Allegiant Airlines is taking advantage of a regulatory decision lifting some flight restrictions at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey, starting service to four destinations in November. It will be Allegiant’s first flights in the New York City market, said Lukas Johnson, a VP for parent Allegiant Travel. The carrier will fly between Newark and Cincinnati; Savannah, Georgia; Asheville, North Carolina; and Knoxville, Tennessee. Rival ultra-discounters Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines serve New York’s LaGuardia airport, where flights remain limited. Johnson said Allegiant won’t compete for business travellers with United Continental, which operates a hub for domestic and international flights at Newark Liberty. Ultra-discount carriers have low base fares and charge for extras like an assigned seat, carry-on bags and printing a ticket at the airport. “We are coming from four areas that historically have been high-price markets,” Johnson said. “Introductory fares of $39 and $41 certainly speak to a customer segment not being served at all.” The new service will make Allegiant the only ultra-low-cost airline flying from Newark, the airline said Tuesday.<br/>
unaligned
Fastjet investors voted to retain chairman Colin Child, defeating a move by the African budget carrier's second-largest shareholder to force out a second senior executive within three months. About 33m votes were cast against the removal of Child as executive chairman, while roughly 9.6m were cast for, Fastjet said. The company did not disclose corresponding percentage figures. EasyGroup, controlled by Stelios Haji-Ioannou, had urged shareholders to remove Child, saying that the chairman had failed to relocate the airline's head office from Gatwick to Tanzania. The investor was also critical of Child for the airline's high cost base that hampered its ability to stay solvent, after using similar arguments to push for the departure of former CE Ed Winter in March. EasyGroup, which holds a 12.6% stake in Fastjet, declined to comment. The carrier said on Tuesday that the trading environment had remained challenged and forecast passenger numbers of 390,000 for the first half ending June 30, compared with 363,726 a year earlier. "…passenger numbers remain lower than expected. Whilst domestic routes within Tanzania are showing signs of recovery international services remain difficult," Fastjet said.<br/>
EasyJet has sped up talks on setting up an aircraft operating licence in a different EU country following Britain's vote to leave the EU, but says the industry's fundamentals remain strong. "It is business as usual. We have to spend a little more time formalising conversations we've had and thinking through the next steps," Carolyn McCall said. Should Britain be able to agree access to the single market following Brexit, nothing will change for airlines, but easyJet wants to prepare for all eventualities. "We have to be in control of our own destiny, so we will do the work," McCall said. "Until we have the government to take us forward in the UK, we can't expect much change," she added.<br/>