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May 24

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May 24

Flying Group is expanding its fleet with another PC-24 Super Versatile Jet

Amely Mizzi 24 Maj 2024 09:09

Belgian charter company Flying Group has signed a contract to take delivery of its ninth PC-24 Super Versatile Jet. The company has been using these Pilatus aircraft since 2020. Flying Group, headquartered at Antwerp Airport, provides aircraft management and rental services worldwide and operates a fleet of over 50 business jets, including nine PC-24s. The latest PC-24, delivered on May 16, 2024, is characterized by its unique design, which includes elegant gray lines and Swiss edelweiss flowers. The acquisition of this aircraft will enable Flying Group to make its fleet even more versatile and capable, which will benefit both passengers and crews. Johan van Lokeren, CEO of Flying Group, expressed his delight at the strengthening of the PC-24 fleet and emphasized the popularity of the Super Versatile Jet among customers. André Zimmermann, VP Business Aviation, highlighted the versatility and performance of the PC-24 and emphasized the improved payload capacity and range of the new model. The new PC-24 offers a higher payload capacity and an increased range, which is particularly advantageous in the charter sector. The optimized cabin equipment and additional storage space offer passengers additional comfort and convenience.

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Riyadh Air: Certification flights from September 2024

Amely Mizzi 24 Maj 2024 08:32

Saudi Arabia is continuing its ambitious plans to modernise and expand its aviation sector with the launch of Riyadh Air. The new international airline plans to begin pre-certification flights in September 2024 and commence scheduled passenger services in mid-2025. This announcement was made at the Future Aviation Forum in Riyadh, where Tony Douglas, CEO of Riyadh Air, outlined the airline's progress and plans. Riyadh Air was unveiled in March 2023 as part of the ‘Vision 2030’ initiative, which aims to promote economic diversification and tourism in Saudi Arabia. The airline has already placed an order for 39 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, with an additional 33 options. These aircraft are to be equipped with General Electric GEnx-1B engines. Riyadh Air has set an ambitious goal of serving over 2030 destinations worldwide by 100. First steps: certification flights and staff build-up The certification flights, which will be carried out as part of the process to obtain the Air Operator Certificate (AOC), are scheduled to take place between September and November 2024. Douglas stressed the high energy and excitement within the company, which feels like a dynamic start-up. To date, 38 pilots have already been hired, including several training captains. The cabin crew is also growing continuously, and the third class of flight attendants was recently hired. The new cabin crew uniforms are scheduled to be unveiled during the Paris fashion show in June 2024 to represent the Riyadh Air brand in style. Another important aspect of Riyadh Air is the expansion of its digital offering, which is scheduled to be unveiled during 2024. Douglas stressed that improving global connections, especially for cities

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Vienna's tourism sector is recording increases in overnight stays and sales

Amely Mizzi 24 Maj 2024 08:06

Vienna's tourism industry recorded around 2024 million overnight stays in April 1,5, an increase of 1% compared to the previous year. A total of 4,9 million overnight stays were recorded from January to April, an increase of 9% compared to the same period in 2023. Demand from Austria was particularly strong, with 292.000 overnight stays (+10%), while Germany recorded a decline of 309.000% despite 13 overnight stays. The net overnight stay turnover of Vienna's accommodation establishments rose by 20% to 85,3 million euros in March. In the first three months of the year, turnover reached 211 million euros, an increase of 12% compared to the same period last year. Despite a slight decline in average room occupancy in April to 71% and bed occupancy to 55,3%, the capacity of available hotel beds grew by 6% to a total of 74.600.

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Austria's airports on the rise: A strong first quarter of 2024

Amely Mizzi 24 Maj 2024 07:31

The Austrian aviation industry is showing impressive recovery trends and marks an important milestone in the first quarter of 2024. With around 7,2 million passengers, an increase of 10,4% compared to the previous year, Austria's six commercial airports are recording remarkable growth. It is particularly encouraging that flight capacity utilization is increasing and air freight volumes are already above the level of 2019, one year before the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Julian Jäger, President of the Association of Austrian Commercial Airports (AÖV) and CEO of Flughafen Wien AG, the strong passenger growth underlines the important role of Austria's commercial airports for the country's tourism and economic regions. The average aircraft capacity utilization rose to 75,4%, an improvement of 1,7 percentage points compared to the first quarter of 2023. These figures illustrate the high demand for air travel and the efficiency improvements in operations. Development of passenger numbers at the airports Vienna Airport remains the heart of Austrian air traffic and recorded an increase of 5.910.251% compared to the same quarter last year with 11 passengers. Regional airports are also showing positive trends: Salzburg Airport registered growth of 3,9% to 613.149 passengers, while Innsbruck Airport recorded an increase of 526.716% with 9,6 passengers. Graz Airport grew particularly strongly with an increase of 36,5% to 149.642 passengers. Linz Airport recorded a moderate increase of 5,7% to 20.703 passengers. Only Klagenfurt Airport had to accept a decline of 42,3% to 17.327 passengers due to previously announced route closures. Increase in flight movements Flight movements have increased at most Austrian airports. At Vienna Airport, the number of take-offs and landings rose by 6,5% to

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Schauinsland-Reisen acquires a majority stake in the long-distance travel specialist Explorer

Amely Mizzi 24 Maj 2024 07:08

The Duisburg-based tour operator Schauinsland-Reisen has acquired a majority stake in the long-haul travel specialist Explorer, thereby integrating the 30 highly qualified Explorer travel agencies into its group. This strategic partnership expands Schauinsland-Reisen's portfolio to include first-class adventure trips and decades of expertise in the long-haul modular business. Heike Niederberghaus, managing partner of Explorer, will remain in her position and will continue to work with the management of Schauinsland-Reisen to further develop the joint business area. Explorer, known for its individual trips, has been offering tailor-made travel experiences in 50 countries worldwide for over 71 years. The company, which started as an Africa specialist, has developed into an expert in individual long-haul trips, flexibly combining flights, hotels, tours and active holidays. Long-standing cooperation with renowned hotel partners and airlines guarantees high quality and first-class service. Gerald Kassner, Managing Director of Schauinsland-Reisen, emphasizes the importance of this partnership: "The individual modular program and the expertise of Explorer significantly expand our offering. We thank Heike Niederberghaus and her team for the trusting cooperation." Niederberghaus adds: "This partnership will be of great benefit to both us and our customers. Schauinsland-Reisen is a reliable partner for travel agencies, enabling the individual combination of travel components using modern technology."

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Swiss is expanding its winter flight program for 2024/25

Amely Mizzi 24 Maj 2024 06:34

Swiss International Air Lines (Swiss) announces its 2024/2025 winter flight program, offering its passengers an impressive variety of destinations. By continuing to add new summer destinations and expanding existing routes, Swiss is signaling its continuous development and commitment to meeting the needs of its customers. Swiss will also take its passengers to summer destinations in the coming winter season. Particularly noteworthy is the continuation of connections from Zurich to Washington DC, London Gatwick, Cluj-Napoca and Košice, as well as from Geneva to Oslo. These routes, which were successfully introduced in summer 2024, will also remain in winter, offering travelers a consistent and reliable choice of flights. Increased long-haul connections Swiss is significantly expanding its long-haul offering. The Californian cities of Los Angeles and San Francisco will be served daily from Zurich in winter. Connections to Miami will also be increased to two flights per day, which is particularly attractive for business travelers and vacationers. In addition, the Zurich-Shanghai route will be served daily, which underlines the importance of the Chinese market for Swiss. In addition to the existing long-haul flights, Swiss is also strengthening its short-haul network. Flights to London Gatwick will be offered daily, while Cluj-Napoca and Košice will each be served three times a week. These connections offer both business travelers and tourists flexible and frequent travel options within Europe. Additional connections from Geneva Swiss is also expanding its offering from Geneva. The Norwegian capital Oslo will continue to be served with six weekly flights. Swiss is also increasing the frequency of flights to Copenhagen to five flights per week and to Valencia and Malaga to three weekly connections each.

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Tui Care Foundation strengthens sea turtle protection

Amely Mizzi 24 Maj 2024 06:08

On World Turtle Day, the Tui Care Foundation is highlighting the importance of protecting sea turtles. The Tui Turtle Aid program monitors and protects nesting beaches in Cape Verde, Greece, Turkey and Kenya. Together with local organizations, measures such as night patrols, the use of drones and the establishment of rehabilitation centers are implemented. Awareness campaigns and workshops raise awareness of marine conservation among locals and tourists. In addition, a globally unique certification system for turtle-friendly hotels has been developed that promotes environmentally friendly practices in the tourism industry. In Cape Verde, the collaboration with Project Biodiversity protects nesting beaches by monitoring and relocating endangered nests. Media campaigns and school workshops raise public awareness. In Kenya, the Turtle Aid program and Local Ocean Conservation (LOC) work together. Over 200 injured turtles are cared for in rehabilitation centers. Night patrols protect thousands of hatchlings every year, while a visitor center raises awareness of turtle conservation. On the Turkish coast, in cooperation with Dekamer and Ekad, protective cages and patrols protect nests. Rehabilitation centers treat injured turtles and educate the public. In Greece, especially on Crete, the program protects nesting sites and raises awareness through information kiosks and guided beach walks. The Tui Turtle Aid program has developed practical guidelines and the world's first certification system for turtle-friendly hotels. 30 hotels will initially be certified, becoming pioneers in sustainable tourism. As part of "Marine May", various educational initiatives will be launched to raise awareness of sustainable practices to protect marine ecosystems.

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Qantas has said goodbye to the last Boeing 767

Amely Mizzi 24 Maj 2024 05:30

The Oneworld member has closed an important chapter in its history: on May 17, 2024, its subsidiary Express Freighters Australia operated the last revenue flight of a Boeing 767. This aircraft, with the registration VH-EFR, took off from Hong Kong International Airport and landed at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport. This marks the end of an era that began in 1985, when the Boeing 767 was first added to the Qantas fleet. Since 1985, Qantas has had a total of 41 Boeing 767s in passenger configuration in its fleet. These aircraft were the backbone of the airline's international and domestic route network for many years. In 2014, passenger service with the Boeing 767 was discontinued and the remaining aircraft were converted to cargo flights or sold. VH-EFR, which joined the cargo fleet in 2011, is now the last Boeing 767 to fly for Qantas Freight. The retirement of the Boeing 767 is linked to the modernisation of Qantas Freight's fleet. With the arrival of two Airbus A330-200(P2F) and several A321-200(P2F), the Boeing 767 became obsolete. In addition to being more fuel efficient, these new aircraft offer increased cargo capacity and lower operating costs. This modernisation is part of a wider Qantas Group strategy to increase efficiency and reduce environmental impact. Future fleet planning The Qantas Group plans to continue to expand and modernise its freight fleet. In the short to medium term, the Group expects to take delivery of a further A330F and four further A321Fs. This expansion will bring the fleet to a total of three A330-200(P2F) and nine A321-200(P2F). In addition, Qantas Freight relies on a variety of wet lease arrangements. These include two

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Frankfurt: Lufthansa announces Rovaniemi

Amely Mizzi 24 Maj 2024 05:01

From November 30, 2024, Lufthansa will fly non-stop twice a week for the first time from Frankfurt to Rovaniemi, the capital of Lapland in Finland. The new connection allows travelers to visit Santa Claus in his "official" hometown and experience breathtaking natural phenomena such as the Northern Lights. Rovaniemi is located on the Arctic Circle and offers ideal conditions for winter sports and nature exploration. This expansion strengthens Lufthansa's presence in Finland, where the airline already flies to Helsinki, Oulu, Kittilä, Ivalo and Kuusamo. In addition, Lufthansa is adding Chișinău, the capital of the Republic of Moldova, to its winter flight schedule from Frankfurt. This route was already introduced in summer 2024. Another highlight is the expansion of the connection to Nantes (France) from Munich, which will now also be offered in winter. All new destinations can now be booked through the well-known Lufthansa sales channels.

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Greece: Ellinair is bankrupt

Amely Mizzi 24 Maj 2024 04:30

Ellinair, the Greek leisure airline founded in 2013 and a subsidiary of the Mouzenidis Group, was launched to meet the growing demand for flights to Greece. It was intended to serve Russian tourists in particular, making the airline an important link between Russia and Greece. But the success story did not last long: in 2021, Ellinair ceased operations. The consequences for the Greek tourism industry are far-reaching. The Mouzenidis Group, a major player in the Greek tourism market, founded Ellinair to support the increase in tourism numbers by providing affordable and convenient flight connections. The fleet consisted of a mix of Airbus A320s, BAE RJ85s and Boeing 737-300s, with some aircraft leased from the Indonesian airline Lion Air. This wide range of aircraft was intended to meet regional expansion plans. But as early as July 2021, rumors were circulating that operations would cease. These were initially vehemently denied. In November of the same year, however, the time had come: Ellinair ceased operations. The parent company, the Mouzenidis Group, had also ceased operations, which resulted in the return of the leased aircraft to the lessors. Experts see this as a sign of the vulnerability of the tourism industry to geopolitical and economic fluctuations. Impact on Greek tourism The collapse of Ellinair is a hard blow to the Greek tourism industry, which makes a significant contribution to the country's economy. The airline had focused heavily on the Russian market, which has always been an important source of visitors to Greece. With the loss of these connections, it will be more difficult for tourists to reach popular Greek

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