OREANDA-NEWS. The new Eurowings will have its first base outside Germany in Vienna. Following close consultation with Austrian Airlines and at the carrier’s own request, two Airbus A320 aircraft are to be stationed there initially, offering point-to-point connections on European routes. The aircraft are to fly in the colors of the new Eurowings. It is planned to staff the aircraft with crews from Austrian. This partnership is possible as a result of Austrian’s new collective agreement, which was entered into in December 2014 and offers additional prospects to the 900 pilots and 2,300 flight attendants. The agreement also means that employees are making an important contribution to the future viability and competitiveness of Austrian Airlines. “I am delighted that Vienna will be the first base for the new Eurowings outside Germany. It means that we will be able to further strengthen the base after the restructuring phase, and the new flights for leisure travellers and price-conscious customers will complement our existing range perfectly,” says Jaan Albrecht, CEO of Austrian Airlines. “With the new Eurowings, we are ramping up our offensive in Vienna as well and taking on our low-cost competitors,” adds Oliver Wagner, manager of the Wings project at Lufthansa and Managing Director of Germanwings. With the new Eurowings brand, the Lufthansa Group is entering new markets in the price-sensitive leisure travel sector, thereby safeguarding its leading position in its home markets of Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Belgium. By the end of 2015, Eurowings and Germanwings along with other European airlines are to be united on a joint platform and should acquire new customers by offering low-cost short and long-haul services, in doing so providing quality at low prices. The first Airbus A320 took off on 1 February 2015 in the new Eurowings livery for its maiden flight from Hamburg to Prague, with seating for 162 passengers on board. Further aircraft featuring the new design will follow in the coming weeks.