Business travel

The diplomatic crisis that has led to the suspension of relations between Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Yemen on the one hand, and Qatar on the other, is taking on a particular dimension for Qatar Airways.

Supersonic aircraft are back in the spotlight. At the Paris Air Show, the CEO of Boom Technology announced that his X-B1 project had already attracted five airlines, with an order for 76 aircraft.

This winter British Airways will be linking Grenoble airport to its London Heathrow hub. The route is aimed primarily at white tourists, but could also be of interest to local business travellers.

By strengthening its code-share agreements with Air France, KLM and Delta, Jet Airways is opening up to twelve new destinations in Europe and expanding its offer on the French market.

Qatar Airways wants to acquire a stake in American Airlines, its partner in the oneworld alliance. This announcement comes against a chaotic backdrop of diplomatic tensions in the Gulf and heightened competition with... American airlines.

While Air Asia was due to make its return to Europe, its CEO Tony Fernandes announced on Tuesday that for the time being it would not land on the Old Continent.

Both Airbus and Boeing remain optimistic about the future of air transport and the demand for aircraft over the next twenty years. The only notable difference is that the number of aircraft expected to enter airline fleets differs from one manufacturer to another.

The Novotel Lyon Gerland Musée des Confluences hotel has recently added a new 100 m² meeting space, called N'Loft.

Pullman will be making its debut in Japan with the opening of its first address in central Tokyo.

The arrival of 16 new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners in the El Al fleet will give rise to a modernisation of the airline's cabins. In particular, El Al will be redesigning its business class, launching an all-new premium intermediary offer, and integrating a new in-flight entertainment system.

At the Viva Technology event, Air France highlighted its investments in digital development. This strategy will take concrete form in June, with the integration of chatbots and the development of the Facebook Messenger channel.

According to a study published by SoRoom, business travellers are increasingly booking a room by the hour, in the middle of the day, so that they can work in peace and quiet or even hold business meetings.

Teams from SNCF and Deutsche Bahn recently celebrated 10 years of the Alleo commercial alliance.

On 10 June, Air Canada Rouge operated its inaugural flight between Montreal and Marseille, the airline's new seasonal destination.

Singapore Airlines will soon be adding three new flights a week to and from Paris, making a total of ten flights a week between CDG and Singapore.

This weekend Easyjet is inaugurating five new routes at Lille-Lesquin, offering new options to business travellers in the north of France.

Andreas Bergmann, CEO of Lyria, takes stock of the past few months. He also sets out the rail company's objectives for the short and medium term, with a gradual move upmarket and a focus on digital technology. Interview by Stéphane Jaladis.

Thalys has created the intermediate Comfort range to encourage business passengers to switch from 2nd to 1st class, with few services but an attractive fare.

Air France is developing the "After Show" option, which is integrated into Flex and allows business travellers to take a flight after the departure date initially booked.

The AccorHotels group has just signed a contract to build the Sofitel Dubai Wafi, the brand's largest property in the Middle East.