City Star to launch Aberdeen to Houston Flights

[GlasgowMan]

City Star to launch Aberdeen to Houston Flights

City Star Executive makes history in the North East of Scotland today, with the announcement it will launch the first ever Inter-continental business only scheduled service between Aberdeen and Houston.

The service will operate four times a week between Aberdeen Airport and George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston, Texas, with operations commencing in January 2008.

Specific information on flight times and fares will be communicated in the coming weeks, while the airline discusses options and opportunities with the large number of companies and executives anticipated to use the service.

Atli Arnason, CEO of City Star Airlines, said:


“There has been a growing demand from North East-based business markets to revolutionise the concept of business class travel with the introduction of a direct link connecting two hugely important economic regions - Aberdeen, Europe’s Oil & Gas Capital, and Houston, the United States’ Oil & Gas Capital. We will meet that demand with a service running four times a week between the two airports.”

With increasing demands on management time and performance, the airline recognises how much business executives appreciate opportunities for increased productivity. Where time is money, City Star Executive aims to offer executives in both locations a highly attractive solution – and direct from Scotland.

The founders of City Star Executive, City Star Holding plan to operate a Boeing 757 – 200ER VIP Business Jet Aircraft, non-stop to and from Aberdeen. The company will provide a turn key for the aviation segment in the Oil & Gas sector, operating a modern 757 – 200ER VIP Business Jet Aircraft, with a configuration of 50 1st class cradle seats and a relaxing ‘home from home’ lounge area.

Step on board and passengers cannot fail to notice the comfortable furnishings and finest wood veneers, fabrics and finishes combining practicality, comfort and style. Colour schemes will provide stylish and complementary atmospheres, where dining and business or personal conversations can continue in a pleasant environment. City Star Executive aims to offer a simple executive service, a simple onboard service with specially selected menus of exquisite cuisine and carefully selected wines, a simple ground service, a simple fare structure, a simple connection between the two cities without the need to change aircraft in London or Amsterdam, with a focus on flexibility and convenience and customer preferences - all this from your local airport.“

The City Star Airline’s CEO added:

“City Star Airlines already links Aberdeen Airport with major Norwegian Oil and Gas, business and shipping destinations. It made sense for City Star Executive to offer this wider business community another choice to fly executives between pairs of cities, for the first time ever, making connections possible between Stavanger (as well as Olso, Bergen, Kristiansund and Alesund) via Aberdeen Airport to Houston Intercontinental Airport.”

“This next step for City Star Executive has been driven by strong market demand, not only from existing customers on our route network, but also from pressure and demand from potential customers who’s needs were simply not being satisfied by other operators. One of the many reasons for which discerning travellers will choose City Star Executive is the level of service that cannot be experienced elsewhere.

“Our attendants will be specifically recruited professionals, highly trained in our own in-house training programme, to offer exacting standards of luxury service, meeting the highest levels of safety and security, and all with a sophisticated European touch. There will be a mindset at City Star Executive that says, “Go the Extra mile”, with a quicker response to our clients’ requests, short check-in and high levels of personal service. With a level of comfort that is truly rare in aviation, City Star Executive will differentiate a positive jet travel experience from a superlative one. We feel sure our customers will come back over and over again.”

The new service has been welcomed by Geoff Runcie, chief executive of Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce:

“The Chamber has been working closely with the business community and BAA Aberdeen to better understand the need for a direct service between the two Oil capitals. Our recent joint survey highlighted again the demand and service requirements. We are absolutely delighted that City Star Executive has taken this bold step to the meet the very specific needs of our key primary industry sector. We are sure that the business community will value this direct service and support it to save precious travel time and to increase their productive time in both Aberdeen and Houston”.

Aberdeen Airport Managing Director, Kevin Brown said:

“The introduction of Aberdeen’s first ever long-haul flight is a major milestone in the history of this region and a statement of intent from our airline partners on their commitment to providing unrivalled choice and opportunities.

“For many years there have been calls for a direct service between the two “Oil Capitals” and I am delighted to welcome this much-needed route. We are all about providing our customers with the benefits of flying direct from their local airport – and for the business community of Aberdeen and the North East, the opportunity to travel direct to Houston will, I am sure, be extremely welcome. They have been calling for this direct route - now they have it, and I would like to congratulate City Star Airlines for meeting that demand with the promise of a very high quality service.”

NOTES TO EDITORS:

City Star Airlines
City Star Airlines Ltd. is an Aberdeen-based company with local offices in Stavanger. City Star Holding and City Star Airlines continue to support the local economy, expecting to employ in excess of 100 people by the end of the year.

Houston,Texas
Texas, the Lone Star State, is a giant of a state. And Texans are known for their large, welcoming hearts. "Friendship" is the state's motto, and the people of Texas live by that motto.

Texas is a state of superlatives. It leads the nation in total productivity. It is the leading oil producer in the nation. More beef is produced in Texas than in any other state. It is still the nation's largest cotton producer. Texas is a giant in the space industry, and is a major player in high technology.

Houston’s George Bush Intercontinental Airport, which handles all of Houston’s International traffic, in 2006 ranked eighth among U.S. airports in International passenger volume. More than one in seven Houston air passengers is travelling internationally. In 2006, International volume grew 7.3 percent, while domestic volume rose 6.4 percent. There are non stop or direct flights to more than 121 United States markets.

Houston is the U.S. energy headquarters and a world centre for virtually every segment of the petroleum industry. More than 3,600 energy-related establishments are located within the Houston Metropolitan Statistical Area, including more than 550 exploration and production firms, more than 200 pipeline transportation establishments and hundreds of manufacturers and wholesalers of energy-sector products.

Ten of the 25 largest publicly traded oil and gas exploration and production firms (based on 2004 assets) have headquarters in Houston; 8 of the remaining 15 have subsidiaries, major divisions or other significant operations there.

Of the world’s 100 largest non-U.S.-based corporations, more than half have operations in Houston.

For further information, contact Wendy Buist, Sales & Marketing Executive, City Star Airlines, on +44 1224 348 531 or mobile +44 7917 896 553.

[CharlieP]

Originally Posted by GlasgowMan

Texas, the Lone Star State, is a giant of a state. And Texans are known for their large, welcoming hearts. "Friendship" is the state's motto, and the people of Texas live by that motto.

Compare and contrast with the massive "Don't Mess With Texas" signs that greet you when entering the state, and the abhorrent number of people executed per year...

[Leeds No.1]

Im sorry if this is a bit negative, but this is just ridiculous. Houston-Aberdeen? What?? There isnt even Houston-Leeds. The importance of Aberdeen internationally is just tiny, and the catchment for Aberdeen is quite small. I dont expect it to be a massive success =/

[albatross]

The oil industry based in Aberdeen is of high importance to the UK economy.

The flights are from the European centre of the oil industry to the world centre of the oil industry. There are lots of people that currently have to fly through LHR, AMS or CDG to get there. If the oil industry travel accounts get behind this it could be a success.

If you want a comparison, there are 4 airlines (City Star, Eastern, SAS and Wideroe) that fly between Aberdeen and Norway's major oil city Stavanger. There are also various other Scandinavian oil routes from Aberdeen.

According to Airportwatch Leeds Bradford airport had 2.787 million passengers in 2006. Aberdeen airport had 3.163 million passengers.

[sweek]

It makes a lot more sense thinking about the oil.

[GlasgowMan]

Originally Posted by Leeds No.1

Im sorry if this is a bit negative, but this is just ridiculous. Houston-Aberdeen? What?? There isnt even Houston-Leeds. The importance of Aberdeen internationally is just tiny, and the catchment for Aberdeen is quite small. I dont expect it to be a massive success =/

You having a laugh? Aberdeen is one of the largest oil cities in the world, litraly thousands of people fly between the two cities every year via places like London and Amsterdam.

Continental were looking into an ABZ-IAH service for years before City Star beat them to it.

BTW, ABZ is slightly bigger than LBA in terms of passenger numbers.

[Typhoo25]

Originally Posted by GlasgowMan

BTW, ABZ is slightly bigger than LBA in terms of passenger numbers.

Good point about the Oil and a ridiculous comment from Leeds, but the ABZ v LBA comment is as relevanty as saying CDG handles 6 times more passengers than GLA. Petty.

Good on Aberdeen, if they pull it off. I would have thought a regular economy/business flight would have made sense first though.

[Monkey]

Originally Posted by Typhoo25

I would have thought a regular economy/business flight would have made sense first though.

Why? The traffic is generated by oil industry workers who will fly business class.