Kate

Travelport has announced its extended partnership with car rental and ground transportation technology Mobacar. Building on the success of the existing relationship, this long-term agreement now makes Mobacar a preferred global technology partner. Travelport in partnership with Mobacar intends to dramatically increase the global car rental and ground transportation content available to its travel agency customers.  With this real-time connectivity...

Air France has launched a new airline called Joon, which will start operating medium-haul flights from Paris-Charles de Gaulle this autumn, followed by long-haul flights in the European summer of 2018. Joon is aimed at a young working clientele between the ages of 18 and 35, whose lifestyles revolve around digital technology. Joon will not be a low-cost airline as it...

Travelport has partnered with Groundspan to introduce the fully integrated ground transportation solution, Travelport Drive Me. It provides options for travellers who desire a high-quality, personalized and reliable car transfer service experience across their journey. Drive Me is powered by Groundspan’s global network of over 5,000 cars. This enables Travelport Smartpoint-connected travel agents to manage ground transportation, just as they book flights and...

Wings Travel Management is establishing an operation in Mozambique to support clients who are moving into this market, following the discovery of some 85 trillion cubic feet of gas reserves in 2011. This month Eni SpA led a group that signed off a $7 billion investment to start drilling and processing gas from floating offshore platforms in the Rovuma Basin. Over...

British Airways is increasing the number of seats to Nigeria, introducing its newly refurbished Boeing 747-400s to Lagos from September. The aircraft are larger than the Boeing 777s which the airline currently operates and will add an extra 343 seats a week on the busy route between London and Nigeria’s commercial capital. As well as a refreshed interior, the revamped 747s...

Travelport has announced the launch of Travelport Resolve, a new product for airlines. Travelport Resolve automates the sourcing and distribution of hotel rooms, air re-booking and meals, as well as transport needs, into a single, paperless experience when flights are cancelled or delayed. It enables airlines to react to disruptions with speed and accuracy, immediately communicating with passengers after an itinerary...

The Rezidor Hotel Group has opened its first hotel in N’Djamena, Chad. The opening of the Radisson Blu in the capital of Chad brings Rezidor’s African presence to 42 hotels with more than 16,200 rooms in operation and under development. The hotel’s 175 rooms offer a contemporary design and free high-speed wi-fi. There’s a selection of room styles, from standard to superior...

Flight Centre Travel Group South Africa will extend its 30% black women employee shareholder ownership trust for its newly created corporate travel entity, FCTG Corporate Pty Ltd. FCTGSA decided to register FCM Travel Solutions in 2013 due to the nature of the business which, they say, called for a different business model. In order to entirely split the group’s leisure and...

Birchwood Hotel & OR Tambo Conference Centre – in close proximity to Johannesburg’s O.R. Tambo International Airport - has unveiled its new on-site restaurant. It’s called Phomolong and its decor is a modern take on traditional African design, including a rustic thatch roof with wooden decking, contemporary furniture and a modern open kitchen. The restaurant is situated in the heart of...

AVANI Hotels & Resorts – a Minor Hotels brand – has announced the development of its first hotel in Mauritius, which is scheduled to open in 2021. AVANI Bel-Ombre Mauritius Resort & Spa will offer stylish accommodation on the beach. Only 30 minutes from the international airport, the hotel will comprise 150 guest rooms, made up of 134 standard rooms and...

Austrian Airlines will offer two weekly flights from Cape Town to Vienna from October next year, deploying the new Boeing 777 aircraft. In addition to economy and business class, passengers will also already be able to fly in premium economy. Austrian Airlines’ long-haul aircraft will be gradually re-modelled to enable the installation of premium economy seats. Flight service from Cape Town to...

vc_row]The U.S. government has lifted the controversial laptop ban for flights to the U.S. for three major airlines. Etihad Airways, Emirates Airline and Turkish Airlines have all been cleared to allow customers to bring electronic devices, including laptops, tablets and e-readers, on flights from the Middle East into the U.S. The Department of Homeland Security initiated the ban in March. It came...