Gatwick Gives

Gatwick Airport announced this last week £256 million in local benefits if it were allowed to build a second runway.

The airport on the border between Surrey and West Sussex is hoping to open a second runway by 2025 at a cost of £7 billion. The pledge would include spending £131 million on the compulsory purchase of homes, £46.5 million to subsidise new houses and £45 million to pay the council tax of 4,100 people blighted by noise. 

Other promises include improvements to the M23 and A23 and a £3.5 million scheme for 2,500 apprenticeships. Chief executive Stewart Wingate said: “We’ve listened to local people and have created £256 million of pledges to deliver improvements in many of the areas that matter to them most, from new jobs and housing, to business support and noise mitigation.” 

More Restructuring for Thai Airways.

Thai Airways International's board approved a restructuring plan aimed at cutting costs and strategising routes to help return the loss-making airline to profit as soon as the middle of next year, at a meeting held on Thursday.

Thailand's new military rulers have singled out the country's troubled national carrier as the first state enterprise to undergo reform after seizing power in May from a government accused of corruption. Thai Airways, which employs 25,000 people and another 5,000 in subcontracted staff, has racked up four quarters of losses partly due to high operating costs.

The carrier is planning early retirement of hundreds of employees and aims to cut overtime shifts, acting President Siwakiat Jayema told reporters after a board meeting on Thursday. "It's quite challenging for Thai Air. The cost-cutting scheme should be done immediately, while the airline needs to come up with a clearer strategy to boost revenues," said Amnart Ngosawang, an analyst at Finansia Syrus Securities.

Boeing / Iran Deal

US aircraft manufacturer Boeing has confirmed a deal with Iran Air to provide the heavily sanctioned airline special spare parts.  The new deal marks the first time the US firm will be doing business with Iran since the US embargo of 1979.

According to a regulatory filing published on July 23, Boeing will supply goods and services "related to the safety of flight" to Iran Air, the country's flag carrier. According to the report filed the agreement was reached in the second quarter and includes the provision of airplane parts, manuals, navigation charts and data to the airline, in line with the US company's recommendations to customers for such things as an aircraft modification, a parts replacement or inspection.

Boeing also reported it had discussions with the flag carrier's subsidiary, Iran Air Tours, on the potential sale of similar goods and services. In April, the US government issued a license allowing Boeing, for a "limited period of time," to provide "spare parts that are for safety purposes" to Iran. Boeing, like most western manufacturers are still not allowed to sell new planes to Iran.

American Profits Up.

  US mega airline, American Airlines has reported record quarterly earnings!  According to Thursday report, th airline detailed a net profit of $1.5 billion -- a record for any quarter in companies history. 

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The American Airlines Group announced a record GAAP net profit of $864  million, compared to $220 million in the second quarter of 2013, which was prior to its merger with US Airways. 

 "We are very pleased to report the highest quarterly profit in the history of American Airlines," said Chairman and CEO Doug Parker. "Our merger is off to a great start and our 100,000 team members are doing a wonderful job working together to take care of our customers." 

TransAsia Crash Investigation Launched.

 The Taiwan authorities have already launched an investigation into the crash of a TransAsia Airways turboprop plane which killed 48 people. 

The aircraft, a 70-seat ATR 72, crashed on Wednesday evening near the runway while trying to land on the small island of Penghu, west of Taiwan island, after a typhoon had passed earlier in the day.

The aircraft had 54 passengers and four crew on board when it came down and two of the dead were French nationals according to the French foreign ministry.

'No Survivors' of the Air Algerie Crash

It was a sombre and subdued French President Franсois Hollande talking when he confirmed that there were no survivors found at the site of the Air Algerie crash in Northern Mali. During the special televised speech he adding that French troops dispatched to the scene. 

"There are, alas, no survivors," Mr. Hollande somberly told reporters on the steps of the Élysée Palace. The French leader added that it was too soon to determine what caused the crash, but added that poor weather was one of the factors being considered. France's transport secretary has ruled out a surface-to-air missile as a cause.

No Return to Tel Aviv for German Carriers

Germany's two largest airlines say they are not yet resuming flights to Israel even though the European Aviation Safety Agency has lifted a recommendation that airlines refrain from flying to Tel Aviv airport, according to reports from AP news agency. 

Air Berlin says flights to Tel Aviv remain suspended at least through midday Friday, while Lufthansa says all Friday flights to the airport have been canceled because of ongoing security concerns after a Hamas missile landed near it this week.

Lufthansa says it "acknowledges the considerable efforts made by Israel to provide the best possible protection for Ben Gurion Airport" with its missile defense system. It says flights will resume "as soon as this protection can be verifiably guaranteed."

Uzbekistan Airlines Change Routes

Uzbekistan Airlines has made a decision to perform all flights from Uzbekistan to European cities and back, bypassing Ukraine's airspace.

The routes of flights to London, Frankfurt, Paris, Rome and Milan have been changed, according to Uzbekistan Airlines. The specialists of the company have also developed a safe route for the Tashkent-Kiev-Tashkent flight.

As a result of the changes, the duration of flights on this route will increase on average by 10-15 minutes. Airlines of many countries have changed the routes of their flights over Ukraine's territory after the crash of a Malaysian airliner in Ukraine's Donetsk city.

Malaysian Airlines MH17 - 777 Shot Down

BREAKING NEWS

The aviation industry is in shock tonight after the news breaks of a Malaysian Airlines Boeing 777 crashing in Eastern Ukraine. The flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur was carrying 296 passengers and crew and is believed to have been shot down by a ground to air missile – however this has yet to be confirmed.

Official information is extremely limited and most of the information available coming from unconfirmed sources and social media.  Flight MH17 was approximately 50 kilometres from entering Russian airspace when it came down with what appears to be the loss of all souls on-board.

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko, said the aircraft would have been shot down, "We do not exclude that the plane was shot down and confirm that the Ukraine armed forces did not fire at any targets in the sky," he said in a statement. Later he said this was not an accident but “An act of terrorism.”

Dozens and dozens of bodies were scattered around the smouldering wreckage of the plane, close to  the village of Grabovo, some  25 miles from the Russian border, according to reporters at the scene. Grabovo is in an area controlled by the Russian separatists who have been known to shoot down Ukrainian military aircraft. Unconfirmed reports advise that moments after the incident a tweet from a twitter account previously used to publicize Russian Separatists shooting down Ukrainian military aircraft, claimed it had shot down another military transporter.

It's believed that there were 8 Britons on the downed aircraft, however this has yet to be confirmed as the passenger manifest has not been publically released at this time. Other unconfirmed reports state as many as 20 could you US citizens with the majority of the rest mixed between Malaysian and Dutch.

Emergency workers at the scene of the incident commented that at least 100 bodies had been found so far, with wreckage scattered across a wide area,  "I was working in the field on my tractor when I heard the sound of a plane and then a bang and shots. Then I saw the plane hit the ground and break in two. There was thick black smoke," a witness, named only as Vladimir, told a Reuters reporter close the area.

On a tweet and in a statement, Malaysia Airlines confirmed that Ukraine's air traffic control lost contact with flight MH17 at 2.15pm GMT, approximately 30 miles from the Russia-Ukraine border. Flight MH17 codeshare flight with Dutch carrier KLM was operated on a Malaysian Boeing 777 and departed Amsterdam at 12.15pm [local] and was estimated to arrive at Kuala Lumpur International Airport at 6.10am the next day. The flight was carrying 280 passengers and 15 crew onboard."

Anton Gerashchenko, an adviser to Ukraine's interior minister commented on social media that the plane had crashed in Ukrainian territory after being hit by a missile fired from a Buk launcher.  News agency Associated Press advised one of its journalists had seen a similar launcher near the town of Snizhne earlier on Thursday.

So far the leaders of the self-declared Donetsk people's republic denied any involvement and according to a Russian news agency Russian Separatists may also have retrieved and are holding the black boxes of the aircraft. Emergency workers have been reported as saying that armed separatists are hampering and interfering with any rescue attempts.

"This is the third tragic incident in recent days after Ukrainian military An-26 and Su-25 jets were shot down from Russian territory. We don't rule out that this plane was also shot down, and we stress that the Ukrainian military didn't take any actions to destroy targets in the air," said Ukrainian President.

Speaking in Delaware USA, President Barack Obama said his administration was seeking "to determine whether there were American citizens onboard.  That is our priority. And I've directed my national security team to stay in close contact with the Ukrainian government. The United States will offer any assistance we can to help determine what happened and why. As a country our thoughts and prayers are with all the families of the passengers, wherever they call home."

Earlier, Obama and Russian leader Putin spoke on the phone regarding new US sanctions imposed on Moscow over its alleged failure to halt the flow of weapons and fighters to separatist forces in eastern Ukraine. Diplomatic relations between the two nations are ‘tense’ at the moment and if it process that MH17 was shot down by Russian made and supplied missiles relations will be pushed to breaking point.

Several airlines, including British Airways, Virgin, Aeroflot, Turkish Airlines and Russia's Transaereo airlines have all announced they would avoid Ukrainian airspace with immediate effect. German airline Lufthansa confirmed it would steer clear of airspace over eastern Ukraine.

The Malaysian prime minister, Najib Razak, said via Twitter: "I am shocked by reports that an MH plane crashed. We are launching an immediate investigation."  The country's defence minister tweeted that he was "monitoring closely" claims that MH17 had crashed, saying: "No comfirmation [sic] it was shot down! Our military have been instructed 2 get on it!"

J Shaw

Twenty Injured on SAA Flight.

South African Airways says 20 people on a Hong Kong-bound flight were injured when the plane ran into severe turbulence.

The airline said in a statement that SA286 departed Johannesburg on Tuesday and landed in Hong Kong on Wednesday, and that medics were waiting to assist the passengers when the aircraft arrived.

Airline spokesman Tlali Tlali says 17 passengers and three crewmembers were injured. The Hong Kong fire department adds that two people were critically injured. The victims were taken to three hospitals.

The airline says 165 passengers were on the plane when the turbulence struck as the plane was flying over Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian capital.

Airline Of The Year - Cathay Pacific

The airline of the year has been announced at the Skytrax awards, held at the Farnborough airshow this week.  The winner was Cathay Pacific!

The airline from Hong Kong beat off much competition to take the top slot in Skytrax annual awards. Pictured here is Ivan Chu with the 2014 award.  

'Of all the sellers, Cathay were the best performer across all types of travel,' Skytrax's CEO Edward Plaisted said to the media at the show,  'Some airliners were very good in economy, others in luxury, but [Cathay Pacific Airways was] top or near the top in all categories,' he said. 

Farnborough Airshow Update......

Airbus and Boeing came close to  $100 billion worth of orders at the this years Farnborough Airshow so far, clearly demonstrating the demand for new passenger jets is rising despite the companies already full order books. 

Despite the good news,  shares in Airbus closed down 2.5 percent after the company told analysts it may have to cut output of its best-selling twin-aisle A330 passenger jet to get through a three-year transition towards an upgraded model launched at the show.

Govt Aid for SAS Legal

It was all smiles for Scandinavian airline SAS last week when A 400 million euro credit arrangement given to them by the governments of Sweden, Denmark and Norway back in 2012 was not illegal under European Union state aid rules.

The EU Commission opened its investigation into the revolving credit facility in 2013, after it "doubted" it had been carried out under market conditions because the exposures of the governments and the banks involved were different.

Staff Shortages Effect Services

A labour shortage in Japan is reaching crisis point for many key industries and has the potential to cripple the third largest economy in the world.  This is forcing airlines, stores and restaurant chains to reassess expansion plans and even cancel or close existing operations, simply because they cannot get the staff. 

Peach Aviation, the airline backed by Japan's largest airline, ANA confirmed last month it would have to cancel more than 2,000 flights over the rest of this year. Budget carriers Jetstar Japan and Vanilla Air have also cancelled hundreds of flights this summer, all because they cant get enough pilots. 

"There aren't enough captains and training one takes time and money," said Peach Aviation spokesman Hironori Sakagami.  "We wanted to increase the number of flights, but we had to delay that."

Emergency Landing in Tel Aviv for Delta 747

A Delta Air Lines 747 flight from Israel's Tel Aviv Ben Gurion airport heading for New York had to turn back and make a emergency early this morning. The sudden return to Ben Gurion was caused when flaps on the 747's wings failed to retract properly on take-off.

Delta have confirmed  that the  Boeing 747 (N668US), Flight 469, which had 370 passengers and 17 crew members aboard landed safely back in Israel around 2.30am local time Sunday Morning. Two hours after it had departed bound for New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport. The Delta spokesperson, Jennifer Martin, claimed the flight crew made the emergency landing 'out of an abundance of caution.'

There is no evidence the issue with the Delta 747's flaps had anything to do with the continuing unrest between Israel and the Palestinians. However, Delta has issued a travel advisory regarding the 'Israel Unrest' advising the airline would continue to operate its New York-Tel Aviv service, but  would allow passengers to cancel or rebook their plans whilst the conflict goes on, which could be some time.

The 747 restarted its flight to New York at 12.30 local today. 

American Carriers Cut Venezuelan Flights

United Continental Holdings Inc said on Friday it would drop its daily flight to Caracas, Venezuela, from Houston, starting in September, joining other U.S. carriers who have cut service over the country's foreign exchange controls.

United said it will operate four flights a week to the country, starting Sept. 17.

United Flight Diverts to Midway

A United Airlines flight carrying 348 people from Honolulu to Guam was forced to divert to the tiny Pacific island of Midway because of a  “mechanical issue,”  the airline confirmed yesterday.

An electrical odor filled the Boeing 777 aircraft and the airline was reviewing the mechanical problem that caused the diversion that occurred Thursday night local time.

Midway Island — a remote, 2.4-square-mile atoll — is located about 1,300 miles northwest of Hawaii and was the site of an important U.S. military base during World War II. It is now home to a national wildlife refuge and has roughly 60 residents.

The airline told the Los Angeles Times on Saturday that it flew the 335 passengers and 13 crew members aboard Flight 201 back to Honolulu and scheduled a new flight for them to Guam.

The stricken flight arrived in Guam at 6 p.m. local time Saturday.

Passenger Teresita Smith of Maryland told ABC News that the airplane had smelled as if it were burning.

“In the back section of the plane alarms were going off,” Smith said.

After the pilot announced the plane would be landing in Midway, Smith said the power seemed to go out and the plane suddenly dropped.

“It was very scary,” she said. “It shook a lot of people up.”

More Job Cuts Ahead for Iberia

The Willie Walsh hatchet is about the slice through staff numbers again,  this time the IAG boss is hoping to shed over one and half thousand from the Spanish arm Iberia.

Walsh famous for his antagonistic attitude towards staff relations authorised the International Consolidated Airlines Group to release the news last week. The troubled once proud Spanish airline, Iberia has already began a consultation period to cut 1,581 staff. The consultation period is just a legal formality the company has to go through before laying off the staff. Although of course, the company in public still state they are 'in negotiations' with the unions and job cuts were only one option, we understand the decision has already been made - and budgeted for.

American's $2.6 Billion Engine Deal

CFM International, a joint venture between General Electric Aviation and Safran of France, said on Sunday that it had been picked by American Airlines Group to provide engines for 100 Airbus A320neo jets the airline has on order.

CFM said the order is worth $2.6 billion at list prices.

The deal confirms what sources familiar with the matter told Reuters this month and marks a loss for United Technologies Corp's Pratt and Whitney unit, which makes the other engine offered on the Airbus A320neo.

Source Reuters

Virgin Pay £47,600 Compensation For One Delayed Flight

Virgin Atlantic has had to fork out £47,600 compensation to 101 passengers who had been delayed on one of their flights from the US in 2012.  The flight had been delayed by around 26 hours and the airline was forced to make the payout following last month’s Huzar ruling at the Court of Appeal, which stated that airlines cannot reject claims for delays caused by technical defects.

Star Alliance Membership for Air India

Air India is adding 400 daily flights and more than 40 new destinations in India to the Star Alliance network.

The far reaching Indian flag carrier now offers through check-in to the final destination for connecting flights operated by any alliance member airline, this is for both passengers and their baggage.  Air India's membership brings the Star Alliance network up to 27 member airlines, offering over  18,500 daily flights to amazing 1,316 destinations in 192 countries.

Passengers will benefit from a wider choice on routes connecting North America, Europe, Asia and Australia via the Indian sub-continent.  Star Alliance chief executive Mark Schwab said: “This is an important day for us. We have said for many years that we needed a strong home carrier in the Indian market and by welcoming Air India to our Star Alliance family, we have achieved this goal.  We know that the ‘new’ Air India is looking forward to providing the Star Alliance customer benefits to many more travellers.”

The airline’s chairman and managing director Rohit Nandan said: “From today, we open up a completely different world for our passengers, who can now travel to over 1,300 destinations right across the network and enjoy world-class service, better connectivity and seamless travel wherever they go.”

Gulf Air

In February, Kamal Ahmed, the transport minister of the tiny Gulf state of Bahrain, told Arabian Business that “no-one wants” the top job at Gulf Air, the country’s flag-carrier. It was a candid admission for a company that, long before the rise of super-connectors Emirates, Etihad and Qatar Airways, had once been considered the Middle East’s pre-eminent airline. Several foreign candidates had been offered the job, Mr Ahmed explained, but all turned it down over fears of political interference. Given that Gulf Air’s nine-strong board includes four serving ministers plus an advisor to the Crown Prince, they may have had a point. Two decades of near-consistent financial losses will also have dampened their enthusiasm. But someone had to hold the fort, and under the stewardship of acting CEO Maher Al Musallam–who has been in charge for 18 months–Gulf Air appears to be making headway. Reports the Gulliver blog in The Economist.

Whizz Air New Routes to Poland

It has been annouced this week that three new routes to Poland are to be introduced by low cost outfit Wizz Air this winter.

The Eastern European super low-cost carrier is going to commence flights from Glasgow to Katowice and Poznan on October 26 and October 28 respectively.

From London Luton the airline plans to launch a link to Szczecin on October 27 as the airline seeks to greatly expand its Polish network.   Flights to Groningen in Holland from Gdansk and flights to Maastricht from Katowice will also start on October 28. A Bergen-Warsaw link is also being added.

These six new routes take the total Wizz Air routes to 90 in 17 countries from Poland.

Air France - KLM Profits Dive

The future is not looking rosy for the  Air France-KLM dire conglomerate as profits are set to dive by as much as 12% in the face of increasing competition in the long-haul airline sector.  The Franco-Dutch airline profit warning sent its shares crashing down by 5%. 

This weeks unexpected profit warning sent shares at British Airways and Iberia parent International Airlines Group down almost 7% to 336¼p. IAG shares were changing hands at 420p prior to Lufthansa’s warning.  

UK punctuality Best Ever

Airline punctuality at UK airports achieved the best performance in the first quarter of this year since records began in 1992.

A total of 84% of scheduled flights landing ‘on-time’ in the January to March period - a six percentage point improvement on the same period in 2013.  The average delay was nine minutes, a reduction of four minutes year on year. The overall on-time performance for charter flights was 76% - an increase of seven percentage points, with the average delay falling by five minutes.

ANZ Pulls Sexist Safety Video

The words “Fasten your seatbelt” have never been so alluring, at least for some that happened to view the new flight safety video from Air New Zealand,  however not everyone was impressed with the kiwi carrier's latest in-flight video, which puts scantily clad Sports Illustrated models front and center.

The video, titled “Safety in Paradise,” featured Australia’s Jessica Gomes along with Christie Brinkley, Chrissy Teigen, Hannah Davis and Ariel Meredith all running through the routine of aeroplane safety pointers while looking glamorous in their bikinis on the shores of the Cook Islands.

The four-minute clip, which has been viewed more than 5 million times on YouTube, sparked an online backlash, with a petition attracting 10,000 signatures on change.org.

Led by Melbourne woman Natasha Young, the petition says the safety video is sexist and “should not be an excuse to objectify the sexualized female body.”

“This video completely disregards passengers who find it offensive for religious reasons, who have body image struggles, who are parents concerned about their children’s impressionable nature, who believe women deserve more respect, and who have teenage daughters who deserve more respect,” the petition reads.

“This video is culturally insensitive; it disregards those who are conservative by nature and are uncomfortable with its imagery and disregards passengers who have been exposed to sexual assault.

“Air NZ appears determined to insist that skies are sexy regardless of who they offend.”

Some people (well, men) loved the video, others found it sexist, and more couldn’t see what the fuss was about. An Air New Zealand spokesperson said the video was not pulled due to the online backlash and it was always intended to be removed after it had completed its run. Proving once again the airline doesn't listen to its passengers and customers.

New Security Checks at UK Airports

Security screening changes continue to cause confusion for UK travellers.  First eight days ago passengers booked on US bound flights were warned to make sure electronic items were fully charged before they boarded or they wouldn't be allowed to take them onboard.   The British Airways issued a travel advice that stated if the device did not turn on then on the flight you would not go.  

Yesterday, the UK's Department for Transport (DfT) says the rules apply to any flights into or out of the UK, although not every flight will be affected.  The rules apply to all portable electronic devices, including cameras, tablets, ebook readers, laptops, MP3 players and phones. Previously the warning had been about two makes of phone and laptops.

The DfT says that in the event a passenger arrives at an airport gate with a device that does not switch on, it will be at the discretion of the airline what happens next. Its potluck whether passengers will ever see their electronic gadgetry again,  some may have it posted to a home address,  others may be able to collect it up on their return, whilst others may have halt or alter travel plans completely.   

Pilot Pays For Pizza

A big hearted Frontier Airlines pilot helped take some of the pain out of a delayed flight on Monday for his passengers,  he ordered pizza for all 160 of them!  

The unusual event started on Frontier Airlines Flight 719 around 7:40 p.m. US Eastern Time on Monday  7th July when the plane departed Ronald Reagan airport in Washington, heading for Denver an hour behind schedule. 

However, bad weather in the Denver area forced the plane to circle over western Nebraska before low fuel levels necessitated a landing at Cheyenne Regional Airport in Wyoming. It was at that point that the pilot, whose name has not been released, took command of the situation. 'Ladies and gentleman, Frontier Airlines is known for being one of the cheapest airlines in the US, but your captain is not cheap,' the pilot said over the PA according to passenger Logan Marie Torres   'I just ordered pizza for the entire plane.'"

Long Haul Budget Plans for Lufthansa

Germany's Lufthansa says it plans to expand its budget airline operation to offer long-haul flights, possibly in cooperation with Turkish Airlines.

Deutsche Lufthansa AG, Germany's biggest airline, has been trying to cut costs amid tough competition from European budget carriers and aggressively expanding government-owned Gulf airlines.

Emirates Massive 777x Order

Dubai's Emirates Airlines confirmed an order for 150 777X on Wednesday in a deal valued at $56 billion at list prices.

The deal for two types of the 777X was first announced at the Dubai air show in November and helped launch the jet, making it the largest product launch in commercial aircraft history. Emirates has ordered 115 777-9X and 35 777-8X. It also holds purchase rights for an additional 50 versions of the jet, which could increase the total deal size to $75 billion at list prices.

Emirates chief Tim Clark said his airline now operates 138 777 aircraft and has 208 Boeing 777s, either the current or revamped versions, pending delivery. "The 777X will offer us operational flexibility in terms of range, more passenger capacity and fuel efficiency," Mr. Clark said in a statement issued by Boeing.

The more fuel-efficient 777X is expected to begin production in 2017 for delivery in 2020. To date, the aircraft has won 300 orders and commitments from six customers worldwide, including Etihad Airways and Qatar Airways, Emirates' rivals in the Persian Gulf.

Hate Spirit's Latest Gimmick.

Apparently there are few airlines in the world that are as misunderstood as much as the US low cost carrier Spirit Airlines. This much hated airline uses the normal low-cost model of charging for everything it can -  including carry-on bags, pre-assigned seating, food and beverage, credit card handling charges and so on.  It also has one of the tightest seat pitches of any airline in the world, just 28″ of space, to which the American traveller have to squeeze themselves. (United, by comparison, has between 30-36″ in economy). 

Spirit's marketing campaigns have often left a lot to be desired, many  are seen as tasteless. However,  the management care little about the product or the service,  they are just in the business to make money, so passenger satisfaction isn't something they even consider - As Spirit’s CEO, Ben Baldaza is famously quoted, “Let [the customer] tell the world how bad we are. He’s never flown us before anyway and will be back when we save him a penny.”

The airline doesn't care about its reputation, indeed its turning all that hate into yet another marketing gimmick -  A new campaign launched this week called Hate Thousand Miles invites passengers to voice their “hate” over the airline and the industry at large in a light-hearted effort to let out some steam. In return, passengers will receive 8,000 miles gratis, almost enough for a free one way trip on the airline.   Only thing is -  in order to get enough miles to take a free flight, you've got to buy one first, earning the 2,000 or so required.  

Near Miss at Barcelona?

A plane spotter has captured footage of an apparent "near miss" between two planes at Barcelona airport,

The footage shows a Boeing 767 from the Russian airline UTair coming in to land on a runway at El Prat airport.

But as the plane prepares to touch down, an Aerolineas Argentineas Airbus A340 is seen taxiing across the runway, while the Russian jet pulls up.

However, officials were quoted as saying the manoeuvre was normal and passengers were not in danger.

None of the passengers on either plane were hurt.

Sources at Spanish airport authority AENA told La Vanguardia newspaper that the planes were more than 1km ( 0.6 miles) apart at all times, and that the angle of the shot makes the planes appear closer to each other than they actually were.

Both planes were in the correct position and the Russian jet could have landed safely, the sources said. Neither of the two airlines had lodged a complaint, they added.

However, it is not clear why the pilot of the Russian plane took the decision to abort the landing.

Financial Trouble for Malaysian Airlines

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - As scores of small-time investors gathered in the utilitarian surrounds of Malaysia Airlines training centre on June 25 for the company’s annual shareholders meeting, the mood in the room was one of anger and frustration.

Investor after investor questioned the directors on why, after so many years of restructuring, the airline still could not create a sustained profit.

"I listen patiently year after year and the same things are said," said retired researcher Rahim Bidin to enthusiastic applause. "And every year nothing happens. I'm very disappointed with the performance. If you cannot solve the problems then let someone else (try)."

Ryanair Planes Collide

Ryanair turned into Ryanscare for the passengers on two of its recent flights when the collided at London's Stansted Airport on Saturday. 

Passengers faced delays of up to three hours after a Warsaw-bound plane and an aircraft from Frankfurt Hahn that had just landed, collided in the parking area of Stansted Airport at about 6.45am.

The crash occurred when the wing tip of one plane and the tail cone of another "made contact", Ryanair said.

Essex Police said routine breath tests on both pilots returned zero readings and no one was hurt.

Both of the planes were Boeing 737-800 models, which can carry up to 189 passengers, a Ryanair spokesman confirmed.

One passenger on the Warsaw-bound flight said on Twitter: "Huge loud crashing noise and totally felt the crush sitting at the back. Thank God it only hit the wing as if it was the body of the plane it'd been apocalypse."

Ryanair spokesman Robin Kiely said: "This morning at London Stansted the wing tip and tail cone of two Ryanair aircraft made contact while one aircraft was taxiing to stand and the other was commencing pushback from stand.

"Customers were disembarked and boarded two replacement aircraft which departed Stansted with a delay of approximately three hours.

"Our Stansted based engineering team are currently investigating and will repair both aircraft and return them to service as soon as possible.

"Ryanair sincerely apologises to affected customers for any inconvenience."

Escape Slide Inflates in Flight - United

An evacuation slide inflated inside a United Airlines plane as it flew from Chicago to Southern California, filling part of the cabin and prompting the pilot to make an emergency landing in Kansas.

Passenger Mike Schroeder said he was sitting in the front row of the plane bound for Orange County, California, late Sunday when he heard a hiss and pop behind him.

Schroeder, 58, turned around and saw the Boeing 737-700's evacuation slide inflating. The slide — which would normally inflate outside the plane in an emergency — filled the galley.

"I thought to myself, 'I hope there is no one in the restroom because if they are they're not coming out for a long time,'" he said in a telephone interview.

United Airlines officials said in a statement that no one aboard Flight 1463 was injured.

United said the plane would be flown without passengers to a larger airport for a complete inspection to determine how and why the slide accidentally deployed. Spokeswoman Christen David said she had no details about whether the incident would trigger additional inspections or whether similar incidents had occurred on other United aircraft. Federal aviation officials were investigating.