July 9

More articles from the category

July 9

Munich reports a historic low

In the first half of 2020, Munich Franz Josef Strauss Airport recorded the lowest number of passengers since the airport opened. The volume fell by two thirds compared to the record year of 2019. The number of flight movements fell by 57 percent. The global spread of the coronavirus has caused Munich Airport to see a decline in passenger numbers for the first time after years of sustained traffic growth: Passenger volume fell by around 2020 million to just under 15 million in the first half of 7,8, two thirds below the previous year's level. The number of flight movements fell from over 200.000 take-offs and landings to around 87.000 - a decrease of 57 percent. The volume of air freight flown was 87.000 tons, halving the previous year's figure. In the second quarter of 2020, passenger traffic at Munich Airport almost came to a standstill due to global travel restrictions. The number of passengers fell by 98 percent compared to the previous year. The number of take-offs and landings fell by around 92 percent during this period. This meant that the airport recorded its lowest quarterly result since the airport opened in 1992. The decline in air freight was somewhat smaller in the second quarter, with a minus of 78 percent. This was due to special traffic with cargo planes transporting medical supplies to Munich. The serious effects of the corona pandemic are reflected in particular in the traffic statistics for the months of April and May. Here, the number of passengers was only around one percent of the previous year's figures. Since travel restrictions within the EU were lifted again in mid-June, a slow recovery has been evident.

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AK: Quarantine has to be taken into account

In a press release, the Vienna Chamber of Labor expressly points out that quarantine is possible when returning from holiday countries. This particularly applies to guest workers who are traveling home to their families. In recent days, the Republic of Austria has again imposed quarantine requirements on people entering from Serbia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bulgaria and Romania and has announced increased controls. In view of the travel warning, the Vienna Chamber of Labor provides information on the rights and obligations of employees: Anyone traveling to a country/area with security levels 5 or 6 must either be in quarantine for 14 days after returning to Austria or must show the authorities a negative corona test. The employee must factor in quarantine when going on vacation if, due to the legal situation, it was already clear before the trip that 14 days of isolation was required. The corona test can be done either in the holiday country or at the airport and must not be older than four days upon re-entry. The costs are borne by the employee. The AK calls on the authorities to ensure that there are cost-effective testing options at border crossings. The employer can request a test after a stay in a level 5 or 6 area in order to shorten the duration of the quarantine. However, there is no obligation to take a test. The employee does not have to inform the company in advance where they will be spending their vacation. Employees are only obliged to inform the company upon request after the vacation whether they have been to a level 5 or 6 area. Anyone who travels to a level 5 or 6 area/country can

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Round Table: National Charter signed

On Thursday, at the invitation of State Secretary Magnus Brunner (ÖVP), a round table on the current COVID-19 situation in aviation was held in the Ministry of Transport. A national charter was signed. All domestic companies in the industry are to adhere to this. "The virus will be with us for a long time to come - the crisis is not over yet. Against this background, we are united by the common goal of getting people from A to B healthy and safe. The signing of the national COVID-19 charter for air transport is an important step in this direction. The recommendations for action, which combine European guidelines and national regulations, provide both the companies themselves and the passengers with orientation on their journeys," said State Secretary Magnus Brunner after today's round table on safe flying against the backdrop of the corona pandemic, adding: "Of course, the rule for all journeys is always: please use common sense!" The COVID-19 pandemic has presented the aviation industry worldwide with unparalleled challenges. Flight movements have fallen by well over 90 percent. It will probably take years before aviation can recover to pre-crisis levels. The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has worked with the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) to develop guidelines on health measures in aviation. These formed the basis for discussion at today's round table - the representatives of airlines, airports and business aviation have committed themselves to the national charter for the aviation industry. This provides for the implementation of EASA's recommendations in coordination with national health authorities and taking into account

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Klagenfurt back on the grid with a savings program

Klagenfurt Airport has been open again in a limited capacity since July 3, 2020. Currently, only two Eurowings rotations to Cologne/Bonn are offered per week. On Friday, a Ryanair route operated by Lauda to Palma de Mallorca follows. This is to be offered once a week during the summer season. The airport's opening hours are currently limited. On flight days, the terminal is open from 10:00 a.m. to 16:00 p.m. According to Klagenfurt Airport, the shops and sales counters will remain closed. Austrian Airlines intends to start connecting to the Vienna hub in September 2020.

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ÖAMTC: “Follow corona rules abroad”

In a press release, the Austrian automobile club ÖAMTC urges holidaymakers to familiarize themselves with both the entry requirements and the Corona rules of their destination country. This should be done before departure in order to avoid some hefty fines. "This year, comprehensive travel preparation is essential: precise information about the current regulations regarding entry and the rules on site is very important," says ÖAMTC tourism expert Maria Renner. And during your vacation, the respective "Corona rules" must also be observed - otherwise you face high fines, sometimes several thousand euros. "In the event that flu-like symptoms occur during your vacation, you should be prepared. It is best to save the respective telephone number that you can call if you suspect Covid19 in your cell phone," recommends Renner. The expert provides an overview of the "Corona rules" of the popular travel destinations Italy, Croatia, Spain, Greece, Slovenia and Germany. For which countries pre-registration is necessary - "how" is also important "For Italian holidays in the regions of Apulia and Calabria as well as on the islands of Sardinia and Sicily, online registration must be carried out before entry," says the expert from the mobility club. Anyone who wants to travel to Sardinia by plane or ferry, for example, must fill out the relevant form electronically 48 hours in advance and present a copy of it, together with a boarding pass and ID, upon entry. Body temperature is also measured upon arrival in Sardinia. For entry into Greece, regardless of whether by land, sea or air, online registration 48 hours in advance is mandatory. You will receive a QR code, which will be checked upon entry.

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Ryanair cuts UK wages by ten percent

In Ireland and the United Kingdom, the low-cost carrier agreed with the unions on lower wages. The Irish low-cost airline Ryanair and the British union Unite agreed to cut salaries by up to ten percent. In return, the carrier will refrain from making redundancies. The union stated in a press release that Ryanair has taken a "constructive and less damaging approach to dealing with the problems than many of its competitors." In Ireland, Ryanair and the pilots' union Balpa have already agreed on a similar solution. The agreement in the United Kingdom has a term of four years and affects both pilots and flight attendants. Across the group, the Ryanair Group is tightening wages in view of the corona pandemic, including in Germany at Lauda and Malta Air and in Austria at Lauda and the Ryanair base in Vienna.

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With the private jet to the Ballermann

Mallorca is currently experiencing a real boom in on-demand aviation, as 30 percent of the aircraft that have landed at Palma Airport since the border was opened are said to be private planes. The vast majority of these come from Germany, reports Mallorca Magazine. According to reports, the operator Aena is surprised by the rush of private aircraft. Within just two weeks, 600 of these aircraft are said to have taken off and landed. During the week, the daily average is 36 private flight movements and at weekends as much as 90. 70 percent of the on-demand flights took off from Germany. 15 percent from Spain and the United Kingdom. The rest would be distributed among other nations. For wealthy customers, flights with private business jets are becoming a popular alternative during the pandemic. Almost all operators are reporting a sharp increase in demand.

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Amsterdam: KLM Schengen Lounge open again

KLM's Schengen lounge is now available again to status and business class passengers at Amsterdam Airport. The lounge for non-Schengen travelers was never closed, even during the peak of the pandemic. According to the airline, it was the only major airline to offer at least one open lounge. However, the opening hours of the exclusive waiting area in the Schengen area of ​​Schiphol Airport are severely restricted. Since July 1, 2020, it has been open from 6:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. in accordance with the guidelines of the Dutch health authorities.

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AUA continues to increase its offer

On Thursday, Austrian Airlines published the rest of the summer flight schedule until the end of October 2020. According to the company, the offer corresponds to around 40 percent of the originally planned capacity. Currently, around 20 percent is offered. Subject to new official restrictions, further destinations are to be gradually added. From August, a China route, Shanghai, is to be served again. This assumes, however, that Austria lifts the flight ban by then. For the time being, only a weekly rotation is planned. From September, further routes will be returned to the flight schedule, which will initially be served up to once a day. This affects Chişinău, Dnipro, Iaşi, Yerevan, Klagenfurt, Leipzig, Lviv, Lyon, Nuremberg and Odessa. With regard to the Ukraine destinations, it should be noted that there is a landing ban for passenger flights departing from this country until at least July 15, 2020. In addition to resumptions, Austrian Airlines is increasing capacity on almost all existing routes from September. This means more flights and larger aircraft. From September, Amsterdam, Brussels, Bucharest, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Copenhagen and Paris will be on the schedule with up to three daily flights. Athens will be served twice a day instead of once. As operations are steadily ramped up, the offer will increase to over 30 percent in September. By the end of October, almost 40 percent of the previous year's program and over 60 destinations will be back on the flight schedule. "By publishing the entire remaining summer flight schedule, we are offering our customers more planning security," says Austrian Airlines CCO Andreas Otto. "The demand so far makes us confident that we are on the right track with the ramping up of flight operations."

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Airbus: Again no new order

The European aircraft manufacturer Airbus was unable to land a single new order in June 2020. The manufacturer had already had to record a freeze in May 2020 due to the corona pandemic. According to Airbus, it has received a net 1 orders for commercial aircraft since January 2020, 298. 2020 aircraft were delivered in June 36, meaning that 196 jets have been handed over to customers since the beginning of the year. A cancellation for an Airbus A330-900 was also recorded in the books.

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