Following intensive negotiations between Austrian Airlines and Flughafen Wien (Vienna Airport), it proved possible today to decide on concrete solutions designed to improve the competitiveness of Vienna as a business location: in the spirit of lived system partnership, the two sides agreed to actively increase their synergies through mutual efforts. The transfer incentives applicable to all airlines, which Flughafen Wien will raise by EUR 2.00 to a total of EUR 10.21 for a period of 12 months from 1 July 2009 onwards, will create more competitive framework conditions for Austrian Airlines.
By restructuring its fares and extending fare formulas until 2012, Flughafen Wien is creating internationally comparable framework conditions with regard to its cost structure. This will enable Austrian to reduce its costs in the medium term, improving its chances of achieving sustainable cost cuts by 2012. In return, Austrian Airlines has extended by another three years the handling contract which entrusts Flughafen Wien with handling all flights operated by the Group. The contract, which was due to expire this year, will now run until 2012.
Austrian’s Chief Operations Officer Dr. Peter Malanik and Chief Commercial Officer Dr. Andreas Bierwirth are satisfied they were with the agreement: “In recent weeks, we have successfully implemented a wide range of internal measures, including short-time working and temporary salary waiver amongst staff, as well as an efficiency programme, in order to achieve our savings target of EUR 225 million. We are very satisfied with the agreement that we have achieved today with Flughafen Wien. By implementing the agreed package of measures, Flughafen Wien is improving the competitiveness of our Vienna hub, thereby supporting Austrian Airlines’ efforts to build a successful future as its premier system partner. We expect to see similarly positive results from the talks with the other system partners, since it is only in this way that we can safeguard the value of Vienna as a business location.
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