(30-Apr-2003) Golden Week, Japan's traditional annual holiday break, has seen a serious decline in travel bookings thanks partly to the impact of war in Iraq and the spread of the SARS virus, according to a survey carried out by tour operator JTB Corp

(30-Apr-2003) Almost 14m passengers used Fraport group airports in the first three months of 2003, up 2.3% on the same period last year

(29-Apr-2003) Abu Dhabi Duty Free (ADDF) is pressing ahead with new store openings and new projects as the war in Iraq comes to an end

(29-Apr-2003) Portuguese airport operator ANA Aeroportos de Portugal is to spend ?367m ($403m) in the next year and a half in order to upgrade capacity at its seven airports

(26-Apr-2003) **EXCLUSIVE TO TRW** As the spread of the SARS virus continues, struggling retailers at Hong Kong International Airport received a welcome boost when Airport Authority Hong Kong announced a two-part relief package today

(26-Apr-2003) **EXCLUSIVE TO TRW** Henri Wintermans Cigars has introduced a new variant to its leading Cafe Creme range in travel-retail, TRW can exclusively reveal

(25-Apr-2003) World Duty Free has appointed Rebecca Slater as director of finance with immediate effect

(25-Apr-2003) Frankfurt airport authority Fraport has blamed the war in Iraq for a decline in passenger traffic at the crucial German hub in March

(25-Apr-2003) The ambitious retail development programme at Toronto Lester B Pearson International airport is advancing according to schedule despite the scare over the SARS virus, which has claimed a number of victims in the city

(24-Apr-2003) ****DFNI eXTRA**** Asia remains in the grip of the SARS virus as China admitted to 448 cases in Beijing last Monday, as opposed to the 27 cases previously revealed

(24-Apr-2003) ****DFNI eXTRA**** As concern over the spread of the SARS virus mounts, Tax Free World Association has cancelled the TFWA Asia Pacific exhibition and conference

(24-Apr-2003) As concern over the spread of the SARS virus mounts, Tax Free World Association has cancelled the TFWA Asia Pacific exhibition and conference

(24-Apr-2003) As predicted in DFNI eXTRA December 4 2002, The Nuance Group has secured a six-year contract to operate 12 specialist shops at Rome Fiumicino airport, concerning 1,800sq m (19,400sq ft) of retail space across all the location's terminals

(24-Apr-2003) Singapore Changi airport authority Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore has announced it will take the temperature of all departing passengers from today

(23-Apr-2003) Hong Kong International airport is set to join Singapore Changi in cutting rents for duty-free operators in response to the plunge in business caused by SARS

(23-Apr-2003) Following the renewal of Alpha Retail's tax- and duty-free contract at East Midlands airport in the UK, the company has opened its new-look stores, branded Alpha Airport Shopping and Alpha Duty Free

(18-Apr-2003) Tax Free World Association is monitoring the SARS threat in Asia Pacific in advance of its regional exhibition, which takes place in the week beginning May 20

(18-Apr-2003) Airport authority Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) has announced a series of relief measures to help airlines and retailers at Changi and Seletar airports

(18-Apr-2003) The project to create new retail space at Japan's second biggest airport Osaka Kansai is to go ahead despite a severe drop in traffic

(17-Apr-2003) Key to many exhibitors' participation at TFWA Asia/Pacific in Singapore next month will be the level of attendance from retailers

(17-Apr-2003) The decision to press ahead with TFWA Asia Pacific has met with strong reactions from registered exhibitors to the show, ranging from unequivocal support to outrage at the decision to proceed

(17-Apr-2003) Scotch whisky group Edrington has sold a further two brands as part of its drive to focus on its core business

(17-Apr-2003) TRW spoke to TFWA ceo Andrew Ford this morning to assess the mood following Sunday's announcement to proceed with TFWA Asia Pacific

(16-Apr-2003) Look out for these exclusive stories and in-depth reports in DFNI April 15, out today, as well as breaking news from the global travel-retail industry

(16-Apr-2003) Cathay Pacific has announced a substantial decline in passenger numbers, thanks to the outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and war in Iraq

(16-Apr-2003) The inaugural Gate One Conference, organised by Airports Council International (ACI) and Tax Free World Association (TFWA), has been postponed

(15-Apr-2003) Tax Free World Association has confirmed that TFWA Asia Pacific will proceed as planned from May 20-23. The association took the decision after consulting the relevant authorities in Singapore, and has also reviewed the advice of the World Health Organisation

(15-Apr-2003) DFS Hawaii has agreed to pay the State Department of Transportation $25m in back rent after the two sides reached agreement to continue negotiating a new duty-free contract

(15-Apr-2003) Edrington Group, owner of Scotch whisky producer Highland Distillers, has sold two of its whisky brands to rival supplier Burn Stewart

(15-Apr-2003) Kuwait Airport Duty Free said it suffered a dramatic drop in passengers during March owing to the war in neighbouring Iraq

(12-Apr-2003) Weitnauer has announced a 35% growth in earnings before tax for 2002 despite a 7% fall in sales to SFr1.02bn ($734m)

(12-Apr-2003) BAA has appointed Andrew Jurenko as managing director of BAA International, a new role with responsibility for growing BAA's international airport business.

(12-Apr-2003) The Baselworld Watch and Jewellery Show 2003 closed on Thursday April 10 with the organisers reporting a 22% decline in visitors, compared with last year's figures

(12-Apr-2003) Malaysian operator Sriwani Holdings has announced its intention to focus on its duty-free business in an attempt to pull the company into the black by the third quarter of 2003

(12-Apr-2003) The Nuance Group is to roll out its Olympic Store concept in Turin this year following an agreement with the organisers of the 2006 Winter Olympic Games, to be held in the northern Italian city

(12-Apr-2003) Six consortia have presented documents to pre-qualify for the concession to manage and operate Simon Bolivar International airport in Guayaquil, Ecuador

(11-Apr-2003) As predicted on TRW this week, Nuance-Watson (HK) has won the bid to operate audio-visual and electronics at Hong Kong International airport

(10-Apr-2003) As Duty Free Americas (DFA) celebrates its first airport tender victory in Washington, CEO Jerome Falic has expressed his confidence in the potential of retail at the city's Dulles and Reagan National airports

(10-Apr-2003) Moët Hennessy-Louis Vuitton (LVMH) has announced consolidated sales of ?2.8m ($3m) in the first quarter of 2003, down 5% on the same period last year

(10-Apr-2003) **TRI EXCLUSIVE** As the SARS virus continues to spread, the situation facing Asia/Pacific retailers worsens daily

(10-Apr-2003) DFNI analyses the steps taken by the world's leading airlines to protect their businesses from the effects of the SARS virus and the war in Iraq

(10-Apr-2003) **DFNI EXCLUSIVE** Duty Free Americas (DFA) CEO Jerome Falic has confirmed to DFNI that the operator plans to bid in the forthcoming liquor, tobacco and fragrances tender at Tel Aviv Ben Gurion airport

(9-Apr-2003) Following the renovation of The Nuance Group's Regency Duty Free store at Auckland airport, the company's online shopping service, www.regency.co.nz, has also been given a new look

(9-Apr-2003) Cathay Pacific Airways warned yesterday that the outbreak of SARS "had shattered tourist confidence" in Hong Kong and said it might have to cut up to one-third of its flights

(8-Apr-2003) Airport Authority Hong Kong (AAHK) has confirmed that Sky Connection has won the liquor and tobacco tender at Hong Kong International airport, as revealed by DFNI E-mail on April 2

(8-Apr-2003) Duty Free Americas has won the tender to operate duty-free at Washington Dulles and Reagan National airports

(8-Apr-2003) Dubai Duty Free (DDF) has enjoyed a 30% increase in sales of sunglasses since the opening of a new dedicated store in the Sheikh Rashid complex earlier this year

(5-Apr-2003) The organiser of the BASELWORLD watch exhibition has rejected new proposals from Swiss health authorities aimed at limiting the spread of the SARS virus.

(5-Apr-2003) Inflight retail specialist Duty Free Air and Ship Supply (DFASS) is planning to open a duty-paid wine store at Los Angeles airport, as part of its push into airport retail

(5-Apr-2003) **DFNI EXCLUSIVE** Suppliers have rebelled en masse in protest against the terms demanded by CDG Participations, the surprise winner of the gastronomy contract at the new Paris Charles de Gaulle terminal 2E (DFNI November 1, 2002)

(4-Apr-2003) Travel retailers in the Gulf continue to operate stores around the clock as they seek to defy the worst effects of the war in Iraq, that has seen sales crash by 25% in some cases, and much more in others

(4-Apr-2003) Barcelona-based travel-retail and catering services operator Areas has posted fiscal year 2002 profits of ?18 million ($18.9m), up 22% on fiscal 2001

(4-Apr-2003) The Nuance Group today opened its latest fine food concept, Gourmetto by Nuance, in the new shopping center at Zürich airport's train terminal.

(4-Apr-2003) As the IAADFS show in

(4-Apr-2003) Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) has agreed fresh terms with DFS and renegotiated the retailer's duty-free contract at Los Angeles International airport

(3-Apr-2003) As revealed exclusively by DFNI E-Mail, Sky Connection has won the liquor and tobacco tender at Hong Kong International airport

(2-Apr-2003) As part of a pan-European re-branding exercise by the Thomas Cook travel group, JMC Airlines has been renamed Thomas Cook Airlines effective March 31

(2-Apr-2003) The second China Travel Retail Summit, due to be held in Beijing on May 14-15, has been postponed to a later date because of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) virus currently sweeping much of Asia

(2-Apr-2003) Tax Free World Association (TFWA) is keeping a careful eye on the development of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak in south-east Asia as the TFWA Asia Pacific event draws near

(2-Apr-2003) BAA has concluded its exit from non-core businesses by selling most of its remaining interests in the McArthurGlen designer outlet centres to the Mayfair Limited Partnership

(2-Apr-2003) According to local media reports, the state of Hawaii is suing DFS Group for $49m in back rent

(2-Apr-2003) Weitnauer has opened its latest shop in the refurbished terminal at Marrakech Menara airport

(1-Apr-2003) **DFNI Exclusive** Aer Rianta International-Middle East (ARI-ME) has appointed Michael Murphy as general manager for the group, as part of a restructure of the company's operations in the region

(1-Apr-2003) Beijing Capital International Airport has continued with planned changes to its airside retail set-up despite falling passenger numbers caused by unease over the SARS virus