May 11

More articles from the category

May 11

Luxair has to accept a big minus

The small airline from Luxembourg has to cut costs: Luxair is making a loss of 155 million euros. The Luxembourg airline made a loss of 72,8 million euros, while the Luxair Tours division added another 54 million euros. Overall, the company is clearly feeling the effects of the CoV pandemic. The passenger numbers reflect this; in 2020, 71 percent fewer passengers were carried than in 2019. In contrast, the carrier was able to increase its cargo traffic. After discontinuing commercial flights, the company has increasingly relied on cargo flights from China, as sr.de reports. This resulted in an increase of six percentage points. 

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Lufthansa Group Airlines extend the possibility of changing bookings free of charge

Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and Eurowings are all extending their free rebooking options. This means that all tickets issued up to July 31, 2021 can still be rebooked as often as you like free of charge, provided the rebooking is also made by then. Since the end of August, all Lufthansa Group airline fares have been rebookable free of charge. Most recently, this fare offer was valid for new and rebookings until the end of May. Now the offer is being extended again: All airline fares can still be rebooked as often as you like free of charge for tickets issued up to July 31, 2021, provided the rebooking is also made by then. After that, passengers can rebook their ticket one more time free of charge. The newly booked flight can be up to one year in the future within the entire ticket validity. Travelers can also change their route as they like, depending on availability, and, for example, fly from Munich to New York instead of Frankfurt to Rio de Janeiro. Passengers who want to postpone their original trip but cannot yet decide on a new date and destination have the option of cancelling their booking without committing to a new travel date. Their ticket will remain in the system as credit until they decide on a new reservation and have redeemed it again. The new booking must then be made by August 31, 2021. In this case, the departure can only take place next year, until July 31, 2022. Nevertheless, caution is advised. Additional costs can arise when rebooking, for example if you change to a different date or at a different time.

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Fraport: Financial result still marked by crisis

The airport operator generated lower revenue in the first quarter than previously estimated. However, the loss fell short of expectations. Due to the high level of infections worldwide, there was no recovery in passenger numbers in sight in the first quarter, and group revenue fell by 41,8 percent to 385 million euros. Nevertheless, the company is already over the hill. "We assume that we have now passed the low point," explains Fraport CEO Stefan Schulte. The vaccination campaigns against Covid are gaining momentum. There are extensive testing options, and the desire to travel is unbroken. "In this respect, we assume that we will see a significant increase in passenger numbers again in the summer - initially primarily in European traffic, but then also on intercontinental routes in the future." In the first quarter, the MDax group's revenue collapsed again, and the group loss of 77,5 million euros was more than twice as high as in the same quarter last year. Revenue fell by 42 percent to 385 million euros. This includes almost 58 million euros that Fraport received after the agreement with the Federal Police for air security services provided last year. This and the cost savings helped Fraport to achieve an operating profit of 40 million euros after an operating loss of 69 million euros a year ago. The goal of cutting around 4000 jobs in Frankfurt has now almost been achieved.

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MUC: Turkish Airlines Cargo opens new freight connection to Istanbul

A new scheduled service is now available for the fast transport of goods from Munich to Istanbul - and onward flights to many Asian destinations. Turkish Airlines Cargo has now opened a weekly freight connection from Bavaria to the Bosporus for the first time. The Turkish airline is using Airbus A330F cargo aircraft on the new cargo route. The new freight service has been met with great response from Bavarian businesses and logistics companies - the opening flights to and from Istanbul were already at full capacity with 50 tons of freight each. "I see enormous potential for demand here and I can well imagine that Turkish Airlines will soon expand its freight service with additional frequencies. Against the backdrop of the ongoing crisis in air traffic, this route opening is an important vote of confidence in Munich as an air freight location," explained airport boss Jost Lammers, who personally welcomed the crew of the opening flight on the cargo apron.

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Emirates presents premium economy seats for the first time

Emirates will exhibit the new premium economy seats for the first time at the Arabian Travel Market 2021 (ATM). The region's travel and tourism trade fair will take place from May 16 to 19 and is the travel industry's first in-person event since the outbreak of the corona pandemic. The highly anticipated Emirates Premium Economy seat will also be on display for visitors: The seat offers a large seat pitch of up to 40 inches. "Visitors who try out Emirates' Premium Economy seat will also notice the generous 19,5-inch width and the ability to settle into a comfortable reclining position with plenty of room to stretch out," the company said. The Gulf carrier will also present its Boeing 777-300ER First Class with fully enclosed private suites, the Boeing 777 Business Class seat, the redesigned A380 OnBoard Lounge as well as other products such as the First Class Shower Spa and the latest version of the new Economy Class seats. 

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Cost trap ATM: avoid rip-offs on vacation

Very few holiday destinations can do without cash. Every now and then you come across a shop or a beach chair rental company that operates according to the motto "cash is king". In some regions, withdrawing cash from ATMs can be quite an expensive undertaking. However, with a few simple "ticks" it can be much cheaper or even free. First of all, you should be aware that there are several cost traps when using ATMs abroad. The most well-known of these are ATMs from Euronet and other operators, which seem to be on every corner in holiday regions. These usually charge a so-called direct customer fee. In concrete terms, this means that in addition to the amount withdrawn, for example, five euros are charged and deducted by Euronet. Horrendous "direct customer fees" In the European Union, operators of ATMs are obliged to inform customers of any fees. In not all countries do the "expensive ATMs" actually comply with this or do they do so in a way that is immediately understandable to the customer. Unless you are in urgent need of cash, you should cancel the transaction and use a machine that is located on the facade or in the foyer of a bank. In most cases, these charge lower customer fees and, with a little luck, even none at all. ATMs in tourist areas are real money printing machines, because the bank that issues the card has to pay a fixed fee to the operator for use. The customer does not notice this. But that is not enough for many ATM operators and an additional fee is charged directly to the customer. If the house bank (card issuer) charges a fee for use

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Turkish Cargo applies for its own AOC

Turkish Airlines is currently undergoing a transformation process, as a large company is to be transformed into a holding-like structure. This means that the cargo division and the low-cost brand Anadolujet will be spun off into independent subsidiaries. Until now, Turkey's largest airline has largely relied on the "one company" concept. This means that Turkish Cargo and Anadolujet were merely brands, not independent airlines. A few weeks ago, the group announced that this would soon change. Now the local portal AirportHaber is reporting that an application for an AOC and operating license has been submitted to the Turkish Civil Aviation Authority for the cargo business. This is the first step that will lead to the spin-off and independence of Turkish Cargo. The low-cost brand Anadolujet is not yet ready. It is expected that the subsidiary that was founded specifically to spin off the low-cost activities will also apply for its own certificates in the foreseeable future. Until the operations are completed, the low-cost brand and cargo activities will continue to be carried out under Turkish Airlines flight numbers.

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Düsseldorf closed for a short time after a World War II bomb was found

Two relics from the Second World War were found near Düsseldorf Airport on Monday. The two aerial bombs made it necessary to temporarily close the airport and the motorway. The police ordered a 500-metre radius that had to be evacuated for safety reasons. The terminal at Düsseldorf Airport was also affected. The British World War II bombs were found during preparations for construction work. This was carried out on the airport site. The police's expert staff defused the relics of the Second World War. The all-clear was given immediately afterwards. According to the police, around 5.500 people had to be evacuated beforehand. This is a standard procedure when bombs are found from past wars. Normally, temporary closures always cause great chaos. But this time everything was different, because according to Düsseldorf Airport, only one departure was planned during the time window. The plane then took off with considerable delay.

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Schwerin-Parchim: The future is still in the air

Schwerin-Parchim Airport was supposed to become a cargo hub and a hub for Chinese tourists. The project was not a success and ultimately ended in bankruptcy. The proceedings have still not been concluded. The land and buildings have not yet been auctioned off. According to local media reports, insolvency administrator Bettina Schmudde is still negotiating with several investors. The court must wait for the outcome of the proceedings. The airport can currently even generate a small amount of income, as vehicles from a major manufacturer are parked on part of the site, waiting for better times. The runway is also used as an automobile test track, among other things. The insolvency administrator charges rent for both purposes on behalf of the insolvency estate.

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Heringsdorf: Airlines cancel Usedom flights

The small Heringsdorf airport is facing a difficult summer, as Luxair and Eurowings, among others, will significantly reduce their presence and have already canceled entire routes in some cases. According to the "Ostsee-Zeitung", the background to this is that it is still unclear whether and when the hotels on Usedom will be allowed to open. Luxair is initially limiting the cancellations to May 2021. Eurowings apparently no longer has high hopes and will not fly to Heringsdorf from Stuttgart and Düsseldorf for the entire 2021 summer season. According to the media report, the decision by the Lufthansa subsidiary is final. The effects on regional tourism and the airport could be severe. Last year, only 6.000 passengers were counted. Politicians are now called upon to "save what can still be saved". Otherwise, there is a risk of a de facto total loss on Usedom. In the boom year of 2019, Heringsdorf had 21.000 passengers in the summer season.

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