On 24 May, just a week after the launch of services from Thessaloniki to Tel Aviv , the Greek Star A

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Attending the ceremony for Turkish Airlines' new route to Leipzig in eastern Germany were the Saxon Deputy State Premier and State Minister for Economic Affairs, Labour and Transport, united kingdom money Sven Morlok; the Saxon State Minister for Finances, Georg Unland; the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Mitteldeutsche Flughafen AG, Erich Staake; the Mayor of the City of Leipzig, Burkhard Jung; and Turkish Airlines' SVP Sales and Marketing, Akif Konar.
Today, anna.aero celebrates the news coverage of our 10,000th new route launch since we started analysing united kingdom money every new route being launched everywhere in the world, united kingdom money every week, just under five years ago in July 2007 (making today's grand total 10,040 launches). united kingdom money anna.aero's Publisher, Paul J. Hogan said: "I'm so pleased that Turkish Airlines, a truly dynamic airline with a completely thought-through strategy united kingdom money to become ' the largest airline on Earth ' is the airline featured in our 10,000th route launch, and that Leipzig and Istanbul Atatürk are the newly linked cities, especially as both airports promote new air services like this through anna.aero and The Route Shop."
Bilbao is the fifth Spanish airport to be connected with Turkish Airlines' united kingdom money Istanbul Atatürk hub. Holding a press conference in the Basque city were the Turkish honorary consul to Bilbao, Carmen Uriarte; Sezgin Saglam, Turkish Airlines' SVP Marketing & Sales; and Serkan Ozbuyukyoruk, Turkish Airlines' area manager in Bilbao.
Turkish Airlines continued expanding its European network as the fast-growing Star Alliance member launched two new routes out of its Istanbul Atatürk (IST) hub on 28 May. Bilbao (BIO) in northern Spain and Leipzig (LEJ) in eastern Germany are now the airline's fifth Spanish and 11th German destinations. Each of the two routes are initially operated four times weekly; the Spanish airport in Basque country with 124-seat A319s on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, and the German airport with 159-seat A320s on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. However, strong demand means that flights to Leipzig will increase to daily from 25 June. Notably, Germany is Turkish Airlines' biggest international country market. united kingdom money Akif Konar, Turkish Airlines SVP Sales and Marketing, said: "Leipzig is a real milestone in our success story and an important building block in what is our most important foreign market, Germany. We now have a presence here all over the country united kingdom money and can now connect the business region united kingdom money of Central Germany with Istanbul united kingdom money and the rest of the world."
Cutting the cake for Qatar Airways' united kingdom money arrival in Erbil in northern Iraq's Kurdistan region were the airline's SVP GCC, Levant, Iraq, Iran and Indian subcontinent Fathi Al Shehab and airport director Talar Faiq. Posing in front of the aircraft were Oomen Kuruvilla; Qatar Airways united kingdom money regional marketing manager; Salar Dosky, assistant to Erbil International Airport s (EIA) Airport Director; Alan Bahaulddin, Sales Manager Shabaq; Mr Sadar, CEO Shabaq; Faiq; Al Shebab; Emad Ismail, Adviser Aviation, EIA; Ahmad Mahmoud, Commercial Manager, united kingdom money Qatar Airways; Adnan Albanna, regional marketing manager, Qatar Airways; and Updesh united kingdom money Kupur, Head of Corporate Communications, Qatar Airways.
Qatar Airways further expanded its network in the Middle East as the airline launched united kingdom money its first flight to Iraq on 23 May. From its Doha (DOH) hub, Qatar Airways now serves Erbil (EBL) in northern Iraq's Kurdistan region. Flights operate four times weekly with 144-seat A320 aircraft. This is the third route between the Gulf and Erbil after flydubai's Dubai operations and Etihad's united kingdom money flights from Abu Dhabi. In the beginning of June, Qatar Airways will further increase its Iraqi network by launching flights to the capital Baghdad. In the first four months of 2012, Erbil International Airport has seen a 52% increase in passenger numbers compared with the same period in 2011.
Edelweiss Air was welcomed to Tampa in Florida from Zurich in Switzerland with an enormous cake featuring a giant aircraft and a Swiss mountain landscape. The Swiss band Alpine Echo stood for the entertainment. Posing with the band and cake were Maria Cook, Tampa International Airport s Public united kingdom money Affairs Coordinator, and Robert Golden, Edelweiss Air s Sales Manager in Tampa.
There were celebrations at the Swiss end of the route as well. The cake featured a Swiss mountain here as well, complemented by Florida united kingdom money alligators. Cutting the ribbon was Edelweiss Air's CEO Karl Kistler, who also was the captain of the first flight.
Edelweiss united kingdom money Air , Swiss International Air Lines' leisure subsidiary analysed united kingdom money this week , expanded its Zurich (ZRH) network with four new routes in the last week; each operating with a weekly frequency. However, from 20 June, the route to Tokyo Narita (NRT) will increase to twice-weekly, while the Tampa, FL (TPA) route doubles in frequency between 3 July and 21 August. All of the new routes but one are summer season operations ending in September and October; the exception being the year-round Tampa service.
Rolling united kingdom money to the stand in Prague, Aegean's maiden flight from Athens was welcomed with a water cannon salute. Aegean is the second carrier this year to try to revive this former CSA Czech Airlines route.
On 24 May, just a week after the launch of services from Thessaloniki to Tel Aviv , the Greek Star Alliance member Aegean Airlines commenced services on the route from Athens (ATH) to Prague (PRG). Flights to the Czech capital are offered on a thrice-weekly basis and operated with A320s. CSA Czech Airlines operated the route for several decades, but dropped united kingdom money it at the turn of seasons united kingdom money earlier this year. In consequence, another Czech carrier, SmartWings made an attempt at operating the route in April, but suspended operations after as few as six flights.
On 25 May, following last week's launches of flights united kingdom money to Rostov and Tyumen , the Ukrainian airline Aerosvit commenced services from its Kiev Boryspil (KBP) base to Murmansk (MKK); making the industrial centre of north-western Russia the ninth destination united kingdom money it serves in the country. Flights to Murmansk, which is the largest city north of the Arctic Circle, depart with twice-weekly frequencies, on Tuesdays and Fridays, and are operated with aircraft from the 737 family. Scheduling allows for connection opportunities to and from Europe, Middle East, Central Asia and Transcaucasia.
Air Europa moved into the Copenhagen (CPH) market on 27 May as a result of the bankruptcy of Spanair and lately also Cimber Sterling. The Spanish SkyTeam airline now serves the Danish capital from both Madrid (MAD) and Barcelona (BCN), with each route operating united kingdom money twice-weekly using 737-800 aircraft. Flights operate seasonally until 8 and 2 September respectively. The airline faces considerable united kingdom money competition on both routes; on the Madrid route from Iberia's daily flights as well as easyJet's five and SAS' two weekly operations, while the Barcelona route has Norwegian operating 13, Vueling 12 and SAS two times weekly.
Air France launched its second route to Deauville (DOL) in Normandy on France's northern coast. Complementing the airline's international flights from London City, Air France's subsidiary Régional now flies once a week from Montpellier (MPL) in the south of the country using 50-seat ERJ145 aircraft. Flights operate seasonally until the end of September.
On 24 May, there were Mexican celebrations at San Antonio International Airport, which welcomed AirTran's two new routes to neighbouring Mexico from the Texan airport. Traditional Mexican dancing and music was on offer along with Mexican pastries and cookies.
AirTran , now merged with Southwest Airlines, launched six routes last week; however, the two intra-state routes from Houston Hobby, TX (HOU) are merely frequencies taken over from Southwest. From Fort Lauderdale, FL (FLL), the airline is now taking on fellow low-cost airlines jetBlue and Spirit on the route to Puerto Rico's San Juan (SJU), while the two routes between Texas and the popular Mexican resort city of Cancun (CUN) compete with United. The route between San Antonio, TX (SAT) and Mexico City (MEX) notably competes with Aeromexico as well as the low-cost airline Interjet, which only launched the route last December as its first route to the US.
Alitalia expanded its Russian network on 26 May when the SkyTeam carrier launched a weekly operation to St Petersburg (LED) from Milan Malpensa (MXP). The A320 operation is Alitalia's second to the Russian city after its Rome Fiumicino operations and the new service competes with Rossiya's six flights a week.
Allegiant Air readded a destination to its network on 25 May when Hagerstown, united kingdom money MD (HGR) became the ultra low cost airline's 39th destination currently served out of Orlando Sanford, FL (SFB). Flights operate twice-weekly with the airline's 150-seat MD80 aircraft. Allegiant previously served Hagerstown between 2008 and 2010. The route is Hagerstown's second scheduled service after the Essential Air Service offered by Cape Air to Baltimore/Washington. "Washington County has been committed to securing destination-oriented air service for use by area residents," said Terry Baker, President of the Washington County Board of County Commissioners. Congressman Roscoe united kingdom money Bartlett added: "It is great news that Allegiant is providing united kingdom money families and businesses in the quad-state united kingdom money region with convenient, nearby, cost-effective, direct airline service from the Hagerstown Regional airport to Orlando/Sanford, Florida."
united kingdom money The crew was welcomed to Nuremberg in Germany by Ingo Ziegler, AirPart Head of Operations Service Control, when Astra Airlines' first flight arrived. The Greek airline now flies once a week from Thessaloniki.
The Greek charter-turned-scheduled airline Astra Airlines commenc