The Omikron Corona mutation is also causing the Austrian Airlines management team a headache. Sales director Michael Trestl criticizes the fact that some countries are re-enacting travel bans, although not much is known virologically.

In an interview with the daily newspaper Kurier, he also paints the worst case, which one should “not think about now”, on the wall. If the USA closes its borders again and the borders within the EU are closed again, then this would set Austrian Airlines "back in development by 14 to 18 months." 

Landing bans are, according to Trestl, not the way to go. “People are looking for other routes, via Istanbul, Dubai, Abu Dhabi etc. At Vienna Airport, transfer flights are more strictly controlled, but that is very difficult. It is understandable that politicians should react in this way, but the variant is spreading anyway. And the return journey for Austrians will be extremely difficult, ”the manager told the courier.

When asked whether the most recent Austria lockdown had an impact on the number of bookings, Michael Trestl replied that Europe was currently seeing a decline of ten to 15 percent. This also has an impact on the execution of the flights, because the AUA board member also confirms that frequencies are often merged. “We're trying to keep the flight plan as stable as possible. We succeed for the most part, there are only a few adjustments. We are combining flights with several daily frequencies, but the travelers can still fly daily, ”the manager told the courier.

Boost in private trips, business travelers still reluctant

The summer of 2022 should have gone well in the area of ​​private travel, because according to Trestl, this segment was around ten percent above the output of 2019. The bottom line was that total production was between 55 and 60 percent. Bookings are said to have received a special boost with the announcement that the USA is opening up to vaccinated people. According to the AUA manager, bookings are said to have quadrupled. The business travel sector is well below the pre-crisis level. Trestl also expects that the volume after the corona pandemic will be around five to ten percent below the pre-crisis level.

Michael Trestl reacts to the courier about cheap ticket prices from the competition as follows: “You can fly in Europe at dumping prices from 9,90 euros, cheaper than a pizza. Not even the variable costs are covered. We are increasing our capacity by ten aircraft for the summer of 2022. On very busy routes like Palma, we are increasing. Wherever the low-costers are, we also fly and are capacity leaders. Our flight plan is much more attractive. " Confronted with the fact that Ryanair also offers tickets from five euros, Trestl said: “We offer Palma and back from 60 euros. Our philosophy as the leading Austrian company is different - socially acceptable and economically and ecologically sensible. "

Austrian Airlines is hoping for Gewessler's minimum prices for flight tickets

The AUA sales director told the courier that the low-cost airlines would have production costs around 30 to 40 percent lower. “We'll never be that deep, but we don't even want to go there,” explains Trestl. The Austrian Airlines board director apparently sees the solution to the competition problem in the minimum prices for flight tickets promoted by Transport Minister Leonore Gewessler (Greens).

Trestl hopes that these will be decided by the National Council in the course of the first quarter of 2022. Austrian Airlines will “fully support the minimum prices in order to prevent offers below the prime costs”. The manager also makes a swipe at Germany, because the new traffic light coalition is supposed to initiate a similar project there.