Aviation

Security checks on aviation staff will be fast tracked in an attempt to cut delays at Britain's airports. The Department for Transport said it was speeding up the vetting process for new staff to help tackle the travel chaos that has plagued travellers for months. Holidaymakers faced more disruption on Saturday, with thousands of passengers at Heathrow hit by delays caused by a computer failure that left planes unable to refuel and "horrendous" scenes at the baggage reclaim area. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said that by speeding up the vetting of new aviation security staff, the Government was "doing its bit to help deliver for passengers". Counter terrorism checks on staff, which previously took up to 20 days, are now being done in half the time, he said. New staff are also carrying out other training while their security checks are ongoing. Airlines are expected to announce a series of cancellations to summer flights next week aimed at minimising disruption in the … [Read more...] about Vetting of airport staff fast-tracked to ease travel chaos

Des compagnies aériennes internationales renoncent provisoirement à poser leurs avions sur le sol américain. En cause : les éventuels dangers liés au déploiement de la 5G, notamment à proximité des aéroports. Plusieurs compagnies aériennes à travers le monde ont décidé de suspendre provisoirement leur desserte de certains aéroports des Etats-Unis. En cause : les éventuels dangers liés au déploiement de la 5G sur le sol américain, et notamment à proximité des aéroports. Cette nouvelle technologie d'internet mobile était censée être déployée à compter de ce mercredi. Les opérateurs de téléphonie mobile ont accepté de reporter provisoirement ce déploiement. 5G : les compagnies américaines s'inquiètent des risques d'interférence dans les aéroports Il n'empêche, l'affaire est à ce point sensible que même la Maison-Blanche a réagi. " Nous avons l'espace aérien le plus sûr au monde, a assuré Jen Psaki, porte-parole de la Maison-Blanche. Nous … [Read more...] about Aéronautique : désorganisation du ciel américain causée par la 5G

Love Island stars Teddy Soares and Faye Winter looked all-loved up in a recent Instagram snap. Faye shared a selection of snaps as she celebrated her 27th birthday with her boyfriend and her family in an idyllic location. The brunette beauty was glowing in the post's opening picture as she was snapped being picked up by Teddy as the couple looked head over heels for each other. READ MORE: Love Island fans spot 'secret feud' between two islanders after unexpected exchange Faye looked beautiful as she wowed in a short white mini-dress, accessorising with aviator sunglasses while boyfriend Teddy rocked a navy patterned shirt and white trousers. A second picture of Faye had her slipping into a yellow bikini for a striking snap of her in a swimming pool. In another snap uploaded to the carousel, Faye posed alongside her family members as she confessed how special this particular birthday celebration was. The ex-islander star admitted that for her last birthday, … [Read more...] about Love Island’s Faye Winter glowing as she shares loved-up snap with beau Teddy Soares

Four Chinese airlines have placed a mega-order for 292 single-aisle A320 family aircraft from airbus. The deal, for Air China, China Eastern, China Southern and Shenzhen Airlines, total nearly $37 billion (€35.4 billion) at the rarely applied list price. Despite air traffic being paralysed in China by the pandemic, the need for aircraft remains immense. For Airbus, these orders, which have yet to be finalised, "demonstrate the positive recovery momentum and prosperous prospects of the Chinese aviation market. China Eastern will acquire 100 A320neo Family aircraft, while China Southern will acquire 96 of the same model. Air China and its subsidiary Shenzhen Airlines will acquire 64 and 32 A320neo aircraft respectively. The airlines did not specify the A320 family models involved, but according to a source close to the matter, these include both A320s and A321s capable of carrying more passengers, as well as some smaller A319s. All deliveries are scheduled to take … [Read more...] about Airbus secures mega-order from four Chinese airlines

When Bryce Stewart dived after the toothed, steel-weighted nets of a scallop dredger rumbling over the bottom of the Irish Sea 22 years ago, he witnessed destruction he could never have seen from a boat. "Half crabs. Smashed up sea urchins. Starfish missing some of their arms," said Stewart, a marine ecologist at the University of York. "There was literally a trail of dead and dying things on the seabed." Bottom trawling — a powerful practice in which heavy nets are dragged along the floor of the ocean to catch fish and seafood — is one of the most harmful ways to feed the world. It destroys ecosystems and sweeps up unwanted marine life that gets thrown overboard. From 1950 to 2014, bottom trawlers discarded $560 billion of bycatch, which was more than the value of all catches from longline fishers over the same period. Metal bars and toothed nets wreak havoc on ocean ecosystems Now scientists fear another environmental disaster bubbling under the surface: climate … [Read more...] about How bottom trawling hurts ocean life and speeds up climate change

Heathrow has been hit by another day of travel chaos with hundreds of passengers left without luggage and caught up in lengthy queues. Huge lines were seen snaking around the outside of the London airport this morning, as it continues to be hit by staffing shortages. One traveller described the "chaos" and "lengthy wait times" at Terminal 2, saying there "simply is not enough space to queue". Tensions appeared to boil over at one point, with "some flare-ups" being reported between the public and stressed-out staff. Airlines were even forced to "fish" customers out of security queues for final calls, said another passenger, who spent two and a half hours waiting inside the airport. Footage capturing "hundreds of cases" piled up at baggage reclaim, which is the responsibility of the airlines and their ground handlers, was also posted to Twitter this morning. It is the third day in a row that Heathrow has faced delays, after travellers compared the scenes to something out … [Read more...] about Heathrow chaos as hundreds lose luggage and airlines ‘fish passengers out of queues’