Lufthansa Group set to head back to Tel Aviv from Thursday morning.

The Lufthansa Group has decided it is safe to restart services to Tel Aviv the build-up of drones by Iran and the ongoing volatility in the region.  

Austrian Airlines is operating a flight on Thursday morning at 01:50 from Vienna International Airport, touching down at Ben Gurion International at 06:15. Later in the morning Brussels Airlines will be departing at 9:20 and heading to Tel Aviv for an eta of 14:50. SWISS has a flight leaving at  12:00 from Zurich, getting to Tel Aviv at 17:00, whilst Lufthansa is starting flights from Frankfurt and Munich on Friday.  

The rapid deployment of U.S. fighter jets and support aircraft, along with hundreds of extra missiles in the last two weeks has no doubt contributed to the safety considerations by airline managers.  Air France recently reintroduced its flights to Tel Aviv. 

Austrian Airlines takes off with sharkskin.......

Starting in December 2024, Austrian Airlines will be the first airline globally to equip their Boeing 777-200ER aircraft with innovative “AeroSHARK” surface technology. 

On a total of four Boeing 777-200ERs the fuselage and engine nacelles will be covered with the “sharkskin” film developed by Lufthansa Technik and the company BASF. The significantly reduced frictional resistance resulting from the film will reduce the CO2 emissions of Austrian Airlines’ long-haul fleet and fuel consumption.

As of winter 2024 four Boeing 777-200ERs will be equipped with innovative Lufthansa Technik film

Less frictional resistance reduces fuel consumption and CO2 emissions

Austrian Airlines to be the first airline with “sharkskin” on B777-200ERs

Savings of over 8,000 tons of CO2

By applying a total of 830 square meters of Riblet film per aircraft to the surface of the fuselage and engine nacelles, a saving of around one percent of the total fuel consumption per flight can be achieved. Applied to four B777s, the technology can achieve savings of around 2,650 tons of fuel and over 8,300 tons of CO2. This corresponds to around 46 flights from Vienna to New York.

“We take our responsibility seriously and take every possible step to reduce CO2 emissions within our flight operations. At one percent, the sharkskin’s efficiency potential may not sound like much, but in total it will save thousands of tons of CO2 per year on long-haul flights,” says Austrian COO Francesco Sciortino. “Even though our B777s are in their final years of service, we take this investment to get one step closer to our CO2 reduction targets.”

“The fact that we are rolling out the fuel-saving sharkskin technology on another aircraft type with Austrian Airlines is also good news for other Boeing 777-200ER operators,” emphasizes Harald Gloy, COO at Lufthansa Technik. “These are the first of hopefully many more aircraft of this type that will have lower fuel consumption and an improved carbon footprint thanks to AeroSHARK.”

Austrian Airlines to Linz with Linz-Frankfurt route from winter 2024/2025

Linz-Frankfurt route returns

Austrian Airlines will return to Linz and operate the Linz-Frankfurt route from winter 2024/2025. The first flight will take off from Linz to Frankfurt on 28 October 2024 and will be operated on ATR 72-600 aircraft with 72 seats by Austrian Airlines’ partner Braathens Regional Airlines. The new route will initially be operated three times and the flight takes 1 hour 40 minutes. 

Overview of flight times

Route	Flight Number	Flight Days	Flight Times
Linz-Frankfurt	OS 261	Mon-Sat	06:00 – 07:40
Frankfurt-Linz	OS 262	Mon-Sat	08:25 – 09:55
Linz-Frankfurt	OS 263	Mon, Tue, Fri, Sat, Sun	10:30 – 12:10
Frankfurt-Linz	OS 264	Mon, Tue, Fri, Sat, Sun	12:45 – 14:15
Linz-Frankfurt	OS 265	Wed, Thu Sat, Sun	14:20 – 16:00 14:50 – 16:30
Frankfurt-Linz	OS 266	Wed, Thu Sat, Sun	16:35 – 18:05 17:05 – 18:35
Linz-Frankfurt	OS 267	Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sun	18:40 – 20:20 19:10 – 20:50
Frankfurt-Linz	OS 268	Mon, Tue, Wed, Thu, Fri, Sun	21:30 – 23:00

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Hailstorm severely damages Austrian Airlines Airbus A320

An Austrian Airlines Airbus A320 aircraft was badly damaged after flying into a heavy and intense hailstorm during a flight on Sunday afternoon.

Austrian Airlines confirmed the incident occurred after the aircraft flew into a thunderstorm "which was not visible on the weather radar", and advised that none of the passengers onboard had been injured during the incident. 

The carrier said that a technical team has been "tasked with assessing the specific damage to the aircraft - As of now, the hail has damaged the two front cockpit windows, the aircraft nose (radome), and some coverings,"

Pictures show the nose cone of the aircraft badly damaged, with most of it disintegrated and the windscreens cracked and marked with hailstone impact marks.  At this stage, it is unclear on how many panes of glass were damaged in the incident.  

The A320 was operating flight 0S434 from Majorca to Vienna on Sunday when the crew declared an emergency after flying through a storm that, according to passengers, shook the aircraft with some force as it started its approach to Vienna.

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Fifth A320neo for Austrian Airlines arrives in Vienna

Austrian Airlines welcomed another aircraft from the Airbus factory in Toulouse on the New Year’s Eve weekend. It was the fifth Airbus A320neo to join the fleet and will save up to 3,700 tons of CO2 per year compared to the respective predecessor model, the first four A320neo aircraft were already integrated into the Austrian fleet between August 2022 and July 2023.

“The arrival of our fifth A320neo is a wonderful end to the year for Austrian Airlines and a gift for our passengers, who can look forward to even more travel comfort on board. In the coming years, Austrian Airlines will modernize both its short and medium-haul fleet as well as its long-haul fleet. The use of modern and fuel-efficient aircraft is, alongside the use of sustainable fuels, the greatest lever for achieving our ambitious climate targets,” says Austrian Airlines COO Francesco Sciortino.

Innovative Airspace Cabin increases comfort

The fifth aircraft, which now has a capacity of 180 seats, will further enhance travel comfort on short and medium-haul routes. Thanks to the innovative Airspace Cabin and slimmer side walls, passengers are offered even more personal space, particularly in the shoulder area. Compared to the previous design, the new cabin concept is also characterized by an up to 60 percent larger capacity for hand baggage. In addition, a new, flexible lighting system that adapts to passengers’ natural biorhythms increases their sense of well-being on board. Depending on the flight phase and time of day, the cabin and washrooms are bathed in warm red or cooler blue tones.

Austrian Airlines increases flights from Berlin this winter....

In the 2023 winter flight schedule, Austrian Airlines increases its flight offer to and from Berlin and serves the Berlin-Innsbruck route with a weekly flight for the first time. From 28 January to 25 February, Austrian Airlines will fly passengers from the German capital to the Tyrolean winter

paradise every Saturday. 

With this new connection, Lufthansa Group enhances Innsbruck’s network portfolio by adding to the existing routes to Vienna, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Stockholm and

Copenhagen. In total, Lufthansa Group airlines will fly to Innsbruck up to 48 times a week during

the peak ski season and further strengthen the market for domestic tourism.

“With this seasonal service, we are giving our flight program to Berlin an upgrade. Our winter sports-savvy passengers will enjoy the convenience of a direct connection to Tyrol. Austrian Airlines and the Lufthansa Group significantly contribute to strengthening tourist traffic in the region with almost 50 weekly flights to Innsbruck,” says Austrian Airlines CCO Michael Trestl.

The Vienna-Berlin route will also be expanded with an additional flight on Saturdays around the

semester break. This will benefit not only city tourists travelling to Vienna or Berlin, but also

numerous transfer passengers who travel via Vienna as a convenient hub for their onward flight.

The new Berlin connection in detail (28 January 2023 – 25 February 2023):

Route	Flight Number	Flight Days	Departure – Arrival
Berlin – Innsbruck	OS281	Saturday	12:10 – 13:35
Innsbruck – Berlin	OS282	Saturday	15:05 – 16:30
Vienna – Berlin	OS225	Saturday	10:05 – 11:20
Berlin – Vienna	OS232	Saturday	17:15 – 18:30

Los Angeles return for Austrian Airlines.....

Austrian Airlines red and white planes are back in Los Angeles as the carrier rebuilds its route network, initially, the red flag carrier offers five weekly flights. 

Starting in July, the airline will offer six weekly connections on Boeing 777 aircraft linking Vienna with the City of Angels. The carrier will fly the 9.900km distance in around 12 and half hours for the rest of its summer timetable, until the middle of October. 

“With Chicago, Washington and two airports in New York, we are already very well represented in the East of the USA. We are very happy to offer non-stop flights to the west coast again with our route to Los Angeles”, says Austrian Airlines CCO Michael Trestl. “The million-strong metropolis of Los Angeles is a popular holiday destination for many Austrians and hub for connections with our partners. With our new destination, we are expecting a balanced amount of local and transfer passengers, who will connect in Vienna.” 

Julian Jäger, Joint CEO and COO of Vienna Airport, adds: “Directly from Vienna to the popular Hollywood metropolis: Los Angeles is a great city and the perfect starting point to travel the West Coast of the USA. Flights to the United States are generally very popular and I am pleased that after two years of pandemic, the flight schedule is now being expanded again to include five frequencies per week to Los Angeles in addition to New York, Newark, Chicago and Washington.” 

 Flights in detail:

route                                 flight number   flight days                            departure – arrival (local time)
Vienna – Los Angeles      OS 081            Mo, Tue, We*, Thu, Fr, Sa   09:55 – 13:25
Los Angeles – Vienna      OS 082            Mo, Tue, We*, Thu, Fr, Sa   15:15 – 11:50 (on the next day)

*We: additional sixth connection between the beginning of July and the end of September

 Help for Heroes.

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After another crisis year Austrian Airlines sees record booking for summer

 

• Annual result 2021: Adjusted EBIT at EUR -264 million

• Passenger growth of 61 percent compared to 2020

• EUR 60 of EUR 300 million of the crisis loan already repaid

• High booking numbers pave the way for summer 2022

• CCO Michael Trestl: “More than 500,000 bookings within 14 days prove that people want to travel again.”

• COO Francesco Sciortino: “In the past two years we have shown resilience and flown Austrian Airlines with great flexibility through a crisis full of turbulence. Together we can also master other challenges!”

“We are the Austrian flag carrier, it is our mission to connect people and economies, even in difficult times. This is why we are all the more concerned about the situation in Ukraine, which is causing extreme suffering and uncertainty for the entire world,” says Austrian Airlines CCO Michael Trestl. “Our thoughts are with all the people affected by the war and our local colleagues, whom we support as best we can,” says Austrian Airlines COO Francesco Sciortino.

2021 was another year marked by crisis

In 2021, waves of openings and closures and the emergence of new virus variants caused another year of crisis in aviation. Austrian Airlines closed the past year with a loss of EUR -264 million (Adjusted EBIT), a plus (+17%) compared to 2020 (EUR -319 million), but still, a negative development compared to 2019 (Adjusted EBIT: EUR 19 million). Even if the number of passengers (5.0 million) seasonally developed very positively last year (61%, 2020: 3.1 million), they only accounted for around a third of the number of passengers compared to 2019 (14.7 million) due to numerous travel restrictions and renewed lockdowns.

“Lockdowns, travel restrictions and new virus variants are reflected in our annual results: we have to close 2021 with yet another minus,” says Austrian Airlines CCO Michael Trestl and continues: “However, over 500,000 bookings within 14 days are a record since the outbreak of the pandemic and prove that people want to travel again.” After another year full of restructuring measures and adjustments to the new travel normality, the current bookings give reason for confidence in our flight operations. “In the past two years, we have shown resilience and have flown Austrian Airlines with great flexibility through a crisis full of turbulence. Together we can also master other challenges!” says Austrian Airlines COO and Crisis Team Leader Francesco Sciortino.

The annual result in detail

In 2021, revenue at Austrian Airlines increased by 62 percent to EUR 743 million (2020: EUR 460 million, 2019: EUR 2,108 million). Total operating revenue increased by 15 percent to EUR 774 million (2020: EUR 672 million, including EUR 150 million emergency aid, 2019: EUR 2,181 million). In the same period, total operating expenses increased by 5 percent to EUR 1,038 million (2020: EUR 991 million, 2019: EUR 2,164 million). Despite lower production, the national flag carrier’s liquidity remains well above plan. Compared to 2020, adjusted EBIT, which does not include valuation gains or losses from aircraft sales, improved by 17 percent to EUR -264 million (2020: EUR -319 million, including EUR 150 million in emergency aid, 2019: 19 million euros).

As of 31 December 2021, Austrian Airlines had 5,793 employees, which is a decrease of around 650 employees or 10 percent compared to 2020 and a decrease of around 1,196 employees or 17 percent compared to 2019. The reduction was due to natural attrition, not filling vacant positions and the expiry of limited-term employment contracts.

Austrian Airlines flies above pre-crisis level in summer.........

Austrian Airlines has seen a rapid increase in bookings since the recent announcements of large-scale covid restrictions easing throughout Europe. The firm says demand for flights during the Easter holidays is high, with travellers mainly drawn to warm water destinations such as the Maldives, Mauritius or Cancún. 

Since the easing announcements in Thailand, Austrian flights to Bangkok have also been in high demand again. Mediterranean destinations such as Málaga or classic city trip destinations such as Paris, Hamburg or Berlin are also popular in spring and have already been increased in some cases with additional frequencies. 

"The huge increase in bookings and the desire to travel of the Austrians do not surprise us. People want to get out and discover new things – Austrian is a travel companion of trust!" says Austrian Board Member for Sales Michael Trestl.

With over 110 destinations and a broad frequency increase, the airline is offering 120% of the pre-crisis year 2019 levels this summer. The need for travellers to catch up is already evident in the booking figures for the summer months. Popular European destinations such as Palma de Mallorca, Ibiza, Thessaloniki, Keflavik or Larnaca have been booked thousands of times in the past few days alone. Due to the high demand for flights to the Balearic Islands, Austrian Airlines serves the islands of Mallorca with up to three flights a day and Ibiza with up to five flights a week in summer. Austrian flights across the Atlantic are also heavily booked. With the resumption of Los Angeles in the route network, Austrian Airlines will offer up to 33 weekly direct connections to the USA from May. For the summer flight schedule, Austrian Airlines is reactivating all aircraft in its fleet in order to fly hundreds of thousands of travellers safely on holiday.

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Austrian Airlines: loan installments of 60 million euros repaid in 2021

After the early repayment of the first loan installment of 30 million euros in July 2021, Austrian Airlines repays another 30 million euros on 31 December 2021. By the end of 2021 the national carrier has repaid the first 60 million euros of the state-guaranteed loan with a total of 300 million. Despite the ongoing pandemic, the red-white-red airline is fulfilling its responsibility and meets the financial agreements as planned.

Austrian Airlines board member Michael Trestl: “The corona pandemic has caused the worst crisis in our company’s history. Without the support of the Austrian Federal Government and other stakeholders, the continuance of Austrian Airlines as such would not have been possible. We are proud that we have already repaid a fifth of our financial aid and that we are fulfilling our responsibilities as promised. All of this in spite of the fact that the pandemic is going on longer than we all hoped. We will proceed with this path in order to continue as the red-white-red carrier at Vienna Airport who connects Austria and the world! "

In June 2020, Austrian Airlines received a corona aid package totaling 600 million euros, 150 million euros as an equity contribution from Lufthansa and a further 150 million euros as state cover for damages. The remaining 300 million euros were guaranteed by the Republic of Austria as a loan through bank financing. The loan is to be repaid in half-yearly installments by 2026. The state aid package ensured Austrian Airlines’ continuance as a system-relevant partner at the Vienna hub and for the Austrian economy.

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Premium Economy upgrade for Austrian Airlines

Starting next spring, even more, Austrian Airlines passengers will be able to fly long-haul flights in the Premium Economy Class booking category. The travel class, which was introduced in 2018, will be expanded on the domestic airline's entire Boeing 767 fleet from its current 18 to 30 seats per aircraft.

“As a genuinely Austrian airline, we carry 'Premium' in our hearts. With the expansion of the Premium Economy Class, we want to offer better travel comfort to even more passengers on long-haul routes,” says CCO Michael Trestl. “This travel class appeals to all those who want a bit more comfort and service on long-haul trips yet still want to fly on a price-conscious basis. This is how we want to make the travel experience for each passenger individually customizable and improved."

The conversion of the Austrian Boeing 767 fleet will be carried out in the first quarter of 2022. With the summer flight schedule of 2022, the three B767 aircraft that primarily serve destinations in North America will fly in the new cabin configuration. The heart of the Premium Economy Class is a seat specially made for the Lufthansa Group, which offers passengers more legroom and comfort on their journey compared to Economy Class. In addition, passengers in this travel class can check in two pieces of luggage, each weighing up to 23 kilograms, free of charge and enjoy a culinary high-class program with a three- to four-course menu on board.

The Premium Economy Class at a glance:

• Premium seat with a broader seat surface and generous seat spacing

• Footrest starting in the second row or leg support with integrated footrest in the first row

• Always a separate central armrest with fold-out table and cocktail table

• 12-inch screen with remote control for the in-flight entertainment system

• Own power outlet and USB port on the seat

• 2 x 23 kg free baggage

• Three to four course menu

• Welcome drink

• Amenity kit with useful travel accessories

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Austrian Airlines expands digital Corona document verification

Just in time for the start of the summer holidays, Austrian Airlines is expanding the digital verification of corona-related travel documents. This service has been available for flights to Germany, Greece and Spain since April. The online document verification is now also available for Egypt, Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland and Ukraine. Furthermore, the service can now be used not only for scheduled flights but also for Austrian Holidays flights.

Many countries currently require a valid negative Covid-19 test, an online entry declaration or a Passenger Locator Form to enter the country. In order to keep the time spent at the airport as short as possible, to enable a faster check-in and to give passengers the certainty that all entry requirements are met before they start their journey, the online document verification is the ideal solution for a relaxed and safe start to their holiday.

Austrian Airlines enables choice of sustainable fuel

• Passengers can now compensate their flights with sustainable fuel

• CO2 compensation also possible through support for climate protection projects

• “Sustainable fuel is the future of climate-neutral flying”, says Austrian Airlines CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech

Austrian Airlines passengers can now additionally select the use of sustainable fuel for their flight in the booking process. In doing so, they compensate for the CO2 emissions generated on their respective flight. The applied tool is called “Compensaid”, a development of Lufthansa Innovation Hub. It precisely calculates the amount of CO2 emitted and then offers a corresponding offset with sustainable fuel. Compared to conventional kerosene, sustainable fuel reduces CO2 emissions by up to 80 percent. It can also be fed into regular flight operations without infrastructure adjustments.

“The future of climate-neutral flying lies in sustainable fuel. We have been emphasizing this for a long time. Electromobility, for example, will not be an option for aviation for some time yet, as the necessary batteries would be too heavy to get a plane in the air”, says Austrian Airlines CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech. “I am therefore very pleased that with Compensaid we are now giving our passengers the opportunity to make their individual journey climate-friendly by using sustainable fuel.”

Austrian Airlines launches flights to Zaporizhzhia

 Austrian Airlines launches flights to Zaporizhzhia

• City in Ukraine to be served three times a week from 17 May

• Kyiv, Lviv and Odesa complete the Ukraine programme in the summer

Austrian Airlines will fly to Zaporizhzhia in Ukraine from 17 May. The route is being offered for the first time and will be served three times a week with an Embraer E195. An increase to a daily connection is planned in the course of the summer. Austria's home carrier is thus strengthening its presence in Ukraine. In addition to Zaporizhzhia, the program already includes Kyiv, Lviv and Odesa. Today's announcement of the new route comes on a special day. On 1 April 1991, Austrian Airlines flew to Ukraine for the first time. The destination was Kyiv.

“We are pleased to announce the launch of Zaporizhzhia on today's 30th anniversary of our Ukraine connections”, says Austrian Airlines CCO Michael Trestl. “It not only strengthens our Ukraine offering, but also our traditionally strong network to Eastern Europe.”

Austrian Airlines launches flights to Cancun and opens up winter 2021 programme. Yet sends two more aircraft to storage and shrinks head office by four floors

• Vacation offensive in the cold season

• Mauritius, Maldives and Cape Town next winter again in the programme

• Chief Commercial Officer Michael Trestl: "Clear focus on long-haul travel in winter "

Austrian Airlines is already preparing for next winter with a comprehensive tourism offensive. From October 24, 2021, the Austrian home carrier will be taking off twice a week for Cancun in sunny Mexico. The last flight to this vacation destination was in 2006. Mauritius will also be reintroduced to the flight schedule next winter after a break due to Corona. Austrian Airlines will operate up to three flights a week to the sunny island in the Indian Ocean.

The number of flights to the Maldives will be increased by one additional flight per week next winter. Austrian Airlines will take off three times a week to the island's capital, Malé. Cape Town will also be back on the schedule with two flights a week. The Austrian carrier will operate a long-haul Boeing 777 aircraft to all four destinations.

Chief Commercial Officer Michael Trestl is optimistic about the future: "People are longing for vacations, long-distance travel and the sea. That's why we will be focusing on attractive long-haul destinations in the coming winter flight schedule to satisfy our passengers' desire to travel. I am confident that by then many people worldwide will have been vaccinated that travel will once again be possible without severe restrictions."

Austrian Airlines says goodbye to the first Boeing 767

The first Boeing 767-300ER with the registration OE-LAT left Vienna yesterday for the USA. The aircraft flew to Bangor in the state of Maine, where customs clearance was handled, then on to its final destination: Pinal Airpark in Arizona. 

Before departure from Vienna, the plane was given a proper farewell. Austrian Airlines technical staff wrote greetings on the nose landing gear door of the aircraft. The Austrian Airlines crew, which is operating the transfer flight, also said “Servus” once again before takeoff.

The OE-LAT was delivered in 1991 and was in service with Lauda Air from December of that year. After the complete takeover of Lauda Air in 2004, the aircraft was integrated into the Austrian Airlines fleet. Since 1991, it has completed over 19,000 landings and around 133,000 flight hours. This corresponds to over 15 years in the air.

The OE-LAT is the first of three Boeing 767-300ERs to leave the Austrian Airlines fleet this year. The next transfer flight is scheduled for May with the OE-LAX. The OE-LAW will follow later this year. All three aircraft will go to the U.S. company MonoCoque Diversified Interests.

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Lufthansa Group Airlines extend option for free rebooking

Since the end of August, all fares of Lufthansa, SWISS, Austrian Airlines, Brussels Airlines and Eurowings can be rebooked without a rebooking fee. Originally, this fare offer was valid for (re-)bookings until the end of February. Now the offer is being extended again: all airline fares can now be rebooked free of charge as often as desired up to May 31, 2021, if the rebooking is also made before that date. After that, another rebooking is possible free of charge.

Lufthansa Group Airlines had already made it possible for its customers to rebook their tickets without a fee last year. The waiver of the rebooking fee applies worldwide for all new bookings in all fares on short, medium and long-haul routes. This enables flexible travel planning for all Lufthansa Group Airlines customers.

However, additional costs may arise for rebookings if, for example, the original booking class is no longer available when rebooking to a different date or to a different destination.

Also, rebooking of tickets issued up to and including August 31, 2020, can now be done until May 31, 2021.

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