Miguel Praga

✈️ Wizz Air will launch five new routes between London and Spain, including Bilbao, Barcelona, Sevilla, Madrid, and Valencia, starting March 29, 2024. This expansion challenges Ryanair and EasyJet. The airline will also introduce routes between Vienna, Milan, and Rome from October 26, 2023, with eleven weekly connections between Milan and Rome. Operating mainly from London Luton, Wizz Air is the second-lowest cost low-cost carrier after Ryanair.

🚀 Embraer, a Brazilian company, has a record $30 billion order book, the largest in its 50-year history. In the last three months, Embraer sold 45 planes to Scandinavia's SAS and 60 to the U.S.'s SkyWest. In the first half of the year, Embraer delivered 61 aircraft, up from 47 a year ago, boosting cash flow. The company avoided a potential setback when Boeing withdrew from a previously planned acquisition, allowing Embraer to capitalize on its E195-E2 aircraft.

💸 Wizz Air's stock surged nearly 12% on Friday after Barclays recommended it as an attractive investment, suggesting shares are worth £15, up from £11. Despite a 38% drop in operating profit from £47 million to £27 million, the bank's optimism stems from Wizz Air's strategic shift to focus on low-cost European flights. While the latest quarter showed increased profits primarily from extraordinary income, the airline's potential for future growth remains promising.

✈️ Noel Philips, a video blogger, discovered a separate Ryanair in Alaska, founded in 1953 by a different Ryan family. This Alaskan Ryanair, 70 years old, operates 23 small aircraft mainly for cargo, but since 2011, it also carries passengers, often just one per flight. The Alaskan Ryanair, not related to the Irish carrier, is owned by the Ryan family in its third generation and holds the largest fleet of Spanish Casa aircraft worldwide.

💬 Víctor de Aldama claims Begoña Gómez pressured for Air Europa's bailout from Moncloa, seeking sponsorships from the Hidalgo family. Aldama disputes a leaked recording involving 22,000 devices, questioning its timing and content. While rejecting any commission payments, he insists pressure on ministers was essential for the company's survival. Aldama is ready to testify before Supreme Court Judge Leopoldo Puente, highlighting the alleged governmental misuse of the audio leak for discrediting purposes.

🌍 In Spain's tourist hotspots like Ibiza, there's a clear link between tourism and rising housing prices. Similarly, Tarragona's prosperity is tied to its petrochemical complex, and Asturias to mining. While industries face opposition, it's unique to see tourists blamed directly for tourism's negative impacts. A recent radical group's sign highlights housing market issues to tourists without blaming them. Over 100,000 homes are on rental platforms instead of available for residents, with politicians largely defending this trend.

✈️ Emirates is modernizing its fleet with upgraded interiors for older 777 models due to delays in receiving new Boeing 777X aircraft. Starting in mid-September, the first upgraded 777s will operate flights from Dubai to Madrid-Barajas, initially the sole destination until more planes are available. Emirates plans to eventually extend new first-class amenities, including 13-inch TVs and cream-colored decor, to all of its 191 aircraft, earning widespread praise from industry specialists.