This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
Feature: Airline Update


branch of the world renowned Mondavi wine family. The upscale cosmetics are made of grape and wine extracts from California’s Napa Valley, plus a variety of natural extracts,” says Jackson. At the Paris Air Show in June Airbus won over $70billion worth of business for a total of 730 new aircraft, setting a new sales record for any commercial aircraft manufacturer at a trade show. Airbus said the A320NEO (new engine option) was the ‘star of the show and proved irresistible to airlines and lessors alike’.


biofuel developments,” he says. “The major players are also


“The single-aisle A320 family is the best-selling aircraft line of all time, but the new NEO option lays claim to new levels of environmental efficiency”


quick to publicise their latest, more environmentally friendly fleet purchases,” he adds. And he’s not wrong. United


and Continental claim to have made a 32 per cent improve- ment in fuel efficiency through investing in a modern, fuel- efficient fleet and equipment, while over 300 aircraft in their combined fleet now have winglets that deliver a five per cent reduction in emissions. The industry has taken great


THE ENVIRONMENT The single-aisle A320 family is the best-selling aircraft product line of all time, but the new NEO option lays claim to new levels of environmental efficiency. The aircraft’s aerodynamics have been tinkered with, while new engine types and ‘Sharklet’ wing tip devices between them deliver fuel savings of 15 per cent and add an extra 500 miles to its range. Airbus says the A320NEO’s fuel savings translate into some 3,600 tonnes


less CO2 per aircraft per year. Fuel efficiency is obviously high on the agenda


for airlines right now, with both the cost of oil and environmental impact affecting the aviation industry’s long-term welfare. So, as Portman’s Parkes says, it’s no surprise


that airlines are shouting about their green credentials now. “The entry of airlines into the EU’s Emissions Trading Scheme next year will be a challenge. Corporate social responsibility (CSR) is therefore high on the agenda for airlines, as seen by the surge of interest in new


strides in the development of reliable and safe alternatives to kerosene that are sustainable and have a smaller carbon footprint. The main requirement, according to IATA,


is that alternative fuels can be mixed with conventional jet fuel and used in the same mechanical equipment. A range of biomass- derived fuels have been trialled, including those based on sources such as algae, babassu (a tree species), camelina (an energy crop), halophytes (a plant type), jatropha and switch grass. Finnair and Lufthansa have conducted some


of the most recent biofuel trials, with the latter midway through a six-month trial on a scheduled service between Hamburg and Frankfurt – see page 50 for more details. All journeys begin with a single step, but here’s


some food for thought. Just a three per cent volume blend-in of sustainable biofuel would reduce aviation’s carbon emissions by at least two per cent – that’s a reduction of over ten


million tonnes of CO2 a year. IATA puts the cost of the production and distribution facilities required to facilitate such a scenario in the region of $10-15billion. A small price to pay?


NEWS IN BRIEF


• British Airways’ new routes for 2011 include services to Puerto Rico, Marrakesh and San Diego. In addition to its Tokyo Narita operation, it has also launched flights to Tokyo’s central Haneda Airport.


• Spain’s second largest airline, Air Europa, continued its steady expansion with the launch of a four times weekly service from its Madrid base to Mexico City in July. It launched services to Lima, Peru, last year, and is rumoured to be commencing services to Bogota and/ or Cartagena in Colombia in the near future.


• South African Airways took delivery of new Airbus A330-200 long-range aircraft earlier this year. The additions form part of the national carrier’s fleet renewal programme to replace old aircraft with new, more efficient planes.


• Air Southwest will cease all operations this September as a consequence of Plymouth Airport’s end of year closure.


• Flybe and Finnair have jointly acquired Finnish Commuter Airlines with a view to creating “the leading regional airline for the Nordic and Baltic countries”. The joint venture will be split 60 per cent Flybe and 40 per cent Finnair, with Flybe taking over day-to-day operation of the airline. It intends to expand into Sweden, Denmark, Estonia and Latvia.


• SAS Scandinavian Airlines has launched a ‘Hidden Fee Finder’ tool comparing its all-inclusive fares to other airline competitors such as easyJet, Ryanair, Norwegian and British Airways. It factors in the separate costs charged by some low-cost carriers for the likes of online check-in and seat selection.


• Emirates took delivery of seven A380s within the last year, expanding total fleet to 148 aircraft. It remains the world’s largest A380 operator with 15 of the Superjumbos in its fleet.


• Lufthansa launches twice-daily non-stop services between London Gatwick and Frankfurt in October. It is also launching a thrice-daily service between Aberdeen and Frankfurt. The new routes take the carrier’s weekly services between Germany and the UK to 455 this winter.


• Virgin Atlantic launched its first direct service between Manchester and Las Vegas earlier this year, with a B747-400 flying the route twice a week on Thursdays and Sundays. It is the carrier’s first route to the Western US from Manchester. April saw the launch of the first of its new $2.2billion fleet of ten Airbus A330s to be delivered over a two-year period.


• Cathay Pacific has placed an order for four B777-300ER passenger aircraft and eight B777-200 freighters for delivery between 2013 and 2016. It already operates 22 such aircraft on long-haul routes and this takes its order to 28. The airline is also spending HK$1billion on new products and services including a business class seat which will be fitted on all new A330-300 and B777-300ERs.


• United’s Economy Plus seating will be introduced on Continental aircraft in 2012 while Mileage Plus will be the loyalty programme for both carriers. United continues to install flatbeds in first and business classes and now has the seats on 123 aircraft, more than any other US carrier. The new United has firm orders for 50 B787s with deliveries from 2012.


WWW.THEBUSINESSTRAVELMAG.COM I 73


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92