Abta Aviation Forum 2024: Manufacturer and maintenance delays a focus. Ian Taylor reports from London
Continued from page 64
decarbonisation increasing fares. Jefferson also outlined the
barriers to progress, including access to feedstocks for SAF, the need for infrastructure to supply hydrogen and other fuels, and securing industry access to costly ‘carbon capture’ technology, which aims to remove carbon from the atmosphere and bury it below ground. However, he identified
“the two biggest challenges” as securing long-term investment and the non-alignment of energy, transport and net zero policies around the world. He said: “We need energy
networks to decarbonise all around the world and net zero policies to support that all around the world, and at the moment they are not linked up.” Highlighting the risks,
Jefferson said: “If we don’t deliver, either we can’t grow or flying becomes prohibitively expensive. “That is where we could end
up if we don’t deliver on this. “We need to fix the investment
– 25 years is not a long time.” Jefferson acknowledged
criticism from environmental NGOs that the industry is not moving fast enough but said: “The challenge is increasingly the consumer [attitude]. At what point does that move from ‘I’m broadly OK with flying’ to ‘I’m not OK’?” However, he expressed
confidence in the industry’s ability to meet the challenge, saying: “One hundred years ago we didn’t exist. There is no limit to our ability to solve the problem. The financial investment and the scale are the key challenges. How do we unlock the investment to unlock the technology?”
Aircraft delivery delays ‘will affect this summer’
Ian Taylor
Airline capacity will remain tight and airfares high for some time, with unwelcome changes to flight schedules likely due to delays in delivery of new aircraft and engine maintenance problems. That is according to aviation
consultant John Strickland who told an Abta Aviation Forum in London on Monday: “Late deliveries will affect this summer.” He noted deliveries “are coming
late or not at all” and leading to “uncertainty in network planning”, saying: “When airlines have aircraft scheduled for delivery, they want to use them. They are expensive. If aircraft are not delivered, they have to reschedule [flights].” Reduced capacity “means upward
pressure on fares”, he said, adding: “That feeds into airline profitability, but airline chief executives are more concerned about missing opportunities to tap peak season demand.”
‘Confusion over carry-on bag rules will cause issues’
Confusion over liquid restrictions at airport security will lead “a lot of customers” to arrive unprepared and cause delays this summer, a leading tour operator has warned. Sunvil managing director Chris
Wright told the forum: “There has been some excitement about not having the 100ml restrictions on liquids [but] that is not now
62 25 APRIL 2024
forcing the carrier “to cut routes and revise down its profit forecasts”. However, Strickland noted Wizz
Air “has the biggest headache” with 40 new Airbus aircraft grounded due to the engine issues. Despite the capacity constraints
Ryanair has been hit by delays to new Boeing aircraft Strickland explained maintenance
problems on the Pratt & Whitney engines on many Airbus A321neos mean that, on average, 350 aircraft are likely to be grounded at any time throughout 2024, 2025 and 2026, each for up to 300 days. At the same time, safety concerns
at Boeing after a door plug on a 737 Max-9 aircraft blew out in mid-air in January have raised questions about the company’s safety culture and exacerbated production delays. The issues at Boeing meant Ryanair would not receive 20 of the 50 new aircraft it planned to use this summer,
the case. You could have issues on outbound flights.” The Department for Transport
recently announced delays of up to a year to its June 1 deadline for airports to install the latest security scanners, having previously announced this would mark the end of restrictions on liquids in air passengers’ carry-on bags. Wright said: “We’re trying to
find out which airports are ready and which aren’t.” But he warned: “There are going to be a lot of customers rocking up at an airport unprepared and when people are not prepared it causes delays.”
and increased fuel price due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Israel’s war in Gaza, Strickland hailed the strong demand for flights and recovery in airline profits as “astonishing”, based on “remarkably strong pricing”. He told the Abta forum: “I’ve
never seen airlines flying with such full aircraft and such high pricing. “The North Atlantic market is
buoyant, and the European market – especially the holiday market – is incredibly robust.” Strickland noted the war in
Ukraine had “massively increased flight times between Europe and Asia” and fuel prices had risen due to heightened tension in the Middle East. But he said: “Airlines have been able to pass on the rises to customers.”
New scanners will end restrictions on liquids
Peter Campbell, head of public
affairs at Airports UK – formerly the Airport Operators Association – said: “We’ll be advising passengers to check whether their airport has the new technology and, if they’re unsure, to stick to the 100ml rules.”
travelweekly.co.uk
PICTURE: Piotr Mitelski
PICTURE: Shutterstock/Jaromir Chalabala
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