Santa Or Sun? Austrian Airlines Boosts Its Winter Tourism Network
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Loading... - Emma Endris
- 26 May 2023
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Austrian Airlines has expanded its winter schedule by including Rovaniemi, Finland, and Sevilla, Spain, as new destinations. Passengers now have the opportunity to visit Santa's official hometown or bask in the winter sun. This marks the airline's inaugural service to the Lapland region, a route already served by other airlines within the Lufthansa Group and new entrants like KLM. Sevilla, known for its pleasant temperatures of 20-26°C in October and November, offers an ideal escape from the heat experienced in the rest of Europe.
Continually expanding its offerings, Austrian Airlines will now serve a total of 86 destinations this winter, including 70 within Europe and 16 intercontinental routes, starting from October 29th, coinciding with the opening of the IATA winter season. Not only are scheduled routes being added, but Austrian will also operate charter flights to Kittilä, Finland, allowing sports enthusiasts to enjoy direct flights from Vienna.
Sevilla will be served twice weekly from Vienna Airport, specifically on Tuesdays and Saturdays. Rovaniemi and Kittilä flights will operate once weekly, exclusively on Saturdays.
In response to increased demand for intercontinental services, Austrian Airlines will increase the frequency of flights to Shanghai from 2x weekly to 3x weekly in October, and further to 4x weekly from November onwards. This adjustment reflects China's full reopening of its borders and the resurgence of demand for foreign travel and visiting friends and relatives (VFR).
During the winter season, Newark Liberty (EWR), Marrakech, and Cairo will also see expanded flight schedules to meet the demand for holiday travel. These routes will be served by Austrian's 767 and 777 aircraft, with the possibility of new Boeing 787s joining the fleet in the following year.
Austrian Airlines' winter schedule is well-tailored to serve popular destinations across Asia and Africa, including Mauritius, Bangkok, and the Maldives.
With the recovery of passenger numbers and a robust summer ahead, Austrian Airlines has added seven European destinations to its summer schedule, which includes Tivat, Porto, Marseille, Tromsø, Billund, and Vilnius. This strategic decision capitalizes on the return of passengers to nearly full capacity, and this summer is expected to surpass pre-pandemic records, firmly establishing Vienna as a prominent travel hub.
The positive results are evident as Vienna Airport reported only a marginal 10% decrease in passenger numbers in the first quarter of 2023. With summer travel now in full swing, it is highly likely that the airport will surpass its 2019 figures, aided by Austrian Airlines' significant presence at the airport.
As a member of the Lufthansa Group, Austrian Airlines benefits from collaboration with several other airlines, enabling them to connect a larger number of passengers than they could achieve individually. Although there were disruptions due to industrial action during the spring, it is hoped that these issues will be resolved by the peak of the summer travel season.
