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August 1, 2024

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August 1, 2024

German holiday trends: Türkiye remains the leader, Albania surprises with strong growth

Jan Gruber August 1, 2024 12:05

The holiday preferences of German travellers have become clear over the past year: Turkey is the undisputed leader among the most popular travel destinations. This is the result of an analysis by the online marketing platform Localyzer, which evaluated search queries for holiday destinations from May 2023 to May 2024. What is surprising is the increasing interest in Albania, which has established itself as an up-and-coming holiday destination and has increased its search volume by over 100 percent. With an average of 160.890 monthly search queries, Turkey is the undisputed favourite destination of Germans. This preference extends across all federal states, confirming the country's popularity across the republic. Turkey offers a diverse mix of culture, history and beach holidays, which makes it particularly attractive. According to Localyzer's data, cities such as Istanbul, Antalya and Bodrum dominate the search queries. These destinations are known for their tourist infrastructure and the wide range of opportunities they offer holidaymakers. Croatia and Greece: Popular alternatives Croatia and Greece follow in the next places with an average of 84.890 and 79.070 monthly searches respectively. Both countries offer breathtaking coastal landscapes and cultural experiences that are particularly popular with families and couples. There is a slight deviation in Schleswig-Holstein, where Denmark is also one of the preferred destinations, which explains the geographical proximity and the associated easy accessibility. A notable trend is the increase in interest in Albania. With a monthly search volume of 61.750 queries, the country is in fourth place in the ranking. The growth rate is even more impressive: Since May 2023, the number of search queries has more than doubled, which represents an increase of

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Regional Express Holdings: Bankruptcy and job cuts at Australian airline

Amely Mizzi August 1, 2024 11:05

The Australian airline Regional Express Holdings (Rex) has announced that it will cut hundreds of jobs after filing for voluntary insolvency. A total of 360 jobs are to be cut at the subsidiary that operates the Boeing 737 flights. In addition, 250 more jobs will be cut in other areas. Despite these cuts, Rex plans to continue operating regional flights with the Saab 340 fleet. The airline, which originally only served regional routes, began operating on the highly competitive routes between Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne in 2021. But Rex was unable to prevail against the established market leaders Qantas Airways and Virgin Australia, which control over 90 percent of the market. The auditing firm Ernst & Young was appointed as insolvency administrator.

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AUA-Trestl to China Eastern: “If competition, then with equal opportunities”

Angelika Evergreen August 1, 2024 10:06

It was recently announced that China Eastern Airlines had not received traffic rights from the Republic of Austria for the planned route between Shanghai and Vienna. Austrian Airlines is said to have intervened, according to some media reports. AUA obviously does not want to face competition, because the Chinese airline - unlike Austrian Airlines - is allowed to use Russian airspace and thus benefits from significantly shorter flight routes. This has a positive effect on operating costs. This is precisely what Austrian Airlines seems to have a problem with and wants to be protected by the Austrian federal government. The result: China Eastern Airlines has not received traffic rights - at least for the time being. When asked, AUA Chief Commercial Officer Michael Trestl said that business in China was currently not going according to expectations. Fewer business travelers and tourists were flying to the Middle Kingdom and significantly fewer Chinese tourists were coming to Europe. He admits that the inability to use Russian airspace is having a negative effect on Austrian Airlines, as it has to fly longer flight routes and therefore has higher costs. “If there is competition, then it should be on equal terms,” was the only comment on the question of why Austrian Airlines intervened with the Ministry of Transport to such an extent that China Eastern Airlines was provisionally denied route rights.

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AUA considers twelfth Dreamliner

Jan Gruber August 1, 2024 09:06

The collective bargaining negotiations, which were slow but eventually concluded, are said to have caused Austrian Airlines losses of around 35 million euros. It has now also been revealed that the Dreamliner fleet was actually supposed to have been expanded to 13 aircraft. Company boss Annette Mann stressed that this had a negative impact on the half-year result, which was deep in the red, but that it was a one-off effect. The issue has now been put to rest, as a three-year peace obligation had been agreed with the union. At the same time, the AUA general directors were highly critical of the location costs in Austria. Inflation is significantly higher than in other European countries, which results in rising wage costs. Ticket prices are currently more or less stagnating and have not increased as much as planned. Nevertheless, the collective bargaining negotiations had consequences, as the long-haul fleet was actually supposed to consist of 13 Boeing 787-9s in the future. Two aircraft were "saved". But: They are currently considering whether Dreamliner number 12 should join the planned fleet. No decision has been made yet in this regard. 11 aircraft of this type are certain, says Mann.

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Lufthansa in transition: price pressure and austerity measures shape the future

Amely Mizzi August 1, 2024 08:34

Lufthansa, once celebrated as one of Europe's leading airlines, is currently facing major challenges. Faced with intense competition and a rapid increase in supply on the global aviation market, the airline is being forced to thin out its flight schedule and introduce comprehensive cost-cutting measures. These measures are a response to increasing competition, particularly from Asian airlines, and to pressure to improve the fleet's economic efficiency. Lufthansa CEO Carsten Spohr speaks of a "normalization" of ticket prices after they rose at the beginning of the year as a result of increased demand following the pandemic. Chinese airlines in particular are exerting high price pressure on Lufthansa in economy class as they pursue aggressive pricing policies. This has led to prices falling and margins shrinking in this segment. The Asian market in particular, on which Lufthansa is heavily focused, is showing a significantly changed demand. While the number of business travelers, traditionally a lucrative segment, has not yet returned to pre-corona levels, the number of vacationers is increasing. This requires a strategic adjustment of the offer. To respond to the economic challenges, the Lufthansa Group is planning a comprehensive fleet restructuring. Chief Financial Officer Michael Niggemann stresses the need to remove inefficient aircraft models from the fleet. The plan is to retire a total of 2028 older and less efficient aircraft, including Airbus A50-330, A200-340, A300-340 and Boeing 600-747, by 400. This measure is intended to increase the efficiency of the fleet and reduce operating costs, especially in view of rising fuel prices and falling freight revenues. The more modern fleet, including the Boeing 787-9 and the still required A380 and 747-8, is intended to increase efficiency

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Lufthansa sells AirPlus International to SEB Kort Bank

Amely Mizzi August 1, 2024 08:33

On July 31, 2024, the Lufthansa Group successfully completed the sale of its subsidiary AirPlus International GmbH. The buyer, SEB Kort Bank AB, based in Stockholm, acquired the company for a purchase price of around 450 million euros. This sale marks a significant step in Lufthansa's strategy to focus more on its core business and divest from non-core activities. AirPlus International, formerly Lufthansa AirPlus Servicekarten GmbH, is a global provider of B2B payment services. The company offers solutions for business travel accounting and other corporate expenses. With over 55.000 customers worldwide, AirPlus has developed into a leading player in the field of corporate finance. The sale to SEB Kort, a bank that belongs to the Swedish SEB Group, had already been contractually agreed in June 2023 and has now been completed. Michael Niggemann, Member of the Executive Board of Deutsche Lufthansa AG, recognized the contribution of AirPlus employees to the company's success. He stressed that AirPlus will continue to be successful under the new leadership of SEB Kort Bank AB and will drive the digital transformation in payment transactions. SEB Kort, known for its expertise in the financial sector, will support AirPlus in further expanding its market position and developing innovative payment services. Strategic realignment of the Lufthansa Group The sale of AirPlus is part of a comprehensive strategy of the Lufthansa Group to focus more on its core business in the aviation sector. This strategy also includes the disposal of other business areas that are not directly part of the airline's core business. Last year, Lufthansa had already sold its catering business and acquired a stake in

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Climate stickers block Leipzig/Halle Airport

Amely Mizzi August 1, 2024 08:30

In the early hours of July 28, 2024, climate stickers from the group "Last Generation" caused a stir at Leipzig/Halle Airport, one of Europe's most important air freight centers. A blockade action in which five activists glued themselves to the ground brought cargo flight operations to a standstill for several hours. This led to significant delays and an increased focus on the discussion about climate change and the role of air transport. The activists, who identify themselves as part of the group "Last Generation", entered the southern area of ​​the airport grounds shortly after midnight. According to the Federal Police, they gained access by cutting holes in the security fence. Two other activists were prevented from also gluing themselves to the ground. The Federal Police were able to clarify the situation around 5 a.m. by removing the glued people from the tarmac. The group "Last Generation" once again drew attention to its demands through its actions. They are protesting against the growing air traffic and the planned expansion of capacity at Leipzig/Halle Airport. In particular, they criticise the lack of a plan by the federal government to quickly phase out fossil fuels. The signs they carried during their action included slogans such as "Oil kills" to illustrate the environmentally harmful effects of fossil fuels. Impact on flight operations The blockade had a significant impact on the airport's operations. A spokesman for Leipzig/Halle Airport confirmed that cargo flight operations had to be suspended for around three hours from around 00:30. Although one of the two runways was later reopened, there were slight delays in passenger air traffic. The first flight of the

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Delta Air Lines: IT failure causes millions in damage

Jan Gruber August 1, 2024 08:09

An IT outage caused by a faulty update from security firm Crowdstrike has caused significant financial damage to Delta Airlines. The US airline claims to have suffered a loss of half a billion dollars due to the disruptions. Delta CEO Ed Bastian announced legal action to recoup the costs from Crowdstrike and Microsoft. The incident, which began on July 19, resulted in Delta having to manually restart 40.000 servers. Other airlines that were also affected were able to restore their systems more quickly. Delta now plans to overhaul its IT systems to avoid future outages.

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Venezuela closes airspace: Political tensions with Panama and the Dominican Republic escalate

Amely Mizzi August 1, 2024 07:39

In a dramatic escalation of diplomatic tensions, the Venezuelan government announced on July 29, 2024 that it would suspend all commercial flights between Venezuela and the countries of Panama and the Dominican Republic as of July 31, 2024. This measure comes in response to the refusal of both countries to recognize the result of the disputed Venezuelan presidential elections held last Sunday, which confirmed incumbent President Nicolás Maduro for another six-year term. The diplomatic scandal also escalated when Venezuela severed diplomatic relations with seven Latin American countries and expelled their ambassadors. The Venezuelan government's decision follows international outcry and the refusal of several states to recognize the election results. The opposition, led by Edmundo González, claims that the elections were not fair and that González is the real winner. This political dispute is now leading to serious consequences in the field of international relations and civil aviation. Copa Airlines and other airlines that routinely fly between Venezuela and the two countries concerned are particularly affected. Impact on air traffic Copa Airlines, which operates flights from Panama City Tocumen to several Venezuelan destinations, including Caracas Simón Bolivar, Valencia Arturo Michelena International, and Maracaibo, reacted promptly to the new restrictions. On social media, the airline offered various alternatives, including full or partial refunds, travel vouchers and the possibility of rebooking bookings to other dates or destinations. The Panamanian Civil Aviation Authority (Autoridad Aeronáutica Civil de Panamá) specified that the embargo also applies to general aviation aircraft with Venezuelan registrations that wish to enter Panamanian territory until

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Passenger numbers at German airports increased in the first half of 2024

Amely Mizzi August 1, 2024 07:07

In the first half of 2024, Germany's major airports recorded 90,8 million passengers, an increase of 10,5 percent compared to the same period last year. This is reported by the Federal Statistical Office. Despite the increase, the figures are still 14,6 percent below the level of 2019, the year before the corona pandemic. Ticket prices have fallen by 3,1 percent. Spain remains the most popular destination with 2,9 million passengers, followed by Turkey (2,0 million) and Italy (1,3 million). Italy recorded the strongest growth (+11,9 percent). Turkey recorded growth of 2019 percent compared to 20, while Spain and Italy recorded declines.

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