Flights to and from Bariloche, Patagonia, have again been suspended because of volcanic ash. The eruption of a volcano in neighbouring Chile has caused the airport closure, just three days after its reopening, following months of disruption. Puyehue volcano began erupting last June, and at the time caused disruption at airports including Melbourne, in Australia.

The resumption of commercial flights in and out of Bariloche on Friday was greeted with celebratory headlines in the local papers because the airport’s closure since 5 June 2012 has been devastating for local communities used to seeing large numbers of tourists visiting the area.

Bariloche, and neighbouring San Martin de los Andes and Villa la Angostura are usually popular Argentine destinations for those visiting for the trekking and fishing during the summer months, and… Read the full story

by Mia Harris on January 17th, 2012

In an attempt to put tourists at ease after a video was broadcast across the internet of a tourist falling into the Zambezi after her bungee rope broke, Zambia’s minister for tourism has himself leapt off the bridge at Victoria Falls. Erin Langworthy, an Australian 22-year-old, survived her ordeal with a broken collar bone, cuts and bruises. Her dramatic fall was captured on camera and posted up on sites including YouTube.

Tourism Minister, Given Lubinda, stepped up to the mark to show that he was confident that the popular tourist draw was still safe. Following his leap from the bridge, he is reported as saying that the Victoria Falls bungee remained viable.

He added that he would be talking to the operator to make sure that everything was being done… Read the full story

by Riley Walker on January 16th, 2012

Top Gear, the British television programme which celebrates everything good and bad in the motor industry, has been slammed by the High Commission of India for being offensive. An episode aired on 28 December featured jokes about the country’s train system, its food, and Jaguar cars.

The BBC has said that it will be responding to the issues raised by the HCI after it said that many people had been upset by the programme. The broadcaster said that it had received 188 complaints. The HCI has sent a letter, which was published in the Telegraph, in which it has asked the BBC to pacify those who were offended by the light-hearted ribbing.

The letter pointed out that, as a developing country, India has a number of problems which it attempting… Read the full story

by Cooper Anderson on January 13th, 2012

Airlines have rejected the idea of placing a tax on fat people after Tony Webber, Qantas’ former chief economist, suggested that larger people pay extra for their seats. He argued that the move would be a bit like people who already have to pay more to put excess baggage onto an airline.

Australian carriers have said no to the suggestion that more money should be paid by those whose waistlines will add to an airline’s fuel bill. Vanessa Regan, a spokeswoman for Tiger Airways, said there was no way the company was going to implement such a measure.

Colin Lippiatt of Virgin Australia also said that introducing a tax on overweight people was not something the airline was considering looking into. Qantas joined the opposition by saying that there would… Read the full story

by Isabella Robinson on January 12th, 2012

Travel between Scotland and Australia has just been made simpler after Emirates confirmed that it will be adding a second daily service to the Middle East from Glasgow Airport. An Airbus A340, capable of carrying 274 passengers, will fly to Dubai where it will link to onward services to destinations further east including New Zealand and Australia.

Emirates currently has a 360-seat Boeing 777 operating on the route which, according to the company’s VP UK and Ireland Laurie Berryman, currently operates at full capacity. Mr Berryman said the service was one of the airline’s most successful, and that by adding a second, customers flying out of Scotland would have greater access to the 112 onward routes Emirates currently operates from its Dubai hub.

The news is not so good for… Read the full story

by Lily Thompson on January 11th, 2012

Leading US carmakers Ford and General Motors saw sales rise in China to record numbers during 2011. Although the market has shown signs of a slowdown, manufacturers believe that 2012 will produce similar results. GM reported an 8.3 per cent increase in sales of its own vehicles, and those produced by its partners in China, to 2.5 million vehicles, a record high.

Ford announced that it had managed to sell 519,390 vehicles, which represents an increase of seven per cent. The car makers have managed to attract customers by introducing a number of new models. Sales were given a boost by the Chinese government in 2010 after incentives were introduced to encourage people to purchase new cars.

According to GM’s president of international operations, Tim Lee, the company’s share of… Read the full story

by Mia Harris on January 10th, 2012

Aviation regulators in India have contacted Air India Express and Kingfisher Airlines because of concerns that the difficult financial situation might be impinging on safety. Civil aviation director general Bharat Bhushan said that although none of the airlines were currently in danger of having their licenses revoked, they had been asked to take steps to tighten up safety.

Kingfisher said it was continuing to maintain strict safety standards and would reply to the director general’s audit of the airline. Air India Express has also said that it continued to place safety standards as its highest concern.

Mr Bushan said he had been talking to a number of the country’s airlines about ensuring safety norms. He added that the carriers were expected to report back in a few days. Reportedly the… Read the full story

by Riley Walker on January 9th, 2012

The discovery of small cracks in the wings of a number of Airbus A380 superjumbos has prompted aircraft engineers to ask the planemaker and airlines around the world to conduct immediate inspections of all A380s in their fleets. Airbus has already issued a bulletin in which it explains that the problem does not affect the safety of the planes, and has asked that the issue is checked the next time the planes come up for their four-year heavy maintenance.

The Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association said that all A380s currently in operation should be checked immediately for the cracks which have been found in the wing-rib attachments.

The union’s federal president, Paul Cousins, said that leaving the problem for four years was an inappropriate response. He added that coming up… Read the full story

by Cooper Anderson on January 6th, 2012

As Qantas continues to struggle to turn its loss making international business around, it has said that 150 of the airline’s 2,000 pilots have volunteered to go on unpaid leave. Some of these pilots will be permitted to fly with rival carriers. According to a spokeswoman, this is not unusual, and Qantas did a similar thing during the global economic crisis.

The Australian and International Pilots Association announced the decision by some of its members to take unpaid leave, or to fly with rivals such as Emirates, last year. Barry Jackson, the union’s president, said that over the next few years Qantas could still have an excess of pilots. He added that the number could be as many as 400, but went on to say that this figure would depend… Read the full story

by Isabella Robinson on January 5th, 2012

Qantas is hoping that the Airbus A380 which suffered dramatic engine failure shortly after leaving Singapore in 2010 will soon be back in service. An explosion in the aircraft’s engine sent shrapnel shooting through the wing and the pilot was forced to request an emergency landing. None of the passengers or crew was injured, and the pilots were praised for their expert handling of what could have been a tragic situation.

The repairs have cost $135 million, and Qantas is expecting the superjumbo to be back in the air by March. Originally the cost was estimated at $100 million and the plane was supposed to be back in service at the end of last year.

Work on the A380 started in May with a team of around 40 people from… Read the full story

by Lily Thompson on January 4th, 2012