Last update: 28.05.2002

Monthly news coverage of the only tri-national airport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg - Regio TriRhena

Features of the month
Eye-catcher in May – Special Movements in May – Charters to Tunisia –  New Services : Compagnie Corse Mediterranée to Bastia – More LH to Munich – SWISS to Berne & Zürich – European Continental Airways more Independent ? – Messe Schweiz and local Travel Marts – CEO of EAP resigns – SWISS and Davidoff/Swiss Indoors Tennis – Learning the Trades of Aviation – Statistics November thru April 2001/02

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EYE CATCHER IN MAY 2002

Photo: Marc Seidel

A DC-10-15 of Electra Airlines arrived on May 8 operating a charter to Heraklion/Greece. The arrival of the ferry flight though, was delayed by fog and the proud bird had to divert to Zurich. Finally, after an hour of waiting the fog lifted and the waiting passengers could be picked up at the EuroAirport. The plane returned from Heraklion on May 12. The airline will be a regular visitor on a weekly charter to the EAP during peak season

SPECIAL MOVEMENTS IN MAY

AXIS France Boeing B-737 from Munich as a new airline on the ramp, a potential low cost carrier (LCC) with scheduled flights to and from Marseilles

Photo: Vincent Preneux

Photo: Werner Soltermann

SPEAKING ABOUT CHARTERS TO DJERBA, MONASTIR AND TUNIS: Travelers are showing up in healthy numbers. Presently there are eight regular charters offered every week (Tunis Air 4, Nouvelair 2, Karthago Airlines 1, SWISS 1).

During peak season three additional Tunis Air and TunInter charters to Djerba, Monastir and Tunis will be put on the market.

The aircraft fleet in action at this time is a mix of Airbus A-319/320, MD-83, and Boeing 737-300.

COMPAGNIE CORSE MEDITERRANEE HAS COMMENCED A WEEKLY SERVICE TO BASTIA with ATR-72 on May 18. The flight is operated under with AF code. Services will be offered until September 18.

LUFTHANSA IS ABOUT TO INCREASE DAILY SERVICES TO MUNICH FROM 3 TO 4 starting on July 1. The move to up the frequencies can be considered as challenging SWISS‘ dominance ex EuroAirport. Munich is LH’s second (Southern) hub for longrange operations.

Photo: Marc Seidel

SWISS WILL INTRODUCE ADDITIONAL FLIGHTS TO BERNE AND ZÜRICH ON JUNE 15 (to Zürich plus 2, to Berne plus 1). Both airports are seeing five daily connections both ways allowing intercontinental transfers at Zürich and EuroCross transfers at the EAP  to and from Berne and Zürich.

EUROPEAN CONTINENTAL AIRWAYS MAY GO MORE INDEPENDENT Majority stakeholder SWISS and other parties are mullling such a scenario for the near future. SWISS became a longrange operator on March 31. Costs are on the increase, therefor. Particularly for regional services this may be deadly. The brunt of costs caused by its large widebody fleet flying in tough competition to AF, LH, BA and their alliances could kill any operation with aircraft under 70 seats, eventually. However, SWISS got her financial blessing from the Federal treasury and states of the union of Switzerland among others expecting her to serve all Swiss airports adequately.

It is being suggested that European Continental Airways (ECA) would serve  Marseilles ex EAP via GVA under QE flightnumber once a day (except on Sunday). Services may already start on June 3 with 07.20 departures connecting to all GVA am flights. Arrivals at 21.10 ex MRS and GVA would offer onward connections ex EAP at pm hours.

According to unconfirmed news ECA could take over the entire French network from SWISS. The flagcarrier is seen to have lost its favourable cost base, consequently, zeroing any competitive edge against French airlines.

Photo: Markus Bächli

MESSE SCHWEIZ IS CONTRACTING WIGRA EXPO TO ORGANIZE BASEL‘s TRAVEL MART IN FEBRUARY 2003. 

This company is already in charge of similar road shows at Bern, Geneva and Zürich. 

Messe Schweiz is a merger between Messe Basel and Messe Zürich which host fairs and exhibitions like Basel 2002, ART international, Cultura, Didacta, Orbit Europe, conventions and other events at its two main facilities at Basel and Zürich.

Photo: EAP

URS SIEBER, CEO OF THE EAP, IS TO RESIGN FROM HIS POST ON SEPTEMBER 1^ST 2002. His resignation is a surprise to many people. Reasons for Mr. Sieber‘s decision are hard to come by and would remain highly speculative. The EuroAirport’s Board of Directors has accepted his voluntary departure. Swiss headhunter company Zehnder International has been commissioned to present new male or female candidates for this management post.

The bi-national (French-Swiss) status of the EAP requires a Swiss to be in charge of management and a French(man) to chair the 16-member Board of Directors. In the meantime the CEO is being assisted by a vice director of French nationality. Until recently this function was also held by a state-employed delegate (Commandant) who presides over the local airtraffic management (ATC) which is under DGAC control.

SWISS HAS SELECTED DAVIDOFF/SWISS INDOORS TENNIS TO PROMOTE ITS BRAND

SWISS and Davidoff/Swiss Indoors have entered a partnership in which SWISS will be ranking as main sponsor of this event. The top ATP tournament is regularly held at Basel in October. For the airline the world of tennis is a well-proven tool to attract the attention of the public eye both at the center courts and via worldwide television coverage.

Photo: Michael Körte

LEARNING THE TRADES OF AVIATION – MOVING AHEAD WITH ACADEMIC MERITS  - The EuroAirport is on the map. Aircraft industries tend to start small, with plenty of sweat labour, but with a firm will to do a good job. First, there is an airline to run, aircraft to be maintained, people to be trained and as work gets more specialized, interior outfitting and airframe specifications to be completed. Finally, training centers become a must and university campuses at airports may turn out to be a good business opportunity.

Instructions at 4-year apprenticeship levels for mechanics with SWISS are approved by JAA and the Swiss agency for professional education. With the arrival of European University campus activity two years ago, new academic programs are being offered to professionals in aviation. So, Crosscat, Jet Aviation or SWISS may benefit from emerging masterminds at their doorsteps, eventually.

The European University EAP campus is a platform among a network of other centers at La Salle University in Philadelphia, JDH Technology

Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical and Aerospace Engineering, Bachelor of Science of Aeronautics, Bachelor of Science in Aviation Management, Master of Science in Aviation Management degrees can be obtained. Courses are being taught at the EAP campus and via e-learning. Six terms are mandatory for a Bachelor and three for a Masters degree based on credit systems widely accepted at US universities

CROSSEEC (executive education center) BASEL will be another entity for advanced education based at the new CROSSCAT/SWISS building

Executives are offered studies in management, communication, marketing, leadership, entrepreneurship with high touch courses on-site in Basel and high tech via internet, satellite and video-conference. Depending on the topic there are two and three full day sessions on the agenda. CROSSEEC is a joint venture between the European University and GAME (Global Alliance for Management Education).

FACTS & FIGURES

4 months 2002  786'714   -12% scheduled traffic
                        131'066   -26% charter traffic
                        178'517   -11% EuroCross transfer traffic

Total                      920’281 -14% Passengers

Key players report:

• Crossair reduced seat capacity by 25% for the Winter and part of the Summer season 2002.

• Lufthansa increased seat capacity by 40% (7'600 seats a month to/from Munich starting in September 2001).

• Air France increased monthly seat capacity by 3% to about 111'200 seats starting in April 2002 (CFE Saab 2000, LYS ERJ-135, NCE ERJ-135) - last year’s capacity at approx. 107'000 seats a month.

CROSS REFERENCE (SOURCE: AEA – Association of European Airlines)

AIRTRAFFIC PROMOTION GROUP, WANDERSTRASSE 77, 4054 BASEL - TEL./FAX. ++41 61 302 5775 / E-MAIL. EAPNEWS@HOTMAIL.COM

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