General News
Below are links to stories of general interest in relation to aviation and airports.
Soaring oil prices will clip the aviation industry’s wings
WWF recently commissioned independent experts to rework the UK Government's air passenger forecasts for 2030, to factor in a realistic price for oil and the impact of policies which encourage a switch to trains and the use of video-conferencing. The results were clear: there will not be enough passengers to justify expanding any of the country's airports. (Scotsman - opinion)
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World’s newest airline faces stormy forecasts – BA’s OpenSkies
Undeterred by a raft of airline bankruptcies caused by the record fuel price, British Airways brought the world's newest airline into being yesterday. The timing of the launch of OpenSkies, a subsidiary that will fly between Europe and America, caused some consternation given the moribund state of the industry. The inaugural service took off from Paris Orly for New York, at a time when the aviation industry faces serious problems. (Independent)
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Flightpath protesters march in London
CAMPAIGNERS fighting plans to re-route aircraft over their peaceful villages have marched through London today to protest against the proposals. As the protestors marched over Waterloo Bridge this afternoon to the offices of NATS, formerly the National Air Traffic Service they called for a U-turn on the stacking proposals, saying it would sound the death knell for their idyllic villages. (EADT)
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Protest To Ground Flight Path Changes – and – Protesters in flight path march
Demonstrators have marched on the London headquarters of the air traffic control service in protest, organised by AirportWatch, against proposed changes to flight paths. The rally and march was held on the same day as consultation on plans to change airline paths over London and South East England came to an end. John Stewart said: "The only reason Nats is proposing these changes is to create more airspace to expand aviation." (Various sources)
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Luxury airlines info
Sir Richard Branson's plans to take on the US domestic airline market have flown into headwinds as soaring fuel prices prompt Virgin America to cut its flights and conceal its finances. Only 10 months after its inaugural flight, Virgin America is trimming seat capacity by 10% by cutting some midweek journeys. It has asked the US department for transportation for a special exemption from revealing the extent of its losses. (Guardian)
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Conservation group (Suffolk Preservation Society) wants end to overland stacking
Planes waiting to land at airports in the East of England should stack up over land, a conservation group has told a review of UK airspace. The Suffolk Preservation Society (SPS) said if planes need to stack whilst they wait to land, they should do so over the sea. (Suffolk Preservation Society press release)
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Families face shocking rise in holiday costs as charges soar by hundreds of pounds
A growing number of tour operators are imposing surcharges of as much as 10% on holidays, blaming soaring fuel costs and the sliding value of the pound. There are fears that some families, whose budgets are already being squeezed by a range of rising prices, could be pushed into debt by a holiday. The power to demand a surcharge is buried in the small print of many holiday contracts and is separate from the fuel supplements being imposed by airlines. (Daily Mail)
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Government spin oils the wheels of airport expansion – says WWF
The impact of soaring oil prices on the UK economy will significantly reduce future air passenger numbers, bringing into question the need for airport expansion, according to new independent research released by WWF-UK today. The case for airport expansion, including the third runway at Heathrow, is based on the premise that there will be more air passengers in future than the UK's airports can currently handle. (WWF)
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Protest over NATS flight path plans – Thursday 19th June
Campaigners against proposals to alter flight paths over Stevenage are marking the last day of the public consultation with a protest. Residents in Great Ashby are joining other campaigners from East Anglia and the South East in a protest in London on Thursday 19th against the new flight paths the National Air Traffic Control Services (NATS) are proposing to introduce. (Comet)
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Newmarket racehorses ‘under threat’ from Stansted expansion
Leading figures in Britain's horse racing industry are threatening to move their animals overseas because of plans for more than 400 aircraft a day to circle over their stud farms near Newmarket. NATS is proposing to create a new holding stack near Newmarket for aircraft queueing to land at Stansted. Newmarket is at present one of the most tranquil areas in East Anglia, has the largest concentration of stud farms in Europe. (Times)