BREAKING NEWS: German airspace fully open

The airspace over Germany and much of Europe is almost completely released, hoping airports, airlines, tour operators and passengers stuck out that it remains at the opening. But all other parties concerned to look further captured on weather forecasts and the forecasts of the German Air Traffic Control (DFS). The DFS, meanwhile, spread confidence. “We are currently not expecting a worsening of the situation”.

Airports and airlines responded swiftly to new freedoms. You want to leave as much equipment as possible take off and land. Everybody agrees that it will take up to a week before the normalization of air transport in Europe. However, went off and landed on Wednesday more aircraft than initially planned. Lufthansa contributed with about 700 flights. In the morning, Germany’s biggest airline had released only 500 of the usual 1800 flights. On Thursday will take place, all takeoffs and landings.

The Lufthansa German Wings Billigtochter showed commitment expects on Friday the return to normal flight schedule. Thursday should have 95% of normal flights. Currently, the airline puts one a couple of extra flights for tour operators and bring back foreign tourists stuck in Germany.

Air Berlin expects on Wednesday, but no later than the end of the week, with a nearly complete implementation of its flight program. DHL Express takes its flight operations on Wednesday evening to complete and will of its European air cargo hub in Leipzig, most of the around 100 to perform intra-Express flights.

The German Air Traffic counts on Wednesday with some 5,000 flights. Up to 12 clock around 1,250 flights were counted. Across Europe the situation is also relaxed. The European air traffic control authority, Eurocontrol, which coordinates air traffic in Europe, expects to be held until the evening three quarters of the planned flights. The entire European airspace above 20,000 feet and much of the airspace below 20,000 feet had been released, it said.

If the operation is running smoothly again, all parties will calculate their losses. For European airlines, the international governing body IATA has already published an estimate. Overall, the expected losses amount to around 1.7 billion USD, “said IATA CEO Giovanni Bisignani. The climax of airspace closures, the airlines had lost $ 400 million per day. Lufthansa and Air Berlin have so far not mentioned sums. But both have already stated that they wish to take help from the State requested. The decisions about stood still pending. It is still unclear what is being offered to help.

The Lufthansa subsidiary German Wings posted a day while a loss of 4 million. To rectify this loss, the company will still employ exactly once, with its costs. Redundancies there will be not. An increase in ticket prices are concerned, the management with reference to the tough competition not as effective means.