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April 29, 2025

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April 29, 2025

Discover Airlines will fly to Frankfurt-Dubrovnik year-round

Belinda Borg 29 April 2025 15:10

The leisure airline Discover Airlines, a subsidiary of Lufthansa, will convert its seasonal flights between Frankfurt am Main and Dubrovnik in Croatia to year-round operations starting with the upcoming 2025/26 winter season. As the company announced to the "Dubrovnik Times," three weekly flights will be offered on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from the end of October until the end of March of the following year. Discover Airlines justifies this decision with the high demand for flights to Dubrovnik not only in the summer but also in the winter months. Many travelers from Germany want to escape the cold weather or visit their families and relatives over the Christmas and New Year period. The switch to year-round flight operations is also intended to create more flexible travel options for passengers from Frankfurt and Dubrovnik. Dubrovnik will thus be the only destination in Croatia served by Discover Airlines year-round. The Croatian airline Croatia Airlines already offers year-round connections between Frankfurt and Dubrovnik and is also planning three weekly flights for the coming winter. Discover Airlines' announcement represents a significant expansion of flight services between the two cities, even outside of peak travel season. The switch to year-round flights underscores Dubrovnik's growing importance as a destination that remains attractive even in the off-season. The historic Old Town and mild winter climate are increasingly attracting visitors who want to explore the city and its surroundings away from the summer crowds. Discover Airlines' decision is therefore likely to benefit both tourism in Dubrovnik and travelers.

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Bosnia secures funding for air traffic control despite arbitration ruling

Stephen Steiner 29 April 2025 14:32

The Council of Ministers of Bosnia and Herzegovina has approved emergency funding of up to €30,7 million for the Bosnian air navigation service provider (BHANSA). This measure is intended to maintain air traffic control operations until the third quarter of this year. The decision follows an arbitration ruling in favor of the Slovenian company Viadukt. Viadukt successfully sued Bosnia and Herzegovina for the unilateral termination of a concession contract for a hydroelectric power plant project. As a result of the ruling, Eurocontrol funds, which primarily finance BHANSA, were blocked. Although BHANSA was not directly involved in the legal dispute, the blocked accounts led to a serious financial crisis for the organization and jeopardized the smooth flow of air traffic over Bosnia and Herzegovina. The now approved emergency funding will be granted as a loan and is to be repaid as soon as Eurocontrol lifts the freeze on BHANSA's funds. The air traffic controllers' union had already warned of a possible collapse of air traffic control if no funds were provided to cover ongoing costs such as fuel, maintenance, and salaries. The emergency funding provided by the Council of Ministers is therefore an important step to ensure BHANSA's immediate ability to operate and prevent major disruptions in the airspace. The government of Bosnia and Herzegovina now faces the task of finding a solution with Eurocontrol and the company Viadukt to achieve the release of the blocked funds and ensure the long-term financial stability of the air traffic control organization. The dependence on Eurocontrol payments makes BHANSA vulnerable to external financial disputes within the state.

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Summer charter flights start in Innsbruck with new Turkey connection

Stephen Steiner 29 April 2025 14:03

Last weekend, the summer charter flight season began at Innsbruck Airport with the first flight to Corsica on Sunday, April 27, 2025. This year's summer flight program from Innsbruck includes a total of 15 sunny destinations. A new addition to the offering is a weekly connection to Turkey, operated on behalf of TUI Austria. While the connection to Corsica with the tour operator Rhomberg Reisen marks the start of the season, the range of holiday flights will be gradually expanded in the coming weeks. A significant innovation is the direct connection to Antalya on the Turkish Riviera, which TUI Austria will offer once a week on Fridays starting May 23. TUI's offering is complemented by flights to Calabria, Mallorca, and the Greek islands of Karpathos, Kos, Crete, and Rhodes. The Tyrolean tour operator Idealtours will serve the Greek regions of Kalamata, Kefalonia, Lesbos, Lefkas/Epiros, and Chalkidiki, as well as Calabria in southern Italy, in summer 2025. Sardinia is the specialty of Christophorus Reisen, while Stoll Reisen offers flights to Mallorca from the beginning of May to the beginning of June. Additionally, short trips to Rhodes and Dalaman are offered exclusively through Tyrolean senior citizens' associations. Thus, the long-standing partner tour operators have put together a diverse summer flight program to easily accessible vacation destinations from Innsbruck. The 15 different destinations are aimed at families, sun-seekers, and group travelers who appreciate the advantages of an airport with short distances. For city breaks, Birmingham, Manchester, and Edinburgh are available over the summer, as are London, Amsterdam, and Vienna year-round.

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Lufthansa A380 makes unscheduled landing in Boston due to jammed iPad

Belinda Borg 29 April 2025 13:35

A Lufthansa Airbus A380 on flight LH453 from Los Angeles to Munich was forced to make an unscheduled landing in Boston on Wednesday, April 23, after a passenger's iPad became jammed in a business class seat. The crew feared the situation could cause the device's lithium battery to overheat and catch fire. The aircraft had been in the air over central Canada for about three hours when cabin crew reported the jammed iPad. Although there was no immediate emergency, the crew decided to make a precautionary landing in Boston due to the potential risk of thermal runaway—a dangerous battery fire that could be triggered by the aircraft seat motors. Lufthansa has a maintenance station there. The aircraft landed safely in Boston, where technicians were able to retrieve the jammed iPad. After inspection, flight LH453 continued on to Munich with a delay of about three hours. This incident joins a growing number of flight diversions caused by lost or damaged electronic devices on board. A similar incident occurred just last month on an Air France flight operating a Boeing 777. The frequency of such incidents underscores the potential risks posed by lithium batteries in electronic devices, particularly if they become damaged or trapped. Airlines and regulators are increasingly raising passenger awareness about the safe handling of their electronic devices on board to avoid such safety-related situations.

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Passengers support collapsing ceiling on Delta flight

Amely Mizzi 29 April 2025 13:02

On a Delta Air Lines flight from Atlanta to Chicago Midway on April 14, passengers had to use their hands to temporarily support a sagging cabin ceiling during the flight. A video of the incident, which was shared on social media, shows several travelers with raised arms, holding a sagging section of the aircraft's interior paneling until the crew temporarily secured the area with distinctive, neon-yellow tape. A friend of a passenger who posted the video on the TikTok platform reported that the flight attendants only secured the ceiling with tape after the passengers had already been manually supporting it for some time. The incident occurred on flight DL2060, which was operated by a Boeing 717-200. The affected passengers reportedly received only $120 in compensation in air miles. Delta Air Lines has yet to issue a detailed public statement on the incident. This unusual incident raises questions about aircraft maintenance and safety standards. While minor defects in the cabin trim may not directly impact flight safety, an incident of this kind understandably causes concern among passengers. The airline's response and the compensation awarded appear to have caused discontent among those affected. While the Boeing 717, a short-haul airliner produced in the late 1990s and early 2000s, is a well-established aircraft type, incidents like this can undermine confidence in the reliability of older aircraft. It remains to be seen whether Delta Air Lines will comment in more detail on the incident and announce possible consequences in the near future.

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Alaska Airlines presents Boeing 737 in “The Princess and the Frog” design

Stephen Steiner 29 April 2025 12:35

The American airline Alaska Airlines has unveiled a new special aircraft livery in cooperation with the Disneyland Resort. The airline's Boeing 737-800, which was unveiled at Portland International Airport, is inspired by Disney's animated film "The Princess and the Frog" and celebrates the new attraction "Tiana's Bayou Adventure" at Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California. The elaborately designed aircraft features Princess Tiana as well as other characters from the film such as Louis the Alligator, Mama Odie and Prince Naveen. According to the airline, more than 2000 hours of work were invested in the detailed design. The aircraft's maiden flight was from Portland to Santa Ana, California, in close proximity to the Disneyland Resort. This special livery is the ninth to be created as part of the long-standing partnership between Alaska Airlines and the Disneyland Resort and the first to feature a Disney Princess. The aircraft's unveiling comes as the Disneyland Resort celebrates its 70th anniversary, beginning on July 17, 2025, and running through the summer of 2026. The "Tiana's Bayou Adventure" attraction, which inspired the livery, opened in June 2024 at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom, replacing the popular "Splash Mountain" ride. The attraction transports visitors to the world of the film and tells the story of Princess Tiana after the events of the film. The special livery is intended to enchant Alaska Airlines passengers on their travels and prepare them for the new Disneyland experience. The Boeing 737-800, with registration number N596AS, will be in service in the coming years.

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Cathay Pacific expands China network with direct flight to Urumqi

Belinda Borg 29 April 2025 12:09

Cathay Pacific will launch a new non-stop service between Hong Kong and Urumqi on April 28, 2025, expanding its route network on the Chinese mainland to 20 destinations. The four-times-weekly route is intended to strengthen Hong Kong's role as an international aviation hub and connect travelers with a major city in northwest China that plays a key role in China's Belt and Road Initiative. At a ceremony, Hong Kong's Secretary for Transport and Logistics, Mable Chan, emphasized Urumqi's strategic importance for both passenger and cargo connections. Ronald Lam, CEO of the Cathay Group, highlighted Urumqi's cultural and geographical significance and announced that the group will soon serve 22 destinations on the Chinese mainland and over 100 destinations worldwide. Urumqi, the capital of the Xinjiang Autonomous Region, is an important economic and cultural center in western China and a crossroads for trade with Central Asia. The new flight will be operated with Airbus A330-300 aircraft, offering both business and economy cabins. Flights are scheduled for Monday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. Flight CX998 departs Hong Kong at 01:30 a.m. and arrives in Urumqi at 07:00 a.m. local time. The return flight CX997 departs Urumqi at 10:15 a.m. and arrives in Hong Kong at 15:20 p.m. The launch of this new route underlines Cathay Pacific's commitment to further enhance connectivity between Hong Kong and mainland China and to meet the growing demand for connections to China's economically dynamic regions. The connection to Urumqi, a key city along the

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Freight cooperation between TAAG Angola and Avianca

Amely Mizzi 29 April 2025 11:30

The Angolan airline TAAG Angola Airlines and the Colombian airline Avianca have entered into a strategic partnership in the field of air cargo transport. The agreement is based on a so-called Special Prorate Agreement (SPA), which opens up expanded opportunities for both airlines in the cargo business. Through this cooperation, TAAG Angola Airlines gains access to important South American markets beyond its current hub in São Paulo, Brazil. Specifically, new cargo routes to Bogotá (Colombia), Santiago (Chile), Lima (Peru), Montevideo (Uruguay), and Quito (Ecuador) will be opened up. This will enable TAAG to significantly expand its presence in South America and develop new business areas. At the same time, Avianca benefits from TAAG's cargo network and gains privileged access to the African market. This includes destinations such as Luanda (Angola), Johannesburg and Cape Town (South Africa), Lagos (Nigeria), Libreville (Gabon), Kinshasa (Democratic Republic of Congo), Brazzaville (Republic of Congo), and Nairobi (Kenya). For Avianca, this represents a significant strengthening of its logistics connections to Africa. The partnership covers various types of cargo, with a particular focus on perishable goods from South America and machinery deliveries from the European Union. This specialization could open up new customer segments for both airlines and consolidate their positions in the global air cargo market. The collaboration underscores the growing interest in intercontinental cargo connections between South America and Africa.

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Austrian Airlines in the first quarter of 2025: Solid foundation for a busy summer?

Amely Mizzi 29 April 2025 10:34

Despite an expected negative result in the first quarter of 2025, Austrian Airlines is optimistic about the upcoming summer months. With targeted investments in technology, service, and brand identity, the airline is preparing for an intensive travel season. In the traditionally weak first quarter, Austrian Airlines recorded an adjusted EBIT of minus 111 million euros. This represents an improvement over the previous year's figure of minus 122 million euros. Revenue increased by 14 percent to 458 million euros, while total revenues increased by 15 percent to 477 million euros. Operating expenses increased by 9 percent to 588 million euros. The number of employees remained almost constant at around 6.200. With 2,5 million passengers carried, the number of passengers remained virtually unchanged compared to the previous year. Available seat kilometers increased by 10 percent to 5,7 billion, while capacity utilization decreased by 3,1 percentage points to 73,9 percent. The number of flights increased by 9 percent to 24.246. Technological innovation: Introduction of "sharkskin" technology. A significant technical advance was the equipping of four Boeing 777-200ERs with the so-called "sharkskin" technology. This special surface coating, developed in cooperation with Lufthansa Technik and the industry, reduces air resistance and leads to a fuel saving of approximately one percent per flight. Overall, Austrian Airlines expects to save several thousand tons of fuel in the coming years. This measure is primarily aimed at operational efficiency and technical modernization. After extensive repairs, an Airbus A320neo, which was damaged by an unintentional landing gear incident on the ground last year, returned to service at the end of March 2025.

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Condor halves losses and plans fleet growth despite supply bottlenecks

Stephen Steiner 29 April 2025 10:31

The leisure airline Condor made significant progress in its operating performance in the 2023/24 financial year, halving its consolidated loss compared to the previous year. As CFO Björn Walther announced, the annual loss amounted to €62 million. At the same time, revenue increased by around 16 percent to €2,3 billion, as reported by the Reuters news agency. While CEO Peter Gerber expressed caution regarding a specific forecast for the current financial year ending September 2025, he signaled a "positive expectation" based on the positive operating trend. In the previous financial year, the loss had been €122 million, and in 2021/22 it even amounted to almost €321 million. This significant reduction in the loss indicates successful restructuring and improved profitability at the airline. Despite the challenges in the aviation sector, Condor recorded a pleasing increase in passenger numbers in the past financial year. With a high seat load factor of 91,6 percent, around 8,5 million passengers flew with the airline, representing an increase of almost eight percent over the previous year, as reported by the DPA. This high load factor shows that demand for Condor's flight offerings remains strong and that the aircraft are well filled. The attractiveness of the destinations offered and the pricing seem to be appealing to travelers. Fleet expansion dependent on Airbus deliveries Condor currently operates a fleet of around 60 aircraft and plans to significantly expand this on both short- and long-haul routes in the medium term. However, CEO Peter Gerber emphasized that this growth depends largely on delivery capacities.

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