Nombramientos

✈ Despite political tensions in Venezuela during President Nicolás Maduro's inauguration, airlines connecting Spain to Venezuela—such as Iberia, Plus Ultra, and Air Europa—continue operations as usual. Maintaining their schedule, Iberia, Air Europa, and Plus Ultra collectively offer 5 weekly flights: 14 from Madrid and 1 from Tenerife by Plus Ultra. Additionally, Estelar and Laser provide services, with Estelar offering 1 weekly flight via Iberojet, and Laser offering 3 weekly flights operated by HiFly.

🏖️ Luis Buzzi, after 35 years in consulting at the "Big4" (Deloitte, PwC, EY, and KPMG), begins a new professional phase on January 10 as a senior strategic advisor, focusing on the tourism and hotel sector. His role will allow him to continue working with existing clients, aiming to enhance value generation models. Buzzi's transition reflects the natural cycle at Big4 firms where senior partners pass the baton to new leadership while still contributing from their experience.

✈️ Servivuelo, Spain's leading air consolidator by business volume, joins the German group AerTicket, enhancing its presence in Spain. Servivuelo, founded by Jorge Zamora, reported a record €140 million in 2022. In its new phase, Elver Villamizar becomes Director of Sales and Operations, and Óscar Martín as CFO. AerTicket, operating in Spain since 2010 with a subsidiary in Palma de Mallorca, is led by José Oliver. Both Servivuelo's workforce and brand will remain unchanged.

🚀 Raül Blanco, President of Renfe, announced his resignation effective January 14, after nearly two years in charge. Citing personal reasons and interest in new professional projects, his decision was made in agreement with the Ministry of Transport. Álvaro Fernández Heredia, the current Secretary-General of Sustainable Mobility, with a background in engineering and transport infrastructure, will take over as President of Renfe during a Council of Ministers meeting scheduled for January 14.

📌 Acquisition of Dit Gestión by Ávoris, initially planned for 2024, is delayed by CNMC's request for more information. Ávoris aims to exceed 3,000 sales outlets in Spain, but faces scrutiny over Unida's 2021 integration and a pending €324,000 cartel fine from 2016. Dit Gestión assures freedom from liabilities. If successful, Ávoris will incorporate Spain's leading management group with 800 agencies, pushing its portfolio beyond 3,000, adding to its brands like Halcón Viajes and B travel.

💡 South Korea faces a deep political crisis, leading the Transport Minister to temporarily hold office. On this backdrop, the country's decision to inspect over one hundred Boeing 737 800s was made yesterday after learning of another Jeju aircraft experiencing a similar problem as the crashed one, though it landed safely. The news led to Boeing's stock price falling, yet no structural failures of the aircraft are indicated despite it being in operation for 25 years and making up 15% of the world's operational aircraft. No evidence explains the Jeju Airlines incident. Other Korean operators of this model include T'way, Jin, Eastar Jet, Air Incheon, and Korean, with 39 of the aircraft belonging to Jeju. The emotional tension in Korea is high as most passengers were locals.

🛂 David Vicent has been appointed as the new Deputy Director of Sales and Marketing at Estimar Hotels, a hotel chain in an expansion phase. Despite the expansion, the General Director Juan Oltra emphasizes the chain's preference for quality over ambitious growth. Vicent, an expert in sustainable tourism planning, digital marketing, and tourism engineering, also collaborates with ONU Tourism on training, education, and consultancy and is a permanent consultant and expert committee member of the OMT's Themis Foundation Barometer.

🏨 In 2024, significant appointments in the hotel industry included Aurelio Vázquez as the general director of Summum Hotel Group, aiming to implement their Strategic Plan 2025-2030 focused on expansion. Francisco Albertí joined Grupo Hotusa as the new director of Expansion for Eurostars Hotel Company, targeting growth in vacation destinations globally, notably in EMEA and the Caribbean. Beatriz Miguel became the new Business Director of Ilunion Hotels, integrating Operations, Commercial, and Business Intelligence. Helena Burstedt was appointed Hyatt Hotels Corporation’s regional vice president of Development for Iberia, with 50 establishments in Spain and Portugal. Lastly, on December 23, Millenium Hospitality Real Estate named Borja Escalada as CEO following a stake purchase by Sancus Capital.

🚩 Vladimir Putin acknowledged Russian air defenses were active when an Azerbaijani plane attempted to land in Grozni, Chechenia's capital. He apologized to Azerbaijan's leader Ilham Aliyev but didn't admit fault for the crash. Aliyev suggested an external factor caused the crash, seeking accountability without elaboration. The Kremlin noted Putin's condolences to victims' families and well wishes for the injured. The White House confirmed the civilian plane was downed by Chechen air defenses, while Moscow joined the crash investigation.

🔥 Los Ángeles, Morrison Hotel, built in 1914, destroyed by fire; no casualties reported. The Doors' 1970 album cover featured the hotel. Fire originated on the fourth floor; dozens of homeless occupants evacuated safely. LAFD's statement revealed 100 firefighters battled the blaze over two hours. The investigation into the fire's cause is ongoing. The building, now uninhabitable, measures nearly 4,600 square meters.