Vienna International Airline and Airport Industry News

Read the latest headlines about developments in the international airline and airport industry in Vienna and Austria

AUA to Offer More Flights to USA

After having implemented the austerity package, Austrian Airlines wants to expand. Above all, more flights to the U.S. will be offered.

May 5, 2012

Albrecht Wants Common Collective Agreement

After the transfer of undertakings, the CEO of Austrian Airlines aims to create a collective agreement for the whole workforce. Further cuts are not excluded.

May 4, 2012

New Record Loss at AUA

Bad news for Austrian Airlines: the result from operating activities reaches € -66.7m. AUA refers to higher kerosene prices and the air travel tax. Nevertheless, the turnaround should be reached in 2013.

May 3, 2012

AUA: Transfer of Undertakings Definite

The re-started negotiations between AUA´s management and the aircrew have finally failed. A mass exodus of pilots is feared.

May 1, 2012

New Record In Airline Industry

The Austrian air passenger transport reached an all-time high in 2011.

April 30, 2012

AUA´s Workforce May Decide Against New Collective Agreement

After months of heated debates, the works council and the management agreed on a new collective agreement. The aircrew must approve the agreement.

April 28, 2012

AUA: Agreement Could be Reached

The long-lasting dispute at Austrian Airlines is settled. The management board and the works council agreed on a new collective agreement.

April 25, 2012

Negotiations at Austrian Airlines

After the works meeting yesterday, AUA´s management and the works council are negotiating again. The transfer of undertakings could be still prevented.

April 24, 2012

AUA: Aircrew Wants to Negotiate

The planned transfer of undertakings will be costly. AUA´s workforce wants to negotiate with the management, strikes are not considered yet.

April 23, 2012

AUA Threatened by Strikes

After Austrian Airlines´ supervisory board resolved the transfer of undertakings, the Lufthansa subsidiary may face strikes.

April 21, 2012

AUA Resolves Transfer of Undertakings

The supervisory board of Austrian Airlines decided to switch to cheaper collective agreements. The transfer of undertakings is “crucial for AUA´s survival”.

April 20, 2012

„AUA is no Protected Area Anymore“

Lufthansa´s CEO Christoph Franz underlined not to accept permanent losses of the Austrian subsidiary AUA. “There is no protected area at Lufthansa anymore.”

April 18, 2012

AUA Expected to Record High Losses Again

This year, Lufthansa-owned Austrian Airlines is anticipated not to reach the profit zone. In the first quarter, fees and fuel caused higher costs of € 28m.

April 12, 2012

Austrian Airlines Record All-Time-High in Passengers

In March, 893,600 passengers were carried by AUA, which is an increase by 12 percent. In the first quarter, the passenger number rose by 10.1% to 2.3 million. However, fuel costs also reached a new record level.

April 12, 2012

„AUA Must Achieve Turnaround on its own“

Christoph Franz, CEO of Lufthansa explains that the Austrian subsidiary will act independently also in future. Also the restructuring must be completed without Lufthansa´s help.

April 7, 2012

AUA Considers Leasing Pilots

The works council tries to put pressure on Austrian Airline´s management, which may lease pilots of other airlines. The works council warns of a “mass exit”.

March 31, 2012

AUA: Workforce Wants Unified Collective Agreements

The trade unions, the workforce of AUA and of Tyrolean aim to reach a unified collective agreement for AUA Group. Already tomorrow negotiations may start.

March 27, 2012

AUA: Trade Union Terminates Collective Agreement

New controversies arose at Austrian Airlines today. In order to put pressure on AUA´s management, the trade union terminated the collective agreement at the subsidiary Tyrolean.

March 23, 2012

AUA: „Restructuring, Not Breaking Up“

Jaan Albrecht, CEO of Austrian Airlines wants to make the airline competitive again. A new foundation is “no issue”.

March 19, 2012

Lufthansa Claims Exemption of Air Ticket Tax

In order to restructure the Austrian loss making subsidiary AUA, the German airline pushes the Austrian government to abandon the air ticket tax.

March 17, 2012

Lufthansa Grants Capital Injection to AUA

The German Airline raises the capital of the loss-making subsidiary by € 140m with reservations.

March 15, 2012

Losses of € 59.4m at AUA

The original target result of Austrian Airlines was not achieved “due to crises in Japan and Middle East”. The load factor was reduced to 73.8 percent

March 15, 2012

AUA Prepares Transfer of Undertakings

Austrian Airlines increases pressure on its aircrew. The deadline to negotiate the new collective agreements was extended again by one month.

March 14, 2012

AUA: Negotiations Failed

Negotiations between Austrian Airline´s management and the aircrew representation ended without any concrete results. Yesterday, the workforce seemed to be willing to reach a compromise.

March 13, 2012

AUA: Compromise May Be Reached

After weeks of negotiations, the works council at Austrian Airlines seems to make concessions to the management. Tomorrow, the deadline expires.

March 12, 2012

AUA Posts Rise in Passengers

Austrian Airlines Traffic Result February: Passenger growth by 10.5 percent to 715,300 passengers. In January to February, a slight decrease was recorded.

March 10, 2012

Emirates Tries to Lure AUA´s Pilots Away

As uncertainty among Austrian Airline´s workforce is rising, the marketing officer at Emirates, Thierry Antinory, wants to attract AUA´s aircrew.

March 9, 2012

AUA: Confrontation of Management and Workforce Sharpens

The management of Austrian airlines must find an agreement with its pilots until March 13. A solution is not in sight.

March 8, 2012

AUA: Negotiations Go On

Austrian Airlines does not face strikes. Not only AUA´s management is under pressure. Workers fear a new foundation of AUA or a re-sale.

March 5, 2012

Change on Executive Board at Austrian Airlines

Karsten Benz to become new Chief Commercial Officer and succeeds Andreas Bierwirth. The supervisory board will decide on the change of management on 13 March.

March 3, 2012

AUA´s Insolvency Becomes More Probable

German newspapers report that Lufthansa could establish a new Austrian airline company. AUA could be left then.

March 2, 2012

Board Member Bierwirth Leaves AUA

Andreas Bierwirth, member auf Austrian Airline´s management board, will exit. It is supposed that the austerity package caused controversies within AUA´s management.

March 2, 2012

AUA Delays Extraordinary Supervisory Board Meeting

AUA´s management has not reached a compromise with its staff yet. As a new collective agreement is still missing, the supervisory board meeting has been postponed by March 13.

March 1, 2012

AUA: Time Pressure Grows

Only eight days are left for the management of Austrian Airlines to agree on a new collective agreement with the employees. An acceptable solution for both sides may be barely found.

February 21, 2012

AUA Attempts to Prevent FlyNiki to Approach Tel Aviv

Austrian Airlines files a complaint against FlyNiki at the Austrian

February 18, 2012

AUA: Atmosphere on the Brink

Austrian Airlines is endangered to face persisting disputes. The conflict between the management and the works council sharpened further.

February 17, 2012

Air France to Enlarge Operations in Austria

The loss-making airline is under enormous growth pressure and reorganizes itself. Austria is seen as growth market.

February 16, 2012

Conflict Between AUA´s Management and Staff Escalates

2,300 employees of Austrian Airlines are endangered to be forced to switch to another collective agreement. AUA hopes to reach an agreement.

February 15, 2012

Vienna Airport to Cut Personnel Costs

The Vienna International Airport aims for reducing personnel costs at the new terminal “Skylink”.

February 15, 2012

AUA to Withdraw from Mumbai

Due to the increasing price pressure, Austrian Airlines has to focus on new markets. New target markets are Eastern Europe and the Middle East region.

February 13, 2012

AUA: Resistance of Workforce Could Be Given Up

After serious warnings of the management of Austrian Airlines, the works councils are ready to talk about new collective agreements.

February 11, 2012

Lufthansa to Bundle Operations

In order to achieve the austerity targets, Lufthansa centralizes operations. Austrian Airlines is highly affected.

February 10, 2012

AUA to be Re-Sold?

Rumors on Austrian Airlines do not end. A sale by Lufhansa is discussed, even the insolvency is not excluded.

February 9, 2012

Moderate Rise in Passengers at AUA

Austrian Airlines traffic result for January 2012: 7.1 percent increase in Passenger Volume. European traffic rose slightly stronger.

February 9, 2012

Growing Nerviness at AUA´s Workforce

The workforce at Austrian Airlines feels uncertainty. Even a bankruptcy is feared.

February 8, 2012

Emirates: Antinori Wants AUA´s Staff to Switch

The head of marketing at Emirates, Thierry Antinori, wants dissatisfied employees at AUA to change to Emirates.

February 6, 2012

Support for AUA´s Management

Christoph Leitl, President of Austrian Chamber of Commerce (WKÖ), shows support for the management of Austrian Airlines.

January 31, 2012

AUA: Resistance Forms Up

Austerity plans by Austrian Airline´s new management faces massive resistance. The dispute with employees threatens to escalate.

January 27, 2012

AUA: Staff Threatens With Strike

The German Lufhansa Group plans radical cuts in existing collective agreements. The atmosphere among the workforce is aggressive.

January 21, 2012

AUA´s Staff Protests Against Wage Cuts

The new management of Austrian Airlines faces fierce resistance by the workforce. The new austerity package is heatedly contested.

January 20, 2012