Business travel

Aéroports de Paris had a particularly busy year in 2011, with record passenger traffic: 88.1 million passengers. The European and domestic networks made a particularly strong contribution to this good performance.

Since Monday 16 January, Qatar Airways has swapped terminal 1 at Madrid's Barajas airport for terminal 4: a change designed to improve the quality of service offered to business travellers.

Aloft has recently been trialling a new service in some of its establishments: virtual concierge services, accessible via iPad tablets.

Avis UK has just launched its new mobile site, designed to make it easier for travellers to consult car hire offers in the UK and make bookings directly via their smartphone.

2012 has begun with a slight fall (-4%) in European hotel rates compared to December, according to the latest edition of the Trivago barometer (thpi).

After inaugurating several new routes on the French market in 2011, Vueling is continuing its momentum in 2012: the Spanish airline is preparing to increase its services from Paris, and will be launching new flights to Lourdes.

Air traffic controllers in northern France are due to strike on 17 and 18 January, threatening business travel to and from the region.

Regus is continuing to expand to meet the needs of business travellers in all circumstances. The business centre specialist has just signed a partnership agreement with Shell to offer its business services at service stations on European motorways. An initial project has already been launched in the Paris region.

Frankfurt airport ended 2011 on a high note, with a record December in terms of passenger numbers.

The Park Hyatt Ningbo Resort and Spa has just opened its doors in eastern China, marking the brand's debut in the Middle Kingdom.

In 2014, the Ascott group will open its first Citadines Apart'hotel in Surabaya, Indonesia. The opening is part of the brand's expansion in Indonesia.

On Thursday, Four Seasons launched its new website, which not only has an updated look, but also offers practical tools for travellers.

Car rental specialist Avis has published a survey of Swiss business travellers to identify the main trends in the sector, and has come up with a rather optimistic assessment.

Vueling has set a new record, announcing that it carried more than 12.3 million passengers in 2011.

Oman Air has also signed a partnership agreement with TGVair, the SNCF's pre-carriage service, which makes it easier for passengers to travel from 19 provincial towns.

Holiday Inn Express, part of the IHG group, will be making its debut in Kuala Lumpur in 2015, in a fast-growing district.

Boeing announced on Wednesday 11 January that Air France has ordered 25 Dreamliners, which will help to renew the airline's fleet.

The price of fuel remains the major concern for airlines, according to a study published on 10 January by Sabre, which surveyed the managers of around 80 airlines worldwide. Taxes and airport security procedures complete the podium.

Nice and Genoa airports have just signed a cooperation agreement to enhance the complementary nature of the two hubs and develop business aviation in the Alps-Mediterranean Euroregion.