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January 14, 2021

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January 14, 2021

“Golden Tiger” is exhibited in Salzburg

Granite Pireci 14 January 2021 11:02

After more than 156.500 flight hours and almost 254.000 missions to ensure the safety of the population, the Saab 105 OE fleet ended its operational service on December 50, 31 after 2020 years. The last flight of the anniversary aircraft Saab 105 BJ-40 "Golden Tiger" took it to Hangar-13 in Salzburg on January 2021, 7 at the invitation of the Flying Bulls. "The bond and partnership between the air force and Red Bull, be it in the context of joint events or at the Airpower events, has a long tradition. It was therefore a great pleasure for us to accept the invitation from Red Bull and to make our anniversary Saab accessible to a wider population once again," said Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner. Since 2006, the entire air force of the Austrian Federal Army has been commanded from Salzburg, and for several years there was also an independent air force command in Salzburg. Salzburg has been the military heart of the air force for many years. The air force used this transfer flight for an interception exercise with the "forced landing" procedure at Salzburg Airport, thus setting a visible sign of functioning active airspace surveillance after the end of the Saab 105's operational life. The Austrian Air Force's Saab 105 OE "Golden Tiger" will probably remain on display in Hangar-7 until mid-year. This means that the general public will have the opportunity to view the anniversary aircraft as part of the exhibition after the current Covid measures have ended.

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EU logistics center for humanitarian aid at Leipzig / Halle Airport

Granite Pireci 14 January 2021 10:29

A new logistics center for disaster protection is being built at Leipzig/Halle Airport as part of an EU program. The site in the vicinity of the airport is being set up and maintained by the German Red Cross. The EU and member states are setting up logistics centers to be able to meet the growing needs of the healthcare system even in crisis situations. In addition to the procurement, storage and maintenance of protective equipment, the logistics centers will also organize logistical distribution if necessary. "The decision to set up the EU logistics center at our airport is logical. It rewards our efforts to create optimal conditions at the Leipzig/Halle air freight hub. We are proud to make our contribution to humanitarian aid and feel encouraged to continue to do everything we can to ensure that we can flexibly get all types of cargo into the air," says Götz Ahmelmann, CEO of Mitteldeutsche Flughafen AG.

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Alltours: Free rebooking for summer vacationers

Granite Pireci 14 January 2021 09:56

With the tour operator Alltours, holidaymakers can now rebook package holidays in the summer up to 14 days before departure without any fees - if they have booked early enough. The offer applies to bookings of "Alltours Classic" trips from September 17, 2020 and until March 15, 2021, the tour operator announced. Furthermore, bookings for the summer made up to March 15 can still be canceled free of charge up to this date - this has been the case up to now. Until now, however, Alltours' rule was that classic package holidays for the summer season from the beginning of April to the end of October could only be rebooked free of charge up to mid-March - and not up to two weeks before the start of the trip. With accommodating rebooking and cancellation conditions, the tour operators are currently trying to encourage customers to book and offer them more security and flexibility. Travelers should keep in mind that they are allowed to cancel a package holiday free of charge if it is foreseeable that it will be significantly affected at the time of cancellation - for example due to severe Corona restrictions at the holiday destination.

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ÖAMTC: almost 2020 inquiries in 200.000

Granite Pireci 14 January 2021 09:22

In 2020, the ÖAMTC legal advice services received almost 200.000 inquiries - this includes information and advice calls handled by the mobility club's four emergency assistance centers and tourism. Due to Corona, the number of inquiries about travel has increased about threefold. The range of topics ranged from rebookings, trip cancellations and cancellations to deadlines for stickers and driving licenses to mobility restrictions and border closures. The pandemic has also changed the type of customer contact: the number of personal consultations fell by almost 50 percent, while the number of telephone consultations remained more or less unchanged. The number of written consultations has increased sharply, especially in digital form, i.e. by email. The travel law inquiries very often concerned the free cancellation of package tours and refunds after hotel and flight cancellations. As was the case with Mr. and Mrs. L, who paid for a flight at a travel agency, which never took place due to the pandemic. The travel agency that was asked for support painted a bleak picture of the prospects for a refund, which is why the couple sought legal advice from the ÖAMTC. The lawyer working there believed that the airline was responsible for repaying the travel price. After several interventions by the mobility club, the couple received their travel price back. 

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Zurich: Only 8,3 million passengers used the airport

Granite Pireci 14 January 2021 08:45

Zurich Airport, like the entire industry, experienced a disastrous year with a "historic collapse in traffic". Only around 8,3 million passengers flew through Zurich in 2020. The previous year, there were 31,5 million. That would correspond to a whopping 73,5 percent decrease, the airport announced. The number of local passengers also fell, by 71,7 percent to 6,3 million. The average number of passengers per flight also fell: from 129,6 to 103,0. In 2020, there were a good 111.000 flight movements - a decrease of 59,6 percent compared to 2019. Swiss (49,5 percent) had the largest share, ahead of Edelweiss Air (8 percent) and Lufthansa (4,4 percent). In addition, freight volume fell by 291.163 percent to 35,6 tons compared to the previous year. "We look back on a very challenging and turbulent year. International travel came to a near-complete standstill at times. Nevertheless, Zurich Airport always remained open to ensure Switzerland's connection to the world. Constantly changing travel regulations and quarantine rules are causing great uncertainty among travelers and companies alike. For Swiss tourism as well as the Swiss economy, which depends on foreign trade, it is important that international travel can be planned again. We expect international travel to recover slowly and gradually from mid-2021," says Stephan Widrig, Managing Director of Zurich Airport AG.

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Qatar Airways: Half of the A380 fleet will never take off again

Granite Pireci 14 January 2021 08:13

Qatar Airways has been dissatisfied for some time. But Akbar Al Baker is now causing a stir with his statement. For the managing director of the Gulf carrier, the superjumbo is "one of the worst aircraft". The double-decker would deliver poor values ​​in terms of emissions and overall efficiency. And that is precisely why half of the A380 fleet will no longer be returning to service, the CEO said during a press conference. Since the beginning of the pandemic in March, the European aircraft manufacturer's aircraft model has not been used anyway. Things looked very different seven years ago. At that time, the airline ceremoniously received its first A380 and emphasized the enormous importance of the aircraft for Qatar Airways and Doha Airport. Today, the Qataris want nothing more to do with it and would prefer to get rid of the superjumbo straight away. Ten aircraft were delivered to the company between 2014 and 2018. As recently as December, the company was keeping all options open, reports simpleflying.com. But Al Baker has put a stop to the hopes of superjumbo fans. It is still unclear whether and under what circumstances the A380 will be used again. Only one thing is certain: by then the fleet will be rejuvenated and drastically reduced.

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Bremen: student pilots file lawsuits against Lufthansa

Granite Pireci 14 January 2021 07:30

It is not just the airlines that are suffering because of the pandemic. Prospective pilots at the German Lufthansa also have to fear. Their flight school is threatened with closure. Now the flight students are taking the matter to court. A large proportion of the once 700 flight students have been left in the dark for months about how their training will continue, several affected people tell buten un binnen. There have been no lessons for several months. Neither the airline itself nor the flight school management are responding to inquiries. As a result, dozens of students have already signed termination agreements and abandoned their training. The last remaining flight students at the Bremen Academy do not want to simply throw away their dream of flying and are leaving no stone unturned. In the meantime, the company is trying to get rid of them and transfer them to other flight schools that are not part of the Lufthansa Group. "This is not the training that was promised; it is in any case a lower quality training," says Frankfurt-based labor lawyer Martina Stickler-Posner, who, together with partner law firms, represents over a hundred affected people. The lawyer accuses the AUA parent company of breaching the contract. "We have already filed a lawsuit in most cases - now the labor judges have to decide," Stickler-Posner continued. The aim is for the student pilots to be able to complete their training at the Lufthansa flight school in Bremen. Lufthansa is defending itself and justifying its actions with the consequences of the corona pandemic. This has fundamentally changed the career prospects for aspiring pilots. The company is offering advanced student pilots the opportunity to complete their training at Lufthansa flight schools. Training is expected to resume in January. Student pilots who are still at the beginning of their training, however, will not be allowed to attend.

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