Second-hand car sales soar

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Business

More and more Austrians are buying second-hand cars. Statistik Austria announced today (Tues) 67,814 used cars were sold last month, 1.8 per cent more than in August 2010. The share of diesel-powered vehicles inched back by 0.5 per cent to 54.4 per cent. The number of registrations of second-hand trucks improved by 1.9 per cent […]

Austrians have high payment morale, KSV says

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Business

Private businesses have higher payment morale than public institutions, research has shown. KSV 1870 (KSV), a federal association for the protection of creditors, said yesterday (Thurs) debtors in Austria paid up after an average 30 days. The organisation – which investigated payment statistics in June – explained it took 38 days until public institutions like […]

ÖBB hit by €180,000 brand name purchase revelation

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Business

A controversial lobbyist raked in hundreds of thousands of Euros by getting Federal Railways (ÖBB) to buy the trademark rights for a registered name from him, an opposition politician has claimed. Peter Pilz, a member of the federal parliament (MP) of the Green Party, announced yesterday (Tues) he obtained a firm-internal audit report exposing the […]

Benz tipped for AUA top job

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Business

Karsten Benz may become new boss of Austrian Airlines (AUA). Business newspapers claim today (Tues) that the Lufthansa manager could join the carrier’s two-member executive board. Peter Malanik and Andreas Bierwirth have managed AUA since Lufthansa acquired a majority share two years ago. The German company plans to assign an aviation industry manager to head […]

P&C opening challenges H&M

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Business

Peek & Cloppenburg (P&C) will narrow the gap to market leader Hennes & Mauritz (H&M) when it opens a new store in the heart of Vienna, a market analysis company has explained. RegioPlan said today (Tues) P&C’s share in the domestic fashion sector will improve thanks to the German company’s new 11,800-square-metre store in the […]

Safety and investment promises for Wiener Linien

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Business

The new heads of Viennese public transport provider Wiener Linien have remained tight-lipped about a possible reform of prices. Newspapers have been speculating for months that some tickets will become dearer in a few months’ time to allow the city government coalition of Social Democrats (SPÖ) and Greens to implement cheaper annual passes which currently […]

Hotels defy cold snap concerns

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Business

The Austrian tourism industry is heading for a new record after fears were raised it could suffer significantly due to last month’s chilly weather. Many experts warned that a decline in overnight stays may be a result of the many rainy days and unusually cold temperatures vast parts of the country experienced for the most […]

FDH and AUA cast shadows over FW boom

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Business

Austria’s biggest aerodrome is prospering despite a loss-making investment in Germany. Flughafen Wien AG (FW), which manages Vienna International Airport (VIA or VIE) announced yesterday (Thurs) it managed to increase its net profit by 13.7 per cent to 43.3 million Euros from the first half of last year to the same time span of 2011. […]

New MQ boss named

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Business

An Upper Austrian real estate manager has been appointed as head of Vienna’s Museumsquartier (MQ). Federal Social Democratic (SPÖ) Culture Minister Claudia Schmied and Viennese SPÖ Culture Councillor Andreas Mailath-Pokorny announced yesterday (Weds) Christian Strasser would head the MQ for five years from 1 October. His contract can be extended without public submission, they explained. […]

Vying for CEE tourists intensifies

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Business

Austrian tourism officials have revealed plans to increase their focus on Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). Around 10 per cent of vacationers choosing Austria come from the region, up from just four per cent 15 years ago. Now the Austrian Tourism Marketing Agency (ÖW) announced it would launch a new promotion campaign in countries like […]