• Austrian Airlines, Lufthansa, SWISS and Star Alliance partners all in one building
• Quick and easy from checking-in to boarding
• Great quality of traveling for passengers
• Milestone in Austrian air transport

The new Austrian Star Alliance Terminal on Vienna Airport was commissioned today. The new terminal started operations by welcoming Austrian flight OS 9542, which arrived from Hurghada with 62 passengers on Board punctually at 4:33 a.m. This was accompanied by the launching of flights operated by Austrian Airlines and its Star Alliance partners in the new Austrian Star Alliance Terminal Check-in 3. “This is a milestone in Austrian air transport,” explained Austrian CEO Jaan Albrecht. “Its minimum transfer time of 25 minutes and its new and modern image have returned Vienna Airport to being a competitive hub in Europe. This strengthens the role played by Vienna International Airport in the Lufthansa Group and enhances its role of being an important international hub for Star Alliance.“

The new terminal is 150,000 square meters in size. It offers passengers a new and better quality of travel. The new Star Alliance Terminal is staffed by 690 Austrian employees who ensure convenient an enjoyable travel. The terminal’s modern architecture has a pleasing atmosphere. This arises from its sunlight-washed spaces and generously-apportioned views (throughout the terminal) of the aircraft standing on the apron outside. The terminal has a large number of shops and restaurants. These wile away passenger times of waiting and enhance the excitement of traveling.

Short times of transfer: important to transit passengers
The new terminal features short and comfortable transfer routes. The airport’s minimum time of transfer of 25 minutes is unique among the world’s hubs, and is of special value to the passengers transferring at Vienna Airport. Austrian Airlines has a 58% share of such transfer travelers. “For only one third of Austrian’s passengers is Vienna the final destination. All of the rest of the passengers use Vienna as their transfer hub. These passengers are the ones to especially profit from the short times of transfer found in Vienna, as they speed up their arrivals at the 130 destinations forming the network maintained by Austrian Airlines,” explains Austrian CEO Jaan Albrecht. The short times are the product of the 3-storey approach, in which transit passengers make their ways between floors and not, as is the case in many other airports, among terminals.

Carriers of the Star Alliance in one building
The terminal is a Star Alliance hub. This provides it with a special role to play. The new Austrian Star Alliance terminal is home to Austrian Airlines, Lufthansa, SWISS and their partners in the Star Alliance, whose other members include Adria Airways, Croatia Airlines, EGYPTAIR, LOT and TAP. These memberships enable all passengers traveling on the world-spanning network maintained by the Star Alliance to also make use of the short times of transfer found in Vienna. The new terminal permits the passengers to avail themselves of the services provided by the Star Alliance, and to do so in a single building.

Check-in area
The passengers’ trips begin in the check-in area found on the first floor. The area is comprised of 4 check-in islands and one ticket area. It has 69 check-in counters and 38 self check in terminals. A separate check-in island has been set up for Miles&More customers bearing HON or Senator statuses and for business class travelers. Such special-needs passengers as those in wheelchairs or unaccompanied minors receive personal attention in a waiting and check-in area reserved especially for them. A dedicated ticket island has been created to meet the needs of travelers reserving or rebooking flights, or picking up tickets. The terminal’s large-sized windows provide – with this starting at the point of checking-in – unique views of the apron and of the aircraft on it.

In-gate area shopping, entertainment and business
After having checked in, passengers go through the central security control. They then arrive at the pier, which has a large number of shops and restaurants to offer, along with six new Austrian Lounges, which feature modern furnishing and which offer Austrian-style hospitality and comfort. All told, the lounges take up more than 2,000 m² of space. Passenger wishing to work while waiting can avail themselves of the some 80 laptop chairs. Each of these is outfitted with proprietary plugs and visibility screens. The entire terminal also provides W-LAN access on a free of charge basis. Family zones have been set up for families with children.

The gates’ design is straightforward. The central security control makes queues at gates a thing of the past. Boarding passes are checked immediately prior to departure on the boarding bridges. In a new development, all of the gates have been outfitted with quick boarding devices. These enable passengers to simply place their boarding passes upon the device, and, once this has been accomplished, to board the airplane.

Arrival and baggage claim
Upon landing at Vienna, passengers proceed to the central arrival hall, in which ten baggage conveyor belts assure quick and uncomplicated retrievals of baggage. As is customary, Miles&More customers with HON or Senator status as well as STAR gold customers can avail themselves of the Priority Baggage Service, which expedites the issuing of their baggage. The staff at Austrian Arrival Service provides assistance to those whose baggage either does not arrive, or which does so in a damaged way. Business class and status customers have a proprietary area for this as well.

Flash mob: everybody was waltzing in the arrival hall
Passengers arriving in the new arrival hall in the morning experienced a surprise. The hall was home to a flash mob busy transforming it into a dance hall, in which visitors and travelers waltzed around in honor of the day. The video will be placed this afternoon on YouTube and on Austrian’s Facebook entry.

Austrian Airlines
Austrian Airlines is the country’s largest airline. It operates a worldwide network of flights and serves some 130 destinations. This network is especially tightly woven in Central and Eastern Europe. Its 44 destinations make Austrian Airlines the leader in this market. Austrian Airlines is based in Vienna. This airport profits from its location in the center of Europe. This location makes it the ideal hub for those traveling between East and West. Austrian Airlines is part of the Lufthansa Group, which is the largest carrier in Europe. AA is also a member of the Star Alliance, the first world-spanning association of international carriers.

Star Alliance

was founded in 1997 and is the first world-spanning association of carriers. The Star Alliance offers its passengers an unexcelled ease and reliability of travel around the world. These traits have earned the association a number of prizes. These include the Air Transport World’s Market Leadership Award, and Business Traveller magazine and the Skytrax market research institute’s Best Airline Alliance. The association’s members are: Adria Airways, Aegean Airlines, Air Canada, Air China, Air New Zealand, ANA, Asiana Airlines, Austrian, Blue1, Brussels Airlines, Croatia Airlines, EGYPTAIR, Ethiopian Airlines, LOT Polish Airlines, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, SWISS, TAM Airlines, TAP Portugal, Turkish Airlines, THAI, United and US Airways. Avianca-TACA, Copa Airlines, EVA Air and Shenzhen Airlines have been named to be future members. The Star Alliance of carriers operates a total of 20,500 flights a day. They serve 1,298 destinations in 190 countries.

Owner, publisher, distributor: Austrian Airlines AG, Corporate Communications, public.relations@austrian.com. The details of disclosures are, in accordance with §§ 24 and 25 of the Media Act, to be found at www.austrian.com.