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Weekly UpdatesJun 14, 2009
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has declared a swine flu pandemic as the virus continues to spread globally. The first death in the UK from the virus, that of 38-year-old Jacqueline fleming in Scotland, has also been announced. WHO director-general Dr Margaret Chan said: "The virus is contagious, spreading easily from one person to another, and from one country to another. As of today, nearly 30,000 confirmed cases have been reported in 74 countries. Jun 12, 2009
The World Health Organisation appears ready to declare the first flu pandemic in more than 40 years, after calling an emergency meeting of experts on Thursday to discuss the spreading H1N1 outbreak. There have been 27,737 cases reported in 74 countries to date, including 141 deaths, according to the WHO's latest tally. Jun 11, 2009
The World Health Organisation (WHO) is on the verge of declaring the first influenza pandemic in more than 40 years, but wants to ensure countries are well prepared to prevent a panic, its top flu expert said on Tuesday. Keiji Fukuda, acting WHO assistant director-general, voiced concern at the sustained spread of the new H1N1 strain -- including more than 1,000 cases in Australia -- following major outbreaks in North America, where it emerged in April. Confirmed community spread in a second region beyond North America would trigger moving to phase 6 -- signifying a full-blown pandemic -- from the current phase 5 on the WHO's 6-level pandemic alert scale. Jun 9, 2009
The European Commission is preparing measures to cap carbon emissions from shipping if the global maritime industry fails to come up with its own proposals soon, an official of the EU executive body said on Tuesday. A Copenhagen conference in December is due to agree a successor to the U.N.'s Kyoto Protocol on fighting climate change, and the shipping industry faces mounting pressure to bring forward a system to curb emissions. Jun 9, 2009
Some of the world's largest airlines Tuesday called for the industry to set global emissions targets as part of efforts to include aviation in a broader climate agreement at the end of the year. The seven airlines, including Air France-KLM and British Airways, along with international NGO The Climate Group, have backed a range of emissions reduction targets for negotiators involved in UN-backed climate talks to consider. Aviation is responsible for about 2 percent of global greenhouse gas pollution and that share is expected to rise. The sector is under pressure from green groups, the European Union and other governments to clean up its act, leading to the airlines to try to craft a deal to tackle emissions, or risk having a deal imposed on them. The proposals, from carbon-neutral growth, a 5 percent reduction and a 20 percent reduction in emissions through to 2020, using a 2005 base-year, will be presented to negotiators at the latest round of climate talks being held this week in Germany. The carriers, part of the Aviation Global Deal Group, said in a statement that participation in an international carbon trading market would be crucial to meeting their goals. Under the group's proposal, a proportion of the sector's emission allowances would be auctioned to generate revenues for climate change initiatives in developing countries. Jun 9, 2009
Aer Lingus
Aer Lingus has today announced it is to slash capacity by up to a quarter, blaming heavy losses and falling demand. According to an official statement, routes from Dublin to San Francisco and Washington will cease on October 25, and its flights between Shannon and Boston will be reduced from seven to four per week. Reports in the Irish press claim Aer Lingus will announce further cuts imminently. Services from Shannon to New York and Chicago are also expected to be dropped. The cuts will affect Aer Lingus' winter schedule. It is unclear whether the routes will be reinstated after the winter season. Jun 12, 2009
Aer Lingus
Aer Lingus said it will launch service from London Gatwick to Bucharest, Eindhoven, Tenerife, Lanzarote, Warsaw and Vilnius and suspend flights to Nice for the winter schedule. Vilnius service will begin Sept. 10, with the remaining five routes starting Oct. 25. Jun 9, 2009
Air France KLM
Dutch airline KLM has asked its under-employed pilots to take on other duties, the Financial Times reported this week. According to the report, the coming season brings with it a need for more ground staff. In a bid to save money, KLM has offered the voluntary scheme to around 2,000 pilots who would normally fly from Amsterdam Schiphol airport. Possible jobs include "baggage recovery agents" and "hospitality agents". Pilots can also operate the terminal to aircraft bridge or help passengers with heavy luggage. Around 100 pilots are understood to have volunteered. Pilots will be paid their normal salary whether they participate or not. www.klm.com Jun 12, 2009
Air France KLM
Air France pilots represented by the Alter union, totaling about 12% of the carrier's flight crew, were told they should refuse to fly A330s or A340s until at least two of three pitot tubes on each aircraft are replaced. An Alter spokesperson told Bloomberg News, "We made this decision following our reading of the technical messages" sent by the aircraft. "Air France communicated to pilots that it accelerated the program to replace these probes. I'm not a technical expert but it makes us fear that this is a very serious matter." Air France began changing the Thales probes on its A320s in late 2007 and on its A330s/A340s in late April. Jun 9, 2009
Air France KLM
Air France's largest pilots union said yesterday that management had informed it that at least two of three pitot tubes on each of the carrier's A330s/A340s will be replaced "within days," while EASA issued a statement declaring that all A330s "are airworthy and safe to operate." AF has said that it began replacing pitot tubes on A330s/A340s in late April, but its pilots expressed concern that the replacements weren't being done quickly enough given the focus on the possible role of pitot tubes in last week's A330-200 crash. Jun 9, 2009
Air France, Airbus
Air France chief questions sensor role in crash. Air France is not yet convinced that faulty speed sensors were to blame for the loss of one of its planes over the Atlantic, but it is replacing old sensors as a precaution, the airline's chief executive said on Thursday. Pierre-Henri Gourgeon told reporters that Air France was in a state of shock over the worst disaster in its 75 year history and expected more information about what happened within a week. An Air France (AIRF.PA) Airbus 330 crashed into the sea on June 1 enroute from Brazil to Paris, killing all 228 aboard. Air accident investigators have said the Airbus registered inconsistent speed readings just before contact was lost, raising speculation that the pilots might inadvertently have flown at the wrong speed and precipitated the disaster. Air France subsequently reported that it had noticed temporary loss of air speed data on previous Airbus flights due to ice collecting in the sensors, known as pitot tubes, and said it was speeding up a pre-planned replacement programme. Jun 11, 2009
Air France, Airbus
The French BEA has stated that data transmitted by Flight 447 before it was lost indicated "inconsistent" speed readings. The SNPL-ALPA union, representing more than 80% of Air France pilots, said yesterday at least two of three pitot tubes would be replaced on all A330s "within days" even it if causes flight delays. "Air France has provided us with an extremely proactive and very accelerated replacement program," it said. The airline did not comment. The Alter union representing about 12% of AF pilots on Monday encouraged members not to fly A330s/A340s until the pitot tube were replaced. Jun 9, 2009
Air France, Airbus, EADS
Airbus parent EASA yesterday issued a safety bulletin as a "precautionary measure" to remind operators "of existing procedures to be applied in the event of loss of, or unreliable, speed indication." It added, "With regard to reports [on AF447] about a possible malfunctioning of the airspeed indication system (pitot tubes), the agency is analyzing data with a view to issuing mandatory corrective action, without prejudging the outcome of the accident investigation." Jun 9, 2009
Airbus
Airbus denies planning to ground A330/340 fleet. Airbus denied on Wednesday a French newspaper report that it is considering grounding its fleet of A330 and A340 planes in the wake of last week's Atlantic plane disaster, saying they are safe to fly. Le Figaro reported in its early Thursday edition that Airbus does not exclude the move after the Air France plane, an A330, crashed during a storm. Responding to the report that Airbus may ground the fleet of almost 1,000 jets and order airlines to change speed sensors, Airbus spokesman Stefan Schaffrath told Reuters: "We are not considering grounding the fleet because it is safe to operate". Jun 9, 2009
Airbus
Airline flying the Airbus A330 distance themselves from possible problems of airspeed sensors. Several airlines flying the type of plane involved in the Air France crash said Tuesday they use a different brand of airspeed sensor than those aboard the doomed flight, distancing themselves from instruments seen as a possible factor in last week's accident. At the same time, other carriers that use probes similar to those on the flight - including Delta Air Lines Inc. and the Middle East's Qatar Airways - said they are working to upgrade the devices on dozens of Airbus planes. The Air France Airbus A330-200 jet disappeared over the Atlantic Ocean while on a flight from Rio de Janeiro to Paris, killing 228 people on board. Jun 9, 2009
Airbus
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