AirportWatch | General News

Below are links to stories of general interest in relation to aviation and airports.

High Speed 2 rail link: secret northern routes revealed

The proposed Y-shaped route will see trains speeding through countryside in Staffordshire, Cheshire, Warwickshire, Leicestershire, Derbyshire and Yorkshire - with one branch skirting Cannock Chase, officially designated as an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The western branch will pass from Birmingham through Tatton, and Sutton Coldfield, to Manchester. The eastern branch will go from Birmingham to Leeds and may have two interchange stations.

Manchester Airport calls for lower flight taxes for regions

Manchester Airport has launched a new campaign to persuade the government to introduce lower air taxes for flights from regional airports than from London. It is urging passengers to write to the Chancellor George Osborne asking for a regionalised taxation system. This is in response to the government consultation on APD which ends this Friday. The airport is giving customers pre-written postcards asking for a lower level of APD for airports like Manchester.

Transport Secretary Philip Hammond makes speech at Aviation Club Lunch

Contains statements like: "the challenge for my Department, in particular, is to demonstrate that 'supporting economic growth' and 'reducing carbon' are not mutually incompatible aims." and "this Government is not and at least, so long as I am Transport Secretary, will not be, 'anti-aviation'." and "So we clearly understand that, if our economy is to grow, aviation must also be able to grow. " and " ....desire ... to see the aviation sector prosper.... while delivering our environmental goals".

EU aviation policy lacks vision, say regional airlines group ERA

The European Regions Airline Association (ERA) has said aviation in Europe is facing an unclear future under current plans. The EC published a white paper, a roadmap for the future of transport, in March. This outlined a blueprint to cut carbon emissions by 60% by 2050, and has been criticized by the ERA. Under the plans, 40% of aviation fuel will need to be from sustainable low carbon sources, and the Single European Sky scheme must be fully functional.

IAG’s Willie Walsh confirms interest in bidding for bmi

Airlines lose economy passengers as soaring fuel bills force up ticket prices

IATA says economy class passengers are balking at higher fares due to rising fuel costs and aviation taxes. Leisure travel fell 3.5% worldwide between last November and March this year, with Europe suffering the most as recession-hit passengers declined to accept higher ticket prices. Business class traffic is growing at up to 6% per year. Carriers have increased fares as jet fuel has risen by more than 50% over the past year. Ryanair will raise fares 12% this year.

Monbiot on and the dottiness of putting a value on everything, including every hour spent travelling

As part of an article on the madness of putting a financial price on nature, Monbiot tells how the DfT announced that it had discovered “the real value of time”. He says cost-benefit analysis is systematically rigged in favour of business. For example the decision-making process for transport infrastructure, in which government developed an appraisal method which almost guaranteed that new roads, railways and runways would be built, regardless of the damage they might do or the paltry benefits they might deliver

Profit forecast for global airline industry slashed from $18 billion in 2010 to $4 billion in 2011 (IATA)

IATA has slashed its profit forecast for the global airline industry due to oil prices, political unrest and natural disasters. It expected the industry to make a profit of US$4 billion in 2011, which is a dramatic 54% lower than the $8.6 billion forecast it made in March. It is also 78% lower than the $18 billion profit the industry recorded in 2010. This equates to a profit margin of 0.7%. IATA expects average oil price to be $110 per barrel (Brent) up from its previous forecast of $96. It expects a global passenger increase of 4.4% in 2011.

“IATA WARNS EU OVER ‘ILLEGAL’ CARBON PLAN” threatening Chinese retaliation over EU ETS

Global airlines warned the EU of the risks of a possible trade dispute over allegedly 'illegal' plans to charge the industry for emissions, saying they echoed environmental failures of the past. IATA's comments stepped up a war of words as Connie Hedegaard refused to back down over EU plans to make airlines buy permits for carbon emissions above a certain level. China may threaten retaliation against European airlines and Airbus if the EU ETS plan goes ahead.

Tax hotels not flights, suggests Ryanair boss, wanting yet more aviation tax concessions

In a particularly mad outburst, O'Leary is suggesting taxing all UK hotel rooms - on which there is VAT - £1 more (which guests would not notice) and keeping flights cheaper, removing APD. This, as with all the other anti-APD hype, conveniently ignores the fact that aviation pays no VAT and no fuel taxes. So yet more cries of unfair treatment by airlines should be taken with a huge pinch of salt. Aviation remains undertaxed, even with APD and with ETS next year.

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General News