Latest news with #domesticflights
Telegraph
5 days ago
- Politics
- Telegraph
Foreign Office staff take three domestic flights a day
Foreign Office staff took the equivalent of three domestic flights every day last year, amassing enough air miles to take 20 round trips to Australia. New figures obtained by The Telegraph show civil servants in David Lammy's department took more than 1,000 flights within the UK in 2024-25, despite a bid to shift towards more 'sustainable travel options'. The flights covered a distance of 708,551km, enough to fly to Sydney and back 20 times, and generated 114 tonnes of carbon. The revelations have prompted questions about Labour's green credentials after it emerged that Angela Rayner's department amassed enough international air miles last year to jet around the world 13 times. Climate commitments into question The number of domestic flights taken by the Foreign Office in the year to April 2025 came in at 1,027, down from 1,739 in 2023-24 and 2,112 in 2022-23. However, the distance covered was still more than the 514,785km that Ms Rayner's department racked up on international trips last year. The Green Party said the figures called the Government's climate commitments into question and urged Labour to ban all domestic flights for official trips that can be easily taken by train. 'Setting an example' Sian Berry, the Green MP for Brighton Pavilion, said: 'Government departments should be setting an example and using trains whenever possible for domestic travel. 'Taking three domestic flights every day flies in the face of climate science and government ministers' commitments to taking the climate crisis seriously. 'This Labour Government should ban domestic flights for official trips that can be done by train in just a few hours – this has already happened in France. 'They must also urgently implement a 'frequent flyer levy' to disincentivise those who take the vast majority of flights. This is what taking the climate crisis seriously looks like.' 'By default' The Telegraph obtained the number of domestic flights taken by the Foreign Office after the department published the distance travelled and carbon emissions produced in its annual report for 2024-25. It set out the department's commitment to 'reducing the number of UK domestic flights and increasing sustainable travel options as operations embed hybrid working practices'. 'Our duty travel policy requires all staff travelling within the UK and between England and Eurostar destinations to travel by train by default,' it said. 'This policy and increased use of technology to collaborate without the necessity for travel will help the FCDO reduce emissions.' The report confirmed that the Foreign Office has met Labour's target to reduce emissions from domestic flights by 30 per cent compared to 2017-18. Carbon produced However, the 114 tonnes of carbon produced in the year to April were still higher than the 92 tonnes emitted by Ms Rayner's Ministry of Housing. The flight records for the Deputy Prime Minister's department caused a stir when they were published earlier this week, revealing a huge rise in air miles compared to the previous year. In its annual report, the Ministry of Housing revealed that its staff took foreign flights totalling 514,785km in 2024-25, almost five times the 108,060km amassed in 2023-24. The department blamed the rise partly on an increase in 'significant international conferences' attended by staff at Homes England, the housing quango. It is unclear whether the 1,027 domestic flights taken by the Foreign Office last year accounted for separate plane trips or journeys by individuals who may have travelled on the same plane.
News24
21-07-2025
- Business
- News24
30% of FlySafair flights already cut; no further cancellations expected Tuesday
• For more financial news, go to the News24 Business front page. No-frills carrier FlySafair said it expects all scheduled flights to depart as planned from Tuesday after it trimmed its operations and cancelled 12% of Monday journeys in preparation for a pilots' strike. South Africa's largest airline and labour union Solidarity have subsequently agreed to start mediation talks on Wednesday. The company is not expecting any additional disruption to services after reducing the number of daily flights it operates by about 30% to ensure that it had sufficient pilots for each trip, said Kirby Gordon, the airline's chief marketing officer. FlySafair accounts for about 60% of domestic seat capacity in South Africa and carries an average of 30 000 passengers across 174 flights daily, so prolonged industrial actions could have significant implications for travellers and businesses. The airline employs around 310 pilots, of whom about 200 are represented by the union, Gordon said. 'Solidarity gave FlySafair notice of a one-day strike, but FlySafair hit back with a notice that it would lock out the pilots for seven days, which could last for another seven days,' the union said in a statement. 'This forced Solidarity to extend its strike notice to 14 days as well.' It separately said that the company was underestimating how disruptive the lockout will be for the company and its passengers. Solidarity spokesperson Helgard Cronje said that the airline's lockout of its pilots, as well as the strike, would remain in place even as talks at the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration got under way.
Arab News
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Iraq PM reopens Mosul airport years after Daesh devastation
MOSUL, Iraq: Iraqi Prime Minister Mohammed Shia Al-Sudani inaugurated Wednesday the city of Mosul's newly restored airport, years after it was destroyed in the battle to dislodge the Daesh group. Sudani's flight landed at the airport, which is expected to become fully operational for domestic and international flights in two months. 'The airport will serve as an additional link between Mosul and other Iraqi cities and regional destinations,' the media office of the PM said in a statement. In June 2014, the Daesh group seized Mosul, declaring its 'caliphate' from the city after capturing large swathes of Iraq and neighboring Syria. After years of fierce battles, Iraqi forces backed by a US-led international coalition dislodged the group from the city in July 2017, before declaring its defeat across the country at the end of that year. The airport, which was heavily damaged in the battle, has not been operational since the militants seized Mosul. In August 2022, then-prime minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi laid the foundation stone for the airport's reconstruction. Airport director Amar Al-Bayati told AFP that the 'airport is now ready for domestic and international flights,' but no date has been announced for their resumption. He added that the airport previously offered international flights, mostly to Turkiye and Jordan. The airport now includes a main terminal, a VIP lounge and an advanced radar surveillance system, Sudani's office said. It's expected to handle 630,000 passengers annually.
South China Morning Post
14-07-2025
- South China Morning Post
Aviation officials should balance safety efforts with passenger needs
Safety is paramount in air travel, so it is not surprising that airline passengers have tended to back recent crackdowns on in-flight use of power banks after some were linked to fires. Traveller support was understandably in short supply, however, after a ban was suddenly imposed on flights in China, causing chaos and confusion. The incident should serve as a reminder to aviation officials in the country and around the world that safety measures must be balanced with passenger needs. Many travellers were caught off guard by the strict emergency ban announced by the Civil Aviation Administration of China. It was announced two days before it was imposed on June 28. Notices at airports indicated the ban applied to all lithium-based power banks without China Compulsory Certification (3C), safety and quality standards first issued in August 2023 and made mandatory a year later. Certifications from other jurisdictions were not acceptable. The ban also covered items made by several portable battery manufacturers that have recalled devices because of safety risks. While international flights were reportedly not affected, domestic passengers said security staff were checking devices for 3C labels or for brands on a recall list. Several passengers complained on social media about power banks being taken away. Some posted photos of piles of banned devices discarded at checkpoints. There is understandable concern about power banks. Airlines have long prohibited them from checked baggage but allowed them in carry-on bags. Many carriers in the region prohibited their use during flights after a fire before take-off on a Hong Kong-bound Air Busan plane in January believed to have been caused by a power bank. Hong Kong banned their use on flights from April 7 after a power bank was suspected to have caused a fire on a flight to the city from Hangzhou. The nationwide crackdown could have been smoother with an earlier notice and a wider range of certifications. This approach could have avoided upsetting travellers, especially those from overseas, and prevented the accumulation of electronic waste which poses its own risks. Efforts to ensure safety are to be welcomed, but they will have more public support if balanced against passengers' needs.
CTV News
07-07-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Airlines add routes to Atlantic Canada as U.S. travel demand drops
Maria Sarrouh reports on how airlines like WestJet, Porter, and Air Canada are seeing fewer U.S. flights and growing demand for domestic routes, especially to destinations like P.E.I.
