TW741 From Liechtenstein, joined Sep 2004, 477 posts, RR: 0 Posted (8 years 7 months 3 weeks 8 hours ago) and read 4027 times:
At the press conference held at Tripolis on the occasion of the signing of the world's first interline agreement of Libyan Arab Airlines the Head of the Marketing Department of Austrian Airlines OS, Mr Josef Burger, announced that OS will fly from VIE to Baghdad "as soon as secure flying is possible". Planned are 3 flights a week, permissions have already been received from the interim-government of the Iraq.
Mr Burger further stated: "It is the same situation we had with Pristina in March 2000 - the French airforce guarded our airplanes into and out of the airport and the German troops secured the ground operation".
Libya's capital will be received latest by July 2005 daily flights with convenient connections to the OS network to all major European cities but also to connect to the long-haul flights. Libyan has 20 seats on each OS flight.
Albanians capital Tirana is one of the major destinations in this area - and traffic is strong - 3 flights a day are almost fully booked.
OS would like to operate an own terminal at Vienna
With a traffic growth of almost 14% OS is in desperate need for space at Vienna Airport. Additional 15 check-in desks will be installed in the former "Harrods Shop" bringing the total number of check-in desks of OS at VIE airport to 100. Additional and improved baggage handling facilities are to be installed.
"We would like to operate our own terminal like LH is doing at MUC out of economical reasons" says Mr Burger.
99 additional flights to Central and Eastern European destinations will be operated with the inauguration of the winter schedule bringing the total number of flights to 485 per week. OS is one of the worlds largest operators for flights to Eastern European destinations.
In December OS group will decide on improvements for Business Class Services on long-haul flights. Especially the NG B763's need a refurbishment.
Source: "Der Standard" (newspaper) & OS press room
HB-IWC From Greece, joined Sep 2000, 4414 posts, RR: 76 Reply 1, posted (8 years 7 months 3 weeks 7 hours ago) and read 3883 times:
OS is truly a pioneer in opening up routes there where other airlines don't want to go or don't dare to go. Good to see that they're doing something about the Business Class product of the NG B763s, as it is sub-par compared to the other longhaul C-class products on the A340s/A332s and B772s.
PanAm747 From United States of America, joined Feb 2004, 4242 posts, RR: 10 Reply 3, posted (8 years 7 months 3 weeks 7 hours ago) and read 3841 times:
With the demise of Swissair, OS has become the neutral airline of choice. I am glad to see that they are so successful in some of these routes. I wish them and the Iraqi people success in the future!!
Pan Am:The World's Most Experienced Airline - P(oor) S(ailor's) A(irline): San Diego's Hometown Airline-Catch Our Smile!
JGPH1A From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 4, posted (8 years 7 months 3 weeks 7 hours ago) and read 3800 times:
Re: the signing of the world's first interline agreement of Libyan Arab Airlines
Er no. LN has had interline agreements with many airlines for decades. These all may have been cancelled during the sanctions era, but OS's isn't the first. Perhaps what the article meant is the first CODESHARE agreement with LN, although even that I'm a bit sceptical about - I'm pretty sure LN put their code on Egyptair flights TIP-CAI at the height of sanctions, when LN had very few airworthy aircraft.
TW741 From Liechtenstein, joined Sep 2004, 477 posts, RR: 0 Reply 5, posted (8 years 7 months 3 weeks 7 hours ago) and read 3747 times:
JGPH1A
Perhaps what the article meant is the first CODESHARE agreement with LN
correct - not interline agreement - it is a codeshare agreement - sorry for the misstyping.
quote
Libyan Arab Airlines .....
The carrier recently signed its first international codeshare agreement, with Austrian Airlines on the Tripoli-Vienna route. The service will be operated with Austrian F70s three times a week, rising to four times weekly by Dec 1 and becoming daily in 2005
/quote
Jaysit:
By the time it will be safe to fly to Baghdad, there will only be 3 European airlines left: LH, AF and BA
If everybody would be such an optimist the world would just needed 2 timezones - one for the night and one for the day.
Carriers like SR or OS have always been some sort of pioneers for inaugurating flights to areas having been called "unsecure" or "critical". Maybe one of the reasons is that both Switzerland and Austria are neutral countries not being involved in military pacts and also well known for their mediation in national conflicts.
And regarding "just 3 carriers left" - so why don't we shut down everything right now when there is no future for anybody except LH, BA and AF? Why struggle for business for the next 10 years when it is that predictable that everything was in vain?
JoFMO From Germany, joined Jul 2004, 2211 posts, RR: 0 Reply 7, posted (8 years 7 months 3 weeks 6 hours ago) and read 3693 times:
Bagdad is a very risky move. You can earn a lot of money there, because there is not a lot of competition, but I would say it's too risky.
Imagine all the bad 'advertisement' if one of your plane is shot down. Iraq is a harbour for terrorists and don't see them to be 'under control' in the foreseable future. If OS is so desperate on Bagdad they should make a codeshare via Damascus or Amman but don't do it by their own.
JGPH1A From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 8, posted (8 years 7 months 3 weeks 6 hours ago) and read 3683 times:
Re: Maybe one of the reasons is that both Switzerland and Austria are neutral countries not being involved in military pacts and also well known for their mediation in national conflicts.
Austria is a full member of NATO, I believe, as well as a member state of the EU. Less neutral than before, at least.
Mrniji From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 9, posted (8 years 7 months 3 weeks 6 hours ago) and read 3645 times:
Maybe one of the reasons is that both Switzerland and Austria are neutral countries not being involved in military pacts and also well known for their mediation in national conflicts
Swiss yes, but Austria?? See the fascist government there.. and as JPGH1A said...
JoFMO From Germany, joined Jul 2004, 2211 posts, RR: 0 Reply 10, posted (8 years 7 months 3 weeks 6 hours ago) and read 3619 times:
In this case the Switzerland is not neutral, they have a cross on their tail. What could be more provacating for an muslim extremist than the christian symbol of a cross?
TW741 From Liechtenstein, joined Sep 2004, 477 posts, RR: 0 Reply 11, posted (8 years 7 months 3 weeks 6 hours ago) and read 3610 times:
JGPH1A - sorry - Austria is not member of the NATO.
Austria will most likely be a member of the "Joint European Security whatever-they-will-call-it" limited to peace-keeping missions like we do already for the UN.
The nations neutrality is laid down in the constitution. This cannot be changed or overruled by EU or any other institution. In case the goverment would decide to change the constitution as far as the neutrality is concerned Austria would require - besides other things - the agreement of Russia - UK- France and the USA. Our neutrality caused very often headache with the US airforce for not being allowed to cross the airspace with all aircraft bound for Afghanistan for instance. It would have been an offence against the neutrality and Russia would have immediatly protested.
@JoFMO - yes it is risky. On the press conference nothing was mentioned regarding a certain startup date except "as soon as secure flying is possible". OS would not risk one of their valuable Airbusses or Boeings just for "no risk no fun".
Nevertheless I do bet we will see those flights operating in not too far a future.
It may sound stupid - but I do think that Austria stayed in good relationship with almost any Arab country at any time. Iraq embassy in Vienna stayed open all the past years, same with the Libyan Embassy. I could think of some joint operation between OS and Iraqi Airways for those flights. But these are just my 2 cents.
Jaysit From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 14, posted (8 years 7 months 3 weeks 5 hours ago) and read 3540 times:
I doubt if a Western carrier would risk flying into Iraq. The only airline I can think of that would pave the way is Emirates. And that would be a long way off. The security situation in Baghdad is going to get worse before it gets better.
I do wonder why almost every thread is turning into some fight "US against the rest of the world".
I thought the information I posted would be of interest to some members here.
Obviously I am wrong.
So lets stay with topics how wonderful AA and DL and UA is, how great that another LCC is operating. We better do not mention anything what is not related to the U.S.airline industry.
Sorry if this sounds rude to some of you. But there must be some space left for people outside McDonaldscountry. When you dont like posts related to Europe, Asia, Africa or South America and you dont have to contribute something related to the post I would appreciate if you could refrain from posting.
Mrniji From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 16, posted (8 years 7 months 3 weeks 4 hours ago) and read 3459 times:
I thought the information I posted would be of interest to some members here
Of course this information is very interesting... I wonder what will happen in this question. I only challenged your allegation of the neutrality of Austria - even though it is not NATO member
The nations neutrality is laid down in the constitution
De jure yes, but how de facto?? That is the question.. laws can say many things
Sorry if this sounds rude to some of you. But there must be some space left for people outside McDonaldscountry
Does not matter at all to me. Since I have lived most of my life in your neighbor country und spreche Deine Sprache, I do not feel really hurt.. I only carry the flag of my citizenship.. and no worry, my ethnicity is different again, as you use the expression of third world country. By the way, is it bad to derive from a 3rd World country??
you better read your books as a student of Political Science - maybe you find a chapter on what facism is.
You gonna be kidding me.. First, to clarify: I named the government and not the country fascist. Haiders remarks about Hitler, the ideology behind the FPÖ, the hate of that party towards other races (as people like me) give me another hint. Sorry for disagreeing, but my experiences there and my interpretation of the idea behind the FPFPÖ are different.. At the same time, I clearly point out that I do not, never and by no means mean that it is a fascist country.. I only meant the government, and not the people around (the ones who have voted that government in power maybe yes, but not the rest). I would never call a country as such a fascist country. sorry for the misconception.
JoFMO From Germany, joined Jul 2004, 2211 posts, RR: 0 Reply 17, posted (8 years 7 months 3 weeks 4 hours ago) and read 3418 times:
@Mrniji:
If Austria has an fascistic government fascism wouldn't frighten my anymore. So there must be obviously something wrong. In fact the Austrian government in not a fascistic one. It's government has a minority partner which calls itselfes 'the liberals' and this party is led by an populistic man who somtimes says things that sound fascistic. And this is honoured by right-winded conservative people who still believe that the fascists did some good things.
Thats like I see it from the perspective as a 'Piefke'.
IL76TD From United States of America, joined Jul 2004, 289 posts, RR: 0 Reply 18, posted (8 years 7 months 3 weeks 3 hours ago) and read 3385 times:
yea, maybe in 2-3 years
we fly to BGW, considering the slots are taken with cargo flights and charter passenger operations it won't be too easy to operate scheduled passenger service. Oh yeah, right now BGW airspace closes at 1440 UTC (tower unmanned) which could also cause problems.
Mrniji From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 19, posted (8 years 7 months 3 weeks 3 hours ago) and read 3351 times:
TW741, JoFMO and others:
apology from my side, I should not have made these comments here.. my opinion nonetheless stands though(they FPÖ frightens me as a colored - and the 'Schulterschluss with the CSU is terrible)), but it does not belong here.. I only tried to refer to the neutrality issue...
Please accept my apology for disrupting the discussion and starting a debate, which is at best (not really) for the non-av
Robert74 From Austria, joined Oct 2004, 51 posts, RR: 0 Reply 20, posted (8 years 7 months 3 weeks 2 hours ago) and read 3274 times:
@Mrniji: As an Austrian I accept your apology
As a matter of fact I was and still am against the FPÖ but you can't judge the situation here if you don't know what we had for the 20 years before that coalition (i.e. a large coalition where no reforms could be made). Still, after 4 years they've made some blunder but many good things that weren't touched before (pension reform !!!). And the roughly 10% foreigners we have here are really not that bad off, people are less racist than you would think.
O.k., my first post here and hopefully my last non-aviation post !
FlyMeToTheMoon From United States of America, joined Jul 2004, 242 posts, RR: 1 Reply 21, posted (8 years 7 months 2 weeks 6 days 9 hours ago) and read 2166 times:
Folks... If only we would apply our interest in airplanes and the precision of our technical observations to the rest of the posts we put up here. Austria has a fascist government?! As defined by the dictionary - fascist = A reactionary or dictatorial person. Last I checked that beautiful country has a democratically elected government, maybe not to the liking of many but nevertheless democratically elected. Remember this is a site for aviation enthusiasts not to trade insults and barbs, especially against whole countries and nations.
That being said, it is great that OS is going to Baghdad. Risky yes, but money making and more than anything this is a great step towards normality and peace. And I would submit to you that we should try and look at the issue slightly differently. Isn't it great that an airline - our hobby mind you - is the ambassador of normality and is willing to do something - granted in the name of making a profit for the mst part - that most nation states are unwilling to do, that is having normal relations with a war torn country?
As far as I am concerned OS is a great company, only had wonderful flying experiences with them - they know how to spoil my young boys - and Austria at large is a great country. I would move to Vienna in a heart beat, even with a "fascist" government in power.
So I root for OS and the work and travel opportunities they create for people in Eastern Europe and the Middle East.
Fritzi From United Arab Emirates, joined Jun 2001, 2762 posts, RR: 2 Reply 22, posted (8 years 7 months 2 weeks 6 days 9 hours ago) and read 2074 times:
...they are full members of NATO.
WRONG
I have lived in Austria for 14 years, and I can assure you, they are not a member of NATO.
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