Volcanic activity at Mount Redoubt - about 180 kilometres southwest of Anchorage, Alaska - since 22 March has seen eruptions sending plumes of steam and ash up to 50,000 feet skyward forcing some air cargo flights destined for technical stops at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport to be diverted elsewhere. The last time Mount Redoubt erupted, in December 1989, the mountain shot ash more than 12,000 metres high and caught a KLM Royal Dutch Airlines flight in its plume, shutting down all … [Read more...] about Redoubt ash disrupts Anchorage flights
Airports
Cargo drops level off at LAX
Cargo drops level off at LAX Precipitous cargo declines at Los Angeles International Airport have leveled off after four straight months of declines of more than 20 per cent as the airport's freight operations suffered under collapsing exports out of Asia. February's 23.1 per cent drop, year-on-year, in tonnage also marks the seventh straight month of double-digit declines at the US' largest transpacific air cargo gateway. The February figure was however, slightly better than the 24.5 per cent … [Read more...] about Cargo drops level off at LAX
Decline continues for European carriers
Air cargo has "all but collapsed," according to the Association of European Airlines (AEA), who said traffic volumes were down by around a fifth for the first two months of the year, the worst figures on record. Passenger traffic plunged nearly 5 per cent in the first two months of the year and could fall another 10 per cent in March as the economic downturn continues. It said it would normally expect a 4 per cent to 5 per cent increase in traffic "so current levels are approaching 10 per cent … [Read more...] about Decline continues for European carriers
Continuous descent for Europe by 2013
Starting in 2013, up to 100 European airports will take part in a plan to reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by half a million tonnes a year by using Continuous Descent Approach (CDA) landings. The CDA approach allows planes to descend all the way from cruising altitude to the runway in one smooth glide, saving up to 450 kilograms of CO2 per landing, compared with the traditional stepped descent, the International Air Transport Association said. The plan was officially announced at the … [Read more...] about Continuous descent for Europe by 2013
IATA ups ’09 forecast with $4.7B industry loss
Estimated losses for the global air industry are expected to nearly double from December's forecast for 2009 as air carriers grapple with the worst crisis in over 60 years, with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) saying a significant recovery in 2010 would "require more optimism than realism". The IATA has announced a revised outlook for the global air transport industry with losses of US$4.7 billion in 2009, significantly worse than its December forecast of US$2.5 billion in … [Read more...] about IATA ups ’09 forecast with $4.7B industry loss
IATA ups '09 forecast with $4.7B industry loss
Estimated losses for the global air industry are expected to nearly double from December's forecast for 2009 as air carriers grapple with the worst crisis in over 60 years, with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) saying a significant recovery in 2010 would "require more optimism than realism". The IATA has announced a revised outlook for the global air transport industry with losses of US$4.7 billion in 2009, significantly worse than its December forecast of US$2.5 billion in … [Read more...] about IATA ups '09 forecast with $4.7B industry loss