Air Astana, the flag carrier of the Republic of Kazakhstan, has announced plans to expand its Central Asia hub in Almaty. New services will be launched to Urumchi in western China; Dushanbe, capital of Tajikistan and Tashkent, capital of Uzbekistan during the second half of 2010, the carrier said. Regional services already operate from Almaty to Baku, capital of Azerbaijan, Bishkek, capital of Kyrgyzstan and Novosibirsk in southern Russia. Additional new routes to other cities in southern … [Read more...] about EUROPE & CIS: Air Astana expands Almaty hub

Air France has announced that its Airbus A380 is to operate a special series of short-haul, 90 minute flights between London Heathrow and Paris Charles de Gaulle this summer. The aircraft will operate from 12 June 2010 until 30 August 2010 and the unusual flights will make Air France the only airline operating the long-range A380 on short haul flights. … [Read more...] about EUROPE & CIS: Air France to operate A380 shorthaul London to Paris

As part of The International Air Cargo Association’s (TIACA) previously announced campaign to attract more freight forwarders to its ranks through reduced membership fees, discounts on exhibition and conference costs, the association has added access to a new Air Logistics Network (ALN) providing a series of value-added reference tools for cargo operators. TIACA said the Air Logistics Network will become a comprehensive service that facilitates business for forwarders and air … [Read more...] about EUROPE & CIS: TIACA continues campaign to attract forwarders

Lufthansa is set to become one of the world’s first airlines to mix biofuel with traditional kerosene on commercial flights as carriers seek ways to cut soaring fuel costs, its chief executive said recently. The German carrier will start running its engines on some flights on a mix of biofuel and kerosene within two years, Wolfgang Mayrhuber told reporters, according to Reuters. Lufthansa rival KLM, last year became the first airline to test biofuel in a passenger … [Read more...] about EUROPE & CIS: Lufthansa to use biofuel by 2012

Lufthansa and Boeing celebrated 50 years of their relationship last month. The carrier ordered its first Boeing aircraft — the B707 on 30 January 1960. The airline also bought the 727 in February 1961, and in February 1965 the airline’s board authorised the purchase of 21 737s. The relationship continued with deals for the 747 and later, through Condor for the 757 and through the AeroLogic joint venture also for the 777 freighter. Lufthansa is the launch customer for the … [Read more...] about EUROPE & CIS: Lufthansa, Boeing celebrate 50 years together

Chapman Freeborn Airchartering has won business for a series of aircraft charters to New Orleans, USA, carrying equipment needed to deal with the leak from the site of the Deepwater Horizon rig in the Gulf of Mexico. The global aircraft charter specialist has arranged flights departing from Europe and the Far East in response to the spill with the company’s UK office coordinating an initial cargo charter using a B747- 400F aircraft to transport around 60 tonnes of technical oil spill … [Read more...] about EUROPE & CIS: Chapman Freeborn moves equipment to Gulf