British Airways (BA), the UK’s flag-carrying airline has been left to lick its wounds after a backup generator failed to kick-in immediately following a power surge and which knocked out its whole of the carrier’s computer system on Saturday. This left the airline having to cancel all weekend flights from both Heathrow, Europe’s busiest airport,
In an attempt to reinstate Russia as a major player in the commercial aviation industry in the post-Soviet era, Irkut, a subsidiary of the state-owned aerospace conglomerate United Aircraft Corporation, has announced the successful maiden flight of its MC-21, which is intended to challenge the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737. Though the flight lasted only
The Filipino low-cost carrier Cebu Pacific has announced the suspension of over 50 percent of its Middle Eastern Operations, citing an oversupply of seats driving prices down to an unsustainable level. Flights from Manila to Riyadh, Doha and Kuwait will all be affected. The carrier will maintain its other long-haul services to and from Dubai,
If plans to create a 3,500 meter third runway at Heathrow are to proceed, it will involve having to bridge a section of the M25, one of the UK and Europe’s busiest motorways. International Airline Group (IAG) estimate that the cost of this element alone would add a further £2-3 million to the current £17
Cathay Pacific Airways, the largest international airline in Asia, announced in a statement on Monday that it is to shed 600 jobs, including 190 management positions, in the carrier’s largest restructuring for 20 years. The job losses do not affect pilots or cabin crew, should be complete by the end of the year, and will
Gulf carrier Emirates Airline has reported an 82% fall in profit for the fiscal year 2016-17 to AED 1.3 billion, with a profit margin of 1.5%. Emirates Airline and Group Chairman and Chief Executive, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, pointed the finger at Brexit, terror attacks and European immigration challenges as principal factors for
It was announced in St Petersburg that the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the Joint Inspection Group (JIG), and Airlines for America (A4A) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the intention of strengthening and promoting quality assurance and safety in global aviation fueling processes. The signing of the MOU is intended to help
Despite earlier warnings, easyJet, the low-cost carrier, has posted a pre-tax loss of £212 million for the six months up to the end of March. The loss has been attributed to the weaker pound and a late Easter. EasyJet pays for its fuel in US dollars, which increases the price when the pound is weak
A busy Easter helped Heathrow Airport to break records as over six million passengers were welcomed during the month, an 11% raise compared to April 2016. Middle-East traffic rose 20% in light of an increase in the number of operational A380s and the new service to Tehran, whilst North American traffic rose 10% on higher
A potential engine problem has forced Boeing to temporarily suspend all test flights for the new 737 MAX, though the plane manufacturer has indicated that this will not affect current production levels. It is anticipated that deliveries of the plane will still commence this month. Despite Boeing having encountered no problems during over 2,000 hours
