International Airlines Group chief executive Willie Walsh is having a go at Heathrow airport over costs and spending. The airport charges at Heathrow are up to 65 per cent more expensive than those at other European airports. The third runway at Heathrow is also a bone of contention. Writing in the Financial Times, Walsh said that while expansion at Heathrow represented a huge opportunity to prepare the UK for a post-Brexit world, he believed more must be done to reduce the cost of flying from the airport. Heathrow traffic was up 3.1 per cent in 2017. Dublin Airport is fast becoming the third runway that Heathrow needs and the second runway at Dublin will probably be up and running before Heathrow's third.
Asia Pacific leads passenger numbers rise
It is good news from the International Air Transport Association (IATA), with load factors and revenue passenger kilometres, key industry metrics, all up. Asia Pacific saw the biggest boost in passenger numbers with a 10.8 per cent year-on-year rise. The Middle East saw the lowest demand increase at 4.9 per cent, probably affected by the ban on electronic devices earlier in the year. Alexandre de Juniac, director general and chief executive of IATA, commented: "The airline industry is in a good place entering 2018. We expect 2018 to be the fourth year in a row where the industry's return on invested capital will exceed the cost of capital. In sum, we begin the new year with confidence."
Study urges business travel protection
Business travel is bad for your health. A study by Columbia University shows that a heavy business travel schedule can have various adverse health effects, including the threat of deep vein thrombosis, jet lag and exposure to radiation on commercial planes. "Employers should provide employees who travel for business with accommodations that have access to physical activity facilities and healthy food options," said Andrew Rundle, associate professor of epidemiology at the Mailman School of Public Health. His earlier studies found a tie between extensive business travel and obesity and high blood pressure. The results of the study are published online in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine.