Nicola Lomas spent years carefully collecting frequent-flyer points to protect her British Airways “gold” status as she flew dozens of times a year for work. A consultant in the business travel industry, she enjoyed the perks. The queue jumps at check-in, access to lounges and priority boarding for gold members helped soothe the rigours of a hectic schedule. So she was surprised to feel a sense of relief last year when the airline delivered the news all frequent flyers had dreaded. Lomas had been downgraded all the way to “blue”, the bottom tier, losing her benefits after progressively cutting work trips over the past few years. “It is like a break-up in a relationship. I thought, ‘Fine, I don’t need you anymore,’” she says. “But it was a good thing. Because it has made me really think in a fresh way.” Lomas is one of thousands of business people who have changed their travel schedules as habits have been reshaped by the rise in video conferencing during the pandemic, heightened environmental concerns and employers looking to cut costs. Some big European and US companies have cracked down on non-essential trips, while many staff are taking longer trips to minimise repeat visits. “You have to have a real story behind the trip to have it approved now,” one London-based banker says. Another notes that senior staff are travelling nearly as regularly as before the pandemic, but junior staff have had trips curtailed. Business travel is not dead. Global bookings reached 70% of 2019 levels in October 2023, up from 63% in April, according to survey data released by the Global Business Travel Association. Bankers and lawyers are still travelling to close deals. Sales representatives continue to value face-to-face meetings and many sectors, such as oil and gas or mining, cannot operate without shifting huge workforces around the world. But industry executives say the forced break from business trips during Covid-19 restrictions allowed a once formulaic part of the travel industry to adapt and as a result the experience has changed.<br/>
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Airline passengers may soon be nestled on seats made from cactus skin and abandoned fishing nets as the aviation industry tries almost anything to turn itself into a sustainable mode of transport. The economy-class seat from German manufacturer Recaro Aircraft Seating GmbH features recycled foam taken from old mattresses, and armrests containing wood and a cork compound. There’s a mesh pocket on the back made from fish netting. In an interview at the Singapore Airshow, Recaro CEOMark Hiller said the seat should be commercially available this year, with first deliveries expected in 2025 at the latest. Some components still need to be certified. Airlines are racing to reach their goal of carbon neutrality by 2050 as pressure from governments grows to cut emissions faster. Plane seats made with recycled materials allow carriers to make a visible statement about their green ambitions. Cactus skin has emerged as an alternative to plastic or animal leather. One of the chair’s other design requirements was to make sure it was no heavier than a normal seat so it didn’t add to a plane’s fuel consumption. "Otherwise, it will not help,” Hiller said. "The parts need to be the same weight, or even lower, than traditional parts.”<br/>
Thomas Woldbye says Heathrow shares just one feature with the Copenhagen airport he ran for 12 years. “What’s different to Copenhagen? Well, apart from the fact we have aircraft landing and taking off, then I think almost everything,” the man who took over as CE of Europe’s largest airport in October said. Running Heathrow has long been a high-pressure job, but Woldbye has succeeded long-standing boss John Holland-Kaye just as Heathrow faces its biggest change in ownership since the airport was privatised in the 1980s. The 59-year-old Dane will also have to make a decision on the politically explosive question of whether to build a third runway at an airport that expects a record 81.4mn passengers to travel through it this year. In November, Spanish infrastructure group Ferrovial, which bought Heathrow in 2006, announced it would sell its remaining 25% stake to Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund and French buyout group Ardian for GBP2.4b. The news broke hours after Woldbye stepped off a Virgin Atlantic flight between London and New York, the first transatlantic journey powered entirely by sustainable aviation fuels. As he mingled with Sir Richard Branson and UK government officials at a glitzy party that evening, the ramifications of Ferrovial’s decision became clear. Thanks to a complicated ownership structure, the Spanish group’s exit set off a rush among the airport’s shareholders to sell their stakes, leaving 60% of the airport up for grabs. Building a business that is “attractive” to shareholders will be one of his priorities, said Woldbye, but insisted that the potential ownership changes have not been a distraction. “To be honest it is not something we as management spend much time on right now; it is a question for shareholders,” he said.<br/>
London’s Heathrow airport said a decision on adding a third runway has not been taken, denying a report by the Sunday Times that the plans had been shelved. “The speculation in today’s Sunday Times is wrong, and Heathrow recognises neither the plans nor actions described,” a spokesperson said in an emailed statement Sunday. The newspaper wrote that Heathrow Airport Holdings Ltd. CEO Thomas Woldbye wanted to scrap the expansion and had begun the process of disbanding a team focused on the project, citing sources it didn’t identify. The airport, which saw passenger numbers rise about 29% to 79.2m last year, will review proposals including extending the use of buses to deliver travelers to aircraft and other measures to boost existing runway efficiency, according to the report. Heathrow Airport is “looking at how we can optimize the current airport to achieve short-term growth within our current infrastructure. Longer term, we’re reviewing our plans to make sure the airport has the capacity the UK economy needs, while boosting the resilience of our operations for our customers and meeting our sustainability commitments,” the statement said. The longstanding push to develop an additional runway at Heathrow has been snarled by legal challenges by groups including local residents and environmental campaigners, as well as by the impact of the pandemic. Heathrow last week reported its first annual profit since 2019. Heathrow is focusing on short-term measures to expand as well as studying longer term projects such as the new runway, Woldbye said Wednesday. <br/>
Russian authorities have discovered that at least one other Boeing 737 operator has encountered engine instability arising from blade contamination during winter operations. Federal air transport regulator Rosaviatsia states that a 737-800 of Smartavia was involved in an occurrence on 16 January while undergoing maintenance. It says the aircraft (RA-73654) experienced alternate surges in both CFM International CFM56 engines during tests. Inspection found a “white coating” on the low- and high-pressure compressors. The problem was resolved with engine wash procedures. Rosaviatsia had previously indicated issues with CFM56 engines on 737s operated by S7 Airlines, and it has disclosed details of four incidents, all involving S7 737-800s. After take-off from Novosibirsk on 8 December last year, the crew of an aircraft registered RA-73665 reported surges in both engines, and opted to return to the airport. Rosaviatsia says the probable cause was unstable operation of the high-pressure compressors in each powerplant, owing to contamination of the compressors’ blades from “intensive” use of de-icing fluid while the engines were running. The regulator also refers to ingestion of salts from the runway during taxiing. Under certain conditions, it says, this can lead to disruption of the airflow through the compressor blades.<br/>
Record numbers attended the trade section of the first fully post-pandemic Singapore Airshow this week, with exhibitors and delegates optimistic about the aviation industry despite suppliers' struggles to keep up with rebounding travel demand. Close to 60,000 people attended the four trade days of the show, nearly four times as many as in 2022 when foreign visitors required daily rapid tests for COVID-19, and more than the 54,000 who visited in 2018. The 2020 edition was rocked by last-minute cancellations as the virus spread around the world. Outside Asia's largest air show, transport problems snarled arrivals and departures, especially during the first days. On Tuesday, lines for free shuttle buses to the Expo public transport hub led to waits as long as three hours in temperatures over 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit) and taxis to the city cost as much as three times the usual fare. "'Worst transport experience': Crawling traffic, long waits for rides frustrate Singapore Airshow visitors", ran a headline in local newspaper the Straits Times. Leck Chet Lam, managing director of show organiser Experia, blamed "higher attendance than in previous editions". In the air-conditioned display space, commercial exhibitors hawked planes, drones, surveillance technology, services and equipment. The displays attracted buyers and enthusiasts, with the Korea Aerospace Industries booth drawing a line on Wednesday for attendees to get pilots' autographs and pose for selfies. More than 1,000 commercial and defence companies from 50 countries participated in the show, organisers said.<br/>Russian companies did not take part amid the war in Ukraine but Israeli companies Israel Aerospace Industries and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, which dropped out of the Dubai Airshow in November amid the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, attended. "The general mood is extremely positive but also very demanding," said Dennis Kohr, head of corporate sales Asia-Pacific for aircraft maintenance provider Lufthansa Technik Group.<br/>
Comac and its C919 single-aisle jet emerged as unlikely stars of the 2024 Singapore Airshow, with the Chinese planemaker’s large chalet, several aircraft on display, and presence in the vast exhibition hall drawing throngs of onlookers and curious dignitaries. “Crowded,” is how one flight attendant for China Eastern Airlines Corp., the only Chinese airline that flies the C919, described it, noting she’d observed executives from all sorts of companies and countries showing up for a peek inside Comac’s hospitality tent, where wait staff delivered Chinese delicacies to those trying to escape Singapore’s searing humidity. For Commercial Aircraft Corp of China Ltd., as Comac is formally known, the Singapore air show was its first big international aviation event, a chance to debut the C919 on the world stage. Between flying displays, Comac top management, including Chairman He Dongfeng and CTO Ren He, were keen to broaden sales beyond Asia’s biggest economy. Traction wasn’t bad. Comac signed Tibet Airlines to 40 C919s and won an endorsement from Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Air as an emerging rival to Boeing Co. and Airbus SE. Riyadh Air’s COO Peter Bellew said Comac will become a major force in the international aircraft manufacturing industry in the next decade as it emerges as an alternative to the world’s planemaking duopoly. “I’m sure they will build a world-beating aircraft in the next 10 years,” said Bellew, a former CEO of Malaysia Airlines. “I wouldn’t underestimate Comac for one minute.” Even Boeing’s Commercial Marketing Managing Director for the Asia-Pacific region, Dave Schulte, said the US planemaker expects to one day start competing with Comac’s C919 for aircraft sales. The C919, which isn’t yet certified to fly passengers outside of China, is almost as big as Boeing’s 737 Max. So far, however, Comac has managed to hand over four C919s to its only airline customer in China Eastern Airlines Corp. The Shanghai-based carrier has subsequently ordered a further 100 jets.<br/>
As many as 30 airlines have signed up for the four-day "Air-mazing Thailand" campaign held by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to explore the potential of selected airports and untapped destinations in the country.<br/>The campaign, which runs from April 2 to 5, will complement the government's policy of promoting tourism in second-tier provinces and making Thailand a global tourism hub, said Tourism and Sports Minister Sudawan Wangsuphakijkosol. She expressed her hope that international airlines will see the true potential of Thailand’s airports in the post-pandemic period and consider opening more routes to the country covering both first- and second-tier provinces. As the three big airports of Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, and Phuket are currently packed with passengers and flights, authorities aim to divide international arrivals, which should bring tourism revenue to other provinces as well as reduce congestion at airports in big cities, the minister noted. Under the campaign, the TAT will take airline representatives on two trips to check out the airports. The first will cover Chiang Mai and U-Tapao international airports, while the second will focus on Krabi, Surat Thani, and Samui.<br/>
Following the decline in Covid-19 concerns since 2022, the global and regional civil aviation industry has begun its recovery, with Cambodia’s sector experiencing over 100% growth in 2023, although the upturn remains below the pre-pandemic growth levels. According to a report by the State Secretariat of Civil Aviation (SSCA), the country welcomed 5,111,810 air passengers in 2023, more than doubling the 2022 figure of 1,407,972, comprising 1,957,600 Cambodians and 4,916,064 foreigners. The country had a total of 33 airlines, marking a 27% increase compared to 26 airlines in 2022, including four local and 29 foreign airlines. Cambodia’s three international airports handled a total of 51,149 flights, a considerable rise from 28,898, marking a 56% increase, consisting of 4,675 domestic and 46,474 international flights. An increase in flight-over numbers was also experienced, seeing 63,087 in 2023, up from 49,102 in 2022, an approximate 28% increase, as per the secretariat. SSCA undersecretary of state Sinn Chanserey Vutha told The Post that the figures demonstrate significant progress in the industry over the past year, following the severe impact of Covid-19.<br/>
Parts shortages and delivery delays plaguing the global aviation industry are easing, but could take up to two years to resolve, firms at the Singapore Airshow said, adding to the pressures clouding a post-pandemic recovery in travel demand. European planemaker Airbus said it was sending "dozens and dozens" of engineers deep into supply chains to unlock bottlenecks, and aircraft maintenance firms such as Lufthansa Technik said they were stocking more spare parts to mitigate delays. But all said the sector was in a tight spot. Post-pandemic travel demand has rebounded globally, prompting airlines to order new, more efficient planes to expand networks and cut costs, particularly in Asia Pacific. Giants Airbus and Boeing are struggling to meet demand. "Next year's deliveries will be nine months late from the contracted time," Michael Szucs, CE of Philippine budget airline Cebu Pacific, told Reuters on the sidelines of Asia's largest aviation summit, referring to new Airbus aircraft. Lead times to procure items such as metals and windshields can be 2 to 5 times longer compared with pre-2020, firms told Reuters, because of reduced production of aerospace materials, loss of skilled manpower during the pandemic, and reduced supply sources caused by the war in Ukraine. "The aerospace-grade titanium shortage started with the Ukraine war," said Roberto Tonna, CE of aerospace supply chain firm ALA. There are also shortages of materials such as inconel and steel, and skilled labour, he added.<br/>
Macquarie Airfinance is to take another 23 aircraft, including five widebodies, from ALAFCO’s portfolio, bringing the total it is acquiring from the Kuwaiti lessor to 76. ALAFCO had approved the sale – worth $1.115b – during an annual general meeting on 19 February. The package includes four Boeing 777s and an Airbus A350, plus 14 A320neos, two older A320s, and a pair of Boeing 737s. Macquarie says the aircraft are leased to 10 airlines. It had previously agreed to purchase 53 aircraft from ALAFCO as well as a batch of 20 737 Max jets that the lessor had on order – a transaction valued at $2.2b. Macquarie states that the additional package will “help facilitate the transition of [our] fleet to newer technology” and provide more efficient aircraft to customers. “The aviation sector’s strong recovery has continued, with domestic and international travel rebounding from pandemic lows in key markets,” says CE Eamonn Bane. “As we prepare for the future, the addition of these aircraft to our portfolio further enhances the scale and age of our fleet.”<br/>