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Day: 21 February 2023

Nice Airport and North America reconnect with busy summer schedule of long-haul flights

by: Elsa Carpenter
21/02/2023
nice airport

Connections to North America and the Middle East have been increased to record levels with the release of the 2023 summer flight programme from Nice Airport, France’s second busiest air traffic hub.  

Flights from Nice to the US and Canada 

The newly released summer flights schedule from Nice Côte d’Azur Airport brings the tally of connections between the French Riviera and North America up to 10. Delta has picked back up its flight path between Nice and Atlanta, and will continue flying throughout the week to New York JFK from the end of March to the end of October.  

From May to September, United Airlines will be flying daily to Newark Airport, while French boutique airline La Compagnie is offering a less frequent, but perhaps more exclusive, route to the same destination via Paris Orly.  

The Canadian city of Montreal is served by both Air Canada and Air Transat, with regular but alternating flights between May and the end of October.  

“The continuing growth of our network coming from or heading to North America is excellent news for local residents and for our region; these routes offer so many opportunities for leisure or business trips and interactions between our two countries,” says Franck Goldnadel, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Aéroports de la Côte d’Azur. “This renewed and even increased confidence of the airlines perfectly illustrates our strategy focused on achieving the most direct connectivity possible for local residents and flight routes which support the quality tourism wanted by our region.” 

Middle East connections 

Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, is a new addition to Nice’s long-haul network. Saudia, the flagship carrier for the nation, will be flying to and from the Côte d’Azur three times a week during the peak summer months of June, July and August. 

Other connections include: Bahrain with Gulf Air; Dubai with Emirates; Tel Aviv with Arkia, easyJet and El Al; Kuwait with Kuwait Airlines; Beirut with Middle East Airlines; and Istanbul with Turkish Airlines.  

Europe & North Africa 

More locally, seven new routes have been announced for the summer season: Bari with easyJet; Birmingham with Jet2; Brussels South Charleroi with Volotea; Constantine with Air Algérie; Valetta with Air Malta; Paris-Beauvais with easyJet; and Tampere with Air Baltic. 

Overall, these new additions increase Nice Côte d’Azur Airport’s network to 111 destinations – 91 of which are outside of France – in 42 countries via 55 airlines. For the full schedule, please click here. 

 

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Photo source: Michael Discenza for Unsplash

Women’s rights in Monaco: Committee presents 2022 assessment report and 2023 prospects

by: Cassandra Tanti
21/02/2023

The annual report by the Committee for the Promotion and Protection of Women’s Rights shows headway is being made in Monaco, however much work still needs to be done, particularly on the gender wage gap.

The Committee for the Promotion and Protection of Women’s Rights presented its fourth annual activity report during a meeting chaired by Minister for External Relations and Cooperation Isabelle Berro-Amadeï, together with representatives of Monegasque institutional entities, the Directorate of Judicial Services, State services and women’s associations.

Looking back at 2022, Isabelle Berro-Amadeï noted that the achievements in Monaco included legislative changes, primarily the repeal of obsolete or unequal provisions in the law and a new bill submitted to the National Council aimed at compensating victims of sexual offences, including children.

The year was also marked by the launch of a new IMSEE publication analysing the wage gap between men and women – which currently sits at 20.9%, the training of professionals dealing with violence against women, and two male ambassadors for women’s rights: local entrepreneur Cédric Biscay, and humorist Hassan de Monaco.

Looking to the year ahead, and the Committee’s key words are “reinforcement” and “mobilisation”. It plans to strengthen actions to support victims and perpetrators of violence, to mobilise companies to reduce the gender wage gap, and continue awareness-raising actions aimed at young people.

Isabelle Berro-Amadeï indicated that the next Sustainable Development Goals Summit will be held this September in New York, during which Monaco will take part and continue to mobilise around Goal 5 dedicated to the empowerment of women and girls.

The minister finished by saying that “without gender equality, any economic and resilient transition of our societies would be a futile ambition”.

 

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Photo source: Monaco Government

French government offers €5,000 incentive to anyone installing a new heat pump

by: Stephanie Horsman
21/02/2023
heat pump

The French government has announced it will award a €5,000 rebate to anyone, at any income level, who is replacing an old heating system with a new energy-efficient heat pump. 

In an effort to encourage the public to make the switch to cleaner running geothermal energy sources, the French government is offering, from 1st March, a €5,000 grant to households if they replace their old heating systems with new heat pumps.  

The decision was announced after the Ministry of Energy Transition’s plan to speed up the switch to renewable energies was reviewed and presented afresh on 2nd February.  

The transition to renewable energy sources is a central strategy in the government’s efforts to reduce overall CO2 emissions and reach carbon neutrality in France by 2050. Heat represents half of the country’s energy consumption and is produced mainly through the use of fossil fuels, such as gas and oil, in addition to imported resources.   

Geothermal offers a limitless supply of natural heat and saves, on average, €300 in heating costs per household per year, but is only used in 1% of households. This is due in part to the high cost of installation, which currently hovers at between €18,000 and €20,000. Prior to now, the government’s aid package to make the switch was €4,000 for lower income families and €2,500 for those in the medium to high income brackets.  

Those who wish to install a new system must first select an energy provider that has signed onto the heating boost charter, and any work must be carried out by a professional “Recognised Guarantor of the Environment” or RGE.  

Once works are completed, invoices and other supporting documents are sent to the chosen energy supplier, who will then organise a bank transfer or cheque, offer vouchers or deduct the amount directly from the bill. Other aid schemes are also available, and the government says that by taking advantage of them, the cost of installation can be reduced by up to 90%. 

The government hopes that by boosting the incentive and making it a universal monetary offer, more households will change to geothermal.  

  

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Photo source: Eric McLean for Unsplash

Extreme E: Nico Rosberg’s RXR 2023 driver lineup revealed

by: Luke Entwistle
21/02/2023

Rosberg X Racing (RXR) has confirmed that Swedish duo Johan Kristoffersson and Mikaela Ahlin-Kottulinsky has been retained and will race for the Extreme E outfit next season. 

Johan Kristoffersson is now entering into his third season with the team, lead by 2016 Formula One World Champion and Monaco resident Nico Rosberg. In the inaugural season of the electric rallying series in 2021, the Swedish driver won the title.

Rosberg bullish on title aspirations

Last season, alongside new teammate Ahlin-Kottulinsky, RXR very narrowly missed out on the title. Heading into the final race of the season as favourites, mechanical issues prevented them from competing in the finale, allowing Lewis Hamilton’s X44 Vida Carbon Racing to take the title by a mere two points.

RXR have decided to keep the line-up as they look to win their title back in 2023. “I’m super happy that Mikaela and Johan have signed for another season. With the experience and track record of both drivers, we will be prepared for the battle and hopefully make for some exciting action on track. Last year, we sadly didn’t take home the championship trophy, but this year we plan on giving it our all,” said Rosberg in a press release.

The Extreme E series gets underway in Neom, Saudi Arabia on 11th March before heading to Scotland, Italy and Chile. There will be a further race to be staged either in the Amazon or in the United States of America.

 

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Photo by Extreme E

SBM shake-up kicks off with media strongman Fabrice Larue appointed to board

by: Cassandra Tanti
21/02/2023

Just weeks after taking over as head of Monaco’s biggest company, Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer, Stéphane Valeri is shaking things up, appointing media entrepreneur Fabrice Larue to the Board of Directors.

It was on 15th February 2023 that 64-year-old Fabrice Larue joined the Board of Directors of the Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer Group (SBM) as a Director.

The media veteran brings with him more than 40 years of experience in the media, entertainment, brand and content sectors.

His career has spanned press and radio, including roles as Managing Director of Radio Nostalgie and Vice-President Managing Director of Génération Expertise Média, the advertising agency of Radio Monte-Carlo and Radio Nostalgie. He also headed the media subsidiary of the LVMH Group, specializing in economic and financial information. Fabrice Larue also created Newen, a subsidiary of TF1, which specialises in audiovisual content for public and private television and digital platforms.

Fabrice Larue was awarded an Officer of the Legion of Honor in March 2014.

The appointment of Larue marks the start of a major restructure of the Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer Group, which has been headed by former National Council President Stéphane Valeri since 24th January. The new chairman has begun a “reorganisation of the governance of the company to bring it into line with the company’s new objectives”, said SBM in a statement.

 

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Photo compiled by Monaco Life

Fondation de Monaco student digs in Paris to get modern makeover

by: Stephanie Horsman
21/02/2023
fondation de monaco

The Fondation de Monaco’s student accommodation at the Cité Internationale Universite Paris has embarked on a €3.8 million renovation to hit energy reduction objectives and increase comfort for the many international students who benefit from the building.  

The Fondation de Monaco was inaugurated back in 1937 at the behest of Prince Pierre, but well-supported by his father-in-law, the then sovereign Prince Louis II, as a 50-room accommodation unit that would host students studying at the Cité Internationale Universite Paris. The project was supplemented by private funding.  

Since then, the Art Deco building on the Boulevard Jourdan has housed students from all over the world, and has been a place of beauty and safety. Now it will also become one of energy efficiency, with the latest round in a series of renovations works that have been undertaken in the 21st century now underway. 

Earlier this month, a delegation from Monaco travelled to Paris for the unveiling of a new model studio flat, equipped with an ensuite and kitchenette, that is being used as the template for the Foundation’s goal of reducing the building’s energy consumption by 40% by 2023, compared to 2010 consumption rates.  

The project was spurred on by the Cité Internationale Universite Paris’s EU and French state-backed recovery plan, with the Principality chipping in to finance the upgrades such as roof repairs and façade rejuvenation. The funds from Monaco will also allow an increase of units with kitchenettes, in line with student requests.

The works will take place in five phases and are expected to be completed in 2024. All 77 flats, the common room, the library and the two shared kitchens will be revamped, with the latter facilities being enlarged and improved with interior insulation, better acoustics and more comfort.  

The operations are being carried out with the close cooperation of the Heritage Department of the CIUP and the Public Buildings Maintenance Service of the Principality of Monaco. 

Further information can be found here. 

 

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Photo source: Fondation de Monaco / Facebook