18 JULY 2022
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David Learmount is a former RAF pilot and long time expert with Flight International. His words are worthwhile taking in.
South African Airlink is adding Johannesburg to the iconic tourism destination in Zimbabwe from 15 August.
Last night (17 July) the air transport world assembled in the (air conditioned) Great Hall of the The Honourable Artillery Company in the City of London to learn who the Airline Business judges had selected for the 2022 awards.
The premier award, for outstanding leadership, went to Tewolde GebreMariam, CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, who has stepped down after 37 years of service building the airline up to be the leading air carrier in Africa.
Still a member of the interim Cabinet, although not now considered a Johnson loyalist, Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps chose yesterday (Sunday 17 July) to publish a new Aviation Passenger Charter, developed by Government, industry, consumer and disability groups in partnership, outlining what passengers can expect if confronted with flight delays and cancellations this summer.
BA is having to cancel a “small number” of additional services from Heathrow after the airport told carriers to stop selling flights for this summer.
Once again the problems associated with two languages being allowed for inflight aircraft handling have been highlighted with a very serious near-miss at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport on 23 May, just made public.
The Peel Group, owners of both Doncaster (DSA) and Liverpool (LPL) airports, has put out a statement concerning the future of the Yorkshire operation. The airport sights the very short notice of the British-registered but Hungarian-based airline Wizz Air to discontinue services.
On Tuesday (12 July) Heathrow introduced a daily cap on passenger numbers for the remainder of the summer. It limited passengers to 100,000 a day – a reduction of 4,000 a day on current numbers. All airlines are affected.
The European Commission’s proposal to finally reinstate standard airport slot usage rules for the upcoming winter 2022/23 season has not been universally embraced by the aviation community.
Only weeks after resuming operations, flybe has been forced to cancel hundreds of flights between 28 July and 29 October, citing a shortage of available aircraft from lessors.
A British company has partnered with New York based jetBlue Airways to reduce queues for international flights.
Frontier Airlines has announced that it will no longer raise its bid to purchase Spirit Airlines, possibly opening the door for JetBlue Airways to finalize the takeover of the low-cost carrier. Frontier’s CEO also stated that the airline’s revised merger agreement from the previous month would be their best and final offer.
A trendy Shoreditch was the venue for a major Virgin Atlantic launch party last week for a serious upgrade for its new A330 neos. October will see the aircraft in service on the Boston route.
Helsinki may be as far north as Anchorage but on a balmy summer’s day you would not know it.
The CitizenM hotel in Vauxhall Bridge Road just by Victoria Station, London, has opened. A 4-star property in a superb location it has been well received, and is competitively priced.
The 22nd Commonwealth Games is fast approaching, 28 July−8 August. With its usual sense of timing the RMT transport trade union has called for a rail strike on 27 July which will cause chaos before this major international event.
Today (18 July) the world of aerospace, both civil and military, come together talking to customers and politicians at Farnborough. There will be announcements galore.
BTN has learnt that whilst the public assumes the current delays and cancellations at Heathrow appear to be the airlines/airports’ fault, this is not always the case.
Saudi Arabia said it would open its airspace to all air carriers, paving the way for more overflights to and from Israel, in a decision welcomed by US President Joe Biden who visited the kingdom on Friday.
A consultation on plans to expand the Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) to cover almost the whole of the capital from 29 August 2023 has been launched and highlighted by the Editor-in-Chief’s local MP (Harrow East) Bob Blackman.
There will be a change of operators for the helicopter service between Penzance and the Isles of Scillies in November.
With Prime Minister Boris Johnson visiting RAF Coningsby at Lincolnshire at the same time the real Top Gun was a VVIP guest at the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) yesterday – meeting top brass, chatting with RAF air cadets and meeting the Red Arrows.
Alison Chambers reports.