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New ash cloud closes further UK airports

2010-05-05T22:12:00.000-07:00

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has warned volcanic ash from Iceland remains a threat to UK airspace, as more airports suspend operations.

Earlier today the CAA closed airports in Northern Ireland and Scotland, with Glasgow, Prestwick, Stornoway and Benbecula, with thousands of passengers subsequently seeing their flights cancelled.

Belfast City, Belfast International, Ronaldsway (Isle of Man) and Edinburgh Airports were all added to this list at 13:00 today, with operations suspended until at least this evening.

However, Inverness Airport is now open.

The ash cloud – which has blown across the Atlantic from Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland – has also spread to northern England, with the potential for the no-fly zone to extend further.

“The situation remains changeable, so passengers expecting to travel today and tomorrow from airports in Scotland, Northern Ireland, the north-west England, Wales and the West Country should contact their airlines to check whether their flight is operating,” said a CAA statement.

At present that CAA does not expect airports in the south of England to be affected, and will present its next assessment at 18:00.

Further Disruption

In response Ryanair has cancelled all planned departures from Belfast, Derry, Edinburgh and Glasgow airports until at least midnight.

Flybe has also cancelled all departures from Belfast, Isle of Man and Glasgow for the remainder of the day.

The government body is offering passengers the latest information on their rights should a flight be cancelled here.

Further delays for Boeing Dreamliner

2010-04-28T21:37:00.000-07:00

American aircraft manufacturer Boeing has delayed the shipment of a number of 787 Dreamliner fuselage parts to its final assembly factory outside Seattle.

The hitch is the latest in a long line for the seemingly benighted project, which is already over two and a half years behind schedule.

Boeing – the world’s second largest aircraft manufacturer – cited problems with suppliers for the latest delay, with delivery of fuselage sections for two aircraft delayed for up to a month.

Spokesperson Mary Hanson stated suppliers for the carbon-fibre composite airliner stretched around the globe, but refused to single out the “small number” failing to meet deadlines.

The Dreamliner is unique for Boeing in that the manufacturer assembles largely complete sections of the aircraft at its facility in Washington state, while other aircraft – including the 747 and long-haul 777 – are built from scratch.

Analysts have argued the decision to organise production in this manner has seen the global supply chain stretched, causing delays.

In 2007, a global shortage of metal fasteners led to the initial Dreamliner delay.

However, despite the most recent delay, company officials stated Boeing remained on track to deliver the first Dreamliner to All Nippon Airways by the end of this year.

Weather Testing

Earlier this week Boeing released images of the 787 Dreamliner during a series of extreme-weather tests at Valparaiso, Florida.

A special hangar at the McKinley Climatic Laboratory at Eglin Air Force Base allowed the airplane to experience heat as high as 46 degree Celsius and as low as minus 43 degrees.

“We have Dreamliner customers who will operate the 787 in a wide variety of environments throughout the world,” said Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager of the 787 program for Boeing.

“This testing is about ensuring that the airplane meets the expectations of our customers.”

A crew of approximately 100 people travelled from Seattle to support the test operations on ZA003, the third 787 airplane to be built.

Etihad Crystal Cargo launches service to Erbil

2010-04-26T22:41:00.000-07:00

Etihad Crystal Cargo, a division of Etihad Airways, has launched a weekly service from its hub at Abu Dhabi International Airport to Erbil in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq.

The service operates an A300-600F freighter to Erbil with a payload of 42 tonnes on the route. Flights commenced last month on March 26 and will operate every Tuesday and Saturday.

Cargo flights to Erbil are Etihad’s second cargo service to Iraq, following a twice weekly service to Baghdad which commenced on September 11, 2010.

Des Vertannes, Executive Vice President of Cargo said: “We are very pleased to be operating our second service to Iraq.

“Our service to Baghdad has built a strong customer base in the country and we look forward to continuing our contribution to developing commercial ties between the UAE and Iraq.”

With its fleet of two Airbus A300-600 aircraft and two MD11, Etihad Crystal Cargo has 22 cargo freighter destinations in the Middle East and Africa and 70 destinations across the globe.

US Airways ends United Airlines merger talks

2010-04-23T22:50:00.000-07:00

Merger talks between US Airways and United Airlines (UAL) have ended, following a decision by the former to walk away from discussions.

Despite continuing to advocate consolidation in the international aviation industry, US Airways took the latest decision in the interests of its “shareholders, customers, and employees”, according to a statement.

US Airways chairman, Doug Parker, added: “We have recently held discussions with United Airlines regarding a possible combination between our two airlines.

“After an extensive review and careful consideration, our board of directors has decided to discontinue those discussions.”

The statement, following four-weeks of talks, was the first official acknowledgment by the firm it had been in discussions with UAL.

The talks were the second round of merger discussions between the firms since 2008.

“It remains our belief consolidation makes sense in an industry as fragmented as ours,” added Mr Parker.

“Whether we participate or not, consolidation that leads to a more efficient industry better able to withstand economic volatility, global competition and the cyclical nature of our industry is a positive outcome.”

UAL did not comment on the US Airways statement.

Around America

In what has been a turbulent period for the global aviation industry, American Airlines posted a greater than expected financial loss earlier this week.

In the first quarter of financial 2009 American’s net loss climbed to $505 million - some 35 per cent more than in the same period a year earlier.

As a result, the company lost $1.52 per share, up from $1.35 in 2009.

Excluding special items, American lost $1.36 – more then analysts expected.

Continental Airlines – which has been subject to merger speculation with American Airways – also reported losses this week.

The fourth-biggest carrier in the US reported losses excluding one-time costs of $136 million, or 98 cents a share, more than the average 86-cent loss expected by eight analyst estimates compiled by Bloomberg.

Higher jet-fuel prices raised total operating costs at each carrier, and an easing of the recession prompted businesses to resume travel.

In contrast, Southwest Airlines made $11 million in the first quarter, or a penny per share.

In a statement to markets, Southwest explained it was a modest pickup in business travel, judging from the number of people buying full-fare tickets.

Stuck on the Tarmac

Finally in US aviation, a challenge to overturn government tarmac time limits has failed.

Five American carriers had lobbied the government for exemptions from new rules which prohibit US airlines operating domestic flights from permitting a plane to remain on the tarmac at airports for more than three hours without letting passengers get off the plane.

Despite protests from JetBlue Airways, Delta Airlines, American Airlines, Continental Airlines and US Airways, US transportation secretary Ray LaHood confirmed the new rules would come into force on April 29th.

The rule only affects large and medium hub airports, and also requires passengers to be provided with working toilets and, after two hours, food and drinking water.

Singapore Airlines reinstates full European flight schedule

2010-04-22T21:42:00.000-07:00

With the reopening of European airspace, Singapore Airlines is returning to a full European flight schedule with immediate effect.

Customers already booked on scheduled flights to and from Europe will now be able to travel as planned.

At this point, we are able to resume operations as scheduled, as all airspace at destinations to which we operate has opened. We are also looking into the possibility of mounting additional flights, and using aircraft with larger capacity on certain routes, where possible. The situation remains fluid, however, and any changes to this plan or updates will be provided through www.singaporeair.com.

As operations return to normal, customers who had their previous flights cancelled will be re-booked on departing flights subject to availability. Priority will be given to special needs or elderly customers, and those with infants or young children. Following that, customers who have the earliest original departure dates will be assigned seats on the flights.

We would like to advise customers to proceed to airports only if they have confirmed tickets, as there is no guarantee that customers will be able to secure a seat on a flight even when they wait at the airport.

* Alternative travel arrangements and re-bookings: +65 6223 8888 or +65 6789 8188
* Flight status and airport closures: +65 6542 3311

Singapore Airlines will waive cancellation and change fees for confirmed tickets to and from Europe. The waiver, which is valid for tickets issued up to and including 15 April 2010, will be for travel up to and including 02 May 2010. The same conditions apply for KrisFlyer redemption tickets.

Singapore Airlines thanks all its customers for their kind understanding as flight operations have been disrupted since 15 April. The Airline estimates the revenue opportunity loss from flight cancellations and disruptions at $40 million, comprising $10 million from cargo operations and $30 million from passenger operations, without taking into account variable cost savings. It is anticipated that a large portion of the $30 million mentioned above will accrue from deferred travel as normal flight operations resume. The Airline separately estimates the cost of hotel accommodation, meals and other facilitation of affected cu

Airlines return to skies as airspace reopens

2010-04-21T21:41:00.000-07:00

As the volcanic dust settles, so the task of repatriating passengers begins.

All major UK airlines have returned to operations today.

However, many are warnings of delays – potentially into next week – as they battle the logistical headache of returning to normality.

Here Breaking Travel News takes a look at the latest developments.

British Airways hopes to operate all long-haul flights from Heathrow and Gatwick today, but stated there were likely to be delays to short-haul flights until 13:00.

“Safety is always our over-riding priority,” said British Airways’ chief executive Willie Walsh.

“We have many years of experience of operating in areas of volcanic activity all around the world.

“On behalf of the tens of thousands of customers stranded around the globe, we are delighted the authorities have paid heed to the arguments we and the industry have put forward.”

Passengers holding tickets for British Airways flights can check the status of their departure here.

In a statement to passengers Virgin Atlantic stated the airline’s flying programme was returning to schedule.

“A small number of flights may have a delay as we reposition aircraft and crews,” explained the airline.

“We have to be cautious as we don’t know if UK airspace will close again but for the moment we are taking full advantage of the opportunity presented to us.”

Passengers can check the status of their flight here.

However, in an effort to repatriate passengers, Virgin stated it would not be accepting new bookings for any flight departing before April 30th.

Luton-based no-frills carrier easyJet confirmed it would also resume operations this morning, but explained delays were likely.

“Due to the extent of the disruption, it will take several days to resume normal operations and delays are likely,” explained the airline.

“Passengers booked on an easyJet flight tomorrow should go to TravelSor .com before travelling to the airport to find the latest status of their flight.”

Regional carrier bmi outlined plans to resume flights from London Heathrow at 12:00 today.

The airline also stated a limited schedule of flights will be operated from regional UK airports, with passengers advised to visit 99Flights.co.uk for travel updates and individual flight status.

“Safety is bmi’s number one priority and the decision to cancel flights is based on continuing advice from the UK Met Office and NATS (air traffic control), who are tracking a cloud of ash which is moving through UK airspace and affecting all airlines,” added a statement.

Jet2.com was warning passengers all bookings for today remained cancelled. However, the airline will return to operations, with passengers urged to rebook their flights with the airline.

Those who have existing tickets for departures today will see the cost of their rebooked flight refunded.

Take a look at the 99Flights.co.uk website for the latest departure information.

Around Europe

In Germany, Lufthansa will operate all long-haul flights from today. However, the flight plan for domestic and intra-European destinations will be gradually extended over the coming days.

As Frankfurt and Munich airports are still experiencing disruption, travellers with reservations for departures within Germany are advised to transfer to Deutsche Bahn to ensure connections are met.

“The planned flight operation depends on the current conditions,” read a statement.

“Lufthansa asks its passengers for their understanding, due the extraordinary circumstances short-term changes might be inevitable.”

Air France has issued a “guarantee” to passengers a near normal flight schedule will operate throughout its network today.

“Air France is doing all it can to help repatriate all its stranded passengers back to France and Europe,” added the airline.

Passengers can check the status of their departure here.

In the Netherlands, KLM will resume operations in a phased manner.

As such, the airline has begun to operate European flights into and out of Amsterdam, with all intercontinental flights expected to operate as normal today.

Resumption of normal schedules is expected in the next few days, with normal services to the United Kingdom expected from April 22nd.

Head over the website for the latest information.

BA, Ryanair, easyJet cancel departures

2010-04-20T21:54:00.000-07:00

Three of the biggest UK carriers have cancelled all short-haul departures until at least Wednesday morning, as the Icelandic ash cloud continues to spread.

While National Air Travel Services (NATS) had previously outlined hopes airspace over the United Kingdom may reopen later today, a second ash cloud is sweeping across the Atlantic, causing further disruption.

As a result, airlines across the country are reassessing their positions.

British Airways

Following the latest information from NATS about the path of the volcanic ash affecting UK airspace, British Airways has taken the decision not to operate any short-haul flights today.

The airline had been planning to operate short-haul flights scheduled to depart after 19:00 tonight, but these have now been cancelled.

“We realise this is disappointing for customers, however the circumstances are outside of all airlines’ control,” explained a statement.

“Customers booked to travel on a cancelled flight can claim a full refund or rebook their flight for a later date.”

The airline was still hoping to operate long-haul flights which are scheduled to depart after 16:00. This, however, remains subject to the full and permanent opening of airspace.

easyJet

Adopting a similar line, easyJet has confirmed it will not operate any flights in northern Europe until at least 01:00 on Wednesday April 21st.

“Safety is the airline’s top priority and we are working closely with regulators and the government to ensure we can resume flying as soon as possible,” read a statement.

The airline will continue to offer a limited number of flights in southern Europe, and passengers who are booked to travel with easyJet are advised to visit the company’s website before departure.

“Passengers who are booked to travel on a cancelled flight should not travel to the airport but should instead arrange either a full refund or a free transfer to another flight on the same route within 30 days of the original flight date through our website,” the airline added.

Ryanair

Ryanair also confirmed that, based on current meteorological forecasts and the continuing emission of volcanic ash into the atmosphere over Iceland, it has decided to cancel all flights until 13:00 on Wednesday.

Departures from the UK, Ireland, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Belgium, Holland, France, Germany, Poland and the Baltic States will be affected.

However, Ryanair flights from Spain, the Canary and Baleric islands, the south of Italy (including Pisa, Rome, Sardinia and Sicily), Malta and North Africa will continue to operate domestic and southbound routes.

“This spreading cloud of volcanic ash is unprecedented in Ryanair’s experience, and we are continuing to work around the clock to minimise its effects on our schedules and passengers,” explained chief executive Michael O’Leary.

Ash crisis latest: ban poised to be lifted

2010-04-19T21:43:00.000-07:00

The UK-wide flight ban is expected to be lifted as early as tomorrow morning, with Scottish airspace confirmed to reopen at 7am. Flights will then operate through night times in a bid to clear the huge backlog.

A statement confirm is expected later this afternoon but the news will come as a huge relief to the millions of travellers stranded abroad.

Pressure has been rising on European governments to end the ban which was introduced last Thursday. Transport Secretary Lord Adonis today said there had been a “dramatic decrease’” in the volcano’s activity, and hinted towards lifting the ban. “It may be possible to start opening some UK airspace tomorrow,” he said.

Scottish airspace will reopen first, followed by the Midlands around midday and London’s airports around 6pm.

Sources at Heathrow is quoted in the Daily Mail saying: “Every door of every terminal will be manned by police and airport security. Unless you have a print-out of a document which proves you are on a flight leaving on Tuesday night, you will not be allowed in the terminal.”

“Flights will operate through the night. The night restriction will therefore be lifted but there will be a slower rate of flights per hour – 25 flights per hour compared to the usual 50 flights per hour. There will be fewer flights taking off and fewer landing by half.”

In its latest update, the National Air Traffic Control Services (NATS) confirmed that Scottish airspace is due to reopen on Tuesday. It said flight restrictions will remain in place for most of the UK but could be lifted later on Tuesday if the situation continued to improve.

It added: “Assuming there are no further significant ash emissions, we are now looking at a continuously improving situation.

“This is a dynamic and changing situation and is therefore difficult to forecast beyond 0700 local.

“However, the latest Met Office advice is that the contaminated area will continue to move south with the possibility that restrictions to airspace above England and Wales, including the London area, may be lifted later tomorrow.”

BAA reacted to the latest announcement by issuing a statement that read: “The decision to lift airspace restrictions will be taken by others, and as things stand all flights remain suspended. When airports do open for business, we will continue to strongly advise passengers that they must check the status of their flight with airlines before travelling to airports.”

Thomas Cook says it is bringing long-haul customers back to European destinations, where it will be easier to transport them home. The first of these arrived from the Dominican Republic into Faro, Portugal yesterday and holidaymakers are being flown back to Alicante, Spain from Cancun today. These customers will be accommodated in local hotels while coaches and ferries are arranged for their onward journeys.

Ash update: chaos could reign for months

2010-04-18T21:40:00.000-07:00

Tens of thousands of airline passengers remain stranded around the world today as the volcanic dust cloud continues to ground virtually all flights across Northern Europe. UK airspace will remain closed till at least 1am Monday, with experts now warning that eruptions could continue for months.

The National Air Traffic Control Services (NATS) had earlier suggested UK airspace may have reopened on Saturday morning. But after consultation with the MET office, the British air traffic control service extended the no-fly period to Sunday morning, and in its latest update to Monday

“The volcanic ash cloud from Iceland is moving around and changing shape,” it said.

“Based on the latest information from the Met Office, Nats advises that the restrictions currently in place across UK controlled airspace will remain in place until at least 1am Monday.”

“We are looking for opportunities when the ash cloud moves sufficiently for us to make some airspace available within Scotland and Northern Ireland, which may enable some domestic flights to operate under individual coordination with air traffic control,” it added. “We will be coordinating this closely with airlines and airports.”

“There may be limited opportunity in Orkney and Shetland from 1900 (local time) for some flights to operate under individual coordination with ATC. However, it is most unlikely that many flights will operate today and anyone hoping to travel should contact their airline before travelling to the airport.”

European Disaster

Eurocontrol - the European air traffic control organisation - has warned flights could be disrupted into next week.

As many as 17,000 flights were cancelled over the weekend, with just 40 per cent of scheduled flights within the European Union taking to the air.

Airports in the Republic of Ireland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Belgium and the Netherlands have all been closed as airspace is shut down.

Travel alternatives

Ferry operators have reported record bookings. P&O took 6,000 foot passengers across the Channel on Friday compared to the 100 to 200 it would expect at this time of year.

Eurostar services were fully booked until tomorrow, with 50,000 more passengers than normal since the airspace closures on Thursday.

The grounding of all flights has already cost the British economy at least £920 million, with losses expected to rise at the rate of £230m for every day of further disruption.

The airline industry alone will have lost an estimated £520 million by the end of today, with losses of £130m for every day of disruption.

Iceland

Aviation experts have pointed to previous incidents where aircraft engines have become jammed when attempting to fly through clouds of volcanic ash.

In Iceland, volcanic ash continues to erupt from the Eyjaffjalljokull Mountain. Experts warn tiny particles of rock, glass and sand contained in the volcanic ash cloud could jam jet engines.

Einar Kjartansson, a geophysicist at the Icelandic Meteorological Office, explained: “It is likely the production of ash will continue at a comparable level for some days or weeks.

“But where it disrupts travel, that depends on the weather. It depends how the wind carries the ash.”

Airport operator BAA has advised travellers to remain at home, and contact airlines before heading to airports.

A statement read: “Following the latest advice from NATS, all flights to and from all BAA airports are suspended until 01:00 Monday at the earliest.

“Passengers due to fly today should not travel to these airports until further notice, and should remain in touch with their airlines.

Take a look here for the Breaking Travel News guide to alternative travel solutions.

BMI pins hopes on £100m restructure to thwart break-up

2010-04-16T22:04:00.000-07:00

BMI expects a major restructuring programme will halve losses this year, and save the airline from imminent break up.

The £100m plan aims to reverse the fortunes of the UK-based carrier, which suffered a £156m loss last year. It will include 800 redundancies, cutting the aircraft fleet by 10 and axing unprofitable routes.

In his first interview since taking the reigns at the airline last October, Wolfgang Prock-Schauer, said the airline would be kept as a going concern.

“We have no intention of breaking up BMI. It will be here to stay,” he told a delegation of reporters in London.

However he added that he could not rule out a possible sale of BMI, which is owned by Lufthansa, in the long-term due to the volatility of the aviation industry.
“To say now the door is shut forever would be not right because there are so many combinations going on,” he added.

“Right now, the focus is on restructuring and then we’ll see what kind of opportunities arise later. We want to create a valuable asset for the Lufthansa group and the owner can always then make the assessment of what to do with this asset.”

Plans on the table include increasing flights to continental Europe and North America, although this was only an option at this stage.

If there airline were to broken up, British Airways would be one of the front runners. BA chief executive, Willie Walsh, is particularly keen on BMI’s 10 per cent of the take-off a landing slots at Heathrow, the highest number of any airline after BA.

Virgin Atlantic has also expressed an interest, and has held regular talks with Lufthansa about the future of BMI.

However Prock-Schauer said no talks were taking place at present as the group focuses on restructuring.

Prock-Schauer confirmed that, BMI had sold a number of slots to other airlines in the Lufthansa group, which includes Brussels Airlines, Austrian Airlines and Swiss.

Korean Air posts record profits

2010-04-15T21:50:00.000-07:00

A resurgent Korean economy led by booming technology exports has helped the country’s largest carrier, Korean Air, post record first quarter sales and operating profits.

The airline also said it expects to beat its 2010 profit target due to rapidly-growing technology cargo, increased transit passenger numbers and plans to boost international routes.

Korean Air, the world’s largest commercial cargo carrier, posted operating profit for the first quarter of 220.2 billion won ($197.5 million) from 6.6 billion won year-on-year, and 154 billion won from the previous quarter.

“From next year, we will aggressively expand international routes by raising their frequency,” said Walter Cho, a senior vice president of Korean Air, after a conference with analysts. “Our supply will soar from next year, too.”

“The recovery of the local economy has played a role in increasing the number of overseas travellers headed for China and Southeast Asia as well as the Americas and Europe,” he added.

Cho also laid out plans to eat into the market of its biggest rival Singapore Airlines, the world’s second-most largest carrier by market value, by launching new routes to the Maldives and boosting the frequency of flights to Hawaii and Dubai.

The South Korean carrier will expand its fleet by 56 planes by 2016, costing an expected $10 billion.

Korean Air is upbeat about its 2010 outlook thanks to strong product shipments. South Korea maintained double-digit export growth in the first three months of this year.

UAE aviation bucks industry trend

2010-04-14T21:58:00.000-07:00

The United Arab Emirates General Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has confirmed a sharp increase in aviation traffic during the first quarter of 2010 – bucking wider industry trends.

The UAE saw 12 per cent growth in total air movements during the first quarter of 2010, with movements for the first three months of the year reaching 153,000.

This is compared to 137,000 during the same period last year, the authority said in a statement.

Saif Mohammad Al Suwaidi, director general of GCAA, said: “Air operations in the UAE saw significant growth in the first quarter of 2010.

“This highlights the success of the UAE in maintaining high level of stability amid the current conditions and challenges.

“Air traffic is a strong indicator of the UAE’s ability to maintain its advantages at all levels, which forms a strong ground for starting the development of policies that encourage manufacturing in civil aviation in the United Arab Emirates.”

The GCAA also announced average daily air traffic movements in March stood at 1,734, which represents an increase of 12.5 per cent when compared to the 1,542 air traffic movements in the same period last year.

GCAA’s monthly report for March also showed that total UAE air traffic movements were 53,750, an increase of almost 12.5 per cent when compared to March 2009.

African Connections

The GCAA also recently signed memorandum of understanding with the African Civil Aviation Commission (AFCAC) in Montreal, Canada.

Under the terms of the agreement, the GCAA, in cooperation with the Academy of Technical Training and the Gulf Centre for Aviation Studies, will offer training courses and grants to AFCAC member-states from 2010-12 to develop specialised human resources in civil aviation.

The memorandum, which is in line with GCAA’s strategic objective of strengthening international cooperation in civil aviation with various regional organisations, seeks to tackle human resource capacity building in Africa.

“We see a very strong strategic partnership with the AFCAC member states,” said Mr Mohammad Al Suwaidi.

“Qualified and specialised human resources have always been the key factors of excellence in the civil aviation industry and have played an essential role in promoting this industry within the national economy system,” he concluded.

BA strike dents BAA recovery

2010-04-14T00:19:00.000-07:00

The strike by British Airways cabin crew has led to a 1.5 percent slide in traffic at BAA’s six UK airports between February and March.

Passenger numbers in March fell to 8.2 million, with an estimated 200,000 passengers lost due to two bouts of industrial action by the flag carrier’s cabin crew.

Despite the strike, traffic at Heathrow year grew by 0.4 percent year-on-year, and BAA estimated this figure would have been nearer 4 percent were it not for the BA strike.

The airport operator also estimated that passenger numbers across its portfolio of airports would have grown 1 percent year-on-year.

BAA also estimated that passenger traffic across its airports would have grown by 1 per cent had the strikes not gone ahead.

Stansted, which was not affected by the strike, is still struggling to shrug off the effects of the downturn, registering a 4.2 percent decline in traffic on last year due to the short breaks leisure market remaining fragile.

BAA three Scotland’s airports – Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen – continue to suffer from the downturn, with the effects worsened by the BA strikes. Traffic fell 5.8 percent overall, with Glasgow down 9.6 percent, Edinburgh down 3.3 percent and Aberdeen down 4.4 percent.

Colin Matthews, chief executive of BAA, said: “There is no doubt that the market remains difficult, compounded by industrial action last month. Despite the industrial action, Heathrow continued to demonstrate its resilience which comes from its role as the UK’s only hub airport.”

European scheduled services across the group recorded a 0.1 percent increase and North Atlantic traffic was up by 1.7 percent. Other long haul traffic rose by 0.5 percent overall with services from Heathrow to China (up 10.9 percent), the Middle East (up 7.2 percent) and South America (up 6.8 percent) doing particularly well. Domestic traffic dropped 6.8 percent, largely as a result of the BA strike.
In March 2009 the Competition Commission ruled that BAA should sell three airports, including Gatwick and Stansted, to break up its ownership of seven UK airports.

Following the sale of Gatwick, BAA appealed against the decision which was upheld by the Competition Appeal Tribunal.

The Competition Commission is now deciding whether t

China Airlines celebrates inaugural non-stop London-Taipei flight

2010-04-12T00:00:00.000-07:00

China Airlines first ever passenger service from Taipei to London touched down at Heathrow last night at 17.05 GMT. The new route forms an historical link between the two countries as the first time that the UK has been connected by a non-stop service to Taiwan.
Carrying 276 passengers including China Airlines Chairman Philip Wei, President Hung Hsiung Sun and distinguished VIP guests, the A340-300 aircraft arrived to a water cannon salute and official welcome from BAA senior management.
Greeting passengers, VIP guests and media in London Heathrow’s Terminal 4 prior to the return flight from London to Taipei Taoyuan Airport at 21.15, Chairman Philip Wei presided over the official flight inauguration with a ribbon and cake cutting ceremony.
Addressing the guests he said “The latest addition to the China Airlines network highlights our commitment to the UK market, and our ongoing work to strengthen Taiwan’s position as one of Asia and the Pacific’s leading aviation hubs. China Airlines is proud to play a part in promoting further growth by adding the UK as our latest destination.”
The thrice-weekly flights departing Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday will be operated with an Airbus A340-300 aircraft, with 30 seats in business class and 246 in economy.
The addition of the London route sees China Airlines serve five European destinations in Europe, with a total of 21 flights per week between Taiwan and Europe.
The non-stop service to Taiwan will also offer new connections for passengers looking to travel to onward destinations including South East Asia, North East Asia, Indonesia, Australia and mainland China.

London tops European hospitality

2009-11-17T23:35:00.000-08:00

London has come out top in study into European hotel occupancy rates. The quarterly report by Deloitte proved grim reading, with revPAR rates across Europe down 19.2% over the past quarter to €58, with Glasgow and Edinburgh the only two cities to show positive occupancy growth.

London saw revPAR fall 7.6% in the year to September, but maintained the highest occupancy in Europe at 79.8%.

In the euro zone, hoteliers saw revPAR fall 16.8% as the strength of the Euro against Sterling deterred travellers to the traditional hotspots of Spain, France and Italy.

Of Europe’s top three holiday destinations, Spain was hit the hardest, due to a fall in the number of tourists from its major source markets, the UK, Germany and France. Spain has also met intensified competition from countries further east including Turkey, Tunisia, Egypt and Morocco. Spain’s two key cities, Barcelona and Madrid reported revPAR declines of 22.5% and 30.5% respectively.

Commenting, Alex Kyriakidis, Global Managing Partner of Tourism Hospitality & Leisure at Deloitte, said: “The past year has been one of turbulence for European hoteliers as the economic crisis has taken its toll. Soaring unemployment, the outbreak of the H1N1 influenza virus and the strength of the Euro against many world currencies has seriously impacted hotel performance in Europe.

“As many consumers chose the “staycation” over travelling abroad, and businesses tightened their purse strings on corporate travel - hotels, airlines and tour operators all saw a fall in performance and sales this year. Every city across the region reported declines in revPAR year-to-September, some hit more severely than others.”

In Germany, tourism is continuing to struggle due to a slowdown in trade fair business, stagnating leisure demand and an increase in hotel supply in a number of cities.

Dusseldorf saw the largest fall in revPAR, down 33.3%, while Hamburg, Berlin, Frankfurt and Cologne reported less severe declines.

In the non-euro zone, Prague reported some of the greatest revPAR falls year-to-September, plummeting 26.4% due to new openings during 2009, totalling more than 900 rooms, combined with a fall in the number of tourist arrivals.

Moscow’s growth decade also came to an abrupt halt this year when the economic downturn and decline in business demand drove occupancy down to 57.8%. Approximately US$60 was knocked off average room rates, resulting in a 30.5% decline in revPAR – the weakest performing city outside the euro zone. Like Prague, Moscow has seen a wave of new openings this year and according to Lodging Econometrics is one of the top five cities in Europe in terms of new hotel projects on the horizon, with eight new projects, equating to over 2,000 rooms to open next year.

Marvin Rust, Hospitality Managing Partner at Deloitte, said: “We are already seeing signs of economic recovery across Europe. Consumer confidence has started to improve as well as a number of countries including Germany, France, Greece and Portugal closing the door on the recession. It will be an uphill struggle for some months to come before hoteliers start to post positive results once more, however it looks like the worst may be over and the New Year should see a reversal of part of the revPAR declines seen in 2009.”

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Croatia plans world’s first revolving hotel

2009-11-01T21:32:00.001-08:00

UK architect Richard Hywel Evans of Studio RHE who specialize in holiday resort design, has designed the world’s first revolving hotel which will be built on Solta, a small island off the coast of Croatia.

The £70 million project, which is yet to be named, is due to be completed within two and half years. The rotating section of the hotel will spin very slowly on a turntable constructed in steel in separate sections at the huge Split shipyards which are located directly opposite the Solta Island. The hotel will have 50 suites.

Over the course of a day the three-story high section, which is 200 ft in diameter, will rotate 1.3 times in the middle of a purpose-built swimming lake. A static central hub, which is 72 ft across, will house the reception area.

Guests will arrive in the hotel through an underground entrance to the hub before going up in a lift and then walking along a walkway to their accommodation on the spinning section.

Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, Evans insisted the movement was so slow that guests would not be able to feel it. He said, “We believe this is a stunning example of how creative, exciting and bold design can and should be.”

The full development includes a new, 170-berth marina plus yachtclub and the resort will feature guest pavilions and villas as well as the hotel. The centrepiece hotel will be set in an infinity-edged swimming lake which cascades into a hillside spa below.