Vueling CEO questions viability of legacy carriers' short-haul services

Vueling CEO Alex Cruz questioned (05-Jul-2012) the viability of short-haul services operated by legacy carriers in an address to UK's Aviation Club. Mr Cruz also said he supported the Single European Sky (SESAR) initiative, however, stated it needs to be implemented in the right ways to enhance safety, efficiency and capacity. Mr Cruz also condemned rising passenger taxes across Europe. In speaking about Vueling's operations, Mr Cruz said the airline achieved and sustained a mid-70 percentile load factor, with 40% of passengers being business travellers. The airline plans to increase the proportion of business travellers carried to 50% by the end of 2012 with initiatives including adding frequencies on key routes and adding new services including business lounges. [more - original PR]