Aviation News

Airlines are cutting flights into London’s largest airport on Wednesday because of fears of long delays and overcrowding when border staff join a mass strike over public sector pensions.

Airports operator BAA has warned of delays of up to 12 hours for passengers arriving at London Heathrow, Europe’s busiest airport. It has asked airlines to halve the number of international passengers flying into Britain on Wednesday.

Around two million public sector workers, including UK Border Agency UKBA.L staff, are set to walk out on Wednesday over reforms that will make them work longer and pay more for their pensions, part of a raft of austerity measures imposed by the Conservative-led coalition aimed at cutting Britain’s budget deficit.

Qantas plans to operate its flights to Heathrow as normal on Wednesday, but is allowing passengers to reschedule their flights without incurring fees.

Heathrow’s largest carrier British Airways, and Britain’s Virgin Atlantic and bmi have encouraged customers not to fly into Britain on November 30 and said they would allow passengers to switch flights to a different date free of charge.

“This is another serious kick in the teeth for UK Plc — Britain cannot afford to be closed for business,” a Virgin Atlantic spokesman said.

“Along with airport operators, wider aviation industry and other airlines, we are in continued discussions with government and UKBA about possible contingencies.”

Passengers arriving on international flights into London or transferring through London onto a domestic flight will be hit, but those departing the capital or travelling on UK domestic flights will be unaffected.

The British government is flying home embassy staff and training volunteers from other departments to reinforce during the strike and help ensure passports are checked as quickly as possible at ports and airports.

London’s second largest airport, Gatwick, has also asked airlines to rebook passengers.

The UKBA has said it expects to perform at less than 50 per cent productivity on Wednesday.

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CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. (WIVB) – Some tense moments played out at the Buffalo-Niagara Airport, where an American Airlines Flight, bound for San Francisco, was forced to make an emergency landing.

The pilot noticed fumes filling the cockpit soon after the flight took off Sunday night from JFK.

Emergency crews were on the tarmac, ready to go, as the plane made its safe, but unexpected landing.

For most of the passengers, they didn’t even realize anything was wrong until they landed.

Passenger Dale Harding said, “All the in-flight entertainment and electronics went out. You know, anything that was on the TV was out, WiFi connections were off, any of the plug in stuff didn’t work.”

How much of Dale’s plans were disrupted? “Well, just miss another day at work,” said Dale. “But you know it’s the California way, we’re just laid back about these things.”

Firefighters here in Buffalo didn’t find any obvious problems with the plane.

The airline is now sending some of its own mechanics to inspect the plane.

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Qantas CEO Alan Joyce has deniend a report in today’s Australian Financial Review claiming that the airline is set to shelve its Asian-based premium offshoot, internally codenamed Project Darwin and likely to be launched as Red Q or OneAsia (although wags have already tagged it ‘Qantasia’).

Speaking to The Sydney Morning Herald, Joyce insisted that Qantas was pushing ahead with plans for the airline.

“Nothing has changed in relation to our plans. We still believe we have to have an Asian alternative for our core customer base,” Joyce is reported to have said.

“We are still looking at setting up a premium airline in Asia. We are still talking to the Singaporeans and the Malaysians and when we have a more definitive decision about what we are going to do … and who the partners are … we will inform the market.”

PREVIOUS | Qantas is reportedly set to ground its new Asian-based premium Asian airline even before it launches.

According to a report in today’s Australian Financial Review, Qantas CEO Alan Joyce is ready to shelve its plans to establish a new premium airline, which was tipped to be branded Red Q or OneAsia and be based in either Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.

Instead, Qantas will likely accelerate its alliance with Malaysia Airlines which would encompass code-sharing of flights as well as frequent flyer point sharing and reciprocal lounge access.

MAS is expected to join the oneworld airline alliance in late 2012, however, speaking with Australian Business Traveller earlier this year, Qantas’ Head of Airline Loyalty Stephanie Tully said “we will aim to do the frequent flyer agreement earlier”.

Joyce had previously promised the new airline “will offer same-day services to and within Asia, and overall frequencies from Australia to Asia will grow. For the first time in our history, Qantas intends to fully participate in the benefits of an Asian hub.”

Qantas was also splashing out on new fuel-efficient Airbus A320 aircraft for the premium airline, in which it was to hold a 49% stake alongside yet-to-be-named partners.

However, the AFR’s Andrew Clearly reports that the “worsening global economic outlook, particularly in Europe, management has been scrambling to cut back capital expenditure”, with as much as A$500 million of the Red Roo’s money earmarked for the new airline in its first two years.

The MAS alliance will help Qantas tap into the Asian market at far lower cost and risk, although Red Q would likely remain on the cards for when the economic situation improves.

source: http://www.ausbt.com.au

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