August 24, 2024

More articles from the category

August 24, 2024

Lufthansa partially resumes flights to Middle East crisis region

The Lufthansa Group plans to resume individual flights to the crisis-ridden Middle East region from next Tuesday. Despite the ongoing tensions between Israel and Iran, flights to the airports of Amman in Jordan and Erbil in Iraq are to be resumed. However, the ban on flights to Tel Aviv and Tehran will remain in place until September 2, 2024. Flights to the Lebanese capital Beirut will also be suspended until at least September 30. The Lufthansa Group, which includes the core brand as well as Swiss, Austrian, Brussels Airlines and Eurowings, is offering affected travelers flexible rebooking and cancellation options. The background to the decision is the ongoing tensions in the region, which are affecting the security situation.

Continue reading "

Swissport takes over ground handling services at Frankfurt Airport

Swissport International has been awarded the contract for ground handling services at Frankfurt Airport and plans to take over the approximately 600 employees of the previous provider Wisag Ground Service. The change of provider is scheduled to take place on February 1, 2025. Swissport also announced that it would invest 25 million euros in electrically powered vehicles in order to sustainably expand the Frankfurt site, which will be the company's largest in Germany in the future. Frankfurt is therefore one of Swissport's most important sites in Europe. The ground handling services include activities such as loading baggage, maneuvering passenger stairs and tugs, and other tasks on the apron. The airport operator Fraport also offers these services through a subsidiary, but the EU stipulates that a second provider must always be available at larger airports.

Continue reading "

Vienna’s tourism is booming: overnight stays and sales are rising significantly

Vienna recorded a significant increase in overnight stays and tourism revenues in the summer of 2024. In July, the city recorded 1,749 million overnight stays, a slight increase of 1% compared to the previous year. The first half of 2024 was particularly strong, with over 10 million overnight stays, an increase of 9% compared to the same period last year. The accommodation providers' net overnight stay revenues amounted to EUR 142,8 million in June, an increase of 20% compared to the previous year. From January to June, the establishments generated a total of EUR 588,5 million, an increase of 15%. Germany remains the most important market with 326.000 overnight stays in July, but recorded a decline of 8%. In contrast, overnight stays from the USA rose by 24% to 144.000. What is striking is the sharp increase in the number of guests from China, which, with 46.000 overnight stays and an increase of 129%, is once again one of the top markets for the first time since the pandemic. Room occupancy in July was around 76%, and bed occupancy was 59,5%, both slightly below the previous year's level. A total of 77.500 hotel beds were available in July, which corresponds to an increase of 8,8%.

Continue reading "

Weeze Airport records significant passenger growth during the 2024 summer holidays

Weeze Airport welcomed over 2024 passengers during the 375.000 North Rhine-Westphalia summer holidays, an increase of more than 25% compared to the previous year. The number of flights also rose by over 20% to more than 1.000 departures. This positive development underscores the increasing popularity of the airport, which is used both for vacation trips and for visiting friends and relatives. According to Sebastian Papst, CEO of the airport, the airport plans to further expand its flight offerings in order to be able to offer passengers even more travel destinations. Even after the end of the North Rhine-Westphalia summer holidays, the airport expects high demand, especially from travelers from other federal states and the Netherlands, whose summer holidays end later. The next big wave of travel is expected at the start of the autumn holidays in North Rhine-Westphalia on October 14, followed by the Dutch “Herfstvakantie” from October 26.

Continue reading "

Days of Alpine-Adriatic Cuisine: Culinary festival in Carinthia celebrates the diversity of the region

The "Days of the Alpine-Adriatic Cuisine", the largest culinary festival in Carinthia, is attracting more and more visitors, both locals and guests from the Alpine-Adriatic region. The festival, which will take place from September 5th to 22nd, 2024 in Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, offers a variety of events. These include the "Carinthian Wine Festival", the "Alpine-Adriatic Lamb Festival" and the "Alpine-Adriatic Gourmet Mile", which presents high-quality products from the region. A central element of the festival is the "Alpine-Adriatic Laboratory", which sets new trends in gastronomy with innovative approaches. Experts such as Carinthian Philipp Kolmann and his partner Suzanne Bernhardt provide fresh inspiration. Star chefs from Slovenia, Italy and Austria, including Michelin star chef Leandro Luppi and 5-toque chef Andreas Döllerer, present their culinary skills and offer visitors unique taste experiences. The festival combines culinary arts with business, for example through networking meetings such as the "Slovenian Evening" and the "Pordenone Evening", which promote exchange between partners in the Alps-Adriatic region. The Alps-Adriatic Gourmet Mile and the Gourmet Table at the Benedictine Market round off the offer by bringing high-quality regional products and culinary diversity to life.

Continue reading "

Münster Higher Administrative Court confirms extended operating hours at Dortmund Airport

The Higher Administrative Court (OVG) in Münster has confirmed the extension of operating hours at Dortmund Airport, which was approved by the Münster district government in June 2023. This decision allows the airport to continue to use the evening off-peak hours for air traffic. A lawsuit by three private individuals against this approval was dismissed. This means that the current operating hours remain in place: scheduled take-offs are permitted from 06:00 a.m. to 22:00 p.m. and landings until 23:00 p.m., delayed flights can take place until 23:30 p.m. 16 delayed flight movements are permitted per month. The airport's managing director, Ludger van Bebber, welcomed the ruling and emphasized that the extended operating hours improve the airport's competitiveness and offer more flexibility. The OVG had already recognized the need for the additional movements in the off-peak hours to ensure the airport's competitiveness in 2021, but identified deficiencies in noise protection. These were remedied in the second supplementary approval. The Higher Administrative Court did not allow an appeal against the judgment. However, the plaintiffs can file a complaint against non-admission with the Federal Administrative Court.

Continue reading "

Incident at Easyjet: Two flight attendants seriously injured – investigation launched

On 19 August 2024, a severe turbulence incident occurred on board an Easyjet flight from Corfu to London Gatwick, resulting in significant injuries to two flight attendants. This incident has not only attracted the attention of passengers and the media, but has also triggered an official investigation by the Italian Civil Aviation Authority (ANSV). The investigation is focusing on the causes and extent of the turbulence, and whether it could have possibly been avoided. The flight involved, U2-8210, was an Airbus A320-214 and had 181 passengers and six crew members on board. Shortly after entering Italian airspace, at an altitude of approximately 8.588 metres (28.000 feet), the aircraft encountered severe turbulence at 13:01 local time. This turbulence hit the cabin by surprise and caused two flight attendants, who were preparing the in-flight service, to be thrown against the cabin walls. One of them suffered a broken leg, while the other suffered a severe sprained ankle. Fortunately, no passengers were injured and the captain immediately decided to divert the aircraft to Rome's Fiumicino Airport, where the injured received medical treatment. The flight landed safely in Rome at 13:48 local time. The passengers were eventually taken to London on another aircraft, while the affected aircraft remained on the ground for further investigation. Safety standards and preparation for turbulence Turbulence is a common phenomenon in aviation and often does not pose a threat to the structural integrity of an aircraft. Nevertheless, it can cause serious injuries, especially if crew members or passengers are not wearing seat belts.

Continue reading "

25 years of bees at Hamburg Airport: exemplary environmental project

For 25 years, Hamburg Airport has been hosting bee colonies on its premises, which not only produce honey but also act as "bio-detectives" to monitor air quality. The project, which originally began with honey bees, was expanded ten years ago to include a wild bee project, which was launched in collaboration with the German Wildlife Foundation. The aim is to provide more habitat for the endangered wild bee species. In recent years, the airport has implemented numerous measures to make the site more bee-friendly. These include sowing native wildflowers, creating nesting sites and building wild bee hotels. These initiatives are part of efforts to support the ecological balance in the region. Regular tests of the honey by independent laboratories have always produced impeccable results. The airport's honey, which is not sold but given away on special occasions, meets the strict requirements of the German Honey Ordinance and the guidelines of the German Beekeepers' Association. Wild bees, which play a key role in pollinating flowering plants, particularly benefit from the expanded protection measures on the airport grounds. The project at Hamburg Airport is considered a pioneer and has now been imitated at other airports.

Continue reading "

Jetstar Airways and the class action lawsuit: a case of customer fraud or a legal grey area?

Australian low-cost airline Jetstar Airways, a subsidiary of the Qantas Group, is currently at the centre of a major class action lawsuit that puts the company in a difficult legal position. The lawsuit, filed on 20 August 2024 in the Federal Court in Melbourne, accuses Jetstar of failing to refund payments for cancelled international flights during 2020 to 2022. This practice, the plaintiffs say, is not only illegal but also morally reprehensible. The law firm Echo Law, which initiated this lawsuit, sees Jetstar's conduct as a clear violation of the rights of consumers protected by Australian law. The Covid-19 pandemic has thrown the global travel industry into chaos. Airlines have had to cancel thousands of flights and travel plans have been postponed indefinitely. During this time, airlines have had the difficult task of informing their customers of their rights and options. Jetstar is now facing allegations that it failed to offer its customers adequate refunds, instead referring them to vouchers that would also later expire. Echo Law argues that the travel restrictions "frustrated" the contracts between Jetstar and its customers, which under Australian law means that those contracts were automatically terminated. Customers were therefore entitled to an automatic refund of the amounts paid. Jetstar's failure to provide these refunds constitutes a breach of contract, according to the lawsuit. The lawsuit also accuses Jetstar of engaging in misleading conduct by deceiving customers about their rights and falsely suggesting that they would have to settle for vouchers. The legal and moral implications The Australian

Continue reading "

Swiss suspends Beirut flights until the end of September 2024

The airline Swiss has decided to continue to suspend its flights to Tel Aviv until and including Monday, September 2, 2024. Flights to Beirut will also be suspended until September 30, 2024. This is due to the tense security situation in the Middle East. Swiss is closely monitoring the situation on the ground and is in constant contact with the relevant authorities. From August 27, 2024, Swiss will again use the northeastern part of Iranian airspace for overflights, while the rest of Iranian airspace and the airspace over Iraq and Israel will continue to be avoided. The airline emphasizes that the safety of passengers and crews is its highest priority. Affected passengers can rebook their flights free of charge or receive a full refund of the ticket price.

Continue reading "