9 JULY 2018
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- COMMENT: The regions need air action now!
- Flights to Moscow (via Doha)
- A whale of a plane
- Air transport at Westminster
- Airport charges under fire
- Big Flypast - Tuesday
- Boeing-Embraer link-up
- Brady wins Stobart war
- Carbon coup for Farnborough
- CityFlyer recruitment drive
- Delta B777 upgrade
- Enter the new flybmi
- Ethiopian celebrates
- Hypersonic in the spotlight
- Level takes off in Paris
- Loganair in Flybe row
- New Star Alliance lounge for Rome
- Noise problem 'improving' says Sustainable Aviation
- Oman Dreamliner arrives
- Reshuffle at Etihad
- Ryanair strike threat
- TAP's new baby on tour
- Travelodge adds a Plus
- ON TOUR: The RAF Museum
- JULY ROAD TEST: Toyota Prius
- AND FINALLY: Achieving the impossible
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Loganair in Flybe row
A pre-tax loss of £9m for fiscal 2017-18 after 17 consecutive years of profit was reported by Loganair last week.
The company said the end of its franchise agreement with Flybe had been a “major factor”.
Oman Dreamliner arrives
The latest aircraft to join the Oman Air fleet, a Boeing B787-9 Dreamliner with new First Class private suites, has begun serving the Muscat – Heathrow route.
It is one of three Dreamliners to be received this year as part of fleet and network expansion.
COMMENT: The regions need air action now!
Aviation minister Baroness Sugg spoke enthusiastically to the industry last week regarding the great Parliamentary support for Heathrow’s new runway. (See "Air transport at Westminster in this issue).
What she failed to say is that R3, according to the airport, will not be available until 2026.
Flights to Moscow (via Doha)
As the FIFA World Cup 2022 sponsor, Qatar Airways points out travellers wishing to go to Moscow for Wednesday's match can go from Cardiff, Gatwick, Heathrow, Birmingham and Manchester airports via Doha. And English fans from Dublin and Edinburgh too with the A350 replacing a Dreamliner on Scottish capital's route. If you have a match ticket, a Russian visa is not required.
Air transport at Westminster
Gavin Shuker, Labour MP for Luton South, hosted this year’s annual aviation reception at the House of Commons. Supporting the event were ABTA, Airlines UK, AOA, BAR-UK, IATA and Sustainable Aviation (see in this week’s issue).
Airport charges under fire
Charges imposed on drivers by airports for dropping off or collecting passengers are extortionate, the RAC said last week. More than half of the UK airports have increased their charges since this time last year, it added.
Big Flypast - Tuesday
Historic aircraft, including Spitfires and the Red Arrows, will form part of the largest concentration of military aircraft seen over the capital in recent memory tomorrow, Tuesday 10 July. The formation is due to pass over Buckingham Palace at 13:00 BST and Heathrow ten minutes later. See also ON TOUR in this issue 'RAF Hendon'.
Boeing-Embraer link-up
Within days of Airbus formally purchasing Bombardier's C Series product (See BTN 11 June 2018), Boeing and Embraer have signed a Memorandum of Understanding for a strategic partnership to accelerate both companies’ growth in global aerospace markets.
Brady wins Stobart war
According to The Sunday Times, Stobart Group chairman Iain Ferguson and chief executive Warwick Brady, the former number two at easyJet, have emerged the winners following a fierce power struggle at the industrial and aviation group.
Delta B777 upgrade
A full-fleet interior renovation of its Boeing B777 aircraft is under way at Delta Air Lines, with the first refreshed B777-200ER taking flight from Detroit to Beijing with new award-winning Delta One suites.
Hypersonic in the spotlight
Among many highlights of the week-long 2018 Farnborough Airshow, which starts next Monday, 16 July, will be Boeing’s plan for a new hypersonic aircraft that the company says will enable passengers to fly from Europe to Australia in 5hr.
Reshuffle at Etihad
A new organisational structure and operating model, effective immediately, has been announced by the Etihad Aviation Group in a move the company says is designed to “deliver on its mandate” for next phase of its transformation.
Travelodge adds a Plus
Money-conscious travellers seeking more style and choice than available in the average budget hotel are being wooed by a new Travelodge format called Travelodge Plus.
ON TOUR: The RAF Museum
One of London’s top aviation attractions has been given a £26m new look. Richard Cawthorne went to explore.
JULY ROAD TEST: Toyota Prius
Now in its fourth generation Toyota Prius has “quietly” established itself as one of the great cars of all time.
AND FINALLY: Achieving the impossible
A new deal on inflight catering has allowed Air New Zealand to announce it has achieved the impossible.
A whale of a plane
The latest version of the Beluga transport used by Airbus to carry aircraft components has been unveiled in Toulouse with a special livery with a whale-style nose, blue eyes and a big smile.
Carbon coup for Farnborough
Business aviation hub Farnborough Airport has become the first of its kind in the world to be awarded carbon-neutral status under the Airport Carbon Accreditation scheme run by the Airports Council International Europe (ACI).
CityFlyer recruitment drive
Growth in its London City Airport schedule and increased flying from Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Stansted and Edinburgh airports this year has led British Airways to launch a recruitment campaign for experienced pilots for its regional operation BA CityFlyer.
Enter the new flybmi
A rebrand and newly-redesigned website with a visually-rich layout optimised for mobile usage and aiming to offer a more customer-friendly platform have both been launched by bmi, which will now be known as flybmi.
Ethiopian celebrates
The Great Conservatory in London’s Syon Park, right under the Heathrow flight path, was an appropriate setting last week for an Ethiopian Airlines anniversary dinner to celebrate 45 years of operating from the UK.
Level takes off in Paris
The inaugural French flight of International Airlines Group’s long-haul, low-cost airline brand Level arrived in Montreal from Paris last week with more than 300 passengers on board a new Airbus A330-200 aircraft.
New Star Alliance lounge for Rome
A rush of recent activity on the airport lounge front has seen a new facility for premium passengers travelling from Rome in the shape of a new Star Alliance Lounge for eligible First and Business Class passengers and Gold Card holders.
Noise problem 'improving' says Sustainable Aviation
The number of people in the UK impacted by aircraft noise has reduced by more than 12,000 over the past five years despite a 13% rise in passenger numbers, according to new evidence from the Sustainable Aviation group.
Ryanair strike threat
A 24hr strike next Thursday, 12 July, and possible further action by Ryanair pilots over concerns about transfers between European and African bases and seniority agreements were still threatened last night.
TAP's new baby on tour
The new Airbus A330-900neo that will be delivered to launch customer TAP Air Portugal later this summer completed a world tour at the weekend after visiting 15 major airports on five continents to conduct 150 hours of flight tests.