Virgin Australia to add Belgrade, Zagreb codeshare flights

GLOBAL AVIATION NEWS

Schiphol to cap flights

The Dutch government has made a historic announcement that the number of flights arriving at Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport will be capped to bring down pollution. Schiphol, which is the third largest airport in Europe, will be limited to 440.000 flights a year from 2023. This represents an 11% reduction from the pre-pandemic numbers in 2019. The announcement received backlash from industry leaders who spoke out against flight number reductions, despite being broadly committed to sustainability goals. The European aviation association ACI Europe criticised the move for damaging an economic hub in the region. ACI Europe says it is committed to netzero by 2050 and actively encourages airports to assess the emissions of their commercial partners, including aircrafts, as part of their Airport Carbon Accreditation scheme. “Amsterdam Schiphol makes the Netherlands bigger than it is. The decision of the government to significantly reduce the capacity of the airport will make the Netherlands smaller”, says Olivier Jankovec, ACI Europe director general, in reference to the airport's role in the regional economy. In an earlier statement on working alongside law-makers to achieve sustainable air travel, ACI Europe President Javier Marin criticised pushes to reduce regional flights and warned against governments caving in to ‘climate populism’. Other criticisms came from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which spoke out against the government’s move. “Schiphol has been struggling to cope with demand, which shows how important the airport is”, says Willie Walsh, director general of IATA, in reference to the staff shortages which are plaguing European airports including Schiphol. “This crazy decision to cut the airport off at its knees will achieve none of the stated environmental aims, but it will cause irreparable harm to jobs and prosperity. The government should reverse course”, Walsh adds.

Virgin Australia to add Belgrade, Zagreb codeshare flights

NEWS FLASH

Qatar Airways is partnering with Brisbane-based Virgin Australia in a codeshare agreement that allows Qatar's passengers access to 35 Virgin Australia destinations and Virgin Australia customers access to more than 140 Qatar Airways destinations worldwide among which will be Belgrade and Zagreb. Travellers will be able to book flights to the Serbian and Croatian capitals through the Virgin Australia website soon. The partnership, which will commence mid-year, also allows each airline's frequent flyers to enjoy reciprocal benefits and the opportunity to earn and burn points on either carrier. “We have a strong, long-standing relationship with Australia and this agreement with Virgin Australia comes at a time when it is needed the most. This partnership will give Australian passengers access to the world that they have so acutely missed these past two years, to be able to reconnect with family and friends, and keep the wheels of trade moving”, Qatar Airways’ CEO, Akbar Al Baker, said. Virgin Australia previously codeshared on Etihad Airways’ service to between Abu Dhabi and Belgrade until the route’s termination in 2020.

Comments

Anonymous13:29
They will get even more transfers from Australia. Great that both cities will be featured on Virgin's website.
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