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Jan Gruber

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Jan Gruber

Comment: A maskless Friday in Vienna, because “Karl Lauterbach has abolished masks”

Jan Gruber 3 May 2022 10:03

It is a typical Friday afternoon at Vienna-Schwechat Airport. Numerous holidaymakers are waiting at the gates for their weekend vacation, business travelers for their flights home. Almost without exception, the passengers are wearing masks, although not all of them are wearing the FFP2 masks prescribed by the Austrian government. But then the travelers disembark from a plane coming from Cologne/Bonn via a gangway. The "mask picture" changes suddenly, because the vast majority of passengers coming from Germany remove their mouth and nose protection immediately after leaving the jetway. Only a few had worn the FFP2 mask prescribed by Austria, and even if they did: It felt like 90 percent had removed the obviously unpleasant part from their faces. The result is astonished looks from the departing passengers waiting to board. Of course, a young lady took the initiative and loudly pointed out to the travelers coming from Cologne/Bonn that FFP2 masks are mandatory here at the airport in Vienna. Only a very few people did this result in putting their surgical mask back on (almost no one had an FFP2). The vast majority ignored the advice and continued on their way to baggage claim without a mask. Police officers who were on a routine patrol were also not interested in the Cologne passengers without masks. One man, however, felt he had to lecture the young lady. Masks are now only required on airplanes, not in terminals. Karl Lauterbach had abolished this. He was German and the German regulations applied to him. A heated discussion developed about the fact that Austria is an independent country and that one should

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12 companies have applied for AOC in Malta

Jan Gruber 3 May 2022 08:02

A whopping 12 companies have applied to the Maltese Civil Aviation Authority for an AOC and operating license. Among the proponents is the successor to the Austrian Eurowings Europe GmbH, which is slated for closure, the Maltese Eurowings Europe Ltd. Malta's Transport Minister Aaron Farrugia announced at the Mavio industry conference that the number of aircraft registered in the register of the smallest member state of the European Union will also rise sharply by the end of this year. According to the government member, the 12 applicants include Eurowings Europe and another large airline group. Farrugia did not want to name the proponents by name and pointed out that the applicants will come forward themselves in due course. According to Charles Pace, head of the Maltese Civil Aviation Authority CAD, it is by no means a done deal that all applicants will receive an AOC and operating license. In recent years, numerous applications have had to be rejected because the legal requirements for the positive treatment of the applications could not be met. There are many other companies and start-ups that want to become a Maltese airline, but there are currently 12 applications. It is not yet clear whether more will be submitted. In the aviation industry, many company founders imagine that setting up an airline is easier and, in particular, cheaper than it actually is. Strict supervision of Europe's "aircraft carrier" There is a false rumor circulating on the mainland that Malta is particularly lax in awarding AOCs and operating licenses and that pretty much any airline can play. This is definitely not true, because Maltese supervision is extremely strict and is so

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After 25 months: Short-time work in the airport pharmacy ends at the end of May 2022

Jan Gruber 3 May 2022 07:36

Given the coronavirus pandemic and the rush for tests, you probably wouldn't initially suspect short-time working in a pharmacy. But if the pharmacy is in an unfavorable location, i.e. in an airport terminal that has been closed for a very long time, the cause should quickly become clear. Unlike other businesses, the airport pharmacy in Terminal 1 of Vienna-Schwechat Airport was unable to close, even though this hall had not been used for a long time. Like Asterix, they held their ground - albeit with reduced opening hours. Not just because they wanted to, but because they had to. The legal situation makes closing a pharmacy anything but easy. Even adjusting business hours is bureaucratic. They were not alone, because a pharmacy in Terminal 2 at Milan-Malpensa Airport shared the same fate. If there are not only significantly fewer passengers on the move, but the entire terminal area has also been out of service for a long time, it is almost logical that only a few people, apart from airport and airline employees, have strayed to the airport pharmacy, whose existence some travelers are not even aware of. The consequences of this: Sales have collapsed and are recovering just as slowly as the number of passengers. This forced the owner to act and she registered short-time work for her staff. According to a report in the newspaper “Heute”, they have been on this labor market measure for 25 months. The owner confirmed to the newspaper that they will probably be ready to leave short-time work by the end of May 2022. In the meantime, more business is returning week by week.

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Zurich-Munich: Dr. Richard switched from Flixbus to Pinkbus

Jan Gruber 3 May 2022 07:03

For a few weeks now, there has been another travel option between Zurich and Munich: The German long-distance bus provider operates up to 76 times a week between the two cities. The operational execution of the trips is carried out by the Austrian bus company Dr. Richard. This also has an impact on competitor Flixbus, because until now the Austrians had been operating on behalf of the green long-distance bus provider. The cooperation on this route has been terminated by mutual agreement, a spokeswoman for Flixbus confirmed. Nevertheless, since Dr. Richard's buses are missing, Flixbus can temporarily only offer a reduced service between Zurich and Munich. The business models of Flixbus and its challenger Pinkbus are similar. They do not operate their own vehicles, but commission subcontractors to carry out the operational execution of the trips. As a rule, the buses are painted in the colors of the client, so that travelers notice little or nothing. For Pinkbus, it is the first new route that has been added since the beginning of the corona pandemic. The journey time is given as three hours and 40 minutes. This means that – assuming the bus is not stuck in a traffic jam – the journey is only ten minutes slower than the train. Tickets can be purchased on the Pinkbus website, among other places.

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After the demonstrative departure of many supervisory board members: Carinthian KBV votes to buy back Klagenfurt Airport

Jan Gruber 2 May 2022 23:36

The supervisory board of the state-owned Carinthian Investment Management decided on Monday evening that the call option on the majority in Klagenfurt Airport currently held by Lilihill would be exercised. This means that not only political but also legal disputes are inevitable. The meeting itself must have resembled an absurd farce, because before the vote, the supervisory board members nominated by the SPÖ and FPÖ demonstratively left the room. The other people, mostly nominated by the ÖVP, voted unanimously for the repurchase of Klagenfurt Airport. However, the decision of the KBV supervisory board alone is not enough to actually exercise the call option. The approval of the state parliament is also required and due to the completely different positions of the governing parties SPÖ and ÖVP, it is anything but certain that there will be a majority decision for this. Perhaps this is also why the KBV supervisory board members nominated by the SPÖ and FPÖ demonstratively left the meeting room and thus did not take part in the supervisory board vote. The next steps are therefore not entirely clear. According to reports, representatives of majority owner Lilihill also presented their view of things during the meeting. While Franz Orasch's group of companies enjoys the support of the SPÖ, the governor's party, the ÖVP - above all State Councillor Martin Gruber - wants to bring the airport back into majority ownership of the state of Carinthia (via the KBV holding company). With regard to the call option, reference is made to an expert opinion which states, among other things, that Lilihill cannot use Corona as an excuse because of the sharp drop in passenger numbers in 2020 and 2021. To put it simply, this would not play a role.

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LH Group examines resumption: Eurowings stops Graz-Stuttgart

Jan Gruber 2 May 2022 12:06

Just a few weeks ago, Eurowings reactivated the nonstop connection between Graz and Stuttgart. The last flight on this route for the time being will take place on May 20, 2022. No further details were given about the reasons for the discontinuation. However, it can be assumed that capacity utilization and yield were not satisfactory. Eurowings uses the Airbus A319/320 models on this route. These are significantly larger than the de Havilland Dash 8-400 turboprop aircraft used by Austrian Airlines in the past. However, the Lufthansa Group does not want to talk about a final discontinuation yet. "The LH Group is examining and evaluating a possible resumption after the summer," explains a spokesman for Austrian Airlines. When asked whether Graz-Stuttgart will be "returned" to Austrian Airlines by Eurowings, the media officer did not answer. In any case, the Lufthansa Group seems to be considering whether Eurowings' A319/320s are not too big after all. According to the current information, there are no changes on the Eurowings routes from Graz and Linz to Düsseldorf. In direct comparison with the Stuttgart route, capacity utilization is said to be significantly better.

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From November 2022: Uganda Airlines sets course for London

Jan Gruber 2 May 2022 08:36

Uganda Airlines is expected to operate non-stop flights between Entebbe and London Heathrow from November 2022. Long-haul Airbus A330-800 aircraft will be used. The announcement follows long negotiations between the United Kingdom and Uganda. These were not exactly harmonious, as the government of the East African state even accused the United Kingdom of deliberately delaying the approval of the route rights. There were threats that British Airways would be taken to task. Approval is not yet a done deal, but the matter has been made a top priority in Uganda. President Museveni is personally intervening with the UK government and its civil aviation authority. There is good hope that the problem of non-stop flights will be resolved quickly and that Uganda Airlines will be able to fly between the two countries three times a week from November 2022. Uganda has relaxed its entry regulations. Tourists have been able to enter the East African country more easily since April 27, 2022. People who can prove that they are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 will no longer have to undergo a PCR test before entering or leaving the country. If you are not vaccinated or have only received one dose, you still need a negative PCR result that must not be older than 72 hours. Exceptions exist for children under five years of age, among others. At times, Uganda also carried out PCR swabs immediately after landing. Participation was mandatory and in addition to the obligation to present the negative results. However, this practice was already canceled without replacement in February 2022. Fully vaccinated people have been able to travel to Uganda since April 27, 2022 without the obligation to present a PCR result.

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Comparison: AUA Business Lounge vs. SkyLounge vs. Vienna Lounge

Jan Gruber 2 May 2022 08:01

At the end of March 2022, Terminal 2 at Vienna-Schwechat Airport with gate areas B, C and D went back into operation. At the same time, the Vienna Lounge, the new flagship of the exclusive lounge area, opened its doors. But what does the new lounge offer in direct comparison to its "competitors" in Terminal 3? First of all, it should be noted that the Vienna Lounge is currently the only one of its kind in Terminal Complex 1/2. There is currently no alternative in this building, so travelers also have to live with the fact that Priority Pass, Lounge Key and Dragon Pass are not yet accepted due to a lack of contracts. Also, not all common credit cards that allow lounge access have yet been implemented. If in doubt, you should therefore check the airport's homepage in advance. In the foreseeable future, however, all common cards should be allowed access. This article compares the Austrian Airlines Business Lounge (Terminal 3 Schengen), the Sky Lounge of Vienna Airport AG (Terminal 3 Schengen) and the airport's new Vienna Lounge (Terminal 2 Schengen). The selection was made for good reason, because these exclusive waiting areas are accessible to all passengers - for a fee - and are not tied to specific status cards or booking classes. The all-rounder: AUA Business Lounge in Terminal 3 (Schengen) The Schengen Business Lounge of Austrian Airlines and the SkyLounge of Vienna Airport are located right next to each other in Terminal 3. These can be reached by elevator or escalator. You do not go through passport control (area G), but reach the exclusive waiting areas after a few steps in the other direction. The AUA Lounge

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Germans ogling: With the nine-euro ticket on vacation?

Jan Gruber 2 May 2022 07:02

The German government plans to offer monthly tickets for the months of June, July and August 2022, each priced at nine euros, which will be valid nationwide. According to the current information, long-distance trains such as Eurocity, Intercity, IntercityExpress and IntercityExpress Sprinter are excluded. Nevertheless, many Germans are apparently toying with the idea of ​​using the ticket to travel on vacation. In response to the sharp rise in fuel prices, the German government has announced discounted network tickets priced at nine euros per month. These are to be valid on local public transport nationwide, but not on DB long-distance trains. For the time being, these tickets are only planned to be available in the calendar months of June, July and August 2022. Much has not yet been fully negotiated, so there may still be changes by then. A polling institute commissioned by the newspaper “Tagesspiegel” found that 29 percent of Germans can imagine that the nine-euro ticket could be used to travel on vacation within Germany. In contrast, 64 percent of respondents explicitly rule this out. The other participants stated, among other things, that they are still undecided. Public transport experts fear that there could be a rush on public transport in Germany from June 1, 2022. The transport associations have said that they are unable to bring additional capacity onto the roads or rails at such short notice. It is also still unclear where the nine-euro ticket will be available, apart from the Internet. Among other things, there is still debate about whether agencies and travel agencies with a DB sales license will receive commissions or not.

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On May 1, 2022 alone: ​​the army deploys 1.200 soldiers for corona controls

Jan Gruber 1 May 2022 10:02

On today's national holiday (May 1, 2022), the Austrian Armed Forces are deployed at home and abroad with around 2.800 soldiers and civilian employees. Around 1.200 "armed forces" are on duty in the area of ​​Corona identity checks at the national borders. This is also intended to prevent unauthorized border crossings. The Armed Forces currently maintains four larger contingents abroad. These are located in Mali, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Lebanon and Kosovo. There are also ten small missions in other countries. On May 1, 2022, around 1.600 soldiers are deployed domestically, of which the vast majority, 1.200 Armed Forces, are at the borders and are mainly busy with Corona controls. In particular, the assistance services in connection with the Covid 19 pandemic and property protection in Vienna have been demanding the services of the Armed Forces for two years now. Whether for contact tracing, health authority entry controls or to relieve the police of the burden of guarding critical infrastructure in Vienna. Of the 105 military properties in Austria, 17 are guarded or monitored by their own personnel. These are guards, security services and standby units. The remaining 40 less sensitive properties are technically secured or monitored by external companies. To maintain the so-called "on-duty system" (central office, directorates and military commands), around XNUMX people are on duty on Sundays and public holidays.

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