General News
Below are links to stories of general interest in relation to aviation and airports.
Plane crash kills 42 in north-eastern China
At least 42 people have been killed after an Embraer ERJ-190 passenger plane crash-landed in the north-eastern Chinese province of Heilongjiang about 2 km short of the runway. The plane was carrying 96 people. There was fog at the time and the plane was coming in to land. It may have attempted to land too early. This is China's first major air disaster for 5 years. Henan Airlines which operated the flight has grounded all flights for the next 3 days.
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Peak oil alarm revealed by secret official talks
Speculation that government ministers are far more concerned about a future supply crunch than they have admitted has been fuelled by the revelation that they are canvassing views from industry and the scientific community about "peak oil". Experts say they have received a letter from David Mackay, chief scientific adviser to DECC, asking for information and advice on peak oil amid a growing campaign from industrialists such as Sir Richard Branson for the government to put contingency plans in place to deal with any future crisis.
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Rolls-Royce Says 787 Engine Failed During Testing
Rolls Royce Group plc said a Trent 1000 engine built for Boeing's 787 Dreamliner failed in Derby during testing - on a test bed - and that a probe into the incident has begun. It is likely the delivery date for the first planes will now be delayed. The Dreamliner’s debut has been pushed back more than two years because of parts shortages, redesigns, problems with new materials and heavier reliance on suppliers. (Bloomberg)
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BAA loan package from 8 banks gives credit fillip
The market view of BAA’s credit standing has improved after it announced that it had put together a loan package that would help it refinance £1.57bn in debt. BAA said it had arranged a £625m loan from 8 banks – well above the £500m it had originally said it was seeking. The amount had been increased to meet "significant excess demand from new and existing relationship banks", BAA said and it would repay up to £1.1bn of the £1.57bn debt next month.
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Airlines start lining up for Africa take-off
According to IATA, airlines increased the amount of flying capacity to and from Africa by 8.6% over the year to the end of June compared to 2009, more than any other region except for the Middle East. It forecasts that over the next 3 years the number of passengers travelling to and from Africa will rise at a compound annual rate of 6.5%, making it one of the fastest growing regions in the world. Africa's GDP grown 4.9% per year since 2000.
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Kiss Flights travel company ceases trading
Budget travel firm Kiss Flights has collapsed, sparking uncertainty for 70,000 holidaymakers. The British-based company sold flights to Greece, Egypt, Turkey and the Canary Islands. Kiss currently has about 13,000 customers overseas and 60,000 people have forward bookings with the company. London-based Flight Options, which has owned Kiss since January last year. In all 13 travel firms have gone bust in the UK this year as a result of the recession, (BBC)
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Global premium airline traffic increased in June
Globally, according to IATA, rhe number of passengers buying premium airline tickets increased in June as economic recovery kept first and business class seats filled. Demand for premium tickets was up 16.6% compared with a year ago, and demand for economy seats rose by 9.5%. Increased passenger numbers and ticket prices lifted premium revenue by 40%. But growth may have slowed in the 2nd quarter as economic activity returned to pre-crisis levels. (BBC)
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In a critical year for the Aviation EU ETS, European emissions fall in first half of 2010 compared to 2009
2010 is the benchmarking year for calculating the allocation of free emission permits under the EU ETS to start in 2010. Therefore, airlines are perversely incentivized to ensure their emissions are kept high to maximize their share. But the ash crisis in April cut their emissions, by 2 - 5% on average. Overall carbon emissions within the scope of the Aviation EU ETS fell by 1.8% in the first half of 2010 compared to the same period in 2009. (GreenAir)
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UK’s tourism deficit due to air travel was £15.1 billion in 2009
Adding the amount of tourism deficit from spending abroad, to the deficit from buying travel tickets from foreign companies gives a total deficit on air travel of £15.1 billion in 2009 compared to £19.6 billion in 2008. The tourism deficit due to UK citizens spending money abroad was £17.7 billion in 2008 to £13.0 billion in 2009. The deficit due to buying tickets from foreign companies fell from £2.2 billion in 2008 to £1.9 billion in 2009.
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Cameron pledges to boost UK tourism – domestic and in-bound
Setting out government plans to boost the tourism industry, the prime minister outlined how the government will cut red tape and take decisive and coherent action to support the UK tourism industry. He identified tourism as a major factor in rebalancing the economy so it is less dependent on the City. He said currently 36% of Britons' holiday spending goes towards the domestic market, and government would seek to increase this up to 50%. And more foreign tourists.