Pilots working for SAS in Norway have rejected a pay offer and called for strike action, just days after the airline sealed an agreement with its Danish flight-deck crews. SAS was facing a strike among its Danish crews, represented by the DPF union, but the planned walkout Sept 11 was called off after the two sides reached a 3-year agreement. However, SAS is now facing another strike threat from the Norwegian Pilot Association (NSF), which could see action from Sept 14. The airline said the Norwegian pilots have been offered similar conditions to their Swedish and Danish counterparts, but the proposal has been rejected. “The demands from the Norwegian pilots, which imply cost increases of 25%, are unreasonable,” SAS said. <br/>
star
A receiver appointed to rescue Arik Air is holding talks with creditors and is not negotiating a sale to Ethiopian Airlines, the country’s “bad bank” said. Arik Air shareholders have filed a court case against Nigeria’s govt and Ethiopian Airlines in an attempt to halt any talk over the sale of the airline, which controlled around 55% of the domestic market. The airline had been hard hit by a currency crisis in Nigeria as its customers are invoiced in naira but its fuel suppliers are paid in dollars.. The shareholders are also challenging the takeover of the airline by the bad bank, AMCON, in court. An AMCON spokesman said Monday the “bad bank” was not in negotiation with Ethiopian Airlines and would want to resolve all court cases in addition to receiving the report of the receiver manager before taking any action. <br/>
Adria Airways posted a E3.23m net profit last year, bouncing back from a E9.19m loss in 2015. As the airline saw the number of passengers drop by 11% compared to the year before, the profit is attributed to E7.6m in revenue from the sale of the Adria Airways brand. Adria serviced a total of 1.1m passengers in 2016, which is 10.99% less than in 2015. Cabin occupancy in scheduled transport was 65.51%, down from 67.95% in the year before. Revenues amounted to E155.23m, which is a 1.94% growth compared to 2015. Revenues from passenger transport were down by 6.27% to E134.91m, while operating profit amounted to E4.12m, up from an operating loss of E9.37m in the year before. The net profit in the amount of E3.23m is attributed to one-off positive effects related to the sale of assets above the book value. <br/>
THAI is launching new flights between Bangkok and Vienna Nov 16, the airline confirmed last week. “The European market is substantial in size and potential and is growing on a continual basis. Data from the Tourism Authority of Thailand in 2016 shows that approximately 6m tourists travelled from Europe to Thailand, an increase of 6.8% from 2015. Tourists from Eastern Europe, including those from Austria in Central Europe, ranked fifth amongst European tourist arrivals in Thailand,” says THAI VP Viroj Sirihorachai. “The Thai Airways direct flight connection from Bangkok will provide further strong impetus to Vienna and marks another step towards realising our 2020 tourism strategy” added the Vienna Tourist Board. Currently, THAI flies to 12 destinations in 10 countries in Europe. <br/>
The online chatter and curiosity surrounding Classified, the invite-only restaurant at Newark Liberty International for United Airlines fliers, started soon after the carrier began emailing invites to a select few customers in late August. “Shh…it’s Classified,” the email was titled. Part of the text read, “The creators of Classified have created a bright and airy dining space that’s hidden away for those lucky enough to get an invitation.” This coveted invite doesn’t equal a free meal: dining at the “secret” restaurant can easily run upward of US$100 for 2 people, and that’s without alcohol. Classified is run by OTG, a company that designs, builds and operates restaurants and stores in airport terminals and is United’s partner in a $120m overhaul of Terminal C. <br/>