Aircraft lessor writes off $1.1bn loss as planes remain in Russia July 9, 2022 Aircraft leasing company SMBC has written off a $1.1bn loss as 34 of its planes remain stranded in Russia following the invasion of Ukraine. The Dublin-headquartered company, one of the biggest in the world, decided to expense the fleet’s value this financial year, as the war in Ukraine is expected to continue for some time [...]
Heathrow ordered to lower passenger charges to less than £27 after bitter dispute with airlines June 28, 2022 The aviation watchdog ordered Heathrow Airport this morning to reduce its passenger charges amid a surge in demand for flights. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said the cap on the west London airport’s average charge per passenger will fall from £30.19 today to £26.31 in 2026. Adjusted for inflation, the fare will amount to £28.39 [...]
Aviation leaders optimistic about future of industry June 21, 2022 The aviation industry is set to recover soon from ongoing labour shortage and travel chaos issues, according to aviation leaders. Willie Walsh – former boss of BA’s parent company IAG and now at the helm of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) – argued that while some airlines will need to adjust capacity forecasts, not [...]
Swissport threatens to sue as hubs axe hundreds of flights June 20, 2022 Airport service provider Swissport has threatened to take airports to court following the ongoing reduction in the number of daily flights at European hubs. “I think that there’s going to be some challenges, I suspect legally, to putting caps on airlines,” said chief executive Warwick Brady. “We recruited enough people for the summer schedule and they [...]
Half term travel bloodbath with endless queues at UK airport, delayed flights and last-minute cancellations May 30, 2022 Tens of thousands more Brits face queues, delays and even cancellations today after what some social media users described as a ‘Sunday from hell’. Half-term holidaymakers who tried to get away over the weekend face delays of up to nearly eight bours with some passengers being told at the very last minute that their flight [...]
Signs of recovery in aviation as order book increases again May 30, 2022 ORDERS for commercial aircraft were their highest in four years in the month of April, new data released today has revealed. More than 130 airplanes were ordered in April, hitting a high not seen since well before the pandemic. There is now a backlog of some 13,000 aircraft that have been ordered but are yet [...]
End of airport slots allocation leads to lower fares, says IEA May 26, 2022 Ending the allocation of airport slots will lead to lower fares, according to a paper published today. The Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) has argued that buying and selling airport slots on the market like any other goods will lead to more competition between airlines, ultimately improving consumers’ choice. “The system weakens competition between airlines [...]
UK puts jobs and passengers at centre of post-Covid aviation recovery May 26, 2022 The UK Government has put jobs and passengers at the centre of its post-Covid plan for the aviation sector’s recovery. Launched today by aviation minister Robert Courts, the ‘Flightpath to the Future’ 10-point plan will focus on building back consumer confidence as well as supporting new jobs and the sector’s sustainable recovery to reach net-zero [...]
Heathrow urges govt to ‘bring pace to the policies’ as 10-point plan is rolled out for aviation recovery May 26, 2022 The Government must “bring pace to the policies” after publishing a long-awaited strategy to support the recovery of aviation from the coronavirus pandemic, according to Heathrow Airport. A 10-point plan named Flightpath to the Future has been released by the Department for Transport, focusing on growth, sustainability and protecting passengers. It commits to “position the [...]
We’re focusing on profitable passengers not volumes, says Southend airport May 25, 2022 Southend airport is focused on attracting profitable passengers back instead of worrying about volumes, according to David Shearer, executive chairman of the airport’s owner Esken. The airport welcomed its first passenger flight at the beginning of May, after low-cost airline returned back to the hub, with routes services to Faro, Malaga and Mallorca. The airport [...]