October 29th

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October 29th

Finavia airports expect record numbers in the 2024/2025 winter season

Finavia airports are preparing for an extensive winter season with 130 direct scheduled flights to various destinations. 24 new routes have been negotiated, particularly in tourist-oriented Lapland, to serve the increasing holiday traffic. The winter season will begin on October 27, 2024 and end on March 29, 2025. According to Petri Vuori, Senior Vice President of Finavia, the increase in holiday traffic shows an international trend and reflects the increasing popularity of Finland as a travel destination. Capacity on flights to Helsinki will also increase to meet demand. A total of 27 new international routes will be opened, with Helsinki Airport accounting for the majority with 103 winter destinations. The new connections include Ryanair flights from Milan to Rovaniemi and Lufthansa partners to Kittilä. To optimize travel on busy days, slot coordination will also be introduced at Rovaniemi and Kittilä airports. Passenger numbers for the Lapland region are expected to increase by around 10%, underlining the positive development of air traffic in Finland. Finnair, the country's largest airline, is also increasing its capacity, offering an increase of almost 12% in flights to Lapland compared to last year.

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Passenger growth at Dortmund Airport during the autumn holidays 2024

Dortmund Airport recorded a significant increase in passenger numbers during the 2024 autumn holidays. Between October 12 and 27, 2024, a total of 172.174 travelers used the airport, an increase of around 27,5 percent compared to the previous year. Over 40 travel destinations were offered during this period, with the connection to Katowice being the most popular with almost 21.000 passengers. Mallorca was also very popular with almost 15.800 passengers. The high passenger volume confirms the positive growth trend at Dortmund Airport, which already recorded a record month in September with around 298.000 travelers. Demand is expected to remain high in the coming months, which could help the airport reach its annual target of three million passengers.

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Swiss has started Geneva-Berlin

The Swiss airline Swiss International Air Lines has introduced a new daily flight connection to Geneva at Berlin Brandenburg Airport (BER). From October 28, 2024, travelers can benefit from both the lively capital and the international city on Lake Geneva. The flights are of interest to both business and leisure travelers. Departures take place in the evening, giving passengers the opportunity to make the most of their time there. The Airbus A220 family aircraft land at BER at 19:30 p.m. and take off for Geneva at 20:15 p.m., arriving at 22:00 p.m. The connection to Geneva complements Swiss's existing offering, which already offers up to eight flights a day to Zurich. This new route is part of an expanded winter flight schedule that also includes increasing frequencies to popular destinations in Scandinavia and Southern Europe. In addition to the new Geneva connection, Berlin Airport expects a number of other destinations of interest to tourists and business travelers in the 2024/2025 winter flight schedule.

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Portugal considers privatization of TAP Air Portugal – Lufthansa, Air France-KLM and IAG show interest

The Portuguese government is planning a partial or complete privatization of the state-owned airline TAP Air Portugal. The European airlines Lufthansa, Air France-KLM and IAG (British Airways, Iberia) have officially signaled their interest in participating in Lisbon. According to the Portuguese newspaper "Negocios", talks are currently taking place between the government and representatives of the three airline groups, in which various participation models are being examined. The decision on a possible privatization will then be presented to the Portuguese parliament. Lufthansa sees TAP primarily as an opportunity to secure the Portuguese airline's membership in the Star Alliance in the long term and to strengthen its market position on transatlantic routes. Air France-KLM, on the other hand, could further integrate TAP Air Portugal into its own alliance after the takeover of SAS, thus weakening Lufthansa's influence. IAG, which recently canceled the takeover of Air Europa, sees TAP as an opportunity to expand its own network in southern Europe. Portugal's Prime Minister Luís Montenegro recently expressed his willingness to sell the airline completely, but only on the condition that strategically important routes and Lisbon's hub function are retained in the long term. A stake by Lufthansa below the antitrust limit of 19,9 percent would theoretically be possible and would avoid an examination by the EU Commission.

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US industry records decline in orders for durable goods

In September, US industry recorded a 0,8 percent decline in durable goods orders compared to the previous month, the US Department of Commerce reported. The aircraft manufacturing and transportation sectors were the main drivers of the decline; the transportation segment as a whole, including aircraft orders, was highly volatile. Experts such as Ralf Umlauf of Helaba point out that outside the transportation sector, there was a surprising increase of 0,4 percent, which indicates stable investments in other economic sectors. These mixed results allow for a differentiated assessment of the US industrial outlook. While there are uncertainties in the aviation and transportation sectors, other industries such as mechanical engineering and electronics continue to show robust growth impulses. The general decline is attributed to the ongoing uncertainties in the global economy and the restrictive interest rate policy, which tends to weigh on investments in durable goods.

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Eurowings and Brussels Airlines report significant profit increases

The airlines Eurowings and Brussels Airlines, both part of the Lufthansa Group, are reporting significant profit increases for the summer months of 2024. Despite high operating costs in Germany, Eurowings was able to achieve an operating result (adjusted EBIT) of 152 million euros. This was achieved primarily by expanding its tourism offering. The airline recorded over 18 million passengers and flew to 150 European destinations. In addition, Eurowings was awarded the four-star seal by the rating agency Skytrax, which particularly recognized the quality of service of the crew. At the same time, Brussels Airlines reported a record result of 2024 million euros for the third quarter of 78. Thanks to increased long-haul production and high punctuality - with 99% regularity and 72% on-time arrivals - Brussels Airlines positioned itself among the five most punctual airlines in Europe. The airline transported 2,5 million passengers during this period and increased its capacity in Africa in particular, with the connection to Nairobi achieving the highest occupancy rate. CFO Nina Öwerdieck announced that the fleet would be expanded with three more Airbus A330s in the coming years in order to continue the profitable growth.

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Quarterly figures: Eurowings achieves strong business results

The Lufthansa subsidiary Eurowings recorded strong results in the summer and autumn of 2024, confirming its strategic reorientation towards tourist air traffic. According to company information, the airline generated an operating result of 2024 million euros in the first nine months of 152, an increase over the previous year. Revenue rose to 2,2 billion euros. The number of passengers exceeded 18 million, with Eurowings now flying to more than 150 European destinations in 39 countries. This expansion of the offer and the positioning as a "value airline" for Europe have contributed to the success, according to Eurowings CEO Jens Bischof.

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Lufthansa reports record results and sets course for the future

In the third quarter of 2024, Deutsche Lufthansa AG recorded the highest revenue quarter in its company history. With revenue of 10,7 billion euros, the group exceeded the previous year by five percent. In addition to high demand for air travel, the growth was also driven by the good development of its subsidiaries Lufthansa Technik and Lufthansa Cargo. Despite the positive results, the airline group remains faced with a number of challenges and is working consistently on its strategic direction and sustainability goals. High demand drives revenue and capacity utilization The Lufthansa Group carried over 40 million passengers in the third quarter, an increase of six percent compared to the previous year. The average seat load factor rose to 87 percent, with August setting a new monthly record with a capacity utilization of 88 percent. Lufthansa continued to record strong demand, particularly in the premium segment - Business and First Class - and booking figures for the fourth quarter are also above the previous year's level. The high number of passengers and the stable cargo business gave the Group an adjusted EBIT (operating profit) of 1,3 billion euros, although the operating margin fell slightly to 12,5 percent due to rising costs. Personnel costs, increased fees and delays in aircraft deliveries in particular had a negative impact on the balance sheet. However, these challenges are part of the future "turnaround" program of Lufthansa Airlines, which includes making short-haul flights more efficient and modernizing the aircraft fleet. Lufthansa Technik and Lufthansa Cargo as pillars A significant part of the turnover comes from the subsidiaries Lufthansa Technik and Lufthansa Cargo, which each make significant contributions to the

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Swiss reports stable results despite cost pressure and challenging market conditions

Swiss International Air Lines (Swiss) can look back on a solid economic balance sheet after the first nine months of 2024. With an operating result of CHF 505 million, which represents a decline of 2023 percent compared to the record year of 18, the leading Swiss airline was nevertheless able to maintain its position. This development is due to several factors: stable demand in the summer, rising operating costs and considerable operational challenges. The strategic focus on tourist destinations and growth in the Asian business, especially in the cargo area, had a positive impact on the overall result. High demand and stable revenues Summer is traditionally the most important time for aviation, as this is when travel intensity is at its highest. Swiss recorded an operating result of CHF 2024 million between July and September 240,8 and generated CHF 1,6 billion in revenues during these months - an increase of 5,9 percent over the previous year. These figures show that demand, especially in tourism, remains stable. Passenger numbers have increased by 2023 percent to 10,5 million compared to 13,7. The number of flights has also increased by 10,5 percent to 108.000 flights. Dennis Weber, Swiss's CFO, classifies the results as stable, albeit below the record levels of the previous year. According to Weber, the main reason for the lower earnings is higher expenses in various areas, including personnel, maintenance and fees, which arose from wage increases and increased hiring. Nevertheless, the company remains confident of achieving a good annual result. Cargo business: Successful thanks to strong Asian market Swiss's cargo business continues to play a key role in sales,

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Austrian Airlines with strong results despite challenges in the third quarter of 2024

With revenue of EUR 783 million in the third quarter of 2024, Austrian Airlines (AUA) is showing a solid performance despite difficult conditions. Adjusted operating profit (Adjusted EBIT) rose to EUR 139 million and remains stable above the previous year's level. Thanks to the increase in tourism and growing demand, AUA is thus heading for a high double-digit annual result. Nevertheless, the airline is faced with geopolitical uncertainties, ongoing operational challenges and a significant cost burden due to flight cancellations and delays. The costs of irregularities were around 60 percent higher than in the previous year, mainly due to the tense situation in the Middle East and unforeseen strikes in Hungarian airspace. High demand and solid performance despite restrictions Despite a lower Adjusted EBIT of EUR 77 million for the first nine months of the year, AUA was able to transport 4,7 million passengers in the third quarter and achieved a fleet utilization rate of 87,2 percent. The punctuality rate of AUA flights has remained constant at an impressive 99,3 percent, which continues to make the Austrian airline one of the most punctual in Europe. In a challenging time when business travel is still below pre-crisis levels, AUA is focusing on tourist routes and is expanding connections to Rovaniemi and Kittilä in Finland in winter 2024/25. Routes to Edinburgh and Sylt are planned for summer 2025. Location problems in Austria: calls for political measures One problem area that is particularly burdening Austrian Airlines is the high taxes for departures from Austria, which are the highest in Europe after Germany and have risen by a third since 2019. CEO Annette Mann warns of the

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