general

The leading international airline trade organization's top official Tuesday denounced US and British bans on some electronic devices on flights from several Muslim-majority countries, criticizing the policies as a move toward "more restricted borders and protectionism." Alexandre de Juniac, DG and CE of the IATA, questioned the efficacy of the bans on devices larger than a cellphone. The restrictions, announced last week, apply to direct flights to Britain and the United States from certain airports in the Middle East and North Africa. "The current measures are not an acceptable long-term solution to whatever threat they are trying to mitigate," de Juniac said. "Even in the short term it is difficult to understand their effectiveness." The American regulations were prompted by reports that militant groups want to smuggle explosive devices in electronic gadgets. They require that devices larger than a cellphone, including laptops and tablets, must be stowed with checked baggage on US-bound passenger flights from airports in 10 Muslim-majority countries. Britain followed suit shortly after with a similar ban on larger carry-on electronics on direct flights from six countries. France and Canada said last week that they were examining their policies. De Juniac said the bans created severe "commercial distortions." "We call on governments to work with the industry to find a way to keep flying secure without separating passengers from their personal electronics," he said.<br/>

President Trump’s executive actions restricting travel from predominantly Muslim countries caused confusion and erroneous detentions at airports and are potentially having a negative impact on the US tourism industry. Further actions by the administration could have a wider effect on travelers when it comes to the cost of air travel and airline fee transparency. The DoT recently suspended the process of collecting public comments on two previous administration rule proposals related to airfare transparency. The more recent rule, proposed by the DoT in January under President Barack Obama, would require more transparency regarding passenger baggage fees. The other proposal, made in October, was looking into whether airlines were withholding valuable fare and scheduling information from consumers searching on third-party travel websites. The baggage fee proposal would have required that airlines and ticket agents make evident all such fees at the beginning of the booking process. This action followed an executive order issued last April by Obama that was aimed at making the use of such fees clear to consumers and several years of consideration on related issues by the department. The DoT, under Trump, suspended the public comment period for both proposals in March to “allow the president’s appointees the opportunity to review and consider” the actions. As part of his budget, Trump has also proposed raising a tax on airline tickets to help cover TSA costs. The fee per leg of a flight would rise to $6.60, up from $5.60, and would raise $40b in the first 10 years.<br/>

A powerful cyclone tore into Australia’s northeastern coast on Tuesday, forcing thousands of people to flee, shuttering coal to gold mines and prompting insurers to declare a catastrophe. Cyclone Debbie made landfall near Airlie Beach, a tourist resort and gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, at midday with wind gusts up to 260 kilometers per hour, according to the Bureau of Meteorology. Airlines canceled flights, as emergency services braced for flooding and destruction. “We are going to get lots of reports of damage,” Queensland Police Commissioner Ian Stewart told reporters. “Sadly, I think that we will also receive more reports of injuries, if not death." It’s the worst storm to hit Queensland since Cyclone Yasi -- the most severe at category five -- badly damaged sugar- and banana-producing regions in 2011. Debbie, which made landfall as a category four cyclone, was downgraded one step as the weather system moved inland, bringing heavy rainfall that’s expected to cause flash flooding.<br/>

Passenger numbers at Dubai International Airport rose 8.8% in February to 6,948,157. Eastern Europe was again the fastest growing market with a 39.1% rise in passenger numbers. Asia was second in growth terms with a 23.8% lift, and South America third on 11.6%. India was the busiest market with 937,962 passengers, followed by the UK on 516,611 and Saudi Arabia with 499,797. In city destinations London topped the list with 309,768 passengers, Doha was second with 246,767, and Bangkok third on 203,432. Freight was down slightly on February 2016 with 92,704 tonnes shipped, a 1.9% dip.<br/>

Changi Airport handled 4.67m passengers in February this year, 1.5% more than the same time last year, the Changi Airport Group (CAG) said in its press release on Wednesday. Passenger traffic for the month remained stable compared to a year ago, which saw travel boosted by the Chinese New Year holidays in February 2016. Among the airport's top 10 country markets, India posted the strongest growth at 14%, with traffic to Bengaluru, Mumbai and New Delhi contributing to the growth. There was also growth in traffic to Indonesia and Vietnam, both by 4%t, it added. The airport operator also noted that it welcomed its first airline for the year, with the introduction of the US-Bangla Airlines on Mar 10. It operates services to Dhaka, Bangladesh. Aircraft movement, however, saw a 1.7% dip to 28,030 landings and takeoffs, CAG said, while cargo shipments rose 7.9% year-on-year to reach 146,870 tonnes.<br/>

Thailand's six main airports recorded a robust rise in passenger traffic and aircraft movements in the first two months of 2017. Propelled by holiday travels, the total number of passengers passing through those airports, including gateway Suvarnabhumi, jumped 7.7% to 23.3m during January-February. Aircraft movements through airports operated by state-run Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT) grew in tandem, rising 5.7% year-on-year to 139,890, according to AoT figures. Domestic passenger traffic grew at a faster pace than international numbers. Domestic passenger volumes surged 11.6% to 10.3 million while international numbers reached 13 million, up 4.8%. <br/>

Flying first class is a pipe dream for many of us — and becoming even more so as airlines do away with the most expensive seats on the plane. Qantas’ new 787-9 Dreamliners will not have a first class — only business and premium economy, just as Virgin Australia opted not to include a first when it reconfigured its 777 and A330 aircraft. Emirates also pulled out the first class seats in some of its A380 aircraft in order to pack in more economy rows, boosting capacity to 615 passengers. Other airlines to scale back or remove first class seats particularly in new aircraft include Lufthansa, Singapore Airlines, Etihad and United Airlines.<br/>Etihad’s decision to include First Class on some of its 787-9 Dreamliners but not all, was based on demand for the product in different markets, a spokesman said. The shift comes as standards rise in business class, with one-two-one seating formats so every passenger has aisle access and their own private suite. Regional sales manager of Cheapflights.com.au Australia New Zealand, Nathan Graham, said the improvements to business meant in was now as good as first class in many cases but less expensive. “This has led to increased demand for business which airlines are responding to by removing or reducing first class,” Graham said. “Premium economy offers are also improving and can be sold at competitive rates. With no first class, more inventory can be added for the lower cost/higher demand products alongside economy, allowing planes to fly more regularly at capacity.”<br/>