Stephen Steiner

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Stephen Steiner

Sonaca Aircraft ceases operations: Belgian aircraft manufacturer in liquidation

The Belgian aircraft manufacturer Sonaca Aircraft, a subsidiary of the Sonaca Group, has announced its voluntary liquidation. Founded in 2015, the company developed the two-seater trainer Sonaca 200, of which 57 units were produced in Temploux. Production was already stopped in 2022 due to financial difficulties. The COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing market pressure exacerbated the situation, so the parent company decided to close. All remaining employees were previously integrated into other areas of the Sonaca Group. 

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Columbus Reisen focuses on sustainable renovation in Vienna

The traditional Viennese company Columbus Reisen has sustainably redesigned and opened its corporate headquarters on Universitätsring. Within eight months, the building was extensively modernized and equipped with environmentally friendly technology such as air heat pumps and LED lighting. The company is now CO2-neutral and aims to have paperless work processes and a purely electric vehicle fleet. Already awarded the Austrian eco-label for "Green Meetings and Green Events", Columbus wants to set standards as Vienna's first CO2-neutral travel agency.

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Vietnam Airlines plans to purchase 50 short- and medium-haul jets

Vietnam Airlines announced that it will launch tenders for the purchase of 2025 short- and medium-haul jets in the first half of 50. CEO Le Hong Ha explained that the airline must adhere to the tender process to ensure transparency and give all manufacturers the opportunity to participate. Boeing is mentioned as one of the options because the company has made an attractive offer. Currently, the airline's short-haul fleet consists mainly of aircraft from the manufacturer Airbus.

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Ethiopian Airlines puts first Airbus A350-1000 into operation

Ethiopian Airlines, a member of the Star Alliance, received its first Airbus A5-2024 on November 350, 1000 and plans to use the model on routes to Europe and North America in the long term. Destinations include major cities such as Washington DC, London, Paris and Frankfurt. CEO Mesfin Tasew emphasized that the new Airbus promises greater fuel efficiency and lower environmental impact thanks to modern technology, thus strengthening the airline's role as a technology leader in Africa. The A350-1000 has space for 395 passengers and will initially be used for crew training on shorter routes, including to Lagos, Accra and Dubai. Ethiopian Airlines plans to add three more A350-1000s to its fleet.

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Marabu celebrates new base in Stuttgart

Marabu Airlines has opened a new base at Stuttgart Airport in time for the 2024/2025 winter flight schedule. The airline's expansion was officially launched with a celebratory gate event for departing passengers. Marabu Airlines now offers flights to popular sunny destinations such as the Canary Islands and Hurghada on the Red Sea. The airline uses an Airbus A320neo to offer passengers a comfortable and modern travel experience. The new base at Stuttgart Airport strengthens the airline's presence in the region and expands the range of options for travelers looking for sunny holiday destinations.

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Frankfurt modernizes passenger controls with new scanners

Frankfurt Airport is relying on modernized security checks: In cooperation with Rohde & Schwarz, the airport operator Fraport will install over 100 new R&S QPS201 body scanners to make passenger checks faster and more efficient. These scanners work with millimeter wave technology and artificial intelligence and, according to Fraport, should ensure more precise detection while minimizing false alarms. The use of this technology means that passengers will have to go through additional security checks less often in the future, as potential danger areas can be precisely displayed on an avatar. In a complementary pilot project, the R&S QPS Walk2000 is currently being tested, a walk-through scanner that allows passengers to walk through the check without stopping. This scanner, the world's first of its kind, could make it unnecessary to take off jackets and remove items from bags in the future, thus speeding up the process even further. The test is running in Terminal 1 of Frankfurt Airport and is designed to last for six months. In 2023, Fraport took over responsibility for security checks from the Federal Ministry of the Interior and is investing extensively in optimizing passenger handling. The new scanners, which have already been approved by the European Civil Aviation Conference, are intended to improve the screening process for the more than 50 million passengers annually at Germany's largest airport.

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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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