New carrier for France

Transavia France will begin operations in mid-May with a double daily service from Paris Orly to Porto using a 186-seat Boeing 737-800. The new Orly-based leisure carrier is 60% owned by Air France and 40% owned by KLM's Amsterdam-based low-cost subsidiary Transavia. Other planned destinations include Greece, Italy, Morocco, Spain and Tunisia.

New carrier for Wales

Aviation consultancy SkyMerlin and former Tiger Airways finance director Tim Lee have unveiled plans to launch a new low-cost airline in Wales. Flyforbeans has applied for an air operator's certificate from UK authorities and aims to launch services by the end of 2007 from the Welsh capital Cardiff to destinations in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and eastern Europe with 146-seat Boeing 737-300s.

New carrier for Portugal

The parent of Spanish charter carrier Iberworld Airlines is setting up a new Portuguese charter carrier. The Orizonia Group says Lisbon-based Orbest will launch operations in June using Airbus A330s. Orbest will serve holiday destinations including Montego Bay in Jamaica, Cancun in Mexico, Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic and Salvador da Bahia in Brazil.

Source: Airline Business