general

Pilots are speaking out against an aviation industry push toward having a sole crew member in the cockpit. At a Thursday news conference in Montreal, leaders of three of the world's largest pilot unions representing more than 150,000 workers said a proposal to Europe's aviation regulator aims to boost airline profits at the expense of safety. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency is mulling a pitch by plane makers Airbus and Dassault Aviation for some aircraft to be crewed by just one pilot for part of the flight - though not during takeoff and landing - by 2027. Currently, two pilots are required at the flight deck throughout the trip. The proposal would create an “unacceptable” safety risk for passengers, said Jack Netskar, president of the International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations, which includes some 6,200 Canadians. “There is no replacement for the skills and experience of at least two pilots at the controls of the flight deck at all times,” he said. Some manufacturers have framed single-person flying as a solution to labour shortages and pilot fatigue, said European Cockpit Association president Otjan de Bruijn, calling the characterization “misleading and inaccurate.” “It's a gamble with safety,” he said. The proposal could see only one pilot at the throttle during “less challenging phases” of a flight, so typically in cruise rather than at takeoff and landing, while the other pilot or pilots rest in the back, said Janet Northcote, spokeswoman for the European aviation agency. A pair would swap places halfway through the trip, but both pilots would be in the cockpit for the first and last 45 minutes or so. In theory, the change could mean that longer routes which previously demanded three or four pilots on an in-flight rotation could make do with just two. The concept - still years away from potential implementation - is being investigated more intensely by the agency, said Northcote. So-called single-pilot operations, when just one pilot is on board from start to finish, are also undergoing “some consideration” - but only for freighters, she said.<br/>

Frankfurt Airport operator Fraport said Thursday that Q1 core profit more than doubled as passenger numbers rebounded, but the results missed market expectations as high staffing and energy costs weighed. The group, which operates 28 airports around the world, reported a 123.9% year-on-year rise in quarterly core earnings (EBITDA) to E158.3m. This was 21% below the pre-pandemic 2019 figure. It said the results were boosted by an ongoing recovery in passenger number across its global network of airports, with traffic at its home-base airport in Frankfurt growing by 56% in the first quarter. But analysts at Jefferies said that adjusted for one-offs in the aviation division, Fraport's EBITDA was 8% below consensus due to higher staff and energy costs. "Cost inflation remains the key headwind for Fraport," Jefferies wrote in a note to clients. After staff shortages caused chaos at European airports last year, the group has been focusing on a recruitment drive across Europe in order to prepare for increasing footfall this summer. Fraport said it expected passenger traffic in Frankfurt to grow between 15% and 25% this summer.<br/>

Passengers at Heathrow Airport are being warned to limit their hand baggage as security officers stage a series of walkouts, starting on Thursday. Travel disruption is expected at the west London airport while around 1,400 members of Unite union strike between May 4-6, 9-10 and 25-27 - which includes the King’s coronation on Saturday. Travellers are advised to check their flight status with the airline and to expect the airport to be busy. The airport asked that passengers arrive no earlier than two hours before a short-haul flight and three hours before long-haul flights. Hand baggage, or carry-on, will be limited to two items per person on strike days, the airport warned. Handbags and laptop bags count as a piece of hand baggage. Checked-in luggage allowance will remain as advertised by airlines. Additional support teams will be assisting passengers, Heathrow Airport said. “While the airport will remain open, the strike action may cause disruption to the travel plans of some passengers during this period,” the airport said. Unite union announced on Wednesday evening that strikes would go ahead after last-minute talks over a pay dispute at the conciliation service Acas broke down. The union’s regional co-ordinating officer Wayne King said: “Unite has given Heathrow Airport every opportunity to make an improved pay offer, which could have led to the strike action being suspended. “Sadly, they refused to grasp the opportunity to make an offer which could meet members’ expectations." The strikes in May follow similar action taken by the union in March.<br/>

A petition launched by behavioural change charity Flight Free UK has now received support from environmental campaigners, after Radio 1 offered flights from the UK to US as a prize for listeners<br/>A petition to stop the BBC giving away flights as prizes has now reached more than 21,000 signatures, after an open letter to the broadcaster from some of the UK's leading environmental campaign groups urged it to stop glamourising carbon intensive activities. The campaign is led by charity Flight Free UK - which encourages behaviour change by challenging people to take a year off from flying - and has secured support from Greenpeace, Friends of The Earth, and Possible. The group first contacted the BBC at the end of February in response to two long-haul flights being offered as prizes on BBC Radio 1 when the station offered return flights to Nashville and LA. According to emissions data from Flight Emissions Map flying from the UK to Nashville and back could emit more than 1.8 tonnes of CO2 per passenger, while the LA trip would result in more than 2.2 tonnes per person. Flight Free UK said that this is equal to one person's entire annual carbon budget, as recommended by the IPCC.<br/>

Moldova will close its airspace to civilian aircraft on June 1 for safety reasons while hosting a summit of European leaders, its civil aviation authority said on Thursday. Moldova expects up to 47 heads of state, government and European Union institutions to attend the summit of the European Political Community (EPC), which brings together EU member states and 17 other European countries. "To ensure aviation security, flights of all civil aircraft will be prohibited over the entire airspace of the Republic of Moldova," the civil aviation authority said. It said Moldovan airspace would be closed all of June 1 and reopen at 7.00 a.m. local time on the morning of June 2. Only flights by official planes will be allowed, it said. A ban on drones will last longer, starting on May 31. Moldova, which is wedged between Ukraine and Romania, has been buffeted by Russia's war in Ukraine which President Maia Sandu has repeatedly denounced. Parts of missiles fired during the Ukraine conflict have landed in Moldova.<br/>

South African officials allowed a cargo plane targeted by US sanctions for supporting Russia’s military efforts to land at an air force base near the capital, Pretoria, last week, a move that could further increase tensions with the United States. US officials previously said the plane has been known to ship weapons for Russia’s defense forces. South Africa’s Department of Defense said in a statement on Wednesday that the plane had been delivering diplomatic mail for the Russian Embassy. South African officials have declined to say precisely what was loaded on to and taken off the plane. South Africa’s decision to let the aircraft land runs counter to American efforts to isolate Russia because of its invasion of Ukraine. Although South Africa is not bound by the US sanctions, the landing will “only serve to exacerbate the tense relations with the US,” said Steven Gruzd, a researcher of Russia’s relationship with Africa at the South African Institute of International Affairs. While South Africa has declared neutrality in the Russia-Ukraine war, he added, its foreign policy has increasingly leaned toward Russia. “It’s always a choice,” Gruzd said. “South Africa is choosing to do this.” A spokesman for the American Embassy in Pretoria declined to comment on the landing. The Russian Embassy also did not respond to a message sent to a spokesman. The landing, reported on Thursday by Business Day, a South African news outlet, comes as the United States was already expressing concern about whether the government in Pretoria has been aiding Moscow during the war in Ukraine.<br/>

Chinese tourists returned to the skies in droves over the Labor Day holidays as people embraced travel again following the end of Covid curbs, providing a bright spot for an oil market facing broader demand concerns. About 9.42m air passenger trips were made during the five-day break, with the daily average 4.2% higher than the same holiday period in 2019, prior to the pandemic, the Ministry of Transport said late Wednesday. Chinese jet fuel consumption is seen as the single biggest driver of global oil demand growth this year, JPMorgan Chase & Co. said in a note this month, and investors will be keenly watching to see if the holiday rebound will translate into a sustainable trend. Crude futures have buckled this week as fears over a US recession hang over the market. Air travel within China accounts for 70% of the country’s jet fuel consumption, and the market is watching for a pick up in international flights after years of closed borders due to the nation’s restrictive Covid Zero policy. Domestic travelers flew an average 1,638 kilometers (1,000 miles) over the break that started April 29, almost matching 2019, according to a statement from the nation’s top online travel platform, Trip.com Group. The number of international flights was 40% of the level recorded four years ago, Trip.com said, citing FlightAI data. China’s jet fuel demand is expected to climb by 325,000 barrels a day this year and average 725,000 barrels a day, which will be 10% lower than 2019, said Mukesh Sahdev, the Sydney-based head of oil trading at Rystad Energy. Consumption will peak in August and September at around 780,000 barrels a day, he added.<br/>

With the easing of measures against COVID-19, Japan's Golden Week holidays have seen travelers — some no longer wearing face masks — crowding train stations and airports, with a growing influx of foreign travelers adding to the bustle. Experts on infectious diseases, however, are calling on elderly people and those with underlying conditions to protect themselves from the virus by wearing masks and taking other countermeasures. Shinkansen bullet trains, airplanes and expressways reached peak congestion Wednesday, the first day of the five-day weekend, with more people enjoying long trips this year. The holiday mood has also been boosted by the government's decision to reclassify the virus as an infectious disease on par with seasonal flu from next Monday, paving the way for the full normalization of social and economic activities. The international departure lobby at Narita Airport near Tokyo was bustling with travelers, with many lining up at currency exchange counters. All Nippon Airways said its domestic flights from Tokyo's Haneda Airport were almost fully booked, while Japan Airlines said 90% of its flights departing the capital were sold out.<br/>

Embraer widened its net loss in the first quarter from a year ago, driving its shares lower on Thursday despite saying results came in within management expectations for a seasonally weaker period and reaffirming full-year forecasts. Brazil-traded shares in the company, the world's No.3 planemaker after Boeing and Airbus, were down more than 7% in morning trading, making it the biggest faller on Brazil's Bovespa stock index, which was near flat. The planemaker reported a quarterly adjusted net loss of $88.9m, larger than the $75.3m loss seen a year ago, saying it also burnt more cash in the period as it prepares to increase deliveries in the next quarters. "Seasonally weak Q1 was lighter than expected in gross margins and book-bill with larger cash use," analysts at TD Cowen said. "Investors likely will be somewhat disappointed". The Brazilian firm had already reported deliveries of 15 aircraft in the period, up 7% on the previous year but well below the 80 jets delivered in Q4, which tends to be busier for the company. "We expect higher delivery and sale activities and improved results in coming quarters," CE Francisco Gomes Neto told reporters, saying the company has several active sales campaigns and good prospects especially for its commercial aviation and defense units.<br/>