November 8, 2024

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November 8, 2024

New connection from Cologne/Bonn Airport to Pristina

From December 13, 2024, the virtual airline MySky 24, in cooperation with Trade Air, will offer a new connection between Cologne/Bonn Airport and the Kosovar capital Pristina. The flights will depart every Monday and Friday, with a flight time of around two and a half hours. An Airbus A320 will be used for the new route. This connection is a first for both MySky 24 and Cologne/Bonn Airport and complements the existing offering to Eastern Europe. The flights will be operated by Trade Air. Thilo Schmid, Chairman of the Management Board of Cologne/Bonn Airport GmbH, describes the new route as an attractive extension of the flight schedule and highlights the historical and cultural potential of Pristina. The city has developed strongly over the past two decades and is now considered a political and economic center in southeastern Europe. In addition to important cultural sites, Pristina also offers numerous tourist attractions, including the UNESCO World Heritage Site Gračanica Monastery and the Gadime stalactite cave. The flights can be booked via the MySky 24 and Air Munich websites.

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Austrian Infrastructure Report 2025: Demands to Strengthen Vienna Airport

The Austrian Infrastructure Report 2024, published in November 2025 and published by the Future Business Austria initiative, highlights the urgent need to promote and secure Vienna Airport as an indispensable hub for international air traffic. The study, based on a survey of domestic managers and industry experts, shows broad support for targeted infrastructural and regulatory improvements. These include expanding terminal capacities, optimizing multimodal connections and increasing the promotion of sustainable fuels in order to secure the location's competitiveness and ecological responsibility in the long term. Vienna Airport as a strategic hub A key finding of the report is the great importance of Vienna Airport for Austria's economy. Around 200 direct international connections position the airport as one of the region's leading air traffic hubs, the continued existence and expansion of which are crucial for the country's prosperity and economic networking. 61 percent of the managers surveyed see Vienna as an international aviation hub, while 69 percent call for its further safeguarding and expansion. Airport Board Member Dr. Günther Ofner emphasizes that the planned investment of 420 million euros in the terminal infrastructure are important steps to keep the location internationally competitive. Competitive advantages and regulatory hurdles A significant part of the report is devoted to the critical analysis of the current EU regulations. According to many managers, these regulations hinder market access and the competitiveness of European airports by slowing down the use of environmentally friendly, CO₂-neutral fuels (Sustainable Aviation Fuels, SAF). According to Dr. Ofner, European aviation needs around twelve million tons of SAF per year to meet the legal requirements. But so far, production capacities are too low, which keeps the price high and

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Marabu celebrates new base in Stuttgart

Marabu Airlines has opened a new base at Stuttgart Airport in time for the 2024/2025 winter flight schedule. The airline's expansion was officially launched with a celebratory gate event for departing passengers. Marabu Airlines now offers flights to popular sunny destinations such as the Canary Islands and Hurghada on the Red Sea. The airline uses an Airbus A320neo to offer passengers a comfortable and modern travel experience. The new base at Stuttgart Airport strengthens the airline's presence in the region and expands the range of options for travelers looking for sunny holiday destinations.

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Profit decline at Air France-KLM: Higher costs and Olympics burden summer business

In the third quarter of 2024, the aviation group Air France-KLM recorded a noticeable decline in profits. Despite a slight increase in sales, profits fell significantly due to several factors, including increased personnel costs, higher operating expenses and the impact of the Olympic Games in Paris. The decline in margins has also caused sobering on the stock market: the company's shares experienced a slide and at times lost more than twelve percent of their value. CEO Ben Smith stated that he expects costs to continue to rise for the full year, especially at the Dutch subsidiary KLM, which is struggling with its own challenges. Reasons for the decline in profits: Higher salaries and operating costs Air France-KLM's sales increased slightly to just under nine billion euros in the third quarter of 2024 compared to the same period last year, an increase of around four percent. However, the increased operating expenses, in particular the significantly increased personnel costs, overshadowed this increase in sales. The group, which has suffered greatly from the effects of the pandemic in recent years, is in a phase of recovery and growth, which brings new challenges in the area of ​​personnel and operating costs. Labor costs are a key factor in the aviation industry, and in times of scarce human resources, such as those currently prevailing in the labor market, salary costs have continued to rise. For the whole of 2024, Air France-KLM expects unit costs to increase by three percent, according to Smith. Originally, only an increase of two percent had been forecast. The increase in unit costs is a key indicator of the financial pressure the airline is under.

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Austrian Armed Forces in assistance mission against bird flu in Biberbach

From November 8, 2024, the Austrian Federal Army will be deployed in Biberbach (Amstetten district) to contain the spread of bird flu. Soldiers from the Korneuburg NBC Defense Company are setting up disinfection locks in affected companies to disinfect vehicles that transport dead animals before they leave the company. This is intended to prevent the virus from spreading further. The operation is expected to last until Sunday. Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner praised the commitment of the soldiers, who are ensuring security in Austria in this crisis situation with their quick and efficient deployment. Thousands of animals have already died or had to be killed due to the outbreak of bird flu. The soldiers of the NBC Defense Center are helping to fight the virus by disinfecting the wheel arches and underbodies of the vehicles as well as the containers in which the dead animals are transported. The ABC defense force of the Federal Army is specifically responsible for protection against nuclear, biological and chemical attacks. It is also deployed in the event of natural disasters or epidemics and supports civilian emergency services in the event of major accidents.

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Icelandair renews fleet with Airbus A321LR: Changes in European and transatlantic route network

The airline Icelandair is facing a turning point in autumn 2024: With the introduction of its first Airbus A321LR and the planned long-haul connections, the company is taking a historic step towards modernization and opening up new markets. The arrival of the new Airbus model not only marks a symbolic farewell to Boeing's long-standing dominance within the fleet, but also opens up strategic opportunities for air traffic between Europe and North America. The decision to use the A321LR is influenced by several factors that will help Icelandair to assert itself in the highly competitive air transport market. The A321LR, which has a range of up to 4.000 nautical miles (about 7.400 km), allows greater flexibility and cost savings. The economic efficiency of the Airbus type in particular makes the decision promising for the future. The four aircraft ordered, the first of which will be delivered in November 2024, are intended to replace the older Boeing 757-200, whose maintenance and operating costs are noticeably higher than the A321LR. The A321LR offers 187 seats, a slight increase over the 183 seats on the Boeing 757. 22 of these seats will be designed as flat seats in business class, making Icelandair more competitive in the premium segment. First routes and planned use Icelandair plans to initially use the Airbus on short routes in Europe to test operational efficiency and adapt the service offering. From December 10, 2024, the A321LR will be used on flights to Copenhagen and Stockholm. Shortly thereafter, on December 23, it will also be used for London Heathrow, and on December 24 for Oslo. These cities are among the most important hubs in Europe and offer numerous

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Large-scale emergency exercise at Ostend-Bruges Airport

On November 5, 2024, a full-scale emergency exercise was held at Ostend-Bruges Airport in Belgium, with over 100 people participating. The aim of the exercise was to test the emergency plans and cooperation between the airport, city administration and emergency services. The scenario simulated a major accident in which a bus carrying eight people collided with a tanker truck on the airside of the airport. The accident resulted in a fire with heavy smoke development, with the smoke visible for miles. Three people lost their lives, according to the simulation, while four others were trapped in the bus. A multidisciplinary coordination team, consisting of firefighters, police, medical services and airport staff, took care of rescuing the injured, fighting the fire and evacuating them. The city of Ostend declared a municipal state of emergency, with the mayor setting up a crisis team to monitor the aftermath. The airport's managing director, Bruno De Saegher, stressed the importance of such exercises in order to be well prepared in case of an emergency and to test existing emergency plans under real conditions. Governor Carl Decaluwé also emphasized the importance of the exercise and praised the cooperation of all those involved.

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Location costs: Cockpit Association calls for more responsibility from airlines

A heated debate has broken out in the German aviation industry: Airlines are demanding a reduction in government location costs such as the air traffic tax and fees for security and air traffic control facilities. These burdens, the companies argue, put German airlines under pressure in international competition. But the Vereinigung Cockpit e. V. (VC), the union of German pilots, sees the situation in a more differentiated way and criticizes the one-sided blame-shifting of the airlines. Instead, it is calling for an honest discussion of corporate responsibility and sustainable strategies. Competitive disadvantages and government location costs The core of the current discussion revolves around the "government location costs", i.e. the taxes and fees that airlines have to pay and which are comparatively high in Germany. These include the air traffic tax, which is lower or not charged at all in many European countries, as well as the aviation security and air traffic control fees. These costs make domestic flights more expensive and thus reduce the competitiveness of German airlines compared to international competitors. The Lufthansa Group, Germany's largest airline, has repeatedly pointed out these grievances. The Verdi union also recently supported the airlines' demand for a reduction in taxes with a petition in order to improve the location conditions for German airlines. Cockpit Association calls for personal responsibility instead of blame The Cockpit Association, which acts as a lobby for German pilots, criticises the airlines' strategy of seeking political responsibility for the location problems solely from the federal government and state regulations. According to VC, this portrayal is not in line with reality, as it ignores the role of the airlines themselves in dealing with costs and competitive situations. Frank Blanken, Board Member for Press and Public Relations at

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Passenger bridge damages door of a Kuwait Airways plane in Dhaka

On November 5, an incident occurred at Dhaka Airport in Bangladesh involving a Kuwait Airways Boeing 777-300ER (registration 9K-AOJ) flying from Kuwait City to Dhaka. Immediately after passengers disembarked, the jetway collapsed, damaging the front left door (1L) of the aircraft. Despite the significant damage, there were no injuries among passengers or crew. Images of the incident circulating on social media show that the door was completely ripped from its anchorage. The authorities at Dhaka Airport and Kuwait Airways immediately launched investigations to clarify the exact circumstances of the accident. The Boeing 777-300ER aircraft type is regularly used in long-haul flights, and technical inspections are intended to ensure that similar incidents are avoided. The aircraft currently remains at Dhaka Airport for further analysis.

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