October 28th

More articles from the category

October 28th

Saying goodbye at the airport: A look at farewell times and costs in the DACH region

In the world of airports, there are constantly new regulations that affect the length of stay - from security checks to the time left for a final hug. At Dunedin Airport in New Zealand, the introduction of a three-minute limit on hugs recently caused a stir. But what about German-speaking countries? A recent study by the language learning platform Preply sheds light on how much time travelers in Germany, Austria and Switzerland have to say goodbye in the so-called "Kiss & Fly" area and what costs are incurred at the major airports in the DACH region. Free goodbyes - an overview of the regulations Saying goodbye without time pressure is often an expensive luxury at airports in the DACH region. The free length of stay in the so-called drop-off zones, where short-term stops are permitted, varies greatly from airport to airport. According to the study, most airports in the DACH region allow around ten minutes of free stay. Those who stay longer usually have to dig deeper into their pockets. But there are big differences between the individual countries and airports. Austria: Generous regulations in Graz and Klagenfurt In Austria, the picture for travellers is comparatively relaxed. The airports in Graz and Klagenfurt allow a much longer stay than at other airports with a free farewell time of 30 minutes. In Innsbruck, too, those picking up and accompanying people are given 20 minutes free of charge. These generous regulations are particularly noteworthy, as Austria has only a small number of international airports. Vienna and Salzburg, on the other hand, only allow ten free minutes, a time frame that is based on the

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Quiet departure: Skyalps is out of Linz

The Italian regional airline SkyAlps has discontinued its direct flight connection between Linz and Düsseldorf. Most recently, only two rotations per week were offered, which was rather suboptimal for business travelers. For Linz Airport, the discontinuation of Düsseldorf flights is a major setback, as the 2024/25 winter flight schedule has shrunk to just two scheduled destinations. These are London-Stansted and Frankfurt am Main. Düsseldorf, which was last served by Skyalps with de Havilland Dash 8-400, is no longer included. Too little frequency for business travelers In the past, the route was mainly used by business travelers, which is why Austrian Airlines had offered it twice a day for many years. A de Havilland Dash 8-400 was stationed at the Upper Austrian airport for this purpose. The Lufthansa Group later decided that Eurowings should take over this route, along with Stuttgart-Graz and Düsseldorf-Graz. However, the flight times and the aircraft used proved to be unsuitable. The Eurowings flights offered little benefit to the core target group, as the double daily limit was no longer available. Instead, flights were only operated a few times a week. And so it happened as it had to: Eurowings gave up the Düsseldorf-Linz and Stuttgart-Graz connections due to a lack of profitability. Sykalps then proved to be a real stopgap measure for Linz Airport, as the company had already operated three Düsseldorf-Linz-Düsseldorf and Bozen-Düsseldorf-Bozen rotations per week. Despite intensive efforts on the part of the airport, which temporarily even included free parking, it has obviously not been possible to make the route a success again. There may be various reasons for this, but two weekly rotations for business travelers have recently been introduced.

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New subsidies enable additional flight connections from North Macedonia

The airlines Wizz Air, Flydubai and Turkish Airlines have received state subsidies from the Macedonian government to introduce new flight connections from Skopje and Ohrid. Wizz Air will operate flights from Skopje to Barcelona, ​​Lyon and Stuttgart, and from Ohrid to Basel from 2025. Flydubai plans to resume the route from Dubai to Skopje, and Turkish Airlines will introduce a new connection between Istanbul and Ohrid. The subsidies will be valid for three years and amount to nine euros per passenger from Skopje and twelve euros from Ohrid. North Macedonia's Transport Minister Aleksandar Nikoloski announced the new connections and highlighted the importance of international connectivity, especially for Ohrid Airport, which will be connected to Europe's largest airport through the Istanbul connection. The route from Skopje to Lyon is a first, as southern France has not previously been a direct destination from Macedonia. The subsidies are expected to bring a total of around 200.000 additional passengers to Skopje and Ohrid, according to the operator TAV Macedonia. Due to the great interest from airlines, the minister announced that another call for subsidies is planned.

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Historic Douglas DC-3 “Princes Amalia”: A new chapter for a legendary aircraft

The DC-3, the legendary aircraft model once known as the "Princes Amalia", will remain in the Netherlands, to the delight of many aviation enthusiasts. The year 2024 was originally planned as the farewell year for the DC-3, which has shaped the history of aviation for decades. But after final flights and emotional farewell ceremonies, the DC-3 has now been saved and will be exhibited in the Aviodrome Museum in Lelystad and will continue to fly on a limited basis. The "Princes Amalia" will thus remain in Dutch ownership and will continue to keep aviation history alive for future generations. A gradual farewell: The DC-3 before its supposed end The Douglas DC-3, which was in service with DDA Classic Airlines (formerly Dutch Dakota Association), is one of the most important aircraft in aviation history. The DC-3 models have shaped commercial flying since the 1930s and are still considered true icons of aviation technology today. The “Princes Amalia”, registered as PH-PBA, had been in service with DDA Classic Airlines for decades, offering enthusiastic passengers the opportunity to fly in a piece of aviation history. However, as rising maintenance costs, falling demand and the challenges of ensuring the maintenance of such an old aircraft drove operating costs too high, the DDA decided in February 2024 to stop commercial flight operations of the DC-3 at the end of the 2024 season. In a message to supporters, the DDA explained the economic challenges: rising insurance and operating costs and difficulties in finding volunteer technicians for maintenance. After a final flight from Maastricht-Aachen Airport to Schiphol, the DC-3 was ceremoniously bid farewell on October 16, 2024. With a

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Ljubljana Airport plans extensive charter program for winter season 2024/25

In the 2024/25 winter season, Slovenian tour operators will organize an extended series of charter flights from Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport for the first time. In addition to European metropolises, the destinations include exotic destinations: Bari and Catania in Italy, Porto and Ponta Delgada in Portugal, Thessaloniki in Greece, Madrid, Gran Canaria and Tenerife in Spain, the Cape Verde Islands, Antalya in Turkey, Malta, Hurghada in Egypt, Paris and Rovaniemi in Finland are on the flight schedule. Ljubljana Airport expects a total of around 2024 million passengers by the end of 1,4. These new connections are intended to help further strengthen Slovenian air traffic and stimulate tourism in Slovenia.

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Airbus announces new service contracts: Focus on increasing efficiency

Airbus recently announced major agreements to improve the efficiency and performance of several airline fleets. These partnerships include comprehensive maintenance and optimization services with the airlines Volotea, Corsair and Smartwings and their subsidiary Czech Airlines. The airlines are thus relying on the latest technologies and targeted services from Airbus to optimally maintain their fleets, reduce fuel consumption and minimize operating costs. Partnership with Volotea: New software for fuel optimization Volotea, the Spanish low-cost airline based in Barcelona, ​​signed a major contract for "Airframe Services" during MRO Europe, an international conference for maintenance and repair services in the aviation sector. This service includes a series of upgrades specifically designed to improve the fuel efficiency of its Airbus A320 family fleet. The so-called Descent Profile Optimization (DPO) system plays a central role in this. This system, developed by Airbus, improves the Flight Management System (FMS) performance database and optimizes the engine idle model during descent. The DPO update enables a longer cruise altitude and an optimized deceleration level, which both saves fuel and reduces carbon dioxide emissions. Eduard Diviu, Chief Operating Officer of Volotea, stressed that the integration of this system is a significant step towards more sustainable aviation and the goal of achieving net zero emissions by 2050. The development is part of Airbus' broader strategy to offer efficiency-enhancing technologies to airlines in order to support the industry's environmental goals. Corsair and Flight Hour Services for A330neo The French airline Corsair, which operates its long-haul flights from Paris Orly, has opted for Airbus Flight Hour Services (FHS) as part of a new contract. FHS

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Virgin Atlantic launches seasonal flight connection between London and Brussels

Virgin Atlantic will launch a seasonal service between London Heathrow and Brussels from 27 October 2024 to 29 March 2025. This new route will be primarily designed to handle peak cargo demand. Flights will be operated using Airbus A330-300 and A350-1000 aircraft, offering cargo capacity of up to 50 tonnes per flight. The focus will be on the expedited movement of time-sensitive goods, such as perishables and pharmaceuticals, which have often been transported overland from Heathrow to other European hubs. Virgin Atlantic's Chief Commercial Officer Juha Jarvinen highlighted that this service is designed to improve air connectivity for European exports and imports by making the most of Virgin Atlantic's extensive network. The launch of this service could be significant for both businesses and customers who rely on fast and efficient transport solutions.

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Passenger sues JetBlue over ‘dangerously cold’ ice cream sandwich

In an unusual legal dispute, a JetBlue passenger is demanding compensation after breaking a tooth on a "dangerously cold" ice cream sandwich. The incident, which occurred on August 20, 2024 on a transatlantic flight from New York to Paris, could now have legal and financial consequences for the airline. The plaintiff, Karla Quinonez of New Jersey, argues that JetBlue was negligent because the crew served the ice cream sandwich without warning of its hard consistency. The case illustrates the increasing frequency of lawsuits against airlines and the growing tension between passenger rights and corporate responsibility. The incident: A hard bite with serious consequences The trigger for the lawsuit was a Chomp brand strawberry shortcake-flavored ice cream sandwich that Quinonez was served on the JetBlue flight. According to the prosecution, the sandwich was so frozen that the first bite into the dessert broke off her upper left incisor. This caused her not only considerable physical pain, but also psychological distress. After landing, she had to undergo emergency surgery and receive a dental implant to replace the broken tooth. Quinonez, who does not blame herself for the incident, is demanding damages and reimbursement of her medical costs. Negligence on the part of the airline or lack of personal responsibility? The lawsuit is based on the allegation of negligence. The plaintiff argues that JetBlue served the dessert in a way that was unsuitable for immediate consumption and that the flight crew should have given a warning about the extreme coldness of the sandwich. According to legal experts, the case could prove to be groundbreaking.

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Katowice Airport starts winter season 2024/2025 with extensive flight offer

Katowice Airport opened the 27/2024 winter season on October 2024, 2025 with an extensive flight offer that includes 70 scheduled and charter flights to 61 airports in 34 countries. Regular flights operated by reputable airlines such as Wizz Air, Ryanair, LOT and Air Dolomiti include a new connection to Reggio Calabria in Italy, bringing the number of routes to 36 in 16 countries. The main destinations are Italy, Spain, the UK and Germany, but destinations such as Cyprus, Malta and the United Arab Emirates are also served. For winter holidays, the charter offer will be expanded to 34 routes in 21 countries, with new destinations such as Bahrain, Goa and La Romana in the Dominican Republic being added. In addition, nine direct long-haul flights will enable non-stop travel to destinations such as Cuba, Thailand and Vietnam. Katowice Airport expects to handle a total of 1,7 million passengers, including about 550.000 charter passengers, which is a new record compared to last season.

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Beavers take over Berlin-Brandenburg Airport

In Brandenburg, beavers have been causing tensions between nature conservation and economic protection for years. The European beaver has proven to be a problem animal, particularly at the capital's BER (Berlin Brandenburg Airport). With its tunnel systems and dams, the rodent impairs the drainage systems that are urgently needed to drain rainwater. Now the Dahme-Spreewald district has issued a general decree that allows the "Dahme-Notte" water and soil association to shoot or drive away the beavers at the so-called Selchower Flutgraben. This decree, valid until March next year, could usher in a significant chapter in the conflict between animal protection and economic protection in the Brandenburg region. The conflict at BER and the economic interests The Selchower Flutgraben is a central component in the water management of the BER, as it drains the rainwater that accumulates. The planning approval decision for the airport even stipulates that at least two cubic meters of water per second must be drained through this ditch. This measure is necessary to ensure flight operations at BER even in the event of heavy rainfall or other precipitation events. However, beavers, which alter the watercourses with their constructions, impair this flow, which can lead to significant backflow and endanger the economic and safety-related functioning of the airport. According to a spokeswoman for the Dahme-Spreewald district, this could have serious economic consequences. In order to secure flight operations and prevent possible damage to infrastructure and traffic areas, the decision was therefore made to "remove" the animals in the relevant area, i.e. to scare them away or kill them. Protection status of the beaver and the Brandenburg Beaver Ordinance The European beaver is fundamentally protected in Germany and is considered to be particularly protected under the Federal Nature Conservation Act. It

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