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August 21, 2020

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August 21, 2020

AK: KLM only pays back after a lawsuit

Granite Pireci August 21, 2020 19:25

Especially in these times of crisis, airline customers have to be patient when it comes to ticket refunds. Because of the numerous requests, there can be long delays. This was the case with an Austrian couple: The Styrian couple had booked a flight from Graz to Amsterdam and back for the beginning of April directly with the Dutch airline KLM. However, due to the corona pandemic, the plane never took off. The Styrian couple tried for two months to get the 687 euros for the two flight tickets back themselves - with no prospect of success. When their patience finally ran out, they turned to the AK Consumer Protection Agency. "We wrote to KLM immediately, but only received standard answers," says Bettina Schrittwieser, head of the AK Consumer Protection Agency. At the end of July, a lawsuit was finally filed for reimbursement of the flight costs. "After the lawsuit was filed, the airline announced that it would pay. The money was there in mid-August," says the consumer advocate: "But they did not pay our court costs. We are now suing them.” But KLM is not the only airline currently being sued: “We are preparing lawsuits against Lufthansa, Ryanair, Eurowings, Emirates and Turkish Airlines, among others,” reports Schrittwieser. All of them are said to have cancelled flights and are now not repaying the ticket costs, according to the Styrian Chamber of Labor.

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FACC anticipates a loss of millions

Granite Pireci August 21, 2020 19:23

Aircraft supplier FACC is also feeling the effects of the Corona crisis. There were significant declines, especially in the second quarter: Because 80 percent of the world's aircraft fleets remained grounded for months at that time and takeovers of new aircraft were postponed, new aircraft orders almost completely stopped. This had a negative impact on the company's sales revenues: In the first half of 2020, they amounted to 292,1 million euros. 26 percent less than the figures for the previous year (394,9 million euros). The operating result also suffered. This figure fell to -36,9 million euros (2019: -5,2 million euros). After taxes, the loss after six months was 41 million euros. Although the situation is currently difficult to assess, management is confident that it can make a forecast for the current financial year. The sales expectation for the 2020 financial year would be between 500 and 520 million euros. The loss is expected to be between 55 and 65 million euros. In general, the next few financial years will be "challenging". Based on our current assessment, we will reach the level we had before the Corona crisis again in 4-5 years," said CEO Robert Machtlinger. This is why there is a risk of massive job cuts. In the worst case scenario, almost 700 employees - the majority from Austria - would have to go. Short-time work will end in September.

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EU Commission: Green light for Brussels rescue

Granite Pireci August 21, 2020 19:18

The EU Commission has given the green light and approved state aid for the Lufthansa subsidiary Brussels Airlines. The Belgian government is thus allowed to lend a helping hand to the struggling carrier. And that is exactly what it is doing: At the end of July, an agreement was reached on state aid of 290 million euros. The remaining 170 million euros of the aid package will come from the parent company. The package was approved by the German rescue fund for companies - the Economic Stabilization Fund (WSF) - at the beginning of the week. "We are relieved that the state aid has been approved and will now concentrate fully on the timely implementation of our turnaround plan. Thanks to the support and trust we receive from our shareholder Lufthansa, the Belgian government and all our employees, we can create a strong and competitive Brussels Airlines with long-term prospects. I would like to sincerely thank everyone involved for this," said Dieter Vranckx, CEO of Brussels.

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Lufthansa returns to Friedrichshafen

Granite Pireci August 21, 2020 19:16

From September 03rd, Lufthansa will again be flying from Friedrichshafen Airport to Frankfurt several times a week. The crane airline will thus once again connect the airport with the hub and global route network. Regional aircraft of the Canadair Regional Jet 900 and Embraer 190 types will be used. "The airport has prepared for the resumption of air traffic with various hygiene measures. The protection of passengers and employees is a top priority. In these times, Lufthansa also attaches particular importance to the well-being of its passengers and has therefore taken a number of measures to protect its guests and employees in the current situation," the press release states. 

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Memmingen: Ryanair takes on Lappeenranta

Granite Pireci August 21, 2020 19:14

Memmingen Airport is getting a new travel destination - in the far north. From the end of October, the Finnish city of Lappeenranta will be on the flight schedule. Ryanair will connect it non-stop with Memmingen twice a week. "This is an important sign at this time. We are bucking the trend and getting a new flight destination." This underlines the potential of Memmingen Airport, which has suffered far less losses than many other airports even in the Corona crisis. The new connection also offers the winter sports areas in the Allgäu and the neighboring Alpine region a new attractive target group of Finnish winter sports enthusiasts," says airport managing director Ralf Schmid.

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Delta: middle seats now remain free

Granite Pireci August 21, 2020 19:10

The American airline Delta Air Lines remains unique when it comes to social distancing on board. The carrier is leaving the middle seat free on board. And for even longer than previously thought: The measure will be extended until at least January 6, 2021. This would apply to anyone traveling alone or too far. "For groups of three or more passengers, however, the seats in the middle will appear in the selection process so that they can travel together as usual," the press release states. In addition, the airline will generally limit the capacity of flights and, for example, only allocate half of the seats in first class. In addition, the company has also revised the boarding process. This now takes place in small groups of ten passengers each. The travelers with seats in the back of the aircraft board first, followed by those sitting in the front. "The safety of our passengers and employees is our top priority. The Covid 19 pandemic has changed the industry forever. As part of our Delta Care standards, the focus on cleanliness will continue in the future. We are also creating even more space and distance for our customers and are still keeping all middle seats free so that they can continue to travel with us with peace of mind in the future,” said Thomas Brandt, Regional Manager Sales – Central and Eastern Europe at Delta.

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Half-year: Corona hails Zurich numbers

Granite Pireci August 21, 2020 19:08

Zurich Airport takes stock: The first six months of the financial year were largely shaped by the Corona crisis. While a profit of 143,4 million francs was recorded in the first half of the previous year, this year's result resulted in a loss of 27,5 million francs. Total revenues fell by almost 2019 percent to 50 million francs compared to the first half of 310,4. Revenues from the flight business fell by 58,6 percent to 130,4 million francs. "The fact that aviation revenues fell less sharply than the decline in passengers is because not all fees are dependent on passenger volume. For example, the number of flight movements determines landing fees," the statement said. In comparison, operating costs fell by 27,7 percent year-on-year to 205,5 million francs. From January to June 2020, 5,3 million passengers used Zurich Airport as a departure, transfer or destination for their flights, which represents a decrease of 64,3 percent compared to the same period last year. Meanwhile, the number of flight movements in the first half of 2020 fell by 55,5 percent to 60.417 takeoffs or landings. "The corona crisis has hit the entire aviation industry and Zurich Airport AG hard economically. Sales have collapsed almost completely at times, which is reflected in the business performance in the first half of the year," said Zurich Airport CEO Stephan Widrig. A reliable outlook for the current financial year is difficult and associated with great uncertainty due to the unclear future development. Nevertheless, a loss is expected.

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Jet2 fires 102 pilots

Granite Pireci August 21, 2020 19:06

The next airline has to lay off staff due to Corona: The British budget airline Jet2 wants to lay off 102 pilots. The airline itself deeply regrets this step. But it is unavoidable because the flight program had to be drastically reduced due to the outbreak of the pandemic. This surplus of staff must be reduced, as ch-aviation.com reports. The Secretary General of the British Airline Pilots Association (BAPA), Brian Strutton, also spoke out: This announcement would reflect the desperate state of the British aviation sector. "Despite enormous efforts to work with Jet2 to save these jobs, the airline is insisting on 102 layoffs," said Strutton. The government is also calling for more state support for the industry.

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Germany: Tour operators cancel flights to Spain

Granite Pireci August 21, 2020 19:04

Following the German government's recent travel warnings for mainland Spain and the Balearic Islands, tour operators TUI and DER Touristik have removed all trips to the affected areas from their programs. While DER Touristik allows flights to be canceled free of charge until August 21, TUI allows this until at least August 24. Other tourism companies, including Alltours and FTI, continue to offer flight tickets despite travel restrictions. When asked, both providers referred to a quote from German Health Minister Jens Spahn, who emphasized in an interview with the ARD television station that a "travel warning is not a travel ban," as ch-aviation.com reports.

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VC and Lufthansa reach an agreement

Granite Pireci August 21, 2020 19:01

Lufthansa and the pilots' union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) have reached an agreement: namely on further austerity measures to deal with the Corona crisis. These will apply to pilots at Lufthansa, Lufthansa Cargo, Lufthansa Aviation Training and some of the Germanwings pilots, it was announced. Cost reduction until the end of the year The agreement includes cost-cutting measures that will apply until the end of 2020. From September, for example, the increase in short-time work benefits and employer contributions to pension schemes will be reduced. Tariff increases agreed for 2020 will be postponed until January 2021. Redundancies in the second quarter of 2021 at the earliest In return, cockpit personnel will receive protection against dismissal until March 31, 2021. However, the significant overcapacity among pilots will exist for considerably longer than March 2021. The number of redundancies can therefore only be limited by concluding a long-term crisis agreement. In a long-term crisis package, the costs of the overstaffing could be compensated, for example, by a corresponding reduction in working hours and salaries for the duration of the crisis. At the same time, Lufthansa has announced that it will refrain from hiring pilots from outside the Group in all German flight operations as long as there are overstaffings. This also applies to tourist flight operations. “We clearly reject Lufthansa’s threat to issue redundancies for operational reasons. In our opinion, a social partnership must show how resilient it is, especially in bad times. The pilots are prepared to make a noticeable contribution to keeping all cockpit personnel on board. Maintaining jobs remains our top priority. The VC stands behind Lufthansa in these difficult times. Conversely, we expect the

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