Long-haul business demand boosts Lufthansa

European aviation giant Lufthansa Group has seen a “positive” trend for business travel for the first few months of 2024, particularly for long-haul flights to North America, India and Japan as it looks to add more capacity on these routes. The group, which suffered a €350 million financial hit from a series of strikes by workers earlier this year, saw its total revenue increase by 5 per cent to €7.4 billion during the first quarter despite the impact of cancellations caused by the industrial disputes. Passenger numbers were also up by 12 per cent year-on-year to 24 million in Q1.…

State Dept. issues ‘worldwide caution’ travel alert

The US State Department issued a “worldwide caution” for Americans overseas Friday, warning about potential threats to LGBTQ+ travelers and other violence. “The Department of State is aware of the increased potential for foreign terrorist organization-inspired violence against LGBTQI+ persons and events and advises US overseas citizens to exercise increased caution,” the advisory said. The warning did not name any specific terrorist organizations or events. The security alert also highlighted the general “potential for terrorist attacks, demonstrations, or violent actions against US citizens and interests.” The State Department previously issued a similar advisory in October in the wake of the…

APD and SAF mandates could dampen travel demand

Increases to Air Passenger Duty, combined with SAF mandates imposed without incentives, will lead to a reduction in travel by 2030 as costs are passed on to passengers, said Virgin Atlantic CEO Shai Weiss at a travel industry event yesterday. Speaking at the Business Travel Association’s Spring Conference in London, Weiss said the airline and wider industry is supportive of what appears to be an imminent SAF mandate announcement from the UK government, but that if it is imposed without support for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production or airline incentives, the cost of travel is going to rise. “The government…