Europe’s smaller airports ‘under threat’ if fuel shortages cause many cancellations
Europe’s smaller airports may not survive if jet fuel shortages triggered by the Middle East crisis lead to widespread route cancellations, the industry’s trade body has warned,Although airlines insist there are currently no supply problems within the normal four- to six-week horizon, the US-Israel war on Iran and the effective closure of the strait of Hormuz have doubled the price of jet fuel, prompting some carriers to cancel flights,The Airports Council of Europe said regional airports were the most exposed and faced an “existential threat” if airlines cut capacity and raised fares, as demand on their routes was generally more price-sensitive – demonstrated when Lufthansa axed 20,000 summer flights operated by its regional subsidiary, CityLine,Olivier Jankovec, the director general of ACI Europe, said that smaller regional airports had still not recovered since the Covid pandemic, with traffic still 30% below 2019 levels, while larger ones had bounced back to growth,He said: “The current levels of jet fuel prices and the prospect of a new cost of living crisis mean that many regional airports across our continent are likely to face both a supply and demand shock.
For them, this is nothing short of an existential threat.”The body said that troubles risked being exacerbated by the full implementation of the EU’s entry-exit system (EES), which in theory should demand that all applicable non-citizens must now submit biometric information on arrival at the border.It reiterated calls to allow the system to be suspended at any point should long queues develop.The airports’ warning came as the head of the global airlines body Iata, Willie Walsh, said the current crisis was not yet dampening the demand for flying.He added that any jet fuel shortage would affect Asia first, then Europe, and that rationing “could lead to some flight cancellations”.
Airline groups have lobbied for measures including slot alleviation, granted in the UK, which makes it easier to cancel flights without the risk of losing the rights to operate at the same time from a busy airport in future.József Váradi, the chief executive of Wizz Air, the biggest airline in central and eastern Europe, said the slot demands were protecting the interests of legacy carriers such as Lufthansa and British Airways rather than all airlines.Describing the conflict as a “nonsense war” and a “complete mess”, he said he did not expect government involvement in managing fuel supply to be needed or helpful, adding: “Maybe they should stop Donald Trump and send him home, if they want to play a constructive role.”Váradi said he did not expect jet fuel shortages because the high kerosene prices were “creating a lot of room to become creative – that kind of a marketplace mobilises forces”, with tankers now going to the US.He said summer bookings were holding up but European airlines would face a crunch moment in the autumn: “Airlines go bust two times a year, in September and February.
Airlines with weak liquidity positions will come under immense pressure in September time.”
Singing activists disrupt NatWest meeting over ‘climate backtracking’
The chair of NatWest was forced to defend the bank against accusations of “climate backtracking” at a chaotic annual shareholder meeting, which was temporarily suspended owing to singing protesters.Not long after the meeting began in Edinburgh, it was adjourned for about half an hour after a protester interrupted Rick Haythornthwaite’s opening speech.Protesters in the audience, wearing black T-shirts emblazoned with “No more big oil” and “No bombs”, then sang a song to the tune of Frère Jacques, with a chorus of “No more bombs, no more oil”. They appear to represent the campaign group Extinction Rebellion’s XR Money Rebellion, which has targeted NatWest and other banks for financing fossil fuel projects.When the meeting resumed, it was dominated by questions from shareholders about NatWest’s climate policies, as well as staff wages compared with bumper executive pay packets
UAE quits Opec in ‘pivotal moment’ for oil producing group – as it happened
Newsflash: The United Arab Emirates has announced it is quitting the Opec group of oil producers.In an unexpected move, the UAE is leaving Opec and Opec+ (which includes allies such as Russia) from 1 May, a move which could allow it – in theory – to produce more oil and gas.The UAE’s energy ministry says in a statement that the decision “reflects the UAE’s long-term strategic and economic vision and evolving energy profile”, and follows a “comprehensive review” of its production policy, and its current and future capacity.Opec, created back in 1960, agrees and sets production quotes for members in an attempt to control the oil price. The UAE is a long-standing member, having joined in 1967
The personal pettiness of the Elon Musk v OpenAI trial
Hello, and welcome to TechScape. I’m your host, Blake Montgomery, US tech editor at the Guardian, writing to you from beneath a cherry blossom tree in Prospect Park in New York City. Spring has arrived!Monday marked the start of a major trial pitting Sam Altman against his OpenAI co-founder Elon Musk, who is suing the maker of ChatGPT for breach of contract.Musk alleges that Altman, OpenAI’s CEO, broke the company’s founding agreement by restructuring and converting much of it to a for-profit enterprise. Altman and OpenAI counter that Musk, who left the firm in 2018 amid internal disputes and has since started his own rival AI business, xAI, is essentially a sore loser
Tell us: have you become emotionally attached to AI?
Lots of people now use chatbots as personal assistants, sometimes to the extent that they have formed an emotional attachment to them.We would like to hear from people who converse with AI chatbots on a personal level. Have you formed an emotional bond to an AI chatbot?You can share your experience using this form.Please include as much detail as possible. Please note, the maximum file size is 5
West Ham urged to show ‘heart and soul’ over London 2029 World Athletics bid
The head of the London Marathon has urged West Ham to show more “heart and soul” amid fears they could scupper Britain’s chances of hosting the 2029 World Athletics Championships.While London’s bid is seen as the favourite, it has hit a major stumbling block with West Ham refusing to give up their stadium for around two weeks in September 2029 because the football season will be under way.Hugh Brasher, who is part of the London 2029 bid team, admitted that the situation was further complicated by the Hammers facing relegation and the departure of the club’s vice chair, Karren Brady.“Football is an interesting, very tribal, sport,” said Brasher. “Money talks
‘It’s a gamechanger’: Lewis Hamilton’s groundbreaking Mission 44 recruits working in F1
Sports people can be more than the sum of their athletic achievements. Lewis Hamilton stands unquestionably as one of the greatest drivers in the history of Formula One having delivered records and outstanding performances that will be hard to surpass. Yet it is indicative of his character that the seven-time world champion rates them all as sitting only alongside what might ultimately be his most significant and long-lasting legacy. His Mission 44 foundation is making an indelible impact on the makeup of motorsport.“Talent is everywhere, opportunity isn’t and that’s what we’re here to change
Home blood pressure checks could reduce risks after hypertensive pregnancy
Four-fifths of UK mental health nurses say their workload is unmanageable
Drug use in England spikes during heatwaves and big sports events, research finds
People in UK spend fewer years in good health than a decade ago, study finds
Britain is undermining the care workers it depends on | Heather Stewart
Suicide-related callouts to fire services triple in England in a decade