Austrian Airlines’ restructuring moves forward with the transfer of operations to Tyrolean Airways

Austrian Airlines on 1-Jul-2012 finalised integrating its mainline flight operations into its wholly owned regional subsidiary Tyrolean Airways as part of a comprehensive restructuring programme outlined by CEO Jaan Albrecht in Jan-2012 to bring "and sustainably keep" Austria's largest carrier in the profit zone. The long-overdue streamlining of the company will also see the end of the Lauda Air brand from the summer of 2013. Austrian Airlines Group has recorded an annual negative EBIT for the majority of the last decade despite consecutive cost cutting exercises and a takeover by Lufthansa Group in 2009.

The group comprises three airlines - Austrian Airlines, Tyrolean Airways and Lauda Air - but Lauda's Air Operator's Certificate (AOC) has just been returned to the country's civil aviation authorities. Flight operations of the charter subsidiary were merged with Austrian's back in 2004 for all but one aircraft. This aircraft has now moved to Tyrolean's AOC.