The Kuoni Group is to acquire a 60 percent shareholding in Direkt Reisen AG, effective July 1. The remaining 40 percent of the company, which is domiciled near Zurich, Switzerland, will remain in the possession of the founding family and a further shareholder.
Thomas Cook posted an underlying pre-tax loss of £177.5 million in the six months to April 30, an improvement of 15 percent on the previous year’s winter figures. Revenues lifted 7.5 percent to 2.96 billion pounds and the group declared a 3.25 pence per share interim dividend against nil last year.
Carnival Corp. Chairman and CEO Micky Arison said his number-one brand, Carnival Cruise Lines, is decreasing direct sales efforts in order to concentrate on working with travel agents.
ASTA called on Congress to “rise to the considerable challenge” and launch reforms that bring “some measure of good sense and accountability” to the air transportation system.
Lufthansa Systems today announced that easyJet, Europe’s fourth largest airline, will begin using Lido Operations Center (Lido OC), to plan all of its flight routings from October 2008.
Embraer today signed a contract with Trip for the sale of five Embraer 175 jets. The deal also includes options for ten more, plus purchase rights for another 15. The total value of the firm orders, at list price, is $167.5 million, and could go over $1 billion if all of the options and purchase rights are confirmed for the Embraer 175.