General News
Below are links to stories of general interest in relation to aviation and airports.
Outrage over airlines’ empty ‘ghost flights’
British Airways flew three long-haul services between London, Hong Kong and Mumbai last week, with no passengers on board. It is estimated that this produced the equivalent amount of CO2 to that emitted by 200 to 300 motorists in a year. Tim Johnson, the director of the Aviation Environmental Federation, said the current system of levying air-passenger duty provided a "perverse incentive" for aircraft to fly empty. (Independent)
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“CO2” Councils opposing 2nd runway join with 2M Group to fight unsustainable airport expansion
Councils representing over six million people will be joining together to state their opposition to new airport runways at Stansted and Heathrow and unacceptable environment impacts on their communities. The event will also mark the formation the new ‘CO2’ or ‘Councils Opposing a 2nd Runway’ at Stansted campaign and its leaders will be joining forces with the leaders of the ‘2M Group’ of London councils. (Council press release)
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BA jumbo flies 6,000 miles (and burns 5,400 carloads of fuel) with all its 300 seats empty
British Airways has sparked an environmental row by flying a jumbo jet 6,000 miles to Hong Kong without a single passenger on board. The Boeing 747 made the 11-hour trip manned by just four flightdeck crew, while all 300 seats behind them remained empty. (Mail on Sunday) During its journey from Heathrow, BA Flight 0027 burned a massive 140 tons of fuel – the equivalent of filling 5,400 family-sized cars – and emitted 329 tons of CO2.
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Shielding flag carriers ‘is killing airlines’
Governments shielding their national flag carriers are "killing" the aviation industry, the head of the IATA - Giovanni Bisignani - has warned. He said that protectionist attitudes towards flag carriers were exacerbating the downturn. Airlines raised capacity by buying aircraft but now struggle to fill them. (Guardiann)
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CAA wants shake-up of regulatory powers
Britain's aviation regulator will today add its voice to those clamouring for an overhaul of the regulatory system governing the nation's airports. The CAA will tell the Competition Commission that there is "a clear case for regulatory reform". (Telegraph)
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At-a-glance: Heathrow’s rivals (Frankfurt, Amsterdam and Paris) compared
Those in favour of a 3rd runway and 6th terminal at Heathrow often cite expansion as the only way the world's busiest international airport can continue to compete with its rivals on the European continent. BAA argue that unless its infrastructure is upgraded it will fall behind the airports of Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Paris. (BBC)
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Councils take legal action on night flights
Three local authorities are to take the government to the high court in an attempt to stop night flights which they claim break noise regulations. Richmond, Wandsworth, and Windsor & Maidenhead councils claim that the transport secretary, Ruth Kelly, is "failing in her duty to protect residents from excessive night noise". (Guardian)
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BAA to raise airport landing fees at Heathrow and Gatwick
Air passengers will face a rise in ticket prices of about £2 after new landing charges for Heathrow and Gatwick airports were announced. The CAA has allowed BAA to lift its fees to pay for better facilities and more stringent security measures. Charges can rise by 23.5% at Heathrow in the year 2008/2009, and increase by 21% at Gatwick, the CAA said. (BBC)
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BAA raises £545m as duty-free chain is sold to Autogrill
BAA is selling a chain of 58 duty-free shops - World Duty Free - to Italy’s Autogrill in a £545 million deal. BAA has been looking to sell non-core assets as it struggles under the strain of £9 billion of debt. Ferrovial’s annual results last month showed that BAA’s £1.04 billion of operating cashflow is insufficient to cover an £824 million interest bill and fund a £1 billion-a-year capital expenditure programme. (Times)
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Travellers ignore pleas to curb air travel amid growing stampede for long-haul mini-breaks
Holidaymakers are taking more "indulgent" long-haul mini-breaks than ever before. Despite recommendations that they holiday closer to home, the number of Britons flying thousands of miles to spend less than a week in far-flung destinations was 3.7 million last year - and rising - according to a survey by Halifax. (Independent)