Miguel Praga

✈ Iberia informed travel agencies that Spanish digital ID (DNI) cannot be used for identification at check-in counters or boarding gates. Passengers are urged to bring their physical DNI. Some countries accept the digital DNI as a travel document, equivalent to a passport, and can be used at Automated Border Control (ABC Systems).

✈ Malta Air, a subsidiary of Ryanair, has transformed Malta into a tourist hotspot, not due to Air Malta, the state airline, but because of favorable conditions requested by the Irish airline. Ryanair now opposes Europe's potential aviation tax increase, pushing Malta to advocate for a tax exception for islands. David O’Brien, president of Malta Air, argues that peripheral countries with limited travel alternatives, like Ireland, Cyprus, and Malta, will be unfairly penalized by environmental taxes and restricted by the lack of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF).

✈ Sri Lankan Airlines, involved in a corruption case, bought six A330 and four A350 aircraft from Airbus 12 years ago. Former executive accused of taking $2 million in bribes. Current executive, Sarath Ganegoda, seeks $23.3 million for pre-delivery payments, $200 million in damages, plus four free A330s. Airline, operating 22 planes primarily to India, Dubai, Maldives, London, and Melbourne, lost $1.5 billion over the last two years. Legal proceedings impending against both Airbus and Rolls Royce, the engine manufacturer.

🏖 The Imserso program was created in 1985 to generate employment and enliven winter tourism in Spain. At the time, the average pension was about 200 euros, and few retirees could afford to travel. The goal was to create one job per seven pensionists traveling, which revitalized winter-deserted tourist areas. Forty years later, the program is in decline, facing criticism for management, service quality, and insufficient compensation for hotels, which lose money by hosting pensionists at a cost of 34 euros per person while only receiving 26 euros. Despite some positive changes such as a 50-euro flat rate for the lowest pensions and allowing pets, the future of Imserso remains uncertain amid industry changes and extended hotel seasons.