A meeting between federal government officials and the National Airlines Council of Canada (NACC) to discuss a shared commitment to do more for air travellers with disabilities was described as “productive and candid.” But the feds say airlines need to do more. "The commitment from the National Airlines Council of Canada to passenger accessibility, including their specific focus on disability awareness and inclusion training and improved mobility device transportation and care, is a positive step toward disability-inclusive air travel,” read a joint statement from Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Disability Inclusion, and Omar Alghabra, Minister of Transport. “We support their endeavour, but more must be done to ensure that persons with disabilities can access equitable and dignified services and no longer face barriers when travelling in Canada.” In the last year, there have been several stories of how some persons with disabilities have received unacceptable treatment when travelling by air. There have been instances of wheelchairs being damaged, passengers with disabilities being separated from their travel companions, and passengers being treated differently because of the lack of disability awareness and training. “Passengers have rights when they travel. They must be treated with respect and dignity throughout their journey, full stop,” the federal government stated.<br/>
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Environmental groups have long criticized the private aviation sector for being a disproportionally large contributor to global carbon dioxide emissions, and last week, climate activists made headlines by disrupting a private jet trade fair in Switzerland. Because they often travel shorter distances than commercial jets, private jets are generally less efficient, and their emissions per passenger are much higher. According to data from European non-profit Transport and Environment, private jets can be five to 14 times more polluting than commercial planes, and 50 times more polluting than trains. Yet the private aviation sector has seen considerable growth in recent years. A report by the Institute for Policy Studies revealed that it set industry records in 2021 and 2022, with the size of the global fleet growing by 133% since 2000. Research commissioned by Greenpeace showed that private jets in Europe alone emitted 3.39m metric tons of CO2 in 2022, roughly equivalent to the emissions from 753,000 gasoline-powered cars in the US driven for a year. But experts say the sector can still play a crucial role in the global fight against climate change, and some in the industry are looking at innovative ways to reduce its environmental impact. As a member of the IATA, along with other major commercial airlines, Dubai-based private aviation company Jetex is aiming to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. Launched in 2005 by CEO Adel Mardini, Jetex now has 750 employees based across dozens of private terminals around the world – including Dubai, Miami, Paris and Beijing. Through a partnership with oil company Neste, in 2021 Jetex started offering sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), made from renewable waste and residue raw materials, to passengers at its Helsinki Airport terminal. That same year at its Paris Le-Bourget Airport terminal, it began offering SAF produced by French company TotalEnergies, made from used cooking oil.<br/>
SIA Engineering (SIAEC) has signed a joint venture agreement with Cambodian infrastructure investment firm Cambodia Airport Investment (CAIC) to form a line maintenance joint venture. The new joint venture will be based at capital Phnom Penh’s new airport, known as Techo Takhmao International Airport. Under the agreement, SIAEC will hold 51% equity stake, while CAIC will take the remaining 49%. SIAEC also expects the joint venture to eventually “develop into a regional aircraft MRO hub”. The new joint venture is expected to be operational in March 2025, in line with the opening of Techo Takhmao, which is still in development. The greenfield airport, located south of Phnom Penh, is expected to be able to handle up to 50m passengers annually, with three runways and a satellite terminal. Construction for the new airport began in 2019, and the airport has a total investment budget of over $1.5b. SIAEC chief Ng Chin Hwee says: “This joint venture, in partnership with CAIC, will provide comprehensive line maintenance support with a high level of despatch reliability and quality engineering services to the airlines operating in [Techno Takhmao airport].”<br/>