Luxair Luxembourg Airlines has announced an increase in bookings with its tour operator LuxairTours.
Despite a tense situation on the airline side and on business and connecting flights, the tour operator is witnessing an increase in bookings for departures up to April 2022, as well as its first bookings for the summer season.
Luxair attributed this increase to high COVID-19 vaccination rates and the gradual relaxation of entry regulations in certain countries, for example Spain and Portugal, where fully vaccinated people are not required to carry out a COVID-19 test.
This winter again, Spain was the most popular destination for LuxairTours customers, followed by Portugal, Egypt (notably thanks to the Luxor cruise, in collaboration with ACL), Tunisia, Dubai and Lapland as "winter sun" destinations,
On the business and connecting flights side, Luxair Airlines, which had hoped for a gradual recovery of its activities, recorded a significant drop in the number of passengers (down 58%) compared to the same period in 2019. However, its bookings have doubled compared to 2021.
Although bookings started later this year, especially for non-Schengen destinations, the tour operator LuxairTours recorded a 1.65% increase in passengers in January 2022 compared to the same period in 2019.
In 2021, LuxairCARGO reached its historical record of one million tonnes of cargo handled. In comparison, it handled just 298,000 tonnes of cargo per year when the new Cargocenter opened its doors in 1996. According to Luxair, this high volume of freight already seems to be continuing in January 2022 with 1% more than in 2021.
Easter holidays in Dakar
From Wednesday 13 April 2022, LuxairTours will organise a new tour to Dakar, the capital of Senegal, with four flights offered this spring. During the Easter holidays, travellers will be able to fly out of Luxembourg on Wednesdays.
Customers will be able to choose from four hotels (including two Wellness hotels) in the Senegalese capital.
COVID-19 restrictions
Although travel bookings are currently facing a promising increase, the restrictions linked to the COVID-19 situation are still being felt and are therefore impacting Luxair's operations.
From 28 March 2022, for example, the slot utilisation rules for European airlines will be reduced from 50% to 64% (compared to 80% before the pandemic) due to the launch of the summer period. According to Luxair, this rate is high and contrary to the social and environmental conduct of an airline. Consequently, Luxair has joined other airlines in Europe in appealing to the European Commission to ask for an immediate and retroactive reduction of the airport slot policy for the 2021-22 winter season and for the entire duration of the COVID-19situation.
Moreover, Luxair has called on all countries not to restrict the free movement of fully vaccinated people, as well as either the application and control of passenger locator forms on all means of transport or its swift abolition.
Following the vote of the new COVID-19 law in Luxembourg earlier this month and in agreement with its staff delegation, Luxair has also decided to maintain the CovidCheck 3G regime for crews and in airline buildings.
Despite the COVID-19 restrictions still in place, Luxair is expanding its network of destinations. In 2022, the airline will add three more destinations than in 2021, bringing the total number of destinations to 88 for the first time in its history.
