World airport passenger traffic fell 5% in June compared to June 2008 to 262.3 million, which represented a slowing of the downward trend from May, when traffic was down 8% year-over-year, according to Airports Council International.
The sale of London Gatwick by UK airport operator BAA is up in the air after the last remaining bidder refused to budge from its original £1.4 billion ($2.29 billion) offer. BAA parent Ferrovial reportedly wanted £1.5 billion, but a consortium led by Manchester Airports Group and Canadian infrastructure fund Borealis declined to increase its bid, according to press reports.
WWF-UK last month launched its "One in Five Challenge" to persuade businesses and governments to reduce their business travel by 20% by 2014. Officially launched on July 20 with five founder members including heavyweight companies such as Capgemini UK, Marks & Spencer and Vodafone UK, the program is highlighting that 25% of businesses in the UK now are measuring their carbon footprint.
In the final years of a $6.3 million airport redevelopment program, Miami International is looking at everything from a diversified shopping and services center to mineral extraction to gambling machines for the additional $500 million a year it will need to cover airport operations and debt service. In the first six months of this year, MIA's passenger traffic was down 1.4% and aircraft movements off 9.3% compared with last year. It has lowered its landing fees 39% for the current fiscal year to help its airline tenants get through the recession.
The Aug. 31 deadline for operators into the EU to submit their monitoring plans under the Emissions Trading System has been thrown into confusion by the UK's announcement that it does not have "a firm and agreed list" of operators to be regulated by each member state.
The world's airlines--with a few exceptions--must have breathed a sigh of relief on July 10 when the US Dept. of Transportation overrode the objections of the Dept. of Justice and approved antitrust immunity for Continental Airlines' membership in Star Alliance and Atlantic Plus Plus, the proposed joint venture subset of Air Canada, Lufthansa, United Airlines and Continental.
Changi Airports International, the international development subsidiary of Singapore's Changi Airport Group, took a 26% stake in Bengal Aerotropolis Projects Ltd. to develop an "aerotropolis" in the fast-growing Durgapur-Asansol region of eastern India. According to CAI, this involves the setting up of an industrial park, a logistics hub, an information technology park and a township around the privately owned airport. It is Changi's first investment in an Indian greenfield airport city project. Overall, the project aims to attract about $2.5 billion of investments.
Qantas criticized the Australian government's emissions trading scheme, warning that the costs of operating the intricate system will be borne by consumers. In a speech delivered in Perth, QF Chairman Leigh Clifford said the government's ETS has "theoretical benefits and has the merit of being market-based." He cautioned, however, that "the intricate valuing, trading and system management" it requires will come at a cost.
Ryanair will reduce winter schedule capacity at London Stansted by 40%, operating just 24 aircraft from the airport compared to the present 40. CEO Michael O'Leary said the decision "shows just how much [UK Prime Minister] Gordon Brown's £10 ($16.46) tourist tax and the BAA Monopoly's high airport charges are damaging London and UK tourism and the British economy generally," while reiterating that STN is one of Ryanair's two most expensive bases, the other being Dublin. The airline said BAA rejected its call for "deep cuts in these high passenger fees" this winter.
Sustainable Aviation Fuel Users Group, an airline-led industry working group, added several new carriers to its membership. Alaska Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, TUIfly and Virgin Blue have joined current airline members Air France, Air New Zealand, ANA, Cargolux, Gulf Air, Japan Airlines, KLM, SAS and Virgin Atlantic Airways. Boeing and Honeywell's UOP are associate members.
It's probable that John Leahy, Airbus's dapper chief salesman, never before had appeared at a press event during a major air show not wearing a tie. But after late-into-the-night negotiations with AirAsia X CEO Tony Fernandes produced an unexpected order for 10 A350-900s at the Paris Air Show (June 15-21), there were Leahy and Airbus CEO Tom Enders removing their neckwear just before beginning a press conference with Fernandes at Le Bourget to announce the deal.
European Commission described the number of mislaid, damaged or lost bags at EU airports as "excessive and unacceptable" and said it is considering ways to improve current legislation if the situation does not improve. "In order to protect passengers' rights adequately, we should provide citizens with the appropriate instruments. For the time being these instruments are not available," EC VP-Transport Antonio Tajani said. The Commission launched an inquiry into the luggage issue in March and said 4.6 million bags were delayed at EU airports in the first 10 months of 2008.
Air Canada suspended activity related to the implementation of a new reservations system under development with ITA Software. The carrier recorded a second-quarter impairment charge of C$67 million (US$61.9 million) related to the development of the system, dubbed Polaris.
MY MIND CLICKS ON AND OFF . . . I try letting one eyelid close at a time when I prop the other open with my will. But the effort's too much. Sleep is winning. My whole body argues dully that nothing, nothing life can attain is quite so desirable as sleep. My mind is losing resolution and control." --Charles Lindbergh
"The devil is in the detail, and the detail is a dog's breakfast." That is how one senior airline executive describes the EU Emissions Trading System, with layer upon layer of confusion dealing with various regulators. "Just one of the problems is that one of our domestic subsidiary regional airlines has been listed by one EU country, which we do not fly to, because it took delivery of an aircraft that transited that country," the executive claimed. "This is just one example of the task in front of airlines."
Assn. of European Airlines expressed concern over "the continuing trend on the part of airports across Europe to increase the fees they charge to their airline customers in order to compensate themselves for lower traffic levels during the current recession." It said the practice is particularly evident in Germany, where Frankfurt is proposing an 8.4% boost next January to fund future expansion on top of a 4.6% hike for "central infrastructure." Munich announced a 4% increase in charges.
New report from UK-based Policy Exchange claims that wide-scale deployment of sustainable biojet fuels would result in emission reductions worth £37.4 billion ($62.4 billion) in the UK between 2020 and 2050, as well as making a significant contribution to meeting the UK's 2050 emission reduction target.
The House of Representatives already has passed a reauthorization bill and a proposed Senate bill is working its way through that chamber. But the Senate version is starkly different from the House version, so even if it is passed a House/Senate conference committee will be formed to attempt to reconcile the disparate pieces of legislation into one bill that can be cleared by both houses.
UK-based RDC Aviation published a comprehensive guide to the percentage share of airline CO2 emissions for EU countries for June 2009. The UK is out in front, accounting for 25%, followed by Germany with 18% and France 13%, Spain 12% and Italy 8%. Not surprisingly, London Heathrow is the major airport for CO2 emissions--almost double that of the next airport, Frankfurt. However, Lufthansa just pips out British Airways and Air France as the largest airline emitter.
Amadeus introduced a "holistic" solution for corporate travel agencies that aims to provide a complete "start-to-finish" system. Called Amadeus One, the Web-based, multisource solution includes profile integration, mid-office functions, agency administration tools and new productivity tools. Mary Keagul, senior vice president of product development for Amadeus North America, provided an early look at some of Amadeus One's features. Corporate policy can be configured using the system's rules engine, she said.
