Miguel Praga

🛫 Javier Gándara, president of the Asociación de Líneas Aéreas (ALA), warns about a financial strain caused by the Spanish Government's non-payment of subsidies owed to airlines for resident discounts in the Canary Islands, Balearics, Ceuta, and Melilla. The unpaid amount for 2024 reaches €425 million, nearly depleting the 2025 budget of €560 million, initially allocated to cover these expenses. The expected cost for 2025 is €1.250 billion. Airline capacity between the Canary Islands and the mainland increased by 9.6% to 61.81 million seats in 2024, and connections between the Balearics and the mainland rose by 6% to 55 million seats.

✈ A non-binary passenger filed a lawsuit against Ryanair in 2021 for not providing a gender-neutral option in their booking system. The incident occurred when the individual attempted to book a flight from Berlin to Gran Canaria. They are seeking over £4,000 (around €4,800) in compensation and demand a change in the airline's platform. Ryanair refused an out-of-court settlement, leading the non-binary person to take the case to the state court in Berlin.

🚨 European embassies warn citizens about public disorder in Turkey, notably in Istanbul, after the arrest of city mayor Ekrem Imamoglu, a key political rival to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The Turkish lira fell nearly 6%, and the stock market plummeted about 9%, prompting state bank intervention. WhatsApp and X were blocked on Thursday. No spread to holiday areas, currently in low demand, reported.