German airline Lufthansa will cut 3,500 ‘administrative posts’ worldwide over the next few years, as it aims to save €1.5 billion and improve profitability.

The company said it would achieve the office workforce reduction "in the coming years". This would be achieved by “combining redundant functions” and dropping "activities that do not create added value for our customers". Some functions could be outsourced, it added, but there have not yet been details on exactly which airline roles or airport jobs will be hit hardest.

The announcement comes as Europe’s second-biggest airline reported a first-quarter loss of €397 million. Last year’s loss was €169 million.

First-quarter sales did reach €6.6 billion - 5.5 % higher when compared year-on-year. But this could not offset the soaring price of jet fuel, said Lufthansa.

Lufthansa has outlined its strategy to deliver massive cost savings by the end of 2014. This will be achieved by shedding the 3,500 administrative posts, as well as using global purchasing to save €200 million, and pursuing traffic optimization which aims to cut costs by €10 million.

Lufthansa’s chief executive officer Christoph Franz said in an announcement that higher taxes, fees and charges had put a massive strain on the first quarter’s financial performance. These included an air traffic tax imposed in Germany and Austria, and the additional costs of carbon emissions trading in Germany.

Franz said the savings programme “is our own response to these additional burdens. It will safeguard Lufthansa’s position”.

The company’s Swiss and Austrian Airlines units had losses of €6 million and €67 million respectively in the quarter. Meanwhile the cargo unit generated €19 million and Lufthansa Technik €62 million.

Last month, Lufthansa completed the sale of loss-making UK airline BMI to International Airlines Group, which owns British Airways and Iberia.

Picture: Lufthansa AG

The much-anticipated New Doha International Airport (NDIA) is expected to officially open this December. The news was announced by Qatar Airways CEO Akbar Al Baker during the Arabian Travel Market exhibition in Dubai, UAE, this week. Job opportunities at the state of the art new airport will include airport facilities management, aviation engineering and electrical roles, operational technicians and airline customer service agents.

The new airport, which is now estimated to be costing $15.5 billion, is being constructed 4 km from the existing airport, on a 5,400-acre site. It will replace Doha International Airport as Qatar’s only international airport. Due to the fast expansion of flights from Doha by Qatar Airways there is a great demand for more space.

The new airport will allow superior facilities to accommodate growing passenger numbers travelling to and from Doha. Facilities include a large and luxurious retail offering, restaurants, a mosque and expansive car parking areas.

While the existing Doha International airport handles 4.2 million passengers per year, the high-spec new airport will be able to handle 12.5 million a year after the first phase of construction. After phase one is opened, passenger capacity at the airport will be 24 million people a year.

NDIA will become the new home for Qatar Airways and the location is expected to become a vital gateway to this region.

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In an industry first, US airline Delta is acquiring an oil refinery from ConcocoPhillips. The strategy could lead to long-term fuel savings Delta has said. The airline is reportedly paying $180 million for the oli refinery but could see a return on investment within a year, thanks to the massive saving on fuel costs the deal is hoped to deliver.

The airline expects the move to save it $300 million a year in fuel costs, which hit almost $12 billion in 2011. Production at the refinery along with other agreements to exchange refined products for jet fuel would provide 80% of Delta’s fuel needs for flights in the United States.

The Trainer refinery south of Philidelphia will serve Delta’s hubs at New York’s John F Kennedy and LaGuardia airports, says Reuters.

While Delta will remain hostage to fluctuating crude oil costs, the facility should enable it to save on the cost of refining a barrel of jet fuel, which has been rising in the wake of US refinery shutdowns, said Delta Chief Executive Richard Anderson.

Fuel accounts for roughly a third of an airline's overall costs. Aviation analysts agree that the deal to buy the oil refinery could prevent Delta having to pay even higher prices for imported jet fuel.

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Lengthy queues at UK airports will be cut by 'flying squads' of border staff, the immigration minister Damian Green has announced.

The new measures have been taken following delays at Heathrow Airport in recent weeks, It was reported that non-EU nationals were waiting up to 90 minutes at Heathrow's Terminal 5 on Friday night.

While the government has been quick to blame the weather, saying severe conditions had held up flights and caused the queues, customers and airport staff are saying that cuts to jobs in the UK Border Agency could be causing the problems. Other factors include rising passenger numbers, and Home Secretary Theresa May's scrapping of the selective ‘risk-based’ approach to checking passports. Another factor could be teething problems with new technology, including iris fast track and e-gates.

A BAA spokesperson said today: "Immigration is a matter for the Home Office. Immigration waiting times during peak periods at Heathrow recently have been unacceptable and we have called on the Home Office to address the problem as a matter of urgency. There isn’t a trade-off between strong border security and a good passenger experience – the Home Office should be delivering both."

The flying squads will ensure all immigration desks are properly staff during the summer rush at airports, Damian Green told MPS in an emergency Commons statement yesterday. However shadow immigration minister Chris Bryant said the problem was down to a lack of resources and the government was "running out of alibis".

But Mr Green said: "Border Force will ensure that all immigration desks at Heathrow and other key ports and airports in the South East are fully staffed during peak periods over the summer. A contingency force of appropriately trained staff will be sent to the border to provide extra help to ensure passengers are processed as quickly as possible. Border security is Britain's first line of defence. It cannot and will not be compromised."

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The revolutionary Dreamliner plane is visiting three UK airports this week, giving aircraft enthusiasts and aviation professionals the chance to explore its spacious, high-comfort interior and celebrated design. Manufacturer Boeing is on a global tour with a demonstrator 787 Dreamliner which is being showcased at Manchester, Gatwick and Heathrow Airports this week.

No public tours of the plane are being organised at this stage, but crowds of aircraft fans have enjoyed the spectacle from viewing galleries.

Design features include flexible wings, high ceilings, larger windows and roomy stowaways. The 787 Dreamliner jet also promises ‘cleaner, healthier air’ during flights, and ‘a smoother ride’ which could dramatically reduce travel sickness and jet lag.  In aviation circles the Dreamliner is admired for its aerodynamic design and fuel-efficiency, which promises to make the jet a good investment for commercial airlines.

Thomson Airways will be the first British airline to fly the Dreamliner planes. They will be used on Thomson and First Choice long-haul holiday flights from May 2013. Thomson will start taking bookings for 2013 summer holidays to Cancun and Florida from Gatwick and Manchester on the aircraft later this week. Thomson Airways has ordered 13 Dreamliners, while British Airways starts flying its 24 Dreamliner fleet next year, exclusively out of Heathrow. Virgin Atlantic also has the new plane on order and will start flights in 2014.

The Dreamliner can fly up to 290 passengers up to 8,500 nautical miles, making non-stop flights from London San Francisco, Perth and Shanghai possible.

Click here for more details of the Dreamliner tour

Photo by Mika Stetsovski

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The takeover of BMI from Lufthansa by International Airlines Group is now officially complete, with IAG the new owner of BMI’s core operations. However in the deal the British Airways' parent secured a 'significant' discount because two unwanted subsidiaries – BMIbaby and BMI Regional – have been included in the purchase.

IAG must now dispose of BMIbaby and BMI Regional, say industry experts. IAG did not want to take over BMIibaby and BMI Regional and arranged a price reduction that will reflect the "costs associated with exiting these businesses". The company has confirmed that these subsidiaries are not part of IAG's long-term plans, and will not be integrated into British Airways operations, so are likely to be off-loaded soon.

“IAG will pursue options to exit these businesses and more details will be provided in due course," said IAG in a statement. BMI Regional flies from airports including Glasgow, Manchester and East Midlands to 14 destinations. BMIbaby is a low-cost operation, which operates from East Midlands, Birmingham and Belfast City to 36 destinations, including Ibiza, Corfu and Dubrovnik.

BA announced last week that 1,200 staff at BMI, out of a total of 2,700 employees, are likely to lose their jobs. The bulk of redundancies are expected at BMI's Castle Donington headquarters, Leicestershire and at regional airports. Cabin crew, pilot and ground staff jobs at Heathrow are believed to be secure. Jobs that have been secured include the 1,100 cabin crew, pilots and engineers at Heathrow and up to 400 passenger service roles at Heathrow’s Terminal One.

So that it could acquire BMI, the European Commission ordered IAG to give up 14 daily slot pairs at London Heathrow and carry transfer passenger for competing airlines at the UK's main hub. However, the group's slot portfolio at Heathrow will still grow by an average of 42 daily slot pairs.

Rival UK carrier Virgin Atlantic, which had also bid for BMI, says it plans to appeal the European Commission's decision to approval the sale to IAG.

Browse our aviation jobs today. Photo by OsdPhoto.com

Irish budget airline Ryanair wants its cabin crew to watch their weight in a bid to control the rising cost of flying. Fuel prices are a big concern for airlines, but many cabin crew employees and passengers will wonder if this is a cost-cutting measure too far.

“We cut costs wherever possible and the changes will represent a significant reduction in weight,” said Ryanair spokesman Stephen McNamara in an interview in the Telegraph. He described how the in-flight magazine has been reduced in size and that the amount of ice carried on board has been cut too. “We even encourage staff to watch their weight.”

“The weight of trolleys and seats have also been tackled. Ryanair insists these measures are for the good of customers, and has said it will not introduce fuel surcharges – something Virgin Atlantic and British Airways have done – to combat the rising cost of fuel.

“McNamara suggested an incentive for Ryanair cabin crew to slim down would be the chance of appearing in the charity calendar – another Ryanair initiative that has sparked controversy.

“In February this year the airline had two newspaper adverts banned following complaints that they were sexist and exploitative. They featured images of cabin crew members in swimwear and underwear, taken from the charity calendar.

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Photo by Alan Cleaver

A Virgin Atlantic flight out of Gatwick was forced to carry out an emergency landing, two hours after take-off yesterday, due to a “technical issue” – reportedly a small fire in the hold. The airline will now work with aircraft experts and the aviation authorities to carry out a full investigation into what happened on the Airbus A330, which was due to fly from Gatwick to Florida at 11.48 am yesterday.

Virgin Atlantic said it would not be able to comment on causes before its investigation. The West Sussex fire and rescue service confirmed to the BBC that six fire engines were sent to the scene at Gatwick after "a small fire on board an aircraft" was reported at 12.21pm.

Following an emergency landing once the technical problem had been spotted, the aircraft came to a halt on the runway, and all 229 passengers and 13 cabin crew members disembarked using the emergency slides. Gatwick was then closed for several hours and many flights were diverted. Passengers from flight VS27 to Orlando were taken to a special reception area at Gatwick.

A statement from Virgin Atlantic said: "Virgin Atlantic is working closely with the authorities to establish the cause of this incident. The safety and welfare of our crew and passengers is Virgin Atlantic's top priority." Runway operations at Gatwick Airport are back to normal today following the incident.

A statement from Gatwick says: “The aircraft made a safe landing, the emergency services were on the scene and passengers were all safely disembarked from the plane. Flights were suspended for around two hours until our standby runway opened at 1400. As a result of the incident, 26 flights were diverted and nine flights were cancelled.” Browse our aviation jobs today.

Pilot fatigue was the likely cause of a mid-flight Air Canada incident which led to 16 passenger injuries in January 2011. This highlights the problem of pilots working long hours, and will be of interest to the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) which is working on new safety proposals for European airlines.

According to Canada’s Transport Safety Board, a sleepy first officer woke from a rest period on the Toronto to Zurich night flight, and was so disorientated that he thought a crash was imminent. His actions led to the plane diving and lurching back up, so that many passengers not wearing their seatbelts were injured.

EASA's fatigue proposals will replace the UK's domestic arrangements, and are expected to drastically increase the total amount of time pilots could be awake for – up to 22 hours – before landing their aircraft.

A recent survey of British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA) members said that 43% had fallen asleep on the flight deck, and of those, 31% said they had awoken to find the other pilot also asleep.

Jim McAuslan, BALPA’s General Secretary told Press Association: “Napping on the flight deck can be helpful and improve alertness for landing, but obviously it is not without its risks as this incident shows. On top of this kind of problem, the number of pilots falling asleep at the same time – already distressingly high – is set to rise with EASA's plans."

The Canada Transport Safety Board report suggested flight crews were not following standard procedures for "strategic napping," - normally 40 minutes. Official guidance says pilots should allow 15 minutes after a nap to properly wake up, before taking control again.

Captain Paul Strachan, president of the Air Canada Pilots Association, said the incident shows Canada needs to mandate a third pilot for eastbound transatlantic flights instead of the in-flight rest periods. He said: "Canada's regulations are stark in their insensitivity to the science of fatigue." Browse our pilot jobs today.

Passenger and cargo security were under the spotlight recently as Middle Eastern states – including UAE, Sudan, Kuwait, Egypt and Yemen – agreed on determined, collective action at a meeting in Bahrain.

The influential gathering was one of several such meetings that have been held around the world in the last few months, in preparation for the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) global high level security conference. This is being held from 12 to 14 September at the ICAO head quarters in Montréal, Canada.

“As we strive to enhance aviation security, the priorities of States are ICAO’s priorities,” said Raymond Benjamin, ICAO Secretary General. “We must all join forces to eliminate the continuing threat of terrorism.”

Representatives of 13 Member States attended the Bahrain meeting on 10 and 11 April. Their discussions focused on the planned improvements of aviation security set out in the ICAO’s Declaration which was agreed in October 2012.

There are key steps that need to be taken in the aviation industry in order for the Declaration to be fully implemented. For example, threats to the global air cargo system need to be addressed by enhancing supply chain security and this was discussed in detail by the heads of transportation and aviation at the Bahrain meeting.

Kamel Ahmed Mohammed, Minister of Transportation of Bahrain, said: “States of the Middle East are determined to continuously improve their security systems in partnership with all stakeholders. Only through such close cooperation will it be possible to further enhance civil aviation security in the region.”
» Read more: Middle East makes progress on passenger safety