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August 19, 2022

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August 19, 2022

Spain: Ten-day strike at Iberia Express imminent

Amely Mizzi August 19, 2022 19:39

The airline Iberia Express is about to go on a ten-day strike by cabin crew. If no agreement is reached beforehand, the strike will take place between August 28 and September 6, 2022. It is currently assumed that around 517 employees of the Iberia subsidiary working in Madrid could take part. The background to the disagreement between employee representatives and employers is that the unions believe that working conditions must improve in the new collective agreement. The USO union is strongly criticizing the management of Iberia Express and accusing it of not taking the negotiations it has called for seriously. From the employee representatives' point of view, the only way to increase the pressure is to call for a strike. If the strike actually takes place, it would affect operations on August 28, 29, 30 and 31, as well as September 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6, 2022. It remains to be seen how many people will actually take part in the strikes, as USO has repeatedly called for strikes at its competitor Ryanair, but only a few employees took part. In Spain, several unions are competing for the favor of the cabin crew.

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Norse Atlantic UK has completed official acceptance flight

Jan Gruber August 19, 2022 19:15

The aviation company Norse Atlantic UK, which is currently in the approval process, completed the official acceptance flight on Thursday. This was carried out from Newquay with the Boeing 787-9 with the registration G-CKOF. Norse plans to set up a base at London Gatwick Airport. Currently, the LGW flights are operated from Oslo as part of the Fifth Freedom. This will change in the future, but an AOC from the United Kingdom is required for this. This was applied for some time ago at the British Civil Aviation Authority. Norse Atlantic UK is in the final approval process. As part of this, the future airline also had to complete an official acceptance flight. This took place on August 18, 2022 and went to/from Newquay. The young carrier already completed a test flight from this airport on July 29, 2022. The granting of the AOC and operating license by the United Kingdom Civil Aviation Authority is expected in the next few days. Norse Atlantic UK's first aircraft is the Boeing 787-9, registration G-CKOF. It is a 4,6 year old aircraft leased from AerCap. This Dreamliner was originally delivered to the defunct Norwegian Air UK.

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BER: Two first flights in one week - Norse Atlantic is now also starting on the US west coast

Stephen Lorenz August 19, 2022 18:53

Three weekly flights to LAX with the 787-9 Dreamliner from Berlin/Brandenburg. After a five-year break, there is now a connection from Berlin to Los Angeles again. The Norwegian start-up airline "Norse Atlantic Airways", which was only a few months old, is now offering three weekly non-stop flights from Berlin to Los Angeles. The joy about this is clearly palpable in Berlin today. "Berlin is once again getting a connection to its oldest twin city" (since 1967 - editor's note), said Berlin's Senator for Economic Affairs Stephan Schwarz on the occasion of the first flight and also never tires of emphasizing that the connection with the US state of California, the local economy and the "IT hub" - Silicon Valley - is an immense gain for the local economy. Schwarz is also pleased that Norse specifically wants to "appeal to younger passengers and visitors to Berlin". A goal that is also being reinforced by Norse locally. With the direct flight between BER and LAX, Norse also saves annoying transfers and waiting - and Norse Chief Operation Officer (COO) Thom-Arne Norheim attaches great importance to this - "of course, the risk of losing your luggage is also reduced on a non-stop flight from A to B without transfers", a fact that should not be ignored, especially this summer. When asked about his experiences with Berlin so far, he starts to rave. "We are happy to be here, but we are even happier about this wonderful reception," he says, beaming. "Berlin is not only Germany's capital, but one of the most important capitals in Europe," he says.

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Croatia: ETF Airways increases fleet by two machines

Jan Gruber August 19, 2022 18:35

The Croatian airline ETF Airways plans to expand next year. The fleet is to be expanded by two more aircraft. No information has yet been given on the type, but it is assumed that they will be Boeing 737s. ETF Airways specializes in the provision of charter and ACMI services. It currently has three Boeing 737-800s that are stationed outside Croatia on behalf of customers. One aircraft flies from Pristina, the second from Amsterdam and the third from Paris. It appears that it already has customers in mind for the two new arrivals. "ETF does not aim to become a large scheduled airline. Our main goal is to take advantage of the opportunities that we expect in the coming years through charter flights and similar agreements, especially on the EU market, through a flexible and reliable service," the carrier said in a statement. The Croatian airline became known to a wider public due to the rabbit incident in Bremen. The company subsequently demanded compensation from the German airport for the damaged engine. The rodent was also immortalized in the form of a pictogram that was placed below the captain's window of the affected Boeing 737-800.

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Lufthansa had 598 empty flights in six weeks

Jan Gruber August 19, 2022 17:35

In recent weeks, Lufthansa has been carrying out more positioning flights. These are colloquially known as "ghost flights" due to the fact that there are no passengers on board. In the period from June 1 to July 18, 2022 alone, 598 empty flights are said to have been carried out. This number comes from a response to an inquiry from the Hessian Ministry of Economic Affairs. The AfD party had submitted a corresponding inquiry to the state government in the state parliament. Lufthansa is of the opinion that the positioning flights are necessary to bring stability to the flight schedule. However, there have also been repeated strange circumstances. For example, the passengers on a flight from Frankfurt to Berlin were left sitting without any care and the plane then flew empty to the capital and back to the home base with passengers. Lufthansa's media office was initially a little confused about the flight in question, but was then able to provide clarification. The Italian sister company also repeatedly carried out empty flights to Innsbruck in Austria, for example.

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River cruises: Low water levels are taken care of by shipping companies

Amely Mizzi August 19, 2022 16:39

River cruise operators are increasingly concerned about the sharp drop in water levels in many European waters due to the intense heat. Cargo ships, which often have a much deeper draft, are already affected in some areas and can no longer pass through some parts of the Rhine, for example. The largest river cruise operators are still confident that the rain forecast for the next few weeks will solve the problem on its own. However, Phoenix Reisen boss Benjamin Krumpen admits to Reise-vor-9 that the fleet of eight ships has already had to make some route changes. Nicko Curises has so far been able to carry out the trips offered on the Rhine and Danube largely as planned. At first only minor changes had to be made, but in the last few weeks a total of six trips had to be canceled completely. According to the company, the reason for this was that the water levels were too low. A-Rosa points out, among other things, that it is in constant contact with the responsible authorities. It is assumed that the cruises can be carried out even when the water level is low, but short-term changes to the routes cannot be explicitly ruled out. To date, however, no trips have had to be cancelled.

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American Airlines wants to buy 20 supersonic jets

Amely Mizzi August 19, 2022 15:34

Oneworld member American Airlines and Boom Supersonic have agreed in principle to purchase 20 supersonic aircraft. A down payment of an undisclosed amount has already been transferred. This is non-refundable, so the developer can use it as he pleases. However, American Airlines has set numerous conditions for the actual acceptance of the supersonic aircraft. These would have to meet certain requirements in the areas of safety, performance and operation. The airline also has numerous special requests that Boom Supersonic must implement. Some time ago, competitor United Airlines secured 15 copies of the new development. The airline also holds options for 35 more aircraft. American Airlines has purchase rights for 20 in addition to the order. It is not yet clear when the Overture will go into active scheduled service. The manufacturer's current schedule calls for the roll-out to take place in 2025. It is currently assumed that the first commercial flight can be carried out in the course of 2019. However, it is still unclear whether the plans can be met. American Airlines is planning to use the supersonic aircraft from Los Angeles and Miami to Hawaii and London, among other destinations. The travel time would then be reduced to around three and five hours respectively.

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Car rental companies are not yet enthusiastic about e-cars

guest Author August 19, 2022 14:30

Sustainable tourism strategies: Many holiday regions are investing in an environmentally friendly holiday experience. But when it comes to mobility, there seems to be a standstill. E-cars or hybrids are only rarely available as rental cars. Charging infrastructure, turnaround times and space requirements make it difficult to convert fleets. The rental car broker Sunny Cars shows why rental companies currently mostly rely on petrol and diesel vehicles. Every year, the proportion of hybrid and electric cars in new vehicle registrations worldwide increases. The selection of available models is growing accordingly. Government incentives are also helping drivers to rethink their approach. The e-growth curve for company and private cars is pointing steeply upwards. Nevertheless, there are hardly any corresponding vehicles to be found on the rental car market. "We at Sunny Cars have been dealing with the topic of rental e-cars for more than five years. The sober conclusion from this is that there has not been even a hint of a solution to the problems surrounding a fleet conversion. Demand from holidaymakers is also approaching zero.” This is how Kai Sannwald, founder and managing partner of Sunny Cars, sums it up. Uncertain charging infrastructure Many travellers are particularly reluctant to charge their cars abroad. On unfamiliar routes, drivers do not trust the shorter range of electric vehicles. The worry of not finding a charging station dominates. Knowledge of the travel destination often does not extend to the location of charging stations. This is a stark contrast to driving at home, where fans of electric cars know their defined charging points. This leads to very little demand from rental car customers. Increased return and handling times Another unanswered question arises when it comes to returns. So far,

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July 2022: Vienna with around 1,4 million overnight stays

Amely Mizzi August 19, 2022 09:09

The city of Vienna registered around 2022 million overnight stays in July 1,4. This represents around 83 percent of the number of overnight stays in July 2019. For the first time, tourist overnight stays exceeded the million mark again. Around 2022 million overnight stays (+6,4% compared to 349) were recorded from January to July 2021. Vienna's accommodation establishments generated around 301,3 million euros in net overnight stay revenue (+440% compared to 2021) in the period from January to June 2022. This year's July brought around 1,4 million overnight stays, a calculated increase of 128% compared to the same month last year - this corresponds to around 83% of guest overnight stays in July 2019. 1,1 million of these overnight stays were by international guests. Germany again topped the list of the markets with the highest number of overnight stays in July with 280.000 overnight stays (+78% compared to 2021). With 248.000 overnight stays (+56% compared to 2021), Austria again recorded more guest overnight stays (+6,4%) than in July 2019, thus surpassing its previous record. Vienna's other top 10 source markets in July include the USA (99.000, +485%), Great Britain (50.000, +974%), Italy (48.000, +205%), Spain (41.000, +220%), France (35.000, +119%), Israel (33.000, +95%), Switzerland (30.000, +59%) and Ukraine (23.000, +562%). So far this year (January to July), Vienna has recorded 6,4 million overnight stays – a statistical increase of 2021% compared to the same period in 349. The net overnight stay turnover of Viennese accommodation establishments in June (data for July are not yet available) was EUR 88,4 million – a calculated increase of 318% compared to June last year. In the period January to June, the establishments were able to generate EUR 301,3 million – around

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Alliance Airlines: Competition authority critical of takeover by Qantas

Jan Gruber August 19, 2022 08:33

The planned takeover of Australian regional airline Alliance Airlines by competitor Qantas has stalled. The competition authority has raised concerns about the transaction. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) is of the opinion that Qantas' purchase of Alliance Airlines could result in competition in remote areas of the continent being significantly restricted. Qantas disagrees in a statement. The Oneworld member already holds almost 20 percent of Alliance Airlines and has reached an agreement to fully take over the charter specialist in May 2022, subject to regulatory approval. Qantas also points out that it is already Alliance Airlines' largest customer. The latter carrier serves numerous domestic routes on behalf of the Oneworld member. "There are a considerable number of charter providers of varying sizes, and that makes this segment an extremely competitive area. We are confident that the acquisition of Alliance will not significantly reduce this competition and we will work through the ACCC process to reinforce this position and address their initial concerns," Qantas said in a statement. The ACCC said the merger would combine two of the three largest air transport operators in remote regions and remove Alliance as Qantas' sole competitor on certain routes. "Our preliminary assessment is that there are already significant barriers to airlines operating or expanding their operations in regional and remote areas, including access to pilots, airport facilities and infrastructure and associated regulatory approvals. The removal of Alliance as a wet lease provider or the increase in

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