It was an idea that briefly had potential travellers excited and left Luxair employees fuming. In December 2011 voices within the tourism sector put forward the idea of basing a low coast airline at Luxembourg's Findel airport. Even the tourism minister, Françoise Hetto-Gaasch, declared that this was an option being explored.

Naturally the national airline Luxair, which is based in Findel, wasn't amused and made its opposition to the plan very clear. The spokesperson for Luxair staff explained that any low coast airline would be nothing other than harmful new competition for not only Luxair but other airlines flying into Findel, like Air France, KLM or British Airways. In the long run, this could even lead to the loss of jobs.

Bringing a low cost company to Findel would also tarnish the good reputation of Luxembourg's airport. One only has to look at the goings-on and service offered at low cost influenced airports in Charleroi and Hahn, to see that this is a model that Findel should to steer well away from, said OGBL-spokesperson Hubert Hollerich in an interview with news352.lu.

On Thursday morning OGBL-members met the minister to ask for clarification on the government's position. After these discussions, the unionists expressed their satisfaction about the answers they had received. The minister stressed that she had only voiced ideas that were being talked about in the tourism sector, under no circumstances were they her personal views. There are currently no plans to base a low cost airline in Findel, the minister underlined. And that, as they say, is that.

The tourism minister did reveal however, that she is currently in talks with Chinese and Russian officials about setting up direct routes to both these countries. Details are still sketchy but it looks like this is primarily about making tourist trips from Chinese and Russia to Luxembourg easier, thereby making the Grand-Duchy more attractive to tourists from these countries. The minister is to travel to China this May to possibly finalise a deal.