An Austrian court officer boarded a Ryanair plane due to the airline's failure to pay compensation to a passenger, the airport where the incident occurred on March 9 confirmed to EFE. The airline had refused to pay a traveler 890 euros in legal fees and compensation for a flight to Mallorca that was delayed two years ago. The dispute began in 2014 when a flight from Linz, Austria, to Palma was delayed by 13 hours. One of the passengers on the affected flight was forced to pay for an alternative flight and, at the same time, claimed reimbursement of her expenses and compensation, as stipulated by aviation regulations. However, Ryanair only refunded the original ticket and not the 250 euros in compensation for such cases or the compensation due for this type of delay, nor did they reimburse the additional 105 euros for the alternative ticket the passenger had to purchase.

If keeping up with chef Nandu Jubany and learning about all his business ventures, from efficient catering to well-traveled croquettes, is already difficult, he's now added a new chapter to his long list of collaborations. Anyone flying Singapore Airlines from Barcelona from May 1st onwards, if they fly in business class, will be eligible. businessHe will be eating the menus designed by the Catalan chef.

Aena's ambitious investment plan for the 2027-2031 period goes hand in hand with an increase in airport fees. This source of revenue is, in Aena's view, a "necessary" way to finance the investment plan for the coming years and adapt to the air traffic demand at the state's airports, including El Prat Airport, and therefore, its expansion. However, this has sparked a conflict with the airlines, which continue to lobby against the fee increase.

The Venezuelan government has followed through on its threat and revoked the flight permits of Iberia and other international airlines, which it accuses of "joining the acts of terrorism" that, according to Caracas, are being promoted by the United States through an unprecedented military deployment in the Caribbean. The decision, announced by the Ministry of Transportation and the National Institute of Civil Aeronautics (INAC), also affects TAP, Avianca, Latam Colombia, Turkish Airlines, and Gol. All of these companies had suspended flights to Caracas following a warning issued on Friday by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration, which recommended that airlines "exercise extreme caution" when flying over Venezuela and the southern Caribbean due to a "potentially dangerous situation." The true extent of this revocation—which could further isolate the country and limit its air connectivity during the peak holiday season—remains uncertain. Airlines like Iberia are hopeful that they will be able to "resume flights to Venezuela as soon as possible." Airline sources maintain that their "priority" is the safety of passengers and crew, and that since AESA, the Spanish aviation authority, recommends against flying to the country at this time, "it cannot operate in areas where there is a high risk to security." "We trust that when calm is restored in the area, normal operations can resume," Iberia sources indicate.

Shares in IAG, the parent company of airlines such as Iberia, British Airways, and Vueling, fell more than 11% on Friday despite the group's profits increasing by 15% in the first nine months of the year, reaching €2.703 billion. The holding company also announced new shareholder payouts. In fact, it will distribute a gross dividend of 4.8 cents per share on December 1st. Despite the released data, IAG shares were among the worst performers on the market. The session began with a 6% drop, which later widened. The group's CEO, Luis Gallego, stated during the press conference presenting the third-quarter results that the stock remains "undervalued" and attributed this to market movements by "investors with short-term interests." IAG has expressed its conviction that the shares will appreciate and noted that, so far this year, the stock has increased by 67%. The group, which has benefited from growth in travel demand, achieved total revenues of €25.234 billion through September, 4.9% higher than in the first nine months of 2024, while operating profit was €3.931 billion, 18.3% higher. The group's net debt was reduced to €6.009 billion from €7.517 billion in the same period of 2024, a debt ratio of 8 times EBITDA. IAG maintains its outlook for the full year unchanged and expects to close 2025 with further revenue and margin growth. Travel demand remains robust, especially in the premium segment and on transatlantic routes, where IAG continues to strengthen its position. For the full year, the company forecasts a 2.5% increase in capacity, accompanied by a 3% increase in non-fuel unit costs, in line with expectations. It also estimates fuel expenditure of approximately €7.1 billion and annual capital expenditure (capex) of around €3.7 billion.

Ryanair's announcement that it will drastically reduce operations at several Spanish airports once again puts the spotlight on how the low-cost carrier model actually works. The news isn't surprising: every time airport charges rise, the company threatens to withdraw routes. And this time, with an increase on the horizon, it seems to be serious.

Ryanair's announcement that it is cutting service and activity in protest against Aena's airport charges provoked numerous reactions this Thursday. The most notable was that of the Minister of Transport, Óscar Puente, who, during an appearance in Congress, accused the low-cost airline of engaging in "blackmail" and "extortion" and using "fallacies" to justify itself. According to Puente, the company will instead relocate to other, more profitable airports, but without leaving the country. In fact, the Minister of Transport asserted that Ryanair is doing very well for Spain, so much so, he added, that its CEO will receive a €100 million bonus.

Turkish Airlines, the Turkish flag carrier, has submitted a binding offer to acquire Air Europa, currently holding a minority stake. The offer comes after Germany's Lufthansa ruled out a stake in Air Europa.

With the intense investment wave expected in the coming years, Aena has approved the largest increase in airport taxes in the last ten years, one of the factors that determine the price of airline tickets. By 2026, the airport manager wants to charge another 68 cents per passenger, 6.5% more, up to a maximum of 11.03 euros per traveler.

I vividly remember my astonished face the first time I was told, at an airport gate, that my small carry-on bag wasn't included in the ticket. Neither size nor weight mattered. It simply wasn't provided. And I had to pay, in cash or by card, just before boarding. I was outraged. There was nothing I could do. Either pay or be left on the ground. Since then, I've seen this scene repeated hundreds of times: resigned passengers pay a surcharge many times higher than the price of the ticket. A practice so widespread that it's now part of the routine of flying with certain airlines.

The Spanish government continues its fight against the charge for hand luggage. The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, headed by Pablo Bustinduy, has opened a new disciplinary case against an airline. low cost for possible abusive practices. The procedure follows the fines of €179 million imposed on five airlines at the end of last year, three of which have had their court-appointed precautionary measures accepted in the last week.

After the member states of the European Union agreed a few weeks ago to allow airlines charge for hand luggage, the High Court of Justice of Madrid (TSJM) has also taken a position in this direction. The TSJM has provisionally suspended the sanctions imposed by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs. on Ryanair and Norwegian airlines, which will be able to maintain their current baggage policy until a final ruling is issued. Approved at the end of last year, the fines for abusive practices were €107 million for Ryanair, the highest, and €1.6 million for Norwegian. Other airlines low cost Vueling, EasyJet, and Volotea were also fined.

The world is still waiting to learn the full impact of the trade war unleashed by Donald Trump, but for now, some sectors within the United States are beginning to pay a heavy price. The stock market has plummeted in recent days. Since the beginning of the year, the former has lost 50% of its value, the latter 40%, and the latter 35%. The number of people crossing the border en masse is growing, and this is affecting many businesses in the northeastern states. Those who would visit the United States this year now estimate a similar decline of 9.4%.

The closure of London's Heathrow Airport due toa power outage caused by a fire, has forced the cancellation of 17 flights originating or arriving at El Prat airport, as reported this Friday by Aena on its account on the social network X (formerly Twitter).

The reactivation of tourism, after two years in which its workers have suffered the consequences of the pandemic, returns with labour conflicts. First it was the cabin crew of Ryanair's Spanish bases and now it is British airline Easyjet's staff who have called nine days of strike in July to protest against the deadlock in the negotiation of their working conditions. The company's 450 employees at the airports of El Prat, Malaga and Palma are called to a 24-hour strike on 1, 2, 3, 15, 16, 17, 29, 30 and 31 July, coinciding with the first, third and last weekend of the month. The strike call has been presented and announced this Tuesday by the USO union, one of the two organisations behind the mobilisations at Ryanair.

The European Commission announced Tuesday that it has opened an in-depth investigation to examine Iberia's takeover of Air Europa over suspicions that the deal could reduce competition on 70 domestic and international routes to and from Spain. "We will carefully examine whether the proposed transaction would adversely affect competition on domestic routes, which could lead to higher prices and lower quality for travelers", said the vice president for competition of the EU executive, Margrethe Vestager.

The president of the Spanish association of airlines (ALA), Javier Gándara, has started his speech this Monday with the only good news he could give. Air cargo companies - which in the last year have played a very important role in the transport of health material and now vaccines - are increasingly closer to pre-pandemic levels, with about 80% of 2019 flights. Beyond this point, however, the balance of the current situation in the aviation sector is far from enthusiastic.

On Good Friday, the busiest day of Easter at El Prat airport, only 230 commercial flights have been raised or landed in Barcelona. The 2021 departure operation by air has been, as expected, low key. Unlike last year - in full home lockdown and with mobility halted except for repatriation flights - the airlines have had little margin to reschedule routes, but the reality is that from Friday 26 March to Monday 5 April El Prat will only host about 2,100 operations. According to data provided by the airport manager Aena, of these flights, around 950 (45%) are domestic and the remaining 1,150 (55%) will be for international routes, mainly to European capitals.