General News
Below are links to stories of general interest in relation to aviation and airports.
Greenpeace activists stop oil drilling by Cairn for 2nd time this week – and ask for their Arctic oil spill plan
Date added: 4 June, 2011
Just before being arrested Greenpeace oil campaigner Ben Ayliffe radioed the
nearby Greenpeace ship Esperanza from the oil rig he and 17 activists had boarded.
Greenpeace have repeatedly asked Cairn to be allowed to see their plan for dealing
with an oil spill in the Arctic. Greenpeace say such a plan should be in the public
domain, as there are very serious concerns about the environmental and other effects
of a large spill, in deep and very cold Arctic waters.
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Frightening figures from UN on global population – 10 billion by 2100 in an optimistic scenario
Date added: 3 June, 2011
The current world population of close to 7 billion is projected to reach 10.1
billion by 2100, reaching 9.3 billion by 2050, according to the medium variant of the 2010 Revision of World Population Prospects, the official UN population projections. Much of this increase is projected
to come from the high-fertility countries, which comprise 39 countries in Africa, 9
in Asia, 6 in Oceania and 4 in Latin America. Global population gets to 8 billion
around 2025.
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IATA figures for global international passengers show increase in April
Date added: 3 June, 2011
IATA says international passenger air traffic grew by 16.5% in April, compared
to April 2010. This is exaggerated due to the April 2010 ash cloud effect. IATA
says it nevertheless reveals a solid recovery from the recession. International
traffic is now 7% above the early 2008 pre-recession levels. But there are demand
shocks and high jet fuel prices. IATA is now including domestic passengers as
well as international in their figures.
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Greenpeace Arctic oil “pod” protest against Cairn Energy drilling ended by Danish navy
Date added: 2 June, 2011
Two remarkably brave Greenpeace activists, Luke Jones and Hannah McHardy, managed
to hang in a survival pod off the Cairn drilling platform for 4 days. They have
now been removed and arrested by the Navy. They are likely to be deported. Cairn
has rented the rig in order to drill for Arctic oil during the brief window of
summer weather. Arctic oil drilling presents huge risks. They have now threatened
Greenpeace with a €2 million fine per day of disruption.
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Eye consultant barred from flying after refusing body scan on health grounds
Date added: 2 June, 2011
An eye specialist at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary declined to go through the
full-body scanner on both medical and ethical grounds. He was then not allowed to board his flight to Zurich. He was not prepared to take the risk
of going through the scanner as it was potentially dangerous to his health, the
danger of X-rays is well known, as mutations can be caused. The X-rays used at Manchester airport could produce 20 times as much radiation as
first thought.
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How the travel industry loads costs onto holiday makers at peak periods
Date added: 1 June, 2011
The airline industry continually complains of the injustice of passengers paying
£12 in APD on a short haul flight to Europe. There is incessant whingeing about
how this terrible charge will reduce the number of flights, put unfair stress
on the "hard pressed, hard working British family". But it is worth remembering
how the travel industry already unfairly over-charges its customers as much as
it can, whenever it can. This is one example.
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Monarch to compete with Ryanair and easyJet as it steers away from package holidays
Date added: 1 June, 2011
Monarch will compete directly with easyJet and Ryanair, as well as BA in the
scheduled market. By next summer, it expects 80% of its business to be scheduled, compared with
20% five years ago. It will continue to offer package holidays, but only as a
small part of its business. It is scrapping debit card booking fees and will charge a flat fee of £10 per booking on credit
cards (Ryanair charge £12 for both). There will be the option of booking in-flight
meals in advance.
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Is the European market for cheap flights close to saturation?
Date added: 31 May, 2011
Ryanair has grounded up to 80 aircraft this winter - 5% of its total - which
is its first ever cut in capacity. Ryanair is Europe’s biggest short-haul airline
by passenger numbers. One reason is that the European market is close to saturation.
Ryanair has typically expanded by 15-20% a year, as has easyJet. They now both
need to get more higher paying passengers, such as business travellers, get in
more from ancillary services, and go to more convenient airports.
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European airports could fly 28 million more without expanding, says study
Date added: 31 May, 2011
Europe's busiest airports could carry 28 million more passengers every year without
further expansion or extra runways, according to a report. The study, ordered by the EC, said more efficient use of takeoff and landing
slots and changes in their allocation, could absorb some congestion. Demand already exceeded capacity most or all of the day at six European airports
– including Heathrow and Gatwick. There are currently 26,000 flights using Europe's airspace every day, with estimated
growth of 5% a year.
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Icelandic volcano: ash flight rules to be overhauled
Date added: 26 May, 2011
A radical overhaul of the guidelines was being agreed by Philip Hammond. Existing safety rules outlaw flying underneath the cloud, but the planned changes
will mean that planes will be allowed to amend their flight paths - which could
entail climbing more gently and only reaching their cruising altitude once they
are clear of the ash. This would make it possible to keep a significant number of services operating.
The Met Office and the CAA will pool information.
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