Austrian Airlines (OS) has abruptly ended its wet-lease agreement with Sweden’s Braathens Regional Airways, pulling three ATR 72-600 turboprops from its network with immediate effect. The decision, announced late on 15 December, follows the insolvency of Braathens’ sister carrier Braathens International Airways and what OS described as a “loss of operational reliability.” Twelve short-haul routes—including Vienna–Innsbruck and Vienna–Cluj—had relied on the leased aircraft.
OS managers said an internal review showed the Swedish operator could no longer meet Lufthansa Group performance and safety benchmarks. Two ATR-operated rotations scheduled for 16 December were cancelled outright, and several other services will run with reduced frequency until substitute capacity is found. Austrian is redeploying its own Dash-8s, drafting Airbus narrow-bodies on thin routes and negotiating ad-hoc wet-leases with sister airline Edelweiss and other regional partners.
During periods of disruption like this, it’s crucial that travellers also have their documentation in perfect order. VisaHQ’s Austria portal (https://www.visahq.com/austria/) allows mobility teams and passengers to check visa requirements for Austria and any transit points, apply online for the necessary permits, and track progress in real time—helping avoid last-minute headaches when flights are rebooked or routings change unexpectedly.
![Austrian Airlines Scraps Braathens Wet-Lease, Cancels Flights and Hunts for New Regional Partner]()
The rupture comes at a sensitive time: Christmas traffic is ramping up, the new Koralm timetable has just come into force, and Austrian’s corporate clients are finalising 2026 travel budgets. Mobility managers must now monitor short-notice schedule changes, ensure travellers receive rebooking emails, and verify that ticket coupons are re-validated where sectors are swapped to rail or bus.
Beyond the immediate disruption, the episode highlights the structural shortage of 70-seat aircraft in Europe. OS retired its own turboprop fleet in 2021 to cut unit costs and emissions but is now discovering that scarcity gives surviving lessors leverage on price and contract terms. The airline has issued a request for proposals for up to five regional jets or turboprops to cover the 2026 summer season and says a decision will be made “within weeks.”
For global-mobility teams the practical advice is clear: build extra slack into Vienna connections, alert relocating staff to possible overnight stays, and track Schengen 90/180-day limits carefully if reroutings push travellers through other EU hubs. Companies with time-critical assignments should consider booking fully changeable fares or, where possible, the new AIRail links that bypass short-haul flights altogether.
OS managers said an internal review showed the Swedish operator could no longer meet Lufthansa Group performance and safety benchmarks. Two ATR-operated rotations scheduled for 16 December were cancelled outright, and several other services will run with reduced frequency until substitute capacity is found. Austrian is redeploying its own Dash-8s, drafting Airbus narrow-bodies on thin routes and negotiating ad-hoc wet-leases with sister airline Edelweiss and other regional partners.
During periods of disruption like this, it’s crucial that travellers also have their documentation in perfect order. VisaHQ’s Austria portal (https://www.visahq.com/austria/) allows mobility teams and passengers to check visa requirements for Austria and any transit points, apply online for the necessary permits, and track progress in real time—helping avoid last-minute headaches when flights are rebooked or routings change unexpectedly.
The rupture comes at a sensitive time: Christmas traffic is ramping up, the new Koralm timetable has just come into force, and Austrian’s corporate clients are finalising 2026 travel budgets. Mobility managers must now monitor short-notice schedule changes, ensure travellers receive rebooking emails, and verify that ticket coupons are re-validated where sectors are swapped to rail or bus.
Beyond the immediate disruption, the episode highlights the structural shortage of 70-seat aircraft in Europe. OS retired its own turboprop fleet in 2021 to cut unit costs and emissions but is now discovering that scarcity gives surviving lessors leverage on price and contract terms. The airline has issued a request for proposals for up to five regional jets or turboprops to cover the 2026 summer season and says a decision will be made “within weeks.”
For global-mobility teams the practical advice is clear: build extra slack into Vienna connections, alert relocating staff to possible overnight stays, and track Schengen 90/180-day limits carefully if reroutings push travellers through other EU hubs. Companies with time-critical assignments should consider booking fully changeable fares or, where possible, the new AIRail links that bypass short-haul flights altogether.
