At a press conference held at Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport, the two chairmen announced: "The merger of our two airlines is now a done deal. Today is an important date for the world airline industry and marks an essential step forward in the process of sector consolidation in Europe. The new entity, which will be the world's largest airline group by turnover (19.2 billion euros) and a world leader in its three core businesses: Passengers, Cargo and Maintenance, has the potential to develop powerful synergies. The complementary nature of the two airlines, which will each retain their brands and unique values, will ensure that the new group is more attractive for passengers, as they will gain access to an enhanced offering, and will create substantial shareholder value."

The synergies already identified are scheduled to gain momentum and have a positive impact on the Group's consolidated operating profit of some 400 to 500 million euros as of the fifth year. The synergies are to be achieved through optimized networks, improved deployment of passenger and cargo activity, and an expanded maintenance offering together with cost savings in supplies, sales distribution and Information Technology.

Customers will start feeling the benefit of these synergies very rapidly. Jean-Cyril Spinetta and Leo van Wijk announced that, as of 1 June this year, Air France and KLM passengers will be able to benefit from coordinated schedules throughout their entire short-, medium- and long-haul networks. Flight schedules between Paris and Amsterdam will be regular and frequent to increase the possibilities of connecting flights to the entire world via the hubs at Paris-Charles de Gaulle 2 or Schiphol. KLM flights will be transferred from Terminal 1 to Terminal 2F at Paris-Charles de Gaulle to join the Air France flights. In Amsterdam, both airlines' flights will also leave from the same boarding area.

Air France and KLM are to step up services between Amsterdam and French regional airports and between Paris and Dutch regional airports with the launch of three new services: Amsterdam-Bordeaux, Amsterdam-Marseille and CDG-Rotterdam. Air France and KLM are also seeking to maximize the complementary nature of their medium-haul networks.
Air France has a strong presence in southern Europe, while KLM has developed an extensive network in northern Europe. The long-haul routes on which Air France and KLM do not have a daily flight or do not have a non-stop point-to-point flight are to be rationalized and improved.

The two airlines' world networks can be combined, forming a vast network organized around the two major hubs of Amsterdam-Schiphol and Paris-CDG. This initiative will be very attractive for passengers who need to travel via a hub to reach their final destination. When they organize their trip to a distant destination served by Air France and KLM, they can benefit from two different schedules on the same day, on both the outgoing and return legs, and will be able to combine a trip via Amsterdam with one via Paris.

The Air France-KLM Group will therefore be bringing to bear the tremendous power of its enhanced combined offering for the benefit of its most demanding passengers. These customers will be able to organize their trips to suit their schedules, at the most attractive available fares, based on the addition of two half round-trip tickets.

Members of the Fréquence Plus/Air France and Flying Dutchman/KLM frequent flyer programmes will be able to earn Miles and claim rewards on all the two airlines' routes as of 1 June 2004.

And once KLM, Northwest and Continental join SkyTeam, scheduled for mid-September 2004, customer benefits will be even further increased.

The airline will fly daily services to Lyon between May 5 and 16, increasing to twice daily from May 17. Daily flights to Vienna also begin on May 5. Flights to Nice will launch this weekend, with single flights operating each Saturday and Sunday.

The routes are being launched follow the cessation of flights at the weekend by Birmingham based Duo Airways.

Steve Cassidy, British Airways CitiExpress’ general manager – commercial, said: “We were genuinely saddened to hear of Duo’s situation. We immediately implemented some special fares to assist stranded passengers and we also called in extra staff to our ticket desk to help with inquiries and re-route passengers.

“Birmingham is an important base for us, we have been operating here for 65 years and felt it appropriate to respond positively to the gap left in the marketplace.”

Fares start from as little as £109 return to Lyon, £129 to Vienna and £99 to Nice.For further information Roseanne Crossey 0121 767 7628

British Airways CitiExpress is a wholly owned subsidiary of British Airways. The airline has launched 14 new European routes within the last 18 months. British Airways CitiExpress is the largest scheduled carrier at Birmingham International Airport, operating over 250 flights a week to 17 destinations.

Iberia already flies twice a day to Berlin, one leaving Madrid at 9:30 h. and arriving at 12:20 h, and the other leaving Barcelona at 16:05 h. and reaching Berlin at 18:30 h. The new flight is especially suited for business travellers to Madrid, and for others making connections there to one of Iberia's 36 destinations on the Spanish mainland and islands, 7 destinations in Africa, or 23 destinations in the Americas.

The Spanish airline began flying Berlin from Barcelona in October 1990, and from Madrid in January 1991. Today, the Iberia Group makes 360 flights each week between Spain and Germany, where it serves the airports of Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Hanover, Munich, and Stuttgart, as well as Berlin.

The Singapore to New York flight will set a new record for the world’s longest non-stop commercial flight, beating the existing record set on 3 February this year with the launch of SIA non-stop services between Singapore and Los Angeles.

SIA’s record-breaking A340-500 aircraft, called the A345LeaderShip, will travel over 16,600 km (around 9,000 nautical miles) on the Singapore to New York route. The flight will take about 18 hours in each direction and save passengers up to four hours in travel time, as compared to the existing one-stop services.

The distance covered on SIA’s Singapore to Los Angeles service is 14,762 km or 7,971 nm.

Flight SQ22 will depart Singapore for New York (Newark airport) at 1205 hours and arrive in the Big Apple at 1830 hours the same day. The return service will depart from Newark at 2300 hours and touch down in Singapore at 0535 hours two days later.

“The schedule allows passengers to connect easily to onward points in the US and to other parts of Asia, depending on the direction of travel,” said Mr Huang Cheng Eng, SIA’s Executive Vice President, Marketing and the Regions. “Business travellers, in particular, will appreciate the convenience and time savings of non-stop travel, as well as the spaciousness and comfort of the A345LeaderShip.”

With this daily non-stop service, SIA will increase its frequency to New York from 11 to 14 times weekly. This includes the daily one-stop service SIA operates via Frankfurt to the city. The existing one-stop service via Amsterdam, which operates four times weekly, will be discontinued.

SIA A345LeaderShip
The non-stop service will be operated using SIA’s ultra-long-range A345Leadership, the world’s first all premium long-haul aircraft. Specially designed for the business traveller, it focuses on customer comfort and convenience and features just 181 seats in a spacious two-class configuration.

The new Executive Economy Class offers 117 seats in a 2-3-2 configuration, with a seat pitch of 37 inches and a seat-back recline of eight inches. The Executive Economy Class seat is also industry’s widest at 20 inches, and is complimented with a leather adjustable headrest, an innovative leg and foot rest, a nine inch personal video monitor, and AC power supply outlets for customers who wish to power up their laptops in-flight.

The Raffles (business) Class Cabin features 64 of the Airline’s renowned lie-flat SpaceBeds. Arranged in a 2-2-2 configuration, the seats have a wider seat pitch at 64 inches, a bed width of 26 inches, a bed length of 78 inches, adjustable headrest, leg rest and lumbar support, a 10.4 inch personal video monitor, AC power supply, and a DVD port.

All seats are equipped with SIA’s well-known in-flight entertainment system, KrisWorld, offering over 300 entertainment options, including 60 on-demand movies, over 75 TV programmes and a host of music, technology, travel and children’s programmes. The system also features over 100 music CD albums, and more than 30 Nintendo® games. With “on-demand” audio, TV, and movie channels, the passenger is able to pause, fast-forward or rewind a CD or movie anytime.

This premium aircraft is designed to allow passengers to move around and socialize if they wish to with passenger corners in both Raffles and Executive Economy Class cabins, where passengers can stretch out while helping themselves to an array of drinks and snacks.

03.05.2026
US Airways to become full member of Star Alliance on May 4
US Airways will become a full Star Alliance member effective May 4, 2004, further enhancing US Airways’ and Star Alliance’s global reach and expanding the breadth of service available to customers. “US Airways will significantly strengthen our network and product offering especially into and out of the eastern U.S. seaboard and the Caribbean via its hubs in Philadelphia, Charlotte and Pittsburgh,” said Jaan Albrecht, CEO of Star Alliance. “Additionally, experience has shown that US Airways and other member carriers will see an increase in traffic and revenue as more frequent fliers take advantage of the vast array of benefits the Star Alliance network has to offer.”

“Joining Star Alliance is an important and historic milestone for US Airways and we could not be more excited about joining the world’s leading alliance,” Bruce R. Lakefield, President & Chief Executive Officer of US Airways. “Our customers will enjoy unprecedented global access and frequent flier benefits, and our company will benefit from the additional revenue and cost saving opportunities that the alliance provides.”

US Airways offers nearly 3,300 daily non-stop flights to 187 destinations in the U.S., Caribbean, Latin America, Europe, Canada and Mexico. Once it joins, the Star Alliance network will comprise 14,000 flights per day to 755 destinations in 132 countries across the globe, in addition to 575 airport lounges worldwide. With US Airways as part of Star Alliance, its frequent fliers will now be able to accrue and redeem miles on any of the 15 member airlines and will be eligible to achieve Star Alliance Silver or Star Alliance Gold status. US Airways Dividend Miles Chairman’s Preferred and Gold Preferred members automatically become Star Gold members, and Silver Preferred members will be recognized as Star Silver members.

Star Alliance Silver status entitles customers to priority reservation wait-list and priority standby at the airport. Star Alliance Gold status customers additionally enjoy access to each of the member airline lounges, dedicated check-in, priority baggage service, additional baggage allowances, and priority boarding.

As a member of Star Alliance, US Airways also will have the opportunity to participate in a wide range of cost saving initiatives, such as fuel purchasing and media procurement, with other member carriers.

Another important advantage to US Airways passengers, said Albrecht, is that Star Alliance member airlines provide coordinated schedules at conveniently located airports, which can dramatically reduce connection times at key hubs across the network.

Star Alliance was established in 1997 as the first truly global airline alliance to offer customers global reach and a smooth travel experience. The members are Air Canada, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Austrian, bmi, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Spanair, Thai Airways International, United, and VARIG Brazilian Airlines. US Airways is the seventh-largest airline in the U.S., serving nearly 200 communities in the U.S., Canada, Europe, the Caribbean and Latin America. US Airways, US Airways Shuttle and the US Airways Express partner carriers operate over 3,200 flights per day.