p40 air sep19 16/9/08 17:41 Page 40
Air
Chris Gray
020 7921 8003
cgray@ttglive.com
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Ex-XL boss Smith
starts Kiss Flights
Emirates cuts UK
A FORMER Freedom Flights executive is starting
up a seat-only operator aimed at independent
air fares by 20%
agents specialising in dynamic packaging.
Michael Smith, a former commercial director
at Freedom Flights, is behind Kiss Flights, which
is due to start operating next summer.
It aims to run daily flights from Gatwick and
Manchester to Egypt, Greece, the Canaries and
Dalaman in Turkey.
Flights will be onboard a new Boeing 737-800
aircraft operated by Viking Airlines.
Smith said it aimed to offer low deposits and
“the most competitive fares” in the market.
“By offering low deposits we aim to substan-
tially increase the early booking opportunities
for agents who are active in the dynamic
packaging market,” he said.
“We will also be running exciting and
innovative trade promotions during the key Emirates’ Glen Mintrim brandishes the carrier’s TTG Travel Award for Airline of the Year
industry booking periods to help agents to
leverage seat sales.”
Chris Gray.
no benefit from the higher oil price even though
The venture was planned before last week’s EMIRATES is cutting fares from its UK airports by its owner was an oil-producing government.
collapse of Freedom Flights’ parent group, XL up to 20% to reflect how the price of oil has fallen Speaking at the TTG Travel Awards, where
Leisure Group. A spokesman for Kiss said it be- from its June peak of more than $140 a barrel. Emirates was named Airline of the Year, Mintrim
lieved there was room in the market for another Oil prices are now hovering at about $100 a said: “We are a commercial airline with share-
seat-only operator aimed solely at the trade. barrel and Emirates says the drop is enough to holders and we have to stand on our own two feet.
He said Freedom Flights had been doing well allow it to cut fares on routes to Australia, South “We suffered like any other airline when oil
by selling 800,000 seats a year, which showed Africa, the Far East and the Indian Ocean. goes up to $145 a barrel. It put pressure on the
there was demand from the trade. The airline, which is owned by the government business and we increased fares to deal with it.
of oil-producing Dubai, made a net profit of Our prices were higher than other airlines’.”
$1.37 billion in the year to the end of March. The reduced fares will go on sale until October
It said higher yields and load factors had 24 and are valid for travel until June 30.
helped compensate for rising oil prices. UK head
of sales Glen Mintrim said the airline had seen ■ ‘Time to cut surcharges’: Letters, page 49
East Mids invests in wind
EAST Midlands airport is planning to generate be carbon neutral by 2012 and has invested
10% of its electricity through wind turbines it £3 million in initiatives to reach the target.
will start installing next year. They include using rainwater to flush toilets
Marketing director Caroline Plant revealed and channelling heat from deep below the
the plan at the TTG Travel Awards, where East ground for the airport’s western pier.
Midlands was named airport of the year. The airport has also set up a “roadmap in the
Plant put its success down to environmental sky” that leads aircraft away from highly popu-
and community initiatives, which she said would lated areas. Aircraft that deviate are fined and the
accelerate with the wind turbine plan. money is used to provide sound insulation for
Sealed with a kiss: Michael Smith launches Kiss Flights The airport plans for all ground operations to houses within a three-mile radius of the airport.
40 19.09.2008
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