In the event of a cancellation, the AUA should actually have to pay back within seven days in the form of money. Now Minister Köstinger (ÖVP) intervenes and demands immediate repayment.

Tourism Minister Elisabeth Köstinger calls on Austrian Airlines, which is now to be saved with taxpayers' money, to pay off its debts to customers, including travel agencies and tour operators, without delay. In the past few weeks, the company has repeatedly been in the crossfire of criticism because repayments have not been made at all or only very slowly. The company always contradicted the presentation and referred to the increased workload.

"I welcome the rescue of the AUA, but now I expect the airline to quickly reimburse payments already made to travel agencies and tour operators," said Köstinger. “The travel agencies had to make numerous refunds to travelers in the event of cancellations and must now immediately get back the payments made to their own partners. If the AUA is now saved by state grants and assumption of liability, then that also means for me that this reimbursement to travel agencies must also be made by the AUA ",

In a press release, the minister also referred to various other measures in tourism: “In addition to short-time working, an improvement in the fixed cost subsidy for the industry was also recently achieved. Personnel expenses incurred for processing cancellations and rebookings due to the crisis can now also be recognized as fixed costs and included in the calculation of the grant. The federal government is aware of the dramatic situation in the industry. We try to support wherever possible. I now expect a quick repayment from the AUA board to their own partners in the travel industry. "