Austrian Airlines is fighting back against its new competitors at Vienna Airport. Starting in April, the red-white-red quality carrier will strengthen its European route network and increase frequencies to Germany, namely to cities such as Berlin, Dusseldorf and Hamburg. This will be followed in May by an increase in the number of flights operated to Paris and Copenhagen.
For example, the number of flights offered to Paris will be increased by twelve to a total of 39 frequencies per week. Austrian Airlines will also add four weekly flights to Copenhagen to push up the weekly total to 31. Hamburg will be served 39 times each week, comprising a rise of eleven additional flights. Two more weekly flights will be operated to both Berlin and Dusseldorf to raise the total to 56 and 40 flights respectively each week.
The frequency increases will be complemented by a sharp drop in air fares. One-way flights to these and other European destinations can be booked starting at € 39 between March 11-24, 2019. Usually one-way tickets cost double the amount.
“Customers will be pleased, our competitors probably less so”, says Andreas Otto, Member of the Management Board and CCO of Austrian Airlines. “We are offering a low fare and reliability instead of a low fare and programmed trouble”, in which CCO with responsibility for sales refers to the frequent changes in the flight schedule on the part of new competitors. “We are increasingly receiving reports by customers who would prefer to fly with us”, Andreas Otto states. Austrian Airlines attracted an additional 60,000 passengers in January 2019 alone, a rise of seven percent year-on-year. All in all, Austrian Airlines transported one million more passengers than in the previous year, an increase of eight percent.
