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More airlines arriving on time in 2011

Wednesday, February 15th, 2012

Figures released by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics show that US airlines had one of their best years on record for landing and taking off on time in 2011. Although slightly less than 2010’s 79.8 per cent, US carriers were at the gates within the permissible 15 minutes 79.6 per cent of the time.

During December, the on-time rate was 84.4 per cent which is the highest it has ever been for 17 years. Only 0.8 per cent of services were cancelled during the month. In 2010 3.7 per cent of flights were cancelled in December and the on time rate dipped to 72 per cent.

During 2011, the mishandled baggage rate fell to the lowest since records began to 3.39 per 1,000 airline passengers. The year before the figure was 3.51 per 1,000. The number of passengers being bumped from flights was also at the lowest level since 2002 with 0.81 per 10,000 compared to 2010 when the figure was 1.09 per 10,000 passengers.

However, even though the statistics were some of the best since records began, the Transportation Department said that it received three per cent more complaints from passengers than the year before. Analysts are attributing this to the fact that there were fewer services and planes tended to be more crowded.

According to AirInsight.com’s Addison Schonland, the airlines were flying much busier services in 2011 than many passengers would normally be used to and there were more constraints.

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United Nations to intervene on EU carbon scheme

Monday, February 13th, 2012

The United Nations has been called upon by the International Air Transport Association to intervene between the European Union and airlines over its controversial Emissions Trading Scheme. The move comes after China has told its airlines that they will not be allowed to participate. India, Canada and the US are just some of the other countries which have voiced their disapproval over a tax on carbon emissions levied on any airline flying in or out of European airports.

According to IATA, if there is no resolution soon, then the scheme could damage everyone involved. Director General of IATA, Tony Tyler, said he hoped that the UN could come up with a resolution before the situation descended into a possible trade war.

At the end of last year the US and Canada approached the European Court of Justice over the matter, but were told that the emissions scheme was legal. They claimed that it contravened international aviation and climate change pacts.

According to China, the ETS will mean that its airlines will have to come up with an additional 95 million euros every year to cover the costs. Mr Tyler said that it was the job of the International Civil Aviation Organisation to find a solution. He admitted that it might take time but that it was the right route to follow and would deliver a definitive answer.

He also asked for the EU’s cooperation on dealing with the ICAO to resolve the issue.

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Airlines told to check their A380s for cracks

Friday, February 10th, 2012

Airlines operating that giant of the skies, the Airbus A380, have been told by safety officials in Europe that they must carry out checks on the wings of all planes amid fears that cracks which have appeared on some of the superjumbos could lead to safety issues. Korean Air and Qantas will now conduct inspections even though they had previously been told that checks were not urgent.

Following a flight from London, Qantas said that it had already found 36 separate cracks in a wing and has grounded the A380 for at least a week. Singapore Airlines said that it was continuing to make precautionary checks on its fleet and has found the problem on at least eight of its planes which have needed to be repaired.

Qantas said that although the issue was being well publicised it had seen no hint that passengers were being put off flying on the superjumbo and that the A380 was still its most popular passenger jet.

According to the European Air Safety Agency, if the problem is not remedied then there is a chance that it could develop into a safety hazard. Aviation experts generally admit that the cracks are currently a minor problem. However, what is worrying is that there is an issue at all with an aircraft which is so young. The A380 made its first commercial flight in 2007.

Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association federal secretary, Steve Purvinas, said that checking and repairing all 12 A380s in the Qantas fleet would be time consuming and expensive, adding that no airline should be flying aircraft with damaged wings.   

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Court ruling paves way for airline fat tax

Wednesday, February 8th, 2012

A victory at the Court of Appeals for British Airways and Thomas Cook has paved the way for a fat tax on obese airline passengers. The ruling means that customers will no longer be able to sue carriers if they feel that their feelings have been hurt while travelling with them.

The court had been hearing how Tony Hook, from Leicester and Christopher Stott, from London, who are both disabled, suffered embarrassment after not being allowed to sit with their carers by airline staff. Mr Stott said he had been tipped out of his wheelchair in full view of his fellow passengers.

Although the court said it could sympathise with their situations it added that it could not grant entitlement to compensation because the embarrassment caused had ruined the holiday they were embarking on. The judges also said that the case would not be allowed in front of the Supreme Court.

The three judges employed the Montreal Convention in the case. This is a coda of rules pertaining to aviation which goes above international law. The judges said that they were siding with the airlines in order to avoid numerous similar cases making it to court in the future.

Now that passengers no longer have recourse to the courts if they feel their feelings have been hurt while travelling with an airline, carriers could find ways of using the new legislation to introduce charges for larger people. Air France said two years ago that passengers should expect to pay more if they cannot fit into one seat.

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UK rail inefficient compared to Europe

Tuesday, February 7th, 2012

A report by a thinktank in the UK which examines the state of the country’s railways when compared to several other European countries does not show the network in the best light. Trains in the UK were judged to be more expensive, less comfortable, slower, less affordable and more inefficient than services in Germany, Spain, France and Italy.

According to Just Economics, the authors of the report, Britain comes last in terms of bang for buck and even manages to spend a relatively large amount of money getting itself to the bottom of the table.

The report claims that by providing a more comfortable, faster and more affordable railway system the UK would actually generate billions of pounds in social value. The paper suggests that this could add up to some £324 billion by 2050. The reduction in accidents, emissions and congestion could also equate to well over £150 billion by the same year.

RMT union leader Bob Crow said that the study showed how privatisation has failed and how the UK is having to find billions to finance this failure. The report has come out ahead of the McNulty review which is looking into the future of the country’s railways.

Mr Crow has slammed McNulty for proposing further cuts and franchises instead of looking at the real advantages of the socially beneficial and cheaper options which would come with a publically owned service.

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Computer failure delays airline passengers

Tuesday, January 31st, 2012

A computer crash has disrupted the travel plans of thousands of airline passengers including customers of Cathay Pacific, British Airways, Qantas and Iberia. The glitch in the Amadeus system meant that staff at airport check-in desks were forced to manually input passengers’ data rather than just scan their passports.

An industry source said that the meltdown had caused hours of irritation for passengers as they waited for the Amadeus system to be restored. The airlines affected by the disruption are all members of the oneworld alliance.

However, industry experts said that the problem had occurred at a time when airlines are not as busy as they are during peak holidays.

There are four main distribution systems used by the industry, but other booking programs run by Worldspan and Galileo were unaffected. Amadeus is yet to announce what caused the breakdown, but has issued an apology to all customers who have been affected, as well as the airlines.

A number of travel agencies were also affected by the disruption as they were unable to book airline tickets on behalf of their customers. The booking systems play a vital role at a time when airlines are encouraging as many customers as possible to complete processes such as reserving a seat and checking in over the internet before they turn up at the terminal.

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Pilot fails breath test before boarding plane

Thursday, January 26th, 2012

A pilot due to fly 24 passengers to Ireland from Bristol was prevented from doing so because he failed a breath test before boarding the aircraft. Airport staff became concerned after they witnessed the pilot, who has not been named, walk through a security gate for passengers rather than the entrance designated for crew.

Reportedly he did not have his uniform on, and a source has alleged that he visited a hotel in the city with another crew member. Police were called to the airport and arrived at around 5.30pm. The pilot was then breathalysed and arrested after the test indicated that he was over the legal limit.

The pilot had been due to take off for Cork at 5.10pm following a stopover in Bristol of around five hours. Passengers who had bought tickets on the Aer Lingus flight did not leave for Ireland until 9.20pm because a new pilot and crew needed to be located. At the time the airline said that the disruption was to do with operational issues.

According to an Avon and Somerset Police spokesperson, because the pilot had failed that breath test at the airport he was taken to a police station where another test was conducted. The pilot apparently passed this one and was not charged.

Aer Arran, the company operating the flight, said it was taking the matter seriously and that an investigation was already underway.

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British Airways puts Libya back on its schedule

Wednesday, January 25th, 2012

Although the UK Foreign Office continues to advise against any travel to Libya, British Airways has said that it will be resuming a regular service to the capital Tripoli as of 1 May this year. The airline made the decision to stop carrying passengers to Libya after civil war erupted in February 2011. The conflict came to an end in October, and since then a no fly zone has been lifted by NATO.

The decision to begin operations again has been made after a close assessment of the security risks was conducted by BA. However, the fact that the FCO is still advising people not to travel to the North African country means it is unlikely that BA will be carrying tourists for the time being.

BA boss Keith Williams said that the airline was extremely pleased to once again be able to offer a vital economic link between the UK and Libya. The airline joins several other European carriers which have made the decision to resume operations since the end of the conflict including Italy’s Alitalia.

Air France has already announced that it will be resuming services as of 27 March. BA has said that it will be running three services every week to and from Tripoli.

The problems in Libya meant that many tour operators offering holidays to the country had to cancel bookings. Responsible Travel, which previously arranged visits to sights around the country including the Leptis Magna Roman ruins, said that it was unlikely that tours would resume until the FCO drastically changed its advice.

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Airlines told to inspect cracked superjumbo wings

Monday, January 23rd, 2012

Airlines with Airbus A380 planes in their fleets have been warned that the aircraft should be checked for cracks in the wings and initiate any repairs which may be necessary. A directive by the European Aviation Safety Agency has been issued to carriers including Emirates, Air France-KLM and Singapore Airlines.

The issue concerns a bracket which attaches the skin of the wing to its internal structure. Although Australian airline Qantas has since been told that the problem does not affect its fleet of the jet liners, the carrier’s engineers association has demanded that safety checks be made over the next few weeks.

Paul Cousins, president of the Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association, said All A380s should now be inspected. He explained that any issue which could impinge on the integrity of a wing was a cause for concern.

He added that if one of the brackets begins to crack, then unnecessary pressure could be placed on other brackets which could in turn cause them to crack. Safety authorities have said that there is no immediate danger, but are concerned about the longer term problems if the issue is not dealt with.

EASA has said that the 20 planes it has focused on should be brought in for inspection over the next four days if that have flown 1800 flight cycles or more. A flight cycle is a take off and a landing. Planes which have flown less than 1800, but more than 1300, will have to be inspected within six weeks.

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Summer holiday costs to be kept down in 2012

Wednesday, January 18th, 2012

Recently published research shows that cost-conscious Brits intending to go on holiday this summer are looking for ways in which to save money, with many choosing the option of staying in the UK. The survey, conducted by Sainsbury’s Travel Insurance, showed that 78 per cent of people intending to take a holiday would be looking for ways of cutting costs.

In order to keep a close eye on exactly what they would be spending, 10 per cent of respondents said that they would be paying up-front for a package deal. Another 12 per cent said that they would be reigning in the costs by looking for a self-catering option. Of those who said they would be going abroad, 13 per cent said they would be keeping the cost down by staying in a property owned by friends or relatives.

However, less than half of those who replied to the survey said that travelling abroad was an option this year. Many said that they intended to leave booking their trip as late as possible in the hope that travel companies will be offering last-minute deals.

Just under a quarter will not be getting in touch with a travel agent until after March, and 10 per cent admitted that they would not be making a booking until July at the earliest, when the summer season will be in full swing.

Sainsbury’s Travel Insurance spokesman, David Barrett, said that although people were still looking for time away in the summer, they were also keen to keep a tight grip on expenditure.

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