INDUSTRY NEWS

Autonomous vehicle specialist, Aurrigo, has launched the world’s first automated baggage dolly to the market after a successful trial at London Heathrow two years ago. The company was approached by International Airlines Group (IAG) to use its driverless expertise to develop the world’s first autonomous baggage carrying dolly. The trial (pictured above) started in March […]

ACI World has issued a resolution at is World Annual General Assembly declaring that airport slot allocation policies should support the recovery of air transport. Airport connectivity, it notes, is essential for the recovery of air transport, and will be a key driver of the wider global economic recovery, which is why it is urging […]

Moscow Sheremetyevo International Airport today inaugurated its new hangar and maintenance complex for aircraft operated by the Aeroflot Group. According to the Russian gateway, construction of the hangar complex was completed in 12 months, a record time for the construction of such “complex technical facilities”. The first facility of this kind in Russia, airport operator, […]

UK pilots union, the British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA), today called on the government to listen to IAG CEO, Willie Walsh, and use effective Covid testing as an alternative to punitive quarantine measures. BALPA, which freely admits that it is one of Walsh’s biggest critics, supports his call to end  the constantly changing and travel […]

Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) officially has a new boss today following the appointment of Justin Erbacci as the CEO of Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) on a permanent basis. Erbacci, who joined LAWA in 2016 and has served as Interim CEO since predecessor Deborah Flint left for Great Toronto Airports Authority, was nominated for […]

ACI World has today called for urgent government assistance and relief for airports to underpin the operational restart of the aviation industry and sustain their long-term industry recovery. It notes that the COVID-19 pandemic’s effect on the industry and broader economy has halted the airport industry at global level, potentially losing them 4.6 billion passengers […]

CAA International (CAAi), the technical co-operation arm of the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority, has completed the first milestone of a major aviation oversight programme to help Kazakhstan adopt a new aviation oversight framework based on the UK system. Over the past nine months, regulatory experts from CAAi have reviewed Kazakhstan’s Primary Aviation Legislation and recommended […]

ACI World has welcomed the publication of the ICAO Council Aviation Recovery Task Force Report. As airports and the wider aviation industry prepares to restart amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, a variety of new measures, processes, and procedures are already being considered or introduced around the world. ICAO, member states, and representatives of the industry – […]

ACI World has today published comprehensive guidance for airports as they prepare to restart operations to assist them in sustaining a business recovery in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. The association estimates that the coronavirus crisis will cost airports more than 4.6 billion passengers and around $97 billion in revenue in 2020. The publication […]

Dubai International Airport (DXB) handled 17.8 million passengers in the COVID-19 hit first quarter of 2020, 20% down on the corresponding period a year ago. Compared to other airports, DXB fared quite well, and with Emirates announcing yesterday that it will resume operations to nine major cities on May 21 (Chicago, Frankfurt, London, Madrid, Melbourne, […]

ACI Europe today warned that the continent’s airports are “on their knees” and facing irreversible consequences unless air travel can restart, in a COVID-19 safe way, this summer. The warning follows a 98.6% drop in passenger numbers in April, when just 2.8 million people passed through Europe’s 500+ airports. “Europe’s airports are on their knees. […]

ACI Europe has today called for full EU co-ordination and alignment on how current restrictions to air travel should be lifted. The call comes as a number of European states have begun to work on the progressive lifting of confinement measures. EU transport Ministers are also due to meet tomorrow to address the challenge of restoring […]

According to a survey by Swiss research agency, M1nd-set, over 60% of international travellers will fly again within the first three months of COVID-19 travel restrictions being lifted. The report, based on feedback from 1,500 consumers in the first half of April, aims to find out how passengers have been affected by COVID-19 and when […]

ACI World has provided a timely reminder about the importance of aviation to the global economy by revealing that the industry generated close to $180 billion in revenue in 2018. The significant sum will, of course, be in stark contrast to this year, with the association predicting that airport revenues could fall by up to […]

Etihad Airways has provided an update on its current and planned operations as COVID-19 travel restrictions remain in place around the world. Subject to UAE government imposed travel restrictions being lifted on passenger travel, Etihad plans to operate a reduced network of scheduled passenger services from May 1 to June 3, with the aim of gradually returning to a fuller schedule as and when the global situation improves.   The […]

Air Navigation Service Providers across Europe will share a £1.1 billion support package to maintain services, as the fall in air traffic has led to a dramatic reduction in their income. The UK, along with other European states, has supported EUROCONTROL, which manages charging for air navigation services across Europe, in securing a loan of […]

Laurent Dubois has been appointed CEO of Intelligent integration solutions provider, ADB SAFEGATE. The company admits that he joins it “at a time of unprecedented challenges for all organisations connected with air travel”. But it adds that the likely impact of the COVID-19 pandemic makes it more important than ever for ADB SAFEGATE to move […]

ACI World has today issued guidance on best practices to airports to help them adapt their airfield operations in response to the effects and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on a survey of the members of the ACI World Safety and Technical Standing Committee, around half of respondents had experienced a 90% or greater […]