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February 7, 2022

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February 7, 2022

USA: Lockheed Martin and Airbus want to land a tanker order

Jan Gruber 7. February 2022 19:41

The aircraft manufacturers Lockheed Martin and Airbus are vying for a major contract from the US armed forces. They want to outdo their competitor Boeing with the A330MRTT tanker aircraft. The US Air Force will be decommissioning some aging tankers by 2029. Replacements are needed for these. Boeing is in position with the KC-46A. Lockheed Martin and Airbus have set up the LMXT consortium and want to score points with a competing model that is a special version of the A330MRTT. This is to be built in the United States of America. This is expected to give them a better chance of landing the contract. In the last tender, which was around ten years ago, Boeing emerged as the winner with the KC-46A. At the time, Airbus had a different partner, Northrop Grumman. However, the cooperation with Lockheed Martin, one of the largest suppliers to the US armed forces, is completely reshuffling the cards. According to US media reports, up to 160 tankers could be delivered. For both Airbus/Lockheed Martin and Boeing, the contract would mean revenues of several billion US dollars. According to Lockheed Martin, the "foundation" in the form of the A330 is to be manufactured at the Airbus plant in Mobile. It will then go to Lockheed Martin in Marietta, where it will be converted into the military aircraft LMXT (A330 MRTT). According to Lockheed Martin CEO James Taiclet, this procedure is intended to ensure that it is a US product. In the past, the production location played a major role in awarding the contract. According to reports, Airbus

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South Cyprus demands sanctions against airlines in North Cyprus

Jan Gruber 7. February 2022 19:03

The Cypriot government has written an official letter to the EU Commission demanding that airlines that fly migrants into the Turkish-controlled northern part of the island be sanctioned. Southern Cyprus claims that refugees are flown to Ercan (Northern Cyprus) in an organized manner and then try to get to the EU member state Cyprus (South). The European Union considers the entire island to be part of the community of states, but de facto only the southern part belongs to it. Interior Minister Nicos Nouris had previously asked the French Council Presidency and other EU ministers to impose similar measures to those introduced against Belarusian airlines last year. Nouris, for his part, said that more than 85 percent of applicants for international protection in Cyprus gained access to the republic from Turkey or via the north.

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Hamburg: MSC Magnifica back on cruise

Amely Mizzi 7. February 2022 18:31

The shipping company MSC resumed operations with the cruise ship Magnifica on February 6, 2022. The ship, which was primarily used from Hamburg, had been in port since mid-December 2021. The reason for the temporary break was that entry and quarantine regulations were tightened by various countries. Due to the Omicron variant, cruise ships were not allowed to enter ports in some places. MSC Cruises sent the Magnifica back to sea with passengers from Hamburg on February 6, 2022. Initially, there will be a seven-day cruise that will call at IJmuiden, Zeebrugge, Le Havre and Southampton, among others. The planned trips are to be continued until April 2022.

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For vaccinated and recovered: Portugal abolishes compulsory testing

Amely Mizzi 7. February 2022 18:03

Since Monday, simplified rules have been in place for entering Portugal. These primarily provide relief for those who have been vaccinated and those who have recovered, as the testing requirement that was introduced in December 2021 has been lifted. In concrete terms, this means that people who can prove that they have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 no longer have to present a negative corona test. This also applies to those who have recovered from the disease, whose illness occurred no more than six months ago and who can prove this by presenting the relevant EU certificate. There are currently no significant reliefs for unvaccinated travelers. They are still subject to the testing requirement. The relaxations for those who have been vaccinated and those who have recovered only apply for the time being if you come from another EU country or a third country that is classified accordingly by Portugal.

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Workers' rights: Danish pension fund pulls out of Wizz Air

Jan Gruber 7. February 2022 17:06

The Danish pension fund "Akademiker Pension" is completely divesting its stake in the low-cost airline Wizz Air. The decision is justified, among other things, by the management's attitude towards employee rights. A few weeks ago, the shareholder asked some uncomfortable questions and threatened to pull out. Now the company is taking a hard line and will sell the shares it holds. The decision is justified as follows: "The management's behavior is not compatible with human and employee rights, as set out in the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, among others." Towards the end of last year, AkademikerPension called on the management of Wizz Air to recognize works councils and unions. 13 other major shareholders have also joined this request. At first - as documents available to Aviation.Direct show - the request was completely ignored. After extensive media coverage, the Wizz Air management invited the company to a meeting. However, according to AkademikerFonds, the basic attitude has not changed. This ultimately led to the decision to sell the shares. The investment in Wizz Air could no longer be reconciled with the company's own values. The pension fund is generally seen as a shareholder that asks companies uncomfortable questions and is not afraid of exits.

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For vaccinated people: Australia will open up completely from February 21.02.2022, XNUMX

Jan Gruber 7. February 2022 16:06

Australia plans to fully reopen to international tourism on February 21, 2022. Individual states have already significantly relaxed entry regulations. According to a statement by Prime Minister Scott Morrison, the country now plans to fully reopen. However, only people who can prove that they have had at least two vaccinations against Covid-19 are allowed to enter Australia. If you cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons, you must apply for an exemption in advance. To do this, you must provide proof such as a medical certificate in English. During the press conference, Morrison also emphasized that the upper limits for international arrivals, which have been set independently by individual states, will remain in force for the time being. It is up to the regional governments to lift these or increase the quota. Therefore, travelers to Australia should also find out about the current regulations of the state in which they will land.

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USA: Low-cost airlines Frontier and Spirit want to merge

Jan Gruber 7. February 2022 15:39

In the United States of America, a major merger is imminent among low-cost airlines, as Frontier and Spirit intend to merge to become the fifth largest carrier in the USA. Over the weekend, the boards of the two airlines gave the green light. The value of the merger is estimated at over 6,6 billion US dollars. Frontier Airlines is to hold a 51,5 percent majority stake in the future joint venture. Spirit will own the remaining 48,5 percent. The two low-cost airlines have previously been considered fierce competitors, but subject to the approval of the competition authorities, they intend to join forces in the future. "This transaction focuses on creating an aggressive ultra-low-fare competitor to better serve our guests, expand career opportunities for our team members, and increase competitive pressure, resulting in more consumer-friendly fares for passengers," said Spirit CEO Ted Christie. Future branding has not yet been determined Spirit shareholders are to be paid out with 1.9126 Frontier shares. Furthermore, a cash compensation of US$2,13 will be paid for each share. This means that Spirit is valued at US$25,83 per share. According to the joint statement, this value is 19 percent higher than last week's market value. Since Frontier will have control of the new joint venture, it is not surprising that Frontier CEO Bill Franke will take over the management. He says that the two carriers will become the "most competitive ultra-low-fare airline in the United States." It is not yet clear which brand they will fly under in the future. This will only be decided after the formal closing. First, Spirit shareholders must accept the offer. The

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Greece abolishes compulsory testing for those who have recovered and those who have been vaccinated

Amely Mizzi 7. February 2022 15:03

Since Monday, simpler entry regulations have again been in place for entry into Greece. The additional testing requirement that existed for vaccinated and recovered people has been abolished. This means that 2G proof is sufficient again. Unvaccinated people do not really benefit from the relaxation, because they still have to present a negative test result. Both PCR and rapid antigen test results are accepted. In December 2021, Greece introduced an additional testing requirement for vaccinated and recovered people due to the Omicron variant. It was hoped that this would help contain the spread of this corona mutation. Now this special rule has been abandoned. Greece's current entry regulations largely correspond to the agreement on which the EU members had agreed. However, these are not applied by all states, as many, including Austria, are opting out.

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Discover - the "better" Eurowings?

Stephen Lorenz 7. February 2022 14:07

A surprisingly good flight, free entertainment and an expensive aircraft model - in the Eurowings Discover A320 from Frankfurt to the Canary Islands. It was a cold, dark January morning in Frankfurt, there had been night frost and the day had started with scraping my windshield. This trip report had already aroused my anticipation and curiosity when I booked a few weeks ago. What hadn't I read and heard about Eurowings Discover in the weeks before. The latest "favorite tool" of the Kranich Group Board of Management, which was founded under the project name "Ocean", initially started flight operations on July 24, 2021 under flight number 4Y/OCN134 with an A330 previously operated by Sun Express Germany. Just in time for the changeover to the current winter flight schedule, Discover then started operations on short and medium-haul routes. In recent years there have been a number of at least questionable decisions surrounding the proclaimed "Wings concept". The Eurowings brand, which will be celebrating its 30th birthday next year, mutated into a kind of guinea pig, accompanied by the negative press that came with it, which had to be dealt with. There was the first attempt at the "own" Eurowings long-haul service from Cologne/Bonn, operated by Sun Express Germany, which got off to a more than bumpy start with record delays. Then there was, for example, the seemingly haphazard and in the meantime cancelled integration of Brussels Airlines into Eurowings, while the A320 OO-SNN is still a single aircraft flying around as a kind of "contemporary witness" (to this day) in Eurowings livery under Brussels Airlines flight numbers, without ever having flown for Eurowings. The A330s, which also fly in Eurowings livery,

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25 years ago: Eurowings named D-AKNE after “Albrecht Dürer”

Jan Gruber 7. February 2022 13:03

On Saturday, Nuremberg Airport looked back to February 5, 1997. On that day, the Airbus A319 with the registration D-AKNE was christened "Albrecht Dürer". Originally, the aircraft was used by the then regional airline Eurowings for charter services. When Germanwings was founded, which emerged from the EW subsidiary Eurowings Flug GmbH, the medium-haul jet was transferred to the latter. This A319 was stationed in Salzburg, Stuttgart, Nuremberg and later Cologne/Bonn, among other places. In its eleventh year, the aircraft came to Lufthansa and was leased to the new Italian subsidiary Lufthansa Italia for three years before returning to Germanwings at the age of 15. At the age of 22, the former "Albrecht Dürer" was parked in Teruel, Spain, and then scrapped at the age of 24.

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