IFALPA Daily News – 25 March 2013

Dear Colleagues,
The IFALPA Daily News is now available online.
Here are today’s top headlines. To read more, click on the title:
Union rules out Lufthansa strikes over Easter
German union Verdi said Lufthansa’s flights over Easter would not be disrupted by strikes in the
ongoing wage dispute at Germany’s largest airline.
Hamad International Airport to set new standards
The soft opening of Hamad International Airport (HIA) on April 1 will see 10 foreign airlines
operating out of Concourse B and an array of modern facilities for passengers to enjoy.
Airport strike postponed until mid-April
Just three days before the World Social Forum is expected to bring tens of thousands of visitors
to Tunis, a strike by airport workers scheduled for March 25-27 has been postponed to April 16-18,
according to Tunisian news agency TAP.
LOT Polish Airline faces ‘painful’ cost cuts to survive
LOT Polish Airlines SA, central Europe’s biggest state-owned carrier, needs to implement a “painful”
cost-cutting program this year to avoid bankruptcy, Treasury Minister Mikolaj Budzanowski told lawmakers today.
EU puts airline carbon tax on hold for a year
The EU will put its controversial carbon tax on intercontinental airline flights on hold for a year to
give time for international talks to reach a compromise on the issue, a European source said Thursday.
The Great Seat Squeeze: How airlines are trying to pack more people on a plane without anybody knowing
Without much fanfare, WestJet Airlines Ltd. has been quietly rolling out some strategic changes to its
fleet of Boeing 737s in recent weeks, altering the cabin configuration fairly dramatically to add a new
class of seating, all the while packing in more travelers in the rest of its planes.
Tablet restrictions on airplanes may be eased soon
Those who use electronic tablets may be getting a break when they fly on airplanes, as the FAA is
considering loosening the restrictions on their use during takeoff and landing.