to bookings.
 Registered customers will also have an option to easily convert their account to an Executive Club account, while existing Club members will be able to see all their flights, not just those containing their frequent flyer number. Later next year, ba.com will also introduce the ability to save payment card details, making booking for customers even quicker.

Levy for Labadi Beach Hotel

The Ghana Tourism Authority has notified the Labadi Beach Hotel – a Legacy Hotels & Resorts property – that it qualifies for the 1% tourism levy, specified in the country’s Tourism Act. Labadi Beach regrets to inform the start of the collection of the levy with immediate effect, which they say is beyond their control.

Trouble at SAA

South African Airways CEO, Siza Mzimela has resigned, along with two other senior managers. The exit of Mzimela follows the dramatic walk out by the majority of the board at the airline earlier this month‚ including the chairwoman Cheryl Carolus‚ with all citing a breakdown in the relationship with the shareholder, which is the Department of Public Enterprises.
 Further to that, former CEO, Khaya Ngqula's lawyers have informed Carolus that he intends to sue her for R40m for defamation. This was reportedly because Carolus told the Business Times on September 30 that the SAA board had made progress in tackling labour, competition, fraud and corruption problems, which the airline had "inherited from previous management".
The SAA board is also currently suing Ngqula, who left the airline in 2009, to recover about R252m from him in four separate claims, following a forensic investigation by auditors KPMG.

KQ Increases Simba Lounge Capacity

Kenya Airways has expanded its lounge at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, to cater for increase in customer growth. Under the brand name ‘Simba Lounge’, two Kenya Airways-operated lounges at JKIA will seat over 200 passengers, with the older Simba Lounge seating over 50 passengers and the newly-expanded Simba Lounge on the second floor at JKIA seating 150 passengers, in an area of about 1500 square metres.
 The lounge service will cater for Business Class, Flying Blue Elite Plus and SkyTeam Elite Plus passengers, where high value customers get the same unique service across all 500 lounges in all Skyteam member airlines. Passengers will have an option to choose which of the two lounges to use while waiting to depart. The lounge services will include amongst others, complimentary food, snacks and drinks, hot shower facility, high speed Wi-Fi Internet connection, satellite TV, and international newspapers and journals. The new lounge will be open to all Platinum and Gold card elite frequent fliers from all SkyTeam member airlines, departing or flying via Nairobi.

New African Signing for Hilton

Hilton Worldwide has announced the signing of a licensing agreement with long-standing franchisee, the Opulent Group, for the conversion of a hotel in the capital city of Bujumbura in Burundi, East Africa. The 130-room DoubleTree by Hilton Bujumbura will open in early 2014.
 Formerly the Novotel, the hotel will undergo an extensive 18-month improvement and rebranding programme, before officially opening under the DoubleTree by Hilton banner. Renovation plans are already under way and will cover all key areas of the hotel, including full refurbishment of the hotel lobby and renovation of all guest and meeting rooms.
 A new business centre and fitness centre will also be introduced for the first time. DoubleTree by Hilton Bujumbura will be located in the centre of the commercial district and close to businesses, embassies and government offices. Once open, the hotel will boast four conference rooms, a business centre, fitness centre and outdoor pool. Dining options will include two restaurants, including one speciality and one all-day dining, and a bar.
Guests at DoubleTree by Hilton Bujumbura will benefit from the brand’s standout features, including the welcome of the brand’s legendary chocolate chip cookie presented to every guest upon check-in; an array of upscale amenities and guest services; and the rewards of the Hilton HHonors guest loyalty programme. Hilton Worldwide currently operates 56 hotels in Middle East and Africa, totalling more than 17,000 rooms across 19 countries, and has a signed development pipeline of an additional 52 properties across Middle East and Africa in the U.A.E, Qatar, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Jordan, Uganda, Nigeria, South Africa and Cape Verde.

New Qantas Offering

Qantas has taken the next steps towards establishing its new gateway to Europe and the UK, enabling customers to book flights through the global hub of Dubai for travel from 31 March, 2013. The revised Qantas routes, Sydney-Dubai-London and Melbourne-Dubai-London, come as the ACCC considers the proposed Qantas-Emirates partnership, which remains subject to regulatory approval.
The schedule changes do not involve co-ordination between the airlines and do not require ACCC approval. Qantas will start initial work with Emirates on its proposed partnership, following discussions with the ACCC and withdrawal of the airline’s request for interim authorisation.
The ACCC is considering the airlines’ substantive application for authorisation. Qantas has also made a series of other adjustments to its international flight schedule, focused on giving customers more choice and flexibility. Qantas services to Frankfurt will continue until October 2013 and flights to Singapore will be timed so that they connect better with onward flights within Asia.
 The new schedule will be available shortly on qantas.com and via travel agents. Qantas will contact passengers with existing bookings to Europe or the UK after 31 March 2013 affected by these changes, to offer them alternative flights. Customers with bookings prior to this date are not impacted by the change.

Air France-KLM, Etihad and Airberlin Join Forces

Air France-KLM, Etihad Airways and airberlin have agreed on a new commercial partnership. As of 28 October, the airlines will offer their customers more destinations, thanks to mutual code-share agreements. On the routes between Europe and Abu Dhabi, Etihad customers will be able to fly on the Amsterdam-Abu Dhabi daily flight operated by KLM. Air France customers will be able to travel every day between Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Abu Dhabi, on Etihad-operated flights.
 Beyond their gateways, this code-share agreement offers five destinations each to Air France and KLM passengers on the Asian and Australian market, and 10 European destinations to Etihad passengers on Air France and KLM. Air France passengers will be able to connect through Abu Dhabi for flights to Colombo, Dhaka, Katmandu (subject to government approval), Mahe, and Male. KLM passengers will be able to connect through Abu Dhabi for flights to Colombo, Islamabad, Lahore, Melbourne and Sydney.
Etihad passengers will be able to connect through Paris-CDG for flights to Bordeaux, Copenhagen, Madrid, Nice and Toulouse, on an Air France-operated flight, and through Amsterdam-Schiphol to Billund, Cardiff, Newcastle, Oslo, and Stavanger, on a KLM-operated flight. Further to that, Air France and airberlin customers will be able to fly on all the routes operated by the other between France and Germany. Passengers will also be able to connect to some selected destinations via Paris for airberlin, and via Berlin or Düsseldorf for Air France.
 Air France passengers will be able to connect through Berlin-Tegel airport to Krakow, Gdansk, Graz, and from Düsseldorf to Dresden, on services operated by airberlin. Airberlin passengers will be able to transfer through Paris-CDG and Paris-Orly to Bordeaux, Lyon, Marseilles, Montpellier, Nantes, Nice, and Toulouse, on services operated by Air France. Additionally, KLM and airberlin will co-operate on routes between the Netherlands and Germany. KLM will code-share with airberlin on three destinations beyond Berlin, namely Krakow, Gdansk and Kaliningrad. Airberlin will code-share on Berlin-Amsterdam routes as well as on Edinburgh, Glasgow and Manchester, beyond Amsterdam.

Gigaba Appoints New SAA Board

Members Following the resignation of chairwoman, Cheryl Carolus and six other members last week, South Africa’s Public Enterprises Minister, Malusi Gigaba has appointed a new South African Airways board. The new members are Vuyisile Kona, Andile Mabizela, Andile Khumalo, Bongisizwe Mpondo, Dr Rajesh Naithani, Carol Roskruge, Raisibe Lepule and Nonhlanhla Kubeka. Kona has been appointed as the new chairperson. His spokesperson, Mayihlome Tshwete, said the board members who resigned would have finished their terms in October and were not going to be re-appointed. The new board members had already been selected by Gigaba and approved by cabinet in a meeting held on 19 September.

KQ Fly to Eldoret

Kenya Airways will commence flights to the Kenyan town of Eldoret, on the 17th of October. Located in the western region of the Rift Valley Province, KQ will operate 10 flights into Eldoret every week.
 Eldoret, taken from the Masai word “eldore”, meaning “stony river” due to its proximity to the Sosiani River, is currently the fifth largest town in Kenya. It houses one of Kenya’s seven public universities, Moi University, as well as its own international airport.
The Trans-African Highway forms a 10,269km east-west crossing of the African continent, with this frequented transit road network also passing through Eldoret. Major industries in the area include textiles, wheat, corn and pyrethrum, a natural insecticide made from the dried flower heads of the Chrysanthemum plant genus.

SAA Board Members Quit

Chairwoman Cheryl Carolus and six others have resigned from the board of South African Airways. This comes after a decision by South Africa’s Public Enterprises Minister, Malusi Gigaba to cancel SAA’s AGM this week and his request to parliament for a two-month postponement of the tabling of its annual report. Carolus was quoted as saying that “there has been a breakdown in the relationship with the shareholder. I thought we had agreed on a strategy.
I’m finding it frustrating that this notion continues to exist that there is no strategic vision on the table at SAA." The board members who told Carolus they were leaving with her are Bonang Mohale, David Lewis, Jabulani Ndlovu, Louis Rabbets, Margaret Whitehouse and Teddy Daka.
The first board member to go, Russel Loubser, resigned with immediate effect on Wednesday, citing a lack of support from the Department of Public Enterprises - the airline’s shareholder. Earlier this year, it emerged that SAA was looking for up to R6-billion in extra funding from the South African government. Eight of SAA's 14-member board have resigned so far.

UNIGLOBE Launches New Product

UNIGLOBE Travel International has launched a new global travel management service. Global Solutions is a business travel division of UNIGLOBE, designed for a growing segment of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with multinational travel management demands.
Membership consists of an elite roster of UNIGLOBE experts in business travel management services, strategically located in key markets. Global Solutions uses a consultative approach to tailor programmes to clients’ needs.
Teams work with SME leadership to determine scope of services, monitor travel expenditure, recommend cost-savings, and provide emergency support to employees travelling across multiple countries. Global Solutions members work on a common technology platform to ensure seamless data collection and reporting.

Cathay Pacific Unveils New Business Product

Cathay Pacific Airways has unveiled its new Regional Business Class product. The principal feature of the new product is the seat, which offers an extensive recline, extended leg rest and innovative cradle motion. The seat pitch has been increased from 45 to 47 inches, whilst the in-seat width has also been increased from 20 to 21 inches.
 Each seat is encased in a fixed shell, ensuring that passengers’ living space is not encroached upon by the passenger in front. The ergonomically designed seat articulates into a comfortable ‘lazy-Z’ position, which allows passengers to be cradled in the optimum position for relaxation. Passenger comfort is further enhanced by a six-way movement headrest and an extended leg rest.
Each seat is equipped with a universal power supply outlet. A multi-port connector includes an USB port and an iPhone/iPod/iPad. Other highlights include the introduction of the Studio widescreen on-demand entertainment system, whilst each seat is equipped with a new and enlarged 12.1-inch, touchscreen monitor, which is mounted into the back of the fixed seat, a large meal table, and an extendable cocktail table.
Cathay Pacific Airways’ new product enhancements can be experienced on flights departing from Johannesburg. The Johannesburg - Hong Kong route is one of the first routes within the global network to feature the newly-launched Premium Economy Class cabin, and, as of 2013, passengers can sample the new regional Business Class product within Asia Pacific destinations, by connecting through the Hong Kong hub.

Air France Extends Seasonal CT Flight

Air France will resume flights to Cape Town, with three flights per week between 25 October and 12 May, 2013. This offers passengers an additional six weeks to the previous year’s schedule. Passengers can fly direct from Cape Town to Paris Charles de Gaulle in Air France's 309-seater Boeing 777-200, which features 35 of the airline's new full sleep Business Class seats, which are more than two metres long and 61cm wide, 24 seats in the Premium Economy cabin and 250 seats in Economy. Flights from Cape Town will depart at 19h35, arriving in Paris at 05h55. Services will operate on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays. Air France-KLM offers passengers 24 weekly flights from Johannesburg and Cape Town to Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam-Schiphol.

Sun International to Open New PE Hotel

Opening in December, the 5-star Boardwalk Hotel, where all 140 guest rooms overlook the Indian Ocean, has been built as part of a R1-billion investment in Port Elizabeth’s Boardwalk beachfront complex by empowerment company Emfuleni Resorts. Designed to accommodate both families and couples, the Boardwalk Hotel has a number of family suites with interleading rooms. The Boardwalk complex has plenty of restaurants, a games arcade, movies, boutique shopping, an open air funfair and live entertainment most weekends. Situated just 10 minutes away from Port Elizabeth International Airport and the main freeway leading into the beach front, The Boardwalk Hotel is easily accessible. The hotel also has a health spa and fitness centre.

Rezidor to Launch Park Inn by Radisson Dakar

The Rezidor Hotel Group, a member of the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, has announced that it will open the first Park Inn by Radisson hotel in Senegal. The Park Inn by Radisson Dakar will feature 122 rooms and is scheduled to open in in the fourth quarter of 2014. The new build will enjoy a premium location between Dakar’s International Airport and the city’s main highway. It will be part of Dakar’s exclusive mixed-use development (Cité Tobago), which includes retail and offices. The hotel will feature a restaurant, a bar, a fitness centre, parking and an outdoor swimming pool. The hotel will also have 489 square metres of meeting space, and will ideally complement Rezidor’s existing Radisson Blu hotel, which is located on the seaside of Dakar.

RwandAir Continues Growth

In a major overhaul of its operations and with two brand new aircraft joining the fleet, RwandAir has adjusted frequencies to the 14 cities it serves. The Johannesburg-Kigali flights will now leave O.R. Tambo International at 08h30 in the morning.
To cater for strong demand over the weekend, the airline has also added evening flights on Fridays and Sundays. These flights will depart at 19h30 on both days. RwandAir is using new Boeing 737-800 aircraft, the first on the African continent with the new Boeing Sky Interior Concept.
 The national carrier of Rwanda connects to Nairobi, Entebbe, Dar es Salaam, Kamembe, Bujumbura, Dubai, Lagos, Brazzaville and Libreville. Earlier this year, RwandAir launched flights to Mwanza, the third largest city in Tanzania. Instead of operating with the current three weekly flights, Mwanza will now be operated four times a week. The flights to and from Mwanza also connect to Johannesburg flights.

iPads for Air France Pilots

 Air France has started to equip its 4,100 pilots with iPads, which they will use outside the cockpit instead of their laptops. Boeing 777 pilots started receiving these iPads back in June, and the roll-out should be completed by mid-2013. With the iPad, pilots have access to an electronic version of all their personal aircraft documentation, of which they previously had a paper version at home.
They will be able to download the manuals of their choice anywhere in the world and be automatically informed of their updates. Pilots will also be able to access airport maps. These dedicated applications will be available for download at the ‘Pilot Store’ specially developed by Air France.
 The use of iPads will facilitate communication processes by giving pilots the ability to electronically draft and dispatch regular reports, such as the Air Safety Report, Captain’s Report and Security Report, at the end of the flight. Pilots will also be able to access the Air France intranet website for specific services and to send and receive emails. Beginning 2013, Air France pilots will also be able to use the iPad to complete training courses, review aircraft systems and complete self-service briefings.
 Air France is also working towards the implementation of Electronic Flight Bags in the cockpit for its pilots, which will lead to greater convenience and efficiency while reducing fuel consumption and CO2 emissions.

Hilton Launches Doubletree Brand in SA

 Hilton Worldwide has announced the signing of a new DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in Cape Town, with local operator, Upper Eastside Hotel Ltd. The hotel will be Hilton Worldwide’s fifth property in South Africa and its second in Cape Town. The 183-room hotel, currently known as Upper Eastside, will re-brand over the coming months and is expected to open as DoubleTree by Hilton Cape Town Upper Eastside by the end of 2012. The property is located in the redeveloped district of Woodstock in the north of the city. The newly-branded hotel will boast a business centre, fitness centre, eight meeting rooms and a 300-capacity function room. The property will also feature a bar, a restaurant and a coffee shop. Accommodation includes executive rooms and suites, as well as a number of two-storey duplex loft rooms located on the top floor, offering stunning views of some of the city’s best known landmarks.

Radisson Blu Hotels Launches Experience Meetings

Radisson Blu has launched ‘Experience Meetings’, which focuses on meeting essentials such as breakout rooms, food and connectivity, combined with intangibles such as service, satisfaction and sustainability. ‘Experience Meetings’ is the newest offering at 255 participating Radisson Blu hotels, with a total of more than 2,200 meeting rooms in 55 countries across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Radisson Blu has come up with a variety of tools and services, such as a sophisticated search engine - www.meetings.carlsonrezidor.com - and will be rolling out enhanced hotel web pages for meetings, along with 3D floor plans. Three elements mark ‘Experience Meetings – ‘Brain Food’, ‘Brain Box’ and ‘Connectivity’. The first relates to healthy food, whilst Brain Box relates to the breakout room concept. Connectivity refers to the complimentary Wi-Fi that all Radisson Blu properties offer their delegates.

Award for Royal Livingstone

Hot on the heels of their recent acknowledgement as one of Travel & Leisure’s top 500 hotels in the world, Sun International’s Royal Livingstone Hotel has been voted ‘Zambia’s Leading Hotel’ at the 2012 World Travel Awards - the eighth time the hotel has won this award. The Royal Livingstone offers travellers a fantastic hideaway to unwind and recharge their batteries. The 5-star property has unsurpassed views of the Victoria Falls, and offers the ultimate African encounter to those seeking a quality leisure experience. Over the years, the Royal Livingstone Hotel has also made a sustained contribution to responsible tourism and has received numerous accolades. In an effort to bring about positive change to the Livingstone education system, Sun International united with the government and other co-operative partners to improve the facilities at Zambezi Basic School, Mukuni Basic School, Kazungula GRZ Primary School, Siyanalumba Basic School, Nakatindi Community School and Christ the King Basic School.

Boeing Advances In-Flight Connectivity

Boeing continues to advance its suite of connectivity offerings on its family of commercial jetliners. Systems to be installed during production on the 747-8 and 777 by the end of 2013 have the capability to provide in-flight use for cell phones, Wi-Fi connectivity for passengers, Internet access using in-flight entertainment (IFE), and live television broadcasts. Additional connectivity systems are being evaluated for the 737 that could be available in the near future. The 737 already includes wiring provisions for connectivity systems. The 787 offers a post-delivery retrofit of systems that provide in-flight use of personal cell phones and Wi-Fi connectivity for passengers, and is working toward a full set of connectivity offerings as part of its standard catalog by the end of this year. The prime connectivity systems currently in development at Boeing are the Panasonic Global Communication Suite and Thales TopConnect system. Wireless media streaming is expected to be available on all new Boeing airplanes in 2014.

New Products from Delta

Delta Air Lines is adding new on-demand entertainment options to its fleet of more than 950 two-class Delta and Delta Connection aircraft. The Delta Connect Wi-Fi portal will allow customers to stream television and movie options directly to their laptop or tablet while in flight. Streamed content will be accessible for 24 hours after a flight and available for playback on the ground through the same device used onboard. All 800 of Delta's two-class domestic aircraft will be equipped with this new on-demand technology by the end of 2013. This new technology will be installed on Delta's international fleet in conjunction with previously announced plans to install international Wi-Fi service on more than 150 widebody aircraft, by the end of 2015. This will allow customers to use both their personal device to stream movies and television shows, as well as current in-seat systems. In addition, Delta recently announced that it will add recharging stations at more airports. It has already added more First Class seats and in-flight entertainment to its domestic product; is offering full flat-bed BusinessElite seats with direct aisle access on its entire international widebody fleet; recently completed the system-wide roll-out of Economy Comfort on all two-class aircraft; and has added personal, in-seat entertainment for both BusinessElite and Economy Class customers on all long-haul international flights.

Emirates Increase Seychelles Flights

Emirates will introduce two additional flights to the Seychelles in December and February, thus increasing the service to 13 weekly flights. The 12th flight starts on 3 December and will depart Dubai at 08h45, arriving in the Seychelles at 13h25. The return journey from the Seychelles will depart at 23h50, arriving in Dubai at 04h20 the following day. The 13th flight will be operational from 5 February, 2013. Emirates has been flying to the Seychelles since January 2005. Emirates flies to 125 destinations in 74 countries across six continents. Operating 177 wide-body Airbus and Boeing aircraft, including 21 A380s, Emirates has orders for an additional 226 aircraft, worth more than USD$62 billion.

Travelport and Qantas Sign Agreement

Travelport, the business services provider to the global travel industry, has announced a new long-term agreement with Qantas Airways. The new agreement ensures Galileo, Worldspan and Apollo-connected travel agents worldwide have access to Qantas’ full published inventory, including ancillary content such as paid seating, consistent with the airline’s website.
 Last year, Travelport subscribers received full GDS access to the Qantas advance seat selection product, following the introduction of a new booking capability enabling agents to book and pay for preferred seats on Qantas flights via their desktop.

Park Inn by Radisson for Newlands

Rezidor, a member of the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, has announced that it will be opening a Park Inn by Radisson in the Cape Town suburb of Newlands. The mid-market property is scheduled to open in the first quarter of 2014. It is Rezidor’s second Park Inn by Radisson hotel in Cape Town - the group also has two Radisson Blu hotels in Cape Town (one in operation and one under development). The new build Park Inn by Radisson Cape Town Newlands will be the first internationally-branded hotel in Claremont/Newlands, a key upmarket business and residential node, in the affluent southern suburbs of Cape Town. Besides 122 guest rooms, it will comprise a club lounge, business lounge, the RBG Restaurant & Bar, a breakfast restaurant, a kiosk and help desk, a gym, multi-purpose meeting and function facilities, an outdoor terrace with sculpture garden and an outdoor swimming pool. The hotel will be in close proximity to the Newlands Cricket Ground, Newlands Rugby Stadium, South African Rugby headquarters, the Sports Science Institute of South Africa, and the University of Cape Town.

Urban Hip Acquire PE Property

Urban Hip Hotels has announced the addition of “The Vic”, formerly known as “Victorian Villa Guest Manor”, to its hotel portfolio. This mews of Victorian houses is situated in the heart of Port Elizabeth, the hub of the Eastern Cape of South Africa. Built at the turn of the 19th century, this property features 24 luxury en-suite bathrooms, communal areas, a funky ‘chill zone’ replenished with a bar, coffee station, light and breezy dining area and an outdoor swimming pool. Located on Cape Road in Mill Park, The Vic is only 10 minutes from many of Port Elizabeth’s key attractions, including the airport, CBD, hospitals, sporting facilities and PE’s beaches.

Fahrenheit Hospitality Opens Morning Side Suites

A new boutique hotel has opened its doors in Lagos. Morning Side Suites is a boutique hotel comprising 36 guest rooms, including two luxury suites. The hotel is managed by Fahrenheit Hospitality Limited, which is an international hospitality solutions company that provides high-end quality services, from hotel staff recruitment and training to procurement and furnishing of hospitality and leisure facilities. It is the vision of FHL to create a niche market for boutique hotels in Nigeria and Africa at large, making use of indigenous experience and international expertise. This they believe can only be achieved through an indigenous hospitality group with home-grown experience and international affiliations.

ITMSA Hosts Successful Conference

The Institute of Travel and Meetings Southern Africa held its annual conference at the Velmore Hotel near Pretoria in South Africa. The conference was held in partnership with the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) Africa and delegates represented active practitioners in all sectors of the corporate travel market in Africa. In fact, the 2012 conference also featured the launch of GBTA Africa as the newest region of GBTA. The conference featured a host of respected industry thought leaders, and topics discussed included ‘The Art of Networking’ and ‘Unpacking Billbacks’, as well as buyers-only and suppliers-only sessions.

Qantas and SAA get Draft Approval

The International Air Services Commission is proposing to allocate Qantas seven services per week on the South Africa route for the next five years - but will only permit South African Airways to codeshare on the flights until 31 December 2014. The commission is concerned that the "duopoly environment" on the South Africa route greatly limits the intensity of competition, due to the basis on which each carrier charges the other for its block of seats, the weak competitive constraint imposed by third country carriers, and the knowledge by both Qantas and SAA that if they discount fares too aggressively, it might destabilise the arrangement.

Refurb for Radisson Blu Hotel Waterfront

The Radisson Blu Hotel Waterfront in Cape Town recently completed a R16 million refurbishment of the property’s 103 Standard Superior rooms. Taking inspiration from minimalist, Scandinavian interior design, the refurbishment included fully redesigned bathrooms. 
The renovation forms the second phase of the refurbishment of guest rooms, as all of the hotel’s sea-facing Business Class rooms were revamped and modernised in 2008. Each of those rooms has a private balcony with spectacular views over either the private marina, Table Mountain or across Table Bay to Robben Island.
 In the heart of the hotel is a full-height, enclosed atrium which separates the sea and land-facing rooms, and Lightspace, the designers responsible for the project, used two primary design schemes for the opposing elements of land and sea.
 A nautical theme was incorporated into the sea-facing rooms and corridors, while a richer, earthier theme was used in the other half of the hotel overlooking Cape Town. With the Victoria & Albert Waterfront and the Cape’s beaches only a stone’s throw away, The Radisson Blu Hotel Waterfront, Cape Town is a convenient base for guests. The hotel’s Tobago’s Restaurant and Bar offers a comprehensive wine list and 5-star dining at the water’s edge, while a trip to the spa completes the sensory experience.

Qantas, Emirates In New Global Aviation Partnership

Qantas and Emirates have announced a new global aviation partnership, whereby Qantas will move its hub for European flights to Dubai and enter an extensive commercial relationship with Emirates. Whilst neither airline will take equity in the other, the 10-year partnership will go beyond codesharing by including integrated network collaboration with co-ordinated pricing, sales and scheduling, as well as a benefit-sharing model. 
Qantas will launch daily A380 services from both Sydney and Melbourne to London via Dubai, and together Emirates and Qantas will offer 98 weekly services between Australia and Dubai. Qantas will be the only other airline operating to Terminal 3 and the new purpose-built A380 concourse at Dubai International Airport. Qantas customers will get one-stop access to more than 70 Emirates destinations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and for Emirates customers it will open up Qantas’ Australian domestic network of more than 50 destinations and 5,000 flights per week.
 The Emirates and Qantas frequent flyer programs will also be aligned. The airlines will also provide reciprocal access to tier status benefits, including end-to-end customer recognition, lounge access, priority check-in, boarding and other exclusive services. The airlines will submit an application for interim authorisation to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, in order to begin commercial planning. 
Subject to regulatory approval, it is anticipated that the partnership will commence in April 2013. Qantas will restructure its Asian network to strengthen its focus on services to and within the region. Qantas’ Asian services will no longer be a subsidiary of the ‘Kangaroo Route’, but will be dedicated to connecting Australians with the region, and Asian visitors to Australia. It will also increase dedicated capacity to Singapore and re-time flights to Singapore and Hong Kong to enable more ‘same day’ connections across Asia. Qantas will also withdraw from the Singapore-Frankfurt route due to underperformance. However, the partnership with Emirates will enable it to take place with minimal impact on Qantas customers.

Arik Adds New Route

Arik Air has begun scheduled commercial services between Lagos, Nigeria and Douala, Cameroon, on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Outbound flights depart Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos at 11h10 (local time) and arrive in Douala at 12h40 (local time), whilst inbound flights leave Douala at 13h25 (local time) and arrive in Lagos at 14:55 (local time). The route is served with a Boeing 737-700 Next Generation aircraft with a two-class cabin, made up of 12 Business Class seats and 112 Economy Class seats. Business Class passengers enjoy a 44-inch seat pitch, cradle-style seat, while Economy Class passengers have a seat pitch of 34 inches. The new Lagos-Douala route is Arik Air’s second foray into Central Africa, coming after the inauguration of the Lagos-Luanda (Angola) route in December last year.

SAT Chief Marketing Officer Retires

South African Tourism has announced that Chief Marketing Officer, Roshene Singh is retiring after almost 10 years with the organisation. In February this year, Singh was named an "Internationalist" for her leadership in global destination marketing work and ‘outstanding thinking in brand communications’. The honour was bestowed by The Internationalist, a global publication based in New York that explores the best of global branding and marketing. She will be retiring to take some time off to pursue her own personal interests, but will stay with SA Tourism until the end of this year, while a replacement is sought for her position.

Carlson Rezidor Opens Lusaka Hotel

Carlson Rezidor has opened its first hotel in Zambia. The 142-room Radisson Blu Hotel, Lusaka is the group’s 22nd hotel in operation in Africa and brings Carlson Rezidor’s total African portfolio of properties in operation and under development to 48 hotels with 10,889 rooms.
Carlson Rezidor has plenty in the pipeline and future openings include Radisson Blu hotels in Maputo (Mozambique), Nairobi (Kenya), Luanda (Angola), and Kigali (Rwanda). The Radisson Blu Hotel, Lusaka is located in the Zambian capital’s commercial district on the Great East Road, adjacent to the Mulungushi International Conference Centre, opposite the Arcades Shopping and Entertainment Complex, and five kilometres from the city centre.
 All the hotel’s rooms are equipped with air-conditioning and free high-speed, wireless Internet. Guests can also enjoy Italian cuisine at the all-day Restaurant Filini, plus a wide range of other international dishes. They can also relax in the airy Filini Bar, or they can choose to chill out at the Pool Bar. There’s also an in-house spa, modern fitness centre and Executive Lounge, with terrace.
 The Radisson Blu Hotel, Lusaka also has conference facilities. The modern meeting rooms vary in size, offering flexibility for any type of gathering. The spacious ballroom and versatile pre-function area are ideal for large events. All rooms feature modern audio-visual equipment, air-conditioning and free high-speed, wireless Internet access.

Airlink Beefs Up Mthatha Service

Airlink will introduce daily services between Johannesburg and Mthatha, in the Eastern Cape of South Africa, on one of its 12 Embraer ERJ135 37-seat regional jets, from 1 October.
The new service is in line with the growing demand for travel to Mthatha, which is attributed to growing interest in this region, both as a tourist destination and its increasing influence as one of the important hubs in the Eastern Cape. It is also in line with the Mthatha airport upgrade, which includes a new terminal building and upgraded runway.
 The jet service will provide increased capacity as well as shorten the flying time between Johannesburg and Mthatha to just over an hour. Airlink services Mthatha twice daily, Monday to Friday, with a Saturday morning and a Sunday afternoon flight.
Morning flights will depart Johannesburg at 06h15 and arrive in Mthatha at 07h20, before departing again from Mthatha at 07h45 and arriving in Johannesburg at 09h00. Afternoon flights - including Sundays - depart Johannesburg at 16h05 and arrive in Mthatha at 17h10, before departing again from Mthatha at 17h30 and arriving in Johannesburg at 18h45. Saturday morning flights depart Johannesburg at 08h20 and arrive in Mthatha at 09h25, before departing again from Mthatha at 09h45 and arriving in Johannesburg at 11h00.
 Benefits for Airlink travellers include Voyager Miles and convenient interline connections with SAA and its Star Alliance partner flights, both locally and globally.

KQ Takes Delivery of Embraer E190

The first Embraer E190 aircraft to be fully purchased by Kenya Airways touched down at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi in late August. The new acquisition brings the airline closer to its vision of flying to every capital in Africa by 2016.
It currently flies to 46 destinations in Africa with Nairobi as the hub. KQ now has a fleet of 11 Embraer aircraft, comprising a mixture of both E170 and E190 models. It’s believed the new fleet will lead to fleet optimization, by freeing larger jets to operate regional and continental routes, which will translate into better customer care and boosting frequency of flights.
 Besides enhanced comfort with more shoulder room, the E190 will offer state-of-the-art in-flight entertainment technology. It also has a wider aisle and more spacious cabin than its E170 predecessor, with a capacity of 98 to 106. Kenya Airways has nine more Embraer E190 aircraft on order, with six expected to join the fleet every month from now.
The remaining three will arrive in May, August and November 2013. The airline has also ordered nine Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft to be delivered by 2014. Currently, KQ uses Embraer aircraft on domestic and short regional routes, including Kisumu, Entebbe, Kigali, Bujumbura, Addis Ababa, Djibouti, Maputo, Gaborone, Kilimanjaro and Nampula.

Renovations for Winchester Mansions

Cape Town’s Winchester Mansions, located on the Sea Point Promenade, is currently on phase two of the hotel’s renovation project. Winchester Mansions has for many years struggled to shake off a long-standing reputation that it catered for an older, more international crowd - its Cape Dutch architecture often leaving guests feeling that the space was imperial.
From opulent revamps to the grand Harvey Suite, to upgrades to all its public areas and amenities, the newly refreshed hotel is now fitted with stylish furniture, contemporary light fixtures and bronzed mirrors that incorporate the hotel’s signature crest.
 A notable element is that many of the pieces used in the refurbishing are locally made, from the chairs and fabrics to the bronzed light fixtures. The hotel has also completed the upgrade of its new kitchen and work is under way on the refurbishing of its rooms.

Air Mauritius Re-Introduces Durban Festive Flights

After declaring the closure of the Durban route, as of 28 October, Air Mauritius has announced that the national carrier will re-introduce flights to the KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa market, for the festive season, spanning 21 December 2012 – 13 January 2013.
 A319 aircraft will be used to service this market. So, from 28 October, Air Mauritius will operate 10 weekly flights out of Johannesburg, and additional supplementary capacity during peak holiday season. Also from 28 October, Cape Town flight capacity will also be simultaneous boosted with three flights direct to Mauritius, return, per week.
Furthermore, and also effective as of 28 October, Air Mauritius will offer network connectivity within six hours to all destinations, beyond Mauritius. These include competitive rates offered via international routes inclusive of: Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, London, Paris, India, China, Reunion, Kenya, Madagascar and more.

1time Cuts Mombasa Route

 Troubled South African low-cost airline, 1time, has announced that it will halt operations between Johannesburg and Mombasa from 17 September.
 "While the debt relief process will allow 1time to continue operating while we resolve the outstanding issues and prepare to emerge as a healthier company, part of the process will be to strengthen our profitable routes and to terminate non-profitmaking destinations," said CEO, Blacky Komani.
Earlier in the week, 1Time Holdings filed for business rescue. The airline's board said it required business rescue because it was "financially distressed". The firm has about R320-million in short-term debt and has been in negotiations with creditors since March.
1Time's shares have fallen 91% over the past two years, from about 155c a share to close at 14c a share on Tuesday. In April, the company reported a R157-million loss.
 Earlier this year, another South African low-cost airline, Velvet Sky, went into liquidation after failing to convince a court that it was a candidate for business rescue.

Travelport Trials New Service

Travelport is trialling a new service which will allow travel agents to book private car transfers via the GDS. Targeting selected Galileo-connected travel agents in Asia, the new Travelport ‘Drive Me’ solution works with two car rental companies to provide access to 21 airports in China, India, the Philippines and Singapore.
 Pending the completion of a successful trial, Travelport plans to make this service available to all Galileo-connected travel agents worldwide. By booking with Travelport via the GDS, agents are able to automate the process and bookings are integrated back into the passenger name record (PNR).
The tool uses the functionality of the Galileo CarMaster system and transmits flight and destination details to the transfer provider. All bookings through Travelport Drive Me will be commissionable at between five and 10%.

Hertz to buy Dollar Thrifty

Hertz has entered into an agreement to acquire car hire rival, Dollar Thrifty, more than two years after first making a bid for the company.
 The final offer is apparently worth $87.50 per share, which totals approximately $2.56 billion – more than double Hertz’s original 2010 bid. Since then, Hertz has been embroiled in a bidding war with the Avis Budget Group, with the latter company finally pulling out earlier this year.
The Hertz deal, which has been unanimously approved by directors of both companies, will be an all cash transaction. The combined company will offer approximately 10,000 locations across the world.

Qantas Celebrates 60 Years of Flying Between Johannesburg & Australia

Qantas is set to celebrate a major milestone in its history, as the airline marks its 60th anniversary of passenger flights between Australia and South Africa on 1 September.
 Qantas first commenced passenger services to Johannesburg on 1 September 1952, when a Lockheed Constellation L-749A aircraft departed Sydney and arrived three days later on 4 September 1952. Following the first flight, there were fortnightly services on the route until 1957, when Qantas and SAA announced a partnership to operate flights between the two countries on alternate weeks. This agreement involved SAA operating DC7B aircraft between Johannesburg and Perth, and Qantas operating Super Constellations from Perth to Sydney and return.
Today, Qantas operates a daily non-stop flight service between Sydney and Johannesburg on a B747-400 aircraft, with a typical flight time of 14 hours and 10 minutes. The return leg is generally assisted by a favourable tailwind, with a typical flying time of only 11 hours and 45 minutes.

AVIAREPS To Represent Condor

German leisure carrier Condor and general sales agent, AVIAREPS, have announced their co-operation in the South African market. For the launch of new flights between Frankfurt and Cape Town in November, the Johannesburg team of AVIAREPS has been appointed for the positioning of Condor in the market and being a local point of contact for all sales and reservations queries in South Africa.
 Starting on 3 November, Condor offers non-stop flights from Frankfurt to Cape Town. Aircraft depart on Tuesdays and Saturdays from Germany, whilst return flights from Cape Town are offered on Wednesdays and Sundays. Passengers will benefit from convenient overnight connections. Frankfurt – Cape Town is scheduled from 22h05 – 10h50 +1 on Tuesdays and 20h40 – 09h25 + 1 on Saturdays.
Cape Town – Frankfurt is served at 23h20 – 10h20 on Wednesdays and 18h55 – 05h55 on Sundays. Condor offers different classes on its long-haul routes: Economy Class, Premium Economy and Comfort Class. All services are operated with a modern Boeing 767-300 and are already available for sale.

Deadline Looms for Imvelo Responsible Tourism Awards

Tourism and hospitality businesses in Africa have until Friday 31 August to enter the 2012 Imvelo Responsible Tourism Awards programme. Imvelo awards businesses that implement sustained responsible tourism programmes.
Organised by the Federated Hospitality Association of Southern Africa (FEDHASA) in conjunction with Absa, the National Department of Tourism, Eskom, the Industrial Development Corporation and the Department of Water Affairs, Imvelo is open to any type of tourism and hospitality business.
FEDHASA Chairman, Eddy Khosa says Imvelo is now the leading responsible tourism project in South Africa and has made a huge impact on the industry.
Imvelo means ‘nature’ in South Africa’s Nguni languages. According to Khosa, the awards are in line with the National Minimum Standard for Responsible Tourism and the UN World Tourism Organisation’s code of ethics, and are supported by the Heritage Environmental Rating Programme.
 He says Imvelo has created significant awareness of environmental management issues in the tourism industry. “Over the years, the awards have found and recognised world-class examples of responsible tourism practice.”
Awards will be made in the following categories: Best Social Involvement Programme; Best Practice – Economic Impact; Best Overall Environmental Management System and Best Single Resource Management Programme – for Water, Energy and Waste, Most Empowered Tourism Business and Investing in People. An overall Imvelo winner will be selected.
 A Chairman’s Award could be made at the discretion of the FEDHASA chairman, to any Imvelo entrant or any other organisation in the tourism industry that made a significant contribution to responsible tourism over the past year. Entrants may enter in more than one category, but entries must stipulate the category/categories that apply.
Entries will be judged by a panel of specialists in responsible tourism practice and finalists will be visited personally to verify and evaluate their entries.
Winners will receive their awards at an awards ceremony to be held in Johannesburg on 31 October.
For more information, contact Cheryl Stevens on 0861 333 628 or visit www.imveloawards.co.za.

SATTIC Conference: 2- 4 September 2012

Expanding South Africa’s tourist market share is one of the key issues to be debated at the inaugural South African Travel and Tourism Industry Conference (SATTIC), which will take place at the Protea Hotel O.R. Tambo, in Ekurhuleni, to the east of Johannesburg.
Timed to kick off Tourism Month, the conference is expected to provide the opportunity for all industry thought and opinion leaders, across the total value chain, to get to grips with what it will take for South Africa to become a successful tourism nation.
 SATTIC will be opened and addressed by the Minister of Tourism, Marthinus van Schalkwyk. The Minister’s opening speech will be followed by a high level discussion of the industry’s competitiveness, led by a presentation of the 2012 World Economic Forum’s Global Competitiveness report by Professor Geoffery Lipman, advisor to the UNWTO and WEF, and a presentation by David Scowsill, CEO and President of the World Travel and Tourism Council. The session, titled “Is South Africa getting its fair share of tourist arrivals?” will delve more into the dynamics impacting on the country’s ability to expand its market share and explore possible solutions.
 This session will be moderated by Wayne Duvenage, previous CEO of Avis Car Rental and current Chairman of the Opposition to Urban Tolling Alliance (OUTA), and will feature the following industry leaders: Thulani Nzima, CEO of SA Tourism; Martin Wiest, CEO of Tourvest Destination Management Services and Bongani Maseko, Acting MD of Airport Company South Africa (ACSA).
There are only 11 days left to register for the conference. Register online at www.sattic.co.za or www.tourismvision2020.co.za.

Etihad Increases Service

Etihad Airways will increase its services to Casablanca, to provide daily flights from 28 March, 2013. Etihad currently flies five times a week between Abu Dhabi and Casablanca, and in June celebrated the seventh anniversary of operations to the Moroccan capital.
The daily service will support traffic growth between Abu Dhabi and Casablanca, and connecting traffic to many popular onward destinations, including Jeddah, and a choice of Asian cities such as Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Manila, and Sydney in Australia.
The additional services will improve the connectivity in Abu Dhabi by 50%. The daily service will also strengthen connectivity with codeshare partner, Royal Air Maroc, allowing Etihad Airways passengers more choice to connect to domestic Moroccan destinations and other points in West Africa.
Etihad Airways operates a three cabin A330-300 aircraft between Abu Dhabi and Casablanca, configured to carry eight passengers in Diamond First Class, 32 passengers in Pearl Business Class, and 191 passengers in Coral Economy Class.

1time Needs Financial Rescue

1Time Holdings has filed for business rescue. The airline's board said it required business rescue because it was "financially distressed". The firm has about R320-million in short-term debt and has been in negotiations with creditors since March.
1Time chief executive, Blacky Komani said that the airline would continue scheduled services. The firm has been carrying the debt for two years. "It is money that we owe for services and for some operational costs. We inherited it," Komani said. 1Time's shares have fallen 91% over the past two years, from about 155c a share to close at 14c a share on Tuesday.
In April, the company reported a R157-million loss. "What we need is time to present a turnaround strategy for the business, which will be sold to creditors and investors," Komani told South Africa’s Business Day. "Business rescue gives you protection from creditors that may want to file for liquidation, while you are turning the business around."
Earlier this year, another low-cost airline, Velvet Sky, went into liquidation after failing to convince a court that it was a candidate for business rescue.

Trouble for Signature Life

South African hotel management company, Signature Life Hospitality, has been wound up and now a liquidator will begin probing allegations that money was misappropriated. In a last-minute affidavit submitted to the Durban High Court, former CEO, Alan Vels, denied allegations that he or his co-director, Donald Pitt, were involved in a “pyramid scheme”. The allegation was made by Docklands Hotel manager, James Murray, in his affidavit in support of the liquidation application launched last month. Murray, who claimed Signature Life owed Docklands about R2 million, said a liquidator needed to take control, preserve documentation and interrogate direction, to determine “where did the monies go?” He said Signature Life had unlawfully “mingled funds” between the various businesses it operated. Murray also alleged that the company had misappropriated millions of rands this way, and yet it did not own any fixed assets or assets of any value. He said there had also been non-disclosures to the court regarding the so-called indebtedness of Signature Life to Docklands and another hotel, Hotel 54 on Gordon.

Travelport Appoints Christie

Travelport, the business services provider to the global travel industry, has announced the appointment of seasoned industry professional, Robyn Christie, as its new general manager for Southern Africa.
Based at Travelport’s offices in Johannesburg from 1 October, Christie will have overall responsibility for Travelport’s strategic objectives and commercial operations in Southern Africa, as well as overseeing the introduction of new Travelport technology to customers in the region. Christie’s career spans over 30 years in the corporate world, spending the past 15 years in the retail travel industry.
She joins Travelport from ASATA (Association of South African Travel Agents), where she has held the position of CEO since 2007.

Ethiopian Airlines Celebrates First Dreamliner

 The African airline has become the first airline in the world outside Japan to receive this technologically-advanced aircraft. The 787 Dreamliner is composed of light-weight composites and features numerous system, engine and aerodynamic advancements, making it more efficient to operate.
 It is the first mid-sized airplane capable of flying long-range routes, enabling airlines to open new, non-stop routes preferred by passengers. After taking delivery, Ethiopian will fly its Dreamliner to Washington D.C. where the aircraft will be on display. The aircraft will then make its inaugural trip to Africa with its first revenue flight from Dulles International Airport to Bole Addis Ababa International Airport.
Ethiopian Airways has nine more 787 Dreamliners remaining on order. The airline was the first African airline to operate the 777-200LR, the first to order the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, and the first to order the 777 Freighter. Ethiopian Airlines currently operates an all-Boeing fleet of 737, 757, 767 and 777, and now 787 airplanes in passenger service.

Gigaba Clips Wings of SA Express Board

South Africa’s Public Enterprises Minister, Malusi Gigaba, has fired the board of the state-owned regional airline, South African Express, after the airline failed to present audited financial statements.
With the exception of Bridget Ssamula, the entire board was removed, because of its failure to present its 2011-12 financial statements to Gigaba at its annual general meeting.
 This comes after South African Express’s accounts were withdrawn last year, after it emerged that they were unreliable. The auditors cited numerous significant adjustments which were not substantiated with the appropriate audit evidence, reportable irregularities and cast doubt over the future of SA Express.
 A new board has been appointed and the chairperson is Andile Mabizela, who has a background in strategy, aviation and law.
He will be supported by a board of directors and their primary mandate is to turn the airline around. The newly-appointed board is required to address a number of critical issues facing the airline - among those: crisis management, stabilising operations and building brand and reputational confidence.

Emirates Offers Easy Access into Dubai

Emirates Airline will be offering extra convenience to South Africa travellers by providing a UAE entry visa with each ticket when booked between the 13th through the 17th of August for travel from the 6th of September to 5th October, 2012.
 The offer is available through all Emirates classes (First, Business and Economy) to enable easy passage into Dubai from any one of Emirates’ three gateways in Johannesburg, Durban and Cape Town. Travelling to Dubai will now be a lot easier for South African merchants, business people and leisure travellers visiting the region in the months of September and October.

SAA Introduces New Baggage Policy

South African Airways is introducing a new check-in baggage policy, in line with most of the larger Star Alliance member carriers.
 From 5 September, SAA will move to a checked baggage policy that restricts the number of pieces of baggage a passenger may check in, rather than the total weight of the passenger’s checked baggage. Each of these pieces will be subject to weight and size restrictions.
The new policy describes the number of baggage pieces a passenger may check-in, as well as the weight restrictions for each piece, according to route and class of travel.
Excess baggage, ie. additional items, or where the baggage exceeds the weight and or size allowance, will be charged at a flat rate per piece of luggage. This is a change from the current policy where excess baggage is charged per kilogram. In addition, and to comply with airport loading equipment limits, SAA cannot accept any check-in items weighing more than 32kg. Any items exceeding this limit will either have to be repacked into separate bags or checked in at the SAA Cargo counter and flown at cargo rates.

Monarch Hotel Opens Doors, Once Again

The Monarch Hotel, part of the Mantis Collection, is located in Rosebank in Johannesburg’s northern suburbs and has re-opened its doors to guests, after recent refurbishments.
The building was constructed in the 1930s and used as a post office until the 1990s, but the hotel closed its doors temporarily, to coincide with the scheduled road maintenance necessitated by the building of the Gautrain’s Rosebank station, which is conveniently accessible from the hotel.
Guests can enjoy the choice of six luxury or five royal suites equipped with all the technological comforts of today’s age. All suites come standard with electronic safe, flat-screen TV, selected DSTV channels, DVD player, under-floor heating, air-conditioning, Internet, heated towel rails, hair dryer, private bar and tea & coffee-making facilities. Courtesy vehicles are available to transport guests.

SAA Increases Frequencies

South African Airways has announced a number of additional flights, as well as additional capacity on popular summer holidays routes. Effective 3 October, SAA will offer non-stop daily flights between Johannesburg and Mumbai.
The route is serviced with an A330-200 Airbus, with 36 Business and 186 Economy Class seats. Effective 13 September, SAA will add three flights to its daily schedule which increases the service between Johannesburg and Nairobi from seven to 10 flights per week.
 To meet demand, SAA will be adding capacity to its popular summer holidays routes. First in line will be Brazil with the current 10 flights weekly between Sao Paulo and Johannesburg increasing to 11.
 This additional capacity will be added between 6 October and 13 March 2013, using a combination of the Airbus A323 and A343. Further, during the summer holidays, a wide-body aircraft will be deployed to meet demand on the Johannesburg to Mauritius route.
]Between mid-December and mid-January, the same will happen on the Johannesburg to Cape Town route when a bigger aircraft will be deployed to cater for an increase in demand by holiday travelers.

Birchwood Launches New Convention Centre

Birchwood Hotel & OR Tambo Conference Centre is launching its new multi-purpose convention venue, turning the hotel into a one-stop conferencing centre, offering a host of conferencing, exhibition, banqueting and eventing options.
It has a capacity of 3000 and is fully-equipped with quality conferencing equipment, back-up generators and an in-house décor team. It’s designed to cater for any event. The Convention Venue is backed up by an array of already existing conference facilities, which range from the more intimate four-seater boardrooms, to the ‘OR Tambo Centre’, which can seat up to 1,500 delegates, and the 164-seater auditorium.
 Situated just 10 minutes away from O.R Tambo International Airport and easily accessible from three major highways, Birchwood is a great venue in which to bring together delegates from around South Africa and Africa as a whole.
The hotel was established in 1998 with just one conference venue and 80 accommodation rooms, but today boasts 665 accommodation rooms and over 60 conference rooms. There is also a complimentary scheduled shuttle service to and from the airport, as well as the nearby East Rand Mall shopping centre. Further to that, Birchwood also offers comprehensive services, including on-site car hire and an in-house tour operator, in the form of Top Shot Tours, which covers all transport requirements, from airport transfers to organised day trips.

SAA Sells Heathrow Slot

According to South African media, the country’s national airline has sold one of its three exclusive daily landing-time slots at London’s Heathrow Airport. It is reported that the time slot sold is the one used for the regular Cape Town-London flight, which will be discontinued on 15 August.
 SAA commercial general manager Theunis Potgieter reportedly confirmed the deal, but would not name the buyer or the price paid for the slot. Landing-time slots for Heathrow are so difficult to acquire that SAA will probably never be able to get this one back, the report said.

Airlink Commences Maun Flight

 Airlink has commenced its daily scheduled Johannesburg – Maun flights and will initially operate the service using one of its 10 Embraer ERJ 135 37-seat regional jets. It does however plan to increase capacity in line with market demand. Airlink will also increase the frequency of its daily service between Johannesburg and Pemba, Northern Mozambique. From 27 August, Airlink will add a Monday and Friday flight to its weekly schedule.

Recognition for Sun International Properties

Travel + Leisure magazine has released its 2012 list of their 500 best hotels in the world. The rankings are determined by the magazine's reader’s votes.
Sun International’s Royal Livingstone Hotel in Zambia has once again made the grade and The Table Bay Hotel in Cape Town has made the newcomers list. The number of high-scoring hotels in Africa also increased this year, with nine hotels in the top 25 and 45 properties overall.
The 5-star Royal Livingstone has dramatic views of the Zambezi River, which can be enjoyed from the public rooms, guest rooms and riverside deck.
The Table Bay Hotel rises eight stories above ships and fisheries at the V&A Waterfront, and has direct access to waterfront shops and restaurants. Occupying a modern gabled building, the hotel’s public rooms have a maritime theme, and the most inviting is the lounge, with its high open-trussed ceiling and expansive atrium window, beautifully framing a view of Table Mountain.