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Airlines can charge for checked-in luggage Standard

Vueling aircraft landed / Aero Icarus

The court of justice of the European Union approved last Thursday that airlines can charge extra costs for the checked-in luggage. The judgement is in favour of Vueling, who had challenged the 3,000 Euros fine from the Galician Consumer Institute. According to the news by ElMundo.es, a Galician citizen reported Vueling to her local government. She complained because she had been charged with 40 Euros for checked-in luggage in a flight from A Coruña to Amsterdam. Then, the Galician Consumer Institute charged Vueling with 3,000 Euros, considering the Spanish regulation was infringed. According to the Spanish law, passengers are entitled to a one free piece…

Germanwings increased passengers by 70% Standard

Germanwings A319 together with Air Belin and Lufthansa in December 2012 / Aero Icarus

Aena published the official airport statistics for August. The overall figures are totally different from what they were in September 2013. Between January and August 2014 the airlines have increased traffic by 4.52% with regard to the same period last year. Among the most significant increases, Germanwings gained passengers by 69.35%. You may remember our analysis for the period Jan-Aug 2013 vs Jan-Aug 2012, when IAG had lost 1.6 million passengers and Ryanair 2.3 million. Within that period of 2013, the Spanish airports had lost passengers by 5.09%. Hence, the above mention increase is doubly significant. Going through the figures in detail, we find some…

Ryanair terminates Swissport contract to do self handling Standard

Swissport staff performing ramp handling to a Ryanair plane in Madrid airport / Flickr-ÁlvaroBa

After over seven years Ryanair terminates Swissport contract, both for passengers and ramp handling, in Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas airport. The reason behind this is that Aena finally accepted the Ryanair request to perform self ramp handling.Ramp handling is limited in the Spanish airportsThe ramp handling in the Spanish airports is not open and can be performed only by those agents who have a license. In fact, the second phase for the handling tender is currently under process. It is precisely this phase which will determine the new companies entitled to offer ramp handling services to airlines at Madrid airport.Apart from the ramp…

Iberia in good shape Standard

Iberia A330 EC-LYF, with the new livery, getting out of the fog / Flickr - Curimedia | photography

In February, we anticipated that Iberia was working on an aggressive plan, after a deep restructuration. In fact, that restructuration goes on. ElMundo informed on July 24 that Iberia has reached an agreement with the Unions on a voluntary layoff for 1,427 employees. This will affect to handling staff and pilots, but not to cabin crew members. The process is expected to have been completed by 31 December 2017.To that respect, on August 11 Preferente.com informed that some of the items in that layoff have been contested before the National High Court by one of the unions (CTA).However, IAG is happy with the Iberia’s…

The Norwegian Madrid base is inaugurated Standard

Norwegian B737 LN-KKW at Madrid / Aero Icarus

Yesterday, lainformacion.com informed that the Norwegian Madrid Base was opened during a launch ceremony. Thus, the third European low cost airline starts their Adolfo Suárez Madrid base to operate seven direct routes. Norwegian has already got a base in Alicante, Barcelona, Málaga, Gran Canaria and Tenerife. They have now based two B737-800s in Madrid to cover their daily flights to London and Copenhagen – One frequency is being added to the Copenhagen flight. Also, they will fly to Stockholm, Oslo, Helsinki, Hamburg, Warsaw and Malta.Ms Ana Isabel Mariño – the Madrid councillor of employment, tourism and culture – attended this ceremony, together with…

The TCO Regulation effective as from today Standard

EASA logo

The Commission Regulation (EU) 452/2014, so-called TCO (Third Country Operator) Regulation, has entered into force today.The TCO Regulation was published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 6th May 2014 to be effective on 26th May.From now on and during the next six months, the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is accepting from non-EU operators that intend to fly to EU territory, the formal applications for a TCO safety authorization that will be valid for the entire European Union. The TCO will be a precondition for obtaining the operating permit in each Member State, which will require a separate procedure.We will…

EasyJet finalising a plan to open routes in Spain in 2015 Standard

Easyjet takeoff in Madrid airport / Javier Pedreira

The Spanish airports are increasing passengers in AprilAena published data for the April operations and confirmed the good trend so far in 2014. Only in April, the Spanish airports gained passengers by 9.3% with regard to April 2013. Comparing figures between January and April, the Spanish airports increased passengers by 4.1% so far this year.It is worth noting that Madrid increased passengers by 7.5% in April, experiencing an aggregate growth of 2.5%; Barcelona keeps the good numbers increasing by 10.8% in April (7.5% between January and April); Málaga met the expectations we had anticipated and grew by 14.4% in April (accumulating 9.5%); Alicante is…

Aena to soften the charge increase or even to freeze them Standard

Iberia's plane Terminal 4

AENA started in February the consultation process to set the charges for 2015, as established by the agreement signed on 23rd May 2013 between Aena Aeropuertos and the Airline Associations.As agreed, the maximum charge increase for 2015 was set at CPI plus three points. With regard to 2016, 2017 and 2018 a maximum charge increase of CPI plus four points was fixed.However, according to the information from EuropaPress this morning – based on sources from ACETA – during the meetings held so far both parties agreed that the positive traffic evolution during the months of January (2.5%) and February (3.1%) lead to expect traffic…

Ryanair is planning to grow in Madrid, to shrink in Barcelona Standard

Strait of Gibraltar view from a Ryanair’s plane / flickr.com

Last month we informed that Vueling was about to catch Ryanair as the largest operator in Spain. Now, latest data collected from Aena confirm that, with the month of March over, Vueling has become the first operator in the Spanish airports as a matter of fact. Between January and March they have served 4.60 million passengers, ahead of Ryanair which transported 4,57 million people within the same period. However, aiming to keep their position, they announced some changes with regard to their operations in Spain:First of all, according to ABC.es Ryanair will connect Madrid with six new destinations, i.e. Bremen,Catania, Cologne, Eindhoven, Fes and Warsow, all to start in…

The current Air Nostrum CEO to become the owner Standard

Air Nostrum CRJ-200ER at Lanzarote airport

Air Nostrum hired the services from Seabury to analyse and sell the airline. Today, Levante-emv.com informs that the current Air Nostrum CEO, Carlos Bertomeu, has decided to make a strong commitment to the airline by putting his own money. For this purpose, he has the support from his partners of the Valencian Infertility Institute to invest in such a difficult and changing industry.“Creativity, determination, long-term thinking, humility and ability to correct mistakes are, in my view, the values to start a business from the scratch” Bertomeu said during a cabin crew course closure. Values which he will have to apply in his new…