General News
Below are links to stories of general interest in relation to aviation and airports.
Airbus delivers the 30th A380 – and has 234 total orders
Click here to view full story...
BA passengers down 14.2% in May and losing £7 million per day
BA passenger numbers fell by 14.2% to 2.3 million during May after industrial action disrupted services in the last 2 weeks. The strikes have cost BA £119 million so far and £7 million a day. BA says it will operate a high proportion of flights during the next strike, but the uncertainty is driving passengers away. Unite estimates the long-term damage to BA’s reputation could cost the airline about £1.4 billion. May cargo rose by 7.1% compared to last May.(Times)
Click here to view full story...
British Airways flies to Nassau empty
The Tribune believes it has found evidence of BA flights taking off from Heathrow, bound for Nassau, with no passengers on board. And also returning with no, or very few, passengers. It is unclear how widespread this problem is, and whether indeed some planes are fully catered, and all the food is then thrown away. It may be that a reason for the flights is to make it appear more BA flight are taking place than is the reality.
Click here to view full story...
BA strikes ‘could continue all summer’
The bitter BA dispute could cause disruption to flights throughout the summer with cabin crew set to be balloted for fresh industrial action. Unite said the series of strikes since last March had now cost BA almost £100 million, with 8 further days of action planned. The union had paid out almost £1 million in strike pay. A fresh ballot will be needed because the 12-week protective legal period for taking industrial action ends in early June. (Independent)
Click here to view full story...
AEF to defend EU climate policy against legal challenge
A transatlantic coalition of environmental groups has joined an action at the UK High Court to defend Europe’s right to tackle carbon emissions from foreign aircraft that visit Europe. The coalition is intervening in a Judicial Review being sought by several US airlines and their trade association, the ATA. The airlines allege the EU ETS infringes international law and the EU-US open skies agreement. The green groups stress the urgency of tackling aviation emissions.
Click here to view full story...
English High Court permits American ATA legal challenge to EU ETS to proceed
The Air Transport Association of America, the trade organisation for US airlines, is pleased that the English High Court will allow it permission to proceed with its legal challenge to the extension of the EU ETS to international aviation. The High Court will shortly refer the case to the European Court of Justice for a ruling on the validity of the EU law. They claim the ETS violates international law, and starves them of funds.
Click here to view full story...
New Government announce ‘Airports Bill’ in the Queen’s Speech
A new airport economic regulation bill was announced in the Queen's Speech. No details were given about the bill's contents and it was merely referred to aa a bill to ‘reform the economic regulation of airports to benefit passengers’. The government is keen to promote competition among airport operators. The bill may allow airport operators to set their own charges for airlines. It will drive investment in airport facilities.
Click here to view full story...
Indian air crash kills at least 158 people
An Air India plane crashed in the southern city of Mangalore early Saturday killing at least 158 people in the country’s first major plane crash in nearly a decade. The Boeing 737-800 plane, budget flight IX-812 from Dubai to Mangalore, overshot its landing, breaking in two and crashing into a patch of jungle beyond the runway. There are a few survivors. This will raise questions over air safety in India, one of the fastest growing aviation markets. (FT)
Click here to view full story...
Air France: We’ll fly you across the Channel in an A380 for €80
Air France is trying to lure back customers with cut-price tickets on an Airbus A380, between London and Paris this summer. Air France hopes to fill 555 seats on the double-decker giant 3 or 4 days a week. However, the A380 was designed for long haul flights. The reason could be to get pilots used to taking off and landing an aircraft with a wing span the size of a football pitch. Airbus 380 emits 75g of CO2 per passenger/km compared with 11g for Eurostar. (Times)
Click here to view full story...
British Airways in record £531m loss for the year to March
BA has reported its biggest annual loss due to lower passenger numbers, higher costs and the impact of strike action. It lost lost £531m ($766m) in the 12 months to March - BA's biggest loss since it was privatised in 1987. That adds to the £401m it lost in the 2008-9 financial year, but as it was less than expected, BA shares rose. The results come as BA faces 15 more days of strike action. Revenues were down £1bn on last year, but costs were also down. (BBC)