Divers

🌍 Pedro Fiol, president of the Balearic Travel Agencies Association, warns of increased difficulty in traveling with Imserso in 2024 due to reduced available spots: 879,213, down from 886,629 last year. Key dates include October 6 for guaranteed spots and October 7 for others. In the previous season, only 12.53% of the 93,304 registered secured a trip. Concerns include program delays and budget uncertainties, impacting both pensioners and agency operations.

🚂 Talgo holds the Madrid-Barcelona high-speed rail infrastructure responsible for cracks in eight bogies of four Avril trains. This affects less than 15% of the 27-unit Series 106 fleet. Talgo points to track leveling issues causing vertical accelerations as the cause. The Ministry of Transport considers the issue "very serious," removing five trains indefinitely. Adif plans extensive stabilization work, expected to last months. SEMAF supports Talgo's claims about track defects causing vibrations.

🛫 Turkish Airlines is set to acquire a 26-27% stake in Air Europa for €300 million, primarily via a capital increase. IAG will retain its 20% share, while the Hidalgo family will maintain a majority. The deal involves technical and financial adjustments, with Turkish Airlines surpassing competitors like Etihad, Lufthansa, and Air France-KLM. The process is expected to take up to a year to finalize.

🏢 15 de septiembre es festivo en Cantabria por el Día de la Virgen de la Bien Aparecida, permitiendo un puente de tres días. Este evento atrae a miles al santuario de Ampuero. El próximo festivo nacional en España es el 1 de noviembre. El Día de la Hispanidad, el 12 de octubre, cae en domingo, pero comunidades como Andalucía trasladan el festivo al lunes 13. Festivos clave hasta diciembre incluyen el 6 y 8 de diciembre, y Navidad.

🛩 Eurowings, the low-cost carrier of Lufthansa, operates mainly in Germany and Austria, with a base in Mallorca. In January, it ordered 40 Boeing 737 Max aircraft and is rumored to consider purchasing 60 more, potentially shifting its fleet from 95 planes, including 88 Airbus A320s, to primarily Boeing. Currently, Eurowings has 7 Boeing 737-800NGs. The decision echoes a similar fleet transition rumored for Vueling in London.

🏨 Blackstone and Singapore's GIC are exploring a sale of Hotel Investment Partners (HIP), which has 69 hotels and 22,000 rooms in Europe. In 2023, GIC acquired a 35% stake in HIP, valuing it at €4.7 billion. They consider a carve out to ease the sale or IPO. GIC might increase its stake by 15%. HIP's portfolio predominantly consists of beachfront, vacation hotels operated by major brands like Marriott and Melià.

🏕️ Aínsa in the Pyrenees, known for its medieval architecture, offers historical tourism complemented by nearby natural beauty in Ordesa y Monte Perdido. Mojácar in Almería, with its whitewashed structures and six blue-flag beaches, invites a mix of beach and cultural tourism. Meanwhile, El Burgo de Osma in Soria and Morella in Valencia highlight historical and natural tourism. Bulnes, Asturias, offers secluded nature experiences, while Laguardia in Rioja Alavesa invites wine tourism amidst medieval settings.

✈ Iberia, from October 26, 2024, to March 28, 2026, launches record flights. Direct routes include Madrid to Orlando (4 weekly flights with A330) and to Recife (December 13) and Fortaleza (January 19) in Brazil, each with 3 weekly flights using A321XLR. Dominican Republic's and Puerto Rico's flights reach historic highs, with up to 14 weekly flights. New York and Boston see daily flights, while Washington offers three weekly flights.

🛩 Urgencia a bordo de un A320 de Swiss el 2025, entre Zúrich y Barcelona. La tripulación reportó a controladores aéreos un pasajero con ataque al corazón. Aproximación reducida, alta velocidad, y otros vuelos apartados para agilizar aterrizaje. Coordinación de asistencia médica en tierra.

✈️ Wizz Air, the Hungarian airline, plans to withdraw from Vienna, dismantling its routes by March 2026 due to fierce competition from Lauda Air (Ryanair) and Lufthansa. On March 15, 2026, Wizz Air will remove its three Vienna-based aircraft, ceasing routes to Bilbao, Barcelona, Málaga, and Tenerife Sur. To address shareholder demands for profitability, they will offer refunds or credits to affected customers. The decision mirrors their earlier exit from Abu Dhabi.