Latest news with #GeoffreyThomas
ABC News
26-05-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Queensland government backs LNP donor's court fight for tourism venture
The Queensland government is backing an LNP donor's appeal against a council decision to reject his luxury tourism development. In January, the Sunshine Coast Council knocked back Geoffrey Thomas's controversial plan to build 38 new short-stay units at an award-winning wedding venue in Maleny. Council officers recommended rejecting the development because it would block hinterland views, require major earthworks, and did not fit with the rural area. The proposed buildings were within allowable height limits, but the site was not a sewered area, so toilet wastewater would have to be stored then pumped out for disposal. In a tight debate, councillors voted 6-5 against the proposal. Those voting against it warned of setting a precedent that could allow similar developments in rural areas. Mr Thomas is a prominent Queensland businessman and former government trade advisor. He has been a long-term LNP supporter and donated $56,000 to the party in 2020. He appealed the rejection in March, with a hearing to take place in the Planning and Environment Court. The government has since applied to join the proceedings on tourism grounds. It means the Queensland government will join Mr Thomas in his court fight against the council. Tourism Minister Andrew Powell, who is also a local MP, said he had supported the luxury project since he was first briefed on it two years ago. "I'm acutely aware of the need to grow eco-tourism offerings and we desperately need more accommodation on the Sunshine Coast," Mr Powell said. "I'm always happy advocate on behalf of locals, especially with developments that could increase jobs and visitors to Glass House." Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie denied he had used his powers as planning minister to overrule the council's decision. "We've simply applied to be a party to the proceedings so we can represent the state interest," he said on Monday. "It's important that we do support projects across the state — ecotourism particularly. "We have not overridden any council process. "The planning department is simply applying … to be a part in the proceedings so the state interests are better served." Earlier this year, Mr Bleijie used his powers to revoke approval for two affordable housing developments in the region, while a third is under review. Sunshine Coast Mayor Rosanna Natoli said she respected the court process and "it would be inappropriate to comment further". Opposition Leader Steven Miles said the government's decision to appeal against the council's decision was inconsistent with its decision to cite community sentiment in cancelling a large wind farm.
CNN
21-03-2025
- CNN
Global travel disruption after Heathrow Airport shuts down over power outage caused by fire
London's Heathrow Airport announced a complete shutdown all day Friday due to a 'significant power outage' due to a large fire nearby, causing massive disruption to one of the world's busiest travel hubs as flights were forced to turn back midair or divert to other locations. 'Due to a fire at an electrical substation supplying the airport, Heathrow is experiencing a significant power outage,' Heathrow Airport said in a statement on X. 'To maintain the safety of our passengers and colleagues, Heathrow will be closed until 23h59 on 21 March.' 'We expect significant disruption over the coming days and passengers should not travel to the airport under any circumstances until the airport reopens,' the airport said in a statement to CNN, adding that they 'do not have clarity on when power may be reliable restored.' A transformer at an electrical substation in Hayes, a London suburb located just a few miles from the airport, caught fire Thursday night, according to the London Fire Brigade. The cause is not yet known, and firefighters were still working to extinguish the blaze as of early Friday morning. The brigade said it evacuated 150 people from the area. More than 16,000 homes lost power, according to utility supplier Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks — with Britain's National Grid 'working at speed' to restore power. Videos shared on social media showed huge flames and smoke rising into the air early Friday. 'As we head into the morning, disruption is expected to increase, and we urge people to avoid the area wherever possible,' Assistant Commissioner Pat Goulbourne said in the fire brigade's statement. In its statement to CNN, the airport said: 'We know this will be disappointing for passengers and we want to reassure that we are working as hard as possible to resolve the situation.' Heathrow Airport appeared largely dark amid the power outage, according to videos shared on social media. The shutdown could affect tens of thousands of travelers. Heathrow was the world's fourth-busiest airport in 2023, according to the most recent data, with a record-breaking 83.9 million passengers passing through last year. Spread across four terminals and located 14 miles west of central London, it usually runs at 99% capacity, with every major airline passing through, meaning it's always very busy. 'Heathrow handles about a quarter of a million passengers a day. It does that with about 1,300 flights a day,' aviation analyst Geoffrey Thomas told CNN on Friday. 'We've got literally hundreds of flights coming in from the United States, from Southeast Asia, the Middle East.' Airline analytics firm Cirium estimated that 'upwards of 145,000' passengers could be impacted. Dual US-Norwegian citizen Kim Mikkel Skibrek had already been flying for three hours from Minneapolis to London when crew announced they had to turn back due to the fire. 'Everything is fine. People were frustrated with the flight returning after over three hours but now it seems everyone is calmer,' Skibrek told CNN. He was traveling home to Oslo to be with his father battling cancer, and said he will have to get another flight as soon as possible. On the same flight, Abby Hertz and her family were traveling to London for the wedding of her husband's best friend. The couple had postponed the wedding once due to Covid and were finally getting married now that their son was in remission from leukemia, Hertz said — but it's not clear if they'll be able to make the wedding now. Meanwhile at New York's JFK Airport, passenger Christine said her British Airways flight had been ready to depart when the pilot announced they'd been asked to hold for a while. Half an hour later, passengers were told Heathrow was closed and that another flight which had already taxied to the runway had turned back — leaving them stuck on the tarmac. 'The mood is fairly relaxed on the plane, surprisingly. They've just come around to feed us,' said Christine, who declined to give her last name. But, she said, with a wedding in the UK to attend Saturday, 'I really hope we're not stuck until then!' According to flight tracking website FlightRadar24, more than 1,350 flights going in or out of Heathrow on Friday will be affected. It also said 120 flights were in the air when the announcement came. They had to be diverted to other airports or turned back to their original location. Thomas added that while shorter domestic flights might be able to turn back, that's not an option for long-haul international flights. There are several other airports near London, including Gatwick Airport and Stansted Airport, but those are likely 'at capacity,' meaning diverted flights have to go further to find an alternative place to land — like in Glasgow or Edinburgh, he said. And that could pose another problem. Those other airports, some of them smaller and lower-cost than Heathrow, aren't equipped to handle the sheer number of diverted passengers coming their way, he said. As authorities race to contain the fire and navigate the fallout, they'll also face tough questions, Thomas said, including why such a crucial travel and economic hub wasn't able to tap into a backup power source. This is a developing story and will be updated. — CNN's Martin Goillandeau and Juliana Liu contributed to this report. Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated the number of terminals at Heathrow Airport.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Yahoo
Global travel disruption after Heathrow Airport shuts down over power outage caused by fire
London's Heathrow Airport announced a complete shutdown all day Friday due to a 'significant power outage' due to a large fire nearby, causing massive disruption to one of the world's busiest travel hubs as flights were forced to turn back midair or divert to other locations. 'Due to a fire at an electrical substation supplying the airport, Heathrow is experiencing a significant power outage,' Heathrow Airport said in a statement on X. 'To maintain the safety of our passengers and colleagues, Heathrow will be closed until 23h59 on 21 March.' 'We expect significant disruption over the coming days and passengers should not travel to the airport under any circumstances until the airport reopens,' the airport said in a statement to CNN, adding that they 'do not have clarity on when power may be reliable restored.' A transformer at an electrical substation in Hayes, a London suburb located just a few miles from the airport, caught fire Thursday night, according to the London Fire Brigade. The cause is not yet known, and firefighters were still working to extinguish the blaze as of early Friday morning. The brigade said it evacuated 150 people from the area. More than 16,000 homes lost power, according to utility supplier Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks — with Britain's National Grid 'working at speed' to restore power. Videos shared on social media showed huge flames and smoke rising into the air early Friday. 'As we head into the morning, disruption is expected to increase, and we urge people to avoid the area wherever possible,' Assistant Commissioner Pat Goulbourne said in the fire brigade's statement. In its statement to CNN, the airport said: 'We know this will be disappointing for passengers and we want to reassure that we are working as hard as possible to resolve the situation.' Heathrow Airport appeared largely dark amid the power outage, according to videos shared on social media. The shutdown could affect tens of thousands of travelers. Heathrow was the world's fourth-busiest airport in 2023, according to the most recent data, with a record-breaking 83.9 million passengers passing through last year. Spread across five terminals and located 14 miles west of central London, it usually runs at 99% capacity, with every major airline passing through, meaning it's always very busy. 'Heathrow handles about a quarter of a million passengers a day. It does that with about 1,300 flights a day,' aviation analyst Geoffrey Thomas told CNN on Friday. 'We've got literally hundreds of flights coming in from the United States, from Southeast Asia, the Middle East.' Airline analytics firm Cirium estimated that 'upwards of 145,000' passengers could be impacted. Dual US-Norwegian citizen Kim Mikkel Skibrek had already been flying for three hours from Minneapolis to London when crew announced they had to turn back due to the fire. 'Everything is fine. People were frustrated with the flight returning after over three hours but now it seems everyone is calmer,' Skibrek told CNN. He was traveling home to Oslo to be with his father battling cancer, and said he will have to get another flight as soon as possible. On the same flight, Abby Hertz and her family were traveling to London for the wedding of her husband's best friend. The couple had postponed the wedding once due to Covid and were finally getting married now that their son was in remission from leukemia, Hertz said — but it's not clear if they'll be able to make the wedding now. Meanwhile at New York's JFK Airport, passenger Christine said her British Airways flight had been ready to depart when the pilot announced they'd been asked to hold for a while. Half an hour later, passengers were told Heathrow was closed and that another flight which had already taxied to the runway had turned back — leaving them stuck on the tarmac. 'The mood is fairly relaxed on the plane, surprisingly. They've just come around to feed us,' said Christine, who declined to give her last name. But, she said, with a wedding in the UK to attend Saturday, 'I really hope we're not stuck until then!' According to flight tracking website FlightRadar24, more than 1,350 flights going in or out of Heathrow on Friday will be affected. It also said 120 flights were in the air when the announcement came. They had to be diverted to other airports or turned back to their original location. Thomas added that while shorter domestic flights might be able to turn back, that's not an option for long-haul international flights. There are several other airports near London, including Gatwick Airport and Stansted Airport, but those are likely 'at capacity,' meaning diverted flights have to go further to find an alternative place to land — like in Glasgow or Edinburgh, he said. And that could pose another problem. Those other airports, some of them smaller and lower-cost than Heathrow, aren't equipped to handle the sheer number of diverted passengers coming their way, he said. As authorities race to contain the fire and navigate the fallout, they'll also face tough questions, Thomas said, including why such a crucial travel and economic hub wasn't able to tap into a backup power source. This is a developing story and will be updated. CNN's Martin Goillandeau and Juliana Liu contributed to this report.
CNN
21-03-2025
- CNN
Global travel disrupted after Heathrow Airport shuts down over power outage caused by fire
London's Heathrow Airport announced a complete shutdown all day Friday due to a 'significant power outage' due to a large fire nearby, causing massive disruption to one of the world's busiest travel hubs as flights were forced to turn back midair or divert to other locations. 'Due to a fire at an electrical substation supplying the airport, Heathrow is experiencing a significant power outage,' Heathrow Airport said in a statement on X. 'To maintain the safety of our passengers and colleagues, Heathrow will be closed until 23h59 on 21 March.' 'We expect significant disruption over the coming days and passengers should not travel to the airport under any circumstances until the airport reopens,' the airport said in a statement to CNN, adding that they 'do not have clarity on when power may be reliable restored.' A transformer at an electrical substation in Hayes, a London suburb located just a few miles from the airport, caught fire Thursday night, according to the London Fire Brigade. The cause is not yet known, and firefighters were still working to extinguish the blaze as of early Friday morning. The brigade said it evacuated 150 people from the area. More than 16,000 homes lost power, according to utility supplier Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks Videos shared on social media showed huge flames and smoke rising into the air early Friday. 'As we head into the morning, disruption is expected to increase, and we urge people to avoid the area wherever possible,' Assistant Commissioner Pat Goulbourne said in the fire brigade's statement. In its statement to CNN, the airport said: 'We know this will be disappointing for passengers and we want to reassure that we are working as hard as possible to resolve the situation.' Heathrow Airport appeared largely dark amid the power outage, according to videos shared on social media. The shutdown could affect tens of thousands of travelers. Heathrow was the world's fourth-busiest airport in 2023, according to the most recent data, with a record-breaking 83.9 million passengers passing through last year. Spread across five terminals and located 14 miles west of central London, it usually runs at 99% capacity, with every major airline passing through, meaning it's always very busy. 'Heathrow handles about a quarter of a million passengers a day. It does that with about 1,300 flights a day,' aviation analyst Geoffrey Thomas told CNN on Friday. 'We've got literally hundreds of flights coming in from the United States, from Southeast Asia, the Middle East.' Airline analytics firm Cirium estimated that 'upwards of 145,000' passengers could be impacted. Dual US-Norwegian citizen Kim Mikkel Skibrek had already been flying for three hours from Minneapolis to London when crew announced they had to turn back due to the fire. 'Everything is fine. People were frustrated with the flight returning after over three hours but now it seems everyone is calmer,' Skibrek told CNN. He was traveling home to Oslo to be with his father battling cancer, and said he will have to get another flight as soon as possible. On the same flight, Abby Hertz and her family were traveling to London for the wedding of her husband's best friend. The couple had postponed the wedding once due to Covid and were finally getting married now that their son was in remission from leukemia, Hertz said — but it's not clear if they'll be able to make the wedding now. Meanwhile at New York's JFK Airport, passenger Christine said her British Airways flight had been ready to depart when the pilot announced they'd been asked to hold for a while. Half an hour later, passengers were told Heathrow was closed and that another flight which had already taxied to the runway had turned back — leaving them stuck on the tarmac. 'The mood is fairly relaxed on the plane, surprisingly. They've just come around to feed us,' said Christine, who declined to give her last name. But, she said, with a wedding in the UK to attend Saturday, 'I really hope we're not stuck until then!' According to flight tracking website FlightRadar24, more than 1,350 flights going in or out of Heathrow on Friday will be affected. It also said 120 flights were in the air when the announcement came. They had to be diverted to other airports or turned back to their original location. Thomas added that while shorter domestic flights might be able to turn back, that's not an option for long-haul international flights. There are several other airports near London, including Gatwick Airport and Stansted Airport, but those are likely 'at capacity,' meaning diverted flights have to go further to find an alternative place to land — like in Glasgow or Edinburgh, he said. And that could pose another problem. Those other airports, some of them smaller and lower-cost than Heathrow, aren't equipped to handle the sheer number of diverted passengers coming their way, he said. As authorities race to contain the fire and navigate the fallout, they'll also face tough questions, Thomas said, including why such a crucial travel and economic hub wasn't able to tap into a backup power source. This is a developing story and will be updated. CNN's Martin Goillandeau and Juliana Liu contributed to this report.
Yahoo
14-03-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Photos from the American Airlines fire show passengers made a huge mistake
An American Airlines jet caught fire in Denver, and people evacuated with their carry-ons. Passengers ignoring safety rules by taking bags can slow evacuations and risk lives. People on a Russian plane in 2019 died because some survivors didn't abandon their carry-ons. Photos of a burning American Airlines jet on Thursday show dozens of evacuating passengers standing on the wing with their bags in tow — breaking one of the most important safety rules. Flight attendants explain during pre-flight briefings that carry-ons must be left behind during emergencies to ensure a quick evacuation and increase survivability. Federal regulations require airline cabin crew to be able to deplane everyone within 90 seconds, under the assumption everyone follows crew instructions. Aviation expert Geoffrey Thomas previously told Business Insider that bag-related bottlenecks could slow the evacuation and waste vital time. "You've got to get all the passengers out in 90 seconds," he said. "Now, we're seeing evacuations taking six and seven minutes because passengers insist on taking their bags." Thursday's incident occurred after the crew reported "engine vibrations" en route from Colorado Springs to Dallas/Fort Worth and diverted to Denver. The engine caught fire after landing, prompting the evacuation. 12 people of the 172 on board were transported to the hospital with minor injuries, Denver International Airport said on X. A slowed aircraft evacuation could lead to more injuries or even fatalities, and there's a precedent for this life-or-death concern. In 2019, a Russian airliner crash-landed and caught fire in Moscow, killing 41 of the 78 passengers and crew. Many of the survivors were seen fleeing the plane with their carry-ons, which aviation experts say likely stalled the evacuation and led to a higher death toll. The opposite happened in January 2024, when a Japan Airlines jetliner collided with a smaller plane on the Tokyo runway. All 379 people on that aircraft — which was carrying five times the number of people as the Russian plane — survived. Aviation experts say part of the reason was because passengers abandoned their bags. The Delta Air Lines crash-landing in Toronto in February also saw some passengers evacuating with carry-ons and flight attendants telling them to leave their stuff behind. A week later, another Delta plane filled with smoke. Again, evacuated passengers were seen with their bags. Everyone lived in both cases. Still, history shows not everyone is as lucky. Air travel remains relatively very safe, and fatal crashes are still extremely rare, despite the uptick in crashes and near-misses in recent months. When incidents do happen, and a speedy evacuation is necessary, it's imperative you listen to the flight attendants and leave your personal items behind. Stuff can be replaced — lives can't. Read the original article on Business Insider
