September 11, 2024

More articles from the category

September 11, 2024

New findings on the Hindenburg disaster: Experts examine old film material

Almost 90 years after the devastating "Hindenburg" disaster, experts are once again investigating what caused the legendary airship to catch fire on May 6, 1937. In the ORF documentary "Hindenburg - Tragedy in the Sky", which will be broadcast on September 13, 2024, aviation experts Dan Grossman and Jason Harris examine rediscovered footage that could provide new clues. The airship, a symbol of technological progress in the 1930s, burned up within minutes when landing in Lakehurst, USA. The cause of the accident remains unknown to this day. The documentary reconstructs the event in detail in collaboration with leading scientists from the California Institute of Technology and the Zeppelin Museum in Friedrichshafen. With a length of over 245 meters, the "Hindenburg" was the largest aircraft ever built. It was considered a masterpiece of engineering and a prestige object of National Socialist Germany. Their tragic end caused lasting shock and ended the era of the Zeppelin. The documentary sheds light on the technical and political background and shows how the accident changed the history of aviation. A detailed article on why hydrogen as a lifting gas for modern airships appears questionable can be found at this link at Aviation.Direct.

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Passenger volume at Zurich Airport will increase by 2024 percent in August 6

In August 2024, Zurich Airport recorded a 6 percent increase in passenger numbers compared to the previous year. A total of 3.096.971 passengers used the airport, which is almost the same as in August 2019 (99,5%). Of these passengers, 2.141.217 were local travelers, while 31 percent of passengers were transfer passengers. Flight movements increased by 4 percent to 24.132 takeoffs and landings, which is 96 percent of the 2019 level. The average number of passengers per flight increased slightly by 2 percent to 145, while seat utilization increased by 1 percentage point to 85 percent compared to the previous year. There were also increases in the cargo sector: In August 2024, 33.640 tons of cargo were handled at Zurich Airport, an increase of 23 percent compared to the same month last year. However, compared to 2019, freight volume was 5 percent lower.

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Discover Airlines introduces new safety video on long-haul flights

Discover Airlines, a subsidiary of Lufthansa, will be launching a new safety video for its long-haul flights on board the A18 fleet from September 2024, 330. The video, which is available in both German and English, replaces the safety instructions previously presented by the crew and is intended to relieve cabin crew members of the burden of flight preparation. With a length of 3:55 minutes per language, the video not only offers safety-relevant information, but also visual impressions of various travel destinations to get passengers in the mood for their vacation during the flight. The video was produced in collaboration with the creative agency Scholz & Friends and Liveframe GmbH and filmed in their studios in Dreieich. A special highlight is that the actors in the video come from the cabin crew of Discover Airlines, which gives the video a personal and authentic touch. The subtitles in both languages ​​are intended to ensure that all passengers understand the important safety information. The decision to use a pre-recorded safety video is in line with the trend of many international airlines, who rely on standardized videos to ensure that the safety demonstration runs smoothly while entertaining passengers. With this step, Discover Airlines is also following other Lufthansa subsidiaries that have already introduced similar videos on board. The new video is not only intended to simplify the crew's daily work, but also to offer passengers a more efficient and pleasant flight experience. The use of subtitles in both languages ​​ensures that international passengers can better understand the safety information. In addition, the video's visual design highlights the airline's most important holiday destinations, which increases anticipation.

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Vienna Airport receives Europe’s largest wooden hotel

Vienna Airport is facing a major expansion: Viennese real estate developer Mamma Group has started construction of the largest hotel at the site and the fourth largest in Austria. The new hotel will be operated under the Vienna House Easy by Wyndham brand and is a remarkable project in architecture and sustainability. With 510 rooms, the hotel will not only increase the hotel capacity at the airport to over 1.400 rooms, but will also stand out as Europe's largest hotel built using wood. The opening is planned for the end of 2025. Construction of Europe's largest wood hotel The Vienna House Easy by Wyndham Airport Vienna will be built using an innovative wood-hybrid construction method. This marks a significant step forward in architecture, as it will be the largest hotel in Europe to be built using wood. The building includes a CO2-free heating and cooling supply and will be partially supplied with electricity by a photovoltaic system on the roof. These environmentally friendly measures are part of a comprehensive sustainability concept that the Mamma Group and its partners have implemented to minimize the hotel's ecological footprint. The new hotel will not only significantly expand the hotel capacity of Vienna Airport, but will also strengthen the economic importance of the location. Johanna Mikl-Leitner, Governor of Lower Austria, emphasized that the construction of the hotel sends a strong signal for the region. It will create new modern accommodation options, offer additional jobs and provide economic stimulus for the region. This assessment is underlined by the anticipation and support of the local government and business representatives. Collaboration and visions The construction of the Vienna House Easy by

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Munich Airport: Record numbers at the end of the 2024 summer holidays

Munich Airport has drawn up an impressive balance sheet at the end of the Bavarian summer holidays. With 6,2 million passengers in the past six weeks, Bavaria's largest airport recorded an increase of ten percent compared to the previous year. September 1, 2024 was particularly outstanding, when 143.000 passengers used Munich Airport on a single day - a new peak day for the airport. This positive development is also reflected in the aircraft utilization, which reached a record high of 86 percent during the summer holidays. This indicates strong demand for air travel. Traffic figures and flight movements During the 2024 summer holidays, Munich Airport carried out a total of 46.000 take-offs and landings, an increase of 7,6 percent compared to the previous year. This increase underlines the airport's growing popularity as a transport hub. It is particularly noteworthy that passenger numbers are now 91 percent of the record year of 2019. In international traffic, the airport even recorded a 14 percent increase in flights to North America compared to 2019. The number of passengers to the Mediterranean countries has also reached pre-crisis levels, indicating a strong recovery in summer travel. It is worth mentioning that in Terminal 2, which is used by Lufthansa and its partner airlines, the number of passengers exceeded the pre-crisis level for the first time on 19 days during the holidays. This shows that the airport has made progress not only in the total number but also in the quality of services. Challenges and solutions Despite the positive results, there were still some problems in the

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Flyvbird: On-demand aviation starts at Lake Constance Airport

In an exciting unveiling at Lake Constance Airport, the German start-up Flyvbird presented its innovative concept for a flexible and individual way of traveling. Yesterday, founders Tomislav Lang and Anton Lutz presented their innovative business model, which enables travelers to actively shape the flight schedule, to around 30 interested guests from the region. This concept promises a sustainable and time-saving alternative to conventional air travel and could have a significant impact on the future of aviation. Flyvbird relies on cutting-edge technology to meet the mobility needs of modern travelers. The key to the company's success lies in the use of flyvAI, an algorithm-based booking platform that creates customized flight networks. "On May 05, 2025, we will take off from Lake Constance Airport on our first commercial flight," announced Anton Lutz, Managing Director of Flyvbird. "Flyvbird combines cutting-edge technology with the needs of modern travelers and paves the way for a sustainable future of aviation." This date marks the beginning of a new chapter in aviation history, which aims to enable a direct and sustainable connection between smaller airports. Future of aviation: Focus on sustainability and efficiency Flyvbird's main goal is to efficiently connect smaller airports and offer business travelers a time-saving and direct way to reach their destinations. The company relies on environmentally friendly aircraft that are intended to make operations more sustainable. The use of advanced technology and the emphasis on sustainability are central points of the concept, which aims to revolutionize regional mobility. The presentation at Bodensee Airport was a great success. The guests had the opportunity to experience several sightseeing flights

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Skytrax names Eurowings a four-star airline

Eurowings, the second largest German airline after Lufthansa, recently received the coveted four-star award from the British management consultancy Skytrax. The carrier believes that the rating, which is also given to its parent company Lufthansa, would clearly set it apart from competitors such as Ryanair and Wizzair. For a short time, the airline had five stars, but Skytrax withdrew the fifth star not too long later. Lufthansa reacted a little sulkily at the time. Skytrax, a consultancy, evaluates the quality of airlines using a comprehensive test procedure. The testers travel with the customer's eye and assess the airlines' service in up to 800 different areas. These include on-board service, seat comfort, catering, security measures, in-flight entertainment and duty-free offers. The service awareness and behavior of the crews are particularly important for the award of the four-star seal. Skytrax emphasized that Eurowings' crews are "more professional, more experienced and friendlier in their dealings with passengers," which makes an important difference compared to the competition. Such awards are very popular in the industry, but their significance is controversial. For example, Skytrax has lost some credibility due to the five-star award to Lufthansa, which has since been withdrawn. In general, there is an award for pretty much everything and everyone in aviation, so travelers can quickly lose track. In any case, these are only likely to be a booking criterion for very few passengers. Of a total of 74 airlines in the low-cost segment rated by Skytrax, only 14 have received the four-star seal. Eurowings CEO Jens Bischof commented on the award: "Eurowings stands for inexpensive flying with more

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Hessian Ministry of Transport defends Kassel Airport against criticism

The Hesse Ministry of Transport has dismissed concerns about a possible discontinuation of regular flights at Kassel-Calden Airport. Speculation about a long lull at the airport is unfounded, the ministry said, referring to the coalition agreement between the black-red state government. The airport remains an important infrastructure project for northern Hesse. However, critics, including the Greens in the state parliament, complain about the low number of flights and the airport's deficit that has existed for years. Kassel-Calden Airport, which has been in the red since it opened, will continue to receive public funding. At the same time, the ministry emphasizes the airport's positive economic effects, such as the doubling of the number of companies based there and the number of employees.

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Berlin Administrative Court rejects Southwind Airlines' urgent application against EU flight ban

The Turkish airline Southwind Airlines failed in its urgent application against a flight ban in the European Union before the Berlin Administrative Court. The background to the ban is the allegation that Southwind Airlines is controlled by Russian actors and is being used to circumvent EU sanctions against Russia. The court ruled that an email from the Federal Ministry of Transport, which Southwind objected to, did not constitute an administrative act, but was merely information from the EU Commission about the ban. Eurocontrol is responsible for implementing the flight ban, which is why the airline must file a lawsuit in Belgium.

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Fire at Braunschweig Airport causes brief disruption to air traffic

A fire at Braunschweig-Wolfsburg Airport led to a one-hour interruption of air traffic on Tuesday. The fire was caused by a defective electric motor on a baggage conveyor. Although the fire was quickly extinguished, the heavy smoke caused the departure area to be evacuated. Airport operations had to be suspended between 17:30 p.m. and 18:30 p.m. After intensive ventilation, operations were able to resume. The rooms now have to be cleaned of fire-fighting foam and powder. The damage was minimal thanks to the quick response of the professional and company fire brigade.

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