In future, Lauda will not operate any flights for its own account, but only ACMI services for Ryanair from Stuttgart and Düsseldorf. According to the management, this should not have any effects on Vienna and Palma de Mallorca.
The airline Lauda will cease scheduled flight operations in Düsseldorf and Stuttgart effective July 1, 2020. Instead, these two locations will act as a wet lease provider for Ryanair in the future. The managing directors David O'Brien and Andreas Gruber announced this to the German Lauda employees on Friday.
This step is justified, among other things, by the fact that Germany is granting Lufthansa around nine billion in government aid. A new collective agreement is to be concluded with the Verdi union by June 21, 2020, which, according to the circular, should help ensure that the A320 bases in Düsseldorf and Stuttgart can remain open and provide “efficient, competitive wetlease services” for Ryanair. It is also written that this could minimize the number of terminations. It is interesting that it is pointed out that the Viennese crews already have a new collective agreement and have "managed" to save their base.
Nevertheless, due to the reduced flight schedule in Düsseldorf and Stuttgart, employees will be cut. They are now requested to inform the HR department in Vienna of their personal circumstances by 17 p.m. on Monday. Whether the take-off and landing rights held at the two German airports have already been transferred to Ryanair and / or Malta Air is not clear from the letter. Also, not a word is lost about whether the conversion to an ACMI provider for Ryanair only applies to Düsseldorf and Stuttgart or also to Palma de Mallorca and Vienna.
It is noteworthy that Düsseldorf and Stuttgart were only completely converted to the Lauda brand last year. Ryanair was previously active at both airports, both brands were used in a transition phase and now the circular indicates that it could be planned to fly as “Ryanair operated by Lauda”.
On request, managing director Andreas Gruber stated that the changes in Düsseldorf and Stuttgart would not lead to any changes in Vienna. The Palma de Mallorca base should not be affected by the conversion into “wet lease bases” either. The changes only affect Germany, said the manager.