The Japanese carrier All Nippon Airways has unveiled another questionable toilet etiquette policy following the announcement of new, female-only lavatories to be installed on its jet planes. Only recently, the same airline raised eyebrows in the travel industry by instructing its boarding passengers to visit the bathroom before stepping onto the plane – theoretically as a water and environment saving measure.
The women-only lavatory will be introduced by ANA next month on all international flights. The reason, claims the airline, is that women air passengers have said that a separate toilet was the thing they wished for the most on long [...]

The Australian travel industry is bearing the emotional scars of the recession in addition to the material damage as authorities have disclosed an alarming rise in disruptive behaviour and air rage, leaving airlines concerned at the level of baggage left over from the economic crisis.
The increase of low-cost or budget carrier market share is thought by many to be the primary reason behind the massive 65 percent rise in reported cases in the Australian skies last year. Government statistics reveal that in 2007 there were 64 disruptive incidents, a figure which quadrupled in 2008 to 279. In 2009 there were [...]

Simon Crean, the Australian Minister for Trade, has spoken out against the latest British tax hike on air travel, claiming that the new measures discriminate against those travellers bound for down under.
Since November last year the UK government has implemented air passenger duty increases under the guise of protecting the environment from harmful emissions which they claim can be off-set by price hikes by way of compensation. The tax changes are based solely on travelling distance meaning that tickets for distant destinations are subject to significantly higher levies than short haul travel. What this ultimately has meant is that Australian-bound [...]

The attempted bid by Nigerian student Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab to blow up a Northwest Airlines jet on descent into Detroit will have widespread ramifications for all travellers this New Year’s Eve and possibly beyond.
Airline passengers around the world are facing up to a new range of security checks at airports the likes of which have not been seen since the immediate aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Abdulmutallab’s failed attempt to down the US bound flight from Amsterdam has seen global leaders call for increased knowledge sharing and global travellers set for massive delays. Cancellations and missed connections are also [...]

According to leading plane manufacturer Boeing the forecast for the next 20 years will see a huge demand from Southeast Asia and the Pacific for new airlines at an estimated cost of US $330 billion.
Boeing’s market data analysis and forecasting was issued this week by Marketing Vice President Randy Tinseth with the focus being squarely on the emerging Southeast Asian commercial market. The group has said that by the year 2028 they will need to supply some 29,000 new aircraft at a total value of over US $3 trillion.
Tinseth said that almost one-third of the group’s 20-year forecast had already [...]

The move by Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) to purchase Gatwick Airport has been met with mixed response but the group has promised to make extensive improvements.
Already the owners of London City Airport, GIP has promised passengers and improved airport experience after announcing their purchase for £1.51 billion of the world’s busiest single runway airport.
According to GIP they will modernise and upgrade the airport and hope to transform the airport experience for leisure and business travellers alike. The group has pointed to their success in operating London City airport as an indicator of their commitment and has claimed that they will [...]

In the midst of many of the world’s top airlines struggling to survive, Ethiopian Airlines has announced record profits last year. Their profit more than doubled from the year before to $118.6 million. The profits are accredited to cost cuts and a new aggressive marketing campaign.
The African carrier saw rises across the board, from passengers numbers to revenue per passenger to cargo. Cargo revenue went up almost 40 per cent from the year before.
“Our profits increased due to an aggressive marketing campaign and a major cost-cutting effort,” a spokeswoman for the airline said. “We introduced seven new routes which also [...]

Brazilian singer, Dudu Nobre is suing American Airlines along with his wife and producer. They are seeking $4 million over an incident that they claim took place between them and flight attendant’s on American Airlines flight.
Dudu and his wife are claiming that flight attendants were verbally assaulting him and his wife with racial slurs. At some point in the incident, it is claimed that the singer’s producer was stabbed with a sharp pen.
Dudu Nobre, who is black, says that an American Airlines flight attendant called him a “monkey” in portugese, then went on to make monkey like noises at him. [...]

American Airlines has begun going through an exhaustive process of checking the entire hull of their Boeing 737’s for scratches. They have already reported that they did discover a few small scratches that could have some small potential for being dangerous. The scratches have been repaired. They were most likely caused by a bolt on a jet bridge, but there are also other possibilities.
A spokesman for American Airlines said “We should probably be done inspecting the airplanes in the next couple of days,” The massive airline has about 80 Boeing 737’s and proper, thorough inspections do take time. Tim Wagner [...]

Things have gotten so desperate in India’s Air industry that a strike had been called for August 18. On this day private airlines like Jet Airways, Kingfisher and Spicejet would opt not to fly in a move to draw attention to the plight of India’s Airlines. The strike has been tentatively called off after an invitation by the government for talks.
Private carriers are demanding an easing of hefty taxes an airport charges at India’s airports. It is not considered likely that the government will give much ground on this issue, but they may be able to find some to appease [...]