Vienna, Austria, January 9, 2024 – Emirates is welcoming the new year in Austria with great news: Starting on February 21 until the end of the winter flight schedule (March 30, 2024), the flights EK127 and EK 128 which are currently operated by a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft will be upgraded to a three-class A380 aircraft, boosting capacity and adding more options for travellers to and from Vienna.
Emirates’ flight EK127 leaves Dubai at 8:55 am and arrives in the Austrian capital at 12:25 pm. The return flight EK128, departs Vienna at 3:10 pm and arrives in Dubai at 23:40 pm, with all times local.
Emirates passengers travelling from Vienna will once again enjoy the unique experience offered by the world’s largest passenger aircraft, including First Class suites and shower spas, the onboard lounge and, of course, the best international and regionally inspired cuisine. The award-winning in-flight entertainment system ice offers up to 6,500 channels of on-demand entertainment.
Emirates has announced it will restart passenger services to Mauritius this summer with two weekly flights from 15 July, as the island-nation gradually re-opens its borders to international tourists. To serve market demand, the airline has also announced it will deploy its iconic Emirates A380 aircraft to Mauritius starting 1 August. Fully vaccinated travellers can enjoy a relaxing and safe getaway in a list of pre-approved COVID-19 safe resorts across the island.
Emirates’ flights to Mauritius will operate on Thursdays and Saturdays. Starting from 15 July, the route will be served utilising a Boeing 777-300ER aircraft, and from 1 August, utilising the Emirates A380 aircraft. Emirates flight EK 701 will depart Dubai 2:35hrs and arrive in Mauritius at 9:10hrs local time. The return flight will operate on Fridays and Sundays. Emirates flight EK 704 will depart Mauritius at 23:10hrs and arrive in Dubai at 5:45hrs local time, the following day.
Emirates flights to Mauritius can be booked on emirates.com, via travel agents or Emirates Sales Office.
The Emirates A380 experience remains a favourite amongst travellers for its spacious and comfortable cabins and the airline will continue to expand its deployment in line with the gradual return in demand. Emirates currently operates the A380 to New York JFK, Los Angeles, Washington D.C, Toronto, Paris, Munich, Vienna, Frankfurt, Moscow, Amman, Cairo, and Guangzhou.
From white sandy beaches, crystal clear water, and luscious landscapes – Mauritius remains one the most popular holiday destinations, attracting travellers across the Americas, Europe, and the Middle East. Emirates passengers can also enjoy other Indian Ocean destinations, as the airline offers 28 weekly flights to Maldives and seven weekly flights to Seychelles.
Travellers can also book with Emirates Holidays and enjoy tailor-made packages at world-class hotels and resorts across the island. For more information, click here
Austrian Airlines has found a buyer for the three long-haul aircraft that were up for sale. The Boeing 767-300ER aircraft will go to the U.S. company MonoCoque Diversified Interests. The purchase agreement has already been signed. The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price. The first aircraft, registered OE-LAT, will leave Vienna at the beginning of March for Pinal Airpark, Arizona. The aircraft is currently undergoing all the necessary preparations for the handover. The next transfer flight is scheduled for May with the Boeing 767 registered OE-LAX.
“Being able to sell all three Boeing 767’s to one buyer is very gratifying and a big step for our fleet transition”, says Austrian Airlines CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech. “I would like to thank MonoCoque Diversified Interests for the good negotiations and our team for their great commitment.”
“MDI is excited to continue the growth of its passenger and cargo aviation portfolio with the addition of three 767-300ERs”, adds MDI’s manager Mary Alice Keyes. “It has been a pleasure to work with Austrian Airlines, a group with a long history and outstanding pedigree.”
At an average of 28.5 years, the three 767’s sold are among the oldest aircraft in the Austrian Airlines fleet. The remaining three 767’s are between 20 and 22 years of age. After the completed handover, Austrian Airlines will continue to have nine long-haul jets at its disposal, which will connect Austria with destinations around the globe – from the USA to the Far East. In detail, these are six Boeing 777’s with over 300 seats and three Boeing 767’s with over 200 seats.
Until the beginning of 2022, 28 aircraft will leave the fleet of Austria’s home carrier: In addition to the aforementioned three Boeing 767-300ER’s, 18 Dash turboprops and seven Airbus A319 jets will be handed over. Ten turboprops have already left Vienna, with the remaining eight to follow soon. This means that the fleet will consist of around 60 aircraft by the beginning of 2022. As mainly smaller aircraft will be retired, this corresponds to a capacity reduction of around 20 percent.
– Travel time reduced to one hour on Sighisoara-Brasov section thanks to modernised infrastructure
– Alstom working on 75% of the 450 km currently in rehabilitation on the Romanian section of the European rail corridor
Alstom will provide digital train control, traffic management and electrification infrastructure as part of the rehabilitation and modernisation of Lot 2 (Apata-Cata) on the Sighisoara-Brasov section of the European Rhine-Danube rail corridor in Romania. Alstom’s share of the contract amounts to approximately €70 million. The Asocierea RailWorks consortium, of which Alstom is part, has signed the contract, with the project execution expected to last four years.
This project completes the previous one for Lots 1 and 3 of the same section, which was awarded to Asocierea RailWorks in March 2020. In total, Alstom will provide signalling and electrification works on the double line covering the railway distance of 128 kilometres – totalling more than 250 kilometres of modernized railway infrastructure – between Sighisoara and Brasov, two important touristic destinations in Romania.
The new project, totalling 28 kilometres of double railway line, includes the optimisation of the existing route by building tunnels to reduce travel time, as well as the modernisation of most of the old line, for passenger trains operating at up to 160 km/h. Alstom is directly responsible for the traffic management system, digital interlocking and ERTMS Level 2 deployment (ETCS Level 2 + GSM-R telecommunications system), passenger information systems as well as catenary upgrades and electric traction substations.
The most complex part in this project is the construction of two double tunnels (four tunnels in total, two per each direction) totalling almost 13 kilometres of double lines. In these tunnels, Alstom is responsible for an electro-ventilation system to compensate the lack of natural ventilation, along with a fire-proof system to ensure full traffic safety.
As with Lots 1 and 3 of the Sighisoara-Brasov section, for the upgrade of the catenary systems, Alstom will supply its OCS3 catenary solution for main lines.
Trains have been running between Brașov and Sighișoara since 1873. After completed rehabilitation, the train journey should take under one hour for the fastest trains, compared to 160 to 250 minutes at present.
Alstom has been active in ongoing rehabilitation works on the Romanian part of the Rhine-Danube Corridor since 2012 and now has five ongoing and two completed signalling and infrastructure projects on this section, covering over 75% of the distance of the 450 km currently in rehabilitation on the Romanian section of the European corridor.
The pan-European Rhine-Danube Corridor links the cities of Nuremberg-Prague-Vienna-Budapest-Curtici-Simeria-Brasov-Bucharest-Constanta. Through the rehabilitation programmes currently in implementation on the sections located on the Northern branch of the Romanian part of this Corridor, the traffic speed will increase to 160 km/h for passenger trains and to 120 km/h for freight trains.
Alstom is a global pioneer in the development and implementation of on-board digital train control equipment. ATLAS 200 is the Alstom’s ERTMS level 2 solution allowing trains to increase speed in perfectly safe conditions.
In Vienna, a new era in passenger rail starts today. Until the end of November, a hydrogen train will run for the first time in regular passenger service for ÖBB, the Austrian Federal Railways. The Coradia iLint, built by Alstom in Salzgitter, Germany, uses on-board fuel cells to convert hydrogen and oxygen into electricity, thus reducing operating emissions to zero.
Following successful test operation in Northern Germany between 2018 and 2020, the Coradia iLint train will now demonstrate its worth in Austria over three months during which it will transport passengers on geographically challenging routes.
“With its use in regular passenger operations for ÖBB, our innovation train Coradia iLint has reached the next milestone,” said Dr. Jörg Nikutta, Alstom’s CEO in Germany and Austria, at the launch event in Vienna. “The train’s emission-free drive technology offers a climate-friendly alternative to conventional diesel trains, especially on non-electrified lines. I am particularly pleased that ÖBB, a strong and long-term partner in the European mobility market, is convinced of our technology and its advantages.”
“We clearly see ourselves as pioneers in testing hydrogen technology on rail. As the largest climate protection company in Austria, we are actively shaping the mobility of the future with technological alternatives,” emphasizes Andreas Matthä, CEO of ÖBB-Holding AG on the occasion of the premiere of the hydrogen train.
The operational success of Alstom’s fuel cell train started in September 2018, when two pre-series vehicles began regular passenger service in Lower Saxony, Germany. After 1.5 years of trial operation and more than 180,000 kilometres covered, the way was cleared for the delivery of 14 series trains beginning in 2022. Now, the Austrian ÖBB will test the Coradia iLint on regional railway lines in the country’s south, where they could replace diesel trains. Passengers can look forward to a low-noise train with a top speed of 140 km/h and zero emissions.
Last flight will land on 19 March in Vienna / all further flights are temporarily suspended until 28 March
Lufthansa Group: entire short and long-haul schedule significantly reduced again
As of 17 March: ten percent of the originally planned capacity will still be available on long-haul routes and 20 per cent on short-haul routes
Lufthansa Group airlines fly thousands of cruise passengers and holidaymakers home
Arrangements for further evacuation flights
Lufthansa Cargo flight operations carries out all planned flights despite corona crisis
The Lufthansa Group carrier Austrian Airlines will temporarily suspend scheduled flight operations as of Thursday, 19 March 2020. Austrian Airlines is thus reacting to the entry restrictions imposed by many countries in response to the massive spread of the coronavirus.
For the time being, the last flight with flight number OS 066 will land in Vienna from Chicago at 8:20 a.m. on 19 March. Until then, flight operations are to be reduced in a controlled and structured manner in order to bring all passengers and crews home if possible. Initially Austrian Airlines will cancel all flights until March 28th 2020, and passengers who have booked a flight with Austrian Airlines during this period will be rebooked on other airlines if possible.
In addition, Lufthansa Group airlines will further reduce their short- and long-haul schedule. The cancellations, which will be published as early as tomorrow, March 17th, will lead to a sharp decline in long-haul service especially in the Middle East, Africa and Central and South America. Overall, the Lufthansa Group’s seating capacity on long-haul routes will be reduced by up to 90 per cent. A total of 1,300 weekly connections were originally planned for summer 2020.
Within Europe the flight schedule will also be further reduced. Starting tomorrow, around 20 percent of the originally planned seating capacity will still be offered. Originally, some 11,700 weekly short-haul flights were planned for summer 2020 with Lufthansa Group airlines.
The additional cancellations will be published over the next few days and passengers will be informed accordingly.
Despite the large-scale cancellations, Lufthansa, Eurowings and Austrian Airlines have scheduled more than 20 special flights with over 6,000 guests on short notice to fly cruise passengers and holidaymakers back home. Wide-body aircraft namely, the Boeing 747 & 777 and Airbus A350 are being used to offer as much capacity as possible on these return flights. Since thousands of German, Austrian, Swiss and Belgian citizens are still waiting to return to their home countries, Lufthansa Group airlines have made arrangements for further evacuation flightsand are in close contact with the governments of their home countries concerning this. Carsten Spohr, Chairman of the Executive Board of Deutsche Lufthansa AG, said: “Now it is no longer about economic issues, but about the responsibility that airlines bear as part of the critical infrastructure in their home countries.” Lufthansa will work with airports and air traffic controllers to develop a coordinated concept for maintaining the critical infrastructure.
The new timetable for all Lufthansa Group airlines will initially be valid until 12 April 2020. Lufthansa Group passengers planning a trip in the coming weeks are advised to check the current status of the respective flight on their airline’s website before departure. If rebooking possibilities exist, the passengers concerned will be proactively informed about alternatives, as long as they have provided their contact details online. In addition, currently changed rebooking conditions apply on a goodwill basis. Customers can find more information about this at lufthansa.com.
We are currently receiving an exceptionally high number of customer calls at our Service Centers and at our stations. We are continuously working on increasing capacity to meet this demand. Nevertheless, there are currently long waiting times. Passengers can use the extensive rebooking and self-service options on the airlines’ websites as an alternative to the Service Centers.
Unlike the passenger airlines, Lufthansa Cargo has so far been able to operate all its planned flights except for cancellations to mainland China. The Lufthansa Group subsidiary will continue to do everything in its power to maintain the flight operations of its own cargo fleet and thus support the global supply chains. Especially during the current crisis, logistics and thus also airfreight are of paramount importance.
Number of passengers rises by 2.9 percent year-on-year
Capacity utilisation up by 0.8 percentage points to 87.2 percent
Strongest passenger growth at Zurich hub
In August 2019, the Lufthansa Group airlines welcomed more than 14.1 million passengers. This shows an increase of 2.9 percent compared to the previous year’s month. The available seat kilometres were up 1.8 percent over the previous year, at the same time, sales increased by 2.7 percent. In addition as compared to August 2018, the seat load factor rose by 0.8 percentage points to 87.2 percent.
Cargo capacity increased by 8.9 percent year-on-year, while cargo sales increased by 1.5 percent in revenue tonne-kilometre terms. As a result, the Cargo load factor showed a corresponding reduction, decreasing by 4.2 percentage points to 58.8 percent.
Network Airlines with around 10.2 million passengers
The Network Airlines including Lufthansa German Airlines, SWISS and Austrian Airlines carried around 10.2 million passengers in August – 3.3 percent more than in the prior-year period. Compared to the previous year, the available seat kilometres increased by 3.1 percent in August. The sales volume was up by 4.0 percent over the same period, with an increasing seat load factor by 0.7 percentage points to 87.3 percent.
Strongest passenger growth at Zurich hub
In August, the strongest passenger growth of the network airlines was recorded at the Zurich hub with 7.0 percent. The number of passengers increased by 4.7 percent in Vienna and by 4.5 percent in Munich. In Frankfurt the number of passengers on the contrary decreased by 0.9 percent. The underlying offer also changed to varying degrees: In Munich the offer increased by 12.1 percent, in Zurich by 2.6 percent and in Frankfurt by 0.3 percent. In Vienna the offer decreased by 1.0 percent.
Lufthansa German Airlines transported more than 6.6 million passengers in August, a 1.8 percent increase compared to the same month last year. A 4.0 percent increase in seat kilometres corresponds to a 4.8 percent increase in sales. The seat load factor rose by 0.7 percentage points to 86.8 percent.
Eurowings increases supply and sales on short-haul routes
Eurowings (including Brussels Airlines) carried around 3.9 million passengers in August. Among this total, around 3.6 million passengers were on short-haul flights and 309,000 flew on long-haul flights. This corresponds to an increase of 1.8 percent compared with the previous year, resulting from an increase of 2.8 per cent on short-haul flights and a reduction of 8.1 per cent on long-haul flights. A 3.5 percent decrease in capacity was offset by a 2.3 percent decrease in sales, resulting in an increase of seat load factor by 1.0 percentage points to 87.0 percent.
In August, the number of seat-kilometres offered on short-haul routes was increased by 1.5 per cent, while the number of seat-kilometres sold increased by 3.5 per cent over the same period. This results in a seat load factor of 87.1 per cent, which is 1.7 percentage points higher on these flights. On long-haul flights, the seat load factor decreased by 0.4 percentage points to 86.6 per cent over the same period. The 13.4 per cent decrease in capacity was offset by a 13.8 per cent decrease in sales.
VIENNA (Reuters) – Irish budget airline Ryanair has acquired the remaining quarter of its Austrian unit Laudamotion for an undisclosed price, it said on Tuesday.
Europe’s largest budget carrier previously owned a 75 percent stake in Laudamotion. Former Formula One racing champion Niki Lauda, who last year bought back and re-branded the airline he founded, gave Ryanair the option to buy the whole carrier.
“Laudamotion is now a 100 percent-owned subsidiary of Ryanair Holdings plc,” Laudamotion said in a statement. It detailed plans to grow rapidly in the coming years, to 7.5 million passengers and 30 aircraft in 2021 from 4 million passengers and 19 aircraft this year.
At a news conference at Vienna’s main airport, Ryanair Chief Executive Michael O’Leary declined to disclose the price his company paid for Laudamotion.
The deal for the last stake was completed on Dec. 31 but had nothing to do with Lauda’s brief return to hospital shortly afterwards, O’Leary said. Lauda will stay on as chairman of Laudamotion’s board.
“Niki has great experience in the airline industry, particularly in the airline industry in Germany and in Austria,” O’Leary said when asked about Lauda’s role. “He knows all the players. When we were buying it (Laudamotion) he had access to the various ministers in Austria, which we didn’t have.”
(Reporting by Francois Murphy; editing by Jason Neely and Emelia Sithole-Matarise)
