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==Special security==
==Special security==


The armed monitoring activity of Austrian flights by Cobra (police anti-terrorist-squad of Austrian Federal Ministry of interior) began already in November 1981. More than 40,000 flights “Austrian Airlines” and (starting from 1997) also “Lauda air” flights were accompanied; 1.425 alone in the year 2003, 2004 already 1,731. During each accompanied flight at least two armed air marshals are undercover aboard.
The armed monitoring activity of Austrian flights by [[EKO Cobra|''Cobra'']] (police anti-terrorist-squad of Austrian Federal Ministry of interior) began already in November 1981. More than 40,000 flights “Austrian Airlines” and (starting from 1997) also “Lauda air” flights were accompanied; 1.425 alone in the year 2003, 2004 already 1,731. During each accompanied flight at least two armed air marshals are undercover aboard.



==Fleet==
==Fleet==

Revision as of 08:23, 18 July 2007

Austrian Airlines
File:Austrian-logo.png
IATA ICAO Call sign
OS AUA AUSTRIAN
Founded1958
HubsVienna International Airport
Focus citiesInnsbruck Airport
Frequent-flyer programMiles & More
AllianceStar Alliance
Fleet size35 (119 Austrian Airlines Group)
Destinations133
Parent companyAustrian Airlines Group
HeadquartersVienna, Austria
Key peopleAlfred Ötsch (CEO), Thomas Kleibl (CFO)
Websitehttp://www.aua.com

Austrian Airlines AG is the flag carrier airline of Austria, with its headquarters in Vienna. It operates scheduled sevices to over 130 destinations. Its main base is Vienna International Airport, with a hub at Innsbruck Airport.[1] In 2006 Austrian had 10 million passengers. [citation needed]

History

The airline was founded on 30 September 1957, making its maiden flight on 18 March 1958 when a Vickers Viscount 779 took off from Vienna for London, England. Austrian Airlines was formed through the merger of Air Austria and Austrian Airways. It launched domestic services on 1 May 1963. The airline's transatlantic services began on 1 April 1969 with a Vienna to Brussels and New York service in co-operation with Sabena. It became a member of the Star Alliance in 2000 and acquired Rheintalflug on 15 February 2001. Its name was shortened to Austrian in September 2003 when it rebranded its three constituent carriers.[1] On 1 October 2004 the Flight Operations Departments of Austrian and Lauda Air were merged into a single unit, leaving Lauda Air as a brand name only for charter flights.

Austrian Airbus A320 in the current colours

Austrian Airlines is owned by ÖIAG (39.7%), floating stock (43.5%), Austrian institutional investors (10.3%) and Air France (1.5%). It also wholly owns subsidiary airlines, Austrian Arrows and Lauda Air, and has a 22.5% share in Ukraine International Airlines. It has 8,468 employees[1]

Austrian Fokker 70 (superseded colour scheme)
Austrian Airbus A321 (superseded colour scheme)

Destinations

In 2006 Austrian dominates the market for flights from/to Central- and Eastern Europe.

Due to Airbus fleet cuts in 2006 Austrian will suspend some of its long-haul flights. Flights to Phuket, Mauritius and Colombo and Malé will end from April 2007 and those to Kathmandu in May 2007. [2].

March 2007 also saw the termination of the airlines longest flights, the Vienna-Singapore-Melbourne and Vienna-Kuala Lumpur-Sydney routes, ending operations on the Kangaroo Route. This was Melbourne's last European-based airline connecting the city with direct flights to Europe.

New routes

It has increased the frequency of flights Vienna-Moscow by adding a third flight Mondays through Thursdays departing Vienna in the morning and operated with an Airbus 319. Since December 11, 2006, Austrian flies scheduled operations to Arbil in Iraq twice a week using an Airbus A319. It is the first European airline to launch scheduled services to Iraq.[2] A new flight from Vienna to Amritsar in India will start in 2007.

Austrian Airlines Boeing 777 preparing to leave Sydney Airport
File:ASAmeal.JPG
Typical short-haul meal

New long-haul business class

Between July 2006 and May 2007, Austrian will be replacing the “Austrian Business Class” service on its Boeing long-haul fleet on a step-by-step basis. Airbus A330 and A340 aircraft will not be fitted with the new business class, as they are being phased out of the long-haul fleet.

Special security

The armed monitoring activity of Austrian flights by Cobra (police anti-terrorist-squad of Austrian Federal Ministry of interior) began already in November 1981. More than 40,000 flights “Austrian Airlines” and (starting from 1997) also “Lauda air” flights were accompanied; 1.425 alone in the year 2003, 2004 already 1,731. During each accompanied flight at least two armed air marshals are undercover aboard.

Fleet

File:Philharmoniker.jpg
A special 2006 livery on this A340-300 named “Wiener Philharmoniker”

The Austrian Airlines fleet consists of the following aircraft as of June 2007:

Austrian Airlines Fleet
Aircraft Total Routes Notes
Airbus A319-114 7 Short and Medium haul
Airbus A320-215 6 Short and Medium haul
Airbus A321-111 3 Short and Medium haul
Airbus A321-211 3 Short and Medium haul
Airbus A330-223 1 Long and Medium haul To be phased out at the end of 2007
Boeing 767-300 6 Long haul
South East Asia and North America
Boeing 777-200ER 4 Long haul
South East Asia and Oceania
Total 30
(0 orders)
Updated July 2007[3]

At a board meeting in November 2006 plans were approved for the retirement of Austrian Airlines Airbus wide-bodied aircraft, to concentrate on operating a mixed fleet of Boeing 767 and Boeing 777 aircraft. Over the past year Airbus A340 aircraft have begun retiring, with the final two to leave the fleet in 2007. It intends to retire its four Airbus A330 aircraft by the end of 2006. As a result of the fleet cuts Austrian will suspend some of its long-haul services.[2]

Incidents and accidents

Events

It operated a "Life Ball 2006" flight New York JFK-Vienna which arrived May 2006 bringing 120 VIP passengers to the Life Ball. On board were international stars like singer Anastacia, Kool & the Gang, design duo Heatherette and Lady Kier. Models such as Cordula Reyer, Maggie Rizer, Liya Kebede, Tyson Ballou also arrived. For this flight Austrian Airlines created a specially branded Airbus A330 (OE-LAP) with the Life Ball logo and the logo of the main sponsor MINI. It will be flying for one month with the special branding not only to New York, but also to Toronto, Shanghai, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. [citation needed]

References

  1. ^ a b c "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International. 2007-03-27. p. 81.
  2. ^ a b c Airliner World January 2007
  3. ^ Austrian Airlines