Airport News - Europe.

Dec 18, 2006

The European concern follows a recent description of ATS published by DHS that, according to Frattini, "reveals significant differences between the way in which PNR data are handled within the Automated Targeting System on the one hand and the stricter regime for European PNR data according to the undertakings given by the DHS." The current EU-US agreement on PNR data will expire in July. Negotiations on a new deal are expected to commence in the coming months. Dec 15, 2006

The European concern follows a recent description of ATS published by DHS that, according to Frattini, "reveals significant differences between the way in which PNR data are handled within the Automated Targeting System on the one hand and the stricter regime for European PNR data according to the undertakings given by the DHS." The current EU-US agreement on PNR data will expire in July. Negotiations on a new deal are expected to commence in the coming months. Dec 15, 2006

UK Airport Growth Backed Despite Concerns. The British government gave the green light on Thursday to a major expansion of the country's booming airports, winning praise from operators but outraging environmentalists over the impact on global warming. A report by Transport Secretary Douglas Alexander endorsed the conclusions of the December 2003 Aviation White Paper which noted that aviation accounted for two percent of Britain's economy and proposed building four new runways to meet demand. Two would be around the Greater London region, one in central England and one in Scotland. Dec 14, 2006

Air Madrid 

Air Madrid's passengers waiting at Madrid's Barajas Airport were distraught, saying they had paid thousands of euros to go home and see their families, some for the first time in years. The Spanish ministry has found return flights for 5,000 passengers so far. It urged passengers with tickets to contact ministry call centers for help. Dec 15, 2006

Ferrovial, British airports

The biggest player in Britain's airports sector is Spanish firm Ferrovial which owns BAA which in turn runs major airports including Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted. The government has taken a lead in highlighting the danger of global warming. Most scientists agree that average world temperatures will rise by between two and six degrees Celsius this century due to emissions from burning fossil fuels for power and transport, causing floods, famines and violent storms. To make matters worse, they say that high altitude emissions are four times more damaging than those at the surface. Dec 14, 2006

London

UK Office of Fair Trading recommends BAA to Competition Commission. The UK Office of Fair Trading yesterday issued a preliminary recommendation that airports operator BAA be investigated by the country's Competition Commission, a move prompted in part by the fact "that the current market structure does not deliver best value for air travelers in the UK and that greater competition within the industry could bring significant benefits for passengers," according to OFT CEO John Fingleton. Dec 13, 2006

London

UK Office of Fair Trading that BAA be investigated by the UK's Competition Commission (see story below), Bisignani said, "BAA is fast becoming a nightmare" as charges will increase 50% in the 2003-08 period and another 50% in 2008-13. "Allowing BAA to reach an EBIT of 42% at Heathrow is an embarrassment. We must stop this nonsense now." Dec 13, 2006

London

BAA Airports Referred To Competition Body. The UK consumer affairs watchdog urged competition authorities to explore a break-up of BAA's UK airports on Tuesday, saying the current ownership system had resulted in poor quality and high charges. Dec 12, 2006

London Heathrow, Stansted

UK government backs Heathrow, Stansted expansion but stresses environment. The UK government last week reasserted the need for aviation capacity expansion in the crowded London market, including the building of a third runway at Heathrow and a second at Stansted, but cautioned that environmental concerns need to be a strong consideration in any expansion plans. Dec 18, 2006

Skyguide

Skyguide Agrees 2002 Air Crash Payout. Swiss air traffic control company Skyguide has agreed the compensation it will pay to relatives of 30 people who died in a 2002 mid-air plane collision close to the Swiss-German border, a lawyer for the firm said on Monday. Lawyer Alexander von Ziegler declined to give details on amounts to be paid to the relatives and said Skyguide had already agreed compensation with the families of the 41 other people who died in the same crash. But when asked if Skyguide had agreed compensation for the final 30 families, Ziegler said: "Yes. The families' lawyers can now take a look and decide if they want to appeal (the amounts) in the Swiss courts." Dec 15, 2006

Skyguide

Skyguide, which was operating the airspace over southern Germany, has admitted errors in the incident. On July 1, 2002, Skyguide was operating with a single air traffic controller who told the pilot of a Bashkirian Airlines Tupolev 154 to descend to avoid a collision, even though early-warning instruments aboard the place had told the pilots to climb. The automatic anti-collision system on a DHL Boeing 757 also instructed its pilots to descend to the same level and the Boeing's tail fin sliced open the Russian jet. The 69 people on board the Russian Tupolev passenger jet, most of them children, as well as two pilots on the Boeing 757 operated by the courier company DHL died in the crash. Dec 15, 2006

Sofia Airport 

Fog Grounds Flights At Sofia Airport. Unusually persistent fog has forced the cancellation of 115 flights using Sofia Airport in the past 10 days, almost severing one of Bulgaria's major transport links, officials said on Monday. Dec 11, 2006

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Editor: Aram Gesar, eMail: [e-mail]

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Dec 11, 2006