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| Review:
2005 at Salzburg Airport Review on a highly successful year Salzburg Airport is looking back on a highly successful record year: The number of passengers increased by 20% to around 1,7 millions passengers. This increase is the result of the high number of new services, which were announced at the end of 2004 or started to operate.
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 2005 saw a rocket take off During
November and December HLX began its low cost flights from Berlin,
Cologne, Hamburg and Hanover to the Mozart city. Already
two days after the start of the New Year the traffic began to boom: On
Sunday 02nd January, the big part of Russian skiers arrived
at Salzburg. The day was packed with first landings, like VIM Avia,
Sibir or Shar Inc.. The most beautiful visitor of the day was Kras Air
with its Ilyushin 96-300, which even took off from runway 16. Altogether
the airport counted for the first time of its 79year old history 3
movements of IL96 on one day. Six days later Norwegian inaugurated its
season service to Oslo. On 10th January Styrian Spirit
launched its scheduled services to Paris CDG (2x daily) and Maribor in
cooperation with Air France. A further new airline in the winter charter
business could be welcomed in the first month of 2005: FlyMe from Sweden
took skiers to the Alps. The VIP movements saw the first landing of the
B767-200 N767A, which belongs to Saudi Arabian company Saudi Aramco. In
the meantime this aircraft became a common sight on Mozart’s airport.  Additional: Monarch A300 came for the English half term breaks The
Biathlon world cup in Ramsau and the world championships near Khanty
Mansik during March brought some nice visitors on the ramp of the
airport. Beside some additional Norwegian flights, Austrian Airlines
sent its newly painted Boeing B767-300 on the banks of river Salzach. UT
Air took over the transport to the Russian sporting grounds with a
number of Tu154M flights. On
the first weekend of April, the winter charter season ended at Salzburg.
For saying farewell, My Travel came with its Boeing B767-300 and a brand
new painted A330-200. At best weather conditions Domodedovo Airlines
operated its last weekly IL96-300 flight. Slowly summer timetable showed
its news. HLX employed its new leased Fokker 100 on its services from
Berlin and Cologne during the summer season. Niki took off to Palma de
Majorca up to seven times a week. All spotters won’t forget the may 2005: Surprisingly Salzburg became home of a Lockheed L1011-100 Tristar for 10 weeks. The Salzburg based flying school proved the possibility to register the aircraft in Austria and operate it. On the evening of 02nd May the Star Air aircraft registered 9L-LDN landed in Salzburg. Aircraft enthusiast had much fun with this aircraft as it changed its livery all the time. First a part of the titles were removed to make place for a “operated by BFS” – sticker. But over the weeks all elements of the previous operator’s colour scheme were removed. But as quick as it arrived it also has been departed. But May had more in the pipe as the landing of this really secret aircraft. On 04th may the event location “Amadeus Terminal 2” was opened during a big party. With this location the airport can now use unused capacity for all kinds of events.
The
year of historic aircrafts continued: In June a Bac 1-11 visited
Salzburg for the first time in 3 years. The Romanian MIA Air sent its
short Bac 1-11-400 for a charter flight to Salzburg. Two new summer
charter airlines could also be welcomed at the begin of the season: For
the German tour operator Neckermann Nordic Leisure operated a charter
flight to Majorca each Sunday morning. On the summer incoming charters
Air Malta operated for the first time flights from England. A new
destination was Bournemouth, which was served by European Air
Charter’s Boeing B737-200. For
an airport on the middle of a continent the visit of seaplanes is
something special. Due to the celebrations of the jubilee for the first
scheduled seaplane connection in Austria out of Vienna to lake Wolfgang,
a load of seaplanes visited Hangar 7. In the middle of July Saudi
Arabian brought summer guests to its properties in the Lake District. Their
holidays were interrupted by the death of Saudi Arabian king Fahd. This
circumstance brought additional aircrafts to Salzburg: First family
members were brought home. A few days later the German federal president
flew to the enthronisation of the new king from Salzburg. It used the
VIP – Airbus A310 “Bundesrepublik Deutschland“. In days before the
opening of Salzburg’s music festival, Austria’s federal chancellor
invited presidents and prime ministers from southeastern European states
to Salzburg. Again a Bac1-11 came to Mozart’s city, this time an
aircraft of Romavia. But the music festival tempted many fans of operas
and classic music to Salzburg. Anna Netrebko and Rolando Vilazon brought
many Bizjets, among them also some big examples like the DC9-15HK3 of
us-American Pharmair Corp. and a BBJ of Arabasco Flight Operations. In
September Styrian Spirit entered the Carinthian market. Once daily the
last aircraft from Zurich continues its flight to Klagenfurt in the
evening. On the next morning the aircraft arrives early enough for the
first flight to Switzerland. The most colourful guest of the month was
the, newly from Air Jamaica delivered, Eirjet A320 on a European Air
Charter flight. The aircraft still wore the colour scheme of its
previous operator. The only air worthy Li 2, a Russian licence product
of the DC3, visited the airport based DC3-Dakto Club. Like
each month, there was also a real special aircraft in October. The
SkyOne B727-200 brought an exclusive tourist party to Austria. The dark
black trijet showed a revised unknown tail design. In
November there was the only news of this year, which wasn’t positive
for the timetable: With effect of 03rd November 2004 Air Alps
discontinued its 3times daily Salzburg – Amsterdam scheduled flights.
This step was followed the surprising suspension of all Austrian
operations. Sad
new for our colleagues from Linz Airport. The weather in November and
December was much better than in the last years: Instead of a big amount
of weather-concerned diversions, Salzburg flights sponsored only 4
diversions to the upper Austrian airport. At
the start of December the time of the seasonal scheduled flights of
FlyBE, Norwegian, Sterling and Thomsonfly began. Thomsonfly operates
beside its Coventry service a new one to Bournemouth this winter.
Coventry will be continued of the winter schedules into the summer 2006.
A Norwegian low cost carrier sends again its “Real Norwegians” to
the Mozart Airport. On 03rd SkyEurope started its year round
scheduled services to Barcelona and Manchester. The Slovakian company
serves Warsaw seasonal, but also this service should become year round.
A car presentation in Hangar 7 led to landing of a Vega Antonov 12 in
the middle of December. The ski charter traffic started slowly on 17th
December, but the first real hot ski charter day will 24th
December. A few days before Christmas the airport celebrates the return
of Aer Lingus to Salzburg. After a break of 2 years the Irish carriers
comes back, but not as a charter but as a scheduled carrier. Until the
end of the year, the Russian ski charters will become more and more,
until they reach the highest levels in January. Optimistic
can be the look ahead on the Mozart year: 2006 the airport will
celebrate its 80th birthday. For the summer schedules there
are already the first positive news: Thomsonfly continues its flights to
Coventry and will inaugurate additional charter flights from Doncaster
and Bournemouth. Ryanair will serve Brussels Charleroi from 04th
April. Rumours in Irish aviation sources tell about a possible scheduled
service to Dublin also in summer and Paris could be increased to three
times daily. It’d
be good if the travel agencies and tour operators of Salzburg would
start to use all the possibilities offered from Salzburg Airport. This
would generate a big enough outgoing share on the flights to Salzburg
and thus some seasonal schedules could be operated year round with
profit. Airlines should also think of advertising their Salzburg flights
in the Munich area. The connections from Salzburg offer passengers the
possibility to avoid the “Star-Alliance-High-Price-Monopoly” at
Munich airport on certain routes, especially on routes to England and
Northern Europe. |
