Miguel Praga

🌍 Hace dos años, Hamás atacó Israel, causing tourism to plummet just as it was rebounding from COVID-19. Now, with tensions easing, airlines like United have resumed flights, including seven weekly flights from Washington and Chicago, plus two daily from New York. American travel agencies report increased interest and bookings. Despite this, Ryanair has exited Israel due to high airport costs. In Europe, major airlines have reestablished connections, though not at full potential.

✈️ Alaska Airlines halted flights due to a computer glitch affecting its entire fleet between Thursday and Friday. The disruption lasted several hours before operations resumed. On Friday, midday in Spain, the situation began normalizing, yet many planes and crews remained out of place. The incident also impacted Horizon Air. Alaska Airlines, serving 140 airports across 12 countries, faced this challenge amid ongoing U.S. government shutdown affecting air traffic control operations.

🛩 In Castellón, Spain, nearly new airplanes under ten years old are being dismantled for parts. With over 600 planes grounded due to engine part shortages from Pratt & Whitney defects, the market value for these parts has surged, reaching $20 million per engine. While Castellón lacks travelers, it thrives in aircraft dismantling, appealing to aircraft lessors who find dismantling more profitable than leasing. Two engines can rent for $250,000 each monthly, exceeding aircraft rental rates.

✈ Decenas de miles de turistas rusos viajaron a España, desafiando el bloqueo de la UE tras la guerra de Ucrania. Se concedieron 111,187 visados turísticos en el último año, posicionando a España como el tercer destino europeo para turistas rusos, detrás de Italia y Francia. Antes del conflicto, en 2019, Rusia aportó 1.3 millones de visitantes a España, con un gasto promedio superior a 1,500 euros. La UE podría endurecer la concesión de visados rusos próximamente.

✈ Viet Jet, a Vietnamese airline, decided to end its use of Comac's C919 aircraft this week, returning them to Chengdu Airlines. The two C909 planes, a predecessor to the C919, operated between Con Dao and Noi Bai, Hanoi, under a wet lease. The issue cited was cost, not quality. This setback affects Comac's goal of having non-Chinese airlines operate their aircraft, as Viet Jet was one of the few to do so.

🛩 Wizz Air CEO József Váradi rebuts Ryanair's frequent criticism, highlighting Wizz Air's superior aircraft and safety record. Váradi claims Ryanair uses airport fees as an excuse for reduced capacity in Spanish regional airports, attributing it to market weakness. Wizz Air plans to shift operations like from Vienna to Bratislava, a 45-minute move. Spain emerges as a key market for Wizz Air, with plans to double its passenger count to 20 million within five years.

🛫 EasyJet once mocked Ryanair for using secondary airports. Now, Ryanair plans to operate from Friedrichshafen, Germany, near Lake Constance, south of Memmingen. Starting next summer, it will fly to Palma (3 times/week) and Alicante (2 times/week). The aircraft will be based in Spain. Despite low costs, state fees remain high, limiting operations. Ryanair previously used Friedrichshafen but left due to costs, cutting 24 routes across 9 medium airports in Germany, reducing 800,000 seats.