August 23, 2022

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August 23, 2022

S-Bahn causes problems: Stuttgart Airport gets temporary express bus

Passengers who want to reach Stuttgart Airport by S-Bahn are currently facing many delays and cancellations due to construction work. According to Deutsche Bahn, the problem is that the curve radii on the alternative route are tight and the wheels of the trains are wearing unexpectedly heavily. Now they want to solve the problem with a shuttle bus. To do this, a rail replacement service is being set up between the main station and Vaihingen. Non-stop buses will also run between 4:30 a.m. and 1:00 a.m. To enable passengers to catch early departures, a non-stop bus (SEV 3) to Stuttgart Airport is provided as a replacement service on Monday to Friday. This departs from the main station at 4:50 a.m. and should reach the airport at around 5:18 a.m. There are currently no plans to run additional services, but those responsible do not want to rule this out completely due to the construction work situation.

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Emirates: Interior of 120 long-haul jets will be modernized

Emirates is modernizing the interiors of 67 Airbus A380s and 53 Boeing 777s. The Gulf airline has set itself the goal of converting four aircraft every month until April 2025. The project represents a multi-billion dollar investment and is scheduled to officially start in November. Almost 4000 new premium economy seats, over 5.000 business class seats and 728 first class private suites will be installed. In addition, the floor carpets and stairs will be renewed and the interior trim of the cabin will be refreshed with new colors and design motifs, including the iconic Ghaf trees native to the United Arab Emirates.

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Zurich: Swiss loads first Air Baltic wet lease routes

In the 2022/23 winter flight schedule, Swiss will use six Airbus A220-300s operated by Air Baltic on its European route network. Local unions are not happy with this deal and are up in arms against it. The first routes on which the Latvians will fly for the Lufthansa subsidiary have now been announced. Air Baltic is currently operating for Eurowings, Eurowings Discover and SAS, among others, on ACMI. At the same time, spare parts for the A220-300 aircraft are in short supply, which leads to the curious fact that the airline has several wet-lease aircraft in operation on its own route network. For example, Cyprus Airways and Carpatair fly for the airline based in Riga, Latvia. From October 30, 2022, Swiss will operate up to six A220-300s. Several Swiss unions are protesting against this. Available flight schedule data show the first routes on which Air Baltic aircraft will be used. These are the following routes from Zurich-Kloten: Brussels Belgrade Bucharest Copenhagen Düsseldorf Frankfurt Hamburg Oslo Prague Paris-Charles de Gaulle Rome-Fiumicino Tallinn Warsaw-Chopin

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Thailand extends visa validity

Thailand is giving tourism a major boost at the start of the high season in October. Longer stays are possible from October 1, 2022 to March 31, 2023. The validity period of visas is being extended: the regular tourist visa will then be valid for 45 days, the visa on arrival for 30 days. Foreign tourists will be allowed to stay in Thailand longer with their visa from October 1, 2022. Instead of the previous 30 days, the regular visa will then be valid for 45 days. The visa on arrival, which is available upon arrival, allows a 30-day vacation. Previously, this was only valid for 15 days. The relaxation of visa regulations applies during the high season in the months from October to March. This time is considered the peak travel time for travelers from Europe, while winter prevails here. The extension of the validity period is part of a revival measure for Thai tourism after the corona pandemic, as Check24 reports. Between January 1 and August 14, 2022, Thailand recorded around four million tourists, mostly from India, Malaysia and Singapore.

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Disregard for passenger rights: Hungarian authorities investigate Wizz Air

After Ryanair, Wizz Air Hungary has also been brought to justice by the Hungarian Consumer Protection Authority. The carrier is accused of having creatively interpreted passenger rights to the detriment of passengers. The Hungarian Ministry of Justice, which is responsible for the Consumer Protection Authority, has commissioned an official investigation. Specifically, the investigation concerns Wizz Air's behavior in the event of cancellations, delays and failures. The carrier strictly refuses to rebook with other airlines, even though EU Regulation 261/2004 provides for this and there is also relevant case law from the ECJ on this topic. In numerous cases that Aviation.Direct has seen, Wizz Air strictly refused to cover the costs of alternative transport, hotel accommodation or necessary meals. Months-long waits for ticket refunds are also not uncommon. Customer service refers to clauses in the conditions of carriage that, according to Wizz Air, are said to be "approved by the Hungarian Civil Aviation Authority". Of course: The authority denies this and points out that the review of carriage conditions and/or general terms and conditions does not fall within the competence of European aviation authorities, but is the responsibility of civil courts. For example, a lawsuit by the Chamber of Labor is pending in Austria. In the first instance, almost 80 clauses were declared illegal, but Wizz Air appealed against the judgment. The appeal hearing will take place in autumn 2022. Ministry accuses violations of passenger rights According to the Hungarian Ministry of Justice, complaints about Wizz Air's behavior are piling up. This is not only about flight irregularities such as cancellations and delays, but also about the fact that in the event of flight schedule changes, Wizz Air has the legal obligation to provide a

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TUI Airways will fly to Sarajevo in the future

The holiday airline TUI Airways has announced flights between London Gatwick and Sarajevo. However, the airline has decided not to start the flights this year, but only in the 2023/2024 winter season. This is reported by the online portal Ex-Yu-Aviation. Until then, further changes are possible. From the end of December, the two capitals will be connected once a week. Both Boeing 737-800 and 737 MAX aircraft will be used. The service is aimed at British holidaymakers who want to explore the country's landscape.

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Vienna Airport Launches Free VIP Service for AmEx Centurion Cardholders

Vienna Schwechat Airport and American Express Austria allow holders of Centurion credit cards to use the VIP services offered by the airport free of charge. However, the offer is limited to cards issued in the Alpine republic. The Centurion program from American Express is a particularly exclusive credit card offer which, according to Amex, can only be obtained by invitation after an unspecified minimum annual turnover. The annual fee is not exactly cheap either, but this should be of minor importance for people who meet the minimum annual turnover. The credit card provider and Austria's largest airport have agreed on a new cooperation which is currently only reserved for holders of Centurion cards issued by American Express Austria. Put simply, this means that holders of these cards from other Amex countries, for example, cannot take advantage of the free VIP service. "Whether it's a vacation or a business trip - travel is finally possible again without restrictions. We are delighted to be able to offer our Centurion members an exclusive service package thanks to our partnership with Vienna Airport, which makes their stay at the airport an experience and saves our most valuable resource today: time,” says Anita Pruckner, Country Manager American Express Austria. Specifically, Centurion holders can use the VIP terminal with all amenities and services at no extra charge. Exit and customs formalities, security checks, limousine boarding and so on can also be used there. Amex Austria customers must book their VIP service in advance via the so-called concierge hotline of American Express Austria. There is, however, a catch that makes the offer rather unattractive for frequent flyers. The cooperation offer can be used a maximum of four times per year. One companion is permitted

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Zurich Airport generates profit in the first half of the year

In the first half of the year, Zurich Airport benefited from the increase in travel traffic after the Corona pandemic subsided. Sales rose by 73 percent to 458 million francs in the first half of the year compared to the previous year, Zurich Airport announced. This means that the pre-crisis level of the first half of 2019 was still a good 20 percent short of the revenue. Operating profit at EBITDA level more than doubled compared to the previous year to 238 million francs. The bottom line was a net profit of 55 million francs after a loss of 45 million in the same period last year. In the first half of 2019, a profit of 143 million francs was recorded. With the end of travel restrictions, passengers also returned. From January to June, 9.1 million passengers traveled via Zurich Airport again. That is more than four times as many as in the previous year and already more than 60 percent of the pre-crisis level of the first half of 2019. For the current year, the airport operator is still forecasting a doubling of passenger volume to 20 million passengers. This would already mean two thirds of the volume of 2019.

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D-ANNE: Ex-Indigo A320 joins Leav Aviation fleet

The German airline Leav Aviation will soon be putting another Airbus A320 into service. This will be registered D-ANNE and will be used from its home base in Cologne/Bonn for ACMI and charter orders in Europe. The young airline's fleet currently consists of an Airbus A320, registered D-ANDI. The new addition is leased from SMBC and is currently 11,8 years old. The aircraft with the serial number 4481 was originally delivered to the low-cost airline Indigo. The first commercial flight with the D-ANNE will take place a few days after the transfer and formal acceptance. The aircraft arrived in Cologne/Bonn on Tuesday shortly after 16 p.m. Before that, work was carried out in Ostrava. Leav Aviation is a German airline that specializes in ACMI and charter services. The young company was only granted AOC and operating license by the Federal Aviation Office this year. At present, it is only used for charter and carries out wet lease orders for other airlines.

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Successful event in Schärding: MBB Bölkow & Friends meeting 2022

Upper Austria became the center of Messerschmitt-Bölkow Blohm aircraft and friendly pilots from August 12.08th to August 15.08.2022th, 60. Forty aircraft and other guest aircraft, mostly from the former Messerschmitt Bölkow Blohm factories, followed the call of Andrea & Thomas to come to Schärding / Suben in Upper Austria over the long weekend. It was to be a meeting of historic German aircraft from the 70s, 40s and 209s (such as the Bücker Bestmann of Wolfgang & Regina Niebch) by pilots for pilots. After Tom Strohmeier's aircraft, his Bölkow BO2022RV Monsun, was voted the most beautiful of the event at the last meeting in Hildesheim, it was his honor and duty to host the XNUMX meeting. Normally based in Jesenwang in Upper Bavaria (EDMJ - west of Munich), discussions were held on how and where the meeting could be held. Jesenwang, with its somewhat shorter runway, would have been a challenge for many guest pilots with a corresponding load. Safety comes first, so the organizers decided to hold the meeting at another airfield rather than at the home airfield. Tom Strohmeier contacted the Flieger-Union Schärding (LOLS) and found a more than cooperative association, which without hesitation made its area and infrastructure (such as the "Villa Patrick" with its four double rooms and the best possibility of camping on site) available to Bölkow & Friends. Beautifully located, close to the three-river city of Passau, easy to reach and worth flying to and seeing for both tourists and the like, the decision was quickly made. The basis was thus laid across borders. The local gastronomy,

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