Tag Archives: BLQ

Ernest Airlines to expand operations to Ukraine

Ernest Airlines this month is expanding service to Ukraine, with new service to Kiev (Zhulyany) and Lviv from Bergamo, Naples and Venice. The new flights will start on December 8, 2017.

Top Copyright Pnoto: Ernest Airlines Airbus A320-233 EI-GCC (msn 2044) BLQ (Marco Finelli). Image: 939070.

Emirates is coming to Bologna, its fourth destination in Italy

Emirates (Dubai) has announced plans to start a daily service to Bologna, Italy, from November 3, 2015.

The capital of the Emilia-Romagna region, Bologna will be Emirates’ fourth Italian destination bringing Emirates’ weekly flights to Italy to 56. The new route will be operated by a Boeing 777-300 ER aircraft in a three class configuration.

Emirates’ flight EK 093 will depart Dubai International Airport at 0845 and will arrive at Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport at 1220 the same day. The return flight will depart Bologna at 1440 and arrive in Dubai at 2330 the same day.

Emirates aircraft slide show:

Livingston gets a reprieve, will continue flying after July 14

Livingston Compagnia Aerea (2nd) (New Livingston) (Milan-Malpensa) has won its appeal and will continue to fly with its current Air Operators Certificate (AOC). The company issued this statement:

New Livingston has been granted by Italian Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC) the revalidation of its Operating License, as per art. 9, paragraph 1, of EU Regulation n. 1008/2008.

All connections continue regularly and are confirmed as planned. At the same time tickets, reservations and contracts will be honored without any interruption, even after July 14, 2014.

On June 27, 2014, the Court of Busto Arsizio has appointed Mr Oliviero Tessera as judicial commissioner of the procedure of “concordato preventivo con riserva”, whose petition for admission had been submitted by New Livingston on June 25.

The above procedure is intended to strengthen New Livingston financial structure and improve its commercial and industrial efficiency.

New Livingston wishes to thank again the customers, the suppliers and own employees for their trust and constant support.

Livingston (2nd):

Air Dolomiti ends ATR 72 operations today

Air Dolomiti (Verona) today (October 26) will operate the last ATR 72 flight from the Munich hub to Trieste, Italy. Flight LH 1940 will also end an era. This is also the last turboprop flight in the Lufthansa Group per Austrian Wings.

Lufthansa ended Viscount 800 service in 1971 but in recent years has contracted with feeder airlines to operate turboprop aircraft. The turboprop aircraft have been gradually replaced with pure jet aircraft. Tonight’s last ATR 72-500 flight will be the last turboprop flight with any airline using the LH code.

Read the full story from Austrian Wings (in German): CLICK HERE

Copyright Photo: Marco Finelli/AirlinersGallery.com. ATR 72-212A (ATR 72-500) I-ADLT (msn 638) prepares to land at Bologna.

Air Dolomiti:

Ryanair to add more Ireland-UK frequencies in response to Aer Lingus increases, takes another swipe at the UKCC

Ryanair (Dublin) always famous for its comments about government agencies, has issued this new scathing comment and news:

Ryanair, the UK’s largest airline, today (31 July) announced that it would add additional daily frequencies from October on its five main Ireland-UK routes in a direct response to similar flight increases recently announced by Aer Lingus for the 2013-14 winter schedule. Aer Lingus’ decision to increase flight frequencies on these UK routes further undermines the discredited UKCC investigation into Ryanair’s 6 ½ year old minority (29%) stake in Aer Lingus. Confronted with incontrovertible evidence that competition between Ryanair and Aer Lingus has intensified, the UKCC has been reduced to inventing fairytale future “concerns” that Ryanair has “influence” over Aer Lingus or that this stake has or will lead to a lessening of competition.

The UKCC, in its provisional findings, has ignored, or excluded, 6 ½ years of evidence which totally disproves their bogus claims. It has failed to produce any evidence that competition would be lessened (or UK consumers penalised) when the European Commission recently (Feb 2013) prohibited Ryanair’s offer for Aer Lingus on the very grounds that competition has intensified between the two Irish airlines over the past 6½ years. If, as the UKCC now claims, Ryanair has “influence” over Aer Lingus which “might” lessen competition, then it should explain why Aer Lingus has recently increased flights on the five main Ireland-UK routes or why Ryanair is now responding with yet more flight frequency, which will lead to lower prices and better deals for those few UK consumers who actually fly Aer Lingus.

Ryanair will add at least one additional daily return flight from October 2013 to each of its top 5 Dublin-UK routes including London (STN), Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Bristol as follows:

RYANAIR INCREASES ON 5 DUBLIN-UK ROUTES – WINTER 2013-14

Route	Daily rotations Nov 2012	Daily rotations Nov 2013
Dublin – London (STN)	7	8
Dublin – Manchester	4	5
Dublin – Birmingham	3	4
Dublin – Edinburgh	3	4
Dublin – Bristol	2	3

Ryanair continues to question why the UK’s OFT and CC have wasted millions of UK taxpayer funds investigating a 6 ½ year old failed merger between two Irish airlines (which has little, if any, impact on any UK consumers) while at the same time neither quango took any action whatsoever on behalf of UK consumers when BA acquired BMI, or previously when Easyjet acquired GB Airways. The UKCC has failed to explain this glaring lack in consistency particularly when neither the EU nor the Irish competition authorities had any concerns about Ryanair’s 6 ½ year old minority stake.

Since the UKCC inquiry has been unable to produce one shred of evidence that competition between Aer Lingus and Ryanair has lessened over the past 6 ½ years and since the UKCC has been forced to accept the EU’s ruling (that intensified competition has benefited consumers) this has reduced the UKCC to flailing around, inventing fairytale future “concerns” so that it can ignore the inconvenient truths of the last 6 ½ years of evidence.

The UKCC’s 3 fairytale future “concerns” are disproven by the past 6 ½ years of evidence as follows;

a) That Ryanair “might” block a rights issue by Aer Lingus: however the UKCC have ignored the inconvenient truth that over the past 6 ½ years – Ryanair has repeatedly confirmed it will support take up rights to prevent dilution.

b) That Ryanair “might” block a disposal by Aer Lingus of its Heathrow slots (despite the fact any such disposal would lessen competition between the two airlines) while ignoring the inconvenient fact that Aer Lingus, as recently as April 2013, disposed of a pair of Heathrow slots without any objection or block by Ryanair.

c) That Ryanair “might” prevent another EU airline from acquiring Aer Lingus, and/or “squeezing out” Ryanair. Again the UKCC has ignored the inconvenient truth that over the past 6 ½ years, no other EU airline has shown any interest in acquiring Aer Lingus and almost all other EU airlines have publicly stated that they have no interest in acquiring Aer Lingus.

In order to destroy any remaining shred of credibility from these bogus and invented “concerns” Ryanair has offered to unconditionally and irrevocably dispose of its 29% minority shareholding to any other EU airline who offers for, and successfully acquires 50.1% of Aer Lingus (which is far below the legal 80% squeeze out threshold). This undertaking has been dismissed by many commentators on the very obvious grounds that no other EU airline wishes to acquire Aer Lingus, another inconvenient fact which the UKCC has conveniently ignored. Ryanair’s undertaking removes any possibility that it can or could block an acquisition of Aer Lingus by another EU airline and sheds this UKCC process of any credibility whatsoever.

The UKCC’s case now lies in tatters, as Simon Polito and his team flounder around, looking to invent new and even more fairytale “concerns” when the inconvenient truth is that 6 ½ years of evidence proves that Ryanair’s minority stake has resulted in intensified competition between the Irish airlines to the benefit of UK consumers. Finally, the UKCC has produced no shred of evidence whatsoever that any other EU airline – other than Ryanair – has any interest in acquiring Aer Lingus.

Copyright Photo: Lucio Alfieri/AirlinersGallery.com. Boeing 737-8AS WL EI-DCL (msn 33806) in the original Dreamliner colors taxies at Bologna.

Ryanair:

An airport follow-me vehicle with Italian (Lamborghini) style

Starting today (May 6) until Sunday, May 19, aircraft which land at the Bologna Marconi Airport, will be led to the parking spot by a truly unique “Follow Me” airport vehicle. A Lamborghini Aventador LP 700-4 is painted in this special airport color scheme. Lamborghini is the technical sponsor for the program which is celebrating its 50th anniversary.

The super sports car, with a 700 hp V12 engine is marked in this special livery with red squares. The technical staff of Bologna Airport will drive the vehicle and participated in a driving course held by the test driver Mario Fasanetto. The Lamborghini car factory is right under the landing pattern to Bologna, only 8 miles away from the airport.

Meridiana starts to repaint the Air Italy fleet, drops the “fly” from its name and settles on a color scheme

Meridiana fly (Olbia, Sardinia) on July 18, 2011, announced a merger with Air Italy (2nd) (Milan-Malpensa). Since then the two airlines have been operating as two separate airlines with their own brands and operating philosophies. This is now changing.

Meridiana has been using the Meridiana fly name since its merger with Eurofly (Milan-Malpensa) on February 28, 2010. Now the company will revert back to just Meridiana for the rebranding. The pictured 1991 livery above will now become the standard livery for all of the merged aircraft. For now, until the merger is complete, Air Italy is technically wet leasing its aircraft to Meridiana. The pictured Boeing 737-800 of Air Italy carries a small “Supplied by Air Italy” sticker applied close to the main forward left door.

The Air Italy brand will now be retired.

According to commercial director Andrea Andorno, “we want to emphasize the characteristics of full service carriers for the high-class clientele. No more low cost philosophy” according to this report by La Stampa.

Read the full report (in Italian): CLICK HERE

Top Copyright Photo: Marco Finelli. Air Italy’s Boeing 737-84P WL EI-IGN (msn 35074) taxies past the camera at Bologna in its new look.

Meridiana:

Meridiana fly:

Air Italy:

Bottom Copyright Photo: Nik French. Air Italy’s Boeing 737-8BK WL EI-EOJ (msn 33022) parks between flights at Manchester.

Air Italy to be merged into Meridiana fly by February 15

Air Italy (2nd) (Rome) will be merged into Meridiana fly (Olbia) by February 15. According to this report by First Online (translated from Italian), “Meridiana SpA will acquire all of the ordinary shares held by the former shareholders of Meridiana fly – Air Italy Holding Ltd. (Marchin Investments BV, Pathfinder Ltd and Zain Holding Ltd., which together control 38.71% of the shares of the combined airline group). Meridiana fly will then turn over 89.91% of the share capital to its new controlling shareholder AKFED, controlled by Prince Karīm al-Hussayn Aga Khan. The transfer of shares will be completed by February 15. The new CEO of the reorganized Meridiana fly will be Roberto Scaramella, the aviation director of AKFED, who replaces Joseph Gentile.”

Read the full report (in Italian): CLICK HERE

Meridiana fly was originally founded as Alisarda on March 29, 1963 by Prince Karīm al-Hussayn Aga Khan, with the aim to promote tourism in Sardinia. Scheduled flights have been operated since 1964.

On May 3, 1991, Alisarda was renamed Meridiana.

At the end of February 2010, a new airline was founded: Meridiana fly, born from the merger of Eurofly, a company specializing in charter flights and Meridiana, with a scheduled European and national route network, mostly aimed at connecting the main Italian airports with the two main islands of Sardinia and Sicily.

Air Italy (2nd) joined the Meridiana Group in October 2011.

Additionally, according to ch-aviation, the AOCs of both carriers were revoked by ENAC this week due to the financial difficulties of the two carriers and were issued temporary AOCs for a year.

Read the full report: CLICK HERE

Currently the two Italian airlines are now sharing the same website. Aga Khan is expected to increase his share holdings and investment in the new airline.

Bottom line, the Air Italy name and brand will be retired.

Top Copyright Photo: Arnd Wolf. Boeing 767-304 ER N769NA (msn 28039) of Air Italy completes its final approach into Miami International Airport.

Air Italy (2nd):

Meridiana fly:

Bottom Copyright Photo: Marco Finelli. Meridiana fly has been slow to develop its own brand. Since the merger with Eurofly, most aircraft are still operated in uninspiring white schemes. Even this Airbus A320-214 I-EEZI (msn 749) at Bologna still wears the old colors of Eurofly. A total remake of the new entity must be accomplished for the new company to thrive.

Blue Panorama Airlines enters into bankruptcy protection and reorganization

Blue Panorama Airlines (Rome-Fiumicino) has entered into the equivalent of Chapter 11 (bankruptcy protection and reorganization). On October 23, the company issued the following statement (translated from Italian):

BLUE PANORAMA AIRLINES TAKES ADVANTAGE OF NEW REGULATORY TOOLS CONTAINED IN THE “ORDER OF DEVELOPMENT” TO INCREASE ITS COMPETITIVENESS ‘

Blue Panorama Airlines S.p.A. announces that it has applied for admission to the composition procedure in continuity under the Development Decree, according to the U.S. model of highly effective better known as “Chapter 11”.
Blue Panorama has decided to use this tool accessible to even a few weeks to Italian companies to consolidate their financial and capital structure in order to deal in the best position possible to the challenges posed by the current economic environment in the field of aviation and leisure travel. This is to continue to play in this respect the leading role that for over 14 years, is recognized by its customers. The start of the procedure has been notified to ENAC, which provided for the issuance of temporary license pursuant to article 9 of the Regulation 1008/2008.

The objectives that arises Blue Panorama Airlines through this new route are to:

– Continue to offer passengers excellent service, safe and reliable;
– Improve the industrial and commercial efficiency;
– To ensure the normal operation of domestic and international flights;
– Continue to offer competitive air links for the benefit of users;
– Make Blue Panorama Airlines and Blu-express a new benchmark in the sector.

During the reorganization process, Blue Panorama Airlines will carry out normal operations, while maintaining the commitment of its management team and operational. In addition to the consolidation of traditional connections will also be triggered new international services of great interest both outgoing and incoming flows.

Blue Panorama Airlines and Blu-express continue to operate their respective flight schedules, honoring tickets and reservations as usual, and to continue the industrial partnerships with carriers, tour operators and travel agent partners.
The President and founder of the company, Franco Pecci, maintains and increases its commitment to the holding in the firm belief that customers, which have always been the company’s priority will continue to use the Blue Panorama flights and Blu-express for quality service competitive and constantly delivered by the carrier in all years.

Copyright Photo: Lucio Alfieri. The company operates under both the Blue Panorama Airlines and blu-express names and brands. Boeing 737-4K5 EI-CUN (msn 27074) carries both names at Bologna.

Blue Express Airlines:

Frameable Color Prints and Posters:

Cosmo Airlines buys seven Pluna Bombardier CRJ900s for European expansion

Cosmo Airlines (Madrid) is growing fast. The charter and ACMI airline is the winning auction bidder for seven Pluna (Montevideo) CRJ900s. The new fleet additions will be brought to Europe for expansion of operations in central and eastern Europe. Cosmo currently operates two 180-seat Airbus A320s.

The company issued the following statement (translated from Spanish):

“Cosmo Airlines bid $137 million, and was proclaimed the winner, being the highest bidder.

The Cosmo Group has a fleet of two Airbus 320s, and is in the process of expanding the fleet with more Airbus A320 family aircraft. With the acquisition of seven Bombardier aircraft the goal is to give a quantitative and qualitative leap in its European charter flights operations.”

The objective of the Cosmo Group with the acquisition of this fleet of seven CRJ900s, is to expand its charter business in Central and Eastern Europe, since aircraft acquired are appropriate to cover all flight ranges that exist within of these regions.”

Read the full report from Merco Press: CLICK HERE

Cosmo Airlines: