Business travel

Korean Air's new Terminal 2 in Seoul, the first phase of which opened at the beginning of the year, can handle 18 million passengers a year and should make Seoul the biggest international hub in Asia. A strategy that also benefits the Skyteam alliance.

Benjamin Smith, who has enjoyed great success at Air Canada, faces a major challenge at Air France KLM. The group's new boss will probably mark a turning point in the history of Air France KLM, even if his nationality is causing controversy among the unions.

Level, IAG's low-cost subsidiary, is setting up a base in Vienna with flights to 14 intra-European destinations, including Paris. The airline could eventually open up long-haul routes, preparing itself for head-on competition with the Lufthansa group, present in Vienna with Austrian Airlines and Eurowings.

The Crowne Plaza London hotel and the Holiday Inn will share a building located three minutes from Heathrow terminal 4. It will be completed this year.

The Air France KLM Board of Directors confirmed on Thursday afternoon the appointment of Benjamin Smith as the Group's new Chief Executive Officer. The current number two at Air Canada will take up his post "no later than 30 September 2018". The joint unions are protesting against the appointment of a "foreign executive".

EasyJet, the number one carrier in Geneva and Basel, is continuing to strengthen its position on its two hubs with new routes perfectly suited to the needs of business travellers. In another development, the carrier has announced its arrival on the Paris-Pau route, albeit for a one-month trial period...

Brussels Airlines carried more than one million passengers in July 2018, a significant increase (16.4%) on the previous year. This increase can be explained in particular by the arrival of new aircraft.

Yotel Group will open a new hotel in Glasgow city centre in November 2019. The 256-room property will feature a bowling alley and rooftop bar.

easyJet is launching five new routes for winter 2018-2019, including three to Morocco. The Paris-Pau and Rennes-Geneva routes are also on the programme.

The business travel version of Airbnb is proving increasingly popular with companies. 700,000 of them have joined the booking platform.

Before the future high-speed rail link between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore becomes a reality, travellers will be offered an air alternative from December onwards with the extension of Seletar airport to the north of Singapore...

The sanctions imposed by the Trump administration on Iran, which came into force on Monday, have led to the closure of a number of air links with the country, especially as the Eldorado of a market with a population of 80 million has not really materialised...

On 31 October, Primera Air will be offering two new routes from Paris CDG: the airline will link the Paris airport to Tel Aviv and Montreal.

With the acquisition of 21c Museum Hotels, AccorHotels is doing a double. The group is exploring the arty hotel sector, while at the same time launching its MGallery collection on the North American market.

The management of Air France KLM presented its half-year results on Wednesday, estimating the impact of the strikes at 335 million euros. However, nothing was said about the future governance of the airline group.

The first Hilton Garden Inn has opened its doors on the French market, taking up residence in Bordeaux, 200 metres from the Saint-Jean railway station.

Cyril Aouizerate, founder of MOB Hotel, profiles MOB House, the new urban residence concept due to open in Paris at the end of 2019. His credo: spaces to live in, "very business-like, (...) between relaxation and concentration".

From being an essentially practical accommodation solution, long-stay hotels are now doing their utmost to create an atmosphere that encourages travellers to meet up.

French airports had an excellent year in 2017, with traffic growth of 5.7 %. With more than 197 million passengers, the French hubs continue to invest in new infrastructure, particularly in the regions such as Toulouse and Marseille, two airports now neck and neck in terms of passenger traffic.

Bloomberg recently published its traditional index of Airbnb rental prices by destination. The ranking is dominated by Miami, with an average nightly rate calculated at $205.