Austrian Airlines Implements Tenfold Increase in the AIRail Offering Linking Salzburg and Vienna Air

• Up to 31 AIRail trains per day starting on 20 July 2020 in cooperation with the Austrian Federal Railways ÖBB
• Austrian Airlines will no longer operate flights on the Salzburg-Vienna route
• "Further development of a customer-friendly increase in mobility is very welcome and extremely important for Salzburg", says Wilfried Haslauer, Governor of Salzburg

Austrian Airlines and the Austrian Federal Railways (ÖBB) are expanding their "Train to Plane" offering several times over. Starting on 20 July 2020, up to 31 AIRail trains will be operated each day between Salzburg Central Station and Vienna Airport. This comprises more than a tenfold increase compared to the previous average of three rail connections per day. A Railjet with an Austrian Airlines flight number will run between Salzburg and Vienna Airport every hour between 5 a.m. and 8:30 p.m. The new offering can be booked as of tomorrow, 3 July, at austrian.com. In contrast, Austrian Airlines will not resume flights on the Salzburg-Vienna route.

"Vienna Airport can be reached by train from Salzburg in well under three hours and without changing trains. This is why our AIRail offer is a good and more environmentally friendly alternative to flying. We are confident that we will be able to welcome many Austrian Airlines guests on AIRail from Salzburg in the future, who will then transfer to long-haul and Eastern European flights in Vienna", states Austrian Airlines CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech.

Last year, Austrian Airlines already increased the AIRail offering on this route for a period of more than one month to 30 daily connections. The underlying reason for the decision made at that time was the shutdown of Salzburg Airport from the end of April to the end of May due to runway work. At that time, the offering was already well received by passengers.

"With AIRail we offer our customers a continuous mobility chain, in which each mode of transportation can clearly play to its strengths. The additional AIRail connections will further enhance the flexibility of this environmentally friendly trip to Vienna Airport", says Andreas Matthä, CEO of the Austrian Federal Railways ÖBB.

"The further development of a customer-friendly increase in mobility is very welcome and extremely important for Salzburg. A good and uncomplicated journey from Salzburg to Vienna Airport is an important basis for this. With the discontinuation of the Salzburg-Vienna flight connection, it is now important to continue to gain momentum in the area of other forms of mobility and ensure good connections to Salzburg", emphasizes Wilfried Haslauer, Governor of Salzburg.

Austrian Airlines customers will enjoy various advantages when they book an AIRail connection, for example a guaranteed connecting service, regardless of whether they continue their journey by plane or train. This means passengers who miss their connecting flight or train due to an unexpected late arrival of the train or aircraft will be automatically rebooked on an alternative travel connection. Business Class passengers travel first class and have free access to the ÖBB Lounge before departure. Moreover, Austrian Airlines passengers can also collect miles with AIRail within the context of the Miles & More program. Finally, passengers also receive a catering voucher which they can use in the ÖBB dining car. The total travel time between Salzburg Central Station and Vienna Airport is two hours and 49 minutes.