November 13, 2024

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November 13, 2024

Spirit Airlines: On the brink – The low-cost airline facing bankruptcy

The US low-cost airline Spirit Airlines is apparently facing one of the greatest challenges in its corporate history. According to media reports, the airline is set to file for bankruptcy in the coming weeks. The Wall Street Journal reported that Spirit Airlines is currently in a critical financial situation and is negotiating intensively with its creditors to avert bankruptcy. Despite these efforts, the company currently appears to be unable to find a way out of its precarious situation. The report comes at a time when the airline is already struggling with considerable financial difficulties and has made several failed attempts in the past to stabilize its situation through mergers and sales. The causes of the crisis The crisis at Spirit Airlines did not arise overnight. The low-cost airline has repeatedly struggled with financial bottlenecks in recent years. The company made losses in five of the last six quarters. These persistent deficits have put the airline in a difficult position, which could now apparently lead to impending bankruptcy. According to internal sources cited by the Wall Street Journal, merger talks with competitor Frontier Airlines, which were originally seen as a way to save the company, have failed. Negotiations aimed at merging the two airlines failed to produce a viable solution, which further exacerbated Spirit Airlines' problems. The situation was further exacerbated by recent operating losses. The company recently announced that its adjusted operating margin in the third quarter was 12 percent lower than in the previous year. This figure illustrates the profound

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Passenger rights: Federal Court of Justice strengthens passenger rights in the event of flight cancellations

In the latest ruling by the Federal Court of Justice (BGH), a groundbreaking decision was made in passenger rights that further strengthens the rights of passengers in the event of flight cancellations. The case, which concerned compensation for a passenger who wanted to fly with Easyjet from Berlin-Tegel to Düsseldorf in the summer of 2019, led to a clarification of the obligations of airlines when providing replacement flights. The BGH thus overturned a previous ruling by the Berlin Regional Court that had released the airline from its responsibility. This decision is not only of legal significance, but could also have a lasting impact on the handling of flight cancellations and delays in the aviation industry. The case: Cancellation and the replacement flights The passenger, who originally wanted to fly with Easyjet from Berlin-Tegel to Düsseldorf, experienced an unexpected turn of events in July 2019: both the outbound and return flights were canceled. The airline offered him replacement flights, but only its own flights - either on the same day or on later days. However, the passenger decided to take the train instead of using the replacement flight offered. After the passenger referred the case to the passenger rights portal Flightright, the company took the airline to court. The Berlin-Wedding district court upheld the claim, but the regional court dismissed the claim on appeal. It relied on the airline's argument that extraordinary circumstances - such as a thunderstorm that had delayed the previous flight and a night flight ban that prevented the return flight - had justified the cancellation and the delayed replacement flights. In addition, it was unreasonable for the airline to cancel the original flight.

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Jens Fehlinger new Chairman of the Board of Directors of Edelweiss Air

Jens Fehlinger, CEO of sister company Swiss, has been appointed the new Chairman of the Board of Directors of Edelweiss Air. He will take office retroactively as of October 1, 2024. Fehlinger takes over the position from Dieter Vranckx, who was appointed to the Executive Board of the Lufthansa Group as of July 1, 2024. Heike Birlenbach and Karl Ulrich Garnadt will remain members of the Board of Directors of Edelweiss Air.

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Lewotobi volcano on Flores: Flight cancellations and ash clouds affect air traffic

The ongoing eruptions of Lewotobi Laki-Laki on the Indonesian island of Flores are increasingly affecting international air traffic. Several airlines, including Jetstar and Virgin Australia, suspended flights from Bali to Australia since Tuesday. The cause is the massive ash clouds that endanger air safety. The volcano, which is located about 500 kilometers from Bali, continues to hurl ash to heights of around ten kilometers, which also affects local air traffic. The eruptions of Lewotobi Laki-Laki have been ongoing since late 2023 and the volcanic activity has led to evacuations and several deaths. Authorities have established an exclusion zone and continue to warn of the dangers of the ash. The volcano is part of the geologically active Pacific Ring of Fire, and the situation remains tense. Words**: Lewotobi Laki-Laki, volcano, Flores, Bali, flight cancellations, ash clouds, Jetstar, Virgin Australia, Bali-Australia flights, ash clouds, air traffic, Indonesia, volcanic activity

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Sustainable Tourism in Vienna: Discussion about Opportunities and Challenges

As part of the Club 20 talk entitled "Uninvited guests? - How sustainable tourism can work", experts and representatives of the tourism industry met at the InterContinental Vienna to discuss the challenges and opportunities of tourism in Vienna in the context of climate change and overtourism. The event, which took place as part of the hotel's 60th anniversary celebrations, was organized in cooperation with Falstaff Magazine. Vienna is experiencing a tourism boom after the pandemic-related slump. But the associated economic recovery also brings with it ecological and social challenges. The discussion focused in particular on the question of how Vienna can position itself as a sustainable travel destination. The high-profile panel brought together important perspectives, including those of Susanne Kraus-Winkler, State Secretary for Tourism, Norbert Kettner, CEO of Vienna Tourist Board, and Matthias Winkler, Managing Director of Sacher Hotels. They discussed possible solutions that take into account tourism, the environment and the local population. The focus was on the desire to promote sustainable travel in Vienna in order to be successful not only ecologically, but also socially and economically in the long term. Kettner emphasized that value creation and the creation of year-round jobs without a high burden on the city and its residents are a key strategy. Sandra Neukart from Austria Tourism also emphasized how important the connection between digitalization and sustainability is for city tourism.

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Technical glitch delays return of Economics Minister Habeck

The return of Economics Minister Robert Habeck from the tech conference "Web Summit" in Lisbon has been delayed due to a technical glitch on the government aircraft. The Airbus A350-900 on which Habeck and his companions were flying could not take off as planned during the night. The captain informed the passengers of a defect in the ignition circuit of an engine, which led to a fuse failure. The aircraft was not allowed to take off with this fault. Therefore, Habeck is not expected in Berlin until Wednesday. The Airbus A350-900 "Kurt Schumacher" was only put into service in June of this year as part of an extensive modernization program of the Bundeswehr's air force. The new aircraft were intended to replace the old, error-prone models that had repeatedly made negative headlines in the past. In particular, the government aircraft A340-300, known as the "Konrad Adenauer", had caused inconvenience on several trips due to frequent breakdowns. This aircraft was finally retired in autumn 2023.

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Iberia starts transatlantic flights with Airbus A321XLR

On November 14, 2024, the Spanish airline Iberia will be the first airline in the world to use the new Airbus A321XLR for transatlantic routes. The maiden flight will be from Madrid to Boston and marks a milestone in the aviation industry. The aircraft is the latest model in the A320 family and features an exceptional range of up to 7500 kilometers, making it particularly attractive for long-haul flights. Compared to conventional wide-body aircraft, the A321XLR is significantly more fuel efficient, resulting in a reduction in fuel consumption of over 40%. Iberia's A321XLR has space for 182 passengers in two classes - Business and Economy - and is equipped with modern amenities that increase comfort on long-haul flights. With the introduction of this model, Iberia is strengthening its presence in the transatlantic markets. In the coming months, more aircraft of this type will be added to the fleet to serve new destinations in North America and expand capacity on existing routes.

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New noise protection program for residents of Vienna Airport

From 2025, residents of Vienna Airport will be able to benefit from a new noise protection program. The airport will provide up to 24 million euros over the next eight years to promote noise protection measures in the surrounding communities. Households in the particularly affected noise protection areas can receive subsidies of up to 800 euros per square meter of window area. Applications will be possible from the first quarter of 2025. The program is aimed at residents of the region whose homes exceed a certain noise level - especially at night. With this new noise protection program, Vienna Airport is taking a further step towards reducing aircraft noise pollution. The measures were developed jointly in the Vienna Airport Dialogue Forum, which has served as a platform for balancing interests between the airport, neighboring communities and citizens' initiatives since 2005. Vienna Airport has also committed itself to providing noise protection from a nighttime noise level of 45 dB(A) and a daytime noise level of 54 dB(A) - stricter criteria than the legal minimum requirements. From 2025, affected residents will be able to register online for the program and receive individual support in implementing noise protection measures, such as replacing windows and installing soundproof ventilators. Vienna Airport has been running these noise protection programs since 1998, thus ensuring a continuous improvement in the quality of life in the surrounding area.

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Boeing: Strike leaves clear traces in deliveries

The months-long mechanics strike at Boeing has significantly impacted the US company's aircraft production in October 2024. In October, Boeing was only able to deliver 14 aircraft to customers, including nine 737 MAXs and three 787-10s. In total, Boeing has delivered 2024 aircraft so far in 305, which means a significant delay of 254 aircraft compared to its European competitor Airbus. The strike, which has been ongoing since September 13, has now been ended after months of negotiations with a 38 percent salary increase and one-off payments for employees. The wage dispute led to massive production losses, which put a heavy burden on both Boeing and its suppliers. Overall, the production delays and the strike have far-reaching consequences for the aviation industry. Airlines that rely on timely delivery of aircraft must continue to reckon with uncertain schedules and possible changes to their aircraft fleet. The strike also affected suppliers such as Spirit AeroSystems, which had to lay off staff due to Boeing's delivery problems.

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Turbulence over the Atlantic: Injured passengers on Lufthansa flight LH511

On November 11, 2024, Lufthansa flight LH511 from Buenos Aires to Frankfurt took a dramatic turn when the aircraft encountered severe turbulence while cruising over the Atlantic Ocean. An incident that was a frightening experience for the 329 passengers and 19 crew members on board and resulted in several injuries. The Boeing 747-8, a long-range aircraft model, entered a so-called intertropical convergence zone, which is known for causing sudden and strong air movements. But despite the incident, Lufthansa assured that the safety of the flight was never at risk. An unexpected incident over the Atlantic Lufthansa flight LH511 was a regularly scheduled flight from Buenos Aires (EZE) to Frankfurt (FRA), one of the German airline's most important routes between Europe and South America. The flight, which took off in the early hours of November 11, initially proceeded as usual. But when the aircraft approached an Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) over the Atlantic, the situation changed dramatically. The ITCZ ​​is a zone where warm, moist air masses from the northern and southern hemispheres meet and where air currents with different speeds and directions can arise. These meteorological conditions often lead to sudden, strong turbulence, which can be dangerous for aircraft, especially if it occurs unexpectedly. Such turbulence can cause aircraft to have to overcome altitude differences of several hundred meters in a short period of time, which can be an unpleasant and potentially dangerous experience for both passengers and crew. In this case, the Boeing 747-8, with the registration D-ABYP, was from the

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