- Takeover pressure on BAA mounts[Apr. 18, 2006]
BAA confirmed Sunday that it received and rejected a "preliminary highly conditional and confidential approach" last month from a consortium led by Goldman Sachs Infrastructure Group making a cash offer at 870 pence per share, valuing the UK-based airports operator at ?9.4 billion ($16.46 billion).
- Chen says cross-strait direct flt important[Apr. 12, 2006]
Chen Yunlin, the director of Taiwan Affairs Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the People's Republic of China, was interviewed by the reporters whilst he explained why the cross-strait direct flight has been listed as an important seminar motif of the current Cross-strait Economy and Trade Forum.
- Middle-class Chinese do more outbound travel[Apr. 14, 2006]
"Outbound travel has become an important part of life for the middle class in the Asia-Pacific region, including China," said Dr. Wang Yuehun, chief economic consultant of MasterCard International in Asia-Pacific region. Wang added, "Trends of personal travel suggest that Asian travelers are flowing into distinct tourist markets, each of which reflects different lifestyles and unique preferences of those tourists."
- Walsh urges EC to move quickly[Apr. 13, 2006]
British Airways CEO Willie Walsh yesterday urged the European Commission to move forward with plans to bring EU airlines within the emissions trading scheme "as soon as the technical details can be resolved and political agreement reached."At the same time, he urged the EC to "go for simplicity." For example, the scheme should apply, "initially at least," to flights that start and end within the EU and not try to include non-EU flights, "which could delay implementation for years."
- IATA calls for 'robust' regulators[Apr. 10, 2006]
Large European airports are out-of-control monopolies and need to be regulated by newly created national authorities "with teeth," IATA DG and CEO Giovanni Bisignani said Friday at a meeting between the European Commission and 11 aviation organizations to discuss airport policy.In a direct appeal to Jacques Barrot, EC VP responsible for transport and energy, Bisignani said that since 2001, "Europe's airlines have achieved a 9% reduction in aircraft operating costs, a 24% reduction in distribution and back office costs and a 14% increase in pilot productivity. Airports, on the other hand, gave the airlines a 13% increase in per-passenger costs with a total bill for airlines and their users of $14.5 billion" over the same period.
- Cathay keeps mainland ambitions in check[Apr. 05, 2006]
Cathay Pacific Airways COO Tony Tyler said the Hong Kong airline will focus its mainland China activities on just three cities, Beijing and Xiamen (currently served), and Shanghai with three daily flights starting as early as this year.
- US airlines jostle for China routes[Mar. 30, 2006]
After a 14-year wait to get into the world's most populous country, American Airlines is understandably eager to start flying from Chicago to Shanghai.
- Brisbane Airport's potential in plane view[Jan. 16, 2006]
When Koen Rooijmans came to run the newly privatised Brisbane Airport in 1997, he saw one advantage the airport had over other Australian airports -- land.
- Europe's top court upholds the rules[Jan. 11, 2006]
As expected, the European Court of Justice followed last September's opinion of the advocate general and upheld the European Commission's regulation concerning common rules on compensation and assistance to passengers in the event of denied boarding, long delay or flight cancellation.The regulation came into force on Feb. 17, 2005, and provides for compensation of 250 ($302.73) for denied boarding on flights of under 1,500 km., 400 for flights of between 1,500 and 3,500 km. and 600 for flights of more than 3,500 km. Meals, hotel rooms and other compensation are required for certain delays.
- Airlines change how they herd us aboard[Jan. 10, 2006]
To wring out greater savings and to minimize passenger frustration, some airlines are adopting new ways of boarding.