The National News’ Post

To celebrate Euro 2024 we've compiled some fun flight data facts about the tournament ⚽ Read more of the top travel stats for Euro 2024 >> https://hubs.li/Q02D5bKJ0 #Euro2024 #Aviation #TravelData

“I’m leaving on that midnight plane to Georgia….” Admittedly we’re talking air not rail and the flights in question depart at lunchtime, but why let a couple of words get in the way of a catchy lyric and a classic tune. The news that #easyJet is launching a twice weekly service from #Lutonairport to the Georgian capital #Tbilisi in 2025 came as a wake-up call to those who believed the geographical expansion of European boundaries low-cost aviation had reached its zenith. The fact that #britishairways have simultaneously announced their own service from Heathrow testifies to the growth potential of this hitherto largely untapped market. To me the addition of a new country to the orange map is always something to celebrate. I’ve long believed that #easyJet (and to be fair its low-cost competitors) have played an important and understated role in bringing the disparate community of European nations closer together. Through opening up affordable opportunities to travel they have enabled tens, if not hundreds, of millions of the continent’s citizens to forge new friendships, develop business opportunities and to understand and appreciate our varied culture, cuisine and history   Beyond tourism and business, sports fans and lovers of the arts also stand to benefit from the new links. Georgia has long punched above its weight in Europe’s premier football and rugby competitions while a mid-table finish in the 2024 #Eurovision (sponsored by easyJet!) underscores the nation’s cultural credentials. Which may be stretching things a bit but starting and ending this post on a musical note has a certain circularity about it! #airlines [opinions expressed are my own and do not represent those of any other individual or organisation]

International connections are vital for our economy. It is excellent to see this new link to Europe’s biggest economy and to this key centre for manufacturing and innovation.

BizJet Activity Overview - Week 24 (10th – 16th June) Summer comes into view, especially with the Olympics in France, we would expect to see an uptick in international arrivals into Europe. Total transatlantic bizjet flights from the US to Europe +5% this month and into France +26%. We’d expect the high-end tourist demand to be a strong stimulus for the European charter market, lifting a sector which has otherwise sagged this year. Europe 🇪🇺 - uptick owes to the EURO Championships hosted in Germany and the run up to the Olympics opening in Paris - YoY down 1-2% sectors flown, +5% vs ´19 - France 🇫🇷 and Germany 🇩🇪 both saw upticks this week, week 24, which goes against the grain of declines in the last 4 weeks, and indeed year-to-date - Conversely Switzerland 🇨🇭, Spain 🇪🇸 and Italy 🇮🇹 are seeing fewer bizjet flights - Greece is continuing to show impressive growth this year, with bizjet arrivals month-to-date up by 10%. Arrivals from the UK +67% this month, arrivals from Italy -27% #onlynetjets #netjets #businessaviation #privatejet #privatejetcharter #bizav #aviation https://lnkd.in/gmVgdbZ4

Euro 2024 kicks off today! To celebrate we've compiled some fun flight data facts about the tournament ⚽ Read more of the top travel stats for Euro 2024 >> https://hubs.li/Q02BGXzd0 #Euro2024 #Aviation #TravelData

My latest video is now live! This week, we're exploring the new #Eurocity service between #Brussels and #Paris 🇧🇪 🚆🇫🇷 This new service, operated in cooperation between NMBS Internationaal - SNCB International and SNCF Voyageurs, was launched for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games to increase capacity between these two cities. Currently, there are two round trips a day. While the journey takes longer than the Eurostar—about twice as long—it's much more affordable. I paid only €39 for a second-class ticket, which is very reasonable. Why this new service is a GOOD thing for passengers: For the past 28 years, if you wanted to travel nonstop between Paris and Brussels, your only choice was Thalys (now Eurostar) Despite the quick journey time of just 1h22, having only one option wasn't great for a couple of reasons: - Prices: Eurostar fares can easily exceed €100, which is quite expensive for a trip of under 90 minutes. - Flexibility: Eurostar requires mandatory reservations, meaning you can't just hop on if your plans change. The trains' capacity hasn't increased in 28 years, so they often sell out. This lack of flexibility can be frustrating, especially for last-minute travel, forcing you to consider driving or taking a bus and I believe train travel should always be an option, even if it means standing when seats aren't available. With the introduction of this new Eurocity service, passengers finally have more choices. The train has almost 600 seats, so you're almost guaranteed to find a spot. According to current plans, this service is set to end after the Paralympic Games on September 8th. However, rumors suggest that if it's successful, it could become a daily service in December, either under the OUIGO Train Classique brand or as a continued Eurocity service. I'm really excited about this potential addition to our travel options! Enjoy the video! 🚆 https://lnkd.in/e9iFsVVu

Europe In Week 20, European bizjet activity rose 6% ahead of the previous week, 3% below W20 in 2023. Aircraft on operating certificates (AOC) rose 4% compared the previous week, 7% below W20 in 2023. In Week 20 Germany saw bizjet sectors jump 18% compared to the previous week, 11% ahead of W20 2023. Top airport Munich saw 27 additional flights in W20 compared to W19, Frankfurt am Main saw an additional 22 flights. Elsewhere Hamburg and Cologne Bonn saw week to week declines. So far this month activity in Germany has fallen 9% YOY, -25% vs May 22, -7% vs May 19. Elsewhere France saw 12% additional flights compared to W19, 7% ahead of W20 2023. So far this month European bizjet activity is 1% below last year, flight hours are on par with last year. Several European cities are in decline compared to last year, Paris down 5%, Zurich down 4% and Rome down 2%. Bizjet activity in London is 2% ahead of last year, busiest airport Farnborough ahead of last year by 1%, Luton up 14%. In contrast, Biggin Hill and Stansted seeing 7% and 13% declines YOY. At the start of next month London will host the 2023/24 UEFA Champions League final at Wembley Stadium. London last hosted in 2013, when average daily business jet arrivals on the day before and the day of the final where 2.1x higher than the daily average for the month. Chart 4: Business jet impact on hosting the Champions League Final 2008 – 2023. #businessaviation #corporateaviation #bizav #privateaviation #generalaviation #aviation #aircraftsales #travelindustry #tourismindustry #india #jet #aircharter #aviationlovers #aviationlover #aircraft #aviationlife #aircraftlovers #landing #aviationdaily #aviationnews #travel #travelnews #travelindia #indiatravel #bespoke #flightbooking #flight #karnataka #bengaluru #bangalore

Avia Solutions Group subsidiary and private charter operator, Skyllence, shares some valuable insights on the air travel to and from the major football event in Germany. ✈️ According to OAG data, getting fans to the tournament has resulted in 12.4m scheduled seats aboard 70,000 flights with key airports including Frankfurt and Munich facilitating the movement of fans and teams alike. With so many people flocking to Germany, it’s understandable why some fans avoid busy commercial flights and opt for private charter, where private terminals offer a stress-free alternative. Spain is among the leaders on the field with 3 wins from 3 in the group stages, with 1.6 million seats booked by their fans alone. Whether fans have tickets or are just looking to soak up the atmosphere in the host nation, the German tourism economy will be significantly boosted by the influx of football supporters from Europe and beyond. ⚽ #AviaSolutionsGroup #Skyllence #Aviation

At first glance I thought this a somewhat counterintuitive news story. Air France have announced an expected revenue hit of up to €180m this quarter from Paris hosting the Summer Olympic Games. Apparently there is evidence of people actively avoiding Paris with performance depressed versus other comparable European destinations. Major sporting events normally provide a traffic boon for host cities, which is why so many airlines become principal sponsors of such, at not inconsiderable cost. Sure the composition of traffic changes, with reduced business volumes offset by higher leisure, but an overall upside. BA’s volume increased 3% for London 2012. So what’s going on? I then read that Eurostar’s trains services between London and Paris are booked at more than 3 times higher than normal during the period, and evidence of people planning to stay in London and, in effect, commute. So it just might have more to do with the prohibitively high cost of Parisian hotels and AirBnBs over the Games than the Olympics themselves. Worth noting that AF say they expect volumes to recover later in the season. Or perhaps it’s the French who have bought all the tickets and, consequently, are delaying their summer travel plans? Or maybe it’s something else…

Jet2 to launch seven new routes to Greece in expanded programme