General News
Below are links to stories of general interest in relation to aviation and airports.
SESAR – European air traffic control Making the skies safer, cleaner and cheaper to manage
This is a BBC article giving a lot of information about air traffic control in Europe. The European modernisation air traffic control programme, SESAR, is aiming to make improvements. There are currently a lot of inefficiencies with 36 air traffic service providers and 58 en-route centres. Europe has many no-fly areas for use by the military, which commercial airlines have to fly round. With flight numbers expected to grow significantly, improvement is needed.
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Scandinavian airline, SAS, to lose 1,000 jobs and make 15% pay cuts due to large losses
Scandinavian airline SAS is to announce a cost cutting plan, approved by its lenders, containing over 1,000 staff reductions and 15% pay cuts. SAS, in which Denmark, Norway and Sweden own a combined 50 % stake, has been in talks with banks on securing financing to roll over debt coming due next year. It has postponed its third-quarter results, saying it was delaying publication until negotiations on efforts to ensure its survival had been finalized. It also aims to sell assets totaling around 3 billion crowns ($445.39 million). SAS, which made a 1.6 billion crown pretax loss in 2011, has been struggling for years against cut-price rivals such as Ryanair, industry overcapacity and more recently high jet fuel costs and an economic slowdown.
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EU COULD GET AIRLINE COMMITMENTS ON CARBON
IATA says Europe could gain commitments from global airlines to end the dispute over ETS. He said othewise airlines and governments would continue to fight the EU. He wants some sort of commitments to be obtained by ICAO, rather than having to comply with the ETS and suggested: "Surely a deal could be done." Airlines are complaining that the cost will eat into their profits and whine that they would delay investment in environmentally friendly technology.
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UK’s domestic air travel boom is over, says Flybe
Flybe has declared an end to the boom in domestic air travel and reports a deepening drop in demand for British routes. The unreliability of demand has led to 2 profit warnings this year. Flybe said winter bookings were down 1% compared with last year, while last month they forecast a 1% increase. UK domestic routets are 70% of Flybe's passengers. The CAA says domestic air travel fell 20% over the past 4 years, as an over-supplied market bottomed out.
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CAA sets new targets for NATS to cut airline CO2 and improve flight efficiency
The CAA hopes new flight-efficiency targets could cut aviation CO2 emissions over the next 3 years. The new targets are being set for NATS, to reduce aircraft CO2 emissions, with bonus or penalty payments depending on Nats' performance. The proposals are published for consultation. The CAA targets involve the directness of flights and how smooth the climb and descent is for every flight. NATS and CAA will monitor and publish monthly performance figures.
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Billionaires to be given free carbon allowances to offset green tax on private jets
Corporate jets owned by very rich people and large companies will be given some free carbon permits under the ETS when it starts in January. Some 200 corporate jet owners will benefit. Flying Lion, the company used by Lord Ashcroft, will initially get 24 allowances per year worth €240 at today’s prices (€10 each). DECC said aircraft operators had to submit flying data this spring to qualify for relief of up to 85% of their total bill by free allowances in the 1st year.
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Ryanair profits from higher revenues – due to higher fares
Ryanair said it had seen almost no impact from the downturn in consumer confidence. Yields (the average revenue gained per mile per passenger) are expected to grow at 14% in the 6 months to March, up from 12% previously forecast. Ryanair raised its 2011 profit forecast by 10%, saying higher revenue per passenger mile would offset high fuel prices. The airline expects to make a profit before tax of €440 m for its 2011 financial year, up from previous forecast.
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EU faces growing row over jet carbon plan
Pressure mounted on the European Union on Wednesday to back down over charges for jetliner pollution as a United Nations body was urged to weigh in and help prevent a carbon trade war. The aviation industry called for urgent action to prevent disruption to trade and tourism links as a result of EU plans to make airlines join a cap-and-trade scheme to curb emissions, which has sparked tit-for-tat legislation in the U.S. Congress.
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Committee on Climate Change says shipping should turn to sail to cut carbon
The Committee on Climate Change has called on the shipping industry to turn to wind power to cut the country’s carbon emissions. They want the industry to update propulsion systems, and fit sails, including a new rigid design resembling aircraft wings or large “towing kites”. There has been a 5 year study by the Technical University of Berlin. The CCC wants the UK to be the first to include shipping emissions in its calculation of greenhouse gases.
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Full text of Maria Eagle’s speech, on Labour’s ideas on future aviation policy
This is the full text of the speech by Maria Eagle, Labour's Shadow Transport Secretary, to the Airport Operators' Association. This confirms Labour will not press for a 3rd Heathrow runway. However, she says "Any serious strategy for aviation and its crucial role in the UK economy cannot start from a position that rules out additional capacity in the South East." This favours expansion at airports other than Heathrow. And also deeper aviation carbon cuts by 2050.