Old is gold THE NATIONAL carrier, EgyptAir on Saturday celebrated its 79th anniversary with a modest celebration at the headquarters of the company. "We know our people are passing through a difficult time and so we would not have celebrate widely this year. We'd rather save the big celebration for next year when we celebrate both the 80th anniversary and the victory of revolution," commented Massoud. Established in May 1932, the carrier is the oldest airline in Africa and the Middle East. At present it operates a fleet of 75 modern aircraft to more than 50 countries. In 2007, the carreir joined the world's biggest airlines alliance, Star alliance which enabled it to take its passengers to thousands of destinations byonde its own network. Turmoil impacts air travel THE political turmoil in the Middle East and North Africa is having a big impact on airlines across the world. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) said that airline profits this year would be cut by nearly 50 per cent because of higher oil prices, largely due to the unrest. "Air travel fell sharply in March, as turmoil in the Middle East and the effects of the Japanese earthquake discouraged people from travelling," IATA stated. Passenger growth compared to the previous year dropped to 3.8 per cent in March 2011, down from 5.8 per cent in February, IATA said last week, with Japan and the Middle East accounting for virtually all of the loss. The impact of the events in Japan on global international traffic in March resulted in a 1 per cent fall in travel, statistics showed, although in Japan itself travel demand fell by 22 per cent and IATA warned that the effects would continue to be felt. Disruptions in the Middle East cut global traffic by almost as much, with flights to and from the popular tourist destinations of Egypt and Tunisia still 10-25 per cent below normal and travel to Libya virtually halted. However, IATA also warned that the high price of oil -- which has recently caused several airlines to increase fares or add fuel surcharges -- was hitting leisure travellers and encouraging them to put off flying. Middle Eastern carriers posted a rise of 5.6 per cent in demand while Africa posted a fall of 7 per cent in demand. Making history SWITZERLAND'S solar-powered aircraft is expected to attempt its first international flight this month to Brussels. "Solar Impulse, the zero fuel airplane, will attempt to fly to Brussels Airport as the destination for its first international flight," said the team in a statement. "The airplane is ready for take-off and will depart just as soon as the weather permits," it added. Solar Impulse made history in July 2010 as the first manned plane to fly around the clock on the sun's energy. Months of preparations have gone into planning and training for the task, and an entire team of experts, including meteorological specialists, route planners, air traffic controllers, engineers and IT specialists have been roped in. "Flying an aircraft like Solar Impulse through European airspace to land at an international airport is an incredible challenge for all of us, and success depends on the support we receive from all the authorities concerned," said Andre Borschberg, who piloted July's flight. Baggage delays compensated AMADEUS Egypt, in collaboration with Visa and Travel Guard Chartis announced yesterday a new complimentary service for travellers in Egypt that insures their checked-in baggage against delay. As part of the deal, passengers booking their airline tickets through travel agencies using an Amadeus GDS system will receive complimentary reimbursement of up to 100 euros from Travel Guard Chartis Insurance should their baggage be delayed or misdirected by the carrier for more than four hours. According to Moudy Maguid, general manager of Amadeus Egypt, travel agents will be able to provide the new service by simply installing the new Amadeus Itinerary and More solution at no cost. "The Amadeus Itinerary and More solution is designed to facilitate the production of custom designed itineraries and e-tickets that are in line with a travel agency's corporate branding and policies." Within the new service, travellers receive documents that are easy-to- read, with detailed display of their itinerary including flight information, baggage, seat number, check-in time, stopover points, meals and also displays a five-day weather forecast for the requested destination. "This is just one part of our engagement with tour operators and the tourism industry, in which we seek to enhance Egyptians' travel experience and to give peace of mind to business travellers," commented Tarek Elhousseiny, general manager, Visa North and West Africa. "The travel and tourism industry is a springboard for the economy and we believe such initiatives will serve to materially enhance the convenience of travellers," he added.
