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UK airlines bet on Menorca, Fuerteventura and Lanzarote for summer 2016 Standard

Thomas Cook Airlines taking off in Lanzarote airport by jBarcena - Flickr.

A representative from Menorca’s government, María Sellarés, confirmed the expected traffic increase of the UK airlines in the Balearic Island for the summer of 2016. During the WTM 2015, Jet2.com, Monarch and easyJet announced they have increased the number of seats offered for Menorca for the next summer season. According to Sellarés, the improvements for the island are a consequence of “the strength of the sterling pound, the good trend of our local economy and the increased confidence of consumers. That is not to forget the instability of some Mediterranean destinations that are competitors”. Hence, Hosteltur reported that Jet2.com is committed to increase traffic to…

Menorca seats up 12% in summer 2015 Standard

Ciutadella de Menorca by Pablo Fernández

Another step forward has been taken in the slot coordination process for the Summer 2015 season. During the month of January the airlines were requested to cancel all the slots that they had booked but did not intend to operate in summer 2015 in the Spanish airports. IATA establishes January 15 for such purpose and the European regulation takes January 31 into consideration for the calculation of the corresponding historical rights for the schedules at the airports. Thus, as soon as these deadlines had passed, Aecfa started to deal with the slot requests that they had received for the ad-hoc flights. In terms of slot…

Ryanair offered 165,000 less seats in Alicante in summer Standard

Ryanair aircraft landing / Flickr - Leoncio J

Last month, Aena informed  that Alicante airport increased traffic by 2.5% between January and September 2014 with regard to the same period of 2013. This is significant by itself, but it is even more important if we consider that Ryanair, the first operator in the airport, reduced their offer in the summer from 2.373 to 2.208 million seats. That makes 165,000 less seats, which is a decrease in the offer by 7%. Still, Ryanair offered more than twice the capacity of the second operator in Alicante: easyJet. In Summer 14, Ryanair offered availability for 2.20 million people from Alicante, serving 47 destinations in 15…

Vueling bases a second A320 in Palma and increases availability by 67% Standard

Vueling A320 in Dubrovnik by Victor – Flickr

Starting on October 26, Vueling bases their second Airbus 320 in Palma with which they have increased their offer by 67%. In particular, they have increased from 372,000 seats in Winter 2013, to 625,000 seats in the current winter 2014 season. Also, they boosted the number of destinations from 8 to 14. These figures can be checked with the Flight Consulting customised airport statistics, which Winter 2014 data was just updated last week. Preferente.com informed on Friday that Álex Cruz, CEO of the  IAG member airline, visited Palma de Mallorca and said that “the main target is to attract more leisure…

Winter 2014 season seats up 5% in the Spanish airports Standard

Some screen shots of the Flight Consulting Customised Airport Statistic Tool

Last Friday Aena announced, through a press release, that airlines have scheduled 41.7 million seats for departures from the Spanish airports during the winter 2014 season, which has just started on October 26 and will last until March 28. This amount is 5% over the one scheduled at the beginning of winter 2013. The number of expected departure flights has also increased, in this case, by 4.7%: there are over 264,000 planned take-offs from the Spanish airports. The airports which offer has increased most are the three main Spanish airports: The good trend for Madrid airport is confirmed with 11.4 million seats…

Barcelona airport capacity to increase by 9% Standard

Air Canada Boeing 767-300ER taxiing at El Prat Airport / Wikimedia Commons - Russavia

The Spanish slot coordinator, AECFA, announced that Barcelona airport capacity is increasing by 9% with effect from the next summer season. This increase may result as significant as the  Palma Airport capacity increase that we have already explained. While Madrid airport lost passengers by 0.4%, 9.0% and 12.1% in 2011, 2012 and 2013 respectively, Barcelona increased traffic by 17.8%, 2.2%, and 0.2%. In 2014 Madrid is recovering and increased traffic by 4.1% between January and September. However, Barcelona, which did not lose traffic at all in the previous years, keeps gaining passengers in 2014 as well. Barcelona served as much as 6.9% more passengers until September…

Palma Airport Capacity Increase to give more traffic Standard

Can Pastilla, near Palma Airport, Mallorca, Spain, seen from an Easyjet A319 just taken off from Palma Airport on its way to Bristol, England / Arpingstone

The deadline for the summer 2015 slot submissions was yesterday, October 9. All airlines intending to operate in the Spanish airports between March 29 and October 24 2015 were supposed to submit their schedules to AECFA, the new Spanish slot coordinator. Before that, and after the capacity analysis performed by Enaire and Aena, AECFA distributed the new airport capacities for this season. Among other items, it is worth noting the significant Barcelona and Palma airport capacity increases. We will go through the Barcelona airport capacity increase in a separate post. Now, let’s focus on Palma: Palma de Mallorca is one of…

Spanish slot coordination, AECFA started operations Standard

Spanish slot coordination. Airplane ascending while another one is queing / Jumbero

Last Monday, September 15, the Spanish association AECFA started operations. As of that day, AECFA is responsible for the Spanish slot coordination and schedule facilitation in the airports. The name AECFA stands for Spanish Association of Coordination and Facilitation (in Spanish Asociación Española de Coordinación y FAcilitación). Flight Consulting has been following this information very closely since September last year, when we already informed about the ongoing restructuring process in Aena. During the first day, AECFA distributed the Slot Historical Lists (SHL) which make a start for the Summer 2015 season in terms of slot coordination. These lists are being used…

Flight Consulting 2.0 Standard

Sunrise at Barcelona airport / Flickr - Juanedc

We are delighted to share our brand new web site with you. On 10 April, 2013 we informed you that a dynamic web site was born. The target was to keep you easily up-to-date on the Spanish Aviation Industry, aiming to introduce our company – Flight Consulting – to everyone who does not know about us yet. Precisely, focused on making it easier, we have incorporated a new web design where the blog posts are spread in categories and tags in order to improve the user experience. The information you like is much easier to follow now. Hence, we have…

Canary Islands expect strong grows for winter 2014 Standard

Aircraft connected to airbridge at Adolfo Suárez Madrid Barajas airport / daniele paccaloni

According to the data we have just uploaded to our Customized Airport Statistics Canary Islands expect strong grows for winter 2014. If we compare the actual offered seats in winter 2013 with the current offered seats in winter 2014 based on the coordinated slots, we find heavy increases of 15-20% in most of the Canary Islands airports.Canary Islands airports are the most congested Spanish airports for next winter 2014 season. Please find below some highlights. For further information you can go into our application (only for registered clients) and make your own inquires (who operates which route, etcetera).All the figures below refer…