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April 11, 2025

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April 11, 2025

Dortmund Airport expects increasing passenger numbers at the start of the holidays

Amely Mizzi 11 April 2025 11:04

With the start of the Easter holidays in North Rhine-Westphalia next weekend, Dortmund Airport is anticipating increased travel volumes. Around 27 passengers are expected to use the airport for their Easter holidays by April 115.000. This is helped by the fact that the Easter holidays fall entirely in April this year, meaning the summer flight schedule with a wider selection of destinations and more frequent connections has already come into effect. Of particular interest is Pegasus Airlines' new direct connection to Antalya, which begins on April 15. This destination is considered popular with vacationers looking to enjoy the first longer sunny days of the year. In addition to beach destinations, city breaks are also very popular over Easter. Direct flights are available from Dortmund to attractive cities such as Budapest, Istanbul, and Split, ideal for springtime exploration. Among the most popular destinations during the holiday season is Palma de Mallorca, which is served from Dortmund up to three times a day. Wizz Air is also experiencing high demand for flights to Katowice, Tirana, and Bucharest. Given the expected increase in passenger numbers, Dortmund Airport recommends all travelers allow sufficient time for travel to the airport, check-in, and security checks. It is recommended to arrive at the airport at least 2,5 hours before the scheduled departure time to ensure a relaxed start to their journey.

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Coalition agreement provides for first steps to strengthen air transport

Amely Mizzi 11 April 2025 10:08

Following the CDU/CSU and SPD agreement on the coalition agreement for the upcoming legislative period, the President of the German Airport Association (ADV), Aletta von Massenbach, also commented on the agreements. She welcomed the measures set out in the agreement to modernize and strengthen the aviation industry and Germany as a location for air transport as first steps towards improving competitiveness. Ms. von Massenbach particularly emphasized the planned abolition of the power-to-liquid (PtL) quota, which goes beyond European law, by 2025. This would create planning security and strengthen the competitive position of German aviation. The ADV also positively assessed the commitment not to discriminate European airlines against non-European competitors regarding the blending quota for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). The Airport Association also welcomed the intention contained in the coalition agreement to continue supporting small airports with regard to air traffic control costs, arguing that this is of great importance for the structure of the German airport landscape. In conclusion, Ms. von Massenbach praised the announced development of a comprehensive strategy that aims to connect the civil and military aviation industries and strengthen Germany as a hub for aviation. The ADV pledged its support in implementing these projects.

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BER awarded “World's Most Improved Airport”

Stephen Steiner 11 April 2025 09:01

Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER) has been named "World's Most Improved Airport" at this year's World Airport Awards. The international aviation rating agency Skytrax presented the award on April 9 in Madrid, recognizing BER's significant progress in service quality, passenger satisfaction, and operational efficiency compared to the previous year. Aletta von Massenbach, CEO of Flughafen Berlin Brandenburg GmbH, expressed her delight at the award and praised the dedication of the employees. She emphasized that the international recognition of the progress made is both a source of pride and an incentive for further development. The World Airport Awards are highly regarded in the global airport industry and are based on a comprehensive, independent passenger survey. For this year's evaluation, the experiences of millions of passengers from over 100 nations at more than 565 airports between August 2024 and February 2025 were analyzed. BER particularly impressed in this evaluation with improvements in the quality of stay, the range of services offered, and handling. This award underlines the airport's efforts to continuously optimize the travel experience for its passengers and strengthen its position in international air traffic.

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Stuttgart Airport puts intelligent battery storage into operation

Amely Mizzi 11 April 2025 08:46

Stuttgart Airport recently commissioned its first high-performance battery storage system with a total capacity of 540 kilowatt hours (kWh). This system enables the airport to temporarily store excess energy from its solar panels and feed it back into the power grid at a later time. The aim of this measure is to optimize its own consumption, cushion peak loads in the power grid, and stabilize the airport's overall energy supply. The battery storage system is an important component of the so-called smart grid, an intelligent power grid designed to manage the energy supply at the state airport as efficiently as possible. Ulrich Heppe, Spokesperson for the Management Board of Flughafen Stuttgart GmbH, welcomed the commissioning of the storage system as another important building block of the airport's ambitious climate strategy, which aims to make operations greenhouse gas neutral by 2040. The battery storage systems, supplied by the Aachen-based company Voltfang, are part of the "finalize!" e-mobility project, within which the airport is expanding its electric vehicle fleet and establishing an intelligent charging and grid infrastructure. This project is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection and is scientifically supported by the Institute of Power Electronics and Electrical Drives (ISEA) at RWTH Aachen University. The airport's "STRzero" climate strategy envisions increasing the battery storage capacity to approximately ten times its current capacity by 2040. By temporarily storing solar power and intelligently controlling energy consumption, Stuttgart Airport aims to reduce its dependence on external energy sources and make a significant contribution to the energy transition in the transport sector. The use of battery storage is considered a key technology for integrating renewable energies into the energy systems of airports and other large infrastructure facilities.

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Graz Airport puts emission-free ground power supply into operation

Belinda Borg 11 April 2025 08:45

Graz Airport is the first Austrian regional airport to take a significant step toward carbon neutrality. A new, underground 400 Hz ground power supply has been installed at six aircraft parking positions, enabling emission-free and silent operation. The energy required for this system is partially generated by a new photovoltaic system on the roof of the parking garage, which was specially integrated into the system. Graz Airport's management, Wolfgang Grimus and Jürgen Löschnig, expressed their delight at this progress on the path to becoming a "Green Airport." They emphasized that the new technology not only contributes to reducing emissions but also significantly improves the working conditions of ground staff, as they are no longer exposed to the exhaust fumes and noise of the previous diesel-powered ground power generators. The commissioning of the new ground power supply will save approximately 24.000 liters of fossil fuel annually, corresponding to a reduction in CO₂ emissions of around 79 tons. This measure is part of a broader sustainability strategy of Graz Airport, which aims to continuously minimize its environmental impact and play a pioneering role among regional airports. Various projects to increase energy efficiency and reduce emissions have already been implemented in the past.

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De Havilland Canada modernizes avionics for older Dash 8 regional aircraft

Belinda Borg 11 April 2025 08:34

On April 8, 2025, de Havilland Aircraft of Canada (DHC) announced the development of a new avionics solution for its Dash 8-100 and Dash 8-200 turboprop regional aircraft. In collaboration with Universal Avionics, a customized avionics suite called Universal InSight will be available to existing operators of these smaller Dash 8 models to modernize their aircraft. This move aims to extend the service life and availability of these proven aircraft and enhance their operational capabilities. Jean-Philippe Cote, Vice President of Programs and Business Improvement at De Havilland Canada, emphasized the importance of this upgrade for Dash 8-100 and -200 customers, explaining that the new avionics suite will enable these robust and reliable aircraft to remain in service for many more years. The development is being carried out in partnership with Universal Avionics and JANA Inc. and is intended to expand the aircraft's navigation capabilities and increase safety through improved situational awareness for pilots. This makes the new avionics an attractive solution for current operators of the older Dash 8 models. Certification of the new avionics solution is expected in the first half of 2026. The Norwegian airline Widerøe Flyveselskap AS (Widerøe) was announced as the first customer for this upgrade program. Widerøe currently operates a fleet of 23 Dash 8-100 and four Dash 8-200 aircraft, which it uses to fly to smaller regional airports in Norway. Widerøe's decision to be the first adopter of the new avionics underscores the relevance of this modernization for regional airlines that rely on these aircraft types. Universal Avionics' InSight flight display system represents a significant improvement.

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Tragic helicopter crash in the Hudson River claims six lives

Stephen Steiner 11 April 2025 08:24

A helicopter crash in the icy cold Hudson River in New York claimed the lives of six people on Thursday afternoon. Among the victims are Agustin Escobar, the President and CEO of the German multinational corporation Siemens in Spain, his wife Merce Camprubi Montal, and their three children aged four, five, and eleven. In addition to the Spanish family, the helicopter pilot, whose identity was not initially disclosed, also died. The Escobar family had only arrived in New York from Barcelona that same day. According to witnesses, the Bell 206 helicopter broke apart in mid-air for reasons still unknown and plunged headfirst into the river between Manhattan and the New Jersey shore. The helicopter was returning from a U-turn over the George Washington Bridge, about 17 minutes after takeoff from the Wall Street heliport. Eyewitnesses described the helicopter as spinning and parts of the rotor falling off before it broke in two and plunged into the seven-degree water. An amateur video reportedly showed the impact of the cabin, which sounded like an explosion. Rescue workers recovered the bodies of all six passengers from the river. The recovery effort proved difficult due to the current and water temperature. Wreckage from the helicopter and the victims' personal belongings, such as children's shoes and luggage, were floating in the water. US President Donald Trump expressed his dismay at the accident on the Truth Social platform and announced an early investigation into the cause. The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTS) are investigating the incident.

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Zurich Airport records slight increase in passengers in March

Amely Mizzi 11 April 2025 08:20

In March 2025, 2.353.808 passengers used Zurich Airport for their journeys, representing an increase of one percent compared to the same month last year. Local passengers contributed primarily to this increase, rising by 3,2 percent to 1.599.846. The proportion of transfer passengers, however, fell by 4,4 percent to 750.266, representing 32 percent of total traffic. This development indicates stronger demand for direct flights from Zurich. The number of flight movements at Zurich Airport increased by four percent compared to March 2024, to 20.930 takeoffs and landings. Despite this increase in flight movements, the average number of passengers per flight fell by six percent to 126. Seat utilization also decreased by four percentage points to 75 percent in the reporting month. This discrepancy between increasing flight movements and declining capacity utilization could be due to the use of smaller aircraft types or lower booking density. However, the cargo business at Zurich Airport developed positively. In March 2025, a total of 41.505 tons of cargo were handled, representing an increase of four percent compared to the same month last year. This growth in the cargo sector underscores the importance of Zurich Airport as a key logistics center. Overall, the traffic figures for March 2025 show slight growth in the passenger sector, while cargo handling increased significantly. However, the development of seat utilization and the number of passengers per flight indicate changes in operational efficiency.

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Passenger decline in Frankfurt: slowed by strikes

Stephen Steiner 11 April 2025 08:19

Frankfurt Airport (FRA), Germany's largest air traffic hub, recorded a slight increase in passenger traffic of 2025 percent to around 0,3 million passengers in March 4,6 compared to the same month last year. However, this moderate increase was significantly impacted by an all-day strike on March 10, which brought flight operations to a near standstill and disrupted the travel plans of around 140.000 passengers. In March 2024, strike action had already significantly disrupted air traffic in Frankfurt, affecting up to 300.000 travelers. However, the earlier timing of the Easter holidays in 2024 had a dampening effect on the negative impact of the strikes, an effect that was not evident in March 2025. In the first quarter of 2025, passenger traffic in Frankfurt remained almost stable at a total of around 12,4 million passengers, recording only a slight decline of 0,9 percent compared to the same period last year. Fraport CEO Dr. Stefan Schulte attributed this stagnation primarily to what he considered "extremely high regulatory costs in Germany," which reduced Frankfurt's competitiveness in global comparison. However, he welcomed the measures planned by the new German government to reduce the air transport tax and abolish the blending quota for synthetic aviation fuels as positive steps that could contribute to more dynamic growth in air transport in the medium term. For the coming summer season, Schulte forecasts a five percent increase in seat capacity at Frankfurt Airport. In contrast to passenger traffic, cargo throughput at Frankfurt Airport developed positively in March 2025. Cargo volume (air freight and airmail) rose by 3,2 percent to 184.679 tons. Flight movements also recorded increases, with an increase of

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Riyadh Air receives operating license for commercial flights

Amely Mizzi 11 April 2025 08:02

Saudi Arabia's new state-owned airline, Riyadh Air, has received approval for commercial operations. The Saudi Civil Aviation Authority (GACA) announced today that the airline has been issued the Air Operator Certificate (AOC). This authorization officially authorizes Riyadh Air to operate passenger and cargo flights and implement its ambitious plans to expand air traffic in the kingdom. The granting of the AOC is a significant step for Riyadh Air, whose establishment was announced in March 2023. The airline is an important part of Saudi Vision 2030, a strategic plan to diversify the country's economy and develop new industries, including tourism. Riyadh Air plans to build a global network from its base in the capital, Riyadh, serving more than 2030 destinations worldwide by 100. The airline has already ordered a significant number of aircraft for this purpose, including Boeing 787 Dreamliners. The Saudi Civil Aviation Authority has overseen Riyadh Air's certification process, ensuring that the airline meets all the necessary safety standards and operational requirements for commercial operations. This approval paves the way for the imminent launch of Riyadh Air's first commercial flights. The new airline is expected to play an important role in increasing Saudi Arabia's passenger capacity and promoting international travel.

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