May 24

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May 24

Braathens expands fleet with new Airbus A320

Braathens Regional Airlines (BRA) has continued its fleet expansion with the delivery of a new Airbus A320. The airline's 21st aircraft, equipped with CFM engines, was received in Malmö on Tuesday and will be used mainly for charter flights between Scandinavia and Southern Europe, especially for Apollo customers. In spring 2023, BRA launched a new segment for charter flights. The first flight for Ving took place in April 2023, and flights for Apollo started in October of the same year. In addition to domestic and charter flights, BRA also offers ACMI services and flies on behalf of other airlines. Since April, two ATR 72-600s have been based in Vienna and fly for Austrian Airlines. This strategic expansion is an important step in BRA's growth plans as a charter service provider. Passengers can look forward to modern cabin interiors and increased comfort. The aircraft, registered as SE-RGF, was extensively modernized before delivery and leased from DAE Capital. “We are very pleased to welcome our seventh Airbus aircraft,” said Fredrik Matseng, Chief Operating Officer at BRA. “This addition will allow us to further expand our offering of charter flights and ACMI services.” BRA’s fleet now includes three Airbus A320s, four Airbus A319s and 14 ATR 72-600s.

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Eurowings expects ticket prices to rise

In the summer of 2024, Eurowings passengers must expect higher ticket prices. Airline boss Jens Bischof explained in Cologne on Wednesday that the rising costs, especially government-influenced fees, would be passed on to customers. These fees, which have almost doubled in Germany since 2019, include passenger checks, air traffic control and the recently increased air traffic tax. Further increases are already planned. Bischof admitted that Eurowings' operating costs had also risen moderately due to new collective agreements for all employee groups. Despite these challenges, the Lufthansa subsidiary was able to negotiate without strikes. Bischof did not give any specific figures on the price increases. Eurowings expects a particular business boom due to the European Football Championship in Germany starting in June. 70 special flights with a total of 13.000 additional seats have already been launched from European airports. This number could rise further for the final rounds. In addition, higher capacity utilization is expected on regular flights. However, Eurowings is not planning any additional domestic flights between the ten host cities. Bischof was confident that Eurowings would make a profit, as it did last year. With a fleet of around 120 aircraft, the airline is offering 13 percent more seats than last year due to the strong growth in demand.

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Wizz Air has no interest in taking over competitors

Wizz Air, one of Europe's leading low-cost airlines, is currently battling significant challenges caused by geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and the war in Ukraine. Despite these difficulties, airline CEO Jozsef Varadi is sticking to its ambitious growth targets and plans to expand the airline's fleet to over 500 aircraft in the next six to eight years. The war in Ukraine has forced Wizz Air to divert 13 percent of its capacity from Russia and Ukraine, resulting in higher operating costs and lower revenues. In addition, problems with the GTF engines are affecting operations, with one in five Wizz Air aircraft currently out of service for maintenance. Varadi stressed that despite these challenges, Wizz Air is strictly committed to organic growth and denies takeover rumors. The airline plans to expand by establishing additional subsidiaries, possibly also in Saudi Arabia. Wizz Air currently operates flights in Hungary, the UK and the United Arab Emirates and has a clear path to expand its fleet by 2032. Wizz Air is determined to become one of Europe's largest airlines through organic growth and fleet expansion, strengthening its position in the highly competitive low-cost airline sector.

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ECJ: Lack of staff at the airport can be an exceptional circumstance

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has ruled that airlines do not necessarily have to pay compensation for delays caused by a lack of staff for loading baggage. In a recent ruling, judges in Luxembourg confirmed that such a lack of staff can be considered an "extraordinary circumstance" justifying a delay. The case is based on a lawsuit by passengers whose flight from Cologne-Bonn to the Greek island of Kos was delayed by three hours and 49 minutes, mainly due to insufficient staff for loading baggage. The passengers concerned had assigned their claims for compensation to the company Flightright, which sued the airline TAS. According to EU law, an airline does not have to pay compensation if it can prove that the delay was caused by extraordinary circumstances. The ECJ made it clear that a lack of staff is considered extraordinary if it is not part of the airline's normal business activities and cannot be controlled by it. The Cologne Regional Court must now decide whether the circumstances in the specific case meet these criteria. The airline TAS must prove that the staff shortage was unavoidable and that measures were taken to prevent the delay.

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Memmingen Airport continues to grow

Memmingen Airport recorded a total of 2024 passengers between January and March 614.000, bringing it closer to the top ten German airports. The Bavarian State Office for Statistics reported that Memmingen handled around 2,8 million passengers last year and expects more than three million this year. By comparison, Nuremberg Airport registered 627.000 passengers in the same period, representing growth of 7,4 percent. Munich counted 7,9 million passengers in the first quarter, an increase of 14,2 percent compared to the previous year. Munich's figures thus reached 80 percent of the passenger volume of 2019. Memmingen has already significantly exceeded its pre-coronavirus figures in 2022 and could overtake Dortmund Airport in 2024 as a whole, which recorded around 2023 million passengers in 2,9. The largest airlines in Memmingen are Wizz Air, which serves destinations in southeastern Europe, and Ryanair, which flies to destinations in Italy, Spain, Greece, Great Britain and Ireland. Eurowings and Tui are also represented with holiday airlines to the Mediterranean. The airport is planning further expansion to meet growing demand. According to the airport association ADV, German airports counted 39,6 million passengers in the first quarter, which corresponds to an increase of 13,2 percent compared to the same period last year. However, the ADV emphasizes that air traffic in Germany is growing more slowly than in other large European markets and complains about high air traffic taxes, security costs and air traffic control fees.

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Deutsche Aircraft wants to have it painted in France

Deutsche Aircraft has announced a strategic partnership with the French painting and sealing service provider Airplane Painter. Airplane Painter, based in Toulouse and with over 20 years of experience in aircraft painting, will be responsible for the paint stripping and repainting of the D328 fleet. The company is known for its precision and innovative strength, which perfectly matches Deutsche Aircraft's quality standards. In addition to its painting services, Airplane Painter also operates a company specializing in Part 145 activities, which further strengthens its expertise in the aviation sector. Peter Spyrka, Vice President of Programs at Deutsche Aircraft, was enthusiastic about the collaboration: "We look forward to a fruitful and collaborative partnership to improve the aesthetics of our fleet and ensure the highest quality standards." Charly Arslan, Vice President and Founder of Airplane Painter, also emphasized the importance of this partnership: "This collaboration represents a significant step forward. We want to build a long-term relationship based on mutual trust, respect and shared values." The partnership is intended to offer operators of the D328 fleet a comprehensive and seamless one-stop solution for maintenance and painting.

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Easyjet opens state-of-the-art AI-powered control center in Luton

Easyjet has opened a new Integrated Control Centre (ICC) in Luton, which will use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to more efficiently manage its daily flight schedule of around 2000 flights. With over 250 specialists working around the clock, the centre manages more than 340 aircraft carrying up to 300.000 passengers a day to 35 countries. The ICC uses AI tools to optimise crew scheduling and predict standby crew needs, designed to speed up decision-making and improve the customer experience. The centre offers a peaceful working environment with natural daylight and individual lighting options, as well as a rest room for employees. A new generative AI tool called Jetstream has been introduced, giving teams instant access to policies and procedures to quickly resolve operational issues. This tool includes information from eight operational manuals, increasing the team's efficiency and responsiveness. Johan Lundgren, CEO of Easyjet, stressed the importance of the new facility and AI technology in improving operational efficiency and customer experience. Gill Baudot, Director of Network Control, highlighted that the team safely transports a quarter of a million passengers to their destinations every day, relying on AI to help them overcome operational challenges. AI technology also helps to minimize food waste, make predictive maintenance decisions and use aircraft optimally. This leads to better aircraft utilization and cheaper prices for passengers.

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Paris: Air France launches concierge service

From June 11, 2024, Air France will offer new concierge services at Paris-Charles de Gaulle Airport to provide passengers with an exclusive and stress-free experience during their stay at the airport. This service is available for all bookings of flights operated by Air France or offered in codeshare with partner airlines. The new concierge service includes a variety of services that increase the comfort and convenience of passengers. Travelers in Economy, Premium Economy and Business cabins can optionally benefit from a private transfer to the airport, receive concierge assistance from arrival at the terminal, a porter service and priority check-in counters. They also have access to priority lanes, lounges (for eligible customers) and are accompanied to the boarding gate. The concierge service also offers assistance on arrival and for connecting passengers, including priority processing and accompaniment to the nearest boarding gate or vehicle for private transfer. The service can be booked up to 18 hours before departure on airfrance.fr or by phone. The new service is designed to make travelling with Air France even more comfortable and pleasant and is aimed at all passengers who want a smooth process at Paris-Charles de Gaulle airport.

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Football: Ryanair launches special flights

Ryanair has announced that it will offer over 2.000 additional seats for the UEFA Champions League Final between Borussia Dortmund and Real Madrid at London's Wembley Stadium on Saturday 1 June 2024. Ryanair's additional flights for the final will operate from Friday 31 May 2024 to Sunday 2 June 2024, serving multiple routes including flights from Dortmund and Madrid to London Stansted, and return flights from London Stansted to Dortmund and Madrid. Ryanair's Head of Comms, Jade Kirwan, highlighted the importance of the final, explaining that the additional flights will provide fans with the opportunity to experience the match in person. The airline wants to ensure fans can travel to the match in comfort and enjoy the pre- and post-match celebrations in London. The special flights at a glance: Date Route Departure 31 May Dortmund-London Stansted 09:25 31 May Madrid-London Stansted 10:00 31 May Madrid-London Stansted 10:55 31 May Dortmund-London Stansted 21:20 1 June Dortmund-London Stansted 08:55 2 June London Stansted- Dortmund 11:50 2 June London Stansted-Dortmund 13:50 2 June London Stansted-Dortmund 15:40 2 June London Stansted-Madrid 18:35 

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Dan Air sets course for Dortmund

Dortmund Airport is pleased to announce a new partnership with Romanian airline Dan Air. From December 18, 2024, Dan Air will connect Dortmund with Bacău in northeastern Romania twice a week, on Wednesdays and Sundays. This collaboration expands the selection of airlines operating at Dortmund Airport to a total of seven. Guido Miletic, Head of Airport Services + Marketing & Sales, explains that demand for Romanian destinations is continuously high and Bacău offers another attractive destination for both domestic travelers and tourists. With the introduction of this route, Dortmund Airport's flight schedule now includes a total of eight Romanian destinations. Bacău, an important city in the Moldova region, is home to around 150.000 inhabitants and is picturesquely situated on the banks of the Bistrița River. The city is characterized by its historic buildings, idyllic landscape and vibrant art and culture scene. The partnership between Dortmund Airport and Dan Air opens up new opportunities for travelers to explore Romania and contributes to the diversity of flight offerings at the airport.

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