Technical problems with the fire protection systems forced a delay in the opening of BER Airport. This difficult decision was taken by the airport operating company in light of the findings of the past few days. Until today, all those involved in planning the project were convinced that all technical equipment and systems required to ensure comprehensive and complete safety at the airport, would be installed and ready in time for the opening of the new airport on 3 June 2012. Following several crisis meetings over the weekend, the project directors have come to the conclusion that the completion and subsequent official inspection and approval of the technical safety systems at the new airport cannot be completed in time for the opening date originally scheduled. The relocation of air traffic from Schnefeld and Tegel to BER has been temporarily halted. The opening will be postponed until after the summer holidays.

Wings travel consultants are in the process of verifying all existing bookings being held for Berlin Brandenberg Airport and will be in contact with all our affected passengers to offer alternative options in line with what the airlines are advising us.

Information supplied by World Airline News: http://worldairlinenews.wordpress.com/2012/05/09/the-opening-of-the-new-berlin-brandenburg-airport-is-postponed/

Flights leaving on a Thursday and Sunday ex Johannesburg and ex Cotonou on a Monday and Friday.

Wings Travel Management

For more information, go to:
http://www.flysaa.com/za/en/newroutes/new-routes.html?utm_source=ZA_Homepage&utm_medium=banner&utm_campaign=Cottonou

IAG immediately announced plans to sell the bmibaby and bmi Regional, saying they were ‘not part of its long-term plans’.

The company has now been sold to an Aberdeen consortium, Sector Aviation Holdings (SAH).

For further information, please go to:
http://news.stv.tv/north/99088-hundreds-of-scottish-jobs-secured-as-bmi-regional-sold-for-8m/

At present, British Airways is planning to operate a normal schedule and will continue to speak with the UK Border Agency in order to minimise any potential inconvenience to their customers. Additional staff from the airport authority and British Airways will be on hand to help customers. Contingency plans have been put in place and will be monitored closely.

The UK Border Agency has asked for customers arriving in the UK to assist them by having travel documents readily available and by using automatic e-passport gates, where possible.

Customers transferring to another domestic or international flight should also have their onward travel documents available for inspection on arrival in the terminal building, where they will be directed to a dedicated connections route.

Wings Travel Management has been advised that UK Border Agency handles incoming immigration checks at the airports. Departing and international transfer customers are not affected.

Information supplied by British Airways. For further information, go to:  http://www.britishairways.com/travel/flightops/public/en_gb?p_faqid=4434

The move comes as passengers already face significant wait times because of a shortage of passport control workers. The action would also affect Gatwick and other airports. The strike action is the result of a pension disagreement.

Wings strongly encourages our valued customers who are travelling to the United Kingdom to allow for sufficient additional time when needing to clear passport control, either for entry into the UK or for transiting to another flight as not to encounter any problems.

Information supplier by goAlert24 (www.goalert24.com)

As passenger traffic increases, the new equipment will help move passengers through immigration more efficiently. Immigration issues can be spotted as the system checks the traveller’s biometrics and passport information against current lists.

Travellers over the age of seven with newer passports with barcodes can use the new smart e-Gate and those with passports without barcodes can proceed to the existing e-Gates or go to the regular immigration desks.

A system trial will take place for two months by the General Directorate for Residency and Foreigners Affairs to evaluate its impact on operations.

Information supplied by Business Now (www.btnow.co.za)

For more, go to https://www.osac.gov/Pages/ContentReportDetails.aspx?cid=12393

Information supplied by OSAC (www.osac.gov)

“We’re excited about this new acquisition and what it will mean for our customers,” said Tony Sofianos, CEO of Wings Travel Management.

The acquisition is the most recent step in Wings’ efforts to expand its services to the growing oil and gas markets around the world. Wings continues to develop and offer the most advanced technology solutions and applications to help businesses with their travel arrangements, particularly when traveling to challenging energy-exploration areas or those under strenuous conditions.

“We know V7’s longstanding relationships with major clients and travel suppliers in this important region will greatly support our already-robust efforts to serve our travelers more efficiently,” Sofianos said.

This acquisition in South America will further raise the company’s profile as a global travel-management company with major operations in the U.S., U.K., the Middle East, South America and Africa. Wings also is expanding into the Asia-Pacific region with an operating presence in Singapore.

Wings differentiates itself in the travel industry by offering  seamless service and consistently accurate data to corporate travel programs through its single-technology platform, which is universal throughout its global operations. This technology platform will be replicated in the Brazilian operations.

“We are sure that very soon we will make the difference to our clients – delivering with global reach and local expertise a unique service, on a single state-of-the-art technology platform with trained, engaged and passionate people,” said Alexander Balardjischvili, newly appointed head of region for the Brazilian market.

Established in 1995 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, V7 Viagens ranks among the top three travel-management companies serving Brazil’s oil and gas market.

Brazil has one of the greenest energy environments in the world and is also the largest oil producer in South America after Venezuela. With the discovery of significant oil and gas reserves off Brazil’s coast in recent years, the country is the world’s ninth-largest oil producer. Major corporations have interest in this market as oil exploration and production are expected to grow in coming years.

The British Air Transport Association has written to Theresa May with 11 airlines’ concerns over possible delays at peak travel times such as Easter.  They say there are too few border staff for full security checks.

The Border Force said it would “aim to keep disruption to a minimum by using our staff flexibly to meet demand”. British Airways and Virgin Airlines are amongst those expressing their concerns over potential delays to hundreds of thousands of passengers.

More than 370,000 passengers will fly from Heathrow airport between Good Friday and Easter Monday, and 200,000 will travel through Gatwick.

The British Air Transport Association, which represents the airlines, has urged Mrs May to bring in more staff to cope with the demands of making full and thorough security checks for an increased number of passengers over times such as Easter and the Queen’s Jubilee.

The Home Office said it would not comment on the number of current border staff for security reasons.

Border staff previously used “risk-based” passport checks on people coming into the country, which involved not carrying out extra checks on passengers.

Wings Travel Management urges their customers to allow additional time prior to check-in as the airports will be very busy.

For additional information please go to: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17607771

The A320 has 16 Pearl Business-class and 120 Coral Economy-class seats.

The airline will also operate to West Africa with the introduction of flights to Nigeria in July.

Etihad commenced operations to the Seychelles in November last year and to Libya in January of this year, building on existing services to Egypt, South Africa, Morocco and Sudan.

The airlines President and CEO, James Hogan, said: “This year will see considerable growth for us within Africa as a whole, as we observe strong and emerging markets across the continent.”

He said the new route would, in particular, service the considerable and growing flow of people and capital between Kenya and North Asia, with major Chinese investment in Africa generating passenger demand in both directions.

The airline began dedicated cargo services to Nairobi in March 2009 and will continue to operate five freight-only flights per week. The combined capacity of passenger and cargo aircraft will allow the airline to transport 340 tonnes of cargo each week.

Information supplied by Business Travel Now (www.btnow.co.za)