General News
Below are links to stories of general interest in relation to aviation and airports.
Behave and we’ll give you back your travel perks, BA tells crew
BA has offered to restore basic travel concessions to cabin crew who went on strike earlier this year in a bid to end the long-running and costly dispute between the two parties. However, it says staff who took industrial action must show 3 years of good behaviour before their seniority is restored, and in the meantime they must wait at the back of the line for free or discounted flights. The offer is conditional on Unite dropping its legal action.
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Hammond: Runway rethink ruled out in aviation review but industry must decarbonise
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Space tourism to accelerate climate change due to soot
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Court battle looms over high-speed rail link’s threat to Chilterns landscape
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Crocodile causes Congo plane crash with deaths of 20 people
A Czech built twin-engine Let L-410 Turbolet passenger plane crashed into a house on approach to Bandundu Airport on August 25, killing the crew and 19 passengers. The flight had originated from Kinshasa. According to the inquiry report and the testimony of the only survivor, the crash happened because of a panic sparked by the escape of a crocodile hidden in a sports bag. The air crew and passengers rushed towards the cockpit, unbalancing the plane.
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Sale of 10% of airport operator BAA could cut Ferrovial’s debt
Ferrovial plans to sell a 10% stake in BAA, some time in 2011, in a move that would let the infrastructure group slash its net debt by more than half. Ferrovial indirectly owns 55.9% of BAA. Britannia Airport Partners, managed by Canada's Caisse de depot et placement du Quebec, owns 26.5% and Singapore's biggest sovereign wealth fund GIC holds 17.6%. It would take Ferrovial's stake in BAA to below 50% and could earn up to €200m for 10%. (Scotsman)
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Airbus chief calls subsidy row an ‘absurdity’ – both had state aid
The head of Airbus has lashed out at the "absurdity" of the prolonged aircraft subsidy row between his company and Boeing, saying both sides had taken state aid and the only winners were likely to be their emerging rivals in China and Russia making fuel efficient jets. In an unusually frank assessment of the 6-year WTO battle between the US and EU over the funding of their respective aircraft-makers, the WTO had, unsurprisingly, found "both are guilty".
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European Commission breaks taboo on raising its own resources
The European Commission has proposed a list of potential methods to enable the EU to raise its own financial resources in future, citing the need to end current wrangling over member state contributions to the Brussels budget. Some of the suggestions are a share of profits from auctioned greenhouse gas emission allowances, an EU charge related to air transport, an EU energy tax or an EU corporate income tax. These could reduce pressure on national coffers.
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New ED Aviation Platform to address challenges for the European aviation sector
European Commission Vice-President Siim Kallas, responsible for of transport, has met top-level representatives of the European aviation sector to discuss future challenges for aviation in Europe at the first-ever meeting of the Aviation Platform. This has been set up to give strategic advice to the Vice President in order to "establish the basis for a sustainable future for air transport and a competitive future for the European aviation industry" ...
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