FW stops hiring

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Business

The new chairmen of Flughafen Wien AG (FW) have presented a strict cost-cutting programme. Julian Jäger and Günther Ofner, who took over at the company which manages Vienna International Airport (VIA or VIE) on 1 September, announced yesterday (Tues) they would not hire any additional staff in the coming years. FW currently employs 4,200 men […]

Benko plans €65mn Lake Garda estate

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Business

A Tyrolean real estate developer intends to invest tens of millions of Euros into an estate at one of Italy’s most beautiful lakes. Rene Benko announced on Sunday he decided to spend 65 million Euros on the creation of a building complex featuring villas, terraced houses and apartments at Lake Garda. Tenants will be able […]

VBI deal kicks off Sberbank’s European expansion

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Finance

The international operations of the only Austrian bank which failed the most recent stress test on financial institutes in Europe have been taken over by Russia’s biggest bank. The contract between Volksbank AG (ÖVAG) and Sberbank was signed in Vienna yesterday (Thurs). ÖVAG and Sberbank agreed on a sale of Volksbank International (VBI) already in […]

Schüssel quits over TA scandal

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Politics

One of the country’s most influential politicians of the past 20 years has stepped down. Wolfgang Schüssel announced today (Mon) he decided to retire as member of the federal parliament (MP). The move comes after increasing pressure on the former chancellor in connection with alleged fraud and stock market value manipulation carried out by former […]

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 […]

Triathlete fined €193 for triple offence

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General News

A Styrian triathlete has been fined nearly 200 Euros for speeding. The athlete went 63 kilometres per hour (kph) on his bicycle during a training session in Illmitz, Burgenland. He revealed today (Weds) police ordered him to cough up 193 Euros for ignoring the 50 kph limit, overtaking slower cars and failing to pull over […]

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. […]

EVN turnover drops as gas price hike is imminent

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Business

Lower Austrian energy sector giant EVN AG has suffered a slight decline in turnover despite selling more electricity and gas to customers in the past winter. The firm announced today (Thurs) its turnover slid by 0.9 per cent to 2.16 billion Euros from the first three quarters of the 2009/2010 business year to the next […]

Budget freeze ‘to affect AKH’

Categories
Politics

Vienna Medical University (MedUni) head Wolfgang Schütz has warned of a negative impact on services provided to residents of the Vienna region and patients at Austria’s largest clinic if the government refuses to increase its subsidies. The Republic of Austria has supported Vienna’s General Hospital (AKH) with 270 million Euros since 2010. Schütz said today […]

Start of school costs young families dear

Categories
General News

Parents of first-formers are bracing themselves to spend hundreds of Euros in the coming weeks, a poll has shown. Public opinion agency Integral announced today (Weds) people whose kids started school next month were expecting to fork out 400 Euros on various goods such as writing utensils and schoolbags. The agency pointed out that a […]