Airbus is exploring plans to cut A380 superjumbo production to as low as 6 aircraft per year as it battles to make the airliner commercially viable beyond the end of the decade, industry sources said. Squeezed by smaller but efficient twin-engined jets, Airbus has announced plans to lower A380 output to 12 aircraft in 2018 and 8 in 2019, down from an annual peak of 30, as it holds out for what it believes will be a recovery in demand. But plans to maintain that rate are in doubt as Airbus seeks to finalise an order for 36 new aircraft from Emirates. Industry analysts say ongoing negotiations with Emirates will be decisive for the future of the A380 aircraft. Emirates wants guarantees Airbus will produce the A380 for 10 years and has expressed confidence it will be able to meet the conditions. <br/>
general
Airlines made a ton of money off baggage fees between July and September. US$1.2b, to be exact. The figure, released Monday by the DoT, is a record, up about 10% from the same period last year. Baggage fees also hit an all-time high last quarter, totalling $1.18b between April and June. The growing popularity of basic economy fares is one reason for the spike. Additionally, more passengers have been flying in general, thanks to a healthy economy and relatively low fares. Both American Airlines and United Airlines rolled out basic economy class tickets in the past year. The numbers of passengers traveling on US carriers between January and August was up about 3% compared to the same period last year, according to DoT data. <br/>
US senator Charles Schumer is calling on the federal DoT to reverse its decision not to require airlines to disclose baggage fees upfront. The department announced Thursday it was withdrawing a proposed rule to force airlines to disclose baggage fees at the start of a ticket purchase rather than later. The department said online that the rule would have been “of limited public benefit.” Schumer said Sunday that scrapping the fee-disclosure rule would be “a Christmas gift” to the airlines. The Democrat urged the DoT to reverse course and restore “this common-sense passenger protection.” Airlines are already required to disclose bag fees, but critics say the information is often hidden until after consumers have taken several steps toward purchasing a ticket. <br/>
China and the UK have signed a deal to boost the number of flights permitted between the two countries by 50% to 150 per week. The latest deal follows one agreed in Oct 2016 which saw limits on passenger flights between the two countries raised from 40 to 100 a week. UK's transport ministry says the agreement allows for an expansion in routes from regional airports – potentially boosting local economies and opening up new business and tourism opportunities. In the first half of the year, 115,000 visits were made from China to the UK, a 47% increase from the same period a year ago. "These agreements are an important part of preparing Britain for a post-Brexit world and making sure we have access to key markets in the Far East," says UK transport secretary Chris Grayling. <br/>
Bangkok airport infrastructure is deficient, having failed to expand fast enough to cope with staggering traffic demand. Bangkok is one of 8 cities highlighted by IATA for aviation infrastructure shortcomings. IATA DG Alexandre De Juniac has taken govts to task for not doing enough to meet aviation infrastructure needs, calling for greater urgency to ensure infrastructure matches demand. Bangkok, whose two main airports, Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang, are facing critical congestion, was singled out along with Sydney, Manila, Jakarta, Mumbai, Mexico City, New York and Sao Paulo for suffering bottlenecks. Figures from AOT showed a total of 59.1m passengers were crammed into Suvarnabhumi in the fiscal year to Sept 30, up 6.5% from the previous year, while its capacity stands at 45m passengers a year. <br/>