50 SKY SHADES - World aviation news

United Kingdom aviation news

If we choose growth at Gatwick over inertia at Heathrow, 2016 can be year Britain finally solves its airport challenge

For the first time, and after decades of delays and dead ends, there is now a deliverable alternative to the UK’s air capacity question. If we choose growth at Gatwick over inertia at Heathrow, 2016 can be the year Britain finally solves one of its longest running policy challenges. The Government delayed its decision on expansion in December last year, showing once again that Heathrow...

Shareholders oppose easyJet founder over dividend

Shareholders in easyJet have rejected calls by Sir Stelios Haji-Ioannou, the carrier’s founder, for the budget airline to boost its dividend, just days before HE plans to stage a protest over its pay-out policy. Sir Stelios, whose family owns almost 34pc of easyJet and so receives the lion’s share of its dividends, has urged the airline to lift its pay-out from 40pc of post-tax prof...

Executive travel: British Airways gives competition a run for its money with Dreamliner First cabin

When British Airways launched its “First” cabin on the Dreamliner last year, the larger open suites and new TV screens didn’t seem enough to steal passengers from rival airlines on the London Heath­row-Abu Dhabi route. Etihad, for example, offers nine first class “Apartments” and the Residence with its three rooms including bathroom and double bed. However, a r...

British Airways flight attendants win the right to wear pants

You'd be forgiven for thinking that, in the year 2016, female flight attendants working for British Airways are allowed to wear pants. But if you thought that before Friday, you'd be wrong. Female cabin crew who have joined the airline's "mixed fleet" since 2012 have been subject to a dress code that requires a skirt, unless they applied for a waiver on medical or relig...

British Airways to exit London City if charges raised

British Airways (BA, London Heathrow) has warned it would consider leaving London City airport should any new owner raise service charges to cover the GBP2 billion (USD2.915 billion) asking price. In August last year, the airport's majority shareholder, Global Infrastructure Partners, put the airport up for sale with several entities - Cheung Kong Infrastructure Holdings, Atlantia Spa, Macq...

Investing in the future: Airbus announces new UK wing development and test centre

A newly-announced wing development and test centre will expand Airbus’ “footprint” in the UK, while providing functional space for the company and its partners to develop new ideas for a broad range of applications. This facility – which is to open its doors in 2017, located on Airbus’ existing Filton site – will be an advanced development and testing centre...

EasyJet’s CEO Says Lufthansa and Air France Make It Easy to Pick Off Flyers

EasyJet Plc, Europe’s second-biggest discount carrier, said weaknesses at network rivals Air France- KLM Group and Deutsche Lufthansa AG will allow it to carry on grabbing customers in key countries after suffering a series of setbacks while seeking to attack new markets. Chief Executive Carolyn McCall says she’s unperturbed at having to rein in operations to Moscow as a result of t...

Shoreham crash pilot Andy Hill was involved in another air incident a year earlier

Pilot was reportedly deemed to be flying too low and too close to the crowd at Southport air show in 2014 - a year before Shoreham disaster killed 11. The pilot in the Shoreham Air Show crash that killed 11 people was involved in another aviation incident a year before the disaster, it has been claimed. Andy Hill, 51, was deemed to be flying too low and too close to the crowd at Southport, M...

EasyJet plans to cut carbon emissions with hydrogen fuel-cell trial

EasyJet has unveiled plans to use hydrogen fuel cells on its aircraft to save up to 50,000 tonnes of fuel a year and cut its carbon emissions. The airline hopes to trial technology later this year that would allow planes to taxi to and from the runway using zero-emissions fuel. Around 4% of easyJet’s total fuel consumption is used in taxiing, or an average of 20 minutes a flight. Wh...

Rocket-shaped object shot past Birmingham Airbus

A rocket-shaped object the size of two "two litre fizzy drink bottles" passed "very close" to a passenger aircraft at about 1,500ft (457m), a report has found. The A321 Airbus pilot estimated the object passed 100ft (30m) from his jet, the UK Airprox Board report said. The pilot saw the object pass the jet's starboard side after departing from Birmingham Airport last...

How high can Carolyn McCall take easyJet before she bails out?

Annual pre-tax profits have surged from £154m in 2010 to a record £686m last year. “I’m not going anywhere,” insists Dame Carolyn McCall, the chief executive of easyJet. She might be trapped in a window seat on a flight to Italy, but the airline boss is not talking about escaping the journalists accompanying her to the opening of easyJet’s 27th European ba...

New British cargo airline, CargoLogicAir, awarded AOC and prepares for take-off

CargoLogicAir (CLA), the new British all-cargo airline, has been awarded an Air Operator Certificate (AOC) by the UK Civil Aviation Authority. Headquartered at London’s Stansted Airport, CLA is an independent airline with its own executive and management team and fleet. In line with its business strategy, CargoLogicAir aims to become a leader in the European air cargo market off...