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January 2, 2025

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January 2, 2025

Also to Frankfurt: Centrum Air before major summer expansion

Jan Gruber 2 January 2025 16:37

The Uzbek low-cost brand Centrum Air intends to fly from Tashkent to Frankfurt am Main twice a week from March 30, 2025. However, the German metropolis is only part of the planned expansion. Centrum Air was only launched in 2023 with government support. It is not an independent airline, but a brand of the company "My Freighter", which actually focuses on freight, and the aim is to appeal to target groups that Uzbekistan Airways does not reach or whose routes can be operated more economically with a low-cost concept. The government of Uzbekistan wants to use a highly endowed aviation program to improve the former Soviet republic's connections to important destinations in the Middle East, Asia and Europe. At the same time, it hopes to attract more tourists and business travelers to the country through additional flight connections. With the start of the 2025 summer flight schedule period, Centrum Air is taking the next step in its expansion. With Almaty, Bangkok, Istanbul and Frankfurt am Main, four new destinations are being added from Tashkent. From March 30, 2025, there will initially be three flights per week to the Kazakh metropolis, with an increase to four weekly rotations announced from June 5, 2025. Frankfurt, Seoul, Istanbul and Co. now from Tashkent Centrum Air plans to connect the capitals of Tashkent and Bangkok twice a week from April 3, 2025. This number is to be doubled to four weekly rotations as early as April 14, 2025. The international airport served is Suvarnabhumi. The Uzbek low-cost airline will initially fly to Istanbul (Sabiha Gökçen) four times a week from March 31, 2025. This will be increased to daily from June 1, 2025. A

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Fraudulent reports in the name of the ÖGK – How to protect yourself from phishing and smishing

Jan Gruber 2 January 2025 14:21

In recent days, there has been an increase in fraudulent messages circulating, claiming to be from the Austrian Health Insurance Fund (ÖGK). In these messages, insured persons are told that they will receive a refund of benefits and are asked to open a link to request the refund. However, this is a classic scam attempt. The ÖGK strongly warns against such messages and urges all those affected not to disclose any personal data or open any links. The latest messages sent in the name of the ÖGK are a typical example of smishing - a form of phishing in which fraudsters try to obtain personal data via SMS. The supposed refund and the urgent request to click on a link are merely decoys to gain the trust of the recipients and get them to disclose sensitive information such as bank details, passwords or other personal data. The fraudsters rely on targeted deception by designing the message in such a way that it gives the impression of urgency or importance. In many cases, they also use fake senders that appear trustworthy at first glance - for example, a supposed phone number of the ÖGK or an email address that differs from the official address by only one or two characters. Damage caused by false refunds The scam pursued by the fraudulent messages is not new, but the criminals' tactics are constantly evolving. In some cases, attackers can even install malware on the victims' devices via the provided link. This software can be used to

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Southwest Airlines under criticism: Cat causes commotion on flight

Amely Mizzi 2 January 2025 13:40

An incident that has gripped social media, in which a woman claims she was removed from a Southwest Airlines flight due to her cat's behavior, has sparked widespread discussion. The case relates to a turbulent landing during which the woman's cat soiled its carrier, leading to a series of arguments with the airline. The story of the affected passenger, who introduced herself as "Alex," went viral on the X platform (formerly Twitter), garnering over 20 million views. The incident once again calls into question the airline's strict policies on handling pets. According to Alex, a woman traveling on a Southwest flight with her seven-month-old cat Oni, a turbulent phase occurred during landing that left her cat in distress. The cat soiled its carrier and urinated in distress. After the turbulent landing, Alex cleaned the cat in the airplane toilet and threw the soiled paper towels in the trash. The woman assumed that the trash bin would be emptied before the next leg of the flight, but this apparently did not happen. When she re-boarded the plane, she found that the trash bin with the wipes was still in place and emitted an unpleasant smell, which apparently prompted the flight crew to close the toilet. Alex claims that the new crew accused her of turning the toilet into a "litter box." In a further step, the passenger was, according to her account,

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Southwest Airlines sues for irregular wage payment in New York

Belinda Borg 2 January 2025 13:37

In the state of New York, the well-known airline Southwest Airlines has been sued for labor law violations. The plaintiffs, consisting of several of the company's ground employees, accuse the airline of ignoring the legal requirements for weekly wage payments. The lawsuit is led by Richard Strain and David Garner, long-time Southwest employees, who are now suing for $100 million in compensation and seeking a jury trial. The dispute could have far-reaching consequences for Southwest Airlines' practices and draw attention to legal requirements for employment relationships in the aviation industry. A violation of New York labor law The lawsuit, which was filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, criticizes Southwest Airlines' decision not to pay its employees weekly. According to New York state labor law, companies are required to pay their employees at regular intervals, but at least weekly. This is intended to ensure that workers, in particular, who make their living from their wages, do not find themselves in financial distress if wage payments are not made. However, Southwest Airlines has, according to its own statements, introduced the practice of only paying its employees every two months. Michael Palmer, one of the lawyers representing the plaintiffs, explained in an interview that this practice violates the purpose of New York labor law, which aims to protect workers' livelihoods. "No worker who lives from paycheck to paycheck should have to wait to receive the wages they deserve," Palmer emphasized. The delay in wage payments is also addressed in the lawsuit, as

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Attempted flight without a ticket: security gaps and strange behavior at the airport

Jan Gruber 2 January 2025 13:33

In an increasingly digitalized world in which all air travel is associated with strict security measures and comprehensive checks, it is always surprising that people still try to get on a plane unnoticed and without a ticket. One such incident recently occurred at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), where a 33-year-old woman, in a spectacular incident, again tried to gain access to a plane without a ticket. It was not the first time that the woman had attracted attention with her behavior: a few days earlier, she had made a similar attempt to fly to Hawaii. But despite the serious security precautions at the airports and repeated confrontations with the authorities, she showed no hesitation in trying again. The first incident: An abuse of the system The first attempt took place on Christmas Eve, when the woman tried to travel on a Delta flight from Seattle to Honolulu. According to reports, the Airbus A321 had already started to roll out when the cabin crew realized that one of the passengers did not have a ticket or boarding pass. An alarming incident that called into question not only the airport's security system but also the airline's procedures. How did the woman manage to bypass all security checks without being detected? According to sources in the court documents, the woman had jumped to the front of the line at the checkpoint and managed to evade the authorities who usually check IDs and boarding passes. Apparently, she deceived the officials by ignoring the basic requirements of airport security procedures. Her attempts to rebook on other flights and to book at least two other

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Privatization of Qazaq Air: Kazakhstani sovereign wealth fund sells airline to consortium

Stephen Steiner 2 January 2025 13:28

Just before the end of 2024, the Kazakhstani sovereign wealth fund Samruk-Kazyna and a consortium that includes the Vietnamese Sovico Group and Kazasia Holdings signed a purchase agreement for the airline Qazaq Air. This transaction is part of the 2021-2025 privatization program approved by the Kazakhstani government. The conclusion of the purchase agreement is still subject to the fulfillment of all agreed conditions. By privatizing Qazaq Air, the Kazakhstani government aims to strengthen the country's civil aviation. This is to be achieved by promoting competition and expanding the range of international flights. At the same time, jobs are created and related sectors such as logistics, trade and tourism are promoted. The airline specializes primarily in domestic flights and also serves remote areas of the country. Qazaq Air's fleet currently consists of five De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400 aircraft. The privatization of Qazaq Air is another step in Kazakhstan's comprehensive market liberalization program aimed at increasing competitiveness and efficiency in various sectors of the economy. Details of the purchase price and other financial terms of the transaction have not yet been disclosed.

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British Airways and American Airlines reduce flight schedules due to B787 problems

Jan Gruber 2 January 2025 13:26

Due to ongoing supply chain problems at Rolls-Royce, both British Airways (BA) and American Airlines (AA) will have to adjust their flight schedules in the northern summer of 2025. British Airways will suspend flights from London Heathrow to Abu Dhabi between March 30 and October 25, 2025, after delays in the repair and delivery of the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines on its B787 aircraft negatively impacted flight planning. Other routes such as to Kuwait, Dallas/Fort Worth and Miami will also be restricted as problems with the procurement of engines and components continue. American Airlines, also affected by the problems with the delivery of the B787 aircraft, will discontinue the Miami - Paris CDG route in May 2025. The airline is also postponing the start of the new connection from Chicago O'Hare to Paris to May and reducing frequencies to Buenos Aires. Overall, delays in the delivery and maintenance of the airline's B787 fleet are responsible for these adjustments. The airlines have announced that they will work with Rolls-Royce to keep the impact on passengers and operations as minimal as possible. Rolls-Royce itself has not yet commented on the exact causes of the delays.

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Breeze Airways plans transatlantic flights and expansion on the West Coast

Jan Gruber 2 January 2025 13:24

US airline Breeze Airways has announced that it will begin offering transatlantic flights to Europe in the fall of 2025. In an interview, CEO David Neeleman explained that the airline is initially targeting destinations such as Ireland and the United Kingdom. In parallel, Breeze plans to expand its presence on the west coast of the USA and reach Hawai'i. The airline is also looking at international destinations in Latin America and the Caribbean, including Cancun, to offset the seasonality of European connections. However, Breeze Airways' plans depend on ETOPS (Extended-range Twin-engine Operations Performance Standards) certification for its A220-300 fleet. This certification is required to operate long-haul flights such as those to Hawai'i safely and efficiently. The company is currently seeking flag carrier status with the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in order to obtain international traffic rights. Although flights to Europe are technically possible without this approval, travel to Hawai'i is difficult without ETOPS certification. Breeze Airways currently operates a fleet of 48 aircraft, including 35 A220-300s, 10 E190s and 3 E195s. The airline is focused on achieving steady growth in existing markets while awaiting approvals for international routes.

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Aeroitalia launches new domestic route between Rome and Milan

Stephen Steiner 2 January 2025 13:22

The Italian airline Aeroitalia will launch a new domestic route on January 26, 2025. From that date, the airline will offer regular flights between Rome Fiumicino Airport and Milan Malpensa. According to the Italia Vola portal, Aeroitalia plans to operate up to three daily flights, for a total of 18 connections per week. This measure expands the airline's route offering and aims to meet demand on the important connection between Italy's two largest cities. Aeroitalia has a fleet of 15 aircraft in total, consisting of nine Boeing 737-800s, two Boeing 737-400s, two Airbus A319s and two ATR 72s. With this expansion, the airline has set itself the goal of further expanding its market position in Italian air traffic and increasing competition with other domestic airlines. The new flights offer passengers an additional option for traveling between Rome and Milan, which should be of interest to business travelers as well as tourists.

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Wizz Air expects continued bottlenecks due to engine inspections in 2025

Amely Mizzi 2 January 2025 13:21

Wizz Air expects continued problems with the availability of its fleet in 2025 due to engine inspections on Airbus A320neo and A321neo. The low-cost airline already had to contend with a recall of engines from US manufacturer Pratt & Whitney in 2024 because they caused maintenance problems due to contaminated metal powder. Around 3.000 GTF engines worldwide are affected and must be checked and repaired between 2024 and 2026. This means that Wizz Air will have an average of around 40 aircraft, around a fifth of the entire fleet, unavailable in the coming months. The recall of the engines has placed a significant burden on the airline. In the first half of the financial year (up to the end of September 2024), the airline's profits fell by around a third. Nevertheless, Wizz Air is committed to modernizing its fleet: a total of 2026 new Airbus A50neo aircraft, including the long-haul variant A321XLR, are to be delivered by March 321. The airline wants to make up for lost ground compared to competitors such as Ryanair and EasyJet, which are not affected by the GTF problem. The affected engines will continue to be removed at Wizz Air until the end of the 2025 financial year, subjected to ultrasound examinations and then reinstalled. According to the airline, the "wing-to-wing time" for these maintenance measures in 2024 will be up to 250 days. During the maintenance, flight operations with the affected aircraft will be significantly restricted, forcing the airline to adjust its capacities.

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