Vienna International Transport Industry News

AUA and Flyniki: Passenger Growth

Austrian Airlines increased its number of passengers by 9.7% in 2010; Flyniki achieved an increase of 29%.

January 13, 2011

Austrian Airlines: Negotiations Finished

The management of the Austrian Airlines and worker representatives agreed to increase salaries slightly in 2011. Thus, strikes will not take place.

January 7, 2011

AUA Staff Ready to go on Strike

The results of the polls are for starting the strike at Austrian Airlines. Should the negotiations fail, the staff is ready to go on strike.

January 5, 2011

AUA: For now, Negotiations Instead of Strikes

At the end of the year, there were still signs of strike for the staff of Austrian Airlines. Now the situation seems to calm down.

January 4, 2011

Poor Outlook for Creditors of SkyEurope

The Austrian-Slovakian airline, which became insolvent in 2009, will only reach a quota of 16%.

January 4, 2011

Austrian Federal Railways Needs € 400m

Christian Kern, CEO of the Federal Raiways (ÖBB), backed up his call for a capital increase.

January 3, 2011

Czech Railways Considers to Acquire ÖBB-Railjets

The Austrian Federal Railways doesn´t want to exercise its option to buy further Railjets from Siemens.

December 28, 2010

AUA has to Cancel Flight to the U.S.

Persistent snowstorms in the eastern United States, have forced Austrian Airlines to cancel a flight to New York, as local airports there are closed.

December 27, 2010

Economic Chamber Criticizes Import Control System

According to the WKÖ, Austrian businesses incur additional costs and bureaucracy by the import control system.

December 27, 2010

French SNCF Participates in Westbahn Project

The French National Railways acquire a stake of 25% in the Haselsteiner project.

December 17, 2010

Allegations of Market Abuse Against ÖBB

The Austrian Federal Railways are facing another accusation by the Federal Competition Authority. Rail Cargo is said to have abused its market power.

December 17, 2010

Changes on the Management Board of Vienna International Airport

After several weeks of controversial discussions, the Supervisory Board announced Christoph Herbst as new CEO. He will succeed Herbert Kaufmann.

December 16, 2010

JCL Logistics and Rail Cargo Austria Step into Strategic Alliance

Both logistics companies agree to establish a cooperation in groupage service. Their common target is to reach synergies in their transport network.

December 15, 2010

Linz AG: Decrease in Operating Profits

The Upper-Austrian energy supplier experiences a slight increase in sales. Profits declined. However, the board states to be “satisfied”.

December 14, 2010

Skylink: Resignation of Executive Board or Supervisory Board

The Vienna Airport Skylink debacle is becoming a political issue. Staffing decisions have been made.

December 14, 2010

New Logistics Center for Gebrüder Weiss in Romania

The logistics company Gebrüder Weiss has entrusted the construction of a logistics center in Sibiu to the Unger Steel Group as general contractor again.

December 14, 2010

Vienna International Airport: Plus 12.1% in passengers during November 2010

The number of passengers handled by Vienna International Airport in November 2010 rose by 12.1% year-on-year to 1,550,324.

December 14, 2010

AUA: Signs of Strike

The staff is voting for strike measures. Protests are planned for after the Christmas holidays.

December 14, 2010

AUA: Negotiations Failed, Imminent Protests

Collective agreement negotiations between employee representatives and top leaders of Austrian Airlines had to be interrupted without results.

December 10, 2010

AUA: Significant Passenger Growth in November

Austrian Airlines transported 6.8 percent more passengers than 2009/11. Plus 9.9 percent in the first eleven months this year

December 9, 2010

High Expectations about the New AUA Chairman

The Frenchman Thierry Antinori, is to complete successfully for Lufthansa the restructuring of the Austrian subsidiary.

December 8, 2010

Vienna Airport Board Sees no Fault of Their Own

The controversial directors of Flughafen Wien (Vienna International Airport) defend themselves against public criticism of the construction project "Skylink".

December 5, 2010

Strike threat at AUA

Salary negotiations at Austrian Airlines falter. The staff wants at least a salary increase equivalent to inflation.

December 2, 2010

AUA is to Get New Leadership

Austrian Airlines, a Lufthansa subsidiary, is to get the Frenchman Thierry Antinori as its new CEO. The board is to be expanded with this appointment.

November 30, 2010

Extra-budgetary Debts Grow Unabated

Debt levels which are not attributed to the Austrian Federal Budget rise exorbitantly. Above all, the ÖBB and Asfinag are responsible.

November 30, 2010

A-Tec: Kovats’s Prestige Projects on the Brink

Due to the insolvency of the A-Tec Group. founder and CEO Mirko Kovats will have to give up prestigious projects such as his A-Jet.

November 29, 2010

ÖBB-CEO Kern Reconstructs Freight Division

After the decisions made about personnel, Kern wants to make the freight division profitable again. The group’s CEO has accorded himself three years for the process.

November 26, 2010

Vienna International Airport: Decisions on Personnel are Postponed

The previously rumored change of leadership at Vienna International Airport is not taking place yet. There is time until mid-December for the board, highly criticized because of Skylink.

November 26, 2010

Discounts for Austrian Airlines and Lauda at Vienna International Airport

Vienna International Airport grants Austrian Airlines and Flyniki discounts. Flyniki rises to the second most important partner.

November 25, 2010

ÖBB: Changes in Freight Traffic Leadership

Because of poor results, the ÖBB CEO has to act on facts: The managers of the freight division are being replaced.

November 25, 2010

Vienna International Airport: Strong Growth in Profits and Passengers

The Vienna International Airport (Flughafen Wien) could increase its EBIT by 15%, passengers have risen by 8.3% to 14.87m.

November 25, 2010

Audit Court: Capital Increase for Vienna Airport

The Audit Court criticizes the Board again and advises a capital increase. The personal consequences may be tougher than expected yet.

November 24, 2010

Wiener Stadtwerke Inaugurates New Headquarters

The largest Viennese infrastructure company concentrates its activities at the new headquarters and also sets a mark for urban development.

November 24, 2010

Siemens Austria: New Orders from Bangkok

The Thai BTSC has placed an order at Siemens for 35 additional intermediate cars for the city rail system. Works in Bangkok start in 2012..

November 22, 2010

Audit Court: Massive Criticism of Vienna International Airport

The Court expects significantly higher costs for Skylink than the airport itself. There are personal consequences.

November 19, 2010

The ÖBB is a Risk Factor for the State Budget

While the investment projects for the ÖBB are being reduced by Transport Minister Doris Bures, a fiasco is threatening on the revenue side.

November 15, 2010

Linz AG: Pause After Investment Offensive

The municipal company recorded extraordinary high capital expenses in 2009. The next projects are still in the planning phase.

November 11, 2010

Vienna International Airport: Strong Increase in Passengers

Vienna International Airport: Plus 11.4% in passengers during October 2010. Forecast for 2010: +9.0 % in passengers.

November 11, 2010

Traffic Result of AUA for October: Significant Passenger Growth

Austrian Airlines transported 16.5 percent more passengers in scheduled service than in same month last year. Load factor in October rises to 81 percent.

November 9, 2010

Kapsch CarrierCom Gets Major Contract for GSM-R Project in Spain

Kapsch was commissioned by the Spanish railway authority Adif with the implementation of a GSM-R network.

November 9, 2010

Competition for Hungarian ÖBB Subsidiary

Rail Cargo Hungaria (RCH) is still fighting for restructuring success. Meanwhile, a new competitor has appeared in the freight business.

November 5, 2010

AUA: Massive Criticism of Government

Owing to the flight ticket tax one feels lied to by the politicians. Contrary to promises, there is no support for restructuring. Not even Vienna Airport is immune from criticism.

November 4, 2010

4.25% Kapsch TrafficCom Bonds Successfully Placed

Kapsch TrafficCom AG (ISIN AT000KAPSCH9), listed on the Vienna Stock Exchange in the prime market segment, successfully placed corporate bonds with a tenor of seven years and a volume of Euro 75 million.

November 3, 2010

AUA: Deficits Must Go

Austrian Airlines, bought in 2009 by German Lufthansa, are now working with profit at operational level. But restructuring of long haul routes is proving to be particularly difficult.

November 3, 2010

Lauda is Evaluating whether to Move From Vienna

The owner and CEO of the Austrian low-cost airline Flyniki is considering a withdrawal from Austria. He is very upset over the tax on airline tickets to be implemented on January 1, 2001.

November 2, 2010

Strabag CEO Haselsteiner: Koralmtunnel Has To Be Built

Haselsteiner reacts sharply to criticism of the construction of the Koralm tunnel. He sees the infrastructure measure as economically sensible.

November 2, 2010

ÖBB: Alleged Corruption

An internal document about a meeting of the ÖBB Supervisory Board in 2008 has now appeared. Bribes are openly talked about.

October 29, 2010

AUA Flights to Russia Secured

While the problem of AUA landing rights in Russia has been solved for Lufthansa until March, Austria is being accused of breach of contract by the European Commission.

October 29, 2010

EU Funds to Finance Brenner Tunnel until 2015

The European Commission has extended its partial financing commitment for the Brenner tunnel. However, appropriate measures must be taken soon. Deliberations are still underway at present.

October 28, 2010

STRABAG Builds the Koralm Tunnel

The controversial project will be built by the construction group Strabag. The total investment amounts to around 600 million euro.

October 28, 2010