International rail operator Eurostar has joined SkyTeam as the first non-airline partner of the alliance. The two companies have signed a memorandum of understanding to provide more intermodal travel options across Europe and plan to work together “in the coming months” to create “a more integrated experience” for air-to-rail travel. The partnership is expected to launch in the first half of 2025. The move follows a similar multimodal partnership between German train operator Deutsche Bahn and the Star Alliance group of carriers that was announced in July 2022. Eurostar already works with Dutch carrier KLM, a member of SkyTeam, to provide air-to-rail products and said it will continue to develop these offers as part of the alliance. Commenting on the SkyTeam partnership, Eurostar CEO Gwendoline Cazenave, said: “We are creating a future where travellers can connect between Eurostar trains, domestic railways and long-haul flying, opening up our services to new markets across the globe. Today is a major step forward towards this mission and we look forward to working with SkyTeam to develop the customer proposition so more travellers can experience Eurostar’s unique service.”<br/>
sky
Air France-KLM’s outlook for next year is brightening, according to analysts, who are starting to warm to the stock after a tough year. The carrier group received a double-upgrade to overweight at JPMorgan on Wednesday. Analyst Harry Gowers points to resilient underlying pricing and a historically low share price, and says an earnings inflection is a possibility heading into winter. Shares climbed as much as 8.4%, the biggest jump in nine months. Beset by problems all year, Air France-KLM implemented a cost-cutting drive in the spring as geopolitical conflicts and higher costs drove a first-quarter loss. The airline trimmed its capacity outlook for the full year after a deeper-than-expected shortfall from tourists avoiding Paris during this summer’s Olympic Games, driving the stock to a record low. Shares have fallen 34% since the start of the year. BNP Paribas Exane also upgraded the stock to neutral last week, with analysts noting that this year’s setbacks are unlikely to be repeated in 2025. Shares in Europe’s airlines have outperformed over the last month as concerns over softer demand have started to ease. Ryanair Holdings CEO Michael O’Leary said last week that his leading budget airline has seen better bookings momentum since August, which served to buoy the sector. Still, a UBS basket of the region’s airlines has slipped 7.1% year-to-date.<br/>
Asia’s largest carrier and the world’s sixth largest by capacity, China Southern Airlines, has inaugurated flights between Guangzhou and Belgrade, linking the two cities with a scheduled air service for the very first time. The carrier’s Boeing 787-9 aircraft landed at Belgrade Nikola Tesla Airport this morning with a full load of 296 passengers on board. The carrier’s Dreamliner jet features 28 seats in business class and the remaining 268 in economy. The airline will maintain a total of two weekly rotations between the two cities, on Wednesdays and Sundays. It becomes Belgrade’s second Chinese operator after Hainan Airlines and the first to utilise the Dreamliner aircraft on a regular basis to the city. China Southern Airlines and Air Serbia are working on establishing a closer partnership. The two already boast an interline baggage and ticketing agreement, enabling passengers to connect onto flights between the two without having to gather their bags or check-in again. The new flights give travellers access to connect through Guangzhou onto China Southern’s vast network of destinations. <br/>