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Low-cost round-up

Published: 20/03/2008 - Filed under: News »

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Emirates to help set up new low-cost airline

Government-owned carrier Emirates is to “assist” with the setting up of a new low-cost airline operating out of Dubai. It had originally been rumoured that a division would be set up within Emirates to cater for low-cost flights, but a statement released this week has confirmed that while “the new airline will be initially supported by Emirates during the set-up period, it will not be part of the Emirates Group”.

The as yet unnamed airline will initially operate within the Gulf region and neighbouring states, and will have its own brand and identity. The carrier will be headed up by Ghaith Al Ghaith, the current executive vice-president of commercial operations worldwide at Emirates. The airline will join other low-cost carriers in the region, including the established Air Arabia, based in Sharjah.

Visit emirates.com, airarabia.com.

Ryanair to fly domestic French and German routes

Budget-carrier Ryanair is to ply domestic routes within France and Germany for the first time. The airline says it will launch a route between Paris and Marseilles this May, along with flights between Frankfurt and Berlin.

Ryanair will start a twice-daily service between Berlin Schoenefeld and Frankfurt Hahn on April 28, followed by a four-times weekly service between Marseilles and Paris Beauvais on May 2. Air France currently serves Marseilles from both Paris CDG and Orly airports, while both Lufthansa and Air Berlin fly between Frankfurt International and Berlin Tegel airports.

Tickets go on sale today (March 20) and the carrier says it is offering the first 25,000 seats on the new routes for €10 including taxes.

For more information visit ryanair.com.

Third Premier Inn for Bournemouth

Budget hotel-brand Premier Inn is to open a 120-room hotel in Bournemouth next month.

Due to open its doors on April 21, the Premier Inn Bournemouth Central Westover Road is located on the town’s seafront, and includes a lounge bar, the Waters Reach restaurant and bar, seven meeting rooms, and a ballroom overlooking the sea with a capacity for 350 delegates. The hotel is the third Premier Inn in the city, after the Premier Inn Bournemouth Central Poole Road – which opened last December – and the Premier Inn Bournemouth East.

Premier Inn is nearing the completion of its rebranding process from its previous Premier Travel Inn moniker. (Click here for a review of the brand’s London King’s Cross St Pancras property in Business Traveller’s April edition.)

For more information visit premierinn.com.

Report by Mark Caswell

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