November 19, 2024

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November 19, 2024

Easyjet: New summer destinations 2025 with a focus on Cape Verde and other exotic destinations 

With an expansion of its route network, the British low-cost airline Easyjet is bringing a breath of fresh air to travel plans for summer 2025. With the introduction of 26 new routes - 21 of which from Great Britain - the airline is further expanding its leading position in the European short-haul segment. Particularly noteworthy: For the first time in its history, Easyjet is adding a sub-Saharan destination to its flight schedule: Cape Verde. This innovation, coupled with other exciting routes, promises not only more choice for travelers, but also unrivaled value for money. Cape Verde: A milestone in Easyjet's route network The tropical Cape Verde Islands off the west coast of Africa are the highlight of the new routes. From March 31, 2025, Easyjet will fly three times a week from London Gatwick to the island of Sal. This expansion marks a turning point for the airline, which is serving a destination south of the Sahara for the first time. The new offer is complemented by attractive package tours that can be booked through the tour operator Easyjet holidays. Holidaymakers can choose from a variety of accommodations, including luxurious 5-star resorts such as the Melia Dunas Beach Resort & Spa. The packages include not only flights, but also hotel accommodation, 23 kg of luggage and transfers, and offer maximum flexibility through rebooking options and refund guarantees. Cape Verde attracts with golden beaches, turquoise water and a relaxed island life - ideal for families, couples or solo travellers. Expanded options for European destinations In addition to Cape Verde, Easyjet is also focusing on new connections within Europe. Italy lovers can look forward to flights to Rimini, while the route network from Manchester is being expanded to include Izmir, Madrid and Kalamata, among others. From Birmingham

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Alltours: Successful anniversary year and optimistic outlook

The Alltours Group is looking back on a record year. In the 2023/24 financial year, the tour operator achieved the best result in its 50-year history, underlining its reputation as one of the leading players in the tourism industry. With sales of EUR 2,322 billion and profits of EUR 99,6 million, Alltours was able to demonstrate impressive growth rates, underpinned by increased guest numbers, new hotel projects and a wide range of offers in over 200 travel destinations. The 2023/24 financial year marks an extraordinary phase for Alltours: guest numbers exceeded the two million mark for the first time, rising by 17 percent to 2,291 million. At the same time, sales increased by 16 percent, while profits even grew by 31 percent compared to the previous year. These successes reflect the growing desire to travel, which is being encouraged by the increasing importance of package tours and the attractiveness of exclusive products. Particularly noteworthy is the growth in Turkey and Egypt, where sales increased by around 30 percent. Willi Verhuven, owner and managing partner of the group, emphasized the solid economic foundation of his company at a press conference. With an equity ratio of over 64 percent, Alltours is able to do without outside capital, even for new investments in the in-house hotel chain allsun Hotels. Successful business model and innovative strategy Alltours' success model is based on a diversified market presence and a strong sales network. With more than 8.200 travel agency partners, who handle around 60 percent of bookings, as well as a growing online business, the company is flexible and future-oriented. A unique selling point of the group is the exclusive own brands alltoura Club Hotels and allsun Hotels. These contributed

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Food & Life 2024: Start-up Good Crop focuses on healthy nutrition

The Food & Life trade fair in Munich, which takes place from November 27th to December 1st, 2024, offers a platform for culinary diversity with over 250 exhibitors. The focus is on regional specialties, sustainable production methods and innovative nutritional concepts. One highlight is the Munich start-up Good Crop, which presents healthy convenience solutions with pre-cooked grains and pulses. Good Crop, founded by Moritz Wiest, relies on old types of grain and regionally produced pulses such as champagne rye or broad beans. The pre-cooked products offer quick preparation and at the same time promote sustainable agriculture. In a former bakery in Munich Bogenhausen, the start-up still cooks, packages and vacuum seals its products by hand. Connection to local farmers The company works closely with farmers from the region who are dedicated to regenerative cultivation and the promotion of biodiversity. Transparency plays a central role: The Good Crop website contains interviews with the producers as well as creative recipes for using the products. Growth and trade fair presence After a successful start, the company is looking for larger production facilities and developing new products such as vegetable purees for large kitchens. Good Crop will be represented at Food & Life with a stand and a food truck. Visitors can try dishes on site and take part in a cooking show in which Wiest will give insights into his philosophy and product range on November 29th at 16:45 p.m. Practical information The trade fair is part of Heim+Handwerk and takes place in Hall A4 of the Munich exhibition center. Tickets cost from 15 euros online, with discounts for schoolchildren, students and senior citizens. Public transport is

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Innovations and program: Nuremberg Christmas market 2024

The traditional Nuremberg Christmas market will be held again on the main market from November 29 to December 24, 2024. This year, the focus is on innovations such as the "Vegan at the Christmas market" adventure trail and an increased digital offering. The Nuremberg Congress and Tourism Center (CTZ) has developed the "Vegan at the Christmas market" adventure trail for 2024. This thematic tour highlights stands that offer vegan products and takes into account the increasing demand for plant-based alternatives. A total of five adventure trails invite you to explore the diversity of the market, including regional specialties and social projects. Strong visitor numbers and digital services December 2023 counted 366.061 overnight stays, with national guests making up around two-thirds. The high booking demand of 70% on Advent weekends makes the organizers optimistic for 2024. The Nuremberg Quarters web app also enables a digital discovery tour with insights behind the scenes and stories about the market vendors. Continuation of the video series "Nuremberg Originals" New videos in 2024 will shed light on the tradition of the Nuremberg bratwurst and modern handicrafts. These will be available on social media channels and the website in time for the market launch. A digital event calendar lists around 300 events, while coaches can once again rely on coordinated infrastructure. Main sponsor Lebkuchen-Schmidt is strengthening the market through licensed products and social projects.

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New FACC Academy opens to combat shortage of skilled workers

After 18 months of construction, the FACC Academy in Reichersberg has started operations. The training facility of the international aviation company FACC is intended to offer targeted training for existing employees and enable comprehensive onboarding for new employees. The aim is to combat the shortage of skilled workers and to further develop the workforce through qualification measures. Five modern training rooms and the technical "Sky Lab" are available on an area of ​​around 500 square meters. Over 250 courses are planned each year, including specialist training for the aviation industry and management training. The Academy is also intended to be an open forum for exchange and cooperation within the workforce. Particular attention is paid to integration: free language courses are offered to promote cooperation between employees from over 50 nations. Around 160 people are currently taking advantage of this offer. FACC is thus underlining the importance of diversity and sustainable integration in order to strengthen the company's innovative strength. The initiative is part of numerous measures with which FACC is stimulating the labor market, including cooperation with educational institutions and training programs in future-oriented professional fields such as process engineering and IT.

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Verdi and Lufthansa reach wage compromise for ground staff in Leipzig/Halle and Dresden

After the Verdi union and Lufthansa had struggled for several rounds over a collective agreement for ground staff at Lufthansa subsidiaries ASL (Airport Service Leipzig) and ASD (Airport Service Dresden), an agreement has finally been reached. The collective agreement provides for a noticeable salary increase and inflation compensation, which should primarily benefit employees at the eastern German airports. As part of this compromise, the union's demands were partially met, but not to the extent that the employees had hoped. At the end of a difficult and tough negotiation phase, the new offer was approved with a retroactive salary increase from October 2023 and a one-off payment of 3.000 euros to compensate for inflation. The monthly salary increase for ground staff amounts to 240 euros. This is progress, but falls short of Verdi's original demands. The union had demanded more than 850 euros per month and also an inflation compensation payment in order to reduce the wage differences between the eastern and western German airports. Different salaries in the east and west of Germany A central theme of the collective bargaining was the wage gap between the locations in east and west Germany. Employees at Leipzig/Halle Airport and Dresden Airport sometimes earn significantly less than their colleagues in other parts of Germany, especially at the large airports in west Germany. According to a wage table, ground workers in Leipzig and Dresden earn up to 1.300 euros less per month than their counterparts in Frankfurt, Munich or Hamburg. Verdi considered these differences to be intolerable, which is why the union entered the negotiations with the demand for wages to be equalised.

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Protest against the expansion of Leipzig/Halle Airport: Resistance on several levels

The expansion of Leipzig/Halle Airport is not only causing a controversial discussion in the region, but is also provoking resistance from environmentalists, residents and citizens' initiatives. The environmental association Bund has already announced that it will take legal action against the approval of the project. The plans for the expansion, which is to include an enlargement of the apron area and an increase in freight capacity, are controversial in the public debate. Opponents of the project see the expansion as a threat to the environment and quality of life, while supporters emphasize the economic importance of the airport for the region and the logistical infrastructure. Last Saturday, a series of protests took place on Augustusplatz in Leipzig, symbolizing resistance to the project. The action alliance, consisting of residents, citizens' initiatives and environmental associations, called on the state government to review and withdraw the approval of the airport expansion. "The concerns of the residents were ignored in the approval process," explained a spokeswoman for the Bund at the demonstration and announced that she would sue against the decision. This is about more than just the expansion of an airport - the decision also affects how to deal with climate change, air quality and the needs of the population living in the immediate vicinity of the airport. The planned expansion: A major project for freight logistics Leipzig/Halle Airport is the second largest freight airport in Germany and has developed into an important logistics location in recent years. Air freight to and from Asia and Europe in particular has made the airport a major hub for international logistics. The expansion is primarily intended to improve the

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Night trains: ÖBB must cancel Zurich-Barcelona

The Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) plan to shift air traffic between Zurich and Barcelona to rail by setting up a night train connection. This ambitious project was originally supposed to be realized with the timetable change in 2024, but now the plans have to be put on hold for the time being. The night train connection planned between Zurich and Barcelona was considered one of ÖBB's most innovative ideas, but its implementation has encountered unexpected hurdles. The project has failed mainly due to financing and the logistical challenges associated with such a cross-border connection. The project: night trains for "sustainable" mobility The idea of ​​introducing a night train connection between Zurich and Barcelona was a forward-looking concept of the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB), which is increasingly relying on environmentally friendly and sustainable transport solutions. The night train was intended to be an alternative to air traffic, which operates four times a day between the two cities. The introduction of the train would not only have saved the CO2 emissions of flights, but would also have offered travelers a convenient way to travel during the night and at the same time save the cost and effort of an overnight stay. The night train connection from Zurich to Barcelona would have had an ideal starting point thanks to the centrally located Zurich main station (HB). The SBB station is excellently connected to the international rail network, especially in the area of ​​night trains. In addition, Barcelona, ​​as an attractive travel and business metropolis, can be reached from Zurich in a relatively short time. For business travelers and tourists alike, this would be an interesting alternative to air travel, which currently dominates the route. But now the project is on the

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Zagreb Airport announces expansion plans

Zagreb Airport has announced that it will expand its infrastructure to handle the expected record number of over four million passengers in 2024. In cooperation with the French Alstef Group, a new handling island with 15 counters will be installed, as well as additional conveyor belts to optimize passenger handling. The expansions also include the construction of a steel platform to support the new infrastructure and the upgrade of the monitoring and data collection systems. The works are scheduled to be completed by the first quarter of 2025 and will support the 2025 summer season. The expansion follows the growth of the airport, mainly driven by the low-cost airline Ryanair. The existing concession agreement also includes long-term plans for the expansion of the terminal building, which is scheduled to begin in 2026 at the latest. These are to be carried out in several stages and will expand capacity for wide-body aircraft.

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Criticism of the personnel situation in the Austrian Armed Forces: Officers' Association calls for urgent reforms

The Austrian Officers' Association (ÖOG) has once again sharply criticized the personnel situation in the Austrian Armed Forces. According to President Brigadier Erich Cibulka, the lack of qualified personnel, particularly in the areas of air traffic controllers and air defense, is leading to significant security risks. For years, military leaders and experts have been warning of dramatic personnel shortages, which are being exacerbated by increasing retirements and people moving to better-paid civilian jobs. The situation is particularly serious in the militia, whose membership numbers have fallen sharply since the abolition of compulsory military exercises. According to Cibulka, the Austrian army consists of a force that "exists on paper" and is not sufficiently prepared and trained in an emergency. The Officers' Association is therefore calling on the new government to consistently continue the defense budget and to sustainably increase personnel. Three specific demands were made: an increase in the defense budget to 2% of GDP by 2028, an increase in the number of personnel in the Austrian Armed Forces (ÖBH) in peacetime and during operations, and ensuring that the ÖBH is capable of military national defense after a possible mobilization. Cibulka describes the political responsibility and the need to remedy these structural deficits as essential for national security.

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