The flagship carrier of Austria is Austrian Airlines, headquartered in Vienna, with its main hub at Wien Schwechat/Vienna International Airport. The Vienna airport takes pride in its uncommon capacity for helping passengers change flights quickly and easily so they can reach destinations in Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia, and beyond. The management of Wien Schwechat promise that passengers never should have to wait more than half an hour for a connecting flight—and there are plenty of cafes and lounges and even caviar bars to make the wait even shorter.
Austrian Airlines was founded in 1957 and serves 117 travel destinations with its major focus on Eastern Europe and the Middle East. Many of the flights to Eastern Europe and the Middle East are handled by a subsidiary of Austrian Airlines called Tyrolean. Austrian Airlines has over 8,500 employees. The airline is a member of the Star Alliance and the Austrian Airlines Group. The Star Alliance is the largest airline alliance in the world with 24 members. The airline operates a flight that consists of planes built by Airbus and Boeing.
Austrian Airlines is a member of the frequent flyer program called Miles & More. This is the largest frequent flyer program in Europe, with over 15 million members, and Miles & More is used by 13 European airlines. The program allows its members to earn and redeem
Austrian Airlines is a leader in airline safety, beginning with armed monitoring of its flights in 1981. At least two undercover sky marshals are on each Austrian Airlines flight. Austrian Airlines staff, especially its pilots and flight attendants, receives frequent safety training with a special focus on in flight safety and technology.
Just as Vienna’s airport offers singular efficiency in transferring passengers in 30 minutes or less, Austrian Airlines also seeks to offer singular customer service. In a complete revamping of its customer service program in 2006, Austrian added dozens of new features, ranging from free snack service in economy to new passenger lounges at airports, along with all-inclusive ground services. The airlines calls the new customer service program a success, proudly pointing to the many industry surveys giving them top rankings in quality and customer service.
As of February 2009, Drs. Andreas Bierwirth and Peter Malanik have been appointed to service as Austrian Airline’s chief co-executives, with equal rights and responsibilities. Austrian’s board of directors anticipates the new management duo will strengthen the airline despite declining air traffic since the beginning of the global economic crisis in 2008. In 2008, the airline carried 10.7 million passengers, down from 2007, and further deterioration of passenger load is expected in 2009. To turn the situation around, Austrian Airlines is reinforcing its image as the premier carrier for flights from Europe to the Middle East, adding four flights each week to Amman, Jordan.
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