The Week In Travel

The US Department of Transportation this week announced that there was a 35% spike in air-travel complaints in June. The number was 270% higher than the same month in 2019 despite there being only 86% of the flights. US Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has said that airlines are mostly responsible for the disruption seen across much of the summer, while airlines themselves have often pointed to inadequate air traffic control staffing and severe weather.

China and the US have become embroiled in a tit-for-tat flight cancellation stand-off, which has led to the arbitrary cancellation of 26 flights from the US to China. As reported in Asian Aviation, the US government has taken issue with China’s policy of punitive cancellation for airlines which carry passengers who subsequently test positive for Covid-19 – a policy which the US says breaks the terms of the US-China Air Transport Agreement.

Over in Germany, the national flag carrier, Lufthansa, suffered a setback to operations this week as pilots unanimously participated in strike action. The Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) union ordered the action for Friday after discussions over pay on Wednesday proved fruitless, causing the cancellation of 800 flights and affecting 130,000 travellers. The union seeks a 5.5% pay-rise for pilots, as well as guarantees of rises to match inflation. Changi Airport Group this week confirmed that it will re-open its Terminal 4 to passengers on 13th September, signalling a milestone in the recovery of travel in the Asia Pacific region. The terminal will create capacity for an extra 16 million passengers per year at the Singapore airport. In UK news, London Stansted Airport has secured planning permission from the government to build a solar power facility on site. As reported in Airport Technology, the solar farm will be constructed on land located next to the airport and will have the capacity to produce 14.3 MW of energy. The power produced will be used to meet the airport’s increasing energy demands, while also helping it on its goal to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2038.

And finally, the largest cruise ship ever constructed is set to be sold for scraps, after failing to attract a buyer. The Global Dream II, which has so far cost an estimated £1.2 billion to build, was near completion when the shipbuilding company creating it filed for bankruptcy. The vessel would have been able to carry 9,000 passengers, and possessed 20 decks.