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Author Archives: Jorge Masot

New ATC walkouts scheduled for September 26 and October 3 Standard

Barcelona ATC tower at sunrise by Juanedc - Flickr

The main Spanish air controllers’ union USCA announced yesterday, through its web site, that new ATC walkouts have been scheduled. Hence, USCA’s national assembly approved the call to strike on September 26 and October 3, between 06.00 and 18.00 CET. These new ATC walkouts have been scheduled in light of the “ENAIRE’s lack of desire to resume talks” concerning the sanctions of those 61 employees as a consequence of the air space closure in 2010. They also request the readmission of the controller who was dismissed in Santiago de Compostela as a consequence of the same events. These stops were first called…

The start-ups that didn’t start and most probably won’t Standard

People waiting for departure at Tenerife South airport terminal / Jeremy Page - Flickr

Islas Afortunadas, Aerocanarias, Victoria Airways Bird Blue… Every now and then a new project is said to be about to start operations. We have been following what is going on with these start-ups in this blog but at the moment none of them have seen the light of day. Last Friday, Preferente.com published an article on this subject. The Canary Islands has been used for several attempts which don’t seem to end in anything tangible. One of these is the case of Islas Afortunadas, a company to be based in the Canary Islands. They intended to begin operating in the fall of  2013. The idea…

Aena will be able to avoid the price reduction if the budgets are amended Standard

  • By – 6 August, 2015
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Thomas Cook Airlines taking off in Lanzarote airport by jBarcena - Flickr.

Yesterday we informed that an Aena airport charges decrease had been confirmed through the State Budget Project. However, it looks like it is not so easy and that confirmation might not be a fact. Yesterday evening ElPais published a comprehensive article reporting that the Spanish National High Court refused all the appeals against Competition (CNMC) regarding Aena airport costs. Their decision was based on the fact that Aena’s prices are a responsibility of the parliament, thus court appeals don’t make sense. Aena’s intention was that Justice prevent the CNMC from forcing them to lower prices but that didn’t work and that’s why the Budgets…

Confirmed: 1.9% reduction in Aena airport charges for 2016 Standard

Madrid airport Terminal 4

Yesterday, the General State Budgets for 2016 were presented by the Government in the Congress. The breaking news is that it already contains the 1.9% reduction in Aena airport charges that the CNMC asked them to introduce. Looking up Article 72, paragraph One (page 48) in the budget project, it reads: “Effective on March, 1 2016 and with indefinite validity, the amounts of the airport charges decrease by 1.9% regarding the charges in force on February, 29 2016”. Also, the discount will apply to passengers with connecting flights increasing from 35% to 40%. With this, the Government accepts the request of the CNMC. However, Aena presented an appeal…

Minimum Services of 80% for the new air controllers’ strike Standard

Two Iberias and one Delta operating on the Madrid airport runways

A new series of walkouts was scheduled by the Spanish air controllers for the current month of July. During the first strike, the Government established minimum services of 70% and which were considered unfair by USCA – the main controllers’ union. On Tuesday, Enaire published a press release announcing that the minimum services have now been fixed at 80% for the stops scheduled on July 11 and 25, from 10:00 to 13:00 LT and on July 12 and 26, from 17:00 to 20:00 LT. As they did last time, Enaire has pubished the justification that led them to make their decision about the minimum services. They also…

Competition intensifies its demand to Aena: 3.5% reduction for 2016 within 10 days Standard

Málaga airport, Terminal 3. Wikimedia Commons.

Aena had frozen charges until 2025 but the National Competition Commission (CNMC) published a report against that decision, urging Aena to lower fees. However, not only Aena said they wouldn’t but they presented an appeal against the CNMC’s report. That appeal was accepted by the National High Court last month and, on Friday, Vozpopuli reported that it is the only way for Aena to avoid having to apply for such reduction. At the moment, unless the National High Court accepts the precautionary measures requested by Aena, the airport charges will have to be lowered 3.5%. This is the level of the reduction required by the…

New walkouts scheduled by air controllers in Spain Standard

Terminal 1 of Barcelona-El Prat Airport, where Iberia is based. Photo by Iberia Airlines - Flickr

The main air controllers’ union, USCA, has extended the strike that they had called four more days i.e. 11, 12, 25 and 26 of July. Hence, due to Enaire’s unwillingness to reach an agreement, new walkouts have been scheduled. USCA demands the reinstatement of the controller dismissed in Santiago de Compostela as well as the filing of the sanctions which were given to 61 controllers in Barcelona. All of this comes as a consequence of the coordinated wildcat strike performed by the Spanish air controllers in 2010. On Monday, USCA anounced on their web site that the stops have been scheduled as follows: On July…

Binter Cabo Verde to be the new AOC of Binter Canarias Standard

Binter Canarias ATR 72-500 EC-KGJ landing in Funchal by Aero Icarus

Binter Cabo Verde will be registered as an African airline tomorrow. Even though they do not have an AOC yet, they are expecting to get it granted by the Authorities of Cape Verde soon. ElMundo published the information yesterday: Binter Cabo Verde will have two planes to fly from the African archipelago. They will have a staff of 60 Cabo Verdean employees. However, the new company will be integrated in the Spanish brand Binter. The Spanish airline currently has 16 regional aircrafts ATR 72-500 and two CRJs. The latter two will be the ones that Binter Cabo Verde will use. Then, at the end of 2015,…

Air Controllers keep the strike after failure in talks Standard

Madrid airport tower by Mathieu Marquer

Yesterday morning, air controllers confirmed they would keep the walkouts which had been scheduled for today from 10:00 to 12:00 and from 18:00 to 20:00 LT in the Spanish airports. The meeting they held with Enaire ended without success. According to the information published by ElEconomista, Enaire called the main controllers’ Union (USCA) for a meeting. After a short one, the controllers decided to go on with the strike for today and Sunday as previously scheduled. So far, the walkouts held on Monday and Wednesday have gone by with flight punctuality close to 100%. From the USCA’s point of view, the minimum…

HGA Partners Limited presents an offer for Ciudad Real airport Standard

Air Nostrum operating in Ciudad Real Central Airport by Tercera Fundación - Flickr

The company HGA Partners Limited, through its General Director – Uttam Reddy – presented a 90 million Euro offer to acquire the Ciudad Real airport. This is a firm, binding and irrevocable offer for the airport, which is currently under court receivership. Hence the High Court of the Autonomous Region – Castilla La Mancha – said the viability of the offer is now being analysed. The information was published in ElConfidencial last Thursday. In July 2014 the Commercial Court of Ciudad Real extended the deadline for the sale, lowering the asking price to 80 million Euros in an attempt to find a buyer. Otherwise, the…