November 30, 2020

More articles from the category

November 30, 2020

TAP: 1,2 billion state aid, but 3.600 jobs wobble

Portugal wants to give the airline TAP a helping hand with around 1,2 billion euros. However, the once state-owned airline must drastically downsize. The planned retirement of 17 aircraft will also entail the elimination of around 3.600 jobs. Local media unanimously report that the jobs of 750 flight attendants, 750 ground service employees and 500 pilots are at risk. Furthermore, the temporary employment contracts of around 1.600 people are not to be renewed. TAP Air Portugal wants to save personnel costs in the hundreds of millions. The carrier is currently forecasting an annual loss of 582 million euros. Management, government and unions will discuss the restructuring plan on Wednesday. It is expected that the employee representatives will take action against the planned dismissals. The unions are already criticizing and accusing taxpayers' money of being used to destroy jobs. Portugal has not yet submitted the planned state aid of 1,2 billion euros to the EU Commission for approval. However, this should happen shortly after the conclusion of the talks, which are taking place this week. TAP Air Portugal had to be privatized in the aftermath of the financial crisis. This proved difficult because several attempts failed. Ultimately, an Atlantic Gateway company headed by David Neeleman was chosen. However, the state's influence is quietly increasing again, as Portugal first increased its stake to 50 percent and since July 2020 it has held the majority again with 72,5 percent. Local media suspect that the Neeleman consortium could now withdraw completely and renationalization could take place. The decisions on this are expected in the next few days.

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ABTA distributes rose to hotels and travel agencies - airlines collect cactus

The Austrian Business Travel Association once again awarded the traditional cactus for the biggest annoyance of the year. What is new is that a rose was also given to "reliable partners". The airline industry received the prickly plant because of the delayed reimbursements. "In this extraordinary situation for the business travel industry, we wanted to use the "Rose" to recognize reliable partners who have made an effort to mitigate the effects of the crisis through innovative ideas and helpful services," said ABTA President Andreas Gruber about the idea behind the "Rose" of the year. The business travel experts rated the "accommodating service of the hotels with regard to cancellation conditions" and the "round-the-clock availability (24/7)" of the travel agencies equally, so two roses were awarded. Things looked less “rosy” in the airline sector: The two cacti went ex aequo to the “European patchwork of Corona-related travel restrictions” and to the “slow ticket refunds by the airlines”, which were the biggest annoyances this year for travel managers and business travelers.

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Vienna-Hamburg: AUA extends mandatory corona rapid tests

In November 2020, Austrian Airlines started a trial phase of antigen tests on the Vienna-Hamburg-Vienna route. This will now be extended until at least December 15, 2020. However, the results are still not recognized in Austria or Germany for the purpose of obtaining entry exemptions. Until December 15, 2020, all passengers and crew members on Austrian Airlines flights OS171 (Vienna-Hamburg) and OS172 (Hamburg-Vienna) will be tested for Covid-19 before take-off. This ensures that everyone on board has tested negative for Covid-19. Since the start of the pilot project on November 12, Austrian Airlines has been able to build up experience and practice in integrating rapid tests into the travel chain. An extension of two weeks is intended to provide further insights in order to offer the test offer on a larger scale in the medium term and to expand it to other routes in the Austrian Airlines network. The aim is to combine freedom of travel and health protection through the use of rapid tests and to achieve a relaxation of the numerous entry restrictions in the long term. "The announcement of an imminent vaccination gives cause for hope. But until this is available across the board, we will continue to work flat out on our rapid test offer," explains Austrian Airlines COO Jens Ritter. The free Covid-19 antigen rapid tests are carried out in close cooperation with the Lufthansa Group and the airports in Vienna and Hamburg, where their own testing infrastructure has been set up. Passengers receive their test results after just 10 to 15 minutes. In the event of a positive test result, the affected passenger is looked after by the medical team for full clarification and the further procedure is determined with the responsible health authority. A free rebooking or cancellation of the Austrian Airlines flight is possible.

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Discounts: Ryanair and Wizzair “outbid” each other again

Flight tickets are not particularly in demand at the moment due to the corona pandemic. In recent days, the low-cost airlines Ryanair and Wizzair have been outdoing each other almost daily with new special offers. On the occasion of Cyber ​​Monday, the Hungarians are advertising a 25 percent discount and the Irish are advertising tickets for five euros. However, the offers also have a catch. With Ryanair, the travel period is limited to December and January 2021. This makes usability less attractive due to the currently strict entry and quarantine regulations in many countries. Although the carrier waives rebooking fees, any fare difference must be paid later. So with a five-euro ticket, you will most likely have to pay extra. Wizzair does not allow free rebookings in the standard tariff. For this, the Flex package must be purchased for a fee. However, this also has a catch with regard to refunds, as the low-cost airline rules out a refund. Only a credit to the customer account is possible.

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Air Astana abolishes business class in the E190-E2

The Kazakh airline Air Astana is no longer offering business class on its Embraer 190-E2 aircraft. Instead, there is now a premium economy class. According to a press release from the company, however, nothing will change in terms of service. Prices will be around 35 percent cheaper. The new service class celebrated its debut on the domestic Kazakh routes from the capital Nur-Sultan to Shymkent, Atyrau, Aqtöbe and Öskemen (Ust-Kamenogorsk) as well as from Almaty to Qyzylorda. Rows 1 to 12 in the Embraer 190-E2 are now reserved for premium economy class. "We are always happy to receive feedback from our customers. Thanks to their suggestions, we can continuously expand and improve our service. The new Premium Economy Class is now aimed at passengers who appreciate a certain level of comfort and are also looking for the best price-performance ratio. They receive the same service and privileges as our business class guests," said Islam Sekerbekov, Air Astana's Sales Director. Air Astana's fleet includes five Embraer E190-E2s.

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Qantas brings returnees back from Frankfurt and Paris

Australia's flag carrier has been busy in recent weeks bringing "stranded" people back home on behalf of the government. That's it for flights abroad too, with Qantas' long-haul routes paralyzed until further notice. The next repatriation flights are now scheduled to take place in winter - and will be flying back to continental Europe. Qantas specifically mentions Paris and Frankfurt. Qantas flight QF115 is expected in Frankfurt on December 10th at 6:10 a.m. And for the first time without a stopover. For the time being, however, only for the repatriation flight. QF175 is scheduled to arrive in Paris on December 14th at 6 a.m. All flights, including those to London, start in Sydney and stop in Perth, from where they will fly non-stop to their respective destinations. The return flight to Perth will also be non-stop, as the news medium Aero reports. The final destination is Sydney again. Australians who want to use this shuttle service to their distant homeland not only have to be tested for Corona in advance, but also have to pay for their tickets themselves: The flights can be booked regularly on the Qantas website – in both directions.

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Vaccination: VIE sets up Pharma Handling Center with refrigeration

At Vienna Airport, the "Pharma Handling Center" is equipped for anti-corona logistics - the vaccine can be stored cool here. The active ingredients love it cool. Very cool. Above a temperature of minus 70 degrees Celsius, they quickly lose their effectiveness. Therefore, a bitterly cold cold chain must be maintained without interruption throughout the entire transport. This now requires intensive preparations. A large part of the vaccine will arrive by air freight. Therefore, Vienna Airport has provided a 1.650 square meter hall that allows deep-freeze storage up to the dry ice area. Many processes there are automatic, because the working conditions for human staff are pretty Siberian. State Secretary for Transport Magnus Brunner: "The airport has been an indispensable hub for medical supplies since the beginning of the pandemic."

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Emirates reintroduces “Dubai Connect”

Travellers of all classes flying through Emirates' hub will be able to enjoy a free hotel stay in Dubai if their stopover is more than ten hours. With "Dubai Connect", Emirates passengers will receive a free night's stay in a four or five-star hotel, transfers to and from the airport, meals at the hotel and, if required, a visa for the United Arab Emirates on arrival. The service would aim to provide a more convenient journey for customers whose stopover is between 10 and 24 hours, according to the press release. Travellers who are eligible for "Dubai Connect" but are unable to leave the airport will be given access to the Emirates Dubai Connect Lounge at the airport. The offer is valid for customers with new or existing bookings travelling from December 1, 2020. Emirates currently serves more than 90 destinations on six continents worldwide via a stopover in Dubai.emirates

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EGO Airways receives AOC

EGO Airways is taking another step towards starting flights: the newly founded airline has received the AOC. The company received the air operator certificate from the Italian Civil Aviation Authority on November 19th. But it is still unclear when exactly the Italian regional airline will start. To date, the carrier has only had one Embraer E190-100LR in its fleet. The 12,6-year-old regional jet recently carried out a series of test flights around Florence-Peretola and has since been stored in Milan-Malpensa, as ch-aviation.com reports.

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JetBlue secures slots in London

JetBlue Airways is gearing up for next year: The US carrier has secured slot rights at London Gatwick and London Stansted airports. While the American airline only received seven weekly slot pairs for flights from New York JFK at Gatwick, it was luckier at Stansted, where it received 14 for flights from Boston. The airline has also already thought about which aircraft it will use to inaugurate its transatlantic flights, as the aviation portal CH-Aviation reports. An Airbus A321-200 is to be the first to be used.

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