October 31
It’s that time of the week again, and to celebrate the last revenue flight of British Airways venerable 757′s yesterday, this week it’s a 757-200 in British Airways Chatham Dockyard scheme, taxing past Terminal 1 on a crisp morning earlier this month.
Whilst some 757′s will remain with the Open Skies subsidiary, nearly all the remaining BA 757′s are going to DHL to become freight dogs.
More airplane p0rn of course next week!
October 30
It seems Cebu Pacific has been busy again – this time the Boys are at it after the girls have just danced.
So here come the boys with their guide to safety…
Another Safety video next week!
October 30
Yesterdays events at East Midlands Airport (Nottingham/Derby), Philadelphia International and Newark show the one problem with screening and security theatre: the distinct lightness that cargo screening suffers, and only when people talk does it come to light.
The packages that were heading to Chicago had packages allegedly originating from the Yemen, and various threat points have been identified:
That’s a catalogue and a half of events.
Of course, President Obama has said
“… that new aviation security measures were being taken in light of the alert by the Department of Homeland Security, “including additional screening”.”
Oh great. With another threat comes more security, and normally aimed at the passenger, not the cargo end where these threats eminated from.
Expect more changes ahead in the name of security for seemingly little benefit….
October 29
Lufthansa has released the latest numbers for it’s group and figures. Now I’m honestly not interested in the big numbers of LH Group, but instead looking at how little BMI is doing.
And it’s small encouraging signs mainly, A 3rd Quarter operating profit of €3million has been made. However, don’t cheer too much, as a Q123 loss of €90 million was made.
Ouch.
Most of this can be put down to the positive work that’s being done with Middle Eastern and CIS routes, with Local/European routes not performing positively.
However they are expecting BMI to drag itself into profit by 2012. There is the re-affirmation of the cabin refurbishment work continuing apace.
Things are looking good. However, there is still the delicate matter of Diamond Club to address. And I’ll be analysing the Flight interview later on this week….
October 29
That’s right – hold the presses… British Airways has actually made a profit for the first time in two years!
A half-year profit of £158m, has been achived, in spite of the cabin crew strikes and the annoying effects of the ash cloud. This is in tandem with Iberia also reporting a profit of £46m
Revenues increases have pointed to with cargo doing excellent trade, and costs down by a reported 1.5%.
This marks a good turnaround from the high losses of £292m that were made during 2009 during the same period.
It has emerged also that British Airways and Iberia will merge on 21 January to form International Airlines Group. As reported before, both national airline identities will remain intact.
BA’s Willie Walsh also went on the box this morning with all full on attack on APD (Air Passenger Duty) that is sadly due to go into effect on the 1st November – see http://www.ghettoife.com/2009/07/barking-up-wrong-horse-air-passenger.html (and I’ll do a quick review of it again this weekend).
Well it’s good to see BA finally back in the black. But someone else had made a few pennies…
October 29
It seems Air New Zealand are working with Rico a bit more, and have drafted him in with every innuendo under the sun for their new Safety Video for ANZ’s Boeing 777-300ER’s.
Annoying, but if you’re flying long haul, you should only have minimal exposure to him…
But at least Air New Zealand are trying – unlike some airlines….
October 29
According to ABC World News, the TSA (Transit Security Administration) are preparing to deploy their scanning techinques – and you’ll have a choice of a Millimetre Wave Scanner or an “Intensive Pat Down”
So Full Body Pat Down… or X Rated Patdown (as ABC puts it) – including parts off of the body that were limits. A demo was shown, including full breast fondles and stroking (so for example if there was a bra, it would have to be pokes and stroked to see if there was anything in it).
Cute.
Not that it would had catched the Underwear bomber as they might not 1) fondled there and 2) It would had been outside their remit anyway and 3) It’s powder. How are they meant to catch that?
The TSA makes a weak defence, saying it’s needed to “”stay ahead of evolving threats”. And people still think the TSA can’t do this least of all due to time and costs.
It’s to the point where I think the TSA would prefer you strip naked before you get into a scanner when even then they’d even then prefer to do an internal scan.
And I’ve experienced this week, I’ve got ZERO Confidence in some of their screening techniques and methodologies (I’ll reveal more in the Trip report coming, but the TSA person wasn’t exactly paying attention – more interested in chatting which could had risked a false reading of a procedure they were carrying out).
As a personal objection, I personally would refuse to go through a MMW Scanner unless there was no other way through security. However, an invasive pat-down?
Paging an army of Lawyers. Get ready to issue writs for sexual harassment to the Transit Security Administration (TSA) and Department of Homeland Security (DoHS)….
Source: http://abcnews.go.com/WN/tsa-pat-procedure-airports/story?id=11998304
October 28
Well if you’re looking to the sidebar you might have noticed a bunch of Trip Type Photoblog entries.
But if you’re feeling lazy, feel free head to the ones listed below 
More trip pics will go live soon when photoblog gives me a few more entries and when the trip report is live (I’d say this time next week).
Normal news coverage and analysis will recommence tomorrow, including Security Theatre at UK Airports, and the state of BMI…..
October 27
And what a lovely part of the UK it is.
There IS more to the UK than London y’know….
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone – apologies for the spelling!
October 27
Can be summed up as slurry with a few sparks of magic towards the end.
And greetings from Heathrow CBS… With luggage!
More from Ghettoife.com towers later…
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone – apologies for the spelling!
October 27
In simple terms:
- A ground stop
- A visit to the cockpit
- Food
- A go around
- Oh. And a race to the gate.
More in the full report. Next stop: LHR!
