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☆ British Airways accidentally flew a pet dog to Saudi Arabia instead of Nashville, leaving it traumatized, report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-17 | by ( Ryan Hogg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

British Airways flew a pet dog to Saudi Arabia instead of Nashville by accident, per the Mirror. Bluebell was instead placed by IAG Cargo — BA's luggage handlers under the same owner — on a flight to Saudi Arabia, 7,000 miles from her intended location. Since her return, James told the Mirror that Bluebell had been left traumatized by the incident, and has caused thousands of dollars' worth of damage to their home since. "We simply cannot leave her alone," James told the Mirror. An IAG Cargo spokesperson told the Mirror: "We are very sorry for the recent error that occurred during Bluebell's trip to Nashville.

☆ British Airways, Virgin Atlantic limit ticket sales to Heathrow due to strikes
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Dec 16 (Reuters) - British Airways and Virgin Atlantic will limit ticket sales for flights to London's Heathrow Airport during planned strikes by border agents over Christmas and New Year's Eve to reduce disruption, the airlines said on Friday. A Virgin Atlantic spokesperson also said it was working closely with government to "minimise the impact of Border Force strikes on our customers' journeys." The strikes, from Dec. 23-26 and 28-31, come at one of the busiest periods for airlines, and the flights affected were already busy. British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have also given customers the option of extra flexibility to shift their travel to a non-strike day, and flight schedules - as well as restrictions on tickets - are being kept under review. "We intend to operate our schedule as planned, with additional flexibility to allow customers to change their flight dates if they wish to avoid arriving on strike days," the Virgin Atlantic spokesperson said.

☆ Heathrow sees minimal impact from planned Border Force strikes
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SummarySummary Companies Border Force workers due to strike from Dec. 23Heathrow working to protect full flight scheduleLONDON, Dec 12 (Reuters) - Heathrow Airport said on Monday that it expected the vast majority of travellers will be unaffected by this month's planned strikes by Border Force workers. British Border Force workers plan to strike for several days from Dec. 23 at airports including Heathrow, Britain's busiest, and Gatwick due to a dispute over pay. Border Force has contingency measures to ensure other arriving passengers are cleared safely and as quickly as possible, Heathrow said. Interior minister Suella Braverman warned last Thursday that Border Force strikes may cause travel delays, adding that people should think carefully about their plans to fly abroad. It said over 55 million people had travelled through Heathrow so far this year -- nearly 70% of 2019 levels.

☆ Factbox: Pay increases reached by UK workers following strike action
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Below is a summary of some of the deals reached following strike action:AIRPORTSIn July, British Airways (ICAG.L) staff at London's Heathrow Airport represented by two unions called off strike action after accepting a new pay offer. Earlier that month the airline's check-in staff at Heathrow airport also suspended a strike after an improved pay deal was agreed. Wage rises were also agreed at bus operators Arriva and Go-Ahead, with Arriva's drivers in Kent securing a 13.92% pay rise in October and Go-Ahead's London workers getting a 10.5% increase. WASTE COLLECTIONWaste collection workers in various areas around the country have agreed pay rises after undertaking strike action which disrupted waste collections. Among agreements reached by the GMB were a 17% rise for some workers in Windsor and Maidenhead, just outside London, and increases of between 8% and 22% for refuse workers in Manchester.

☆ Libyan taken into US custody accused of building the bomb that destroyed a Boeing 747 flying from London to New York, killing 270 people
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-11 | by ( Bethany Dawson | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Libyan accused of building the bomb that destroyed Pan Am flight 103 in 1988 has been taken into US custody. Eleven people in the Scottish town of Lockerbie were also killed when the plane crashed. All 243 passengers and 16 crew on board the flight, including 190 Americans, were killed when Pan Am Flight 103 was destroyed mid-flight. Eleven people in the Scottish town of Lockerbie also died when the Boeing 747 plane crashed on December 21, 1988. The only person convicted of the Pan Am 103 bombing is Abdelbaset al-Megrahi, head of security for Libyan Arab Airlines.

☆ Corporate travel propels boom in sustainable aviation fuel
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-07 | by ( Jamie Freed | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

SAF accounted for only 0.5% of aviation fuel in 2021, but many airlines have a target of 10% by 2030 and the industry's goal of "net zero" emissions by 2050 relies on SAF accounting for 65% of fuel. The corporate sector interest could build momentum for the SAF industry to scale up given businesses account for around 20% of air travel globally and 30% in Europe, said Denise Auclair, corporate travel campaign manager at European non-governmental organisation Transport & Environment. 'GREEN PREMIUM'Buying SAF is more costly than purchasing emissions offsets but experts say it can play a key role in reducing travel emissions alongside switches to video-conferencing and cleaner alternatives like rail. "They contract with us, they pay for the cost premium of sustainable aviation fuel over the conventional jet fuel, and then enable us to deliver sustainable aviation fuel for our partner airlines to consume," he said. Companies are able to contract directly with airlines, travel agencies like American Express Global Business Travel (Amex GBT) (GBTG.N) and fuel providers like Neste as they look to claim SAF credits and avoid pitfalls like double claiming.

☆ Chinese firm selling surveillance tech to Iran comes under scrutiny
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-01 | by ( Dan De Luce | Dan De Luce Is A Reporter For The Nbc News Investigative Unit. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +11 min

Tiandy is one of several Chinese companies at the center of China’s vast domestic surveillance network, experts and human rights advocates say. A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington, Liu Pengyu, said the embassy could not speak on behalf of Chinese private companies. Last week, the Biden administration effectively banned the sale or import of new equipment from a number of Chinese surveillance firms but Tiandy Technologies was not named. Maya Wang, senior China researcher at Human Rights Watch, said Chinese surveillance technology tends to be less expensive and more attractive for some authoritarian governments. Like other video technology companies in China, Tiandy’s software includes an ethnicity tracking tool that supposedly can digitally identify someone’s race.

☆ Qatar reviewing London investments after transport ads ban -FT
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, Nov 26 (Reuters) - Qatar has launched a review of its investments in London after the city’s transport authority this week banned the Gulf state’s tourism advertisements on the capital’s buses, taxis and Underground train system, Saturday’s Financial Times reported. The paper said the move by Transport for London (TfL) was triggered by concerns over the soccer World Cup host’s stance on LGBT+ rights and its treatment of migrant workers. The Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) owns Harrods, the department store, the Shard skyscraper and is co-owner of Canary Wharf. TfL said advertising which promotes travel to Qatar, tourism in Qatar, or portrays Qatar as a desirable destination would not be considered acceptable. Under the spotlight as it hosts the World Cup, Qatar has defended itself against criticism, saying it is a welcoming country that does not discriminate against people and has denied accusations of abuse of workers.

REUTERS/Toby MelvilleLONDON, Nov 24 (Reuters) - Net migration to the United Kingdom rose to a record high of around 504,000 in the year to June 2022, official statistics showed on Thursday, driven by an increase in the number of non-European Union nationals. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said a recovery of travel following COVID-19, and an increase in arrivals of international students who had been studying remotely during the pandemic had contributed to the rise. At the time then Prime Minister David Cameron had failed for several years to hit a net migration target of less than 100,000 a year. The previous record high for net migration was just over 330,000 in 2015. August saw the highest number of small boat arrivals of any month since data has been collected, it said.

☆ Why 10,000 pounds of rubber are stripped from runways
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Melissa Estrada | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Rubber builds up on airport runways and runway lights every time a plane's wheels touch down. Narrator: Every time a plane lands, each tire leaves around 1½ pounds of rubber on the runway. That temperature makes the tread rubber melt and bond to the runway and lights that guide pilots. That's over 30 pounds of rubber lost per landing – equivalent to the amount of rubber in two of your car's tires. And runway lights, used to guide takeoff, landing, and taxiing, especially at night and in low-visibility conditions, are dimmed by the melted rubber bonding to them.

☆ London Heathrow Airport Needs 12,500 More Staff to Cope With Peak Periods
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Benjamin Katz | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

LONDON—Heathrow Airport said businesses operating at the international hub need to train and recruit about 12,500 additional staff to meet demand during peak-travel periods and to avoid the travel chaos seen in recent months. The airport, Europe’s biggest before the Covid-19 pandemic, said it is establishing a recruitment task force to fill the vacancies and avoid the delays and long lines that disrupted passengers during the summer. One of the biggest challenges in that recruitment drive, it said: New hires need to undergo time-consuming background checks to gain access to part of the airport normally restricted to staff and passengers.

☆ London Heathrow Needs 12,500 More Staff to Cope With Peak Periods
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Benjamin Katz | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

☆ Heathrow Airport says return to pre-pandemic demand years away
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/4] A British Airways passenger plane prepares to land at Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport in London, Britain, March 28, 2008. REUTERS/Luke MacGregor/File PhotoLONDON, Oct 26 (Reuters) - Britain's biggest airport Heathrow reported a nine-month loss of 442 million pounds ($507 million) and warned it was unlikely to return to pre-pandemic demand for several years. "Headwinds of a global economic crisis, war in Ukraine and the impact of COVID-19 mean we are unlikely to return to pre-pandemic demand for a number of years, except at peak times," it said on Wednesday. Heathrow said to be able to meet demand at peak times businesses across the airport needed to recruit and train up to 25,000 security cleared people. "We...are working with airlines and their ground handlers to get back to full capacity at peak times as soon as possible," said CEO John Holland-Kaye.

☆ Heathrow Airport warns it will be 'a number of years' before demand returns to pre-pandemic levels
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( Hannah Ward-Glenton | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

The biggest airport in Europe by passenger numbers, London's Heathrow, is not expecting to come into profit this financial year. Heathrow Airport reported on Wednesday a nine-month loss of £442 million ($512 million) and warned that it will be "a number of years" before demand returns to pre-pandemic levels. The airport puts lower demand down to Russia's war in Ukraine, Covid-19 and "a global economic crisis," but anticipates passenger numbers could hit 2019 levels during peak times such as the lead-up to Christmas. Revenue increased threefold compared to 2021, up to £2.1 billion, but was hampered slightly by the airport's self-imposed daily passenger cap of 100,000 departures. The passenger cap will be lifted on Oct. 30 after being put in place to tackle travel chaos as staff shortages caused luggage delays and flight cancellations.

☆ A passenger plane was heavily damaged when it overshot the runway during its third landing attempt
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( Stephen Jones | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Korean Air plane was heavily damaged after it overshot the runway while trying to land. The incident involved a Korean Air plane and took place at Mactan-Cebu International Airport in the Philippines. There were no reports of injuries among the 162 passengers and 11 crew members on Korean Air flight KE631. Mactan-Cebu International Airport did not immediately respond to Insider's request for further comment, which came outside of standard business hours. It's the second incident involving a Korean Air flight that has made headlines in recent months.

☆ British Airways had to find another plane after a passenger defecated on the floor and smeared feces around the cabin, report says
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-23 | by ( Jyoti Mann | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A British Airways passenger defecated in the cabin of a plane at Heathrow Airport, The Sun reported. The man smeared feces on himself and around the cabin during boarding, according to the newspaper. During boarding the male passenger took his trousers off in the economy cabin on flight BA075 on October 7 before defecating on the galley floor, The Sun reported. A British Airways spokesperson told The Sun: "We apologized to our customers for the delay to their flight and arranged for an alternative aircraft to allow them to continue their journey." British Airways did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.

☆ The World’s Best Airport Lounges Will Cost You. Are the Perks Worth It?
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-15 | by ( Barbara Peterson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

IN THE 1963 MOVIE “The VIPs,” a well-heeled group of travelers, portrayed by an all-star cast featuring Richard Burton and a bejeweled Liz Taylor, gets stranded at a fogged-in London Heathrow Airport. But the flick’s real star is the airport lounge where the swells hole up. This was an era when airport lounges were posh simply because they were invitation-only. Today, lounges are ubiquitous, and you don’t need an engraved invitation to get in, just the right kind of ticket, paid membership or credit card. An estimated 3,000 lounges now populate major airports worldwide, according to LoungeReview.com.

☆ The world's busiest international flight route carried more than 3.2 million passengers in the last year. See which other routes made the top 10.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Stephen Jones | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Cairo International Airport, Egypt to Riyadh King Khalid International Airport, Saudi ArabiaSeats: 1,913,9918. Mumbai International Airport, India to Dubai International Airport, UAESeats: 1,977,5377. Orlando International Airport, USA to San Juan Luis Munoz Marin International Airport, Puerto RicoSeats: 2,099,2346. Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Malaysia to Singapore Changi AirportSeats: 2,443,176Dubai International Airport, UAE to London Heathrow Airport, UKSeats: 2,697,5933. Dubai International Airport, UAE to Riyadh King Khalid International Airport, Saudi ArabiaSeats: 3,191,0901.

☆ United adds new trans-Atlantic flights for summer 2023 in bet on travel recovery
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Leslie Josephs | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

United Airlines is planning another big schedule increase for trans-Atlantic travel, in a bet that consumers will continue to shell out for international trips, some of which they had put off for years. Next summer, United says it will fly to 37 cities in Europe, Africa, India and the Middle East, a total it said is more than other U.S. airlines combined. London's Heathrow Airport warned Tuesday that travel demand is "uncertain." It will also offer flights from Washington Dulles International Airport to Berlin on a Boeing 767, starting May 25. Its additions include a nonstop from to Geneva, more London service and a resumption of daily Berlin flights, all from New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport.

☆ Europe's top airport braces for potential 'busiest period' in more than 2 years, just months after summer's travel chaos
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Stephen Jones | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Heathrow is bracing for what could be its busiest period in more than two years this winter. The airport is consulting with airlines about managing demand during peak travel times. London's Heathrow airport was the scene of mass delays, flight cancellations, and long queues this summer. Like many other travel hubs globally it battled with labor shortages at a time when demand for travel peaked. A "seat factor cap" that limits capacity on the busiest travel days is one of the options being considered, The Telegraph reported on Tuesday.

☆ Heathrow Airport warns on demand outlook for travel
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-11 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

LONDON, Oct 11 (Reuters) - Britain's biggest airport Heathrow warned that the demand outlook for the coming winter was uncertain given the growing economic headwinds plus the impact of a new wave of COVID-19 and the escalating situation in Ukraine. Heathrow, situated west of London, said while it expected peak Christmas days to be very busy, the overall outlook was uncertain. During September, Heathrow said 5.8 million passengers passed through the airport, 15% below levels seen in 2019, showing that travel was recovering from pandemic lows but was held back by a cap on departures introduced by the airport to cope with labour shortages and congestion. The airport is due to remove the 100,000 daily cap at the end of October. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Sarah Young; Editing by Kate Holton and Paul SandleOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Cathay Pacific is facing ‘unprecedented staffing’ shortages, warns top union in Hong Kong
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-07 | by ( Michelle Toh | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Hong Kong CNN Business —Hong Kong’s flagship airline Cathay Pacific is facing “unprecedented” staff shortages and may not be ready to handle a surge in demand, as the city winds up its strict Covid policy and reopens for international travel. Hong Kong’s flagship airline is “facing unprecedented staffing and training shortages,” and “stands unprepared to fully resume its operations, failing to meet demand in a resurgent travel market,” the HKAOA said. But, this month Hong Kong ended its two and a half years of quarantine measures, leading to a surge in demand for outbound travel. On Wednesday, Virgin Atlantic announced it is closing its Hong Kong office and not resuming services between the Asian hub and London’s Heathrow Airport. Wayne Chang in Hong Kong contributed to this report.

☆ Two passenger jets collided on a runway of one of the world's busiest airports
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-29 | by ( Stephen Jones | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Two passenger jets were involved in a minor collision at London's Heathrow airport on Wednesday. An airport spokesperson told Insider that the incident involved Korean Air and Icelandair planes. A spokesperson for Heathrow airport told Insider: "Yesterday evening our teams responded to a minor collision between two aircraft on the airfield. Korean Air and Icelandair did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment made outside of normal working hours. A picture tweeted by Guardian journalist Dan Sabbagh, who was a passenger on the Korean Air flight, showed multiple emergency vehicles parked on the runway.

☆ Delta is bringing back 8 transatlantic routes next summer as it continues to rebuild its post-pandemic network — see the full list
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-23 | by ( Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

On Friday, the Atlanta-based carrier announced eight transatlantic routes returning to its network next summer, including one that hasn't flown since 1993. Boxun Liu / EyeEm / Getty ImagesDelta will start flights between New York and Geneva on April 10 using a Boeing 767-400 aircraft. Getty ImagesDelta will start flights between New York and London Gatwick on April 10 using a Boeing 767-300ER aircraft. picture alliance / Getty ImagesDelta will start flights between New York and Berlin on May 25 using a Boeing 767-300ER aircraft. Getty ImagesDelta will start five-times-weekly flights between Los Angeles and Paris on May 8 using an Airbus A330-900neo aircraft.

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