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 [...]
IATA estimates aviation’s pandemic losses at $201bn October 4, 2021 The International Air Transport Association has estimated that the aviation sector will return to profitability in 2023. As a result of the pandemic, aviation will lose around $201bn before returning profitable in 2023. As explained by International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) director general Willie Walsh, losses in 2021 are expected to be nearly $52bn – [...]
Lufthansa chief executive: After Covid-19 airfares will surge October 4, 2021 Lufthansa’s chief executive has said ticket prices will soar as a result of air travel recovering from the pandemic. Lufthansa chief executive Carsten Spohr has warned that airfares will surge, with passengers paying the pandemic’s economic price. As reported by the Daily Telegraph, Spohr believes that before the pandemic plane tickets were too cheap and, [...]
Slot wars on the cards as Asian regulators threaten retaliation over new EU rules September 17, 2021 The aviation industry could be on the brink of a new trade war after Asian regulators warned they could retaliate over EU plans to force carriers to use 50 per cent of their take-off and landing slots during the winter season. Having frozen slot rules during the pandemic, the bloc in July announced that airlines [...]