Ø Warning Issued Over Summer ATC Strikes Buying Business Travel 13.03.17

NEWS HEADLINES

 Warning issued over summer ATC strikes – Buying Business Travel 13.03.17 Airline passengers could be facing a “summer of disgrace” due to continued strikes by air traffic controllers in Europe. Lobby group Airlines 4 Europe (A4E), which represents most major carriers based in the continent, says last week’s French ATC strike caused 1,500 flight cancellations as well as 5,300 hours of delay with airlines having to take long detours around French airspace. Read More

 Trump travel ban blocked again – Travelmole 16.03.17

President Donald Trump's new travel ban has been blocked by a federal judge in Hawaii just hours before it was due to come into force. US District Judge Derrick Watson cited 'questionable evidence' that the ban was a matter of national security, as argued by the US Government. He said the court had established a strong likelihood that the ban, if implemented, would cause 'irreparable injury' by violating First Amendment protections against religious discrimination. Read More

 First class could be scrapped on Southeastern trains – Buying Business Travel 14.03.17

Rail passengers in the south-east are being asked whether they would like to see first- class carriages scrapped on commuter trains to create more space. The government has launched a consultation process for the next South Eastern franchise, which covers south-east London, Kent and East Sussex. Among the questions being asked within the consultation is whether passengers would “support removing first-class seating on the busiest routes to provide more space?” Read More

GATWICK NEWS

 Norwegian cuts 15% of US flights in St Patrick’s Day flash sale – Travelweekly 17.03.17

A flash sale cutting 15% off US flights from six airports in the UK and Ireland is being run by budget carrier Norwegian to coincide with St Patrick’s Day. The discount will be calculated on ‘net’ fares, excluding taxes and charges, meaning transatlantic fares are available starting at £134 one way from the UK and €117 from Ireland. Read More

OTHER NEWS

 Best airports of 2017 unveiled at World Airport Awards – Airline Quality 14.0.17

Singapore Changi Airport has been named as the World’s Best Airport by air travellers for the fifth consecutive year, at the 2017 Skytrax World Airport Awards at Passenger Terminal EXPO in Amsterdam on 14th March 2017. Attending the awards ceremony were the CEO’s, Chairmen, Presidents and Top management from airports across the globe. Read More  Britain will need its aviation industry "more than ever" post- Brexit, says aviation minister Lord Ahmad - City A.M. – 09/03/2017

Aviation minister Lord Ahmad has told the industry it will be needed "more than ever" with Brexit on the horizon, as airlines seek clarity on what lies ahead. Ahmad said the government has been clear in its plans and will be "negotiating for a new, comprehensive, free trade agreement" securing the "right access" to European aviation markets. Airlines have been concerned by what Brexit will mean for their access to a single European aviation market, set to be severely disrupted in the event of a serious break from the European Union. Read More

 Lufthansa hails breakthrough in strike negotiations – Travelweekly 16.03.17

A breakthrough has been reached in negotiations to prevent further strike action by pilots which cost Lufthansa €100 million last year. The airline group and German pilot’s union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) came to an agreement covering all previously unresolved collective bargaining matters. As a result, the airline is dropping a previously announced plan to staff 40 newly acquired aircraft outside a group-wide collective bargaining agreement. Read More

 BA owner to launch low-cost long-haul airline – Buying Business Travel 17.03.17

International Airlines Group (IAG) has announced a new low-cost long-haul airline brand called Level. The British Airways parent company confirmed it will start flights from Barcelona to Los Angeles (twice weekly), San Francisco Oakland (three-times weekly), Buenos Aires (three-times weekly) and Punta Cana (twice weekly) from June 2017. Level will operate the service with two new Airbus A330 aircraft branded in its own livery and fitted with 293 economy and 21 premium economy seats. It will initially be operated by Iberia’s crew and create up to 250 jobs in Barcelona.

 COMMENT: British Airways business class domestic – BTNews 13.03.17 Although there has been no official media announcement in the UK, British Airways is to launch Club Europe (Business Class) on domestic flights from next month for its routes between London and Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Inverness and Manchester. From London City Airport (LCY), Cityflyer will also offer the product. Business Travel News has been looking at the BA website which announces with the headline “UK Domestic – We're improving our service on flights within the UK. Read More

 Noise pollution in the spotlight – Europa.eu 15.03.17

In April, the European Environment Agency will help raise awareness of the growing problem of noise pollution across Europe. We discussed with Colin Nugent, an EEA noise pollution expert, the very real health impacts of noise which are often underestimated. If you were to talk to most experts about pollution they tend to point to air pollution, water or waste. Noise tends to be one of the forgotten pollutants. However, if you look at environmental surveys, you see that citizens bring it up. People can connect much more to noise as a pollutant because invariably almost everyone has experienced a noise problem. Read More

 Vegetable oils biofuels should be phased out by 2020 – their CO2 emissions are higher than fossil diesel - Airport Watch – 11/03/2017

The aviation industry has great hopes – unjustifiably – that it will be able to magically locate low carbon “green” fuels in future, that will emit less carbon per litre than fossil jet fuel. Various niche plant oils have been tried, and quietly dropped (the inedible ones that could grow on soils not good enough for human crops are not commercially viable). So far it is not thought that the industry would be so bold as to try to claim use of plant oils like palm oil, rapeseed oil or soya oil could make suitable “sustainable” jet fuels, knowing the bad publicity of burning oils that compete with human food, in jet engines. Read More

 Gemalto and IER partner to create new self-service airport

solution – Airport Technology 16.03.17

Netherlands-based digital security company Gemalto has collaborated with IER, an airport and railway terminal maker, to develop a new complete self-service airport experience for passengers. The Gemalto and IER Fly to Gate system has been designed to address the increasing demand for a self-service experience that would enable passengers to travel easily and smoothly from their home to airport departure gates. The system combines IER's self-service equipment and services with Gemalto's border management solutions to speed-up airport operations. It allows the customers to opt for either mobile check-in or self-service kiosks and includes border control, bag drop points, security and boarding gates. Read More

 Investigation begun after baggage handlers caught throwing luggage – Travelweekly 17.03.17

Baggage handlers are under investigation after two were caught on camera carelessly tossing luggage as they unloaded an easyJet aircraft. Suitcases were thrown onto a truck with two crashing onto ground at Luton airport after the arrival of a flight from Copenhagen on Monday. Menzies Aviation, the firm which handles baggage for the budget airline at Luton, called it “unacceptable” and said an investigation was under way. Read More

 Conference report: what next for business aviation? – Buying Business Travel 16.03.17

Senior private aviation executives gathered at the Luton Hoo hotel in Bedfordshire for the BBGA conference. Stephanie Taylor reports from the aviation trade association’s annual event. Flying privately is about to become significantly more accessible to businesses. Why? Because the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) recently announced plans to relax the rules for night and IFR (bad weather) passenger and cargo flights using single engine turboprop (SETP) aircraft. Read More

GAL PRESS RELEASES EVENTS & UPDATES

Long-haul routes soar in Gatwick’s busiest-ever February 10/03/2017  3.0m passengers travelled through Gatwick last month, the airport’s busiest-ever February, +9.9% on 2016  February long-haul routes +20.3% on 2016 driving a 6.0% cargo increase  Dubai topped Gatwick’s most popular February long-haul destinations list with Paris routes +77% - likely benefitting from February’s Valentine effect Gatwick Airport achieved an impressive 3.0 million passengers travelling through the airport this February, +9.9% on 2016. Long-haul routes continue their booming growth at Gatwick, +20.3% on February 2016 and driving a +6.0% cargo increase, – once again demonstrating Gatwick’s key role connecting Britain to important growth markets when these links have never been more crucial. Destinations likely benefitting from passengers booking a Valentine’s break included Dubai, the airport’s most popular long-haul destination in the month with 76,965 passengers visiting and +8% on February 2016. Other destinations also likely benefiting from the Valentine’s effect included St Lucia +52%, New York +66% and Paris +77%. Los Angeles was +90%, on the same time last year, with Gatwick passengers to shortly have even more options for travel to America’s West Coast as British Airways start their new route to Oakland, San Francisco, this March. Skiing destinations performed well in February with Geneva Gatwick’s most popular European destination in the month with 109,500 passengers visiting, +5% on February 2016. This was joined by Innsbrook +9% and Genoble +8% on the same month last year. Gatwick Airport, Chief Executive Officer, Stewart Wingate said: “Gatwick’s February passenger figures demonstrate the confidence we are witnessing from our passengers, with travel still high priority following the Brexit referendum, with passenger numbers +10% on February 2016. “Our booming long-haul growth, reflects our passengers’ response to our established and growing line-up of long-haul destinations. In the next three weeks alone British Airways start their new route to Oakland, San Francisco and Virgin Atlantic to Varadero, Cuba. Meanwhile, Cathay Pacific’s existing route to Hong Kong will be going daily this summer. “Our long-haul growth is driving the natural corresponding cargo increase, this month +6.0%, which is joined by strong growth in Gatwick’s regional connections across Britain, demonstrating Gatwick’s vital economic role both within Britain and internationally, as we continue to offer the UK Government a credible and deliverable option for runway expansion.”  This February, long-haul growth continues to rocket, +20.3% on last year  This long-haul growth has driven a cargo increase of +6.0%  North Atlantic routes drove this long-haul growth +53.1% on this time last year with Toronto +172%, Los Angeles +90% and New York +66%  UK and Channel Islands routes grew +14.2% with Belfast routes +57%, Newquay +26% and Inverness +21%

Month Moving Annual Total

Growth Mar-16 Mar-15 Growth

Feb-17 Feb-16 (%) Feb-17 Feb-16 (%)

Total terminal passengers (000s) 2,959.4 2,691.7 9.9% 43,707.5 40,625.4 7.6%

Market Analysis:

UK + Channel Islands304.9 267.1 14.2% 3,948.9 3,620.2 9.1%

Ireland 134.2 117.7 14.0% 1,647.7 1,421.6 15.9%

European scheduled 1,779.8 1,664.1 7.0% 28,441.3 26,979.9 5.4%

European charter 238.7 225.7 5.7% 3,023.4 3,091.5 (2.2)%

North Atlantic 154.0 100.6 53.1% 2,817.4 1,924.5 46.4%

Other long haul 347.9 316.5 9.9% 3,828.7 3,587.7 6.7%

Air transport movements 19,432 18,709 3.9% 281,896 270,185 4.3%

Cargo (metric tonnes) 5,965 5,628 6.0% 79,136 72,063 9.8%