Stephen Steiner

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Stephen Steiner

Laura Nolte as brand ambassador for German Airways

Bobsleigh Olympic champion and world champion Laura Nolte has signed a long-term sponsorship agreement with German Airways. The collaboration includes several seasons in which Nolte will wear the airline's logo on her clothing and bobsleighs. These are designed in the German Airways design and include the colors black, red and gold, which emphasizes Nolte's German origins in international competitions. Her pusher Deborah Levi will also be part of the sponsorship and will support the airline as another brand ambassador. German Airways hopes that the athletes' presence will bring additional international visibility, especially at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. Laura Nolte, who is currently studying business psychology and works as a sports soldier, sees the cooperation as a great support for her sporting career. At 25, Nolte has an impressive career to look back on: in addition to winning the 2022 Olympic gold medal in the two-man bobsleigh, she is world champion and European champion in several disciplines, and most recently successfully defended her world championship title in the monobob. The partnership with German Airways will enable her to continue to focus on sporting success. German Airways Managing Director Maren Wolters emphasized the parallels between precision and teamwork in bobsleighing and aviation as the basis for the partnership.

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Wizz Air records passenger growth in October 2024

Low-cost airline Wizz Air reported that it carried around 2024 million passengers in October 5,6, an increase of 4,1 percent compared to the same month last year. The load factor, or the capacity utilization of its flights, rose slightly from 92,5 to 92,9 percent year-on-year. The group has seen increased passenger volumes in recent months, partly due to the expansion of new routes and the resumption of flights to crisis-hit regions such as Israel and Moldova. In the context of geopolitical tensions, Wizz Air canceled six percent of its flights at short notice in October, but quickly reallocated this capacity. In addition, the airline plans to expand its modern fleet with additional Airbus A321neo aircraft in order to handle future passenger flows more efficiently. Despite high spending on spare parts and ongoing maintenance work, for example on the Pratt & Whitney GTF engines, the airline remains confident about its growth and its position as the leading low-cost airline in Eastern Europe.

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Name change and new passenger policy: Viva Aerobus becomes “Viva”

The Mexican low-cost airline Viva Aerobus has renamed itself "Viva" shortly before its 18th anniversary and at the same time introduced a more flexible passenger policy. This allows travelers to make various changes such as adjusting ticket names, routes or travel dates depending on the fare selected. Viva also offers an option for ticket transfer and cancellation and allows refunds up to 24 hours after purchase. In addition, Viva plans to introduce a ticket marketplace where passengers can offer their tickets for sale themselves. This digital marketplace will allow passengers to either sell the tickets directly back to the airline if their travel plans change or offer them to other customers at the price of their choice. The proceeds will be credited to "Viva Cash", which can be used for future bookings.

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Court confirms compensation for KLM passengers after flight delay caused by drunk driver

A Norwegian court has ruled that two KLM passengers must be compensated for a flight delay caused by a drunk passenger. The incident occurred in October 2022 on a flight from Stavanger to Amsterdam. The drunk passenger, who according to witnesses was already heavily intoxicated at the airport, was initially allowed on board. Before departure, however, the crew decided to remove him from the plane for safety reasons, which led to a delay. Due to the delay, the affected passengers missed their connections. KLM initially rejected the claim for compensation, citing "extraordinary circumstances". But the Romerike and Glåmdal District Court found that, due to the passenger's obvious condition, the airline should have excluded him from transport at an early stage. The plaintiffs now each received 1.200 euros in compensation, which is provided for in the European Air Passenger Rights Regulation (EC 261/2004) in the event of such negligence on the part of the airline.

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Airbus temporarily chained up by Bees Airlines

On Sunday, October 27, 2024, an Airbus A320 belonging to the Romanian airline Bees Airlines was briefly detained at Cluj-Napoca airport due to outstanding invoices. The airline, which essentially emerged from the Ukrainian airline Bees Airline, confirmed to the Boardingpass portal that the bank had blocked the payment due to an audit. The outstanding amounts amount to several tens of thousands of euros; according to company representatives, there are no legal disputes. Bees Airline (without the s) had to cease operations in Ukraine in 2022 after the start of the Russian invasion and return its fleet to the lessor. It now operates from Romania under a slightly adapted name and is gradually resuming business activities.

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Lower Austria Tourism Award 2024 focuses on sustainability and digitalization

On November 25, 2024, Lower Austrian Tourism will present the coveted tourism award in three categories at the castle on Eisenstrasse in Waidhofen an der Ybbs: "Sustainability & regenerative tourism", "digitalization" and "overall tourist experience". An expert jury nominated three companies for each category that stand out for their innovative concepts and sustainable approaches. The audience award, which is being awarded for the second time, also offers the opportunity to choose the audience's favorite through online voting from November 1 to 17. This year's nominations for the sustainability area rely on regenerative concepts to conserve natural resources and actively contribute to the preservation of the ecosystem. The digitalization category focuses on technological solutions that increase added value for tourism. The best "overall tourist experience" will be awarded to a company that impresses the guest in all respects from arrival to departure. The ceremonial award ceremony will take place for the first time as a "Green Event" and meets the criteria of the Austrian eco-label.

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Plus Ultra launches direct flights between Buenos Aires and Madrid

From October 2025, Spanish airline Plus Ultra will offer new direct flights between Buenos Aires and Madrid, positioning itself in the Argentine market. The airline's president, Julio Martínez, confirmed the opening of this route, which is part of the airline's expansion strategy. This marks Plus Ultra's first step into the Argentine market, where it will compete against established operators such as Aerolíneas Argentinas, Iberia and Air Europa. Although the exact frequency of the flights has not yet been announced, Martínez announced that the fleet expansion with additional Airbus A330 aircraft will lead to improved service in the coming years. The decision for Plus Ultra's entry into the market falls within the framework of the new Open Skies policy promoted by the Argentine government under Decree of Necessity and Urgency (DNU) 70. This regulation allows international airlines greater operational freedom in Argentina and has already led to the expansion of other airlines, including low-cost carriers such as JetSmart. Federico Sturzenegger, Minister of Deregulation and State Transformation, welcomed the new developments, highlighting the benefits for connectivity and competition in the Argentine aviation sector.

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Air Baltic introduces new concept for meal pre-ordering in Economy Class

Latvian airline Air Baltic has introduced a new meal pre-order concept to improve in-flight dining in Economy Class. Passengers can now make up to ten individual food and drink choices, choosing from a wide range of options. This measure aims to provide passengers with a personalized and varied meal selection. The new offer includes several novel dishes, including hot sushi, duck confit and ravioli with porcini mushrooms. Special dietary needs, such as vegan or gluten-free options, are also taken into account. Natalija Kuzmina, VP Customer Experience & Insights at Air Baltic, emphasizes that this improvement not only increases passenger comfort, but also contributes to waste reduction and more sustainable passenger care. Pre-ordering can be done during ticket purchase, while existing bookings are expected to be expanded to include the new concept in the coming year. In Business Class, the usual gourmet service will remain, combined with a selection of high-quality drinks.

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95 million euros in funding for Aura Aero

The French company Aura Aero will receive a grant of 95 million euros from the European Innovation Fund. This financial support is intended to accelerate progress in the development of low-carbon aircraft and will particularly benefit the regional hybrid-electric aircraft ERA. This project, which is also supported by the French government, is scheduled to begin its first test flights in 2026 and is supported by energy supplier EDF, among others. In total, the number of pre-orders for the ERA model is already over 570 aircraft. This investment is part of the effort to significantly reduce CO₂ emissions in aviation. Aura Aero plans to significantly reduce energy consumption for regional flights by using hybrid propulsion technologies and sees the funding as an important step towards implementing its sustainable aviation goals.

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Aircraft manufacturer Lilium seeks insolvency in self-administration

Munich-based electric aircraft manufacturer Lilium is planning to file for insolvency under self-administration to ensure the company's continued existence and attract new investors. According to CEO Klaus Roewe, the insolvency should pave the way for a possible fresh start and give the company time to raise fresh capital. Despite around 700 pre-orders for its electric jet and an investment of around 1,5 billion euros to date, Lilium is struggling with financial bottlenecks. The application for a federal government guarantee for a 100 million euro loan from KfW Bank was rejected, while talks are underway in parallel for a French guarantee for a further loan of 219 million euros. The approximately 1.000 employees of the start-up, which is listed on the US Nasdaq stock exchange, have been informed of the plan. The company's shares, which were trading above 2021 dollars at times in 14, recently fell to around 20 cents. The trustee will monitor and support the management as Lilium continues to seek new financing opportunities.

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