France rules out new roads and runways

In typically Gallic style, French President Nicolas Sarkozy declared a "green revolution" yesterday, announcing that there would be no more roads or runways built, alongside the construction of more high-speed rail networks to help shift people out fo the skies and onto the trains.

In a speech which could have come from any number of protest site campfires, Sarkozy called for a "revolution in our way of thinking, in our way of making decisions, a revolution in our way of life".

Will this put a stop to the industry's bleating about how Charles de Gaulle will overtake Heathrow if we don't expand it? Don't hold your breath...

Greenwashing the skies

We're slowly becoming more aware that the forecasted growth rates for aviation threaten all our efforts to stop climate change wiping us off the planet.

While the aviation industry has some insightful arguments in this debate - such as people generally liking flying and wanting to fly more - this "end of the world" effect is a bit of a problem for their marketing departments.

Blair spin doctor joins BAA

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Struggling BAA has hired Blair's former spin doctor Tom Kelly in an effort to halt an ever-growing tide of bad publicity. Kelly is notorious for slandering weapons expert David Kelly, who he called a "Walter Mitty" character just days after his suicide.

BAA is facing a difficult winter - with a Transport Select Committee inquiry into it's future, an assault by the Civil Aviation Authority on its landing fee charges and a Competition Commission investigation into its monopoly on airports in the South-East - and hopes the ex-Downing Street adviser's contacts will help them escape unscathed.

Good to see the revolving door just keeps on spinning...

Did T5 story tumble BAA and Ferrovial share price?

Following today's Times article about our efforts to help BAA find volunteers to test T5, the Spanish version of the Economist has reported a drop in share prices of Ferrovial (down 1.31%) and BAA (down 0.27%).

The two are almost certainly not linked, but it did make us chuckle...

Flying Matters in third-world farmers Terminal 5 package holiday puzzle

No one said Flying Matters were shrewd at public relations. Their last attempt at advertising consisted of a smear campaign on an Inuit leader - guilty only of caring that his people are suffering from our addiction to weekends in Spain.

But their latest garbled comment, in today's Times article, is a classic attempt to make aviation into the saviour of humanity:

"[Plane Stupid's] actions impact most on those they profess to be protecting: families who holiday once a year, ethnic minorities who rely on air transport to visit family, and farmers in the developing world reliant on UK consumers.”

Flybe's poisoned planes lead back to BAA

Not content with holding up passengers while they send their security off to hold fake demos in favour of Stansted expansion, BAA have got caught up in a poisoning scandal after cabin crew at Flybe collapsed mid-flight.

Pilots and cabin crew for budget airline Flybe are refusing to fly on BAe 146s following an incident in which crew had to be taken to hospital after inhaling engine fumes which leaked into the cabin.