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November 4, 2025

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November 4, 2025

Cargojet launches direct flight service between Canada and European cargo hub Liège

Jan Gruber 4 November 2025 12:03

Canadian cargo airline Cargojet Inc. launched a new scheduled direct air freight service between Canada and Europe on November 1, 2025. The new route connects key cargo hubs in Canada with Liège Airport (LGG) in Belgium, one of Europe's leading cargo hubs. This move marks a significant expansion in Cargojet's global network and strengthens the company's presence in transatlantic trade. Cargojet's Co-CEOs, Pauline Dhillon and Jamie Porteous, emphasized the importance of this connection in a joint statement. They stressed that the new service strengthens trade relations between the continents and offers customers faster transit times, improved reliability, and greater flexibility for shippers. Liège Airport welcomed the partnership as a significant step for logistics between Europe and Canada. Torsten Wefers, VP of Marketing & Sales at Liège Airport, sees Cargojet's arrival as opening up new opportunities and improved connections for customers and partners. The weekly service is initially planned with one flight per week, though Cargojet has already announced its intention to increase the frequency as demand grows. The transatlantic route is fully integrated into Cargojet's national overnight network in Canada. This integration enables optimized onward connections within Canada, further reducing overall transit times for carriers, logistics providers, and shippers on both continents. Cargojet, Canada's leading provider of time-critical premium air freight services, operates an all-Boeing fleet and carries over 25 million pounds of cargo weekly. The expansion to Liège, Europe's seventh-largest cargo airport, underscores Cargojet's long-term expansion strategy, which aims to establish the company as a trusted global logistics partner.

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Cost avalanche in British aviation: Ryanair and Wizz Air threaten to withdraw aircraft.

Amely Mizzi 4 November 2025 11:38

The major European low-cost carriers Ryanair and Wizz Air have issued joint warnings about rising operating costs in the UK and signaled their willingness to drastically reduce their flight operations in the island nation. The cause of their concern is the increase in air passenger duties and airport charges announced in the budget. Both airlines fear that these cost increases will undermine the profitability of the British market and could force them to relocate aircraft to lower-cost countries. At the heart of the criticism is the Air Passenger Duty (APD), a departure tax whose rates the British government announced, as part of the 2024 autumn budget, would be raised again from April 2026. Although the government justified the increase as a necessary adjustment for inflation, airlines and airport operators see it as a direct threat to the growth of British aviation and its global competitiveness. The Air Passenger Duty (APD), already among the highest in the world, which airlines must pay for every passenger departing from a UK or Isle of Man airport, will further drive up fares and dampen demand. The burden of the APD is levied depending on the flight distance and travel class. The planned increase from April 2026 means that passengers will have to pay around £2 more for the cheapest tickets compared to current rates. Fees for private jets will rise by up to 50 percent. This is despite the first APD increase, which came into effect on April 1, 2025, and reduced the cost to passengers in the lowest class on short-haul flights by approximately £13.

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Lower Austria is focusing on pilgrimage routes to increase the length of stay.

Jan Gruber 4 November 2025 11:09

The Lower Austrian state government and tourism association see multi-day pilgrimages as an important tool for strengthening tourism and increasing the length of stay for visitors. Routes such as the Way of St. James or the Sonntagbergweg offer the opportunity to leave everyday life behind, recharge, and consciously experience the region. Governor Johanna Mikl-Leitner emphasized in St. Pölten the positive effects of hiking on body and soul and highlighted that for one in three visitors to Lower Austria, hiking is the top activity during their stay. Michael Duscher, Managing Director of Lower Austria Tourism, underscored the economic importance of this target group. Currently, tourists in Lower Austria spend an average of 2,5 nights. Pilgrims, on the other hand, are often on the move for several days or weeks. This corresponds exactly to the state's current tourism strategy, which aims to extend stays from day trips to short breaks and ultimately to main holidays in Lower Austria. Pilgrimages, which combine scenic beauty with cultural treasures and spiritual inspiration, are considered ideal for achieving this goal. Lower Austria offers a diverse network of pilgrimage routes. Among the traditional routes is the Weinviertel section of the Way of St. James, which stretches for approximately 153 kilometers from Drasenhofen to Krems an der Donau and leads through typical wine cellar lanes. Another impressive stage of the Way of St. James runs for 24 kilometers from the world-famous Melk Abbey to the Basilica of Maria Taferl, one of the region's most important pilgrimage sites. The Sonntagberg Trail connects Maria Taferl with the pilgrimage site of Sonntagberg via a 78-kilometer route through the Mostviertel region. In addition, new themed trails have been established to further enhance the appeal of the routes.

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Summer 2026: Austrian Airlines focuses on new destinations and increases capacity

Amely Mizzi 4 November 2025 10:51

Austrian Airlines has unveiled its summer flight schedule for 2026, signaling a significant growth strategy focused on strengthening established routes while also developing new, attractive holiday destinations. With a total of seven new short- and medium-haul destinations and increased overall capacity, the Austrian airline aims to solidify its position at its home base in Vienna. This expansion comes at a strategically important time, as the airline is taking over capacity freed up by the announced exit of low-cost carriers from Vienna Airport. The new destinations range from the rugged volcanic landscapes of the Azores to Bergen, Norway's gateway to the fjords, underscoring the airline's focus on a more diverse customer base. In total, Austrian Airlines will serve 133 destinations in summer 2026 (an increase of six compared to 2025), including 113 short- and medium-haul destinations and 20 long-haul connections. Annette Mann, CEO of Austrian Airlines, explained: “With our 2026 summer flight schedule, we aim to serve our guests’ most popular Mediterranean destinations more frequently while simultaneously offering exciting new travel planning options.” The schedule runs from March 29 to October 24, 2026. Seven new destinations: Focus on diversity and adventure. AUA’s new routes are strategically chosen and appeal to both traditional beach vacationers and active, adventure travelers: Capacity expansion in response to market changes. Expanding the route network is not only an aggressive growth strategy but also a consolidation measure at Vienna Airport. The increased capacity and flight frequencies respond to the announced withdrawal of major low-cost carriers, particularly Wizz Air and Ryanair, from numerous routes at Austria’s main airport. To ensure stability and increased capacity, the airport is expanding its network.

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Pilots' union VC postpones strikes and demands improved Lufthansa offer

Jan Gruber 4 November 2025 10:31

The ongoing wage dispute between the pilots' union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) and Lufthansa has entered a period of de-escalation. The VC informed its members in an internal circular that it will grant the airline's management additional time to present a viable offer in the pension dispute. This means that no industrial action is expected in the short term. The union's decision to refrain from immediate strikes follows a membership vote at the end of September, in which members overwhelmingly supported walkouts should no agreement be reached. However, the VC set a new deadline for Lufthansa to submit a negotiable proposal. At the heart of the dispute are the employer contributions to the company pension schemes of approximately 4.800 pilots at Lufthansa's core airline and Lufthansa Cargo. While the VC pilots' union, which originally demanded a tripling of employer contributions, sees retirement benefits as a central issue, Lufthansa argues that high costs are a major obstacle and rejects any increase to what it considers to be an "already very good" company pension scheme. Despite the temporary easing of tensions, the union, citing its "clear" strike mandate, signals its continued readiness to fight. The core conflict: retirement benefits versus company costs. The dispute over the company pension scheme has been simmering since May and has not been resolved in seven rounds of negotiations. The VC pilots' union argues that adjusting employer contributions to the company pension is necessary to secure the financial future of pilots and to maintain the attractiveness of the profession at Lufthansa. Lufthansa, however, firmly opposes this position.

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Air Baltic opens new winter route from Gran Canaria to Ljubljana

Stephen Steiner 4 November 2025 10:07

Latvian airline Air Baltic launched a new direct flight connection between its seasonal hub on Gran Canaria (Spain) and Ljubljana (Slovenia) on October 31, 2025. The new route will operate once a week on Fridays throughout the winter flight season, until the beginning of April 2026. The flight time is approximately five hours. With this connection, Air Baltic, considered the leading airline in the Baltic region, expands its offerings of warm destinations for travelers from Central Europe. Mantas Vrubliauskas, VP Network Management at Air Baltic, expressed his confidence that the new route will attract Slovenian tourists to Gran Canaria during the colder months, as travelers from Central Europe increasingly seek sunny destinations. Conversely, the connection also offers residents of Gran Canaria the opportunity to explore the Slovenian capital, Ljubljana, with its historic old town. Air Baltic has been operating its seasonal hub on Gran Canaria since the end of 2023, strengthening the island's connections to various European regions, particularly the Baltics and Scandinavia. Flights are operated with the Airbus A220-300 aircraft. This aircraft type, a key component of the Air Baltic fleet, offers passengers amenities such as wider seats and larger windows. Furthermore, Air Baltic is gradually equipping its entire fleet with free high-speed internet from SpaceX Starlink, making it a pioneer among European airlines. The airline connects the Baltic states with a total of approximately 80 destinations in Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, and the Caucasus. During the current winter season, Air Baltic operates a total of seven direct flights from Gran Canaria. These include flights to Ljubljana.

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Condor and Marabu facing a new era: Attestor is pushing forward with strategic partner search

Stephen Steiner 4 November 2025 09:45

The British-German investment company Attestor is preparing the next strategic step for its aviation operations: the search for a strategic partner or potential co-owner for the German airline Condor and its Estonian sister airline Marabu, founded in 2023. Following the successful restructuring of the long-established leisure airline Condor and massive investments in fleet modernization, Attestor has commissioned the investment bank Barclays to explore the market. This step comes at a time when significant financial obligations are due: in 2026, Condor's loans from the German state-owned development bank KfW, amounting to hundreds of millions of euros, will expire. The search for a partner is therefore seen as a logical continuation of the ownership strategy, which aims to transfer the company into a secure long-term structure after stabilization by a financial investor. Condor, which was only rescued twice recently – after the collapse of its former parent company Thomas Cook and during the COVID-19 pandemic – by government aid, is thus once again at a crossroads. The search for a strategic partner could secure the necessary size and stability for the company's future. Restructuring and fleet renewal as a foundation: Attestor invested in the severely troubled Condor in the summer of 2021, acquiring a 51 percent stake after a planned takeover by LOT's parent company, PGL, fell through. The financial investor stabilized the airline with a capital injection of €200 million in new equity. In addition, Attestor provided €250 million for fleet modernization – a key pillar of the restructuring. With these funds, Condor accelerated the replacement of its aging fleet and procured modern and more efficient aircraft.

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Creditor protection: Latvian SmartLynx Airlines fights for financial stabilization after change of ownership

Jan Gruber 4 November 2025 09:18

Latvian airline SIA “SmartLynx Airlines”, a key player in the European ACMI (Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance, Insurance) market, is undergoing a profound restructuring process, formalized by the initiation of court-ordered creditor protection proceedings at the Riga District Court on October 28, 2025. This step comes immediately after a significant change of ownership, with a Dutch special investment fund and the management team taking control of the airline. The company emphasizes that the proceedings are necessary to ensure business continuity and future growth in a rapidly changing market environment. At the time the proceedings were initiated, SmartLynx Airlines had outstanding tax liabilities of €522.126 with the Latvian State Tax Service (SRS). Despite these financial burdens, the airline recorded significant operational growth in 2024: the number of passengers carried increased by 62,5 percent to 10,66 million, and flight frequency rose by 43,4 percent to 68.085 flights. The discrepancy between this operational success and the need for restructuring underscores the immense challenges facing the industry, which is characterized by sharply rising costs and delivery delays. The change of ownership and the new management structure: The creditor protection proceedings coincide with a period of upheaval. SmartLynx Airlines, previously part of businessman Gediminas Žiemelis' Avia Solutions Group, has fundamentally changed its ownership structure. In early November 2025, the acquisition of SmartLynx Airlines Latvia by a combination of the management team and a specialized investment fund from the Netherlands was completed. The new ownership structure is as follows: However, the restructuring is not complete: SmartLynx Airlines Malta and SmartLynx Airlines Estonia remain under the ownership of the previous shareholder (Smart Aviation).

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Dortmund Airport records passenger record during autumn holidays 2025

Amely Mizzi 4 November 2025 09:04

Dortmund Airport set a new passenger record during the 2025 North Rhine-Westphalia autumn school holidays. Between October 11 and 26, a total of 178.487 passengers used the airport. This represents an increase of approximately 6.300 travelers, or 3,7 percent, compared to the same autumn school holidays in 2024. During this period, the airport recorded over 1.500 takeoffs and landings. Saturdays were the busiest days, with more than 13.000 passengers handled each day. Despite reduced seat capacity due to the discontinuation of Ryanair services on certain routes, Katowice (Poland) and Palma de Mallorca (Spain) once again remained the most popular destinations. Around 16.800 passengers flew between Dortmund and Katowice, while the Balearic island of Palma saw approximately 14.200 passengers. The Albanian capital, Tirana, followed in third place among the most popular destinations with more than 13.900 passengers. Connections to the Turkish Mediterranean coast and Antalya saw particularly strong growth, securing fourth place with almost 12.300 passengers. This represents a passenger increase of over 110 percent compared to the autumn school holidays of 2024. This reflects the continued strong trend towards holidays in Turkey. Flights to and from Chișinău (Moldova) achieved the highest seat occupancy rate of the entire holiday period, with an average load factor of over 95 percent. With these figures, Dortmund Airport (IATA code DTM) confirmed its position as an important regional transport hub in North Rhine-Westphalia, particularly for ethnic and holiday travel. Despite the challenges posed by capacity adjustments, the airport succeeded in further increasing passenger numbers.

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Federal government halts air traffic control payments and jeopardizes the operation of smaller regional airports

Belinda Borg 4 November 2025 08:38

An unexpected decision by the German federal government regarding the financing of air traffic control is causing considerable unrest in the German aviation industry and among the federal states. The federal government plans to eliminate annual subsidies for air traffic control services at 44 small and medium-sized regional airports without replacement, starting in 2026. This abrupt about-face, which, according to Lower Saxony's Transport Minister Grant Hendrik Tonne (SPD), occurred "without warning," could severely jeopardize the economic foundation of numerous locations across Germany and, in the worst-case scenario, lead to the cessation of flight operations. The affected regional airports, which in Lower Saxony include Braunschweig-Wolfsburg, Emden, and Wilhelmshaven, are responsible for organizing and paying for their own air traffic control, unlike the 15 largest commercial airports. Until now, the federal government has compensated for the high costs of these essential services with a total of €50 million annually, of which €4 million alone went to Lower Saxony. The planned cuts to funding for 2026 present the states and regional airport operators with an enormous financial challenge, one that seems virtually impossible to overcome without government support. The financial burden of air traffic control: Air traffic control, essential for the safety and order of air traffic, represents a disproportionately high cost factor at smaller airports. While at Germany's 15 largest commercial airports, such as Frankfurt, Munich, and Düsseldorf, the German Air Navigation Services (DFS) provides these services on behalf of the federal government and bills the airlines directly through fees, the responsibility at smaller locations lies with the respective airport operators. Experts estimate that the costs for personnel, technology, and operation of an air traffic control unit amount to several million euros.

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