12 DECEMBER 2016
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- COMMENT: Quick quick Qantas
- Another step for St Helena
- Big US expansion for Air Canada
- Bombardier CSeries and London City
- Business Travel Show 2017
- Carbon-neutral Manchester
- Cargo surge at Heathrow
- Dublin – Munich increase
- Gate 8 cabin bag solution
- Happy new year for Iberia
- Heathrow Clubhouse upgrade
- Leeds celebration for BA
- London debut for Lalit
- Marriott keeps on growing
- More US from Norwegian
- New routes pledge for Southend
- Qatar joins Dublin line-up
- Row over China visas
- Sustainable Aviation at Parliament
- Tim Clark at the Aviation Club
- Virgin US takeover approved
- ON TOUR: AfBAC 2016
- AND FINALLY: Quiz preview
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Cargo surge at Heathrow
In a result attributed to the go-ahead for its third runway, Heathrow has reported a 7% surge in cargo volumes for October. The announcement noted that Heathrow is Britain’s largest port, accounting for almost 30% of all UK exports by value outside the EU last year.
Happy new year for Iberia
New destinations, more capacity on some long-haul routes and the launch of a Premium Economy product are in the offering for Iberia in summer 2017. The airline is also making changes to its operational model on other routes.
London debut for Lalit
The former St Olave’s Grammar School in Tooley Street, housed in a 180-year-old Grade II listed neo-baroque building, is reopening soon as a luxury 5-star boutique hotel and the first overseas property for the Lalit Suri Group.
COMMENT: Quick quick Qantas
Yesterday (Sunday 11 December), Qantas announced it is to launch non-stop service between Perth and London from March 2018 using a 236-seat Dreamliner. This is clearly good news for those with interests at either end of the route.
Bombardier CSeries and London City
Following a series of test flights at its Wichita facility, Bombardier plans to bring one of its CS100 development aircraft to London City Airport (LCY) in the first quarter of 2017. A requirement of operations at LCY is a steep (5deg) approach in order to meet noise regulations specific to the airport with its short 1,199m runway.
Business Travel Show 2017
Billed as Europe’s largest specialised exhibition and conference for industry buyers and managers, the 2017 Business Travel Show is on track to open its doors at Olympia, London, on 22-23 February, with organisers already setting the scene by revealing new statistics about the sector.
Dublin – Munich increase
In a busy month for Dublin Airport, officials have welcomed an announcement from Lufthansa that the airline will almost double services on its Dublin – Munich route next summer. The carrier, currently with a year-round daily service, will fly 13 times a week from the end of March.
Heathrow Clubhouse upgrade
An update for the Heathrow Clubhouse in Terminal 3 has been announced by Virgin Atlantic to mark the 10th anniversary next year of the lounge opening. The airline says the refurbishment will be completed by spring but the facility will remain open meanwhile.
Marriott keeps on growing
Two divisions of Marriott International are continuing the hotel group’s expansion, led by the Luxury Collection, which has signed five flagship properties for the brand including the Wellesley and the Westbury in London.
New routes pledge for Southend
The Stobart Group has responded to the end of negotiations with CityJet over possible collaboration by announcing it will launch flights from Southend Airport to up to 18 new destinations next summer.
Qatar joins Dublin line-up
Daily non-stop flights between Dublin and Doha from 12 June next year are being launched by Qatar Airways using the Boeing B787 Dreamliner aircraft in a 254-seat configuration, with 22 seats in Business Class and 232 in Economy.
Sustainable Aviation at Parliament
Analysis by Sustainable Aviation has shown that aviation in the UK can accommodate a more than doubling of passenger numbers by 2050 without significantly increasing CO2 emissions, and has the potential to halve emissions in the future.
Tim Clark at the Aviation Club
Emirates expects to roll out a new Premium Economy product within the next year to 18 months, the airline’s president, Sir Tim Clark, said at the Aviation Club Christmas lunch last week.
ON TOUR: AfBAC 2016
Jane Stanbury of Emerald Media finds innovation taking centre stage at the first African Business Aviation Conference
AND FINALLY: Quiz preview
The Christmas Quiz 2016
This is just a preview. Our tame reseacher, Rod Simpson, has been through his files to come up with some images that are easy, and others less so. The idea is to have fun even if you don't submit an entry. But we've got some super prizes, including a night at the splendid Amba Charing Cross Hotel, and the book to commemorate the 150 years of the Royal Aeronautical Society, 'Delivering the Dream'.
This year we are giving clues too.
Funny place to put the engines on this business jet! Or maybe it’s just a fast car?
Click the Read full article below for the answer.
Another step for St Helena
Moves to bring the new airport on St Helena into service have taken another step forward with the arrival of an Embraer ERJ 190-100 operated by Embraer Commercial Aviation on a non-commercial trial and demonstration flight.
Big US expansion for Air Canada
Six new non-stop US services are to be launched by Air Canada from next spring. They include flights from San Antonio, Memphis and Savannah to Toronto, Dallas-Fort Worth to Montreal, and Denver to Vancouver. In addition, the existing winter-only service between Phoenix and Vancouver will now operate year-round.
Carbon-neutral Manchester
Manchester Airport has become the first in the UK to be awarded Level 3+ carbon-neutral status in the Airport Carbon Accreditation programme run by the Airports Council International (ACI). A commemorative certificate was handed over by ACI Europe director-general Olivier Jankovec at a meeting at the airport with CEO Ken O’Toole to celebrate the achievement.
Gate 8 cabin bag solution
A company set up to ease frustrations felt by business travellers, particularly over luggage, has produced the world’s first carry-on hybrid cabin bag with detachable laptop case.
Leeds celebration for BA
A celebration to mark four years of operations at Leeds Bradford Airport was held by British Airways on Friday with the news that more than half a million customers have flown to London and beyond from the heart of Yorkshire.
More US from Norwegian
A 55% increase in flights from 22 to 34 a week from Gatwick to the US from next summer is on the way from Norwegian, which says it has more than doubled its long-haul passenger numbers from the airport in the past year.
Row over China visas
The year-long delay announced by the government in introducing a 10-year visa for Chinese visitors to the UK was heavily criticised last week by the International Airlines Group (IAG). The company said the plan, announced in October 2015 during the Chinese state visit to the UK, would drive business and create jobs. The delay was “a missed opportunity”.
Virgin US takeover approved
Alaska Air has won approval from the US Department of Justice for its takeover of Virgin America in a $2.6bn cash deal to boost its operation on the US West Coast and offer more competition to larger airlines.