Manchester Bound Pakistan Flight Escorted in to Stansted by Typhoon Jets: BBC News

[BBC News] RAF Typhoon jets have been launched to investigate an incident involving a civilian aircraft within UK airspace, the Ministry of Defence has said.

A reported on board incident created an alert and diverted the aircraft: Picture Wikipedia

A Pakistan International Airlines plane has been diverted from Manchester to Stansted Airport, a Manchester Airport spokesman said.

An Essex Police spokeswoman added: “An incident has occurred on an aircraft. Police and partners are responding.”

The BBC understands that the plane has now landed in Stansted.

The plane reportedly left Lahore at 09:35 local time. It was due in at Manchester at 1400 BST.

 

UPDATE at 14:55

The BBC understands that the plane has now landed in Stansted.

BBC defence correspondent Jonathan Beale said that police were expected to meet the plane at the airport. The plane, flight number PK709, reportedly left Lahore at 09:35 local time. It was due in at Manchester at 14:00 BST.

The MoD said responsibility for the incident had now passed to Essex Police and the Home Office. The MoD was not able to say how serious a threat there was on board.

An MoD spokesman said the incident was now a police matter and that “our involvement is over”.

He said Typhoon jets could be scrambled after the pilot or crew of a passenger aircraft sends out an emergency signal.

“The purpose of going up is to investigate what the situation is,” he said.

“Often when a Quick Reaction Alert aircraft is launched the details are not known, but it is known that a signal has been sent.

“Part of the purpose of sending a Typhoon up is to have a look and see what they can see.”

A Pakistan International Airlines spokesman Zufiqar Bijarani told CNN: “We have been told there may have been a bomb threat.” But he did not say if he had anything to confirm or deny this.

Stansted Airport said on Twitter that it was operating normally.

Pakistan International Airlines said there were 308 passengers on board, as well as 14 crew including pilots, with a mixture of Pakistani and British passport holders.

Read the original story at BBC News…..

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BBC NEWS
24th May, 2013

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Heathrow’s Runways Closed as Smoke Seen Coming From Plane: Sky & BBC News

[Sky News & BBC News] Both runways at Heathrow airport are reportedly closed as smoke is seen coming from the rear of a plane on the Northern runway.

Heathrow’s Twitter feed reporting the incident just after 9:00: Inmage Airport Informer

Heathrow Airport‘s Twitter feed has reported the following message as recently at 9:09 this morning…..

“Both runways are currently closed. All passengers & crew have been safely evacuated from an aircraft which is on the northern runway.”

Sky News reports that both runways have been closed because of this incident.

UPDATE: 09:38

BBC News are reporting that a British Airways plane is involved. The Southern runway has now re-opened but the Northern Runway is still closed due to the stricken aircraft  having deployed its emergency chutes to quickly evacuate the passengers.

Chute deployed after the passenger evacuation: Picture BBC News

Fire tenders in attendance at the side of the stricken airways: Picture BBC News

There is further speculation that the aircraft may have hit a flock of birds on take-off leading to plume of smoke coming out of at least one of the engines.

Plumes of smoke coming out of the engine of the stricken BA aircraft. Picture: BBC News / Dan Bailey

Eyewitnesses report flames coming from a plane as it flew over London to land at Heathrow Airport. Image: Sky News

 

Read more at Sky News…..

Read more at BBC News….

 

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Sky News & BBC News
24th May, 2013

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Ryanair profits at record high despite fuel cost rise: BBC News

[BBC News] Discount airline Ryanair has reported record full-year profits and rising revenues, despite soaring fuel costs.

Profits after tax rose 13% to 569m euros (£481m) on revenues of 4.88bn euros for the year to 31 March.

“Ultra-low cost carrier” Ryanair has big expansion plans and has ordered 175 new planes. Photo: Wikipedia

Passenger traffic grew 5% to 79.3 million as the airline added 217 new routes to its roster, bringing the total to 1,600.

But fuel costs rose by more than 290m euros, the company statement said, and now account for 45% of total costs.

Chief executive Michael O’Leary said: “Delivering a 13% increase in profits and 5% traffic growth despite high oil prices during a European recession is testimony to the strength of Ryanair’s ultra-low cost model.”

But he warned that growth would be slower in the 2013-14 financial year at Europe’s largest budget airline, thanks to rising oil prices and “unjustified higher Eurocontrol and Spanish airport charges”.

The company is forecasting net profits in the range of 570m to 600m euros for the coming year.

In March, Ryanair placed an order with Boeing for 175 planes worth £10.3bn ($15.6bn) to be delivered between 2014 and 2018.

The deal will increase its fleet by a third to 400 planes.

Read the full story at BBC News…..

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BBC News
20th May, 2013

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Vortex from plane landing at Heathrow rips off roof: BBC News

[BBC News] Holes were ripped into the roof of a woman’s house after an aircraft landing at Heathrow created a vortex.

BAA has repaired the damage to the house. Photo: Wikipedia

The sudden current of air was powerful enough to blow tiles and masonry from the home of Patricia Hills in Old Windsor, Berkshire.

BAA, which operates Heathrow Airport, says only one in 10,000 flights results in a vortex. A repair team was sent out to fix the damage at Mrs Hills’ property following the incident on Wednesday evening.

Old Windsor is under the Heathrow flight path.

Mrs Hills first knew of the damage when she heard “a large explosion”. The grandmother said: “I was in the kitchen preparing dinner at the time when I heard the noise.

“I was alarmed to step out the front door and see a large hole in the roof. ”Moments later, a neighbour came out and alerted me to another hole round the back of the house.

“It was quite a mess, it looked like a warzone and was quite upsetting.”

Firefighters arrived within moments, sealing off the area and evacuating the house in case any further debris fell from the roof. BAA Heathrow spokesperson Lizzie Bysshe said the airport funds a £15m Vortex Protection Scheme for homes under the airport’s flight path.

A team of its engineers has completed remedial repairs, reinforcing the damaged parts of the roof. Mrs Hills added: “The airport have been fantastic and came to fix the damage almost immediately.”

Read the original story at BBC News

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BBC News
22 Mar, 2013

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British Airways to fly Airbus A380 on Heathrow to LA route from the autumn: Mirror

[Mirror] British Airways has announced its first superjumbo Airbus A380 will fly on the celebs’ favourite Heathrow to Los Angeles service from October 15.

Tickets for the 469-passenger double decker jet are now on sale at earlybird rates. Photo: CA Aviation

Tickets for the 469-passenger double decker jet – due to be delivered in July – are now on sale at earlybird rates starting at £499 return in economy with business returns at £3,800 for two people.

Keith Williams, British Airways’ chief executive, said: “This will be a very special premiere. The A380 is a great aircraft that has been developed with huge amounts of British engineering ingenuity. London and Los Angeles are two world-leading cities, and we are proud to be the first airline to connect them with the A380.”

The second A380 route will be to Hong Kong from November 15, 2013.

Prices start from £559 return in economy.

London-based actress Gemma Arterton said: “Working in film means that I spend a lot of time travelling around the world, often to…..

Read the full story at The Mirror…..

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Mirror
5th Mar, 2013

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Etihad buys Heathrow slots from Jet Airways for $70 million: Economic Times

[Economic Times] MUMBAI: In what is seen as a step towards closing its proposed investment plans in Jet Airways, Etihad Airways on Wednesday said it has paid $70 million to buy three slots of the Naresh Goyal-promoted airline at Heathrow airport in London.

Etihad, which is in talks with Jet on possibly taking a stake in the firm, said discussions about further investment were continuing. Picture: Wikipedia

“Etihad Airways can confirm that it has concluded a transaction with Jet to purchase Jet’s three pairs of Heathrow slots for $70 million. The purchase is part of a sale and lease back agreement signed yesterday,” Etihad said in a statement.

The statement further said Jet will continue to operate flights to London utilising these slots.

The deal further strengthens the existing commercial relationship between the two airlines, which came into effect in July 2008, making provision for code-sharing, Etihad said.

On the ongoing stake sale talks between the two, Etihad said they continue to progress with discussions about further investment in Jet.

However, on the 24 per cent proposed stake sale toEtihad, Jet sources said, Jet has reportedly agreed to cede more management control, including more board positions to Etihad. However, this could not be officially verified with either Jet or Etihad officials.

This is to enable sealing the deal that has of late hit some air pockets with the UAE-based airline saying that it wanted to re-look at its investment plan in Jet……

Read the full story at The Economic Times of India…..

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Economic Times
27th Feb, 2013

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Brazilian carrier TAM to offer mobile check-in for Heathrow: Travolution

[Travolution] Mobile check-in is being made available by Brazilian carrier TAM Airlines on flights from Heathrow.

The service is available for both internet-enabled phones and tablet devices. Photo: Wikipedia 

Passengers can check in remotely between 72 hours and up to two hours before the scheduled flight departure time.

Electronic boarding passes are sent by email or text message or can be saved directly on to the mobile phone or tablet through an application called Passbook which has been developed to store and view boarding passes of different airlines. This is available for iPhone, iPad and Android platforms.

Code scanning is carried out at the airport directly through the device’s screen. The mobile boarding pass is valid at baggage drop locations, document checkpoints, tax-free shops and at aircraft boarding.

More than one person can be checked in at the same time, as long as all passengers in the group have the same reservation code.

Read the original story at Travolution.co.uk…..

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Travolution
26th Feb, 2013

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Cheaper BA flights – but for passengers with hand luggage only: IOL Travel

[IOL Travel] British Airways is to take on budget airline rivals by charging less if passengers travel with just hand luggage.

British Airways is to take on budget airline rivals by charging less if passengers travel with just hand luggage. Photo: Wikipedia

The airline said the cheaper fares – initially to be offered on flights from Gatwick to five destinations – will give passengers “more choice”.

Holidaymakers with luggage to check in will not pay more to compensate for the lower “hand baggage only” fares, BA insisted.

The move will be seen as an attempt to compete with low-cost airlines such as Ryanair and easyJet.

Peter Simpson, BA’s director at Gatwick, said: “The introduction of our hand baggage only fare is all about giving our customers more freedom to choose the kind of flying they want. Many British Airways customers on Gatwick short-haul breaks choose not to check in a bag as they’re already taking advantage of our generous two-bag hand luggage policy.

“Those who still want to check in a bag will simply pay the same price they do now.” …..

Read the full story at IOL Travel…..

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Daily Mail
21st Feb, 2013

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KLM is to charge for checked-in baggage: Business Traveller

[Business Traveller] Until now Europe’s traditional airlines such as Air France, British Airways, KLM and Lufthansa have prided themselves on not burdening passengers with ancillary charges as do the budget carriers.

Dutch carrier KLM is the first to break ranks & charge for checked baggage. Photo: Wikipedia

But Dutch carrier KLM is the first to break ranks. Reports today in the Dutch media, now confirmed by KLM, state that starting in April KLM will charge short-haul passengers fees of either €15 (when paid in advance) or €30 (when paid at the airport) for pieces of checked baggage.

Hand luggage will remain free and the charges will not apply to passengers flying long-haul. All members of KLM’s Flying Blue loyalty scheme will also escape the new fees.

At the same time, it’s understood KLM will strictly enforce rules for hand baggage. According to the reports, any bag which doesn’t meet KLM’s 55x25x35 cm, 12 kilos allowance will be placed in the hold and the unlucky passenger will be charged €30 at the gate.

In its defence KLM says that 60 to 70 per cent of its short-haul passengers carry only hand luggage. The airline says that passengers would prefer to pay less for their flights and that is why it has decided to bring in the fee.

Most large airlines lose money flying within Europe yet cannot…..

Read the full story at Business Traveller…..

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Report by Alex McWhirter,
Business Traveller
13th Feb, 2013

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Air France-KLM losses widen as fuel costs rise: BBC News

[BBC News] Air France-KLM, the Franco-Dutch airline, says it made a big loss in 2012, blaming sharply rising fuel costs and trouble with its cargo business.

Air France-KLM has been struggling to reduce its debt mountain in the face of high fuel costs. Photo: Wikipedia

Net losses increased 47% to 1.19bn euros (£1bn; $1.57bn), after a 471m-euro restructuring charge and a 890m-euro increase in its fuel bill.

But operating losses fell to 300m euros, from 353m euros the year before.

Revenues rose 5.2% to 25.6bn euros, thanks in part to increased prices on its North Atlantic routes.

Debt fell from 6.51bn to 5.97bn euros after sell-offs and spending cuts – the company plans to reduce its net debt by 2bn euros by the end of 2014.

Chief executive Jean-Cyril Spinetta said in a statement: “The year 2012 was characterised by a slowdown in global growth and recession in Europe, but nevertheless saw a sharp increase in the fuel price.

“In 2013, we will maintain strict discipline in terms of capacity management, investments and costs.”

Air France-KLM is renegotiating pay and conditions with its staff and cutting more than 5,000 jobs, as high fuel costs and competition from low-cost airlines take their toll on the debt-laden company.

The airline managed to increase…..

Read the full story at BBC News…..

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BBC News
22nd Feb, 2013

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