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Jan Gruber

Asiana Airlines will resume operations with Airbus A380s on its Frankfurt-Seoul route from August

Jan Gruber July 17, 2025 15:04

Starting August 7, 2025, the South Korean airline Asiana Airlines will operate an Airbus A2019 on its long-haul route from Frankfurt to Seoul for the first time since 380. This move marks the return of the wide-body aircraft to a key intercontinental route and is intended to meet increased passenger demand. Known for its immense capacity and comfort, the Airbus A380 offers 495 seats and will operate four times a week: Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. The increased capacity provided by the use of the superjumbo is initially planned for the summer months but has already been confirmed through the winter schedule. The use of the Airbus A380 on this route underscores the importance of the connection between Germany and South Korea, both for business and leisure travelers. Many airlines had grounded or retired the A380 during the pandemic, but some have returned it to service in light of the recovery in international travel and demand for capacity. Asiana Airlines' Airbus A380 has three travel classes. Business Class offers 78 seats, 66 of which are in the so-called "Business Smartium" seating. There are also twelve individual cabins, also known as Business Suites. These suites were originally designed as First Class and are accordingly luxuriously appointed, but are now offered at "significantly more affordable" rates. This could appeal to passengers seeking a more upscale travel experience. The remaining 417 seats are assigned to Economy Class and are located both on the main deck and on the upper deck behind Business Class. The Economy seats in the upper section of the double-decker aircraft enjoy

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Level receives US flight approval

Jan Gruber July 17, 2025 13:49

The United States Department of Transportation (DOT) has officially authorized Spanish low-cost airline Level to operate flights to the United States. This decision, which allows Level to increase its long-haul cross-Atlantic flights, also includes permission for a codeshare agreement with Iberia on US routes. This opens a crucial door for the growth of International Airlines Group (IAG) in the low-cost long-haul segment. The approval underscores the growing interest in this market segment and creates new travel options for passengers who value cost-effective transatlantic connections. US Department of Transportation Approval: Framework for Atlantic Flight The US Department of Transportation (DOT) has issued a formal decision approving Level's request for a special authorization to operate flights to the United States. This decision was made in accordance with the Air Services Agreement between the United States and the European Union (EU), Iceland, and Norway. However, the granting of the authorization is subject to several conditions designed to ensure compliance with specific regulations and guarantee flight safety. One of the main conditions is that the Spanish airline must demonstrate "that it has a national license for this new service," if it does not already have one. This is a standard requirement to ensure that airlines offering international services comply with the regulations of their home country. Other conditions include compliance with certain parts of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), a comprehensive collection of U.S. government regulations. This also includes a mandate to contact the International Industry Representative (IIR) of the departure airport in the EU to confirm whether the Transportation Security

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Israir invests in credit card companies to increase passenger numbers

Jan Gruber July 17, 2025 13:39

The Israeli airline Israir is acquiring a 40 percent stake in a local credit card company for 10,3 million shekels, equivalent to approximately 2026 million euros. This strategic move aims to significantly increase the airline's passenger numbers and deepen customer loyalty. The investment demonstrates how airlines are increasingly taking innovative approaches to assert themselves in a highly competitive market and develop new revenue streams. Israir is acquiring the stake from retailer Rami Levy and credit card company Isracard. As part of this partnership, a new credit card called "SuperFly" will be launched. This card is designed to compete directly with the market-leading "FlyCard" of the national carrier El Al Israel Airlines. "The 'SuperFly' card will enable us to deepen our relationship with the Israeli customer beyond the airline ticket," Israir explained. This will transform customer loyalty in the industry and is an important strategic step for the company. By the end of 300.000, Israir plans to issue around 2026 "SuperFly" cards. This card is intended to be a growth engine for the overall goal of carrying approximately 2,5 million passengers in XNUMX. Such customer loyalty programs are widespread in the aviation industry and are designed to incentivize repeat bookings by collecting points, miles, or other benefits. By integrating financial services, airlines can build a closer relationship with their customers and better understand their spending patterns. Israir operates as a smaller, yet agile competitor to the larger El Al. The airline primarily serves domestic routes and connections to Europe and is striving to strengthen its market position. The investment in

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Easyjet expands winter flight schedule with new Zurich-Pristina route

Jan Gruber July 17, 2025 12:32

British airline EasyJet has added a new connection to its 2025/2026 winter flight schedule. As reported by the aviation portal "ExYuAviation," the low-cost airline will operate the route between Zurich, Switzerland, and Pristina, the capital of Kosovo, for the first time starting October 26, 2025. This new direct connection signals a strengthening of aviation ties between Switzerland and the Balkans. Flights on the new route are scheduled to operate daily. This indicates high expected demand, particularly from the Kosovar diaspora in Switzerland and neighboring regions, who traditionally maintain strong ties to their homeland. Pristina is an important destination for ethnic travelers and business people from the region. For EasyJet, developing this connection makes strategic sense to optimize aircraft utilization during the winter and expand its network of European destinations. Switzerland is a significant market for flights to the Western Balkans, with cities such as Zurich and Geneva being key departure airports. In addition to EasyJet, other airlines such as Swiss International Air Lines and Wizz Air also operate routes from Switzerland to the Balkan region. The introduction of a daily connection by EasyJet will stimulate competition on this route and is expected to offer travelers more flexibility and cheaper options. For Kosovo, strengthening air connectivity is of great importance for economic development and tourism. Direct and frequent flight connections not only facilitate travel but also promote trade and investment. The inclusion of Pristina in the year-round winter program of a major European airline such as EasyJet underlines the growing

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Mountain summer in Austria on the rise: cable cars as driving forces for tourism

Jan Gruber July 17, 2025 11:40

The Austrian tourism industry is optimistic about the mountain summer. This was made clear at the 2025 summer conference of the "Best Austrian Summer Cable Cars" in Tyrol, hosted by Silvrettaseilbahn AG and Hochzeiger Bergbahnen Pitztal AG. Over 90 cable car operators and numerous representatives of the Austrian tourism industry gathered for the two-day event to discuss success factors and the further development of mountain summer tourism. The central role of cable cars as a driver of value creation in Alpine regions was once again highlighted. A recent guest survey shows that a high-quality mountain railway offering is a decisive criterion for around 40 percent of summer vacationers when choosing their vacation region. The cable car as a key success factor in Alpine summer tourism The transformation of Alpine regions from purely winter destinations to year-round tourist destinations is a development that is being driven primarily by cable car operators in Austria. The summer conference of the "Best Austrian Summer Mountain Railways" in the heart of Tyrol provided a platform to shed light on this transformation and discuss future strategies. Franz Hörl, Chairman of the Cable Car Association in the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber, emphasized emphatically: "Cable cars are no longer just a winter topic. On the contrary: For summer tourism in the Alps, they are a key success factor – and often the decisive criterion in choosing a vacation destination." This statement is supported by current analyses and guest surveys. It shows that a significant number of summer vacationers – around 40 percent – would choose another region for their stay if there were no corresponding mountain railway offering there. This highlights the immense importance of cable cars not only as a means of transport, but as an essential

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Warsaw-Modlin celebrates Ryanair anniversary and plans massive expansion

Jan Gruber July 17, 2025 11:01

Warsaw Modlin Airport is currently celebrating a special anniversary: exactly 13 years ago, on July 15, 2012, the first flight of the Irish low-cost airline Ryanair landed at this location. Since then, despite global challenges such as the pandemic, the airport has developed into a central base for low-cost travel in Poland. The arrival of its 2025 millionth passenger is expected in August 30, underscoring the airport's rapid development. Ryanair, the airport's main partner, has ambitious growth plans for Modlin. By 2030, the airline intends to handle over five million passengers annually. At the same time, Ryanair plans to launch 25 new routes and station a total of eight aircraft at Warsaw Modlin Airport. To accommodate this projected growth, extensive infrastructure projects are planned at the airport itself. This includes, in particular, an expansion of the terminal and the entire airport infrastructure to ensure capacity for the increasing passenger volume. With these developments, Warsaw-Modlin Airport aims to become one of Europe's leading regional airports. The consistent focus on the low-cost segment and the close cooperation with Ryanair have contributed significantly to the location's success in recent years. Regional airports are playing an increasingly important role in European air traffic by offering direct connections at attractive prices and thus facilitating access to various regions. The planned expansion will not only increase passenger numbers but also strengthen the airport's economic importance for the region. The development of Warsaw-Modlin Airport is an example of the growth of air traffic in Eastern Europe, where many airports have experienced a significant increase in traffic over the past decade and a half.

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Germany in the drone trap: Industry warns of gaps in protection

Jan Gruber July 17, 2025 09:41

The German aerospace industry is sounding the alarm: According to its assessment, the Federal Republic is currently unable to effectively protect its critical infrastructure and military facilities from hostile drone attacks. This worrying diagnosis, set out in an urgent letter from the German Aerospace Industries Association (BDLI) to the German Federal Government, reveals serious deficiencies in both the available technological solutions and the legal framework. The inadequate cooperation between the responsible authorities is further exacerbating the situation, according to the association. In view of the rapid developments in the field of unmanned aerial systems and their widespread use in current conflicts, such as the war in Ukraine, the industry is urgently calling for government support in the development and procurement of modern defense technologies to ensure national security and make the Bundeswehr operational. Acute Protection Gaps: Drone Defense in Germany Inadequate The latest warning from the German Aerospace Industries Association (BDLI) to the German Federal Government reveals a serious weakness in the national security architecture. The association concludes that Germany is not effectively able to protect its own infrastructure – both civilian and military – from the threat posed by hostile drones. This judgment is based on the identification of a lack of suitable technological solutions and an inadequate legal framework that would enable effective defense. The BDLI provided a concrete example of these deficits by referring to the Manching military airport. There, it was not possible for weeks to investigate or even prevent illegal drone overflights. Such incidents, especially in the vicinity of military installations, are not only a breach of security regulations, but also a

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Air India Flight AI171 Investigation Report: CEO Calls for Calm

Jan Gruber July 17, 2025 07:34

The investigation into the tragic crash of Air India Flight AI171, which occurred a few weeks ago, is taking a decisive turn. A preliminary report by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has shifted the focus of the investigation to the actions of the pilots, after no technical or maintenance-related defects were found on the aircraft. In an internal memo obtained by The Wall Street Journal, Air India CEO Campbell Wilson urged airline employees to avoid jumping to conclusions, as the investigation is far from complete and the report "neither identified a cause nor made any recommendations." The crash sparked a wave of speculation, but officials are urging patience and a careful analysis of the facts. The incident: A mystery at the start and the initial findings The crash of Air India Flight AI171 has rocked the aviation community and prompted an intensive investigation. While the exact circumstances of the accident remain unclear, the recently released preliminary investigation report by India's Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) has revealed new evidence that now focuses the investigation on the actions of the flight crew. According to the report, the aircraft's engine fuel control switches were briefly moved to the cutoff position during takeoff. This caused the engines to reduce their speed, a process that occurs during normal operation solely to shut down the engines. The cockpit voice recorder recording reveals that in the final moments before the crash, one of the pilots asked why the fuel supply had been cut off.

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Croatia Airlines adjusts winter flight schedule: Year-round connections and seasonal adjustments

Jan Gruber July 17, 2025 05:05

Croatia's national airline, Croatia Airlines, is making significant changes to its route network for the upcoming 2025/2026 winter schedule. Seasonal flights from Zagreb to Barcelona and Berlin will be converted to year-round operations. Services to Stockholm and the Split-Istanbul route will also be extended into part of the winter season. This is part of Croatia Airlines' strategy to reduce the seasonality of its flight operations from its Zagreb hub and achieve more stable capacity utilization throughout the year. The Star Alliance member will maintain flights to Barcelona and Berlin throughout the upcoming winter season, which begins on October 26, with three weekly connections to each destination. Flights between Zagreb and Stockholm will also operate three times a week in November and December, continuing until January 9, 2026. The Split-Istanbul route will be extended until November 30, then resume for the Christmas and New Year holidays from December 21 to January 11. The route is then scheduled to restart on March 5, 2026, and operate three times a week during the winter period. To accommodate the adjustments and growth in the route network, Croatia Airlines will reduce frequencies on its domestic Croatian service Zagreb – Dubrovnik from 22 to 20 weekly flights for the entire winter season. In addition, the airline will suspend its Dubrovnik – Frankfurt route for a limited period from January 11 to March 8, 2026. This measure coincides with the plans of Lufthansa's holiday subsidiary Discover Airlines to suspend its seasonal summer service.

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Airfares in Germany are developing unevenly

Jan Gruber July 16, 2025 14:37

Airfares in Germany are generally on the rise, but price developments vary considerably across markets. According to the Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), airlines have recently even had to accept noticeable price reductions on some long-haul routes. This heterogeneous development reflects the complex dynamics of supply and demand as well as regional competition in the aviation industry. In the first half of 2025, tickets for international flights rose by an average of 3,8 percent compared to the same period of the previous year. Prices for international flights in economy class rose particularly sharply, with the largest increases being recorded for flights to other European countries, which became more expensive by 7,7 percent. Air travelers also paid around 2025 percent more for long-haul flights to North America in the first half of 1,7 than in the same period last year, while the increase to Central America was 0,3 percent. These price increases are often due to high demand and the airlines' capacity strategies. In contrast, tickets for some long-haul destinations have become cheaper. Prices for flights to South America fell by 3,0 percent, and those to Africa recorded a decline of 4,6 percent. The largest price decrease was for flights to Asia and Australia, with a reduction of 5,8 percent. Such price decreases can indicate increased competition, lower demand, or an expansion of capacity on these routes. The aviation industry is known for its dynamic pricing, which depends heavily on flight load factors and market conditions. Ticket prices for flights within Germany rose even more sharply than for flights abroad: domestic flights cost 2025 percent more in the first half of 5,0 compared to the same period last year.

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