Airbus presses ahead with Sharklet development

Air New Zealand is expected to become the first customer to take delivery of a Sharklet equipped Airbus A320 by the end of the year.  Trials are currently taking place at the Airbus facility in Toulouse using their own development aircraft retrofitted with the kit.

The device cuts down on aerodynamic drag by helping reduce the spiral-shaped vortices that form at the wingtips of aircraft during flight.  Their introduction on the A320 is expected to result in at least 3.5% less fuel burn over longer sectors – with an annual CO2 reduction of some 700 tonnes.  They also should allow for less thrust to be used during takeoff when runway performance is not “limiting.”  In addition to their environmental benefits, Sharklets will provide aerodynamic improvements resulting in multiple performance advantages for operators.

Air New Zealand is the first customer for Sharklets, which are offered as options on new production A320-series aircraft.  The A320 will be the first model fitted with the devices, to be followed by other A320 Family members beginning in 2013.  Airbus has previously used a less efficient wingtip device and Boeing has fitted what it calls ‘blended winglets’ on the 737 since 2002. www.airbus.com

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Birmingham Airport runway extension work to start

Work will start this summer on an improvement scheme for the A45 trunk road which runs past Birmingham Airport (BHX) and will allow for a 405m runway extension.  When the work is fully completed in the spring of 2014 BHX will have operational a single 3000m long runway allowing for non-stop flights to Los Angeles and Hong Kong with the Airbus A380 and Boeing 777 and, for the future, Singapore by Airbus A350 and Boeing 787.

The runway extension works are currently estimated at £33m and will be funded by the airport.  It is making a further investment of £13m for the construction of a new air traffic control tower and radar system, which will be operational in 2013, and £9m in a resurfacing of the current runway.  BHX has a complex ownership arrangement: 49% – seven West Midland Metropolitan District Councils; 48.25% – Airport Group Investments Ltd (AGIL), a limited company owned by the Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (Teachers’) and Australia’s Victorian Funds Management Corp (VFMC); 2.75% – Airport staff, through an employee share trust.

The A45 Corridor Improvement works are funded by £10m by the West Midland Transport Authority, £7m from the airport, and potentially £15.7m through the Government’s Regional Growth Fund which is under negotiation. www.bhx.co.uk

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easyJet boost for the south of France

The Nice and the Rivera community really laid out the red carpet for easyJet last week as the carrier introduced new bases at both Nice itself and Toulouse.  The fact that the airline only now operates Airbus aircraft was a small factor in a welcome in which the local mayor called The Rivera “once a British colony”.  Hardly true but English is widely spoken and there is a warm welcome for the Anglos.

Carolyn McCall, easyJet Chief Executive, highlighted the airline’s impact in France since it opened its first base at Paris Orly in 2002.  She told a large audience of French and English media that last year the carrier showed a 19% increase, to over 12m passengers to and from, and within France, taking 12% of the total national air travel market.  easyJet now employs 800 staff in France and is the country’s largest domestic carrier.

From Nice the airline carried 2.4m passengers last year, about 25% of the airport’s throughput.  With the new routes about to be opened the airline will serve 23 destinations this summer.  At Toulouse it will operate 145 flights per week on 16 routes with a target of 1.6m travellers this year. www.easyjet.com

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Heathrow rail access problems

With the Great Western rail franchise replacement consultation open until 31 March, Richard Brown, Managing Director of North Star Consultancy, has highlighted the fact that any Heathrow mention is restricted to details of when the Connect stopping service will become Crossrail and acknowledgement that rail access to Heathrow from the West might be possible by 2020.  He says that the Heathrow Express could be downgraded to allow services on the fast lines to serve the Thames Valley.

With the end of the Heathrow Express track access agreement in sight (2023) and the 2030 vision of capacity, Mr Brown has some sympathy with the suggestion that Heathrow could be served by a 10 trains per hour Crossrail service to Central London.  But he asks “Can Crossrail become a proxy rail service for 6m travellers who use the Heathrow Express?”.  Crossrail trains are not designed for airline passengers with their luggage but commuters, a different type of passenger.

The paper also highlights the planned western access to Terminal 5 (Staines/Waterloo) has a very low priority with a link to Slough and Reading now on the agenda. www.northstarconsultancy.com

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Madrid gets a new airline

Iberia Express, Iberia’s new short- and medium-haul offspring, began operations yesterday (25 March) with flights between Madrid and Palma de Majorca, Alicante, Malaga, and Seville.  A total of 17 destinations will be served during the summer season, including Amsterdam, Dublin, Fuerteventura, Ibiza, Lanzarote, Minorca, Naples, Palma and Vigo.

The airline held a press conference in Madrid last Friday hosted by the Iberia CEO Rafael Sánchez-Lozano and Iberia Express CEO Luis Gallego.

The new unit is designed to restore profitability to short and medium haul routes, operating initially with four A320s on domestic and European routes.  A total of 14 A320s and a staff of 500 people is expected by year’s end.

At the press conference, Iberia CEO Rafael Sánchez-Lozano stressed that Iberia Express “will be a success story that adds value to the Iberia Group.  It will restore profitability to short and medium haul routes, add new destinations and connections, and feed traffic to the long haul network where Iberia is focusing its growth strategy.”

Iberia Express CEO Luis Gallego pointed out that “Iberia Express will have the best of Iberia and new attributes associated with the ‘express’ concept”.  The new airline will be managed independently, but will use Iberia’s maintenance and other services. www.iberiaexpress.com 

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Olympic worries by the airlines

The heads of the UK’s four major airlines have warned the British Government that there could be chaos at London's airports during this summer's Olympic Games, which would cause major embarrassment to the country unless a deal can be reached over their concerns.

In a blunt letter to the Department for Transport, British Airways, bmi, Virgin Atlantic and easyJet said time was running out to tackle the expected surge in air traffic and its impact.

According to the airlines’ bosses, failure to address their concerns could bring misery to millions of travellers including those coming to London for the world's biggest sporting event.

"As the situation currently stands the industry believes that there is a significant risk of severe delay and disruption at all of London's major airports unless urgent action is taken," they wrote in a letter to the Government.  "Time is running out to ensure that any changes to procedures and the appropriate training are in place prior to the Games."

The Civil Aviation Authority told a meeting of airline executives on Thursday that their call for their scheduled flights to be given priority over business jets and smaller aircraft would be difficult to execute and legally questionable. www.caa.co.uk

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TNT Express gobbled up by UPS

UPS, the US package delivery company, has agreed a deal to buy its European rival TNT Express for €5.1bn.  It is already the world's largest package delivery company.  Speculation has been rife of a tie-up between the two delivery companies.  UPS has been tracking TNT for some time and made an aborted bid in 2008.  The move would increase the American operator’s presence in Europe and would also give the US company a domestic network in China, where it has been keen to expand.

Last year the former TNT, Dutch-owned, was broken up into two distinct companies, TNT Express and the postal company PostNL.  

Scott Davis, UPS Chairman and CEO said that the TNT brand will eventually be dropped.  He intended to retain the Cologne-Bonn Airport operations as the main UPS air cargo hub in Europe.  The TNT Liege facility, which employs 1,400 people, will stay.  Currently TNT Express has fully owned operations in 65 countries.  Whilst for the most part traditional mail/post has declined, package delivery is booming, thanks to internet buying which has no real national barriers. www.ups.com

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Airbus and Boeing – the WTO’s verdict

Last week the World Trade Organisation (WTO) pronounced on the alleged subsidy row between Airbus and Boeing with both sides claiming victory.  AERBT, rather like all watchers of the air transport scene, was confused.  There is fierce competition between airlines and the suppliers of their aircraft.  Airlines seek fuel-efficient aircraft at the best price.  Thus, the Boeing/Airbus subsidies cases at the WTO matter greatly.  Clearly the only ones to benefit are the lawyers.  So we asked our tame legal experts to clarify.

Gates and Partners explain.

“The WTO examined both sides’ allegations and asked: was there a subsidy?  Was it “specific”?  Did specific subsidies cause “adverse effects” and what remedies apply?

The US alleged that the EU and France, Germany, Spain and the UK had subsidised Airbus over 300 times in 40 years.  The EU complained that the US had subsidised Boeing for up to US$19.1bn between 1989 and 2006.

The WTO Panel in both cases partly upheld and partly dismissed the two sides’ complaints.  The Appellate Body upheld key Panel findings and dismissed others.  There is a sense that Airbus has edged a narrow victory at the WTO, complementing its recent lead over Boeing in orders and deliveries.” www.gatesandpartners.com

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Belfast City Airport withdraws runway extension plan

A planning application by George Best Belfast City Airport for a 590m runway extension has been withdrawn by the airport authority.  In a statement on Friday (23 March), the airport's Chief Executive Brian Ambrose said that some of the information in the original plan was "out-dated".

"As the planning process relating to the runway application is now in its fourth year and some of the information contained within is now out-dated given our current operations, we have taken the decision to withdraw the current application.

Our shareholder has therefore reprioritised capital expenditure within its extensive portfolio.

Re-submitting the runway application in the future remains an option as the airport reviews its operations on an on-going basis.”

The cancellation of the present application is seen as a victory by certain local groups and is likely to be welcomed by Belfast International Airport, the longer runway at the George Best seen as a challenge, with numbers at the former Aldergrove now declined by over one million since its record 5.272m in 2007. www.belfastcityairport.com

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City of London mid-range hotel

Apex Hotels has added a third property in the City of London.  The Apex Temple Court is situated at 1-2 Serjeants’ Inn, Fleet Street, London EC4Y 1LL, a boutique hotel offering 184 rooms centred around an outdoor courtyard.  It is on land actually owned by the Inner Temple.  Deluxe, Junior Suites and Master Suites boast 3D HD TVs with dedicated Sky boxes and the hotel also offers complimentary wi-fi and free local calls.  All these grades have the availability of a Club Lounge, available 24 hours a day.  There is also a small gym.  The hotel is a very short walk from City Thameslink Station with regular fast services to Gatwick (40 minutes).

The Apex Temple Court joins the Apex London Wall in Copthall Avenue, near Moorgate, with just 89 rooms, and the Apex City of London hotel in Seething Lane, close to Fenchurch Street Station, offering 179 rooms.  All the properties are 4-star and mid-range in price. www.apexhotels.co.uk

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Gatwick adds to Milan

New for the vastly invigorated and improved Gatwick Airport at the start of the summer schedules yesterday (Sunday 25 March) are flights to Milan (Malpensa) by Air One.  AERBT reported on BA changes last week.

Part of the Alitalia Group since January 2009 the airline has introduced twice daily flight services to what is Milan’s long haul and low-cost airport located about 25 miles outside the city.  The carrier operates single class Airbus A320 aircraft but sells the first three rows with pre-selected seats, and also those by the emergency exists. 

It will have plenty of competition with both easyJet and Monarch established on the route although easyJet also offers the Milan city centre airport of Linate. www.flyairone.com www.monarch.co.uk

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Kenya Airways to New Delhi

New Delhi, capital of India, is to be Kenya Airways newest destination starting 15 May 2012.  The much anticipated service from Nairobi marks Kenya Airways 57th global destination and 2nd in the Indian subcontinent.

The airline will operate the eight-hour flight four times a week with a two-class Boeing 767-300.

The new route highlights Kenya Airways ambitious growth plans, according to Dr Titus Naikuni, Chief Executive Officer.  "New Delhi is the second city after Mumbai that we will be flying to India, we intend to open four more destinations in the sub-continent as part of our 10-year expansion strategy."

Dr Naikuni noted that the destination has great business prospects as New Delhi is one of the largest cities in India, and the most preferred city in terms of information technology, investments, healthcare and government relations.

India is Kenya's sixth largest trading partner, with a vast business presence in the country.  Recently, Kenya-India relations have improved, buoyed by increasing bilateral trade that hit US$4.8bn in 2010/2011. www.kenya-airways.com

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Nice Airport booms

With a throughput of 10m passengers last year, and now firmly established as the number three French airport, after CDG and Orly, Nice Côte d’Azur (NCE) is embarking on a major terminal development programme.  This is not due to be completed until 2019.  Also underway nearby is an 80,000 sq m convention centre, linked and inland from the airport’s railway station.  With two parallel runways (but not operational at the same time) NCE has no airspace congestion problems and claims to be Europe’s third busiest executive jet operation, this time after Le Bourget and Geneva.

In addition to increased flight schedules the airport has introduced a number of new initiatives designed to improve the passenger airport experience.  Among these is a free new iphone application, which was launched in December and provides customers with up-to-date news on flight status and helpful telephone numbers for the airport’s public services.

Proving very popular is the scheduled helicopter link to both Monaco and Cannes (and St Tropez in the peak summer months).  The airport says that it now hosts 59 airlines connecting to 105 destinations including Delta to New York (summer only), Emirates to Dubai, Aeroflot to Moscow and Ukraine International Airlines to Kiev. www.nice.aeroport.fr

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Ryanair in safety probe

Whilst Ryanair is always very conscious of its safety requirements it is under scrutiny for the way it allocates passenger seating.  Passengers are now charged an extra £10 for the first four rows and using the seats amidships by the emergency doors over the wings.  However if these are not taken people seated the next closest position to the escape routes are briefed on how to operate the doors.  They could be several rows away.

The issue has been raised both by the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) and the British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA).  The UK CAA said that the issue was a "grey area" and has asked for clarification.

Stephen McNamara, Head of Communications at Ryanair said: “We do not believe this to be an issue as all Ryanair passengers are provided with the same safety and evacuation information.  We will continue to discuss the matter with the IAA.”

Ryanair has for a long time on lightly loaded flights cordoned off sections of the aircraft, not thought to be a technical requirement but possibly due to load-factor massaging.  With most carriers passengers are usually allowed to spread themselves out when aircraft are not busy. www.ryanair.com

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AND FINALLY: A Travel joke

An Englishman, a Scotsman, an Irishman, a Welshman, a Latvian, a Turk, a German, an Indian, several Americans (including a southerner, a New Englander and a Californian), an Argentinean, a Dane, an Australian, a Slovakian, an Egyptian, a Japanese, a Moroccan, a Frenchman, a New Zealander, a Spaniard, a Russian, a Guatemalan, a Colombian, a Pakistani, a Malaysian, a Croatian, an Uzbek, a Cypriot, a Pole, a Lithuanian, a Chinese, a Sri Lankan, a Lebanese, a Cayman Islander, a Ugandan, a Vietnamese, a Korean, a Uruguayan, a Czech, an Icelander, a Mexican, a Finn, a Honduran, a Panamanian, an Andorran, an Israeli, a Venezuelan, a Fijian, a Peruvian, an Estonian, a Brazilian, a Portuguese, a Liechtensteiner, a Mongolian, a Hungarian, a Canadian, a Moldovan, a Haitian, a Norfolk Islander, a Macedonian, a Bolivian, a Cook Islander, a Tajikistani, a Samoan, an Armenian, an Aruban, an Albanian, a Greenlander, a Micronesian, a Virgin Islander, a Georgian, a Bahamian, a Belarusian, a Cuban, a Tongan, a Cambodian, a Qatari, an Azerbaijani, a Romanian, a Chilean, a Kyrgyzstani, a Jamaican, a Filipino, a Ukrainian, a Dutchman, an Ecuadorian, a Costa Rican, a Swede, a Bulgarian, a Serb, a Swiss, a Greek, a Belgian, a Singaporean, an Italian, a Norwegian and 47 Africans walk into a fine restaurant ...
 
"I'm sorry," says the maître d' – scrutinizing the group one by one and barring their entrance - "you can't come in here without a Thai."

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