Business travel

2017 was a record year for air travel between France and the UK, with new routes opening between the two countries. Is this the swan song or does Britain still hold its appeal for French businessmen?

Yotel, which specialises in airport hotels with designer, high-tech cabins, has signed an agreement to open a hotel in Istanbul's future mega-hub, due to open in October.

British Airways is relaunching its non-stop service between London Heathrow and Durban in South Africa after an 18-year hiatus. An opportunity for this metropolis of 3.2 million inhabitants, one of the most dynamic in the southern hemisphere.

Perceived as a symbol of the privileged, business aviation continues to prosper despite the economic crises. Quite simply because it is also a strategic tool for companies, providing them with the most flexible - and often the most cost-effective - means of travelling to the four corners of the globe.

As Europe's leading business aviation airport, Le Bourget is a centre of excellence for the aeronautical industry, with hotel facilities to boot. Investments are continuing to upgrade the airport.

Sarah Djeradi, Wijet's Marketing Director, takes a look at the advantages of business aviation and the expectations of a changing customer base.

On the 16th day of strikes on the SNCF network, the railway company plans to operate one TGV link in two on 9 May. International lines, notably Eurostar and Thalys, are relatively unaffected.

Emmanuel Schott, Managing Director of Tiara Hotels France, reviews the brand's latest developments and its positioning in the seminar market.

With the strike at Air France continuing on 7 May and a transitional governance structure due to be put in place following the resignation of Jean-Marc Janaillac, Bruno Le Maire believes that the airline's "survival" is at stake.

Until now, to compete with airlines, led by low-cost companies, rail operators have focused on the speed of rail travel. Now they are playing the service card - personalisation, connectivity, digitalisation - all to counter the policy of downgrading companies.

The verdict came down on 4 May at Air France: the consultation of employees initiated by management on 20 April resulted in a rejection of the agreement, by 55.44%. Jean-Marc Janaillac, the group's CEO, has therefore confirmed that he will be stepping down. The Board of Directors is due to announce a transitional governance structure on 15 May. In the meantime, strikes will continue from Monday 7 May.

Abu Dhabi's national carrier, Etihad Airways, continues to restructure its network and risks losing market share to rival Emirates. But rest assured: the airline has no intention of becoming a second-rate carrier...

Airlines are stepping up their presence at Marseille airport this summer, like the new low-cost base of Volotea and Lufthansa. And they are not the only ones heading for Marseille...

A second consecutive day of strikes is on the cards for both Air France and SNCF on 4 May. The disruption will be greater than on the previous day at the airline, which plans to operate 75% of its flight schedule.

The Barcelo Group is opening a new hotel in Madrid, entirely developed around the theme of music.

1 TGV out of 2 on the SNCF network, 85% of traffic guaranteed at Air France: these are the forecasts to remember for this strike day on 3 May. On 4 May, the strike is expected to have a greater impact, with 75% of flights operated by Air France.

Oman Air's new Premium lounge has just opened its doors in the Muscat hub: a two-storey lounge for Business and First class passengers.

AccorHotels has strengthened its upscale offering with the acquisition of Swiss hotelier Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, with 84 hotels in 27 countries.

American Express GBT has unveiled two new products dedicated to urban transport. The business travel agency has signed a distribution agreement with Lyft, and launched a new booking platform integrating 750 operators of VTCs, taxis, limousines, express trains and airport shuttles.

EasyJet, which took over 25 aircraft from the now defunct airBerlin, is offering its largest number of destinations and frequencies from the German capital this summer, including several new routes to France.