IATA Proposes Passenger Security Tunnels: Airport Int. News

The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has taken the wraps off a new airport security plan that focuses on passengers, as opposed to the items they carry.

The envisaged programme sees airports hosting a series of tunnels, divided up to reflect the security status of passengers travelling on aircraft flights. The results of biometrics analyses, combined with data provided when the flight was booked, would decide which tunnel each passenger would use - ‘Known Travellers’, ‘Normal Security’ or ‘Enhanced Security’.
Once in service, the airport passenger tunnels would follow a suite of airport security measures, including passenger identification, imposed on travellers prior to letting them board. The Known Travellers tunnel would see only light checks take place, checks that would be enhanced, but still kept at moderate level, in the Normal tunnel, while “Enhanced Security” would be used when needed.

Source: airport-int.com

By: Progress On 01:12

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Snow disruption to cost BA £50m

British Airways says that the recent weather disruption will affect its 2010 third quarter results by around £50m.

Announcing its December traffic and capacity statistics, the carrier said that airport closures and reduced operating capacities caused by the adverse weather conditions in the UK, Europe and North America, have affected traffic “equivalent to a reduction in capacity versus December 2009 of around 12 per cent”.

BA’s initial assessment of the financial impact of the disruption shows that the carrier’s third quarter results will be affected by “some £50m”, with “some small additional impact in January from cancelled return journeys”.

The airline’s December 2010 traffic fell by 8.3 per cent compared with the same period in 2009, with premium traffic down 1.6 per cent and non-premium traffic down 9.6 per cent. However BA said that the “underlying market conditions remain positive”.

Source: ba.com

By: Progress On 01:10

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No basis to summer capacity crisis?

Fears of a shortage of summer 2011 charter capacity following the collapses of Flyglobespan and Viking may have been proven unfounded.

Even without a new carrier entering the UK market to replace the bottom-end fares offered by Viking through the now-defunct Kiss andGoldtrail, operators may have found enough capacity.

Aito aviation committee chairman John Tangey said charter capacity was limited, particularly in July and August when Jet2.com is giving preference to its and Jet2Holidays.com’s customers.

But he said airlines such as Titan Airways, Monarch Airlines charter division and group allocations on British Airways had helped fill the gap.
“No one says they cannot get anything for key routes. Everyone will get what they need,” he said.

Source: ttglive.com

By: Progress On 01:05

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CO2 Accreditation for Reduced Airport Emissions

French airport authority ADP (Aeroports de Paris) has been awarded Level 2 Airport Carbon Accreditation, in recognition of the carbon emissions reductions that have taken place at two key Parisian hubs. Travel-based CO2 emissions cuts have become a significant part of modern-day business practice and, together, Charles De Gaulle Airport and Orly Airport have reduced their carbon footprints by approximately 6,000 tons per annum – about the same amount of CO2 that 300 typical homes might produce over the same period. The accreditation was given during an event attended by European Commission Vice-President for Transport, Siim Kallas, and held 18 months after the Airport Carbon Accreditation programme launched.
“This certification rewards Aeroports de Paris’s proactive stance in reducing greenhouse gas emissions”, Pierre Graff – the group’s Chief Executive Officer – stated. “In 2004, we produced 125,000 tonnes of CO2 to satisfy our energy needs. Today, our carbon emissions represent less than 100,000 tonnes.”


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By: Progress On 01:01

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BA brings mobile boarding passes to Asia

Streamlined check-in procedures are among the initiatives that British Airways’ (BA) is planning to roll out in the Asia-Pacific in 2011. Others are joint-service agreements and increased frequencies to key Chinese cities.

BA will streamline check-in procedures, launching mobile boarding passes in Hong Kong by the first quarter of next year – the first city in Asia-Pacific to adopt the paperless check-in trend. Once introduced, passengers can check in via the BA application on their smartphones and download a barcode that should take them directly to security check. Luggage can be left at a separate drop-off.


Source: asia.businesstraveller.com

By: Progress On 01:00

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Continental Airlines launches FareLock scheme

Continental Airlines has launched a FareLock option, which enables passengers to hold reservations and freeze online ticket prices for either 72 hours or seven days without having to purchase the ticket. The facility, available for all tickets – domestic and international – purchased online, will provide passengers with greater flexibility when planning their trips and the ability to avoid drastic price increases or sold out flights. When making bookings, online passengers will be given the option to choose between a 72-hour hold or a seven-day hold during which passengers must return to complete transactions. Fees for the 72-hour hold will start from US$5 and the seven-day hold will start from US$9. Fees will vary depending on itinerary and number of days to departure. Passengers can also choose the “auto-ticketing” option, which will automatically complete the transaction at the expiry of the chosen FareLock period. The carrier currently enables passengers to change and cancel reservations within 24 hours of booking the ticket with a full refund. This policy will also be applicable to tickets booked within the FareLock scheme although the fee to lock-in fares will not be refunded.


Source: asia.businesstraveller.com

By: Progress On 00:55

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Brazil and US Close to Open Skies Agreement

The US and Brazil are set to sign a new agreement that will boost aircraft operations at key Brazilian airports with effect from October next year. The so-called ‘Open Skies’ agreement will lift present limits and allow more US commercial flights to Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo airports. To date, the wording for this agreement has been worked out, but no formal approval has been given. Potentially, though, the US and Brazilian Open Skies agreement should see flight numbers grow, while ticket prices reduce.
“The agreement will strengthen and expand our already strong trade and tourism links with Brazil, benefiting US and Brazilian businesses and travelers by expanding air service and encouraging vigorous price competition by airlines, while safeguarding aviation safety and security”, the US State Department explained.

US/Brazilian Open Skies Treaty

Under the initial terms established, full US/Brazilian Open Skies treaty procedures will begin in 2015 - the service will be limited up until that point. In simple terms, between 2011 and 2015, passenger airlines operating between the two nations will just be allowed to fly more often but, after 2015, they will be able to offer a far more market and passenger-driven service.
Destinations, routes and ticket prices can all be chosen by the airlines, and both capacity and flight numbers will be unlimited, in theory.

Open Skies Agreement: US and Brazil

If this Open Skies agreement between the US and Brazil is inked, it will become the 101st of its kind. “This agreement means the travelers, shippers, airlines and economies of both the United States and Brazil will benefit from competitive pricing and more convenient service”, Ray LaHood – US Transportation Secretary – stated at the end of last week. Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro International Airport is the largest in the country, and use of the site for aircraft operations dates back to the early 1920s. Close to 12 million passengers were handled in 2009, while over 119,000 aircraft movements took place and 80,000 tonnes of cargo were processed.

Sao Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport is larger, still: over 21 million passengers used it last year alone. Aircraft movements totalled over 209,000, while more than 350,000 tonnes of cargo passed through.

Source: Airport International’s Global Correspondent

By: Progress On 00:54

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