Miguel Praga

🗺 Tourist apprehension over Spanish anti-tourism sentiment is fueled by exaggerated British media reports. In 2023, a tourist in Palma, avoiding perceived aggression, explored the serene Sierra de Tramontana. Another from Manchester chose to visit Aragón, specifically Zaragoza and the Pyrenees, discovering rich culture and local wines. Despite media frenzy, many tourists remain uninformed, focusing on pub visits instead of local perceptions.

✈️ Iberojet, part of Ávoris, recently faced mechanical issues with three of its seven wide-body aircraft, including A330s and A350s, leading to the cancellation of flights. Six flights to Palmerola, Honduras, were canceled, affecting 3,000 passengers. The Honduran president and AHAC are involved. Routes from Madrid to Caracas saw four cancellations. Flights on July 4 and 5 were canceled, with plans to resume on July 9. Iberojet states that operations have mostly normalized, with only one plane still grounded.

✈️ Air Asia, based in Sepang, Malaysia, signed a $12.25 billion deal on January 2023 to purchase 70 Airbus A321XLR aircraft, with 50 firm orders and 20 options. This move aims to expand beyond Southeast Asia, primarily serving Indonesia routes. CEO Tony Fernandes plans to position Air Asia as the world's leading low-cost carrier. The airline group, with subsidiaries in Thailand, Cambodia, the Philippines, and India, currently operates 100 aircraft and has orders for over 360 more.

✈ Air Europa, starting July 12, will fly daily between Madrid and Istanbul using Boeing 787 Dreamliner, enhancing its presence in Turkey after debuting in May with four weekly flights. Turkish Airlines, along with Lufthansa and Air France-KLM, is negotiating to acquire a stake in Air Europa. The Hidalgo family aims to finalize the deal by the end of July amid high demand despite competition from Turkish Airlines and Pegasus.

✈ KLM staff strike set for July 9 remains despite a €1,000 one-time payment offer and a 0.5% to 2.5% salary increase, depending on economic results. Unions find the proposal insufficient to reconsider halting the strike. The strike coincides with the start of school holidays in the Netherlands, impacting travelers. Souleiman Amallah states KLM hasn’t met negotiation standards. Hours later, Air France-KLM announced acquiring a majority stake in Scandinavian airline SAS.

🚨 Un grave incidente ocurrió en un Boeing 737 de Ryanair en Palma de Mallorca, dejando 18 heridos, de los cuales 6 fueron hospitalizados. El incendio en la aeronave ocurrió en la pista del aeropuerto, generando pánico y evacuaciones por las salidas de emergencia. El incidente fue reportado al centro SAMU061 a las 00:36 horas, movilizando ambulancias de Soporte Vital Avanzado y Básico, bomberos y la Guardia Civil. Las causas del incendio aún son desconocidas.

🛩 French air traffic controllers' strike impacted Europe, ending Friday with 260 controllers involved. Mallorca faced the most disruptions in Spain. Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary criticized Ursula Von der Leyen, asking for her resignation over ineffective crisis management. Affected were 1,500 flights and 300,000 travelers, who are not entitled to compensation but are provided accommodation by airlines. O'Leary noted that unlike France, strikes in Italy or Spain don't affect overflights.