Last week, the Austrian Business Travel Association (ABTA) celebrated an anniversary together with Salzburg Airport: the 10th Business Travel Lounge was held at the airport with over 60 guests. In addition to a review of ABTA's past activities, high-ranking representatives from Lufthansa and ÖBB presented new developments in the travel industry.
In his welcoming speech, Peter Tolinger, General Secretary of ABTA, praised the airport's hospitality and gave an outlook on the association's upcoming events. He highlighted the successful Business Travel Day and the summer event in Graz. He announced numerous new national and international activities for 2025.
Alexander Schnecke, Director of Corporate Sales Austria at the Lufthansa Group, presented the new "Lufthansa Allegris" travel experience. The concept includes the complete redesign of the airline's intercontinental fleet with new seats and modernized cabins. Around 42.000 new seats are to be installed in more than 100 aircraft in order to meet individual customer requirements.
The Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) were also represented: Alfred Pitnik, Head of Corridor Management, explained the progress of the renovation work on the Western Railway line after the floods. He also provided information about upcoming construction projects in southern Germany that will result in closures from 2026. The ÖBB plans to organize diversions for freight and passenger traffic to minimize the impact on travelers.
After the presentations, there was a joint dinner during which the participants had an intensive exchange of ideas. The next ABTA Business Travel Lounge is planned for November 21, 2024 in Vienna. A workshop on sustainable mobility in the business travel sector will also be offered there.