November 8, 2024

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November 8, 2024

Cannabis smuggling in exchange for free holidays: British authorities fail

With a growing number of drug smuggling cases, British authorities have asked Thai police for assistance in combating cross-border cannabis smuggling. A large-scale smuggling ring is apparently taking advantage of legal loopholes and growing interest in the cannabis business in Thailand to recruit British citizens to transport drugs. With the legalization of cannabis in Thailand in June 2022, the cannabis market in the country is booming, bringing with it various economic opportunities and challenges. While local businesses and tourists are using the legalized products, international smugglers have also found ways to profit from the new regulations. The UK in particular, where cannabis remains illegal, is now facing a problem: in recent months, British authorities have seized large quantities of cannabis smuggled into the UK from Thailand. Background: A legal gap in the market and international entanglements The legalization of cannabis in Thailand in 2022 was primarily intended as a measure to promote the medical use of cannabis and stimulate the domestic market. This makes Thailand one of the few Asian countries with a relatively liberal cannabis policy. However, this opening of the market has also attracted international attention from smugglers who are using the new freedom for their illegal business. The resulting risk for countries such as the United Kingdom, where cannabis remains strictly prohibited, has prompted the British authorities to take action. In November 2024, a meeting was held between the Thai anti-drug agency ONCB and representatives of the British National Crime Agency (NCA), at which the British side requested support in combating cannabis smuggling. Lieutenant General Phanurat

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Safety concerns: Delta A320 diverted due to foul smell

On Wednesday, November 6, 2024, a Delta Air Lines flight from Atlanta to Reagan National Airport in Washington had to be diverted due to a foul odor in the cockpit. The incident occurred on Flight 850, a daily connection of the US airline, which is usually operated with an Airbus A320-200. This incident underscores the importance of strict safety measures in aviation, especially in situations where the source of an odor or vapor cannot be immediately determined. Course of the incident Flight 850 took off as scheduled from Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta at 15:45 p.m. About 40 minutes after takeoff, the pilots noticed a foul odor on the flight deck and decided to make an emergency landing. At the time, the aircraft was at an altitude of 31.000 feet and traveling at a speed of about 580 miles per hour. After consulting with air traffic control, the crew decided to fly to the nearest airport in Raleigh-Durham (RDU), which was about 40 nautical miles from the aircraft. At 17:01 p.m., the aircraft touched down on runway 23R at Raleigh-Durham International Airport and reached a jet bridge three minutes later. The diversion was quick and efficient, and the passengers were able to leave the aircraft in no time. According to a report by The Aviation Herald, all 150 passengers and six crew members were safely evacuated, and no injuries were reported. Measures after the emergency landing The airline gave passengers the option of either rebooking later flights to Washington or waiting for a direct connection to Reagan National. Some decided

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Switzerland signs four new air transport agreements

As part of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) International Conference on Air Transport (ICAN), which took place in Kuala Lumpur from October 21 to 25, 2024, Switzerland concluded four new bilateral air transport agreements. These concern the Dominican Republic, Sierra Leone, Singapore and Suriname. With these agreements, Switzerland aims to further strengthen its air transport connections to international destinations and expand transport connectivity. The agreements have already been approved by the Federal Council at its meetings on August 14 and October 9, 2024 and will enter into force as soon as all necessary steps have been completed in the respective countries. These new agreements enable airlines from both countries to establish direct connections between Switzerland and the partner countries and lay the foundations for scheduled services, which regulate, among other things, traffic rights, ownership and market access. With over 150 bilateral air transport agreements, Switzerland has further opened up its international markets and is continuing its course towards increased global connectivity.

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Stuttgart Autumn Fair 2024: A Festival of Diversity for All Senses

In November 2024, the Stuttgart State Fair will once again become a center for a wide variety of interests and worlds of experience: From November 21 to 24, 2024, the Stuttgart Autumn Fair will open its doors and offer an impressive series of events that not only present culinary delights, creative inspiration and exciting leisure activities, but also address new trends and sustainable lifestyles. This year, visitors can expect a special selection of trade fairs, ranging from gastronomic experiences to creative DIY projects and animal entertainment. This creates a trade fair network that offers seven trade fairs and a wide variety of topics and offers. Food and Fine Food: A culinary journey of discovery The new trade fair "Food and Fine Food - The Trade Fair for Special Enjoyment" invites you on a culinary journey. From November 21 to 24, 2024, visitors can not only sample a variety of exquisite delicacies and drinks, but also immerse themselves in the art of Christmas baking and be inspired by live cooking demonstrations by professional chefs. Around 100 manufacturers and producers present their products and offer a variety of flavours, ranging from savoury specialities and sweet treats to regional and international drinks. Highlights include atmospheric Christmas baking stands, a culinary library and a cosy market place with a fountain as a central haven of peace. This fair is the ideal place for anyone interested in exceptional delights and high-quality food. Games fair: games for young and old Parallel to the food fair, the “Games fair – the meeting place for excitement, fun and games” opens its doors and presents

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KLM is examining strategic options for the catering division

Dutch airline KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has announced that it will examine strategic options for its subsidiary KLM Catering Services (KCS) in order to make this business unit future-proof for the long term. This step is part of comprehensive measures to structurally improve the airline's operational and financial performance, as shown in the latest financial report. Despite current challenges in the aviation sector, including rising costs for personnel and airport fees, KLM's long-term goal is to optimize efficiency, cost reductions and quality in all areas. In an interview with Dutch broadcaster NOS, KLM CEO Marjan Rintel emphasized that the company has no plans to sell or downsize the catering business. Instead, the focus is on building a new, modern catering facility that will meet increasing demands for quality and sustainability. Examining "strategic options" therefore means more of a search for cooperation opportunities that could contribute to the profitability and efficiency of the catering business in the long term. These options are important to future-proof KCS and maintain operational control, explained Rintel. Financial losses and KLM's "Back on Track" plan However, Air France-KLM's recently published financial report shows that the airline continues to face financial challenges. In the third quarter of 2024, KLM achieved an operating profit of 396 million euros, which is below expectations and is due, among other things, to increased personnel and infrastructure costs. The global computer outage in July 2024 also had a negative financial impact. The incident was triggered by a faulty update from the US cybersecurity company CrowdStrike, which had far-reaching effects on flight operations and resulted in costs of around

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Vida welcomes Cityjet order by ÖBB

From 2026, new Cityjet double-decker trains from ÖBB will be used in the eastern region of Austria, significantly expanding the range of local transport services. A total of 41 trains manufactured by Stadler are to offer more capacity and comfort with an investment of around 600 million euros. Commuters and travelers in particular will benefit from the new trains, which offer space for more passengers, bicycles and luggage. The modern design and equipment with air conditioning, power sockets and WiFi also increase comfort for passengers. The Vida union welcomes the measure, but points out the need to ensure personnel planning and maintenance of the new trains. In addition to the vehicles, smooth operation also requires sufficient staff, especially in train escort service and maintenance. The first trains are to be on the routes in Vienna, Lower Austria and Burgenland from the beginning of 2026.

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Cathay Pacific plans comprehensive fleet modernization

The Hong Kong airline Cathay Pacific is about to undergo a comprehensive modernization of its wide-body aircraft fleet, which goes far beyond the usual level of fleet renewal. According to a report by Bloomberg, the airline is currently considering adding both the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and the new 777X series to its fleet. This decision is in line with Cathay Pacific's long-term strategy, which focuses on efficiency. With a view to the airline's stated goal of achieving a net-zero carbon footprint by 2050, Cathay Pacific sees this decision as a groundbreaking step towards reducing CO₂ emissions. Cathay Pacific currently has a mixed fleet of Airbus and Boeing aircraft. The fleet comprises a total of 180 aircraft, including Airbus A321neo, A330-300, A350-900 and A350-1000, as well as Boeing 777-300 and 777-300ER. The older models such as the Airbus A330 and the Boeing 777-300 are to be replaced. "The decision for the 787 or 777X would be a significant modernization of our fleet," explained Alex McGowan, Chief Operations and Service Delivery Officer of Cathay. This would also be the first time that Cathay would use the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, a first for the airline. Sustainability as a core strategy Cathay Pacific has set itself ambitious goals: In addition to the long-term goal of net zero emissions, the airline aims to cover at least 2030% of its fuel consumption with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) by 10. The first SAF deliveries have already been integrated at Hong Kong Airport and other international locations. This initiative places Cathay Pacific among the pioneers in the global aviation industry, which is striving for sustainable flight options. The company is relying on a combination of new aircraft technology, operational efficiency improvements, the introduction of

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New scanner at Palma Airport ensures faster security checks

Travelers at Palma de Mallorca Airport will now benefit from a much more convenient security check. The use of new scanner technology will allow passengers to leave their laptops and liquids in their hand luggage, speeding up the security check process. This innovation is made possible by the use of 3D scanners, which allow for a more accurate and faster analysis of luggage without having to remove electronic devices and liquids. In addition to this improvement, the security check in the terminal has also been spatially optimized. The security gates have now been moved to the same floor as the check-in counters, meaning passengers no longer have to use the escalator or elevator. This change is intended to further streamline the process and reduce congestion, especially at peak times. In the coming months, further security measures such as additional body scanners will also be installed to further speed up the check. These changes are part of a comprehensive modernization plan by Aena, the Spanish airport authority, which also wants to improve passenger flow with the introduction of the new technology.

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After more than two years in Munich: Ex-Aeroflot A320 can finally take off

A Russian passenger plane belonging to Aeroflot was finally able to take off from Munich Airport again after more than two years. This long downtime was the result of a flight ban imposed immediately after the Russian attack on Ukraine, which applied to all Russian airlines in European airspace. With the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Germany closed its airspace to Russian aircraft just a few days later. The Aeroflot Airbus A320-214 aircraft was stranded at Munich Airport and has been tied to the same location ever since due to the sanctions. At first it seemed as if Aeroflot would be able to get the plane back in the foreseeable future, but legal and logistical hurdles meant that the plane remained parked for over 800 days. However, the plane was finally able to be brought back due to a legal peculiarity: it belongs to the Irish subsidiary of a Chinese leasing company, CMB Financial Leasing, which had only leased it to Aeroflot. Only when this owner organized the repatriation and covered the considerable costs was the plane allowed to fly on to the Czech Republic. However, the stranded aircraft required extensive maintenance work to ensure it was airworthy after its long downtime. Munich Airport had repeatedly moved the aircraft to different parking positions to ensure the smooth running of air traffic. These and other maintenance costs as well as parking fees ultimately led to an outstanding bill of almost 460.000 euros. This sum, one of the highest parking fees ever recorded by an airport, was paid by the leasing company CMB Financial Leasing. There had already been attempts to return the aircraft, but it was not possible to return it until June 2024.

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Airbus struggles with delivery pressure at the end of the year: A race against time and production problems

The European aircraft manufacturer Airbus is facing an ambitious goal: in order to achieve the planned delivery rate of around 770 passenger aircraft for 2023, the company still has to hand over around 210 aircraft to its customers by the end of December. After a challenging year marked by delivery bottlenecks and production problems, Airbus is thus entering an intensive final spurt. In October, the group was only able to deliver 62 aircraft, bringing the previous number to 559 aircraft. This final stage will be crucial to strengthen confidence in Airbus' production capacity, which is of great importance given the long-standing challenges in the aviation industry. The effects of the corona pandemic and production bottlenecks Since the beginning of the corona pandemic, Airbus has been struggling with significant challenges in the supply chain, which have repeatedly forced the company to make production adjustments. The dependence on engine manufacturers is particularly critical, as Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury emphasized. These partners are crucial for the production of the entire aircraft type, as an engine shortage could mean that Airbus would have to deliver aircraft without engines - so-called "gliders". Such gliders, which are only fully equipped later, are a suboptimal solution and would only increase the pressure on the supply chain. "We hope that we will not have to build gliders at the end of the year," explained Faury, alluding to the shortage of engines and the possible limitation in the production line. The pressure to focus on efficiency and productivity is considerable for Airbus. At the beginning of the year, the company management set a target of around 800 deliveries for 2023. But

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