Divers

🏨 Riu Hotels & Resorts celebrated 20 years in Cabo Verde, marking the anniversary of its first hotel, Riu Funana, on Sal Island, opened in 2005. A gala with 150 attendees, including Prime Minister Ulisses Correia e Silva, honored 35 key contributors, highlighting environmental, health, and community achievements. Key awards went to organizations like BIOS Cabo Verde and Associaçao Projeto Biodiversidade for biodiversity efforts, and Fundaçao DesBem for child health initiatives. The event emphasized Riu's strong local community ties.

🌎 Europa en 2024 registró 747 millones de llegadas internacionales, superando un 5% los niveles de 2023. Para el verano de 2025, se esperan cifras aún mayores. Los destinos menos concurridos, según Holidayguru, incluyen Eslovaquia, Rumanía, Bélgica, Liechtenstein, Luxemburgo, República Checa y Serbia. Estos lugares ofrecen historia, naturaleza y cultura con menos masas. Luxemburgo destaca por su transporte público gratuito para visitantes.

💸 Tui's Q1 losses increased to €207 million from €189 million last year. Easter didn't fall in Q1, shifting 2.6 million travelers to Q2. CEO Sebastian Ebel admits challenges but keeps overall forecasts. Popular short-haul destinations: Canary Islands, Egypt, Iberian Peninsula, Cape Verde; long-haul: Mexico, Dominican Republic, Thailand, UAE.

✈ Delta, May 2025, France to Japan: Delta received an A350, registered N528DN, from Airbus in Toulouse on Wednesday. To avoid a 10% U.S. tariff on new European aircraft, Delta will operate it commercially from France to Tokyo Narita, making it used. CEO Ed Bastian confirms using this method since October 2019, when WTO rulings allowed U.S. tariffs on new European aircraft. Delta’s strategy exploits a legal loophole exempting used planes from tariffs.

📦 Air Europa and Iberia respond differently to the security crisis in Israel. Following a missile incident at Ben Gurion Airport, both canceled flights. Air Europa resumed operations with flights from Madrid to Tel Aviv six days a week, excluding Saturdays. Iberia Express postponed its return to June 1 and suspended night flights until June 15, offering free changes for tickets scheduled from June 1-30.

🏠 38% of people staying overnight at Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport work daily. A census shows 421 homeless individuals residing there, with 78% being men aged 45-64. 74% of them are foreign, predominantly from Latin America. A lack of affordable housing is cited as a primary issue. Recommendations include municipal network expansion, urgent intervention by the Community of Madrid, and a more humane approach from Aena. 45% have lived in Spain for over five years.

🛬 Secretary of Transport in the U.S. asks citizens how to improve travel experiences, sparking calls to eliminate airport security checks. Travelers find current procedures intolerable, often facing arbitrary and inconsistent rules. The article highlights excessive security measures and emphasizes the need for sensible reforms. Travelers face unnecessary complications by inadequately qualified personnel, leading to calls for the U.S. to lead in implementing changes that balance safety with convenience.

🛩 Boeing has received nearly 600 orders for the 777X, which remains uncertified as of 2025. Testing, despite significant setbacks, has involved four completed aircraft, totaling 1,400 test flights and 4,000 flight hours. The 777X began production in 2017 with test flights starting in 2020. Certification is expected in 2025 with deliveries in 2026. 14 airlines, including British Airways, Lufthansa, Emirates, and Qatar Airways, have placed orders. The largest model, B777X-9, is primarily tested.

✈ El antiguo handling de Iberia, ahora South, alcanzó un 35% de cuota de mercado en 2024. Con 38 aeropuertos en operación, atendió 352,047 vuelos, 102 millones de pasajeros y gestionó 52 millones de equipajes. Emplea 7,000 personas y mantiene a Iberia y Vueling como principales clientes (74% de facturación). Madrid-Barajas representa el 39% de su negocio. Para 2030, prevé un crecimiento del 17% en vuelos atendidos.

💰 Leonor González Pano revealed that Juan José Hidalgo allegedly paid €500,000 to ex-minister José Luis Ábalos for the €475 million state rescue of Air Europa. The payment supposedly occurred at Hidalgo’s home in Puerta de Hierro, Madrid, involving Aldama and Koldo García. González Pano claims the money was counted in a living room with a bar area. Hidalgo’s family denies these accusations, asserting everything was done legally.