General News
Below are links to stories of general interest in relation to aviation and airports.
Ash impact on aircraft warning – air conditioning system damage
Airlines may not have seen the last of the ash cloud crisis. The impact of ash on aircraft air-conditioning systems could be serious, warned aviation lecturer Stephen Wright of Leeds University. Planes will be "hoovering up" the additional ash and this could lead to planes having to make unscheduled or emergency landings. The air-con systems may need to be changed after just 3 - 4 months, whereas they're expected to last around 18 months.
Click here to view full story...
Volcano ash chaos cost airport operator BAA £28m (and other airline losses)
BAA says the ash crisis caused it losses of £28 million. BAA reported a pre-tax loss for the quarter ending in March, of £195.5 million, an improvement on the £316.2m loss seen a year earlier. BAA warned that the months ahead could be tough. BA said they had lost around £15 - 20 million per day of the ash event; Air Southwest lost around £300,000; Jet2 said it lost £2.8 million. IATA said earlier that airlines collectively had lost around $1.7 billion.
Click here to view full story...
Volcanic ash crisis cost airlines £2.2 billion
The Icelandic volcano ash crisis has cost the airlines €2.5 billion ( £2.2 billion), according to the European Union's executive body. Transport Commissioner Siim Kallas says the EC was asking member nations to provide airlines immediate relief with measures such as making market-rate loans and deferring payments for air traffic control services. But he warned EU member states not to grant state aid other than loans at market rate. (Telegraph)
Click here to view full story...
BA executives ‘agreed fuel price-fixing deal with Virgin Atlantic’
Four BA executives fixed the price of fuel surcharges in a secret deal with Virgin Atlantic, Southwark Crown Court has been told. They agreed with others at Virgin "to make and implement agreements which would lead, and which in fact did lead, to price-fixing". The 4 deny a cartel offence under the Enterprise Act 2002. The prosecution is by the OFT. BA was fined for another price fixing offence in the US 4 years ago. (Times)
Click here to view full story...
Volcanic ash: air industry was warned in 2007
The International Airways Volcano Watch Operations Group, a division of the ICAO, discussed 3 years ago establishing what might constitute "safe" levels of ash for aircraft to fly in. But the aircraft manufacturers were reluctant to talk about the issue. In 2007 it acknowledged that establishing a safe lower limit was a "difficult and longstanding problem", and that airspace shutdowns were likely and there could be over-warning causing airlines costs.(Observer)
Click here to view full story...
Ash cloud chaos could have silver lining for UK tourism
As a result of the ash cloud from the Icelandic volcano, many industry experts believe the UK’s visitor economy may actually benefit in the long term, as the delays, cost, and discomfort suffered by stranded holiday makers may cause people to think twice about holidaying abroad in the future. One expert said: "With the latest problems we could see an uplift of 20% or so for the UK tourism industry." (Brand Republic)
Click here to view full story...
Peter Lockley: Fly less and we’ll all be happier
Pete is Head of Transport at WWF-UK. For every tourist who couldn't fly in to the UK, almost 2 couldn't fly out, and those two may well be spending money at UK tourist destinations that have suffered in recent years from the rise in cheap flights. The biggest economic winner thus far has been the telecommunications industry. Video-conferencing companies are reporting a boom in bookings. WWF's "1 in 5" campaign is helping more businesses cut flights.
Click here to view full story...
Empty skies proved that airports cause pollution, say researchers
Scientists have used the no-flying period caused by the ash cloud to show for the first time that airports are themselves significant causes of pollution. Although long suspected, the fact that mass take-offs and landings are large pollution sources could never be proved before, because aircraft pollution could not be measured as separate from the pollution caused by vehicles. Levels of NOx fell massively around Heathrow and Gatwick. (Independent)
Click here to view full story...
Why airlines resisted setting safe dust level for flights – until now
The reopening of the skies over the UK followed intense lobbying from an airline industry that for years has resisted efforts by regulators to set a "safe" level of volcanic ash at which it is considered that flights can continue. Airlines had been afraid of the potential damage to their reputation and finances in the event of one of their planes being lost due to dust after an all-clear had been announced, with fear of legal action. (Guardian)
Click here to view full story...
Two main UK political parties pledge to replace APD with per-plane tax
The Conservatives and the Lib Dems say they will replace APD with a per-plane tax, which is fairer in that an almost empty plane costs the operator more to run than a full one, and cargo is also caught. The low cost airlines prefer the per-plane tax, as they benefit. Airlines like BA currently do not pay APD for transit passengers, or for air freight. If Labour was returned to power, the rates of APD would rise again in Nov 2010. (GreenAir online)