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A total of 22 airports across the UK, including Heathrow, Glasgow and Manchester, will lift hand baggage restrictions on Monday.

However, a ban on the carrying of any liquids, creams or gels of more than 100g in hand or cabin baggage remains in place.

Passengers were told that they could only take one item of luggage with them on flights after increased security measures were introduced over a plot to bomb planes in the summer of 2006.

The Department for Transport (DFT) has said it believes that 22 airports were able to meet new increased security guidelines and are permitted to lift the restrictions. But the rule will still be in force at the north terminal at Gatwick airport as engineering works have resulted in delays in the introduction of new measures.

source: inthenews.co.uk

Business class only airline Silverjet saw passenger numbers rise 12pc in December as it benefited from the collapse of rival Maxjet.

In its monthly trading update, Silverjet said it had picked up 800 bookings from passengers with tickets on Maxjet services since the company filed for bankruptcy at the end of last year.

Chief executive Laurence Hunt said: “‘We have booked 800 seats from Maxjet in the past two weeks. Before Maxjet ceased to operate, our average yield was more than 50pc higher than Maxjet’s and revenue per aircraft was two and a half times higher than Maxjet’s in our first half year of operation.'”

source: Telegraph.co.uk

The airline industry’s on-time performance through the first 11 months of this year was the second worst on record, but delays in November fell compared with a year ago and from the previous month.

The nation’s 20 largest carriers reported an on-time arrival rate of 80% in November, up from 76.5% in the same month a year ago and from 78.2% in October, the Bureau of Transportation Statistics said Thursday.

In November, 37.8% of late flights were delayed by weather, down from 40.7% in the same month last year and from 39.8% in October.

Despite the improved results in November, the first 11 months of the year left plenty of room for improvement with 24% of flights arriving late and another 2% were canceled. The industry’s on-time performance of just over 74% so far this year was the second worst since comparable data began being collected in 1995, trailing only the 73.5% arrival rate in 2000.

UAL Corp.’s United Airlines was the least punctual of the pack, with about 24% of its flights delayed by at least 15 minutes in November.

source: USA Today

Last year was 1 of the safest in aviation history. That’s according to an independent watchdog group that recorded the lowest number of crashes in 44 years.

The Aircraft Crashes Record Office in Geneva says there were 965 deaths in air crashes in 2007, a drop of 25% from the previous year. The office tracks all aviation accidents in which planes capable of carrying at least six passengers in addition to the crew are damaged beyond repair.

The worst single accident was in Brazil. Almost 200 people died when a jetliner slammed into a building in Sao Paulo.

source: WhoTV

New York State’s “‘Airline Passenger Bill of Rights'” took effect on Tuesday, mandating airlines to provide water, snacks, fresh air and working restrooms for departing passengers delayed on planes at New York airports for more than three hours.

Airlines found to have broken the “‘Consumer Bill of Rights'” for airline passengers would face penalties of up to 1,000 U.S. dollars per passenger.

New York is the first state in the United States to adopt such a measure, which was created after delays at John F. Kennedy International Airport last February left passengers stranded on planes for more than 10 hours.

source: xinhuanet.com

Sir Richard Branson has angered Virgin Atlantic staff who are threatening to strike by telling them they should “‘consider working elsewhere’”.

The entrepreneur, estimated to be worth £3.1 billion, told 4,800 cabin crew in a letter that he would not meet their pay demands. He said: “‘For some of you, more pay than Virgin Atlantic can afford may be critical to your life-style and if that is the case you should consider working elsewhere.’”

Union members have voted to stage 48-hour strikes on January 9-10 and January 16-17.

Sir Richard said he had drawn a line in the sand in the dispute with staff belonging to the Unite union, which is embroiled in separate negotiations with BAA, the airports operator.

source: Times OnLine

Routes operated by GB Airways for summer 2008 have become available to book online at easyJet’s website.

A total of 32 routes include Sharm El Sheikh, the Canary Islands, Corfu, the Greek Islands and Turkey.

The move follows British Airways terminating the sale of GB Airways flights from March 30 onwards after easyJet acquired the BA franchise partner last October.

source: Travelmole

Maxjet, a two-year-old company that touted itself as the first low-fare business class airline, has declared bankruptcy due to rising fuel costs, its president said.

The US company said it had made a deal with competitor Eos Airlines “for seats on Eos’ scheduled all-Premium service to accommodate passengers awaiting a return flight between New York and London.”

It also vowed to provide hotel accommodations for affected travelers in London, New York, Las Vegas and Los Angeles through early January 2008.

source: AFP

European Union (EU) countries have agreed to introduce pollution limits for airlines as part of efforts to tackle climate change.

The measure is due to come into effect in 2012, and will apply to all flights between EU countries, as well as in and out of the EU.

source: ABC News

Premier domestic airline Kingfisher and low-cost carrier Air Deccan will merge soon and operate as a single entity from April 1, 2008.

At a joint press conference later, Gopinath and Mallya told reporters the merger would be based on the recommendations of Accenture, the global consulting firm, which was commissioned to prepare a comprehensive report on the pros and cons of such an exercise.

source: andhracafe.com