An Airbus A380 aircraft sits at the São Paulo-Guarulhos International Airport. mariordo59 / Flickr

There are 103 A380s in service as of early May-2013. Emirates has 33 and Singapore Airlines has 19, so when assessing network scheduling, these two and their hubs predominate: of the 1,048 weekly A380 flights, 402 are from Emirates alone. Dubai and Singapore airport see the most A380 flights.

But there are some less predictable statistics. The airport to see the most A380 operators is Hong Kong followed by Paris and Los Angeles. The largest A380 destination that is not (yet) an A380-hub is London Heathrow. The UK and USA are the most common A380 destinations after Australia, Singapore and the UAE. Asia, not the Middle East, sees the most A380 flights; South America sees none.

Guangzhou-Shanghai Pudong is the shortest A380 route at 1,202km while Los Angeles-Melbourne is the longest at 12,751km. Qantas and Lufthansa have the highest average sector length while Thai Airways is placing the most number of cycles – about two – on its aircraft per day. Qantas and Air France are placing the least (just over one).

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Tourists walk on Seven Mile Beach at sunset in George Town, Cayman Islands July 28, 2011. Gary Hershorn / Reuters

There is a very fine line when writing a column like this. The risk of being branded as a pessimist is high.

I only hope that readers will focus on the message that I am trying to convey and perhaps apply some of the content objectively to look at issues in a broader, more holistic way.

When I heard Grand Cayman’s minister of tourism recently predict that he anticipated long stay visitor arrivals in 2013 should reach the same levels as last year, I was frankly surprised.

Look at our largest single market alone, the United Kingdom, which has already experienced a decline of 15,631 visitors in 2012, when compared with 2011.

In the first week of May, Virgin Atlantic brought forward from October 27 their planned change of aircraft on the Gatwick/Barbados route, by substituting the larger B747 aircraft with smaller A330 equipment, on each day of the week, except for Thursdays.

This immediately cuts up to 1,134 seats weekly and, by the end of December this year, could amount to almost 40,000 lost seats.

Put another way, we will lose airline capacity of nearly 23 percent or around one in four of all our British land-based arrivals annually, which in 2012 totalled 173,519 persons.

It is also not unreasonable to conclude that at least 50 percent of those lost seats could have been used by the largest tour operator into Barbados, Virgin Holidays.

Has anyone considered the incredible overall loss of occupied room nights this will bring to our hotels and the devastating financial consequence?

Needless to say, it’s not just the negative effect on our accommodation providers, but the trickledown effect it has on restaurants, attractions, activities, car rental, shopping, taxis, etc.

And at a time when the government most needs higher tax collection, the loss of non reclaimable VAT on all these tourism offerings.

It’s vaguely conceivable that our policymakers imagine they are going to make up the numbers from other major markets, like the USA and Canada, but this is extremely unlikely. Out of these two sources, there was negligible growth in 2012.

But sadly so far, in the first four months of 2013, there has been an average monthly decline of 11.9 percent from the United States and 9 percent from Canada.

Of course, we do not have the winter climatic advantage for most of the remaining eight months, so this trend is hardly likely to change without extensive cost-effective “consumer facing” marketing and a dramatic improvement in destination visibility overall.

Yes! There are a few rays of sunshine on the horizon. The Thomas Cook double-drop charters from Manchester and TUI flights from Hamburg, but these do not commence until November, and clearly will not come anywhere close to making up the Virgin deficit.

This scenario regrettably paints a very gloomy picture, but personally I believe we must start to face this reality and implement measures needed to redress this situation, rather than repeatedly utter predictions, which are at best whimsical and almost impossible to achieve with the status quo. ___

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Metro-North employees work at the site of Friday's train crash in Bridgeport, Connecticut. Crews will spend days rebuilding 2,000 feet of track, overhead wires and signals following the collision between two trains Friday evening that injured 72 people, Metro-North President Howard Permut said Sunday. Brian A. Pounds

Two commuter trains collided just outside Bridgeport, Conn., on Friday evening, damaging the tracks and snarling travel in the Northeast. Here’s a look at what commuters can expect Monday, as the work week gets under way, and beyond:

METRO-NORTH RAILROAD SERVICE PROBLEMS:

Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy says roads could be a mess for a week as Metro-North Railroad crews repair tracks, overhead wires and other equipment.

Reduced service will operate between South Norwalk and New York’s Grand Central Terminal. A shuttle train will operate between New Haven and Bridgeport with shuttle buses running between Bridgeport and Stamford.

Each day, approximately 30,000 Metro-North customers use the stations where service has been shut down, according to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, which operates Metro-North.

Regular service will operate between Stamford and Grand Central Terminal. Regular service will operate on Metro-North’s New Canaan and Danbury branches.

AMTRAK SERVICE PROBLEMS:

Amtrak says its Acela Express and Northeast Regional Service between New York and New Haven are indefinitely suspended. Amtrak says it will provide limited service between Boston and New Haven.

COMMUTING ALTERNATIVES:

Jim Cameron, chairman of a commuter group, wants officials in numerous towns to suspend parking rules to accommodate what could be tens of thousands of motorists driving to unaffected train stations.

SCOPE OF WORK:

Crews must rebuild 2,000 feet of track, overhead wires and signals. Several days of around-the-clock work will be required, including inspections and testing of the newly rebuilt system, said Metro-North President Howard Permut.

Copyright (2013) Associated Press. All rights reserved.

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The Democrat said Sunday that the additional charge makes it difficult for families on fixed budgets.

Four major airlines — Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, U.S. Airways and United Arilines — recently increased fees on ticket changes from $150 to $200.

He said most families plan their trips in advance and get non-refundable tickets to save money. But he said plans can change due to sick children or work demands.

He said “I am asking, really demanding” that the four airlines “put the brakes on these out-of-control changes of flight fees.”

Copyright (2013) Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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Aviation consultant Robert Mann said that when airlines change the boarding process, they frequently encounter a “Whac-A-Mole” syndrome, where pressing the mole down in one place means it shows up someplace else — in other words, the law of unintended consequences. For instance, Mann said, the new American policy could “create a lot of gate-level game playing behavior where, if you shed your bag, you go ahead of other people, which makes the zone number on your boarding pass irrelevant and also cuts down on their baggage fee collection.”

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Salt Lake City Airport is getting passengers' feedback about what they like to see in the redeveloped facility. / Salt Lake City International Airport

Mountain views, faster takeoffs and workout equipment are a few things Salt Lake City officials are considering as they draw up plans for a nearly $2 billion remake of the city’s airport.

The bulk of the budget for construction comes from fees airlines pay to use the facility and from passengers buying tickets, among a few other sources. Federal grants make up about 11 percent of the bankroll.

Some wings of the airport are about 50 years old. Others date back over 30 years. That means a new facility is overdue, said Salt Lake City International Airport spokeswoman Barbara Gann.

“Airport years are longer” than human ones she said, due to changing technology and increases in traffic. The original facility was designed to shepherd about 12 million travelers each year, roughly half as many as it does now.

“We’re very space-constrained,” Gann said. “We’re constantly trying to squeeze more space out of these security checkpoints.”

Workers are set to break ground on the new airport next spring and have it finished by 2024. Officials and architects have sketched out a design for the takeoff area. Now, they’re asking travelers what they’d like to see at the airport before they reach the gate.

Authorities say the planned airport will be more efficient and likely have a design that showcases mountain views. Others say the airport will be more environmentally responsible, with a lofty goal to try to generate as much energy as it uses.

Delta Air Lines operates about 3 out of 4 flights leaving from the airport. It began using the facility as a hub in the late 1980′s. Southwest comes in second for its proportion of flights, now about 12 percent.

Last year, about 21 million people passed through the airport. The redesign is set to take on about 24 million travelers annually and go up right next to the current one.

Salt Lake City is already regarded as one of the most on-time airports in the country, but officials say that’s due more to good weather than efficient engineering.

Right now, the airport’s gates are set up in a few different horseshoe formations. That means planes have to take turns backing out of the cul-de-sacs.

The proposed plan calls for a derby setup, with each gate tucked into a straight line. That means less traffic on the ground.

Officials are asking for public input on the airport’s website and say they have already received requests for a gym, more secluded seating areas and more electrical outlets.

“We’re due for an upgrade,” said Art Raymond, spokesman for Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker. Solar power and environmentally-minded engineering are components of the new plan, he said, and will help the airport toward its goal of producing as much energy as it uses. The new construction will also make the airport safer in the event of an earthquake, Raymond said.

The new airport’s design, Gann says, will likely show off Utah’s mountain views for travelers before they reach the baggage claim.

Gann says she has received requests from people who want the airport to better reflect Utah’s reputation as an outdoors capitol, incorporating more natural elements like glass and granite.

“People want it to reflect Utah,” Gann said. “They want it to be bright and airy.”

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CEO Richard Anderson told the Mesabi Daily News of Virginia, Minn., for a Sunday story that his airline wants to invest in the facility and keep it growing. It currently has about 500 full-time-equivalent employees, well above the goal of 350 set before it opened in 1996 with financial help from the state. Employee turnover is low.

“We want to do more investment in the facility … expand and continue to grow. We’re in the process of hiring more right now,” Anderson told the paper Saturday by phone from Atlanta, where Delta is headquartered.

Anderson was on the Iron Range on Thursday to spend time with employees at the reservation center, which belonged to Northwest Airlines before Delta acquired Northwest in 2008.

He said he was “totally inept” when he tried his hand at doing some customer service work there.

Anderson said the future of the Chisholm center is bright, even with the growth in competition from Internet airline reservation services, because of its role in Delta’s frequent-flyer program.

“It’s an important part of our SkyMiles program,” he said. “Yes, there’s a lot of technology coming to bear for us, but the Chisholm center is the top-performing center in the Delta system. It’s been a real success.”

The center is one of the largest non-mining employers in the region. All its employees have the option to work out of their homes, and about 60 do so. Anderson said even more could if better high-speed Internet service was available on the Range.

“If we had that we could grow the employment levels and draw from a larger pool,” Anderson said, adding that Delta and the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board should work together to upgrade the region’s infrastructure.

Information from: Mesabi Daily News, http://www.virginiamn.com

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The Dublin-based carrier’s earnings after tax rose to 569 million euros ($731 million) in the 12 months to March 31, minus one-time items, from 503 million euros a year earlier, it said today in a statement. Ryanair said Jan. 28 it expected to post a profit close to 540 million euros, while analysts had expected 560 million euros, based on the average of 19 estimates.

Chief Executive Officer Michael O’Leary, who has occupied the role for almost two decades, said last week he’ll probably stay for another five years to consolidate Ryanair’s European dominance as network carriers increasingly exit short-haul flying. The Irish company added 5 percent more passengers in the year for a total of 79.3 million while lifting occupancy levels.

While traffic growth this summer “will be very modest,” O’Leary said Ryanair will ground fewer aircraft than usual next winter, boosting the passenger total by 2 million people for the year to 81.5 million and lifting earnings to between 570 million euros and 600 million euros.

Shares of Ryanair have gained 34 percent this year, valuing the company at 9.16 billion euros. EasyJet Plc, Europe’s second- largest discount airline, has added 55 percent as it lures more business passengers with higher frequencies and paid-for perks.

Fleet Expands

Ryanair’s full-year revenue rose 13 percent to 4.33 billion euros and the carrier added 15 aircraft, taking the fleet to 305 planes as of the year’s end. It also opened 217 new routes to take the total to more than 1,600 and established seven new bases in Greece, the Netherlands, Morocco, Poland and Croatia.

Net income this quarter will be lower than last year, mainly due to the timing of the Easter break, the carrier said.

Ryanair is expanding as network carriers including Air France-KLM Group, Deutsche Lufthansa AG and British Airways parent International Consolidated Airlines Group SA undergo the latest revamp of unprofitable short-haul flights — an experiment that O’Leary predicts will fail.

Ryanair sought to consolidate its grip in Ireland when it revived a bid to buy Aer Lingus Group Plc last June.

The offer, which valued the smaller company at 694 million euros, was blocked in February by European Union regulators who ruled it would increase fares and reduce choice. A separate inquiry by the U.K. Competition Commission may require Ryanair to reduce or dispose of a remaining 30 percent holding.

Ryanair ordered 175 Boeing Co. 737-800 single-aisle jets in March and has appointed a team to work on a follow-up deal to add a further 100, most likely the U.S. company’s new 737 Max model, giving a total list price of more than $20 billion.

–Editors: Chris Jasper, Andrew Noel.

To contact the reporter on this story: Kari Lundgren in London at klundgren2@bloomberg.net

To contact the editor responsible for this story: Benedikt Kammel at bkammel@bloomberg.net

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Handout of of a United Airlines 787 Dreamliner. / Reuters

United Airlines is getting its 787s back in the air.

The planes are returning after being grounded for four months by the federal government because of smoldering batteries on 787s owned by other airlines. The incidents included an emergency landing of one plane, and a fire on another.

The incidents never caused any serious injuries. But the January grounding embarrassed Boeing, which makes the 787, and disrupted schedules at the eight airlines that were flying the planes. The company had delivered 50 of the planes worldwide.

The grounding forced United to delay planned international flights and hurt its first-quarter earnings by $11 million. Others, including Japan Airlines and South America’s LATAM Airlines Group, also said profits were reduced. LATAM said it still had to make payments on the plane and pay for crews and maintenance. It expects to resume flying soon.

United’s first 787 flight was scheduled for 11 a.m. Monday from Houston to Chicago.

Passengers didn’t appear to be too worried. “We saw strong demand for the flight from the first weekend it opened for sale,” United spokeswoman Christen David said.

United is planning to use 787s on shorter domestic flights before resuming international flights on June 10 with new Denver-to-Tokyo service as well as temporary Houston-to-London flights. It’s adding flights to Tokyo, Shanghai, and Lagos, Nigeria, in August.

Those long international flights are the main reason the 787 exists. Its medium size and fuel efficiency are a good fit for long routes. Starting with shorter domestic flights “will give us a period to ramp up full 787 operations,” David said.

United Continental Holdings Inc. was the first U.S. airline to get the 787 and now has six. United has said it expects to have four fixed by Monday, with the other two getting their batteries modified in coming days.

The 787 uses more electricity than any other jet. And it makes more use of lithium-ion batteries than any other jet, because it needs to be able to provide power for things like flight controls and a backup generator when its engines are shut down. Each 787 has two of the batteries.

Boeing Co. never did figure out the root cause of the battery incidents. Instead, it redesigned the battery and its charger. The idea was to eliminate all of the possible causes, 787 chief engineer Mike Sinnett said in an online chat on Thursday where he and a Boeing test pilot took questions about the plane.

The changes include more heat insulation between each cell and charging the battery to a lower maximum voltage.

Copyright (2013) Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. 

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Following a flight to Scotland earlier this month Mr Clarkson tweeted: “When will British Airways realise that babies belong in the hold?”

Justine Roberts of the website Mumsnet responded to his comments in the Mail on Sunday, saying: “There are plenty of Mumsnet users hoping British Airways will realise Jeremy Clarkson belongs in the hold.”

The presenter acknowledged the vociferous response, saying “I have sparked FURY at the Mail for saying babies should travel in a plane’s hold.”

“Mine didn’t fly till they were old enough to behave.”

Twitter: Jeremy Clarkson – When will British Airways realise that babies belong in the hold?

Meanwhile, a spokesperson for BA told the Mail: “We welcome families, including infants, in all cabins.”

However, many Twitter users seemed to back the presenter’s opinions. More than 1,750 users have registered his tweet as a favourite so far.

Emma Tills tweeted: “I couldn’t agree more with this statement from @JeremyClarkson. Bl**dy brilliant idea.”

Twitter: Kevin Greenhalgh – Babies in the aircraft hold is the out of the box thinking that should elevate @JeremyClarkson to the house of Lords as a minimum.

Mr Clarkson later added: “It’ll be interesting to see how the Mail responds to these supportive tweets.”

Earlier this year, the Malaysian airline Air Asia X launched “quiet zones” on some of its flights, where children under the age of 12 are not permitted to sit.

In a poll conducted Telegraph Travel readers last year, nearly 70 per cent said they would support the introduction of child-free flights .

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