British security minister Ben Wallace said Sunday that Al-Qaeda is once again posing a growing threat to the world and is keeping British ministers "awake at night". Wallace explained that apart from plotting attacks at various airports, British intelligence has information that Al-Qaeda is also developing technologies to down passenger jets. "The aviation threat is real," Wallace said, adding: "Aviation is still a blue-ribboned event for these terrorists. Al-Qaeda are resurgent. They have reorganised. They are pushing more and more plots towards Europe and have become familiar with new methods and still aspire aviation attacks." Such is the threat that the UK has put in almost GBP25m to research a programme that would help protect planes. <br/>
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Pilots should be made to undergo 'tiredness tests' before they fly to help stop them from falling asleep in the cockpit, MPs have been told. BALPA, which represents over 10,000 UK pilots, warned politicians that lethargy affecting captains and first officers presented the single biggest threat to plane passenger safety. The union said it wants airlines to use computer programmes to estimate pilots' fatigue levels based on their flight rosters. Long working hours and regularly crossing different time zones are said to contribute towards severe tiredness inside plane cockpits. Under rules set by EASA, pilots who declare they are too tired to safely lead a journey are not compelled to fly. However, it is claimed aviators are still operating flight controls over fears they could be penalised or even lose their jobs if they report being too fatigued to work. <br/>
Chagrined county police in England insisted Monday that drone sightings over London Gatwick were authentic, while a local man who was arrested and cleared as a suspect in the aerial mystery that brought days of travel havoc said he felt "completely violated." The Sussex Police department deemed the affirmation necessary after a senior detective noted it was possible drones hadn't flown over the airport last week, sowing confusion over the precautionary shutdowns that affected tens of thousands of passengers. "We can unequivocally state that there have been numerous illegal drone sightings at the airport over 3 days from Dec 19 to Dec 21," deputy chief constable Jo Shiner said. Shiner said a conviction could bring whoever operated the drones a life prison sentence. <br/>
British security minister Ben Wallace said Monday the govt can now deploy drone detection systems nationwide, after days of device sightings caused chaos at Gatwick Airport and criticism of the govt response. The airport was forced to close its only runway repeatedly last Wednesday through Friday due to numerous reports of drones, impacting nearly 140,000 passengers and leading to the deployment of soldiers. But he warned: "The huge proliferation of such devices, coupled with the challenges of deploying military counter measures into a civilian environment, means there are no easy solutions." Meanwhile police have received around 30 pieces of "useful information" in the last 24 hours, a police-backed charity said Monday. <br/>
A soaring number of airline passengers, primarily from Asia, looks to send 17 of the world's top 20 carriers to higher pre-tax profit in fiscal 2019. Combined pre-tax profit at the 20 companies is projected to grow 17% to US$36.2b, rebounding from a 6% drop in fiscal 2018 to $31b, according to data from QUICK-FactSet. Sales are expected to climb 7% to $466.6b as each company takes in higher revenue. Demand for flights is outstripping additional seating. Growth appears especially large in the Asia-Pacific region. Passenger numbers are pegged to rise about 7.5% in fiscal 2019 as more people take airplanes due to rising incomes. However, political risks cloud the otherwise bright economic picture. Demand for business class seating will be hurt should tensions between the US and China intensify. <br/>
Passengers left stranded in airports around the country for days after a hailstorm hit Sydney have called for airlines to be more up front about delays and cancellations. Sydney Airport was closed when hailstorms lashed the city Thursday, causing dozens of flights to be delayed or cancelled in one of the busiest travel periods of the year. But while travellers accept airlines have no control of the weather, they have been frustrated that flights continue to be disrupted days after the weather cleared due to ongoing "operational issues". Unlike in Europe, passengers in Australia don't have any legal rights when domestic flights are delayed or cancelled. Australian airlines do not have to guarantee their timetable. The timing is at the discretion of the airline. <br/>
Pilots and air traffic controllers say New Zealand airports are already facing safety threats from drones, and more must be done to control their use. London's Gatwick Airport was forced to close for more than 36 hours over the weekend, because someone was flying drones over the runway. In New Zealand, those working in the airline industry warned the same thing could easily happen in this country. The New Zealand Airline Pilots' Association said the Gatwick situation was an urgent wake-up call for this country to strengthen its own drone laws. President Tim Robinson said the Govt must urgently update the laws, in the wake of the problems at Gatwick. "It's the first time we've really seen a major interruption of this period of time, with drones," he said. <br/>