General News
Below are links to stories of general interest in relation to aviation and airports.
BA boosts link to London City
BA is to expand its schedule between Edinburgh and London City Airport. From September, BA CityFlyer will operate 10 return services a day between the cities – two more than its existing schedule. BA introduced its London City-to-Edinburgh service in 2003, with three daily return services. (Edinburgh Evening News)
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BAA – UK to review how airports are run
The government will review the economic regulation of the UK's airport system after a report said that operator BAA may be failing airlines and consumers. In its report, the Competition Commission stressed that it had not yet reached any conclusions over the fate of BAA. BAA's Chief Executive,Colin Matthews, who took over on 1st April, disputed the suggestion that the sale of some of BAA's airports would improve capacity. (BBC)
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Walsh hits heavy turbulence – and the “Wee Willie Walsh” game
Not many chief executives have a computer game named after them, but players of 'Wee Willie Walsh' can manoeuvre the beleaguered boss of British Airways around a baggage carousel, scoring points by getting him to place bags on to the conveyor belt safely. Since the end of March BA has lost an estimated 19,000 bags, most of which were driven to Milan for sorting. (Observer)
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Watchdog could call time on BAA monopoly in South East
The Competition Commission will publish on Tues 22nd its initial findings into whether BAA should be broken up. The long-awaited report could spell the end of BAA’s monopoly control in the South East and potentially lead to a sale of Heathrow, Gatwick or Stansted. BA is thought to want the commission to force the sale of Stansted. Virgin and bmi have proposed that Gatwick should be sold. (Times)
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Fly long-haul – to countries such as South Africa and Thailand – for the best value on holiday as pound falls in value against the euro
Far-flung destinations such as South Africa and Thailand are offering even better value for holidaymakers than many traditional European hotspots, a survey by the Post Office has revealed. Travellers to destinations on the Continent are being hit in the pocket as the pound falls in value against the euro. Thailand, South Africa and Egypt were the best value. (Daily Mail)
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Flightpath threat to racehorse breeding
The home of British racing - Newmarket - could lose its breeding industry if aircraft are stacked over the skies of west Suffolk, it was claimed. NATS's proposed changes to air traffic routes over Suffolk and Cambridgeshire include the creation of three new "holds". One of these holds is just south of Newmarket and breeders there fear persistent noise would affect animals and staff and so owners take their animals elsewhere. (Suffolk & Essex online)
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St Pancras International lures 2m more passengers to Eurostar
The opening of St Pancras International station and the high-speed link through southern England have have increased Eurostar traffic. Eurostar said 2.17 million customers travelled between London, Paris and Brussels in the first three months of the year - an increase of more than 21.3% on the same period in 2007. There has been a near doubling of passengers from places such as York and the east Midlands. (Guardian)
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Oil price increases to new record
The price of oil has hit a new record on the back of supply worries after bad weather hit Mexican oil exports. US light, sweet crude oil rose 72 cents to $112.48 a barrel, above the previous record of $112.21. Brent crude rose 41 cents to $110.25 a barrel in London. A surprise fall in Russian oil output in the first part of the year has raised fears over the ability of global supply to keep pace with demand over the next decade. (BBC)
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NATS – Air bosses challenged to meeting in Suffolk
NATS bosses are being challenged to a face-to-face meeting to discuss proposals to send hundreds more noisy planes over parts of rural Suffolk. Under proposals for changes to airspace, new holding stacks for Stansted airport will be set up between Ipswich and Stowmarket, and south of Newmarket. A spokesman for NATS said it was not their policy to meet with residents or attend public meetings. (Evening Star)
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Oasis fourth carrier to fold in a fortnight
Hong Kong-based low-cost airline Oasis has gone into liquidation, cancelling all of its flights. Oasis launched in October 2006, flying daily from London Gatwick to Hong Kong, and then added flights from Hong Kong to Vancouver. Three US carriers have all ceased operations in the last fortnight - ATA Airlines, Aloha Airgroup and Skybus Airlines. (TravelMole)