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June 14, 2024

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June 14, 2024

Special flights for European Football Championship fans: Hahn Airport ready for the rush

Amely Mizzi June 14, 2024 16:33

Hahn Airport is operating numerous special flights for British fans for the European Football Championship. For example, Ryanair is organizing ten special connections to and from Hunsrück for the preliminary round match between England and Denmark, according to a recent announcement. The flights from London, Bristol, Manchester and Birmingham are intended to bring fans to Germany to support their team. In addition, Wizz Air flies regularly twice a week between Hahn and Cluj-Napoca for Romanian football enthusiasts. Rüdiger Franke, Managing Director of Hahn Airport, emphasizes the preparations for the expected rush: "We are well prepared to handle the additional flights and passengers during the European Championship." He adds: "We are always available to the airlines for special flights at short notice during the tournament." Hahn Airport thus acts as an important hub for international fans who want to watch the games live on site. The special flights help to effectively meet demand during the major sporting event.

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SAS for Business becomes SAS for Work

Amely Mizzi June 14, 2024 16:05

SAS for Business, Scandinavian Airlines System's (SAS) current business travel service, will be rebranded and introduce a number of improvements under the name SAS for Work. The aim is to optimize the experience for both travelers and companies. From June 11, all SAS business travelers will benefit from new benefits and upgrades within the expanded SAS for Work service. These include free name changes and free seat selection in SAS Business and SAS Plus classes. Paul Verhagen, Chief Commercial Officer at SAS, emphasizes the importance of face-to-face meetings for business success: "We want to make the business travel experience easier and more seamless for both the person traveling and the company, and these updates will do just that." In addition to the direct benefits for business travelers, SAS plans to introduce further upgrades and new benefits in the fall. These also include the Travel Pass Corporate product with additional discounts in SAS Plus class, as well as various options to reduce the carbon footprint, including biofuel tickets and expanded corporate sustainability programs. The reorientation under SAS for Work marks a step towards strengthening the offering for business travelers and underlines SAS' commitment to improved services and sustainability in the aviation industry.

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Serious disruption on board: KLM flight 591 with smoke development in the galley

Amely Mizzi June 14, 2024 15:07

An incident on board KLM's Boeing 777-200ER on its flight to Johannesburg is causing a stir. According to a report by the Dutch Safety Board, an oven in the rear galley caught fire, emitting thick brown smoke as the aircraft flew over the Mediterranean Sea south of Marseille. The crew responded immediately and deployed several Halon fire extinguishers to fight the fire. Despite the use of the extinguishing agents, the situation worsened with the crew emptying a total of six fire extinguishers within 20 minutes. This increased the smoke and released contaminants into the cabin. Although the captain resorted to the appropriate checklist for electronic smoke, fire or steam reports, he did not fully follow it by not cutting off the oven's power supply. He instead chose to personally inspect the situation in the galley while the crew continued to fight the fire. After a review, investigators confirmed that no actual fire broke out in the oven. The cause was a food tray with a closed back, which increased the oven's heating time and hindered air circulation, causing the control unit to overheat and damaging the shutdown device. Despite the serious malfunction and the smoke, the pilots decided against an emergency landing in Marseille and returned to Amsterdam. Investigators found that the oven's mandatory disconnection from the power supply was not carried out, which further aggravated the incident. The Dutch Safety Board's detailed investigation of the incident highlights the importance of strict adherence to safety protocols on board aircraft, especially in

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Southwest Airlines 737 Max starts to tumble – FAA classifies incident as an accident

Amely Mizzi June 14, 2024 14:02

A Southwest Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8 with the registration N8825Q entered a dangerous wobble oscillation on the flight from Arizona to Oakland. The aircraft exhibited an uncontrolled "Dutch roll" behavior in which it alternately swayed on the yaw and vertical axes, which led to considerable oscillations. However, the pilots were able to stabilize the situation and land the aircraft safely in Oakland. During the inspection after landing, technicians found "significant damage", particularly to the standby rudder PCU (pedal control unit). The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has classified the incident as an "accident" and is conducting a detailed investigation, according to a report from the FAA docket. The N8825Q was then flown to Everett, the headquarters of the manufacturer Boeing, for repairs, where it arrived under the special flight number WN8700. "We take every incident seriously and work closely with the FAA to investigate the causes and take appropriate action," commented a Southwest Airlines spokesperson. The incident underscores the ongoing monitoring and safety efforts in air traffic, particularly in connection with the Boeing 737 Max, which has already come under critical scrutiny in the past due to its flight control software and other systems.

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ADAC orders new Challenger 650 for air ambulance flights

Amely Mizzi June 14, 2024 13:38

The General German Automobile Club has ordered a new Challenger 650 from Bombardier Business Aircraft. The aircraft will be specially configured for air ambulance flights and is expected to be delivered in 2026. This decision was made to expand the global reach of the ADAC fleet and to be able to better serve members worldwide. The Challenger 650 was chosen because of its long range and the ability to transport intensive care equipment. Sascha Petzold, Board Member of ADAC Versicherung AG, emphasized the importance of this new acquisition: "The acquisition of this new aircraft is another important step in our strategy to modernize our fleet and continue to offer our ADAC members and policyholders the highest level of service." Aero-Dienst, a subsidiary of ADAC, will operate the aircraft. Aero-Dienst currently maintains a variety of aircraft types, including two Do328-300s, one Challenger 300, two Challenger 350s and one Falcon 7X. The last Learjet 60XR was recently retired, which underlines the continuous modernization of the fleet. The order for the Challenger 650 underlines ADAC's commitment to expanding air rescue capacities and providing efficient emergency care. Details about the specific medical equipment and other areas of application of the new aircraft were not disclosed.

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Skyside puts first Dassault Aviation Falcon 2000LX into operation

Amely Mizzi June 14, 2024 13:02

Skyside has successfully taken delivery of its first Dassault Aviation Falcon 2000LX. The aircraft, with the registration OE-HHS and serial number 224, is 12,4 years old. It was transferred between May 16 and 18, 2024 from Boise via Reykjavik Keflavik to Vienna and finally to Hanover, where it will be serviced before its deployment. The first flights according to Flightradar24's ADS-B data took it to Paphos on June 7. Skyside is an Austrian specialist in business charter and aircraft management, expanding its fleet, which already includes a Falcon 2000EX EASy and a Global 6000. The acquisition of the Falcon 2000LX marks another step by Skyside in the business aircraft sector, with the aircraft helping to expand the company's portfolio for demanding aviation customers. Details of the planned missions and the strategic role of the Falcon 2000LX in Skyside's flight operations were not disclosed.

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IAG presents new remedies for Air Europa takeover

Amely Mizzi June 14, 2024 12:35

IAG International Airlines Group has submitted a new package of remedies to the European Commission to seek approval for its subsidiary Iberia's takeover of Air Europa. The new measures are the result of a constructive dialogue with the European Commission to ensure that the takeover is in the interests of consumers, IAG said in a statement. The new submission automatically extends the decision deadline by 15 working days. In addition, the European Commission has agreed to an extension of ten working days, leaving until July 29 to make a final decision. Although the exact adjustments have not been published, IAG had offered in an earlier package to give up up to 40% of the frequencies served by Air Europa in 2023 and pledged that if approved, no route would be served exclusively by Air Europa and Iberia. Airlines such as Avianca, Binter Canarias, Iberojet, Ryanair, Volotea and World2Fly have expressed interest in the routes that Air Europa could give up as part of the takeover. The European Commission is concerned about the impact of the merger on Spain's connectivity. This is IAG's second attempt to take over Air Europa, after the first offers were rejected in 2020 and 2021. In parallel, the investment hedge fund Helikon has acquired 3,05% of IAG shares, a transaction worth over EUR 300 million. Helikon is now IAG's third largest shareholder, after Qatar Airways Group (25,1%) and Capital Group (5,006%).

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Croatia Airlines will not take delivery of its first Airbus A220 until July 2024

Amely Mizzi June 14, 2024 12:04

Croatia Airlines will receive its first 220-seat Airbus A300-149 aircraft in July. The aircraft, originally scheduled for delivery in the first quarter of the year, will now arrive in Zagreb next month. It will be named "Zagreb" and will receive a new livery. After all bureaucratic procedures are completed, the aircraft is expected to be deployed on the Zagreb-Frankfurt route shortly after delivery, symbolically commemorating the airline's first international flight in 1992. Croatian State Secretary for Infrastructure Tomislav Mihotić recently visited the jet's production facility in Canada and confirmed that the aircraft will now be painted and will then be fitted with additional equipment, including WiFi access. Croatia Airlines plans to lease a total of twelve A220-300 and three A220-100 aircraft for twelve years, with the option to extend the contracts or return the aircraft to their owners. The second A220-300, expected at the end of the year, will be named "Split". A total of 2027 units are to be delivered by 18, making Croatia Airlines a single-type operator. Currently, the airline has to reduce frequencies on some routes due to fleet shortages and is using wet leasing of three aircraft: an A320 from Trade Air, an A319 from Fly41 Airways and a Boeing 737-800 from Albastar. In addition, a short-term wet lease agreement has been signed for a fifteen-year-old A320 from Malta MedAir.

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Uber opens up across Germany

Amely Mizzi June 14, 2024 11:07

The ride-hailing service Uber is now opening its app to all taxi companies in Germany. Previously, it was only possible to book rides via Uber in 16 cities. From now on, taxi drivers and rental car companies can be arranged by Uber nationwide, without monthly membership fees or long-term contracts. This should enable the companies to generate additional revenue and increase their capacity utilization. Christoph Weigler, Uber's Germany boss, emphasized that Uber is thereby underlining its interest in being a partner of the German taxi industry. He explained that digitization and the high demand on the platform could benefit taxi drivers. Uber has changed its strategy worldwide to also bring taxi drivers onto the platform. In cities such as Berlin and Munich, taxis can already be booked via the app. In Berlin, around 20 percent of taxis cooperate with Uber, and there are more than 4000 taxi drivers across Germany. Uber is thus competing with traditional taxi-hailing centers and platforms such as Bolt and Freenow. Uber stressed that it only works with local, licensed taxi and rental car companies whose drivers all have a passenger transport license and meet all legal requirements. All trips are fully insured.

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May 2024: Brussels Airport reports more travelers

Amely Mizzi June 14, 2024 10:01

In May 2024, Brussels Airport welcomed over 2,1 million passengers, up 1,5% from the same month last year. This increase was boosted by the launch of new routes, including Nouvelair's connections to Monastir, Air Arabia to Rabat and Corendon Airlines to Gazipasa/Alanya. Transfer passengers accounted for 14% of departing passengers, with a decrease in intra-European transfer passengers but growth in intercontinental transfer passengers. The most popular destinations in May were Spain, Italy, Germany, Turkey, Greece, Portugal, Morocco, the United States, France and Switzerland. Cargo volumes at Brussels Airport increased by 0,4% to a total of 59.102 tonnes. Air freight volumes increased by 1,4%, while belly cargo increased by almost 16%. The number of full freighters decreased by 6,4%, while express services increased by almost 1%. The main import regions were Asia, Africa and North America, with a particularly strong increase in Asian e-commerce. The main export regions were Africa, Asia and North America. In May 2024, 17.575 aircraft movements were recorded, a slight decrease of 0,1% compared to May 2023. The number of passenger flights increased by almost 2%, while the number of cargo flights decreased by 2%. On average, 143 passengers were counted per flight, which is the same as the previous year.

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