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☆ Global airlines are governed by strict 'freedoms of the air' dating back 80 years. They've created some funky routes.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-12 | by ( Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

Global airlines are governed by nine "freedoms of the air," drafted 80 years ago in 1944. The fifth freedom can give airlines a competitive edge and help capitalize on demand. "Five Freedom Agreements"Qantas flies a Boeing 787 on its fifth freedom route between Sydney and New York. Seventh FreedomThe seventh freedom is similar to the fifth freedom but takes out the limitation of where the route must start or end. Ninth FreedomAdvertisementThis cabotage freedom allows an airline of one nation to fly between two points in a separate single country.

Persons: —, Vytautas Kielaitis, Taylor Rains, Toshi, Nicolas Economou Organizations: Service, International Civil Aviation Organization, United Nations, Chicago Convention, ICAO, Chicago, European Union, Singapore Airlines, Airbus, Qantas, Google Flights, United Airlines, FAA, Emirates, Latam Airlines, Atlantic . Emirates, luxe, Forbes, Air Senegal, Boeing, Ryanair, Getty, Nice Locations: New York, Singapore, Frankfurt, Germany, Emirates, JFK, Milan, Newark, Athens, Dubai, Australian, Sydney, Auckland , New Zealand, Cebu, Philippines, Tokyo, —, Mexico City, Barcelona, Santiago, Chile, Auckland, Amsterdam, Buenos Aires, Los Angeles, Australia, Dakar, Baltimore, Ireland, Rome, Vilnius, Lithuania, Paris

☆ AirFrance-KLM invests in DG Fuels' US sustainable fuel production plant
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Nov 10 (Reuters) - French-Dutch airline AirFrance-KLM (AIRF.PA) has made a $4.7 million investment in DG Fuels' Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) production plant in the U.S. state of Louisiana, a step towards its 10% SAF incorportation target for 2030. "Air France-KLM acquired an option to purchase up to 25 million gallons / 75,000 tons of SAF annually over a multi-year period beginning in 2029," the group said in a press release on Friday. Sustainable aviation fuels, which use waste such as cooking oils and have either net-zero CO2 emissions or lower CO2 emissions than kerosene, a fossil fuel, are seen as an option to curb air travel's carbon footprint. The European Union has adopted rules requiring flights departing from EU airports to carry a progressively increasing amount of SAF, starting from 2% of total fuel in 2025. Reporting by Stéphanie Hamel; Editing by Kirsten DonovanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Stéphanie Hamel, Kirsten Donovan Organizations: AirFrance, KLM, DG Fuels, Aviation Fuel, SAF, France, European, Thomson Locations: U.S ., Louisiana

☆ Private jets of Russian oligarchs keep flying but not to Europe
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Gleb Stolyarov | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

A view shows the Boeing 737-700 BBJ (plane number RA-73890) private aircraft on the tarmac of the Pulkovo International Airport in Saint Petersburg, Russia, June 14, 2023. The Boeing linked to Yevtushenkov was among at least 50 private jets re-registered under the Russian flag since the February 2022 invasion, according to previously unreported national aircraft registry data up to early August reviewed by Reuters. Several of the repatriated private jets were associated with prominent politicians and business figures, according to two senior Russian aviation industry sources, who were not authorised to speak to the media and spoke on condition of anonymity. Because of sanctions, Russian planes are prohibited from entering the 27-country European Union, where Russia's oligarchs previously flew frequently for business and leisure and where many private jets linked to them were registered before the war, tail numbers show. VEB, Uralkali and Mazepin did not respond to requests for comment on the registration of the jets in Russia.

Persons: Luba, Vladimir Yevtushenkov, Yevtushenkov, Vladimir Putin, Dmitry Mazepin, Putin, Igor Shuvalov, Mazepin, Gleb Stolyarov, Mike Collett, White, Frank Jack Daniel Our Organizations: Boeing, Pulkovo, REUTERS, Soviet, Reuters, Sistema, Ministry, Transport, JETS, Russian, Union, Bombardier Challenger, Uralkali, Bombardier, VEB.RF, VEB, EU, United Arab, Thomson Locations: Saint Petersburg, Russia, Riviera, Belarus, oligarch, Ukraine, Turkey, Dubai, China, Russian, Maldives, Seychelles, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Yevtushenkov, United Kingdom, Aruba, of, Uralkali, UAE, Prague, Bishkek, States, Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Italy, United Arab Emirates, Latvia, Britain, Oman, Soviet

☆ JetBlue files complaint in US against Schiphol flight curbs
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

JetBlue Airbus A321LR is displayed at the 54th International Paris Air Show at Le Bourget Airport near Paris, France, June 20, 2023. "In so doing, the Dutch government stands in flagrant violation of the U.S.-EU Air Transport Agreement," JetBlue said in its complaint. The move essentially closed Schiphol to new entrants, JetBlue said. New entrants such as JetBlue are facing a completely closed market and 100% expulsion from the market," the company said. Airlines that use Schiphol including Air France-KLM (AIRF.PA) have sued to try to prevent the cap at one of Europe's busiest airports.

Persons: Benoit Tessier, Bart Meijer, Charlotte Van Campenhout, Mark Potter, Elaine Hardcastle Organizations: JetBlue Airbus, International Paris Air, Le, REUTERS, Rights, U.S, JetBlue Airways, European Union, U.S . Department of Transportation, Schipol, KLM, EU Air, JetBlue, historics, Airlines, Air France, Thomson Locations: Le Bourget, Paris, France, Netherlands, U.S, Schiphol, Amsterdam

SAS filed for U.S. bankruptcy protection last year as it struggled to slash costs and debt amid strikes by pilots. SAS hopes to raise 9.5 billion Swedish crowns ($863 million) in new equity and convert 20 billion crowns of debt into equity. They could include Sweden's family-owned Wallenberg foundation, which currently holds a 3.4% stake in SAS, or Danish pension funds, he said. Once that is done, SAS can begin proceedings to exit chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, which could be late this year or next year, Pedersen said. It is not clear if SAS will be taken off the Swedish stock market after exiting bankruptcy protection.

Persons: Johan Nilsson, Apollo, Jacob Pedersen, Gerald Engstrom, Pedersen, Johannes Birkebaek, Jacob Gronholt, Mark Potter Organizations: SAS Airbus, Kastrup, Scandinavian Airlines, TT News Agency, REUTERS, Rights, Scandinavia's, SAS, U.S, Italy's ITA Airways, Portugal's TAP, WHO, Apollo Global Management Inc, European Union, Wallenberg, Private, Lufthansa, ITA Airways, Thomson Locations: Kastrup, Denmark, Rights COPENHAGEN, Danish, Copenhagen, EU, Europe, SWEDEN, NORWAY, Swedish, Sweden, Private Swedish

The Parliament said that sustainable fuels will include “synthetic fuels, certain biofuels produced from agricultural or forestry residues, algae, bio-waste, used cooking oil or certain animal fats." However, stocks of sustainable aviation fuel remain low. The EU Aviation Safety Agency says supply accounts for less than 0.05% of total EU aviation fuel use. On Sept. 5, the head of the German airline Lufthansa warned automakers to keep their hands off synthetic aviation fuels. Carsten Spohr said sustainable fuels represented the only workable way to decarbonize aviation, and there wouldn't be enough for the car industry as well.

Persons: Carsten Spohr Organizations: European Commission, EU, EU Aviation Safety Agency, Aviation, German, Lufthansa Locations: BRUSSELS, Strasbourg, France

☆ Robin Hood tariff could curb airline emissions
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-24 | by ( Hugo Dixon | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +7 min

Nevertheless, aircraft are responsible for about 4% of global warming from carbon emissions and the vapour trails they leave behind in the sky. A more viable short-term option is to run planes on sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). The third option is to tax either the kerosene that airlines burn or the emissions they spew out into the atmosphere. So far only the EU, United Kingdom and some smaller countries are doing this via emissions trading schemes (ETS). To work, the plan would need to channel Robin Hood, the legendary English outlaw who stole from the rich to give to the poor.

Persons: Emmanuel Macron, Robin Hood, Peter Thal Larsen, Thomas Shum Organizations: Reuters, Aviation, Reuters Graphics Reuters, SAF, European Union, EU, Transport, FLYERS, International Civil Aviation Organisation, United Nations, ICAO, ETS, Airlines, Council, Clean Transportation, Thomson Locations: TINOS, GREECE, Europe, America, China, Greece, United Kingdom, United States

[1/2] An Air France aircraft, operated with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) produced by TotalEnergies, is refueled before its first flight from Nice to Paris at Nice airport, France, October 1, 2021. REUTERS/Eric Gaillard/File PhotoISTANBUL, June 5 (Reuters) - Airlines took aim at Europe over green fuel mandates and its failures to stem France's air traffic control strikes as they weigh on carrier capacities at a global airlines meeting in Istanbul on Monday. In 2021, the body released its strategy to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, including a progressive increase in sustainable aviation fuel use. A global approach to book and claim for SAF credits will help facilitate economies of scale in SAF production," he said. FRAGMENTATIONHowever, IATA said the EU's approach could cause more fragmentation by forcing airlines to buy SAF in Europe, ultimately hampering a harmonized global approach and sowing confusion.

Persons: Eric Gaillard, Willie Walsh, Walsh, Marie Owen Thomsen, Joanna Plucinska, David Evans Organizations: Air France, REUTERS, Airlines, EU, SAF, Air Transport Association, Officials, Chicago Convention, Activists, Thomson Locations: Nice, France, ISTANBUL, Europe, Istanbul, United States, COVID

☆ Ryanair wins court challenge against Lufthansa state bailout
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Foo Yun Chee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

BRUSSELS, May 10 (Reuters) - Irish airline Ryanair (RYA.I) on Wednesday won its challenge against Lufthansa's (LHAG.DE) state bailout in 2020 triggered by the coronavirus pandemic as Europe's second-top court cited errors in EU competition regulators' decision to approve the state aid. Ryanair and German peer Condor subsequently challenged the EU decision on Lufthansa. They said the EU competition enforcer also failed to require a mechanism incentivising Lufthansa to buy back Germany’s shareholding as quickly as possible and erred by denying that Lufthansa held significant market power at certain airports. The Commission can appeal to the Court of the Justice of the European Union, Europe's top, on points of law. The joined cases are T-34/21 Ryanair v Commission (Lufthansa; Covid-19) & T-87/21 Condor Flugdienst v Commission (Lufthansa; Covid-19).

☆ EU agrees to decarbonize air travel with the 'world's largest green fuels mandate for aviation'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-26 | by ( Sam Meredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

EU officials described the agreement as a "turning point" and "another important step" for European aviation, saying the measures were designed to reduce reliance on fossil fuel imports and improve energy security. European Union negotiators secured a deal to decarbonize the air travel sector, seeking to slash heat-trapping emissions by stimulating the region's green aviation fuel market. The new rules are set to require aviation fuel suppliers to supply a minimum share of sustainable aviation fuels — or SAF — at EU airports, starting at 2% of overall fuel supplied by 2025. "Fuel suppliers at EU airports must provide an increasing share of sustainable aviation fuels and aircraft operators increase their use," Frans Timmermans, executive vice-president for the European Green Deal, said in a statement. If aviation is to align itself with the Paris climate accord and curb global heating, the industry will need to move away from fossil fuels completely in the long term.

The proposal aims to increase both demand for and supply of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), which have net-zero CO2 emissions or low carbon emissions. The proposal sets binding targets for aviation fuel suppliers to ensure that all fuel made available to aircraft operators at EU airports contains a minimum share of SAFs from 2025, with the target increasing to 2050. In the nearer term, sustainable fuel is one of the few options to reduce air travel's carbon footprint. Airlines are set to receive around 2 billion euros in funding from the EU carbon market to help them switch to SAF. Biofuels can count towards the main SAF targets, so long as they comply with the EU's biomass sustainability criteria.

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