Riga. In September 2017, the Latvian airline airBaltic carried 342 645 passengers or 24% more than in the same period of 2016. For already the fourth month in a row it has been the biggest number of transported passengers in the airline’s history. During the first nine months of 2017, airBaltic has transported a total of 2 688 016 passengers to its network spanning Europe, Scandinavia, Russia, CIS and the Middle East.

Martin Gauss, Chief Executive Officer of airBaltic: “This year we are showing great results and we are looking forward to the next year with excitement. In the future, we will grow further – with modernized fleet and extended route map we will be able to offer even better connectivity between the Baltics and the rest of the world. We are happy to take our passengers on this journey and offer wide variety of destinations.”

In September, the airline performed 4 604 flights, or 16% more than in the same period of 2016. During the first nine months of the 2017 airBaltic has operated 37 663 flights.

The airline’s load factor, which represents the number of passengers as a proportion of the number of available seats, was at a level of 79.5% in September 2017. During the first nine months of 2017, airBaltic’s load factor was at a level of 77.9% and it once again is the highest in the history of the airline.

The 15-minute flight punctuality indicator for airBaltic reached a level of 85.2% in September 2017. This means that more than 85 of every 100 airBaltic flights departed at the planned time or with a delay of no more than 15 minutes. The flight punctuality indicator during the first nine months of 2017 reached a level of 87.1%.

For the summer season of 2018 airBaltic has added Malaga (Spain), Lisbon (Portugal), Split (Croatia), Bordeaux (France) and Gdansk (Poland). A complete schedule of airBaltic flights can be found on the company’s homepage at www.airbaltic.com.

airBaltic operates direct flights from Riga to over 60 destinations. airBaltic offers convenient connections via Riga to its network spanning Europe, Scandinavia, the CIS and the Middle East. In addition, airBaltic also offers direct flights from Tallinn and Vilnius.

Vienna, October 2017 – Vienna is absolutely worth a trip. A particularly charming time of year to visit the Austrian capital city is in the winter – when the Christmas markets, the New Year’s Eve Trail and the famous ball season offer the chance to enjoy the cold winter months as a true Viennese local. Also typically Viennese is the five-star-superior hotel Palais Hansen Kempinski; a listed historic building located on the magnificent Ringstraße. The hotel seamlessly combines its rich history with a modern design, and offers an excellent starting point for a tour of wintry Vienna.

Some of the attractions drawing visitors to the Austrian capital in November and December are the countless Christmas markets filled with arts, crafts and Christmas goodies such as Lebkuchen (a baked Christmas treat similar to gingerbread) und Punsch (Christmas punch), as well as the world-famous coffee culture. The Palais Hansen’s grandiose Lobby Lounge is one of the most beautiful hotel lobbies in the city; here you can warm yourself up with a Viennese specialty coffee Melange upon arrival, to be enjoyed alongside a typical Viennese pastry. A small bell is sounded several times a day when warm apple strudels, freshly baked according to the secret recipe of head pastry chef Georg Hölbl, are brought out for guests to enjoy in the lobby.

Art, culture and cuisine in the imperial city
As a particularly romantic option in the pre-Christmas season, Palais Hansen Kempinski also offers its guests the option of a city tour in a traditional Fiaker – otherwise known as a horse-drawn carriage. The coachman picks up his guests from right outside the hotel and takes them on a tour through the city, sharing fascinating anecdotes about Vienna that are not to be found in any guidebook. A further, essential component of your visit to the city of Vienna is of course the cuisine – and this doesn’t just mean Viennese Schnitzel, Tafelspitz (a traditional boiled beef dish) and the typical sweet treats from patisseries. Modern cuisine has produced many excellent restaurants, one of these being the Michelin-starred restaurant Edvard at the Palais Hansen Kempinski, which blends classical regional and seasonal dishes with top international cuisine. Chef de Cuisine, Norman Etzold and his team offer a wide range of culinary possibilities at the Palais Hansen – from the award-winning gourmet restaurant to culinary events at the restaurant ‘Die Küche’. In addition to this, you have the possibility of trying the hearty signature dish in the Lobby Lounge: Käsekrainer, a cheese-filled sausage accompanied by horseradish, mustard and bread.

A waltzing start to the New Year
Vienna is world-famous for its rich musical heritage and countless composers who chose the Danube metropolis as their home and workplace. The annual highlight for classical music lovers is the city’s New Year’s Concert, which is broadcast live in 90 countries. January is also the start of the ball season with 450 dance events taking place across the city. The Vienna Opera Ball has also become world famous, attended yearly by international guests and celebrities. General Manager of the Palais Hansen Kempinski, Gerhard Mitrovits, has also played his part in making the tradition of the Vienna ball known around the world. He has already set up nine balls in various cities, including Beijing, Moscow, New York and Jakarta.

Cosiness and relaxation
Austria is a relaxed place, therefore after an eventful day out and about in Vienna, you are very much entitled to sit back and relax. The city’s thermal baths and spas invite you to do just this – including the Kempinski The Spa, with its saunas, hydropool and gym. The treatments are inspired by the seasons and are designed to fully restore the body’s natural balance.

Since April, a true cosmopolitan, Gerhard Mitrovits, has been the man heading the Palais Hansen Kempinski. The born-and-bred Austrian has been managing hotels in almost every continent for decades and brings extensive experience and new ideas to the hotel on the magnificent Ringstraße. “There is hardly a more exciting address in Vienna, which is modern and traditional at the same time. A contemporary top-class hotel in a historic building, and in addition award-winning cuisine, and a fantastic, young team”, sums up General Manager Gerhard Mitrovits.

About Palais Hansen Kempinski Vienna
Housed in a heritage-listed Palais on Schottenring Street, Palais Hansen Kempinski Vienna forms part of the famously glamourous Ringstrasse boulevard. Sights like the Burgtheater, St. Stephen’s Cathedral, the Parliament building or the Rathausplatz square are only a few minutes’ walk away. The Renaissance Revival architecture combined with innovative touches like iPad check-in and an iPad version of the traditional hotel information covering everything from room service to outdoor activities create a symbiosis of Viennese tradition and present-day zeitgeist. The charming palais accommodates 152 rooms and suites, two restaurants, one bar, a cigar lounge, six function rooms, a ballroom, a florist, a fitness and spa area, also open to day spa guests, as well as 17 private residential penthouse apartments on a total of seven stories.

About Kempinski Hotels
Created in 1897, Kempinski Hotels is Europe’s oldest luxury hotel group. Kempinski’s rich heritage of impeccable personal service and superb hospitality is complemented by the exclusivity and individuality of its properties. Kempinski now manages a portfolio of 76 five-star hotels and residences in 31 countries and continues to add new properties in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and The Americas. Each property reflects the strength and success of the Kempinski brand without losing sight of its heritage. The portfolio comprises historic landmark properties, award-winning urban lifestyle hotels, outstanding resorts, and prestigious residences. Each one is imbued with the quality guests have come to expect from Kempinski while embracing the cultural traditions of its location. Kempinski is a founding member of the Global Hotel Alliance (GHA), the world’s largest alliance of independent hotel brands.

kempinski.com

Artist’s impression of an upcoming YOO Collection property in Asia

ONYX Hospitality Group has entered an agreement with UK-based YOO Hotels & Resorts to manage and further develop YOO Collection and Yoo2 hotels across Asia.
As a result, ONYX Hospitality Group will expand the presence of the two YOO brands across key city and resort destinations in the Asia Pacific region, contributing to further growth of the YOO Collection and Yoo2 brands. The first YOO Asia hotels to be developed will be in Phuket and Bali, both scheduled to open in 2019.

Douglas Martell, President & CEO, ONYX Hospitality Group, said: “As we continue expanding the reach of the ONYX Hospitality Group portfolio and entering new market segments and new destinations, we are excited to be in partnership with YOO Hotels & Resorts to grow our footprint in the lifestyle hotels segment. We look forward to a mutual exchange of unique strengths, including YOO’s design-led philosophy and our regional management expertise.”

John Hitchcox, Chairman of the YOO Group, said: “We are very excited about this partnership between YOO Hotels & Resorts and ONYX Hospitality Group as it has created the perfect platform for operational excellence and growth of the YOO brands across Asia Pacific. This expansion opportunity in some of the world’s fastest growing hotel markets will ensure that even more travellers will soon be able to experience YOO’s unique designs and guest experiences.”

YOO is a global design brand specialising in design-led property and hotel developments around the world. The YOO brand was created by leading property developer John Hitchcox and international designer Philippe Starck with a vision to enrich lives with extraordinary living spaces. YOO Hotels & Resorts is inspired by YOO Group’s vision and offers two lifestyle brands: YOO Collection, luxury hotels which blend creative input by some of the world’s most renowned designers with sublime locations and personalised service; and Yoo2, upscale lifestyle hotels which provide unique interpretations of local influences, location and living space.
About ONYX
A part of Italthai Group, ONYX Hospitality Group operates several diverse yet complementary brands – Amari, Shama and OZO – each catering to the distinctive requirements of today’s business and leisure travellers. ONYX reaches beyond its Thai roots to offer innovative management solutions across the Indian Ocean, Arabian Gulf and Asia-Pacific regions. Visit www.onyx-hospitality.com.

About YOO Hotels & Resorts
YOO Hotels & Resorts are inspired by the YOO Group’s vision of enriching lives with extraordinary living spaces. Its luxury hotel brand, the YOO Collection, brings together world renowned Creative Directors and the renowned YOO Design Studio with some of the world’s most sublime destinations and flawless yet personal service. Meanwhile, Yoo2 continues the design ethic in an eclectic group of lifestyle hotels; each one a striking expression of local soul. Visit www.yoohotels.com

About YOO Group
YOO is a global design group created by leading property developer, John Hitchcox and Philippe Starck, the world-renowned designer. With a singular vision to enrich lives with extraordinary living spaces, the group brings its unique design-led philosophy to hotels, real estate, furnishings, energy and capital.

For more news from oneworld, see www.oneworld.com/news-information/oneworldnews/

Brussels Airport is investing over 52 million euros to equip its Pier B with new boarding bridges and offer greater comfort to passengers. This large-scale project is an important step towards meeting the future demands of its customers, passengers and airlines and preparing for future technological developments in aviation.

The 24 boarding and deboarding bridges at Pier B date from 1992 and will gradually be replaced by state-of-the-art aerobridges to meet the general trend with airlines of operating flights to Brussels Airport with ever larger aircraft. Equipped with air conditioning and large windows, these new bridges not only have a modern look, they’re also more efficient.

“This major investment in new state-of-the-art boarding bridges perfectly fits in with Brussels Airport’s strategy of offering greater comfort to our customers, passengers and airlines, and increasing operational efficiency”, explains Arnaud Feist, CEO of Brussels Airport.

Two thirds of the new aerobridges will be dual boarding bridges, which will speed up the boarding and deboarding process while offering greater comfort to passengers and enhanced operational efficiency for airlines. A triple boarding bridge will be installed at gates 31 and 33 of Pier B, which will enable Brussels Airport to meet future demands from the airlines to operate with A380s. In the meantime, it can be used as a double boarding bridge to accommodate large aircraft such as the Airbus A330 and A350 and the Boeing 777 and 787. Work on the installation of this triple boarding bridge will begin this week, heralding the launch of the first phase in the renovation programme.

The replacement of the 22 other boarding bridges will commence at the end of 2018. To maintain full operational capacity, the work will be rolled out in phases. The project will be completed around 2022.

Best Cities to Spend a Weekend

Study uses data to identify the top 100 destinations for a weekend getaway and reveals the best choices for millennials, families and baby boomers

• London, United Kingdom ranks as the best city to spend the weekend overall, coming out top for concerts, theatre and cinema, and ranking highly for museums, accommodation options and LGBT friendliness.

• Berlin, Germany ranks as the top recommended destination for millennials, Vienna, Austria for families and Zurich, Switzerland for baby boomers.

• Brussels, Belgium ranks number 33 in the top 100.

 Berlin, Germany, 11/10/2017 – Online weekend getaway portal and app, weekenGO have released a study revealing the top 100 best cities to spend the weekend, with London, UK taking the top spot. The results give an overall score for each city, but also indicate which destinations are best for three different types of travellers; millennials, families and baby boomers. As a company who lives and breathes weekend travel breaks, weekenGO undertook the study to define what exactly makes a city great for a short visit, and to help travellers of different age groups and dynamics to choose a destination which best caters to their interests.

 To determine the categories for the study, weekenGO first considered what factors affect a weekend trip. Several criteria are important to travellers no matter their age or affluence, for example how easy a city is to navigate, the ease of finding accommodation and the number of green spaces. To highlight which cities are best for millennials, families and baby boomers, the number of social locations such as restaurants, bars and clubs were included, as well as cultural activities such as museums, art galleries and theatres. In addition, safety and tolerance were factored into the research, looking specifically at data on women’s rights and safety, LGBT friendliness and the perception of security. The study began with the top 1,000 cities determined by the number of visitors based on the UN-WTO. The researchers then analysed all of these factors to create a ranking of the top 100 best cities to visit for the weekend.

 To create the individual scores for millennials, families and baby boomers, weekenGO looked at traveller’s interests on a macro level to determine the best overall representative score. Each category is scored, with a high score indicating high desirability for this factor and a low score indicating a low level of attractiveness for tourists.

 “Given the fact that we looked at over 1,000 cities worldwide, every destination that made it to this top 100 ranking ought to be on your weekend getaway bucket list.” commented Tobias Boese, co-founder and managing director of weekenGO. “Cities at the top of the ranking such as London, Paris and New York are iconic for a reason, but those cities at the bottom of the ranking such as Casablanca and Belgrade still have a great deal to offer for an unforgettable weekend trip.”

 The table below shows a breakdown of the results for Brussels, Belgium. Rankings for each category are out of 100, with 1 being the best possible rank. Scores are out of 100, and the higher the score, the better:

N.B.The full results and methodology can be found here: https://www.weekengo.com/en-EN/study/100-top-destinations-to-spend-a-weekend.html

The table below shows the top 10 best cities to spend the weekend, with a sample of the criteria used to determine the total score. For the methodology, please see the bottom of this press release or the full results page:

The table below shows the top 10 cities for millennials, including a sample of the criteria included to determine the final ranking for this age group:

The table below shows the top 10 cities for families, including a sample of the criteria included to determine the final ranking for this age group:

The table below shows the top 10 cities for baby boomers, including a sample of the criteria included to determine the final ranking for this age group:

N.B.The full results and methodology can be found here: https://www.weekengo.com/en-EN/study/100-top-destinations-to-spend-a-weekend.html

Further Findings:

• Graz, Austria ranks as the most walkable city.

• Stuttgart, Germany ranks number 1 for most green spaces.

• Rome, Italy ranks best for most accommodation options.

• Tokyo, Japan ranks as the best city for best dining, and is also part of the Family and Baby Boomer top 10 ranking.

• Rio de Janeiro, Brazil ranks as the best for bars.

• Shanghai, China ranks number 1 for the best club options.

• Paris, France has the most music venues.

• London, UK has the highest rank for concerts, theatres and cinemas.

• Vancouver, Canada ranks number 1 for the most cultural events.

• Los Angeles, USA ranks highest for the most museums and galleries.

• Oslo, Norway ranks as the safest place for women.

• Madrid, Spain ranks as the most LGBT friendly.

• Zurich, Switzerland ranks number 1 for security and is included in the top 10 ranking for all age ranges.

Cobalt Air, the Cypriot airline, today (12 Oct) announced a new route from Paphos Airport to Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport as part of its Winter 2017 schedule.

Flights to Moscow begin on 29 October each Thursday and Sunday.

Cobalt Air continues to connect Cyprus via Larnaca and Paphos airports to major business and leisure centres on high frequency, value fare services including Athens (daily), London (daily via Stansted & Gatwick) as well as Frankfurt making Cobalt Air the ideal choice for business and leisure customers.

In Larnaca, Cobalt Air CEO, Andrew Madar said: “We are pleased to expand our routes for Winter 2017 by launching Paphos Airport to Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport. “This route will goes on sale today on the www.cobalt.aero website as we continue to grow our international route network. “Russian visitors and residents alike can look forward to trying the Cobalt Air experience and a range of destination choices so there’s never been a better time to book a flight on Cobalt Air. Customers should Book Early to Save Big on www.cobalt.aero.”

Schedule Departure from Paphos – 09:10

Arrival at Moscow SVO – 14:25

Departure from Moscow SVO – 15:25

Arrival at Paphos – 18:30

Aeromexico and Japan Airlines (JAL) agreed to launch a codeshare partnership in Japan’s fiscal year 2018, that combines the synergies of both airlines. This alliance will provide a wider connectivity between Mexico and Japan, and through the latter points beyond. This mutual codeshare subject to necessary approvals from authorities, will help to pursue significant cooperation in the near future, allowing to leverage each other’s network, expertise and assets in benefit of their consumers.

As consequence of the rapid growth of Japanese manufactures in Mexico as well as tourism traffic between them, air travel from both countries has grown over the recent years. Hence, Aeromexico started its Mexico City – Narita service in 2006 with two weekly services via Tijuana, being the only Latin American carrier with direct flights to Asia, and due to the increased demand, since March 2017 Aeromexico offers daily service on this route.

Japan Airlines currently serves 8 Mexican cities through a codeshare via Los Angeles and Dallas Fort Worth, and will increase by offering twenty destinations with its partnership with Aeromexico between Narita and Mexico City, as well as routes connecting Los Angeles with other Mexican cities through their domestic network. In addition to this codeshare, both airlines will jointly explore the opportunities to improve their customer experience, such as mutual lounge access and mileage accrual and redemption.

JAL and Aeromexico codeshare agreement will strengthen both airline’s vision, in order to provide new air bridges striving to deliver a better connectivity and variety of options to passengers, while also helping to increase tourism and commercial ties between both nations.

About Japan Airlines:

Japan Airlines (JAL) was founded in 1951 and became the first international airline in Japan. A member of the oneworld® alliance, the airline now reaches more than 344 airports in 56 countries and regions together with its codeshare partners with a modern fleet of more than 227 aircraft. JAL Mileage Bank (JMB), the airline’s loyalty program, has reached over 31 million members worldwide. Awarded one of the most punctual major international airlines, JAL is committed to providing customers with the highest levels of flight safety and supreme quality in every aspect of its service, and aims to become the most preferred airline in the world.

About Aeromexico:

Grupo Aeromexico, S.A.B. de C.V. is a holding company whose subsidiaries are engaged in commercial aviation in Mexico and the promotion of passenger loyalty programs. Aeromexico, Mexico´s global airline, operates more than 600 daily flights and its main hub is in Terminal 2 at the Mexico City International Airport. Its destinations network features more than 80 cities on three continents, including 45 destinations in Mexico, 23 in the United States, 15 in Latin America, 4 in Canada, 4 in Europe, and 3 in Asia.

The Group’s operating fleet of more than 125 aircraft is comprised of Boeing 787, 777 and 737 jet airliners and next generation Embraer 170 and 190 models. In 2012, the airline announced the most significant investment strategy in aviation history in Mexico, to purchase 100 Boeing aircraft including 90 MAX B737 jet airliners and 10 B787-9 Dreamliner’s.

As a founding member of the SkyTeam airline alliance, Aeromexico offers customers more than 1,000 destinations in 177 countries served by the 20 SkyTeam airline partners rewarding passengers with benefits including access to 672 premium airport lounges around the world. Aeromexico also offers travel on its codeshare partner flights with Delta Air Lines, Avianca, Copa Airlines and WestJet, with extensive connectivity in countries like the United States, Brazil, Canada, Colombia and Peru.  www.aeromexico.com www.skyteam.com