The CEO of Canada's second-largest airline says the global push to decarbonize the aviation sector by 2050 will lead to a major increase in ticket prices unless governments step in to offer support. Alexis von Hoensbroech, the CEO of WestJet, made the comments Tuesday at the 24th World Petroleum Congress, a major international oil-and-gas conference being held in Calgary this week. The theme of the conference is the energy transition and the growing pressure on the fossil fuel sector to address its role in climate change. Von Hoensbroech said while it may seem odd for an airline to be a featured presenter at an oil and gas conference, airlines are dependent on fossil fuels. WestJet, for example — which is headquartered in Calgary — is actually the single biggest consumer of petroleum products in the oil-producing province of Alberta, spending upwards of $1b annually on jet fuel, von Hoensbroech said. The global aviation industry itself is responsible for approximately 3% of greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. In 2021, the IATA — which represents 300 airlines, including WestJet — committed to reaching net zero by 2050, in line with the Paris Agreement global climate treaty. But von Hoensbroech said while WestJet and other airlines are investing billions in fleet improvements and energy efficiency to reduce their environmental impact, getting to net zero by 2050 will be a major challenge. Electric or hydrogen-powered planes remain a long way from becoming reality, making the aviation sector one of the hardest to decarbonize. "The last barrel of hydrocarbons produced on this planet are likely to be burned in a jet engine," von Hoensbroech said at the conference. <br/>
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Embattled Vietnamese carrier Bamboo Airways says work to restructure its operations is ongoing, as it targets improvements in its financial performance. In a statement released following a shareholders meeting on 15 September, the carrier says it is carrying out a review “with the goal of regenerating [the airline’s] capital”. The review also aims to “strengthen the company’s operations”, as well as increase its working capital “to implement policies such as fleet…and network expansion”, the company states. The carrier’s survivability has been the subject of rumours for several months, following a series of challenges. In July, the carrier saw a raft of leadership changes, starting with the resignation of former chief executive Nguyen Minh Hai after less than two months in the top role. He was succeeded by acting CE Nguyen Ngoc Trung. This was followed by the resignation of four directors less than a month after being appointed, including the airline’s chairman Oshima Hideki who formerly was with Japan Airlines. Local property group Him Lam took control of the airline as its strategic investor, moving the airline away from previous owner FLC Group, which itself faces legal and financial issues. FLC’s then-chairman was arrested in 2022 on allegations of stock manipulation, and FLC was delisted from the Ho Chi Minh City Stock Exchange in early 2023. In late July, Bamboo, which launched operations more than five years ago, fended off speculation it would be shut down, though it warned of significant schedule cuts in the near-term to “optimise resource allocation”.<br/>
Nok Airlines may delist from the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) if the low-cost carrier fails to improve its financial performance and submit its 2022 financial results within a specific time period, according to the Thai bourse. Nok meets the criteria for possible delisting as the company's equity has been negative for two years and the company remains unable to eliminate the cause of possible delisting, the SET said in a statement. The due date for Nok to eliminate the criteria for delisting is Sept 8, 2024, according to the statement. In addition, Nok has failed to submit its financial statements within a specified time period. The company must submit its statements by Oct 2 next year or face delisting, said the bourse. Under SET regulations, listed companies are given three years to clear up the causes for delisting and another two years to clarify the required qualifications in order to resume trading.<br/>
Bangkok Airways is the latest airline that is asking its passengers to step on a scale before boarding. The airlines made the announcement on September 14 on their Facebook page. The notice stated that the weight check survey will take place between September 15 and October 31, 2023. In their statement, the airline wrote, “In compliance with the International Civil Aviation standard regarding the use of standard passenger and baggage weights for weight and balance calculation purposes, the conducting of a standard weights survey is essential to the safety and efficiency of a flight in determining that the actual weight does not exceed the maximum take-off weight limitation.” For this, Bangkok Airways is weighing passengers and their carry-on baggage at the boarding gate. “We assure [you] that the information will be kept confidential and will be used to update standard passenger and baggage weights information (sic),” the airline added. Bangkok Airways is not the first airline to introduce travellers to a weighing scale before they board a plane. Earlier this year, Air New Zealand launched a similar survey, and Korean Air has also been conducting passenger weight checks at Incheon and Gimpo airports in September.<br/>