Français »
German "
Search
May 13

More articles from the category

May 13

Ryanair reaches out-of-court settlement in legal dispute over lack of gender-neutral salutation

Belinda Borg 13 May 2025 18:05

A legal dispute before the Berlin Regional Court concerning the lack of a gender-neutral salutation option when booking tickets with the airline Ryanair has been settled out of court. The Berlin Regional Court announced this. No details of the agreement were initially disclosed. Compensation is often paid in such cases. Ryanair itself has not yet commented on the matter when contacted. Plaintiff criticized the lack of an option for non-binary people. However, the Lesbian and Gay Association (LSVD) Berlin-Brandenburg announced on Tuesday that Ryanair had since adapted its booking website. The legal dispute was triggered by a lawsuit from a person who does not identify with a specific gender and complained that the airline's website only offered the choice between "Mr.", "Mrs.", and "Miss" when booking tickets. A gender-neutral salutation option was missing. The plaintiff argued that this violated their personal rights and invoked the General Equal Treatment Act. Due to the perceived discrimination, the person demanded compensation of 5.000 euros. René Rain Hornstein, the person who filed the lawsuit, was quoted in a press release from the LSVD following the settlement as saying: "Ryanair's offer shows that the necessary technical change to enable appropriate registration for non-binary people can be accomplished within a reasonable time and with reasonable effort." LSVD calls on other companies to take action. Both René_Rain Hornstein and Alva Träbert from the LSVD's federal board called on other companies to adapt their forms accordingly and thus ensure an inclusive design. This case is part of a broader social debate about the recognition of

Continue reading "

Relaxation in the trade dispute: Boeing deliveries to China to resume

Amely Mizzi 13 May 2025 18:00

After a period of tense trade relations between the United States and China, there appear to be signs of a temporary easing, which could now also have a positive impact on aircraft deliveries from the US manufacturer Boeing. According to a Bloomberg report today, May 13, 2025, Chinese airlines have been informed that the arrival of US-made aircraft can resume. This follows an agreement between the two economic powers to significantly reduce tariffs between the countries. Tariff agreement creates new prospects for Boeing As reported, the US and China agreed on a kind of truce in the trade war on May 12, 2025, which provides for a drastic reduction in mutual tariffs. The US reduced its tariffs on Chinese imports from 145 percent to 30 percent, while China reduced its tariffs on US imports from 125 percent to 10 percent. These tariff reductions are initially intended to apply for a period of 90 days, with a few imports exempt from this reduction. A bitter trade dispute between the two countries erupted after the US announced far-reaching tax increases against numerous countries, including China, on April 2, 2025. While most countries refrained from countermeasures for fear of an escalation of the situation, China, for its part, introduced tariff increases on US imports. This trade conflict also had a direct impact on planned aircraft deliveries from Boeing to Chinese customers. Impact of the trade dispute on aircraft deliveries At least three Boeing aircraft intended for Chinese airlines returned to the United States amid the trade dispute. For example, on April 20

Continue reading "

Bomb alert temporarily paralyzes air traffic in Charleroi

Belinda Borg 13 May 2025 17:59

Flight traffic at Brussels Charleroi South Airport has been temporarily suspended after a bomb threat was reported on board a Ryanair aircraft shortly before 11:00 a.m. As a result, no flights are currently permitted to land at or depart from the airport. The Ryanair aircraft involved, a Boeing 737 MAX 8-200 with the registration 9H-VVJ, which arrived from Faro under flight number FR6313, landed safely, the airport told VRT NWS. The plane was immediately taken to a remote area of ​​the airport. Police investigate aircraft - perimeter closed "Passengers will remain on board while the police investigate the situation," said an airport spokesperson. "A 500-meter security perimeter has been set up around the aircraft. For this reason, no other flights can take off or land in Charleroi at this time. Passengers inside the terminal do not need to be evacuated." The relevant authorities have taken over the investigation, the airport added. As a result of the closure, two Pegasus flights were diverted to Brussels Airport, and several Ryanair flights diverted to Brussels and Lille Airport. Further flight cancellations and delays are expected throughout the day while security checks continue. Travelers departing from or arriving at Charleroi Airport are advised to follow the latest information from the airlines and the airport. The safety of passengers and crew is a top priority, and authorities are handling the situation with the utmost care.

Continue reading "

Gas leak temporarily paralyzes flight operations at Karlsruhe / Baden-Baden Airport

Stephen Steiner 13 May 2025 17:55

A leak in a gas pipeline approximately 1,6 kilometers south of the Baden-Airpark site led to significant restrictions on flight operations at Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden Airport (FKB) today, Tuesday. Takeoffs and landings were possible between 11:50 a.m. and 15:50 p.m., but due to wind conditions, mostly only small aircraft were allowed to operate. Almost all scheduled passenger flights had to be canceled during this period. Disruptions and flight cancellations lasting hours: The airport announced that flight operations resumed at 15:50 p.m. after approval from the responsible authorities. However, significant delays to the flight schedule are expected until late in the evening due to the previous disruption. Flight operations are not expected to return to normal until Wednesday morning. In total, the disruption at FKB affects twelve arrivals and twelve departures, disrupting the travel plans of over 4.000 passengers. Some arriving aircraft were diverted to Frankfurt-Hahn and Stuttgart, from where bus transfers were organized for the passengers. According to initial information, the gas leak occurred during excavation work on a major pipeline between Rheinmünster-Stollhofen and Schwarzach, just about two kilometers from the airport grounds. However, the fire department gave the all-clear, stating that there was no danger to people and no evacuations were necessary. The energy supplier Badenova was on site and set up a bypass to divert the escaping gas without having to shut down the main pipeline. The affected area was cordoned off. Passengers should check online. Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden Airport urged affected passengers to check the airport's website for the current status of their flights.

Continue reading "

Mourning for Jürgen Weber: Former Lufthansa CEO dies at the age of 83

Jan Gruber 13 May 2025 17:53

Deutsche Lufthansa AG and the entire aviation industry mourn the loss of Jürgen Weber, the company's former Chairman of the Executive Board, Supervisory Board, and Honorary Chairman of the Supervisory Board. Weber passed away yesterday at the age of 83. His career was closely linked to the history of Lufthansa, which he significantly shaped for decades. His companions and successors praised him as an outstanding personality and an architect of the modern Lufthansa. Karl-Ludwig Kley, the current Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Deutsche Lufthansa AG, paid tribute to Weber's life's work with the words: "Today's Lufthansa would be unthinkable without Jürgen Weber. In his years as Chairman of the Executive Board and Supervisory Board, he shaped it like hardly anyone else. We bow to the life's work of a great personality." The current Chairman of the Executive Board and CEO of Deutsche Lufthansa AG, Carsten Spohr, also expressed his deepest sympathy on behalf of the employees of the Lufthansa Group. He referred to Weber as "Mr. Lufthansa" and emphasized his tireless commitment to the company throughout his professional life. Spohr particularly recalled Weber's role in the renewal of Lufthansa during the restructuring and privatization in the 1990s. He emphasized that decisive decisions and developments at Deutsche Lufthansa AG would remain inextricably linked with Weber's name. From engineer to the top: Weber's path at Lufthansa Jürgen Weber began his career at Lufthansa in 1967 as a young engineer. After various positions in the technical department, he was appointed to the Executive Board of Deutsche Lufthansa AG in 1990. From 1991 to 2003, he led the company as Chairman of the Executive Board and subsequently took over the chairmanship of the

Continue reading "

Thai Airways completes integration of subsidiary Thai Smile

Jan Gruber 13 May 2025 15:09

The Thai airline Thai Airways International has completed the operational merger with its subsidiary Thai Smile. As Thai Airways announced to the Thai Stock Exchange on May 8, 2025, all flight activities and services of Thai Smile have been transferred to the parent company. Thai Airways holds 99,99 percent of the shares in Thai Smile. The stock exchange announcement also states that a meeting of the administrators of Thai Airways' restructuring plan on May 8 decided to move forward with the legal dissolution of Thai Smile. Thai Airways had already decided to merge with its low-cost subsidiary in 2023 and has been working towards this goal ever since. The merger of the two airlines is expected to lead to greater operational and financial efficiency. The transfer of Thai Smile's twenty Airbus A2023-320 aircraft to Thai Airways began in 200. Thai Smile ceased daily flight operations at the beginning of 2024. These twenty A320-200s will now be operated by Thai Airways on many of the routes previously served by Thai Smile. The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand had already approved the permanent closure of Thai Smile earlier this year and referred the matter to the Minister of Transport for final approval.

Continue reading "

Dan Air begins flights to Damascus, connecting Syria with Europe

Amely Mizzi 13 May 2025 14:35

The Romanian airline Dan Air has launched a new flight service to Damascus, Syria, offering direct and indirect flights between Syria and European cities for the first time in a long time. This was made possible by bilateral agreements between Romania and Syria and the official accreditation of Dan Air as the Romanian airline for these routes. Dan Air will fly to the Syrian capital Damascus six times a week from Bucharest. In addition, there will be twice-weekly flights from Damascus to Stockholm, Berlin, and Frankfurt, with these flights including a stopover in Bucharest. The aircraft will be Airbus A320s with a capacity of 180 seats. Matt Ian David, CEO of Dan Air, emphasized that the launch of these flights was based on the belief that aviation should connect, not isolate. Syria has a real need for connections, and Dan Air has decided to meet this need responsibly and professionally. He pointed to the long tradition and historical ties between Romania and Syria. In addition to Dan Air, other international airlines such as Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, Royal Jordanian and Kuwait Airways also fly to Damascus.

Continue reading "

Air Serbia plans fleet growth and considers building its own maintenance facilities

Belinda Borg 13 May 2025 14:01

Serbian airline Air Serbia is planning to expand its fleet and is considering building its own maintenance facilities for scheduled and base maintenance. As the airline's CEO, Jiri Marek, told Aviation Week, the company aims to have a fleet size of 2026 aircraft by 32, up from the current 28. This number does not include aircraft operated on behalf of Air Serbia under wet lease agreements. The airline has already signed an agreement for the delivery of a third Airbus A320 next winter and is negotiating for two more aircraft of the same type. Furthermore, the airline is in talks to deliver two Embraer E195 aircraft next winter. At the same time, Air Serbia plans to gradually phase out its Airbus A319 aircraft, with two aircraft expected to leave the fleet after the summer season. Marek emphasized that Air Serbia flies to over 40 scheduled destinations and that the network has reached critical mass. The share of transfer passengers is already at 50 percent, with the potential to exceed 4,7 percent in the near future. Air Serbia serves seventeen destinations in the former Yugoslavia and plans further expansion into the broader Balkan region, including Bulgaria, Romania, Hungary, and Slovakia. The airline expects to carry 260.000 million passengers this year, an increase of approximately 2024 travelers compared to XNUMX.

Continue reading "

Air New Zealand upgrades Business Class on Boeing 777

Stephen Steiner 13 May 2025 13:49

Air New Zealand is taking further steps to improve its business class offering. Later this month, the latest version of its "Business Premier" seats will be seen in the air for the first time. These top-of-the-line seats will be installed on both refurbished and newly delivered Boeing 787 Dreamliner jets. To better compete with foreign carriers, the New Zealand flag carrier is continuing to strive for flights with competitive premium cabins. The airline announced that similar modern suites will also be introduced on its Boeing 777 fleet. According to reports from Executive Traveller, these aircraft will soon receive the most premium configuration these jets have ever had in their long service. This move aims to offer a more consistent premium product across the entire long-haul fleet. No "Luxe" Suites for the Boeing 777 – Focus on Consistency Jeremy O'Brian, Chief Commercial Officer of Air New Zealand, explained that the modernization of the Boeing 777 will improve the premium product and create much-needed consistency across all of the airline's premium cabins. He noted that the luxurious "Luxe" Suites used on the Boeing 787s will not be installed on the 777, as these aircraft are expected to remain in the fleet for a while and upgrading the existing "Herringbone" seats would make more sense. The introduction of the "Luxe" Suites on the Boeing 787s is scheduled to begin around 2028 and will take approximately 18 months to two years to complete. The decision not to equip the Boeing 777 fleet with the top-of-the-line "Luxe" Suites may come as a surprise. This is primarily because the Boeing 787 Dreamliner

Continue reading "

Autopilot problems force Spirit Airlines Airbus A320 to divert to Pensacola

Belinda Borg 13 May 2025 13:46

A Spirit Airlines Airbus A320 en route from Houston to Orlando on May 10, 2025, was forced to make an unscheduled landing in Pensacola after the crew encountered problems with the autopilot. The aircraft landed safely but remained grounded for over 24 hours. The onward flight to Orlando was operated by a backup aircraft and arrived at the destination without further incident. Technical problems are among the most common reasons for flight diversions. The incident occurred shortly after Spirit Airlines announced a new route from Houston to Pensacola. Routine flight from Houston to Orlando ends in Pensacola The incident involved flight NK2166, a scheduled service between the two cities. According to Flightradar24, the aircraft departed Houston George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) at 06:39 a.m. and was scheduled to arrive at Orlando International Airport (MCO) at 10:00 a.m. However, approximately one hour after takeoff, the aircraft changed course and began descending from an altitude of 37.000 feet. It landed safely at Pensacola International Airport (PNS) at approximately 08:17 a.m. local time. A Pensacola airport employee told WEAR News that the pilot radioed that the aircraft's autopilot was malfunctioning. The Orlando-bound flight ultimately departed Pensacola at 12:29 p.m. and landed at 14:33 p.m. This flight was operated with a backup aircraft, and no further incidents were reported. Spirit Airlines did not respond to a request for comment on the incident. The aircraft involved was eleven years old. Flight 2166 was operated using an eleven-year-old Airbus A320-200 with the registration N625NK.

Continue reading "

Navigation

Visit us on

Facebook f X-twitter Instagram LinkedIn Youtube Telegram rss Threads Google Hm-mail-open Wordpress
login logo

Aviation.Direct is published with love in and