Thanks to sharply increased ticket prices, Austrian Airlines managed to make a high profit in the third quarter of the current year. Now the Vida union is demanding that the employees also get something from it. 

Austrian Airlines was once considered a place where almost exclusively top salaries were paid. Those days are long gone, as in the past there were various austerity packages and renegotiations of collective agreements. Although there were already wage increases and one-off payments after the corona pandemic, this is not enough for the Vida union. 

The on-board product that Austrian Airlines offers on short and medium-haul routes in economy class is comparable to those of its low-cost competitors Ryanair and Wizzair. However, the price is often higher, especially if you have no competitor on a route or the only competitor is a sister company from the Lufthansa Group. Prices were increased noticeably, particularly in Germany-Austria traffic, but at the same time the included service was significantly reduced. 

Austrian Airlines was rescued by the state in 2020. The loan, for which the state was liable, has now been repaid. However, this does not apply to the 150 million euros that were transferred to Austrian Airlines as a “non-repayable grant” as a kind of compensation for the corona pandemic. As soon as demand picks up again, travelers are confronted with significantly increased ticket prices. The fact that these also fuel what, according to Director General Mann, is “above-average inflation” is of course not mentioned in the associated media release. 

The Vida union is of the opinion that that given the high profit The time must now have come for more wages for the employees. “This means that nothing should stand in the way of good salary increases. After all, it is the employees who, with their great commitment, have brought the company back on the road to success through the crisis. They therefore deserve a fair share of the company’s success,” says VIda specialist group chairman Daniel LIebhart. 

However, the trade unionist cannot understand AUA CEO Annette Mann's statements that high inflation in Austria will continue to be a major problem for the company this year and next year. “After all, ticket prices were always raised well above inflation. The more expensive tickets were nevertheless purchased accordingly and we are back to pre-crisis levels,” notes Liebhart. 

The high inflation could therefore not be a strong argument for the company to put the brakes on salary increases. “Compared to other comparable locations, I still see a clear need to catch up in terms of salaries in Austria,” emphasizes the vida trade unionist. 

Negotiations on a new collective agreement for the flying staff will soon take place. It can therefore be assumed that the high ticket prices, which lead to high profits, will be addressed accordingly by the union. Incidentally, the AUA is not allowed to negotiate the KV itself, but must be represented by the Chamber of Commerce.