US regional charter carrier Discover Air has launched charter flights connecting the Florida cities of Miami, Orlando, St Petersburg and West Palm Beach with Key West and the Bahamas using BAe Jetstream 31/32s. Discover Air is owned by Florida Air Holdings, a company that also is planning to offer scheduled services within Florida using its Sunrise Airlines subsidiary. The dispute between Russia and Israel on charter services between the two countries has ended after agreement was reached on arrangements for these flights. The dispute centred on Russia's refusal to allow private Israeli charter airline Israir to operate the route parallel to El Al's charter subsidiary Sun d'Or. Israir was forced to cancel some flights as the Russians did not permit its security officers to carry arms. According to the new agreement, each country will determine the airlines that will operate the charter flights, with each country able to operate two weekly charter flights during the winter season, and three in the summer. Continental Airlines will resume daily service between New York Newark and Caracas, Venezuela, on 12 December, using a Boeing 737-700. Finnair and Swiss railway company SBB are to codeshare on railway routes from Zurich to Basle, Berne, Lausanne and Lucerne, from 18 November. Oman Air has started services from Muscat to Beirut, Mombasa and Zanzibar, using Boeing 737-800s. United Airlines will begin daily services between Denver and Honolulu on 14 February, using a Boeing 767-300. Weekend flights will be operated by a Boeing 777.
Source: Flight International
