Future Of The Aviation Industry Passengers And Freight

The former boss of the Minardi Formula 1 race team and CEO of the European Aviation Group spoke to me about his views on the future of the airline business and his too.

This was following the arrival of one of his 19 newly acquired A340 aircraft into his freight airline and repair base at Bournemouth Airport in Dorset.

European Aviation Group flying PPE into the UK.

That plane when it arrived was carrying over 125,000 surgical gowns and additional PPE for the doctors and nurses at hospitals within the British NHS.

As well running an extensive fleet of freight aircraft his company also deals with aircraft spares and their fittings from their other site at Ledbury in the Midlands.

Spares cargo and freight are where European Aviation are headed.

Another important part of the company is its engine workshop and storage facility also at Bournemouth.  Here, jet engines like the Rolls Royce ‘Trents’, which can cost several million pounds each, are serviced, rebuilt and stored there.

Trent engine on an A340.

They are all carefully wrapped up in individual climate-controlled fabric enclosures. Long lines of them are stored ready for use at a moment’s notice, in one of the giant hangers.

Paul Stoddart And The Future Of The Aviation Industry

When asked by me where do you think the aviation industry is going?

Paul Stoddart, CEO, European Aviation Group talks about the future of the aviation industry.

Speaking with 30 years of aviation experience behind him and in that straight-talking Aussie style he said, “It’s clearly the worst crisis that the aviation industry has ever faced.  And I genuinely fear for an awful number of companies who just will not survive this”.

“At the moment you have two thirds of the Airline industries aircraft grounded. You’ve got billions upon billions of dollars-worth of machinery sitting on the ground. It’s all costing someone money.

Control tower at Heathrow.

“Hundreds of thousands of jobs are dependent on these aircraft getting back into the air. And I really can’t see a quick recovery. We all want one. I just don’t see it happening”.

Paul said when referring to their extensive engine facility, “Most of the engines we do are also for freighters. Freighters at the moment are in high demand. So, I don’t fear too much in terms of the freight market. That will keep us busy at a reduced scale from the engine point of view”.

“But of course, we’re bringing on half a dozen A340 freighters. And here, the great thing of the A340 is that it is the longest aircraft in the world. So, it actually got more hold space than any other aircraft like a 380 or 747. And it’s also got an awful amount of room in the cabin”.

Longest aircraft in the world and he has 19 of them!

“Our plan is to initially do 5 of these.  And, probably as we have a large number in storage and if the business plan works out, we will keep bringing more aircraft on”.

“We also have 4 737’s freighters which dovetail into our operation. These are useful for flying split loads to other destinations, other than to here in Bournemouth”.

“The ability to ramp up to ten more A340’s. I think the future at the moment is challenging.

Ryanair in the passenger market.

“However, there is a future. Which is awful better than you can say about other people, whom only have passenger planes and routes”.

Gatwick Airport easyJet passenger only aircraft where will they be in future of the aviation industry?

Airlines Take Legal Action Against British Government

On the passenger front the UK is having to deal with a government decision to introduce a 14day quarantine for any passengers arriving into the UK. They are being told to self-isolate for 14 days.

This does not apply to people arriving from Ireland but from everywhere else. Which is where the airline industry is trying to fight with a coordinated action coming from Airlines  and Airport operators.  Dozens of organisations within the aviation sector feels that it will stop the U.K. in particular,  getting back on its feet after Covid19.

Willie Walsh CEO of IAG (International Airline Group) taking legal action.

Although some operators are often at odds with each other.  Here it seems, that the big players want to work together to get the country flying again. They are even talking of taking joint legal action against the Government.

Michael O’Leary Chief Exectutive of Ryanair Not often on the same side as Willie Walsh.

However, the Government points out that quarantine is vital for reducing fresh Covid19 infections coming into the country.

Other ways to get the country flying again is opening up air transport corridors to a variety of other countries with similar levels of infection.

Get flying again with travel coridoors.

Tim Alderslade, chief executive of Airlines UK, said: “The government needs to ask whether it wants any connectivity this summer. If it does then it must work to get travel corridors established as soon as possible. We need clarity within days rather than weeks.”

Further details of the aviation sector: https://www.btnews.co.uk/