Divers

💸 Canarian travel agencies are battling airlines for quicker payment of service fees from bookings made with resident discount rates, which represent about 16% of their gross margin. ACAVyT's president, Ignacio Poladura, calls for expedited airline repayments to improve agencies' liquidity. Recently, discussions with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation aimed at potential legal changes to enforce faster airline payment processing were held at the Ministry of Transport, which also included CEAV and Canarian government transport representatives.

🔎 Javier Hidalgo, former CEO of Air Europa and son of Juan José Hidalgo, is not in Botsuana, Dominican Republic, or Ibiza but has recently been in the Caribbean country. Within ten days prior, he traveled to an undisclosed North American location, reportedly within three hours flight from the Dominican Republic, possibly Miami or Los Angeles. Hidalgo is set to appear in Madrid on the 22nd to respond to a Senate commission and is not considered a fugitive. His recent visit involved business dealings potentially subject to investigation.

🚩 Passengers on a Vueling flight from Barcelona to Granada experienced a scare when the right engine caught fire during takeoff this weekend. The plane aborted the takeoff, and passengers were evacuated. The airline described the event only as a "technical incident," providing no further details.

🏬 British Airways' A380 made a stunning visual during its landing approach as captured in a video by @carloszorrilla1983 on YouTube, where the aircraft dramatically emerged from the mist before disappearing again prior to touchdown.

✈️ Vueling and pilots sealed peace with a pre-agreement on Thursday, November 7, after over a year of negotiations, enabling the airline's growth plan. SEPLA union announced improved labor and economic conditions: a 6% bonus in 2024, annual performance-linked bonus, confirmed seat tickets, and new schemes for pilots over 55. Reduction of winter hours, commander promotions, and a pre-retirement program at 60 were also included in the pre-agreement.

🏗️ At the World Travel Market (WTM) in London, Germany's economic decline was reflected in a smaller exhibition stand compared to a more sophisticated one from Armenia. Tourism professionals were surprised by Germany's less prominent presence at the UK's largest fair. This downturn follows the loss of cheap Russian gas due to the war in Ukraine, impacting Germany's industrial sector and visible in their reduced participation at WTM.

🚂 Italia, through Ferrovie dello Stato, acquired an additional 6% stake in Spanish railway sector's Iryo, reaching a 51% majority shareholding. The transaction, at a cost of 15 million euros, was completed on July 3, valuing Iryo at about 250 million euros. As a result, Air Nostrum's share decreased to 25%, while Globalvia retains its 24%. The arrangement stems from a pre-operation agreement signed before Iryo's Spanish launch in late 2022. In its first full year, Iryo faced a loss of 79 million euros, a significant increase from the 25-million-euro loss in just 37 days the previous year.

🏕 Spanish destinations and tourism companies showcased prominently at the World Travel Market (WTM) in London, reflecting the country's thriving tourism sector. Key players included Turespaña, Andalucía, Canarias, Baleares, Comunidad Valenciana, Cataluña, Costa del Sol-Málaga, Región de Murcia, and Ibiza. Notable private sector participants were HBX Group (Hotelbeds), W2M, Iberostar, Smyrooms (Grupo Viajes El Corte Inglés), Juniper, Citysightseeing, MTS, H10, Lopesan, Loro Parque, Travelgate, and Amadeus, occupying an exceptional percentage of exhibition space compared to other countries.

✈ Boeing workers in Seattle voted in favor of the company's latest wage proposal, ending a 53-day strike that affected operations in Washington, Oregon, and California. The union vote yielded 59% approval. The new agreement includes a 38% wage increase over four years, retirement plan contribution improvements, and a $12,000 signing bonus. The strike had financially impacted Boeing, with losses tripling to $7.968 billion in the first nine months of the year, a 260% increase from the same period in 2023. Employees will return to factories on November 6, allowing production to resume.

✈ Air France suspended flights over the Red Sea after pilots of one plane observed a luminous object near Sudan on Sunday. The measure is preventive due to the civil war in Sudan. Flights to Madagascar and Nairobi, among others, are rerouted via Oman, Saudi Arabia, or Iraq, resulting in potential delays exceeding two hours. Suspected military-related artefacts in the region are associated with Yemen's Houthi movement. Other airlines, including Ethiopian and Emirates, have not canceled flights.