In Brief

BATM Fair attracts 165 visitors

More than 100 travel managers from Belgium, Holland and Luxembourg as well as suppliers attended the first ever corporate fair held by the Belgian Association of Travel Managers (BATM).
The day long event at the Brussels Hilton included guest speakers, workshops with suppliers from hotels, airlines, car rental companies, T&E car providers, TMCs, rail and GDSs, break out session and a panel discussion.
Ms Nora Buysschaert, chair of the BATM, said: “The event went very well. As well as about 100 travel managers, we had representatives from member companies of the BATM.
“There were some travel managers attending one of our events for the first time and we managed to sign up 12 new members, eight travel managers and four suppliers.
“We shall probably be holding a similar event again next year.”

Lufthansa's first class lounge

Lufthansa is to open a terminal and two lounges for its First Class passengers at Frankfurt Airport on December 1.
The facilities will provide concierge service and a limousine-transfer to the aircraft.
Mr Wolfgang Mayrhuber, Lufthansa's chairman, said first class travellers spent many days of the month either flying or at airports and expected to be able to decide how they spent their time. “We would like to create an environment similar to that of a journey by private jet. Top service for top customers. That is our claim for the terminal and the lounges,” he said.
The airline plans to open a similar facility at its Munich hub in 2006.

Malev calls off privatisation plans

Plans for the tender for the privatisation of Hungary's loss-making national carrier Malev have been shelved after only one bid was received.
APV, the Hungarian privatisation agency which was handling the sale, had asked bidders to keep all of the airline's staff, take over its debt of €148m and attract domestic money so the airline could retain its national carrier status.
The only bidder is understood to have been from Aviation Solutions, a group led by a former Malev executive, which offered €612,000 and refused to take over the debt.