Delays in training pilots for Austrian Airlines' 17 new Embraer aircraft have forced the airline's management to reduce its summer schedule. The airline's management said it had cancelled 300 of the 23,000 flights Austrian offers during the summer months. The routes affected are mainly regional destinations. To minimise the impact of this measure as much as possible, Austrian is cutting back on routes already served several times a day. This primarily concerns Bucharest, Prague, Sofia and Zagreb. "Rather than keeping our summer timetable in its entirety but with the risk of cancellations, we have opted for a planned reduction in our offer during the summer".explains Kay Kratky, the company's CEO. "Our company has always had a reputation for punctuality and reliability."he adds.
The fleet of 17 Embraer 195s - with a total of 120 seats in the cabin - will be fully commissioned by 2017. Six aircraft have already entered service. The aircraft, which consume 18% less paraffin than similar regional models, are replacing the Fokker 70 and 80.
From January to June, Austrian Airlines announced that it carried 5.1 million passengers, an increase of 2.2% compared with the same period in 2015. However, load factor fell by 1.9 points to 73.2%.
