17 FEBRUARY 2020
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- COMMENT: Who owns the Heathrow slots?
- BTN at the Business Travel Show
- ABTA calls for wider APD reform
- Air Italy goes out of business
- Airbus unveils Maveric model
- Airfields handed £2m support package
- American, Alaska in new link-up
- BA South Africa launch 'coincidence'
- Bombardier leaves A220 programme
- Cape Town rejoins Virgin network
- Carbon emissions in spotlight for ERA
- Duxford Air Festival VE Day focus
- El Al returns to Stansted
- Ethiopian marks a year in the North
- Gibraltar update
- Heathrow warning on growth of Paris
- Newquay – Heathrow
- Oman greets Royal Tulip Muscat
- Project Sunrise moves closer
- Routes Europe heads to Poland
- Twin Otter anniversary time
- World Aviation Festival takes shape
- ON TOUR: The Adriatic coast of Italy
- AND FINALLY: Every cloud…
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COMMENT: Who owns the Heathrow slots?
The ownership of the Heathrow (LHR) slots has been brought into sharp focus by Flybe dropping both Newquay and Guernsey to Heathrow for the summer season, as reported by BTN last week.
Air Italy goes out of business
Indications of a shareholder rift at Air Italy emerged last week as the Qatar Airways-backed carrier said it was suspending operations from 25 February and was entering liquidation.
Airfields handed £2m support package
A £2m package to support airfields, help general aviation businesses to grow and support science and engineering training to workforces is being launched by the government this spring.
American, Alaska in new link-up
A new US West Coast international alliance between American Airlines and Alaska Airlines was announced last week with both carriers promising major benefits for passengers as a result.
BA South Africa launch 'coincidence'
In what at least one industry commentator called “an amazing coincidence”, British Airways last week, a day after Virgin Atlantic announced its new route to Cape Town, (see this issue), said it was launching an extra service of its own to the South African capital (below).
Bombardier leaves A220 programme
The company that produced the CSeries, now known as the A220, Bombardier of Canada, relinquished its interest last week after Airbus increased its share in the programme to 75%.
Cape Town rejoins Virgin network
A new, daily seasonal service between Heathrow and Cape Town is being launched by Virgin Atlantic next winter, followed closely by British Airways (see this issue).
El Al returns to Stansted
A five-times-a-week service between Stansted and Tel Aviv Ben Gurion International Airport is being launched this summer by El Al Israel Airlines. The carrier last operated scheduled services from Stansted in 2009.
Heathrow warning on growth of Paris
A stark warning of the dangers of the UK falling behind other airports in the race to offer the best connections to global markets was sounded last week by Heathrow CEO John Holland-Kaye.
Newquay – Heathrow
Confusion over the actions of Flybe (BTN 25 November 2019) and the future of flights between Newquay and London was partially resolved last week after British Airways stepped in on the Heathrow service.
Project Sunrise moves closer
The world’s longest non-stop flights moved a step closer at the weekend amid Australian media reports based on an emailed internal memo that Qantas is preparing to go ahead with Project Sunrise but at the cost of a possible union confrontation.
World Aviation Festival takes shape
Forward planning has begun for the 2020 World Aviation Festival taking place from 23–25 September at ExCeL, London. Organised by Terrapinn, the event is claimed to be the No 1 world gathering of its kind.
AND FINALLY: Every cloud…
Proving every cloud does have a silver lining, the recent bad weather has produced some new flying feats, as reported by Aviation Week.
ABTA calls for wider APD reform
A “meaningful reform” of Air Passenger Duty (APD) to maintain the UK’s global competitiveness and support the country’s net zero carbon emissions target by 2050 was called for last week by ABTA.
Airbus unveils Maveric model
A scale model technological demonstrator of a new aircraft design that is claimed to have the potential to reduce fuel consumption by up to 20% compared to current single-aisle aircraft was unveiled last week by Airbus.
Carbon emissions in spotlight for ERA
The means by which the aviation industry can work together to promote its efforts to continue to reduce its carbon footprint will be a key topic for discussion at this year’s European Regions Airline Association (ERA) conference in Malta next month.
Duxford Air Festival VE Day focus
Fast flying action and special events to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day will be features of this year’s Duxford Air Festival over the bank holiday weekend of 23–24 May.
Ethiopian marks a year in the North
Saying it with flowers last week just in time for St Valentine’s Day, Ethiopian Airlines marked its one-year anniversary of flights from Manchester by donating Ethiopian rose bushes and blooms to three iconic gardens across the North of England.
Oman greets Royal Tulip Muscat
A new 5-star property in Oman, the Royal Tulip Muscat Hotel (below), has opened under the auspices of the Al Kalbani Group. Managed by the Louvre Hotels Group, it boasts a modern design and convenient location in the Al Ghubrah neighbourhood.
Routes Europe heads to Poland
Poland’s third-largest city, Lodz, has been selected to host the Routes Europe 2021 development forum on 26–28 April next year at the Expo-Lodz convention centre. The event will be hosted by Lodz Airport and Poland’s Air Navigation Services agency and Civil Aviation Authority.
Twin Otter anniversary time
The 10th anniversary of the first flight of the reborn Series 400 Twin Otter was being celebrated yesterday, Sunday, by the current manufacturer, Viking Air of British Columbia (Canada).