50 SKY SHADES - World aviation news

United Kingdom aviation news

BA threatens to pull jets at London City

British Airways is threatening to pull most of its aircraft out of London City airport if the hub’s new owner raised airline charges to cover the £2bn price tag. The move could jeopardise the sale of the London airport beloved by executives, which was put on the market last August by its US owners and has already attracted offers from at least three groups. @Bloomberg A...

British Airways i360 Named Most Slender Tower In the World by Guinness World Record

British Airways i360, in Brighton, England, has been awarded the Guinness World Record for the most slender tower in the world, with an impressive height to width aspect ratio of 41.15 to 1. The tower stands 160.469 meters tall with a diameter of 3.9 meters. The tower was designed by Marks Barfield Architects, the same team who built the famous London Eye, and is set to open to the public this sum...

Zephyr contract confirmed as UK commits to regional defence sales

The UK Ministry of Defence has placed a highly anticipated order for two Airbus Defence & Space Zephyr 8 high-altitude pseudo-satellites. Announced during Singapore air show on 18 February, the contract will cover the acquisition of two solar-powered, long-endurance surveillance unmanned air vehicles, the first of which is already under construction. Under the terms of the contract &ndas...

Airbus Targets Farnborough Show for Update on Bigger A350-1000

Airbus Group SE plans to offer airlines an update by the Farnborough Air Show in July on its potential plans to come out with a bigger variant of the A350 wide-body jetliner so it can better challenge the order success of Boeing Co.’s enlarged 777X. The aircraft, a longer version of the A350-1000 --itself already a so-called stretch model --would be offer more seats in three-class co...

British Airways launches new app to iPad users

iPad users are about to get their own specially designed version of British Airways’ travel app. Available to download from the Apple App Store, the iPad app includes exclusive features, such as a new 3D globe to discover British Airways’ destinations and prices and a way for customers to create their own viewing plan for their flight’s movies, TV shows and music. It’...

Five bidders eye £2bn London City Airport deal

An infrastructure vehicle backed by Asia's richest man is among five short-listed bidders expected to make offers for London City Airport this week. Asia’s richest man is among five suitors that are this week expected to make final bids for London City Airport to clinch a deal that could value the business at about £2bn. Cheung Kong Infrastructure Holdings (CKI), the firm controlled by Hong...

Is Ten Hours Rest Enough for Flight Attendants? The Two Flight Attendant Unions Disagree.

The nation’s two top flight attendant unions are divided on the value of pending legislation to increase the amount of required rest for flight attendants. The Association of Flight Attendants, which represents 60,000 flight attendants at United and 18 other airlines, is backing the legislation. The Association of Professional Flight Attendants, which represents the 25,000 flight attendan...

EasyJet eyes ‘massive opportunities’ in Europe: CEO McCall

Europe’s airline sector is on course for further consolidation, while the region offers “massive opportunities” for growth, according to Carolyn McCall, chief executive of British budget airline EasyJet. “I definitely think there will be consolidation in Europe,” McCall said in a recent interview held in EasyJet’s headquarters at Luton airport, north of Londo...

Supersonic queen of the skies: Amazing pictures inside the first Concorde to land in the US

Prototype flew 642 hours over three years between 1973 and 1975, and test flights helped prove commercial viability It is one of two but the other was destroyed, and this is now being restored after decade on tarmac in Orly, France  Inside now being painstakingly restored by Delta Museum, near Paris, with help of British donors but won't fly again Pictures show hundreds of dials...

Bristol airport warns local economy could lose £843m

Bristol has become the latest airport to clash with the Government over aviation policy. Britain’s ninth busiest airport warned that its local economy could lose £843million if Wales wins the right to set a lower rate of passenger duty for passengers travelling from Cardiff Airport. Air Passenger Duty is a levy set by the Government. If Wales is given autonomy over the rate, Bris...

Why do girls think they can't be airplane pilots?

On boarding a BA flight to Finland in December, my four-year-old daughter was invited into the cockpit to look around. Thrilled, as she loves to fly, Antonia marvelled at the flashing buttons and levers, astounded and more than a bit suspicious that there was no actual steering wheel. And yet, when I asked her recently if she’d like to be a pilot when she grows up, she sniffed: “I&r...

Massive jump in Edinburgh Airport's international passengers

The number of people passing through Edinburgh Airport increased last month, with a "massive" jump in the number of international passengers. Latest figures showed 700,142 people used the airport in January, up 11.4% on the same month last year. The 342,540 international passengers recorded was a 21.7% annual increase, the greatest monthly rise since January 2008. Meanwhile, Gla...