THAI Smile says it will consolidate all operations at Suvarnabhumi airport. THAI Smile is pulling out of Don Mueang, ending its policy of operating simultaneously at 2 airports serving Bangkok. The airline will stop all flights from Don Mueang Jan 16 and move all services to Suvarnabhumi. The carrier described the move as complying with a revised strategy to consolidate operations at Suvarnabhumi and cooperate with the parent airline THAI in pursuing Indian, Chinese and Asean markets. The move represents a dramatic departure from the airline group's strategy dating back to 2014, when it saw the need for THAI Smile to operate at Don Mueang and capture a share of budget airline traffic at the airport. Cost considerations are also a factor in the Don Mueang pull-out. <br/>
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Two Libyan hijackers who took over an Afriqiyah Airways Airbus A320 and forced it to fly to Malta Dec 23 have been taken into custody after releasing all 118 passengers and crew unharmed, according to the island’s prime minister Joseph Muscat. Malta International said operations are "returning to normal and our schedule will fully recover by the end of today." During the incident, MIA said the "aerodrome was closed for under 30 minutes. The aircraft had been on a flight from Sabha, in the southwest of the North African nation to the Libyan capital Tripoli when it diverted to the small Mediterranean island. Media reports from Malta had said 2 men on board threatened to blow up the aircraft; their demands, if any, were not known. <br/>
HNA Aviation Group has signed an agreement with global technology group Sabre in an effort to enhance its airlines’ operating efficiency and bring about more revenue opportunities. “HNA Aviation Group holds/controls some stakes in HNA Group’s 18 airline subsidiaries, which has laid a foundation for our cooperation with Sabre,” HNA Tourism Group COO Xie Haoming said. “The industry-leading solutions that Sabre has developed will make our airlines more efficient and profitable, and will enable us to better service our customers.” According to the agreement, Sabre will provide HNA Aviation Group carriers with AirVision Planning and Scheduling, as well as AirCentre Movement and Recovery Manager. Sabre Airline Solutions president Hugh Jones noted, “China is a critical aviation market for Sabre because of its rapid growth". <br/>
Condor Airlines has outlined a new Italy network strategy to offer travellers alternatives in important markets such as Turkey, which has seen slowed bookings and decreased demand because of its unstable geopolitical climate in 2016. “Italy is a completely new and highly interesting market for Condor. For the summer 2017 season, we will go a completely new way and want to offer our guests new and alternative destinations,” Thomas Cook Group commercial director-Continental Europe Paul Schwaiger said. Condor will offer 19X-weekly services to 8 new destinations in Italy starting from June 30-Oct 2017. The services include routes from Frankfurt to Bari, Naples, Lamezia Terme, Catania, Comiso, Palermo, Olbia, Cagliari and Rimini. <br/>
UK leisure airline Jet2 has ordered 4 additional Boeing 737-800NGs. The expanding carrier already has 30 737-800s on order, 8 of which have been delivered in 2016. The latest tranche is worth US$384m at list prices, although the airline’s parent Dart Group said it had negotiated “significant discounts” from the sticker price. The new 737-800NGs are scheduled to be delivered from Aug 2018 to Jan 2019, Jet2 added. The aircraft, which will be used for future anticipated growth of the group’s leisure travel business and for planned fleet replacement, are expected to be funded through a combination of internal resources and debt. Separately, the airline has recently taken measures against the rising tide of alcohol-induced misbehaviour on board flights by ceasing alcohol sales on early morning departures. <br/>
GOL is estimating its 2017 operating margin (EBIT) will be in the 5%-7% range, the airline said Dec 22. GOL’s preliminary financial guidance for the coming year is on par with its 6% EBIT guidance for 2016. GOL’s total seat guidance for 2017 shows a decrease of -3% to -5%; capacity will drop modestly, between 0% and -2%. The airline expects to operate an average fleet of 115 aircraft. By the end of 2016, GOL will have 122 aircraft in its operational fleet. According to the company’s operational fleet plan, the number will be reduced to 117 by the end of 2017. GOL’s total fleet as of Nov 10 comprised 102 Boeing 737-800NGs and 33 737-700NGs. GOL said its total volume of departures for 2017 will decrease between -3% and -5%. The company is expecting an average load factor of 77% and 79%. <br/>