October 31th

More articles from the category

October 31th

Finnair modernizes Embraer cabins

Finnish airline Finnair has renovated the cabins of its Embraer fleet to improve the passenger experience on short and medium-haul routes. All 2026 Embraer aircraft are to be modernized by spring 12, with seven of the aircraft to be converted as early as the 2024-2025 winter season. The design of the cabins has been adapted to Finnair's wide-body aircraft and includes dark blue and gray colors with wooden accents, which can also be found in the Schengen Lounge at Helsinki Airport. In addition to a modern LED lighting system, lighter materials are also used to reduce the weight of the aircraft and thus reduce fuel consumption. This should enable a reduction in aircraft weight of around 150 kilograms per flight, as Eerika Enne, Head of Inflight Customer Experience at Finnair, explained. The Embraer fleet's cabins will continue to offer 100 seats, but the first nine rows will have new seats that are more comfortable and adjustable. These fleet renewal measures are in line with Finnair's goal of increasing passenger comfort while offering more environmentally friendly solutions. Finnair uses the Embraer aircraft primarily on intra-European routes, such as in Northern and Central Europe.

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Air Baltic expands winter flight schedule 2024 with new connections from Vilnius

Latvian airline Air Baltic has announced the launch of its expanded 2024 winter schedule, which includes new routes from Vilnius. Since the end of October, Air Baltic has been flying twice a week to Düsseldorf and Oslo-Torp. These connections are intended to offer additional options for both business travelers and holidaymakers, including short trips to German cities and relaxing holidays in Norway. As part of a risk-sharing agreement with Lithuanian airports, Air Baltic is thus strengthening Lithuania's European connections. According to Martin Gauss, CEO of Air Baltic, Germany is an important economic partner for Lithuania. The expansion of connections to Germany with the Airbus A220-300 is also intended to consolidate Lithuania's position as a gateway to other European destinations. In total, Air Baltic connects Vilnius with 14 direct connections within Europe in the winter schedule and offers access to more than 80 other destinations via the Riga hub. For the summer of 2025, Air Baltic is already planning to launch seven more routes from Vilnius, including to Ibiza, Tel Aviv and Valencia, which will be the largest summer expansion in the history of Air Baltic's Lithuanian route. The expansion is considered an important step for the economic and tourist development of the Baltics.

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Low-cost airlines: cheap, but problematic for consumer rights

Low-cost airlines such as Ryanair and Wizz Air offer cheap travel, but consumers often encounter problems with refunds and customer service. According to EU law, taxes and fees must be refunded when flights are cancelled, but Ryanair does not list these separately and refuses to refund. Problems also arise at check-in: customers report that online check-ins often do not work, and fees at the counter are therefore unavoidable. The Upper Austrian Chamber of Labor criticizes the airlines and calls for stricter rules across Europe to strengthen customer rights.

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Despite stable demand, Austria's hotel industry remains under pressure

The overnight stay figures recently published by Statistics Austria illustrate the mixed trends in Austria's tourism industry. In September, around 11,3 million overnight stays were recorded nationwide - a decrease of 7,4% compared to the same month last year. Explanations for the decrease can be found, among other things, in the unusually high rainfall and storms that affected many regions and placed a heavy burden on businesses. These natural events not only led to infrastructural challenges, but also to a significant decline in tourists. According to Hans Spreitzhofer, chairman of the Hotel Industry Association of the Austrian Federal Economic Chamber (WKÖ), this was not without consequences for bookings and the economic results of the businesses. Positive sign for autumn and winter despite decline Nevertheless, the industry is looking forward to the upcoming autumn holidays and the winter season with confidence. Spreitzhofer expressed optimism in view of the current booking status, which is supported by stable demand and optimism about the weather. The autumn holidays have become considerably more important in recent years and will also be booked more frequently by families and individual travelers in 2024. The trend towards spontaneous short trips plays into the hands of many companies, as favourable weather conditions often lead to short-term bookings. In addition, the industry is experiencing high demand for authentic nature and health experiences. Activities such as ice bathing, forest bathing and winter hiking are experiencing a boom and are considered attractions that contribute both to tourist appeal and to health recovery. Burdensome cost development remains a challenge Despite the positive development in demand, the economic conditions for the hotel industry remain tense. The increased energy costs, increased interest rates and higher wages are putting the industry under pressure, which is reflected in declining operating results. According to a survey

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Corendon Schiphol: The hotel with the Boeing 747 in the garden

A Boeing 747 in the colors of Corendon Airlines has been parked near Amsterdam-Schiphol Airport for several years. The decommissioned jumbo jet has now become the landmark of the "Corendon Amsterdam Schiphol Airport", a hotel that is only a few minutes' drive from the largest airport in the Netherlands. It is a large accommodation that is divided into several buildings. It is officially in the four-star range, but it can certainly compete with five-star hotels, because in some places it is at least on a par with the range and service. The Corendon airport hotel has a lot to offer. Boeing 747 in the hotel garden The highlight is probably the Boeing 747 mentioned at the beginning. This was bought by the Corendon Group a few years ago and was thus possibly saved from being scrapped. Hotel guests can also view the jumbo jet from the inside. External people must purchase an entrance ticket at reception. Although this decommissioned Boeing 747 is painted in the colors of Corendon Airlines, the company has never had such a model in its fleet. The cabin has largely been preserved in the original of the former operator KLM. This aircraft, built in 1989, was in service for the Skyteam member as PH-BFB until 2018. The Corendon Hotel Amsterdam-Schiphol regularly offers hotel guests expert tours through and around the exhibit. The times and registrations can be requested or made at reception. It is also possible to book the Boeing 747 for events. However, it can get very hot in the summer months, especially on the upper deck, because the external

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First woman in Europe as flight operations manager: Cristina Preda at Dan Air

Cristina Preda has become the first woman in Europe to take on the position of Flight Operations Manager at Dan Air. With years of experience as a pilot of Boeing and Airbus aircraft and thousands of flying hours, she will monitor the airline's operating standards, act as a representative to the aviation authorities and promote the safety culture within the company. Preda, a graduate of the Romanian Aviation Academy, has proven herself as a pilot in challenging missions. For example, she led repatriation flights from crisis areas such as Lebanon and Israel. The importance of her leadership role and the particular challenge of her tasks were highlighted by Matt Ian David, CEO of Dan Air, who emphasized her courage and professionalism in critical situations. Cristina Preda expressed the hope that her position will inspire women and others to strive for leadership roles in the aviation industry. Preda's appointment is a significant step towards greater diversity in the European aviation industry.

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Significant increase in passengers and new destinations for Graz Airport in the 2024 winter flight schedule

Passenger numbers at Graz Airport have risen steadily since the beginning of the year, boosted by improved flight load factors and larger aircraft. To date, around 710.000 passengers have traveled via Graz - an increase of around 15% compared to the previous year, while movements also increased by 8%. Demand for charter flights in particular has increased sharply, with an increase of around 31% compared to the same period last year. This reflects the increasing private travel desire, which now even exceeds the level of 2019, i.e. before the pandemic. Nevertheless, the business travel segment is still behind the 2019 figures, but this is offset by increasing demand in other segments. Winter flight schedule 2024: Optimized route network for more flexibility The winter flight schedule from Graz offers increased frequency to important hubs and new destinations for holiday travelers. The high-frequency transfer airports include Frankfurt, Munich, Vienna, Zurich and Düsseldorf, from which Graz passengers can easily reach up to 190 other destinations. The particularly popular connection to Frankfurt is served 23 times a week, followed by Munich with 22 connections. City travelers also benefit from the direct connections, for example to Hamburg and Berlin, which are each offered five times a week. Holiday destinations and special flights on offer The holiday offer also remains attractive: destinations such as Hurghada and Antalya are now available throughout the winter. Gran Canaria and Tenerife can also be flown to from autumn and October and are regularly served by Eurowings. Other destinations such as Paphos and Porto expand the repertoire of attractive autumn travel destinations. The airport is thus responding to the high demand and increasing popularity of travel flights.

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Ryanair plans first direct connection between Zagreb and Palermo

Ryanair has presented a provisional flight schedule for the summer connection between Zagreb and Palermo. If the plan is implemented, flight operations are to begin on March 30, 2024 with three weekly flights. The route will be the first to directly connect the Croatian and Sicilian cities, operated by an Airbus A320 from Lauda Europe. Tickets are not yet on sale. Italy has proven to be an important market for Ryanair from Zagreb: the low-cost airline already serves Rome, Bergamo, Naples and Pisa from the Croatian capital. Bergamo is one of the most used routes, with around 70.000 passengers last year. From summer 2024, Ryanair also plans to resume the Memmingen route, which was previously only offered in winter. Next year, Ryanair will enter the fourth year of its five-year growth program at Zagreb Airport, which offers significant incentives to increase passenger numbers. By adding more destinations and flights, Ryanair aims to strengthen its position at Zagreb Airport and continue to increase passenger numbers. Italy will be the airline's largest market from Zagreb next summer, followed by Spain, the United Kingdom and Germany.

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Tel Aviv Airport to close Terminal 1 by spring 2025

As a result of the tense security situation in the Middle East, Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv is closing its Terminal 1 to international flights from November 1 to March 23, 2025. This decision by the Israel Airports Authority (IAA) comes after numerous major low-cost airlines, including EasyJet, Ryanair and Wizz Air, suspended their flight connections to Israel due to the insecure situation in the region. This measure not only represents a logistical challenge for airlines and passengers, but also highlights the economic impact of the regional conflict on Israeli aviation. Low-cost airlines cease flight operations: A significant loss for Ben Gurion In June 2023, the airport reopened its Terminal 1 after a temporary security stop last fall. The terminal, designed primarily for low-cost carriers, was a preferred choice for these operators due to its lower operating costs compared to the larger and more central Terminal 3. Low-cost carriers Ryanair and Wizz Air quickly established themselves as major international players at Ben-Gurion after their services resumed in the spring. With almost 80 weekly flights to Tel Aviv by Wizz Air alone, the company was the fourth largest foreign airline at Ben-Gurion Airport until the summer of 2024. The loss of these operators represents a significant limitation for Ben-Gurion Airport, as passenger numbers at Terminal 1 fell to 20.000 per day. "This figure makes it impossible for us to operate Terminal 1 economically," an IAA spokesperson said in an official statement. In the meantime, all international flights will be consolidated in Terminal 3, while a limited number of domestic flights, particularly to Eilat, will continue to operate.

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Storm in Valencia causes significant flight cancellations and delays

A severe storm has caused numerous delays and flight cancellations at Valencia Airport. The effects of the storm, which included heavy rain, strong winds and lightning throughout the day, caused widespread disruption to air traffic. Airport authorities had to implement security measures to ensure the safety of passengers and flight crew, delaying or cancelling scheduled landings and departures. Due to the ongoing weather conditions, the airport advised passengers to check directly with airlines for up-to-date flight status information. Forecasts indicate that the effects of the storm could persist for a longer period and affect air traffic, particularly affecting travellers to and from Valencia.

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