General News
Below are links to stories of general interest in relation to aviation and airports.
Airport passenger numbers plummet in 2009 as Britons stay at home
Date added: 11 January, 2010
BAA's figures for all 2009 are now out, for its remaining 6 UK airports (not Gatwick).
Britain's major airports bore the brunt of last year's "staycation". They carried
4.7 million passengers fewer than in 2008. The 4.1% drop reflected a year in which
the recession saw demand for overseas holidays drop. Worst hit was Stansted, with
2.3 million drop – representing 10% of total as both Ryanair and easyJet cut back
on capacity.
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Can the aviation industry ever be green? – from Green Futures
Date added: 8 January, 2010
Britain can meet its stretching emissions reduction targets and still keep flying.
That, at least, is the view of Ed Miliband echoed in a report by the Committee on Climate Change. How? By holding aviation emissions no higher than their current level – and cutting
the carbon from everything else we do by 90%. Demand reduction isn't really in
the lexicon of the aviation industry. There would be an incentive if governments
grasped the nettle and started taxing aviation fuel.
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Rail boom forecast as travellers tire of airport scan queues
Date added: 5 January, 2010
The introduction of additional security measures at British airports will lead
to a surge in demand on the railways because passengers will no longer be prepared
to wait, it has been claimed. This could significantly increase journey times
as passengers queue to go through the detectors. That could lead to frequent
flyers, particularly business travellers, deciding to opt for the train for domestic
and shorthaul European flights. Video-conferencing could also become more popular. (Scotsman)
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IATA passenger figures for the global aviation industry for November
Date added: 30 December, 2009
IATA figures for international scheduled air traffic show passenger demand was
up by 2.1% compared to November 2008 - but it is still 6% below the peak in early
2008 - and it is down 0.7% compared to October 2009. In Europe, passengers were
down -3% on Nov 2008. Compared to last November, European carriers have cut capacity
by 3.9%. Passenger load factor remain at 75.4%.
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BA ready to jettison a global first-class service
Date added: 28 December, 2009
British Airways is on the verge of abandoning a first-class service on a number
of its routes in the face of ever-rising standards of luxury offered by rivals.
Several Middle Eastern and Asian market carriers, including Singapore, Emirates,
Etihad and Jet, are lifting the first-class standard to feature individual cabins
with sliding doors for privacy, double beds, giant flat-screen TVs and expensive
leather upholstery. Some new BA planes may not have a first class cabin. (Times)
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Detroit airliner incident ‘was failed bomb attack’
Date added: 26 December, 2009
An incident on an airliner arriving in Detroit from Amsterdam was a failed bomb
attack. The device found on Nigerian, Mr Abdulmutallab, contained the high explosive
PETN. This was the substance used in by British "shoe bomber" Richard Reid, who
tried to blow up a Paris-Miami airliner in 2001. Mr Abdulmutallab allegedly tried
to detonate a device using a syringe, but it failed to go off. The way it was
concealed may have led to it evading current security arrangements, and new measures
may now be taken to improve air security.
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BAA wins Competition Commission appeal on airports sale
Date added: 21 December, 2009
BAA has won its appeal against an order to sell 3 of the 7 UK airports it runs
on the grounds that the ruling panel was affected by "apparent bias". his was because one of the panel members had long standing connections with
MAG. But the appeal tribunal rejected BAA's argument that it was being forced
to sell the airports too quickly. The Competition Appeal Tribunal said it would
now allow more time to hear arguments as to what should happen next. Airports
may still need to be sold. (BBC)
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IATA says the Copenhagen Agreement is a Step in Right Direction
Date added: 21 December, 2009
IATA says it welcomes the Copenhagen Accord, and says aviation was not part of
it because everyone is so impressed by the amazingly high standards the industry
is setting for itself in terms of cutting carbon. They aim to do this by continuing
to grow as much as possible, finally making some carbon savings through carbon
trading ....... and so on ....... (IATA press release)
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Manchester air traffic control to close
Date added: 20 December, 2009
MANCHESTER Airport’s air traffic control centre is to close – with 180 staff forced to move to Scotland. The centre will close for the final time in the early hours of January 23, with only skeleton staff remaining in the control tower. This means all air operations – apart from take-offs and landings – will be controlled from a new £170m centre in Prestwick, Ayrshire – more than 250 miles away.
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Aircraft energy efficiency has not improved in a decade
Date added: 16 December, 2009
A new study on aviation says the pace of improvements in aircraft energy efficiency is very
slow, and no progress has been made in the last decade. It calls for a CO2 emissions
standard for aircraft already in production. The ICCT has examined emissions from more than 25,000 planes produced between
1960 and 2008. It shows improvements in fuel efficiency for the first 3 decades,
but virtually no improvements in the last 20 years when there have been few new
aircraft designs. (T&E)
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