France will seek support from other European Union countries for a minimum price on flights in Europe in a bid to reduce the aviation sector's contribution to climate change, Transport Minister Clement Beaune has said. The move, if approved, would hit airlines offering super-cheap fares. But it may struggle to win sufficient support among EU countries, which include island nations that rely on air transport, and regions with tourism sectors buoyed by low-cost flights. France's aim is to "open the debate on the fair social and environmental price of a flight ticket," Beaune said in written comments. "It's not a question of multiplying by ten the price of tickets. Why? Because there are also people who take a plane once in their life, who don't have much money - it's also a freedom, a means of transportation that can't be reserved for only the rich," he said. EU officials told Reuters countries including the Netherlands and Belgium support the idea in principle. Austria had previously proposed a minimum price, but faced legal complexities to take it forward, EU officials said. "I think it's a discussion we have to have at EU level," Beaune said. Winning broader support could prove challenging. Talks among EU countries on aviation fuel taxes have hit an impasse, with some governments opposed to passing measures that could raise prices for voters ahead of EU elections next year. The EU has some measures to curb the environmental impact of flying. European flights will pay a higher price for their CO2 emissions in the next few years, under the EU carbon market.<br/>
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Italy’s government has pulled back from a plan to cap air fares on certain routes, instead giving the country’s competition authority new powers to police ticket prices following fierce resistance from airlines. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government outlined a decree last month for price caps on flights between mainland Italy and the islands of Sicily and Sardinia after ticket prices soared this summer. But industry minister Adolfo Urso said on Tuesday the government would submit an amendment that will scrap the original plan to cap fares during the high season at 200% of average prices. Instead, Urso said the government would give “specific and greater powers” to the country’s competition and transportation authorities to monitor air fares on certain routes and to intervene if they consider that prices have jumped too high during peak periods or unforeseen events such as natural disasters. “There won’t be a ceiling, but the reference to +200% remains, as an indicative element . . . so that the competition authority can take action, if it considers it [necessary],” Urso said. The changes represent the latest apparent policy U-turn from the Meloni government, which partially backtracked on a bank windfall tax that spooked markets and drew criticism from the European Central Bank. European airlines had strongly opposed the original proposals to cap fares, which were described as “illegal” under EU law by Ryanair, Europe’s largest airline. Airline bosses had also questioned how the price caps would work in practice, including how the government would define an “average” fare in an era of algorithmic pricing that regularly changes according to supply and demand. Urso said the changes would “overcome the obstacles” in the original plan, and would “achieve the same goal” of controlling high air fares.<br/>
Biosecurity New Zealand says passenger queue times at Auckland Airport are improving, and that on average, it is now processing passengers in less than 10 minutes. Biosecurity New Zealand’s northern commissioner Mike Inglis said the average biosecurity processing time had steadily reduced during the year from a high of 13.16 minutes in February to 9.72 minutes in August. However, this processing time is only measured from the biosecurity portal – beginning at the signage at the start of the lanes. During busy periods, travellers can find themselves waiting in long snaking queues that extend well beyond the biosecurity screening area. The peak time for biosecurity processing at the airport was from 5pm to 8pm, when there were high volumes of arriving travellers from the Pacific Islands, Asia, US and Australia. During this period in August, the average processing time was said to be 12.29 minutes. Inglis said passenger flows were influenced by a range of industry-wide factors that were outside of Biosecurity New Zealand’s direct control. “However, we’ve been working hard with airports, airlines, and other agencies to streamline and adjust arrival processes where required to improve passenger flows.”<br/>
Boeing on Wednesday slightly increased its annual 20-year forecast for new plane deliveries to China, citing economic growth and increasing demand for domestic travel. The US planemaker said Chinese airlines would need 8,560 new commercial planes through 2042, up from 8,485 in its previous forecast last year. In June, the company said it remained "very bullish" on China, which would make up 20% of the global market for air travel. Boeing, however, is still waiting to resume deliveries of its bestselling 737 MAX to Chinese airlines more than four years after they were halted following two deadly crashes and has been all but shut out of new orders from the carriers since 2017. The U.S. planemaker said China's fleet would more than double to nearly 9,600 jets over the next 20 years and its domestic aviation market would be the largest in the world by the end of the forecast period, with demand for 6,470 single-aisle planes such as the Boeing 737 MAX family. "Domestic air traffic in China has already surpassed pre-pandemic levels and international traffic is recovering steadily," said Darren Hulst, Boeing vice president for commercial marketing. "As China's economy and traffic continue to grow, Boeing’s complete line-up of commercial jets will play a key role in helping meet that growth sustainably and economically." Boeing has about 85 MAX jets in inventory for Chinese customers and 55 MAXs originally slated for Chinese airlines have been remarketed, the company said in July. Reuters reported in April that China's aviation regulator published a report that Boeing viewed as a key step for the U.S. planemaker to resume deliveries, but none have resumed yet.<br/>
The investment firm buying UK football club Everton FC is working to build a global airline portfolio to add to a sprawl of sports and aviation assets from Brazil to Australia. Miami-based 777 Partners last month bought 10% of South Korean low-cost carrier Eastar Jet Inc. It already owns Australian budget new-entrant Bonza and about 25% of Canada’s ultra-low-cost Flair Airlines. 777 Partners’ head of airline investments Manish Raniga said the firm is looking for stakes in carriers in other regions including Europe, South America and the Middle East. The goal is to create a worldwide network of carriers plying domestic and short-haul international routes, he said. “We would want to see that as part of our DNA,” Raniga said. “We are actively looking for those types of opportunities.” With a patchwork of airlines serving different markets, 777 Partners — which has ordered some 200 Boeing Co. 737 Max jets — would be able to deploy aircraft where they’re needed most, according to Raniga. Bonza, for instance, is borrowing two planes from Canada’s Flair to meet peak demand over Australia’s summer, he said. “If we’re able to not just have the right geographical locations, but the ability to match seasonality as well — that would be the ultimate synergy for us,” Raniga said. 777 Partners last week agreed to buy Everton to gain a foothold in the world’s richest football league. Co-led by Steven Pasko and Josh Wander, the US firm is one of the new multi-club owners sweeping world football and has built a portfolio of teams from Belgium to Brazil. While the sports and aviation investments are run seperately, there are some overlaps. For instance, 777 Partners last year invested in soccer team Melbourne Victory. Bonza is the club’s main sponsor.<br/>
Spare parts availability and supply chain issues continue to vex airlines, who feel that manufacturers could do more to address the issue. The CEs of Vietnam Airlines and Philippine Airlines both highlight the issue, as does IATA DG Willie Walsh. “Supply chain is very important for airlines and any interruption can seriously affect our operational performance,” says Vietnam Airlines CE Le Hong Ha. He believes that better demand forecasting models could help, as well as greater cooperation among airlines, suppliers, and stakeholders in the supply chain. He also feels manufacturers should prioritise existing customers for aircraft and engines over new deliveries. “Spare parts and engines are provided to new customers while existing aircraft are on the ground, it’s not good,” he says. Stanley Ng, president and chief operating office of Philippine Airlines shares Ha’s view that manufacturers need to focus more on existing operators. He observes that if an airline has a grounded aircraft, it still needs to make payments while no revenue is coming in. “The solution is really to give those (new) engines to existing customers, Instead of mounting them on new planes for delivery,” says Ng. “Because at the end of the day it’s about the long term relationship with your existing customer.” Both carriers operate A320neo family aircraft powered by the Pratt & Whitney PW1100G engine, which has had a troubled service entry. Adding to the engine’s challenges, on 11 September P&W parent RTX said that between now and 2026, around 600-700 engines must be removed and inspected for defective high-pressure turbine and compressor discs. Walsh says spare parts challenges started to become a real issue in 2022, and that the problem is not getting better. He also specifically called out the challenges around the PW1100G. He foresees supply chain and spare parts challenges continuing into 2024. <br/>