The British Airways strike is creating a bonanza for other UK based airlines Virgin Atlantic, RyanAir, Flybe and easyJet for their Christmas and New Year flights.

British Airways plc (LSE: BAY) is the flag carrier airline of the United Kingdom. It is headquartered in Waterside near its main hub at London Heathrow Airport and is the largest airline in the UK based on fleet size, international flights and international destinations. Its second hub is London Gatwick Airport.

easyJet, Europe’s leading low-fares airline, today became the first airline to call for tough, mandatory emission standards for aircraft that would lead to a 40% reduction in CO2 emissions from the next generation of aircraft.

Speaking at a press conference in London today, Andy Harrison, easyJet’s Chief Executive said:

“Aviation needs a global solution. Government’s first instinct is to tax, but this won’t deliver sustainable aviation as the industry’s growth is concentrated in China and India. Step change technology is in the pipeline, and we need tough legislation on emission standards for it to be delivered sooner.

Wartime has led to the biggest leaps in aviation technology. Governments must ensure that the war on climate change delivers the next big leap in technology.

We demand legislation for cleaner aircraft to stop the industry flying old, inefficient aircraft. If we get cleaner aircraft and ground the old smokers we can reduce the industry’s overall emissions and tackle climate change head on.

Since most aircraft are manufactured in Europe and America, tough emissions standards at the manufacturing source will deliver the global environmental benefits as these aircraft are exported to the fast growing markets of China and India.

Minimum standards of efficiency are already legislated for aircraft noise, diesel engines, refrigerators and many other products. ICAO and European leaders must extend these minimum standards to aircraft emissions.”

The standards would be introduced in three steps, starting with short-haul aircraft where the current aircraft families, the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 families are already over 20 years old. easyJet proposes that:

* By 2015 every new aircraft type would have to meet the standard
* By 2024 airlines could not add to its fleet any new aircraft that did not meet the standard
* By 2030 airlines could not operate aircraft that did not meet the standard

Under easyJet’s proposal, the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) should lead the process to ensure global reach and consensus and to establish standards and timescales for other aircraft types. The standards would apply to all developed countries. Governments would have to play an active role in funding research and development.

easyJet has been a leader in the field of environmental policy and the call for action comes on the eve of the UK Climate change Commission’s report on aviation and the environment and the Copenhagen Climate summit where the inclusion of aviation in a global post-Kyoto agreement is on the agenda.

The airport’s first terminal opened in 1955 and fast became a backdrop to the gliterati as icons from the stage and screen passed through its doors. Stars and royalty including The Beatles, Frank Sinatra, Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor, Gwyneth Paltrow, Princess Grace and Princess Margaret have all used Terminal 2.

Colin Matthews, BAA Chief Executive said: “The closure of Terminal 2 marks an important moment in the modernisation of Heathrow. We look forward to the new Terminal 2 providing a new home for the Star Alliance and a better experience for our passengers, with less impact on the environment.”

Lee Hock Lye, Vice President Product and Services, Star Alliance said: “The closure and subsequent demolition of Terminal 2 will make way for our new home at Heathrow. This will finally allow our member carriers to operate under one roof at one of the world’s largest aviation hubs, placing us on at least an equal footing with others.”

Work will begin on the new Terminal 2 in 2010 and will open to passengers in 2014. The new Terminal 2, along with a major rebuilding programme ongoing across Heathrow, will ensure the airport remains one of the world’s most exciting aviation hubs.

Passengers travelling on Air France to and from Paris will be the last to use Terminal 2. From Tuesday 23rd November, Air France will operate from Terminal 4 which has been recently transformed with a £100 million new check-in and forecourt.

All passengers flying from Heathrow are urged to check their terminal before leaving for the airport at www.heathrowairport.com.

A short history of Terminal 2

• 1951 – Construction of Terminal 2 started. The architect was Frederick Gibberd (who also designed the former Heathrow control tower, Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral and London Central Mosque). The original cost for the Central Terminal Area improvements including the road tunnel was £21 million.
• April 17 1955 – The terminal opened and was officially inaugurated by Her Majesty the Queen on December 16 1955 along with the adjacent Queens Building (the former office block, closed in June 2009) and the former control tower. The terminal was originally named the Europa Building.
• 1957 – The first non-stop flight from Heathrow to California set a new record for distance and time.
• 1961 – The Oceanic Building (now Terminal 3) opened. The Europa Building became home to short haul flights.
• 1964 – The Beatles famously travelled through the terminal.
• 1965 – The M4 Motorway to Heathrow airport opened.
• 1968 – A cargo tunnel opened in 1968, linking Terminal 2 and the rest of central area to the 160 acre cargo site on the south side of the airport.
• 1969 – The building was renamed Terminal 2 when Terminal 1 was opened.
• 1977 – The London Underground link provided the world’s first direct connection with an airport.
• 1996 – Terminal 2 closed for a short while, renovated and reopened.
• 1998 – The Heathrow Express direct link to Paddington was opened in 1998.

Terminal 2 at a glance

• Terminal 2 is 49,654 square metres in size.
• Terminal was originally designed to accommodate 1.2 million passengers annually but in its last years regularly saw around 8 million passengers a year.
• In its history, Terminal 2 has seen 316 million passengers pass through.
• The average number of Terminal 2 passengers per year was 5.8 million.
• The busiest day ever at Terminal 2 was 19th July 2003 with 35,918 passengers.
• The busiest year at Terminal 2 was 2002 with 86,824 flights.
• In 2008, its last full year, Terminal 2 saw 7.5 million passengers.
• Airlines operating from T2 in February 2009 (the last month when a full schedule operated) were Aeroflot, Air Algerie, Air Astana, Air France, Air Seychelles, Air Transat, Alitalia, Arik Air, Atlas Blue, Austrian Airlines, Azerbaijan Airlines, Bellview Airlines, Bulgaria Air, China Eastern Airlines, Clickair, Croatia Airlines, CSA Czech Airlines, Iberia, Jat Airways, Libyan Airlines, Lufthansa, Olympic Airlines, Rossiya Airlines, Royal Air Maroc, Swissair, Syrianair, TAP Portugal, TAROM, Tunisair, Uzbekistan Airways and Yemenia.
• Heathrow Airport handles an average of 180,000 passengers and 1350 flights daily. It is the world’s busiest international airport and serves over 180 destinations on around 90 airlines.

- focus on core network serving key destinations
– frequencies and capacities that match market expectations

bmi has today announced the restructuring of its mainline and regional operations. The move takes place against a background where the airline industry is facing the challenges of a downturn in demand and the worst recession in the UK since records began. In addition to cost saving initiatives the programme also includes a wide range of revenue enhancement initiatives.

The restructuring plan will see bmi focus on the following key areas:

• Suspending loss making routes
• Adjusting capacity to optimise efficiency and profitability
• Strengthening organisational productivity and efficiency in all areas
• Making use of the synergies of Lufthansa and other partner airlines in all areas
• Maximising revenue generating opportunities with codeshare and Star Alliance partners

The airline’s goal is to focus on maintaining within bmi mainline and bmi regional a core network of services in the UK and Ireland, Europe, the CIS, The Middle East and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Through a combination of improved aircraft productivity and efficiency, and from early 2010 the suspension of non-core and unprofitable services, bmi will reduce the number of aircraft in its mainline operation by nine from the current 39. This reduction will include two of five Embraer aircraft operating on mainline routes that will be returned to bmi regional.

Leases will not be extended on aircraft when they expire in the first half of 2010, including two of the three long haul A330 aircraft. bmi will therefore continue to serve mid haul markets with two long-range aircraft and its fleet of A321s.

bmi regional, which through its niche market position and a long term charter agreement with Airbus, is maintaining a viable operation but is feeling the impact of a prolonged downturn in business-type travel. The return of two Embraer aircraft from the mainline operation at Heathrow and one additional spare aircraft will result in these three units being surplus to requirements. The company is in discussion with potential customers with a view to mitigating this situation.

A reduction in the number of aircraft deployed in bmi mainline and bmi regional operations will result in job reductions coming from all areas of the business, operational and corporate functions. The number of full-time equivalent jobs at risk of redundancy is expected to be approximately 600. However further job cuts cannot be ruled out as corporate overheads will also be cut to reflect the reduced flying programme. Management has today commenced consultations with unions and staff representatives with a view to minimising the number of compulsory job losses wherever possible.

The Lufthansa Group took over bmi in July 2009 and shortly after undertook a due diligence exercise which highlighted the need for a restructuring of the business. Lufthansa has given bmi its full support for the actions it is undertaking in this restructuring programme.

Once stabilised, the business can then be grown again in the years ahead when the economic environment improves and market demand justifies it.

http://www.flybmi.com/bmi/en-gb/about-us/information-centre/press-releases/20091125.aspx