Austrian Airlines mulling nonstop flights to U.S. West Coast

Air connectivity between Austria and United States might become a possibility next year. Media reports recently have already indicated towards this likelihood. Austria’s national carrier Austrian Airlines is planning to launch nonstop flights to the U.S. West Coast from Vienna in 2017.

Media reports quoted Austrian Airlines’ CEO Kay Kratky as saying that the new route is quite promising and holds great potential despite the fact that the North Atlantic sector is hugely crowded. The massive overcapacity on this sector is however not going to deter the airline from moving ahead on its plans. There are presently no nonstop or direct flights providing connectivity between Austria’s capital city Vienna and the U.S. West Coast.

Kratky said that the airline is actively considering launching nonstop flights to Los Angeles from Vienna anytime next year. If the airline finally succeeds in its plans then it is also highly likely that flights services to one or more U.S. routes being currently served by Austrian Airlines would be curtailed.

Austrian Airlines, which is presently a subsidiary of the Lufthansa Group, is presently offering flights services to various key cities in the United States from Vienna, including Washington, New York, Miami and Chicago.

The flights services on the new Los Angeles-Vienna route, whenever it is launched, would initially be operated six times per week. The route will be served with the help of a Boeing 777-200 aircraft. Apart from Vienna, the nearest European airport connecting Los Angeles with nonstop flights is Munich, from where Lufthansa is conducting its flights services.

Kay Kratky, CEO of Austrian Airlines, while talking to the mediapersons said, “We are completely focused and absolutely clear in our goal. The loss-making routes would be discontinued. Our company would be making best efforts towards significantly improving the balance between leisure traffic and business. Moreover, the airline hopes to attract a large number of business travelers looking forward to use the new route as Vienna would be having a monopoly to the U.S. West Coast market. Above all, there would be a market advantage for Austrian Airlines because there are few nonstop flights between the U.S. West Coast and Eastern Europe.”