Yesterday’s story about how the IMF foresees a doubling in the real price of oil by 2022, and the consequent urgent need to adapt or redesign our business models, might have raised a few eyebrows. So here are two stories about how adaptation to life with less oil can proceed quite straightforwardly… and in fact …
Category archives: Airlines
“Most worrying day of the crisis so far”
As fear drives eurozone debt markets and economies markedly downwards, and the increased volatility makes good money for some, the underlying grievance of the Occupy Wall Street movement can now be seen mirrored clearly in the European crisis. The tension is effectively between those who believe that inequality is divisive and we should all pull together (Germany), …
Turning the corner?
A generally upbeat set of stories in the FT this morning: The Bank of England’s executive director of financial stability has called for risk rules for lending to small businesses to be temporarily relaxed. Although counterintuitive in some ways, it would help to smooth business cycles: encouraging activity in a downturn and reducing the support given …
Creating stability can be difficult — but worthwhile
The Twin Towers attack of 9/11 led to a downturn in demand that led to a consolidation in the manufacturers of the nuts bolts rivets and washers used to hold aeroplanes together. The uncertainty in demand then led to shortages, which became a serious problem for Boeing as it attempted to develop the Dreamliner 787.
Interim decision confirms foreign airlines must pay EU tax on carbon pollution
The final decision is expected in early 2012. Such preliminary decision have historically generally been confirmed by the final court ruling. This is good news for action on climate change, though slow. Airlines currently account for about three percent of global carbon emissions, but that share is growing fast. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/36556726-f005-11e0-bc9d-00144feab49a.html
Airlines face difficult times
Air travel is closely related to economic growth, and Europe’s ‘flag’ carriers have had a disappointing summer. The IMF has cut its forecasts for global economic growth in 2012-2013 to just over 1%. European flag airlines are so far responding not by cutting capacity but by cancelling growth plans. Low cost airlines, however, and US …
BA returns to an earlier time
A minor story this one, but an important one. British Airways is bringing back a ‘tag line’ invented 90 years ago: “To fly. To serve”. The slogan remained on company uniforms even when advertising told us that BA was “The world’s favourite airline”. It is now being brought back as the core of a new …
Carbon trading to hit airline profits
The airline industry is expected to face a €1.1bn bill next year when carriers around the world are brought into the EU carbon trading scheme. This is a quarter of the industry’s estimated profits this year, as estimated by IATA. (The EU decided to make any airline flying into or within the EU will pay …