Krakow John Paul II Balice International Airport

OLT Express collapse leaves limited gap in the Polish market

The collapse of Polish hybrid carrier OLT Express has had a negligible impact on the Polish market as only a few of the carrier’s approximately 20 routes have been picked up by others. While LOT Polish Airlines regional subsidiary Eurolot has filled the void left by OLT Express in three domestic markets and is considering taking over a few more, more than half of OLT Express’ former routes have been left completely un-served. Interest in most of the axed routes is limited as the new carrier was ultimately unsuccessful in its attempt to stimulate demand on previously un-served point-to-point domestic routes which bypassed the main Polish hub of Warsaw.

OLT Express re-launched operations in Apr-2012, rebranding from Jet Air after being purchased by the Amber Gold Group. The Group also included OLT Express Poland, a separate carrier than OLT Express that caters to the charter market, and OLT Express Germany.

Air Malta troubles worsen as unions flex muscle and LCCs grow

Air Malta’s troubles have become more acute as the struggling carrier’s unions increase their opposition to large-scale redundancies. Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi has stated the present situation is increasingly worrying, particularly in light of the EUR77 million the government has poured into the airline since Jun-2011.

Ryanair meets Wizz Air: does a merger make sense?

Two extremely aggressive LCCs in Europe are established as the leaders in their geographic areas. Already they are complementing each other nicely, with only limited head to head competition. This raises the intriguing possibility of a merger, at least in one form or another, spawning an irresistible airline force across the region. The two airlines: Ryanair and Wizz Air. Ryanair is globally known, but the younger Wizz less so.