Miguel Praga

🗺 Castilla y León, 2024 - The 'Club de los 60' tourism program expands, allowing travel agencies across Spain to participate. Previously exclusive to select retail agencies, the reform offers greater freedom for seniors, particularly benefiting those in rural areas. The Junta de Castilla y León introduces accreditation for eligible agencies. The Federación Castellano y Leonesa de Asociaciones de Agencias de Viajes (FECLAV) had criticized the former system's bias towards major groups, such as Ávoris.

✈ Ryanair's Boeing 737Max, flying from Bristol to Madrid, diverted to Santander Airport due to a medical emergency on board. Air traffic controllers, via their X account, revealed the plane was rerouted over the Iberian Peninsula for a passenger's medical needs. Controllers prioritized the descent, held other flights, and guided the aircraft for a direct approach to runway 29. Meanwhile, ground coordination ensured medical assistance was ready upon landing.

📰 Protests organized by the Southern Europe Network against Touristification (SET) took place this past weekend in various Spanish cities, including Barcelona, Palma, and Ibiza. Despite low turnout, with 600-800 participants in Barcelona, the protests involved water gun attacks on tourists and vandalism against businesses. Media in the UK, Germany, and the US highlighted tourists as targets. The UK reports noted local hostility towards British tourists, with people advised to remain cautious.

✈️ El piloto de Air Europa, Fausto Condé Bercal, de 47 años, falleció de "muerte súbita" en Asunción, Paraguay, días antes de su vuelo programado al aeropuerto Silvio Pettirossi hacia Madrid. El ex piloto del Servicio de Búsqueda y Rescate (SAR) del Ejército del Aire fue homenajeado por controladores en Madrid, quienes celebraron su dedicación y profesionalismo en la radiofrecuencia. Su legado en el SAR de Canarias fue recordado con respeto y cariño.

💰 Airbnb, 2025, Europe: Amidst the housing crisis, Airbnb blames hotels, citing that 80% of stays are in hotels. Europe responds with restrictions on Airbnb. France leads by allowing cities to limit short-term rentals, proving effective after nearly a year.

✈️ Japan's aviation authorities ordered inspections of all 787 Dreamliner planes nationwide early Saturday, without halting operations. ANA, Japan Airlines, and Zipair Tokyo are required to inspect the aircraft engines. Meanwhile, the U.S. FAA, led by acting director Chris Rocheleau, has not mandated inspections, citing premature conclusions. Technical issues are suspected by experts. Despite the lack of immediate operational bans, the situation remains under close observation following Air India's recent accident with 242 passengers.

🛩 Flight 171 of Air India crashed a day ago, en route to London with 242 passengers. The accident's cause is under investigation, ruling out bird collision and pilot error. India ordered urgent inspections of all 787s. One black box found, aiding investigation. Only one survivor, Vishwash Kumar Ramesh, out of all onboard, including 8 building casualties and 41 hospitalized. Social media is rife with speculative causes, yet official details remain unconfirmed.