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March 15, 2022

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March 15, 2022

Change in the Fraport Executive Board

Granite Pireci March 15, 2022 19:57

Julia Kranenberg will join the executive team of Fraport AG as the new Chief Human Resources Officer and Director of Labor Relations. This was decided by the company's Supervisory Board at its meeting today. She succeeds Michael Müller, whose contract expires on September 30, 2022 for reasons of age. The Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Fraport AG, Hesse's Finance Minister Michael Boddenberg, was very satisfied with the selection process: "In the end, the choice was difficult for us because we got to know outstanding leaders during this process. What speaks in Julia Kranenberg's favor is that she has gained a wide range of experience in a large infrastructure company and has accompanied transformation processes there. She also convinced me with her clear professional but also human manner." Boddenberg also praised the merits of the outgoing Director of Labor Relations: "With Michael Müller, Fraport AG is losing an outstanding leader who, in his almost 40 years of airport experience, made a significant contribution to the positive development of today's Fraport AG. In particular, safeguarding employee interests - both in good times and in the years of crisis in aviation - was always a matter close to his heart. I would like to thank Mr Müller for his successful work, his commitment and the good cooperation and wish him all the best and God’s blessing for the rest of his life.”

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Airport Association ADV: Verdi’s “permanent warning strikes” are getting out of hand

Granite Pireci March 15, 2022 19:03

Verdi's "permanent warning strikes" at German airports are getting out of hand - Hamburg Airport has to cancel all planned departures for this reason. The airport association ADV denounces these measures as inconsiderate behavior towards travelers. The Verdi union has called for strikes at other international airports today, Tuesday. The industrial action declared as warning strikes is again set to last the whole day. After yesterday's strike at six airports, travelers in Frankfurt, Hamburg, Stuttgart and Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden will be affected by flight cancellations on Tuesday. The strikes concern air security checks. Although the airports are not collective bargaining partners, they are directly affected by the economic consequences. The airport association ADV is incomprehensible about the warning strikes. "The collective bargaining partners should be at the negotiating table, and immediately. The short-notice industrial action means a horror scenario for passengers, who have no opportunity to prepare for the flight cancellations. "Germany's good image as a travel destination is being damaged at a time when airports, which have been hit hard by corona-related losses, are just passing through the trough of the crisis," explains ADV General Manager Ralph Beisel. The airports affected by the strike will prepare for the strike as best as possible together with airlines and the responsible authorities. Nevertheless, all travelers are strongly advised to check with their respective airline whether the flight is taking place and to allow sufficient time on site. The airport association ADV also recommends avoiding hand luggage if possible in order to relieve the burden on the remaining checkpoints.

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After rocket attack: Dnipro airport badly damaged

Jan Gruber March 15, 2022 18:32

The Ukrainian Dnipro airport was hit by Russian missiles in the night from Monday to Tuesday. According to official information, the infrastructure was severely damaged. The terminal and a runway were destroyed. The regional administration of Dnipro announced on social media that the airport had been largely destroyed. At least two missiles hit Dnipro airport. There is no reliable information about the full extent of the damage, but it is confirmed that the airport will no longer be operational without extensive renovation. Airports in Ukraine are being targeted by the armed forces of the Russian Federation. The background is probably that the aim is to destroy the infrastructure. Another factor may be that the airports could also be used by the Ukrainian army as a launch site for national defense. In the past, there were non-stop flights from Vienna-Schwechat to Dnipro. However, these have long been discontinued because Austrian Airlines moved this route to nearby Zaporizhia. Due to a lack of demand and for security reasons, the route was paused long before the attack by the Russian armed forces. Wizz Air first announced a non-stop connection between Vienna and Zaporizhia for spring 2020, but has not operated it once to date. The service is being postponed at regular intervals, although it is very unlikely that it will be operated soon due to the war.

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Vida in solidarity with striking security forces at German airports

Granite Pireci March 15, 2022 18:02

The Austrian employee representatives are showing solidarity with the striking security guards at German airports. According to Vida, a significant increase in hourly wages for safety-critical professions would also be necessary in Austria. "Security guards at airports make a significant contribution to guaranteeing smooth and safe air traffic. However, the pay and working conditions in this profession are shockingly poor. Our German colleagues can therefore be sure of our solidarity from Austria," say Daniel Liebhart, chairman of the aviation department in the Vida union, and Ernst Kreissler, chairman of the Vida security committee, in response to the German service union Verdi's call for a strike by security guards at several German airports. The reason for the industrial action is that no increase in wages could be achieved in previous collective bargaining negotiations. "The situation is no better at Vienna Airport either. The starting salary according to the airport collective agreement for security guards with special training in aviation is just EUR 9,94 per hour. For a full-time position, this corresponds to 1.722 euros gross per month and is clearly in the low-wage range of the Austrian collective agreements. And this despite the fact that these employees are the spearhead of the security services in aviation," criticizes Liebhart. "The industry is characterized by high fluctuation. This is not surprising, since the high stress and the great responsibility in the job are in no relation to the salary and a high work pressure rests on the shoulders of the employees. A higher hourly wage would not only express more appreciation for the employees and their work, but would also ensure that there are sufficiently qualified staff in the industry," says Kreissler. "The fact that the

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SkyUp wants to survive with wet lease orders

Jan Gruber March 15, 2022 17:55

The future of Ukrainian airlines is in doubt in light of the war started by Russia. However, it could now prove useful that numerous lessors have previously requested that aircraft be flown out. SkyUp is looking for wet lease contracts. In a press release, the airline publicly offers itself for ACMI services and points out that it has up to 15 Boeing 737-800s available that could be used for customers from all over the world, except Russia and Belarus. The airline is practically asking for such contracts and explains, among other things, that it is not just about fighting on the front lines and defending the country, but also about ensuring that companies can continue their work and generate income that Ukraine urgently needs. At the same time, it would help to secure the 1.300 jobs and pay taxes to the state, which urgently needs them for the civilian population and national defense. SkyUp is actually appealing to Western carriers, but emphasizes that it will not accept any orders for Belarus and Russia. Within the European Union, however, things will be difficult for SkyUp, as various regulations largely exclude carriers from third countries within the Union, unless there are bilateral agreements. SkyUp's appeal is therefore likely to be directed at the EU Commission and the heads of government, as they have the power to temporarily relax the existing regulations in favor of Ukrainian airlines. It is currently not known whether this step will be taken. It is to be expected that not all EU carriers will accept SkyUp's offer.

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From Wednesday: British Airways drops the masks

Jan Gruber March 15, 2022 17:11

The United Kingdom's largest airline, British Airways, is abolishing the mask requirement with effect from March 16, 2022. Wearing mouth and nose protection is only required if explicitly instructed by the destination via NOTAM. In concrete terms, this means for passengers that masks only have to be worn if the destination country requires it. For example, on flights to/from Austria, NOTAM requires that all passengers and crew members in the cabin must wear FFP2 masks. Many countries do not have such a requirement and the previous mask requirement was more of a common practice, prescribed on the basis of house rules. In the United Kingdom, there was an explicit order for a time, but this has since been lifted in all areas, including aviation. "If it is clear to us that the destination you are traveling to does not require wearing a face mask on board, it will become optional. We ask all our customers to continue to respect the mask preferences of fellow travelers in these cases," British Airways said in a media statement. Jet2, Ryanair and Tui Airways had previously announced that they would no longer require the wearing of masks on board. This does not apply to flights to destinations that explicitly require this via NOTAM. In an interview with Aviation.Direct, Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary explained that he expects the obligation to wear masks on board aircraft to be abolished across Europe by the end of April 2022.

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Fraport turned a profit again in 2021

Granite Pireci March 15, 2022 16:04

The Frankfurt airport operator returned to profitability in the second Corona year of 2021 thanks to a certain recovery in passenger traffic. Also due to crisis-related compensation payments, the bottom line was a surplus of almost 83 million euros after a loss of almost 658 million euros in the previous year, as Fraport announced in a press release. After 24,8 million passengers last year, CEO Stefan Schulte expects a further increase to 2022 to 39 million passengers in 46. This corresponds to 55 to 65 percent of the level from the pre-Corona year of 2019. After sales rose by almost 2021 percent to just over 28 billion euros in 2,1, they are expected to continue to grow to around 3 billion euros in the current year. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA), however, are only expected to rise to 757 to 760 million euros after 880 million euros in the previous year. In 2021, Fraport benefited from compensation payments and government compensation of 320 million euros, which are unlikely to be repeated. Group profit before minority interests is now expected to reach 50 to 150 million euros. However, analysts had expected higher profit figures on average. Shareholders should prepare for another zero round of dividends. Fraport does not plan to pay out a dividend in 2022 either and instead uses the money to reduce debt.

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Arajet orders 20 Boeing 737 Max 200s

Jan Gruber March 15, 2022 15:08

The airline Arajet has ordered 20 Boeing 737 Max 200 aircraft. The manufacturer and the carrier also said they have secured options for up to 15 more aircraft. This will expand the fleet to 40 aircraft. The aircraft order was completed in January 2022 and is currently assigned to an unidentified customer on Boeing's orders and deliveries website. "The efficient Boeing 737 Max, together with the financial and operational support of our partners at Griffin and Bain Capital, gives us the solid foundation to offer travelers in the region affordable flights," said Victor Pacheco Mendez, founder and CEO of Arajet. "These partners believe in our vision and see the same bright future for this market and beyond. The entire team was thrilled when our first aircraft arrived in Santo Domingo a few days ago and we look forward to expanding our fleet with more of these fantastic jets in the coming months." "The 737 Max is a perfect fit for Arajet and we are honored to welcome this exciting new operator to the Boeing family," said Mike Wilson, Vice President of Sales, Latin America & Caribbean, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "By operating an exclusive 737 Max fleet, Arajet can save on fuel, maintenance and operating costs and pass these savings on to its customers."

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Swiss is auctioning off economy class seats for a good cause

Granite Pireci March 15, 2022 14:02

In collaboration with Ricardo, Swiss is auctioning off Economy Class seats that are no longer needed as part of the introduction of the new Premium Economy Class. The carrier is donating the proceeds to the Pigna charitable foundation, one of its long-standing partner organizations. Due to the introduction of its new Premium Economy Class, the Lufthansa subsidiary is gradually replacing some of the Economy Class seats in its Boeing 777-300ER fleet with the new seating. In collaboration with the internet auction house Ricardo, surplus Economy Class three-seater seats will be auctioned off to the highest bidder over the next four weeks, including attractive additional prices. The seats will be personalized with a name plaque after purchase. The Swiss airline will donate all proceeds from this auction to the Pigna Foundation in Kloten. Swiss's long-standing partner organization offers people with disabilities appropriate living, working and living space with needs-based and needs-oriented support.

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Three destinations: Skyalps starts in Maribor

Jan Gruber March 15, 2022 13:07

After a few years of hibernation, there will be regular flights from the Slovenian airport Maribor again in summer 2022. Bolzano's own brand Skyalps will offer the destinations Naples, Bolzano and Pisa between June 30 and September 15, 2022. The destinations will be operated on the Thursday of each day with de Havilland Dash 8-400 turboprop aircraft operated by the Maltese company Luxwing. Currently, 12 flights are planned per destination. According to the airport, the offer is primarily aimed at Italian tourists who are to be lured to Slovenia. The charter flights cannot currently be booked directly through Skyalps, but through Slovenia Vacation. The tickets are not cheap, however, as the return to Bolzano is offered for 259 euros. Pisa costs 289 euros and Naples is available for 359 euros. The price includes 15 kilograms of check-in luggage and one piece of hand luggage that may weigh a maximum of eight kilograms. The flights were launched by the tourism company BMG, whose director, Božidar Dokl, told the STA agency, among other things, that these flights will breathe new life into Maribor Airport. He added that the project is supported by the state-owned Investment Management Company (DRI), which has operated the airport since the former Chinese concessionaire withdrew in 2019. Doki pointed out that operations will be expanded to other Italian cities next year, while flights to other European markets will be introduced in 2024.

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