United Airlines in April petitioned the U.S. Department of Transportation to delay the launch of an approved U.S.-China route by one year, from June 30, 2008, to June 30, 2009. DOT in September 2007 awarded authority to only one carrier to launch U.S.-China service this year
(BTNonline, Oct. 8, 2007), following hard-fought attempts by many domestic airlines to gain the slot. United in its DOT filing in April said high fuel costs and reduced demand forecasts for its proposed San Francisco-Guangzhou route prompted it to seek an extension. United said when it applied for the route, fuel cost $63 per barrel, but since has surged beyond $100 per barrel, which would make annual fuel costs for the route exceed $70 million. United also said it reduced demand forecasts for travel between San Francisco and Guangzhou, "principally due to the subprime crisis in the U.S. and its impact on the domestic economy."
Europe Approves Inflight Cell Phone UseThe European Commission in April said it would allow passengers to use cell phones on airplanes, though it's not likely the United States will adopt a similar policy anytime soon. The European Commission said it first plans to "harmonize the technical and licensing requirements for the use of mobile phones onboard aircraft," allowing passengers to link "to an onboard cellular network connected to the ground via satellite" to ensure mobile calls do not interfere with flight operations. Several carriers, including Air France, already have plans in motion to enable inflight mobile phone calls. The Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Aviation Administration already ban cell phone use in U.S. airspace, but several members of the House Transportation Committee in April proposed the Hang Up Act to "ensure that voice communication does not happen on U.S. flights." The legislation would prohibit voice communications but still allow carriers to adopt silent connectivity offerings, including Internet, e-mail and text messages. One of the bill's sponsors, Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), said, "The public doesn't want to be subjected to people talking on their cell phones on an already overpacked airplane. However, with Internet access just around the corner on U.S. flights, it won't be long before the ban on inflight voice communications is lifted."
BA Works To Complete Heathrow Terminal 5 MoveFollowing the botched opening of a new terminal that caused hundreds of service disruptions at Heathrow Airport, British Airways said it would postpone from April to June its move of the rest of its long-haul operations to the terminal because it needs "more time to iron out remaining problems, including the baggage system and its operation, to give us confidence that customer service in Terminal 5 can be maintained at a high level when the terminal is handling larger numbers of customers." BA at press time said it still was determining a specific date for the completion of June's move.