The Week In Travel

Gulfstream Aerospace has achieved a historic milestone this week, operating the first transatlantic flight solely using 100% SAF. The G600 aircraft journeyed from Georgia, USA, to the UK’s Farnborough Airport in just under seven hours and marked a significant achievement for the low-emission fuel, which has been highlighted as a key part of the industry’s net zero ambitions.

In other sustainability news, the CountEmissionsEU (CEE) initiative, aiming to standardise transport emissions reporting, is likely to face delays until after the European Parliament elections in June 2024, according to the Global Business Travel Association. The European Commission’s final CEE proposal, presented in July, needs approval from both the European Parliament and the Council of the EU, but complexities within the parliament’s transport committee may prolong the process, raising concerns about potential adoption challenges.

In China, Hainan Airlines is set to nearly double capacity on its Manchester to Beijing route, transitioning from a four-times-weekly to a daily service from June to September 2024. Manchester, the first UK hub outside London with a direct Beijing connection since 2016, is aiming to strengthen regional ties to China, facilitated by Hainan’s partnership with Loganair.

Over in the US, United Airlines and Houston Airport System (HAS) are jointly investing over $2.5 billion in the Terminal B Transformation Program at George Bush Intercontinental Airport. The project includes constructing 40 gates, with HAS contributing $624 million for enabling projects. United’s expansion aims to solidify its position as Houston’s primary carrier, serving over 400 daily flights.

And finally, a 77-year-old woman flying from Christchurch, New Zealand to Brisbane, Australia was shocked by a $3,300 charge for a sandwich. This was not a case of extortionate pricing however and was rather due to the fact that the sandwich had been purchased before flying and not declared when the woman entered Australia. She claims she had planned to eat it during her flight, but fell asleep instead. ‘You snooze, you lose’ indeed.