January 15, 2025

More articles from the category

January 15, 2025

L'Odyssey starts with new routes and changed aircraft type

The French virtual regional airline L'Odyssey has launched sales for several new flight routes in December 2024. In addition to the connections from Tours to Bastia and from Nîmes to Bastia and Nîmes via Nice to Milan, additional routes have recently been added to the program, including Tours - Ajaccio and Nîmes - Ajaccio. The airline is thus expanding its offering in Corsica and strengthening its connections to the Mediterranean region. L'Odyssey originally planned to operate its flights with ATR-72 aircraft. However, this concept has been changed. Instead, Saab 2000 aircraft are now used, which are operated by the Swedish-Danish charter airline Frost Air. The Saab 2000 is a smaller regional aircraft that, with its capacity and range, is better suited to the planned routes. L'Odyssey remains a virtual airline, which means it does not own its own aircraft and instead works with external operators such as Frost Air. The company's focus is on developing a flexible route network that particularly serves regions that are less well covered by the major airlines.

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New flight connection from Lake Constance Airport to Usedom starts in May 2025

From May 3, 2025, travelers will be able to fly from Friedrichshafen Airport to Germany's sunniest island of Usedom in just around 90 minutes. Every Saturday, the German airline MHS Aviation offers this direct connection on behalf of the tour operator UKS Touristik. In addition to the flight connection, UKS Touristik will also offer hotel packages including transfers to Usedom Airport on the German and Polish Baltic coast. With this new connection, Lake Constance Airport is expanding its offering and is the only airport in southern Germany that offers direct flights to the popular island of Usedom. Managing Director Claus-Dieter Wehr welcomed the expansion and is pleased to offer travelers this new travel option. "The connection to Usedom is an attractive option for vacationers from southern Germany," he said. In addition to Usedom, the Italian island of Elba will also be served again from May 2025. This connection has proven to be particularly popular in the past and offers a convenient way to get to one of the most famous Mediterranean islands. Further information on both destinations is available from UKS Touristik, travel agencies or on the airport website.

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Graz incident: Initial analyses indicate previously unknown problem

A serious incident shook flight LX1885 of the Swiss airline Swiss shortly before Christmas. The Airbus A220-300 had to make an emergency landing at Graz Airport on December 23, 2024 after a sudden engine failure and smoke development at the cruising altitude of around 12.190 meters. As Swiss later announced, the aircraft's left engine was severely damaged. Initial analyses by the Swiss Transportation Safety Investigation Board (SUT) indicate a previously unknown technical problem. During the emergency landing, two crew members were seriously injured and taken to hospital in Graz. A young flight attendant succumbed to his injuries on December 30, 2024. Passengers were largely unharmed in the incident. The Airbus with the registration HB-JCD was returned to Zurich and is currently undergoing extensive tests there to further investigate the causes of the incident. The investigation into the incident is being led by the Austrian Federal Transportation Safety Investigation Board (SUB). Experts are examining whether the new engine fault poses a systemic risk for the Airbus A220 series. Swiss is in close contact with the authorities and the engine manufacturer to prevent further incidents.

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Linz Airport 2024: Challenges and Outlook for 2025

Linz Airport looks back on a year full of challenges and changes. Passenger volumes in particular were affected by unforeseen circumstances, but the airport is counting on positive developments in the coming year. The temporary suspension of the Linz-Frankfurt connection and bottlenecks in charter flight traffic posed significant hurdles in 2024. Nevertheless, those responsible are confident that the airport will recover and achieve growth in both passenger and cargo traffic in 2025. Last year, Linz Airport recorded a total of 180.694 passengers - a decrease of 22,4 percent compared to 2023. This decline was mainly caused by the temporary suspension of the important flight connection to Frankfurt and the limited availability of aircraft in charter traffic. The connection to Frankfurt is not only the airport's busiest route, but also an indispensable link to the Lufthansa Group's global network. In March 2024, this route had to be temporarily suspended due to a recall by the US aircraft engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney. "This was a major setback for us," explains Norbert Draskovits, Managing Director of Linz Airport. "Not only because Frankfurt was our strongest connection, but also because we were unable to offer our passengers a direct connection to the Lufthansa Group's global network." The connection was only able to be resumed at the end of October, with three daily flights. Another reason for the decline in passenger numbers was the limited capacity in charter flights. Due to aircraft shortages in the high season, many tour operators were unable to offer additional flights, which had a negative impact on passenger numbers. But despite these challenges, there are

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Communities protest against new flight routes at BER airport

The planned introduction of satellite-based navigation at BER airport is causing concern in the surrounding communities. Mayors and residents fear that the change could lead to new flight routes and thus to greater noise pollution over densely populated areas. Although the Brandenburg Ministry of Transport refers to information from the German air traffic control that the changes in the vicinity of the airport would not cause any changes to the routes, doubts remain. The background to the change is an EU regulation that provides for the introduction of so-called Performance Based Navigation (PBN) in all member states by 2030. This satellite-based system is intended to replace ground-based navigation and make air traffic more efficient. While the international guidelines of the ICAO promise, among other things, better avoidance of densely populated areas, critics fear the opposite: individual departure routes could be redefined and some communities could be flown over directly. Five communities, including Zeuthen, have submitted compromise proposals to the Aircraft Noise Commission. They propose that certain points for the departure routes be set so that aircraft can fly through the so-called Hoffmann curves earlier and avoid populated areas. These measures are based on successful models that have already been implemented at Frankfurt am Main Airport. In addition, the municipalities are calling for the introduction of the new system to be postponed, as Europe-wide implementation is not planned until 2030. The mayors also criticize the fact that the planned application for the new procedure to the Federal Supervisory Office for Air Traffic Control without sufficient involvement of the Aircraft Noise Commission is not legal. They are calling for more transparency and a thorough examination of the effects on the affected municipalities.

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Qantas flights between Sydney and Johannesburg: Delays due to SpaceX rocket debris

In recent weeks, passengers of the Australian airline Qantas have repeatedly been faced with unforeseen flight delays on the route between Sydney and Johannesburg. The reason for these disruptions, according to Qantas, is the return of debris from the SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets, which, upon re-entering the Earth's atmosphere, reach parts of the southern Indian Ocean - an area that the airline regularly flies over on its routes. The inaccurate advance warnings regarding the time and place of the rockets' re-entry have forced the airline to postpone its flights to ensure the safety of passengers. According to a Qantas spokesperson, the airline's officials only received precise information at very short notice about when and where exactly the debris would fall. As a result, flights often had to be rescheduled immediately before departure. The debris from the Falcon 9 rockets is expected to fall into the southern Indian Ocean, an area that is away from landmasses. However, this poses a significant problem for Qantas, as the A380 flight route between Sydney International Airport and OR Tambo International Airport in Johannesburg crosses this region. Flight delays due to inaccurate advance warnings Ben Holland, head of the Qantas Operations Centre in Sydney, told The Guardian that in recent weeks several flights between Sydney and Johannesburg had to be postponed due to warnings from the US government regarding the re-entry of SpaceX rockets. These advance warnings contain information on the geographical coordinates of the intended re-entry, but the information has been repeatedly changed at short notice. These changes meant that the airline often had to postpone the planned departure times by just a few minutes.

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Crash in Brazil: Icing as possible cause of plane crash

The crash of an ATR 72-500 near Sao Paulo on August 9, 2023, in which all 62 passengers were killed, continues to raise questions. Initial findings from the Brazilian air accident investigation center CENIPA indicate a loss of control due to icing. The investigation is ongoing, but initial safety measures have already been taken. According to published data, the crew of Voepass Flight 2283 lost control of the aircraft during the approach to Guarulhos Airport. Shortly after the de-icing system was activated, a stall occurred, which ultimately led to the crash. In a recent airworthiness directive, the European Aviation Safety Authority EASA pointed out a possible "sleeping defect" in the de-icing system of the ATR 72, which could lead to a loss of control under certain conditions. EASA has required operators of ATR aircraft to carry out more stringent functional tests of the pressure regulators and shut-off valves of the de-icing system. The revisions are intended to ensure that potential errors are identified at an early stage. Although the instructions do not directly relate to the accident, they are based on new findings on the design of the aircraft. This incident also raises questions about the design and maintenance of older aircraft models. The manufacturer ATR has adjusted the maintenance specifications for the affected aircraft to minimize potential risks.

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Salzburg Airport: On the road to recovery and looking to the future

Salzburg Airport looks back on a successful year in 2024, in which the number of passengers exceeded the 1,7 million mark. An increase of 10,7 percent compared to the previous year, which confirms a clear upward trend. The figures from last year show that the airport is on a promising path to recovery and that the effects of the corona pandemic have largely been overcome. Compared to the pre-corona year of 2018, only around 3,2 percent of passengers are missing. This is a remarkable success considering that Salzburg Airport had to close for five weeks in 2019 due to the necessary runway renovation. "With almost 1,8 million passengers in 2024 and an increase of more than 10 percent, we are well on the way to reaching the 2018 figures again soon," explained Bettina Ganghofer, Managing Director of Salzburg Airport. In 2018, Salzburg Airport reached its previous record of 1.844.000 passengers, meaning that it only needs around 57.000 passengers to surpass this figure. Those responsible for the airport are optimistic about the coming months, as both the flight volume and the booking situation in the current winter season are positive. Positive start to the 2024/2025 winter season The 2024/2025 winter season is promising. A late Easter date and optimal snow conditions contribute to the satisfaction of the tourism industry. The booking situation is particularly strong during the peak season periods such as Christmas, New Year's Eve and the semester break, while at other times there is also an increasing demand for short-term and flexible bookings. Salzburg Airport benefits from the direct connection to the ski and tourism regions, which have been made possible by the expansion of the regional bus line 270.

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Traffic disruptions due to ski season and events in Vienna and Tulln

The ARBÖ warns of increased traffic volumes and delays on Austrian roads. In addition to winter sports traffic, the holiday fair and the "Vienna Drive" at the Vienna Exhibition Centre, the "HausBau + EnergieSparen" fair in Tulln and the "Holiday on Ice" ice show at the Vienna Stadthalle will also cause traffic disruptions. The ski season leads to a large influx of people to the ski areas when the weather is good. Well-known traffic arteries are particularly affected, such as the Tauern Autobahn (A10) in the construction site area between Golling and Werfen, the Zillertalstrasse (B169), the Fernpassstrasse (B179), the Pass Thurn Strasse (B161) and the Silvretta Strasse (B188). The ARBÖ recommends allowing more time for these routes. The “HausBau + EnergieSparen” trade fair will take place in Tulln from January 17th to 19th, which will lead to delays on the Stockerauer Schnellstraße (S5), before the Tulln exit, and on Tullner Straße (B19). However, visitors can use a free shuttle bus from the Tulln and Tullnerfeld train stations. In Vienna, the holiday fair will attract numerous visitors from January 16th to 19th. The “Vienna Drive” mobility fair will also take place at the same time at the Vienna Exhibition Center. Traffic delays are expected, particularly on the Südosttangente (A23), at the Prater junction, around Praterstern and Vorgartenstraße. The use of public transport such as the U2 subway line is recommended. The “Holiday on Ice” ice show will be at the Vienna Stadthalle from January 16th to 26th. Drivers must expect traffic jams on Hütteldorfer Straße, Neubaugürtel and the streets in the Nibelungenviertel. The ARBÖ also recommends using public transport here.

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Aeroshark: Lufthansa Technik and AUA rely on new technology

On January 12, 2025, Austrian Airlines' first Boeing 777-200ER set a remarkable milestone: It took off with the innovative Aeroshark surface technology, a technology that uses the microscopic structure of shark skin and optimizes the aircraft's aerodynamics. The first flight from Bangkok to Vienna not only marked the beginning of a new era for the airline, but also an important step in the aviation industry to increase efficiency and reduce CO2. With this technology, Austrian Airlines expects to noticeably reduce the fuel consumption and CO2 emissions of its long-haul fleet. The technology behind Aeroshark was developed by Lufthansa Technik in collaboration with BASF and imitates the unique properties of shark skin. The specially structured ribs, the so-called "riblets", significantly reduce air resistance at the critical points of the aircraft. This improvement in aerodynamics leads to fuel savings of around one percent per flight, which has a positive impact on the airline's operating costs and environmental balance. Austrian Airlines is the first airline to use this technology on the Boeing 777-200ER. As part of an approval by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the technology was certified specifically for this aircraft type. The successful implementation on the first Boeing 777-200ER with the registration OE-LPC paved the way for the conversion of the entire long-haul fleet. By March 2025, a total of four of Austrian Airlines' six Boeing 777-200ERs are to be equipped with Aeroshark. Savings and environmental impacts Austrian Airlines hopes that the application of Aeroshark technology on the four Boeing 777-200ERs will result in savings of around 2.650 tonnes of fuel by 2028. This saving corresponds to over 8.300

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