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Continental Airlines will fly from Texas to Nigeria in 2011  Continental Airlines announced today plans to launch new daily nonstop flights between Houston and Lagos, Nigeria, beginning November 10, 2011, subject to government approval. It will be the first daily scheduled service offered between Texas and Africa by any carrier. Lagos will be Continental's first destination in Africa and the 30th city in its trans-Atlantic route network. It is the second new international destination announced in the last month that will be served nonstop from Houston, Continental's largest hub. Continental currently serves 63 international destinations nonstop from Houston and recently announced plans to begin nonstop service between Houston and Auckland beginning Nov. 16, 2011, subject to government approval. With the addition of flights to Africa, Houston will become one of just four cities in the world and the only city in the Western Hemisphere to have nonstop service to every inhabited continent on the globe. "We are excited to continue to expand our international route network from Houston by adding nonstop service to Lagos," said Jeff Smisek, Continental's chairman, president and chief executive officer. "This flight will link two energy capitals and fill the growing demand for nonstop service between the two cities - a route which is currently not served by any other airline." On May 3, Continental announced that it has agreed to merge with United Airlines in a merger of equals to create the world's leading airline. The success of the Houston-Lagos route will be enhanced by the additional traffic flows through Houston that are expected to result from the merger. "Houston stands to gain economically from this new direct connection to Africa, particularly in our energy and tourism industries," said Houston Mayor Annise Parker. "It's a win that will help facilitate increased commerce and trade, a direct benefit to the businesses and citizens of both regions." "It is vitally important to our local economy that Continental continue to expand and add critical destinations like Lagos, Nigeria, for service from Houston's Intercontinental Airport," said Congressman Gene Green. "This new route will also prove important for the growth of our energy industry here in Houston." "With this new USA-Africa route, Continental is doing more to make the business of international business its business and that's a good thing," said Congressman Al Green. "This new service will drive the creation of new business connections between Houston and Nigeria, particularly in the energy sector," said Congressman Kevin Brady. "Growth at Houston's Intercontinental airport helps create jobs here at home and bring in dollars to our communities while offering more options for our business travelers." "As international trade continues to be an increasingly integral part of growing our economy, this improved service by Continental will enhance economic development and create jobs not only for the energy industry, but for all Houston and the state of Texas as a whole," said Texas State Senator Rodney Ellis. Continental will operate the approximately 6,500-mile flight with a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner aircraft, seating 36 customers in BusinessFirst and 192 customers in economy class. Flying times will be approximately 11 hours eastbound, and 12 hours 30 minutes westbound. The new flight will reduce travel time between the two cities by over four hours by eliminating any connection en route. The preliminary schedule for the new service is as follows: Leave Houston Arrive Lagos Leave Lagos Arrive Houston Winter 3:45 pm 9:40 am (next day) 11:10 am 4:40 pm (same day) Summer 3:50 pm 9:15 am (next day) 10:45 am 4:40 pm (same day) The flight will be timed to provide convenient connections at Continental's Houston hub to more than 100 other cities throughout the U.S., Canada, Latin America and the Pacific. Continental will begin taking reservations and selling tickets on the new route later this year. Source: continental.com AIRFIELDS DATA BASE MAKING PROGRESS The airfields data base initiated by the Aero Club of East Africa is taking shape on the Club's web site www.aeroclubea.net. It is effectively acomputerized airfields manual, showing mainly Kenyan airfields, including details like co-ordinates, runway headings and lengths/widths, operator details, any cautions, as well as photographs. So far some three hundred Kenyan airfields and airports are available 'on line'. The service is free. All pilots are requested to assist in particular with aerial photos of the airfields. Please forward any pictures of the runways and also 'ground shots' to Alexander Galley who is actively assembling the latest airfield data for the Manual on behalf of the Aero Club. His email address is: alex_galley@hotmail.com. The Aero Club wishes to acknowledge the kind assistance by Capt. Tad Watts of Boskovic Air Charters in providing details of many airstrips in Kenya. The hard work of site moderator Daniel Szlapak, and of Alexander Galley, is also greatly appreciated by the Club. Emirates Airlines Expands Middle East Schedule OUR EDITOR FOUNDED THE AIR & MARINE TOURISM EXPO IN 1997. OUR NEXT WILL BE IN AFRICA. Speakers & sponsors write: airhwy@smartt.com United Airlines Announces Schedule for First-Ever Service to Africa CHICAGO: United Airlines (Nasdaq: UAUA) announced the schedule for the airline's first-ever nonstop service to the African continent, with once-daily service linking Washington with Accra, the capital of Ghana, beginning June 20. To celebrate the new service to Africa, United is offering special fares for travel between June 20 and August 29, 2010.   Sample discounted fares to Accra are each-way based on a required roundtrip purchase and tickets must be purchased no later than March 22, 2010. Additional taxes and fees apply. More AFRICAN TRAVEL,TRADE AND TOURISM DELEGATIONS URGED TO PARTICIPATE IN MAJOR AIRLINE ROUTES CONVENTION, VANCOUVER, CANADA, SEPTEMBER, 2010 ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES TO LAUNCH NEW SERVICES TO MOMBASA See update and news release. AIRLINES NOW JOIN CALL FOR SINGLE VISA by Prof. Wolfgang Thome This column is known to advocate for years now towards the introduction of a single Visa for visitors from abroad to the region, to stimulate more traffic and attract more tourist and business travellers to East Africa. Added to this is the outstanding issue of NOT charging Visa fees to expatriates duly registered in one of the East African member states and allow them and their families too unrestricted travel across the region, many of whom are now spending their holiday time in places where no Visa are required by them. Airlines in the region have now caught on to this demand, seeking to fill their planes with more passengers, and notably the Uganda country manager of Brussels Airlines Mr. Pierre Declerk is quoted in the media of having in fact challenged the scribes to join the cause and demand action from the responsible ministers through their newspapers. Other airline sources, while also supporting the idea, have however not gone on public record yet, a situation which ought to change if they want to succeed in having a single Visa become a fast reality. In Dubai: World's Leading Hostess Training Institute   Delta Expands Africa Presence with First-Ever Flight between Atlanta and Monrovia, Liberia Delta Air Lines (NYSE: DAL), the only U.S. network carrier to serve Africa, today announced it will expand its service to the African continent with the introduction of the first and only flight between Hartsfield Jackson Atlanta International Airport and Monrovia's Roberts International Airport, Liberia*.  The service, which will make a stop at Amilcar Cabral International Airport on Sal Island, Cape Verde*, will start in June, 2009.Continued. Gobena Mikael. Ethiopian Airlines Regional Director for the Americas Marketing Africa Travel, Trade and Tourism Texas Style . details Africa Travel Magazine Readers. Visit our Air Highways Magazine Website for an added perspective on international travel, trade, tourism, careers and investment AVIATION SECURITY CONTINUES TO TOP BUSINESS AGENDA AFRICA'S FUTURE IS IN THE AIR. Flight Safety Foundatio JET AIRWAYS TO PARTNER WITH EMIRATES Homeland Security at FOSE

Who flies where and when? The World's Major Airlines Review by Jerry W. Bird, Editor. From my early experience with bush pilots in the far Yukon to service in the Royal Canadian Airforce and my more recent work with Transport Canada and our airport network, flying has always been in my blood. Little wonder I can hardly wait for our next long haul to Africa. With our biggest aviation edition in ten years well underway, serendipity played its familiar role in my life when I received THE WORLD'S MAJOR AIRLINES by David Wragg. It arrived by mail last week courtesy of the MBI Publishing, St. Paul, MN and was presented by John Wurm, Publicist for Military and Aviation. I plan to write this book review in installments, since my first reading was to get an BusinessFirst and 192 customers in economy class. Flying times will be approximately 11 hours eastbound, and 12 hours 30 minutes westbound. The new flight will reduce travel time between the two cities by over four hours by eliminating any connection en route. The preliminary schedule for the new service is as follows: Leave Houston Arrive Lagos Leave Lagos Arrive Houston Winter 3:45 pm 9:40 am (next day) 11:10 am 4:40 pm (same day) Summer 3:50 pm 9:15 am (next day) 10:45 am 4:40 pm (same day) The flight will be timed to provide convenient connections at Continental's Houston hub to more than 100 other cities throughout the U.S., Canada, Latin America and the Pacific. Continental will begin taking reservations and selling tickets on the new route later this year. Source: continental.com AIRFIELDS DATA BASE MAKING PROGRESS The airfields data base initiated by the Aero Club of East Africa is taking shape on the Club's web site www.aeroclubea.net. It is effectively acomputerized airfields manual, showing mainly Kenyan airfields, including details like co-ordinates, runway headings and lengths/widths, operator details, any cautions, as well as photographs. So far some three hundred Kenyan airfields and airports are available 'on line'. The service is free. All pilots are requested to assist in particular with aerial photos of the airfields. Please forward any pictures of the runways and also 'ground shots' to Alexander Galley who is actively assembling the latest airfield data for the Manual on behalf of the Aero Club. His email address is: alex_galley@hotmail.com. The Aero Club wishes to acknowledge the kind assistance by Capt. Tad Watts of Boskovic Air Charters in providing details of many airstrips in Kenya. The hard work of site moderator Daniel Szlapak, and of Alexander Galley, is also greatly appreciated by the Club. Emirates Airlines Expands Middle East Schedule

OUR EDITOR FOUNDED THE AIR & MARINE TOURISM EXPO IN 1997. OUR NEXT WILL BE IN AFRICA. Speakers & sponsors write: airhwy@smartt.com

United Airlines Announces Schedule for First-Ever Service to Africa

Who flies where and when? The World's Major Airlines
Review by Jerry W. Bird, Editor. From my early experience with bush pilots in the far Yukon to service in the Royal Canadian Airforce and my more recent work with Transport Canada and our airport network, flying has always been in my blood. Little wonder I can hardly wait for our next long haul to Africa. With our biggest aviation edition in ten years well underway, serendipity played its familiar role in my life when I received THE WORLD'S MAJOR AIRLINES by David Wragg. It arrived by mail last week courtesy of the MBI Publishing, St. Paul, MN and was presented by John Wurm, Publicist for Military and Aviation. I plan to write this book review in installments, since my first reading was to get an overall position on how valuable this timely and well researched book will be in my evaluation of Africa's airlines and others serving the continent. Here are some comments from MBI that help set the stage. "Today there are so many airlines operating throughout the world that even the most knowledgeable enthusiast can soon become confused about which airline flies from where to where. This new, fully illustrated edition has been revised and updated to include the major advances in the aviation industry since 1998." More->

Do you enjoy Aviation and Air Shows? Ed Anderson
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Working in partnership with Air Highways Magazine, originators of the Supemap

Kenya Airways latest Fleet Expansion news. Go

Flight Network - Search for Airfare Bargains
Travelers have been saving 10 - 70% on cheap flights from Canada to the USA and International Destinations since 1998. Go

AIR TRANSAT JOINS IATA.
Air Transat has been admitted as an official member of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), becoming the second Canadian passenger carrier currently part of this organization. Yesterday morning, IATA's Doug Lavin, Vice-President for North America, and Gunther Matschnigg, Senior Vice President Safety, Operations and Infrastructure gave the official membership certificate to Air Transat's President and CEO Allen B. Graham. IATA has 230 members in 125 countries, representing 93 percent of scheduled international air traffic.is y

"Aerial Highway" Critical for poor countries
From Airline Industry. Without a rational "Aerial Highways" system lifting tourists in and flying goods and services out to global markets, the world's poorer countries will be "sentenced to abject poverty," said the head of a development agency. Speaking this week to European aviation chiefs assembled in Oslo, Lelei LeLaulu, president of Counterpart International, observed terrestrial highways, roads and bridges are recognised as essential components of infrastructure responsible for turning new frontiers into thriving communities as goods and commodities were transported to markets. More-> ea

Emirates adds Toronto Flight.
Visit Middle East on your way to Africa.
Oneworld Humanitarian Mission to South Africa

African American Pioneers in Aviation

Safest Year on Record for Air Transport
Africa's Future in the Air
Etihad Guest soars to 100,000 membership mark
Quick Now! Name the Top 10 Africa Vacations!

FORUM ON AIR & SPACE LAW, MEMPHIS, Oct. 3-6, 2007
Is the Passenger Bill of Rights necessary? Or does the current regulatory framework provide adequate protection for the consumer? What does the Department of Transportation's Final Order mean for airports and airlines? What is the future of examining airline industry practices for predatory pricing given current case law? More->

VANCOUVER WILL HOST THE 16TH WORLD ROUTES FORUM IN 2010
Larry Berg, president and CEO, Vancouver Airport Authority, says, "Routes 2010 will give our marketing team a key vehicle for promoting new routes for both passengers and cargo. Not only will delegates be able to enjoy the facilities and cultural legacies of the Olympic Games, but they will also be able to experience firsthand the new International Terminal facilities and the Canada Line rapid transit link to downtown." More.

Introducing Wings Over Africa Aviation Limited, Nairobi,(Kenya). More->

Pioneer Aviators Inspired Today's Long Haul Flights . Travel from Vancouver to Africa via Asia Pacific recalls the vision of Edmonton's Grant MacConachie, former bush pilot and founder of Canadian Pacific Airlines. Grant dreamed of an air bridge to the Orient and across the pole. The Aviator, Howard Hughes was another famous visionary. See our item about his famous Spruce Goose. More

Air Highways to Africa
What most readers and ATA members don't know is that our first step in publishing was a series of travel maps showing various modes of transportation. Several hundred thousand copies were printed and distributed for our clients Best Western Hotels and Avis Rent A Car to their customers in North America. This led to an assignment by the Government of Canada to create a unique "Supermap" of Air Routes. Travelers wanted to know how to get from here to there - and most still do, judging from the e-mail inquires we receive. From this foundation we met with Transport Canada and regional Airport Managers to arrange distribution and develop a monthly series of articles. In 1995, we launched "Air Highways Magazine" and organized an Air Highway Day event to showcase member airports and communities to the travel trade. This success was followed by an Air and Marine Tourism Expo (continued).