Decarbonisation of aviation: Is the govt ignoring its own evidence on airport expansion? October 20, 2021 The Government appears to ignore its own evidence when it comes to airport expansion and the decarbonisation of aviation. The Net Zero Strategy published yesterday, highlights how difficult it is to decarbonise aviation and places heavy reliance on the development of ‘sustainable aviation fuels’. The indicative transport pathway includes expected emissions reductions across transport of [...]
Electric intercity flights: Vertical Aerospace calls on the government to deliver by 2025 October 19, 2021 Global aerospace and technology company Vertical Aerospace is calling on the UK Government to deliver electric intercity flights by 2025. In a white paper by the name of The Future of Advanced Aerial Mobility that was published today, Vertical Aerospace has highlighted how opening up electric passenger flights would bring economic and environmental benefits to [...]
Goodbye Alitalia: Italy’s new carrier to join airline alliance October 16, 2021 Alitalia’s successor ITA Airways will join the Skyteam alliance from next year, reported Reuters. ITA Airways’ chairman said yesterday that the new-born company aims to renegotiate the place within the Skyteam alliance that once belonged to Alitalia, partnering up with other airlines such as Lufthansa. “ITA has been created to be a strategic element in [...]
Airbus airplane that flies higher than planes and lower than satellites completes 18-day flight October 11, 2021 A solar-powered airplane that should soon bring the internet to some of the most rural areas in the world has been tested by Airbus, the aerospace giant said this afternoon. Its Zephyr model, which resembles an unmanned glider but with two small propellers, could soon be spending around six months in the air at a [...]
The UK should ban domestic flights, says advocacy group October 11, 2021 British advocacy group Campaign for Better Transport is calling on the government to ban some domestic flights to reduce the amount of CO2 emissions produced domestically by aviation. If introduced, the ban would end several short-haul routes such as London to Manchester, London to Edinburgh and Birmingham to Glasgow. Travellers would be offered train tickets [...]
47 countries removed from UK red list at 4am, including South Africa and Thailand October 11, 2021 Forty-seven countries were removed from the red list at 4am this morning, meaning arrivals from those locations will no longer need to spend 11 nights in a quarantine hotel. This includes South Africa, Mexico and Thailand. The changes make it easier for people to obtain travel insurance for trips to those destinations. In addition, the [...]
Ex BA boss accuses Heathrow of “no commercial nous” over increased costs October 10, 2021 Former British Airways (BA) boss Willie Walsh, who is now the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) director general, has accused Heathrow of having “zero commercial nous” in regards to the airport’s plans to increase charges by over 90 per cent in 2022. “What gets me about Heathrow is that they make all these fancy statements [...]
BA will drop ‘ladies and gentlemen’ to promote diversity October 10, 2021 British Airways will drop the customary ‘ladies and gentlemen’ formula from announcements to promote a more diverse and inclusive environment aboard its planes. “We celebrate diversity and inclusion and we’re committed to ensuring that all our customers feel welcome when travelling with us,” a British Airways spokesperson told the Telegraph. As reported by the paper, [...]
Qantas coughs up $9bn to renew its entire domestic fleet October 6, 2021 Australian carrier Qantas is renewing its domestic fleet for a total spending of more than $9bn. The airline has entered the final stages of a tender process with aircraft and engine manufacturers that will see more than 100 new aircraft become operational by 2034, according to a Bloomberg report. The renewal will reportedly mainly affect [...]
Chinese airlines push back against IATA’s net-zero pledges October 5, 2021 Chinese carriers lobbied global airlines body IATA to push back its net-zero 2050 deadline but they were rejected by the organisation, which stressed its commitment to the Paris Agreement, according to reports. Chinese airlines have pushed back against the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) resolution to commit to net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050. Carriers reportedly [...]