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London Stansted is the worst airport for flight delays in 2018

The Press Association has released a report on its analysis of the Civil Aviation Authority, (CAA), delay data, for all scheduled and chartered flights in 2018 across 24 major UK airports.

It shows Stansted had the longest average flight delays of any airport in Britain last year, as passengers were kept waiting on average 25 minutes. While the average flight delay across all the featured airports was 16 minutes.

Stansted is the fourth busiest airport in the UK and a hub for several low-cost eastern European airlines, as well as being Ryanair’s biggest base, it also covers significant operations by EasyJet and Jet2.

A spokesperson for Stansted blamed “a particularly challenging summer last year,” adding that “adverse weather and air traffic control issues had a dramatic impact on airline on-time performance”. Commenting further that a multimillion-pound investment by Ryanair to support its ground operation at the airport “has already helped deliver significant service improvements to flight punctuality”.

Which? Travel editor Rory Borland said: “It’s completely unacceptable”. “These delays aren’t just an inconvenience but can leave holidaymakers hundreds of pounds out of pocket… airlines should stop passing the buck and make it easier for their passengers by finally introducing automatic compensation.”

Agreeing, Alex Neill, a managing director at Which? said delays were “one of the most frustrating things about travelling” and urged passengers to “claim what they are entitled to”. She added that airlines should introduce automatic compensation, so people receive what they are owed “without having to jump through hoops”.

In response the Airport Operators Association, (AOA), listed a “range of factors” for delays last year, such as cold weather blasts, air traffic controller strikes in Europe, and disruption partly caused by constraints of “outdated” UK airspace infrastructure. They added, “Airports are working with air traffic service providers and the government to plan and deliver the necessary changes so everyone can continue to fly with a minimum of delays.”

Download to see the full list of average delays.

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Wizz Air! Get on board!

The UK’s airline of choice Post-Brexit, (potentially).

So, who are Wizz Air and why might they become the UK holiday makers airline of choice Post-Brexit?

Jozsef Varadi, Chief Executive Officer of Wizz Air, the Budapest-based airline, which offers routes from London to fast-growing non-EU destinations, takes a refreshingly frank but confident approach in answer to Brexit complications for airlines.

Varadi, simply finds the furore around Brexit ‘tiring’ and ‘would like to see the end of it, whatever it is.’ This contrasts with the cautious approach taken by some rivals. EasyJet recently raised concerns about how Brexit will affect demand. No such worries for Wizz Air as, according to Varadi, demand remains robust, while ‘current performance … is pretty solid’, with net profit for the year in the upper half of its guidance, showing a growth of 30 percent in London since the Brexit vote.

Varadi concedes that Wizz Air still have work to do to meet EU rules post Brexit. Due to share ownership rules, airlines that are not majority owned by EU nationals are set to lose their right to fly within the bloc after Britain leaves the EU.

Wizz Air are not close to being 50% owned by EU nationals outside of Britain. To resolve the issue, Varadi is seeking more EU investors, as well as, setting up a subsidiary in Britain to protect Wizz Air flights between the EU and the UK after Brexit and flights from the UK to elsewhere. In addition, like other airlines, Wizz Air has clauses in its articles of association which allow it to remove voting rights from all non-EU shareholders as a last resort.

Seemingly, Wizz is not fizzed and Varadi does not; ‘think that we’re going to end up with a disastrous scenario on aviation’, post-Brexit. He believes Britain should ‘just get it done and move beyond Brexit’. A positive outlook and sentiment, that might just get a warm welcome from UK holiday makers, seeking a Brexit / post-Brexit getaway, and who might just check-out Wizz Air.

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Norwegian Airlines losses revealed.

Norwegian airlines suffered a loss of £133.5 million in the first quarter of 2019. They are reassessing their financial situation since the impermanent global ban was incorporated on MAX 8 operations as the aircraft was involved in two accidents in a short space of time.

The airline currently has eighteen 737 Max 8’s and several deliveries have been placed on hold.

The chief executive of Norwegian Airlines said, he has numerous meetings with BA to discuss the negative effects on grounding to eliminate the problems the MAX 8 is causing Norwegian Airlines and the wider industry. He also stated the airline has been doing everything to ensure flights are carried out as normal by using wet lease companies when needed.

After suffering such a drastic loss, the airline intend to recover their profits margins by running an extensive cost-reductions programme and the sale of an, as yet undetermined, aircraft,

Currently, the airline express positivity in their new implementations this quarter despite suffering 737 Max problems. They indicate they have taken serious measurements in increasing profitability.

Samsung Galaxy S10’s connection failure.

Samsung have released their Galaxy S10 in Korea and it is already generating several connection complaints!

Korea states that Galaxy S10 users have no problems connecting to 5G, the issue occurs when customers connect to their LTE after being connected to 5G. Interestingly enough the phone does not recover its connection until users have rebooted their phone numerous times.

The Galaxy S10 5G is only available in Korea, it is expected to launch in the US on May 16 to Verizons network on a short-term basis. The Galaxy S10 is the fourth smartphone within the Galaxy S10 line-up.

In response to the issues, Samsung have delivered the relevant software needed for the phone to switch independently to each network. Regardless it is still bad news for Samsung. Two network carriers in Korea, LG U+ and SK Telecom have said they their 5G base stations are all up and running with no problems.

5G is only just beginning to launch so there is likely to be a number of issues. Many people have decided to wait before purchasing the Galaxy S10 until all the issues have been sorted out.

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Keeping up with airline trends!

In the competitive world of aviation, airlines are constantly trying to outshine their rivals. Aerospace companies are continuously looking at alternatives on how to advance current passenger experience.

Over 500 exhibitors attended the annual Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, this is the biggest showcase for cabin innovation. Several exhibitors presented new in-flight entertainment systems, new seats, lights, materials and creative layout ideas.

Below is a list of the key trends discovered at the show.

Feel at home.

Airlines are going for a “warmer” feeling. Lantal Textiles AG, an aircraft fabric manufacturer produced softer cabin curtains with a plush three-dimensional weave. They also showcased flooring that sets a relaxing atmosphere in the cabin space.

Mood lighting is quite a popular element at the moment. Collins Aerospace have launched a reading lamp with many applications ranging from large spot to small target, with complete colour options, removing the need for extra elements such as sidewall lighting.

Relax in economy.

Recaro Holding GmbH have released a redesign of their CL3710 back-of-the-cabin seat which has been built specifically for long haul flights, featuring sleeping aids such as a wraparound head support and a retractable ledge allowing extensions of the seat and additional thigh support. We really want to see this one in production.

Airbus is introducing a new seating idea, called the settee corner. This will leave passengers with a bench that they can use for meetings or use the extra space to take a nap.

Scent and sensibility.

Panasonic Avionics Corp have created an air-deodorizing system that will keep their aircraft smelling fresh, this will purify the air and reduce bacteria. Passengers can now say goodbye to that decayed cabin smell. Fit ASAP please.

Mapping it out.

In-flight maps have always been a popular feature, however now they will be tailored to each passenger. Panasonic is publishing a map that contains passengers personal travel information, including their loyalty program and a combination of their entertainment features. This will be up and running next year.

Smart bins.

Airbus wants to introduce smarter bins overhead with sensors that track the weight of luggage. Eventually they want to start allowing customers to book their own bin space as this will allow cabin crew to monitor the amount of luggage on board. This cannot come to soon and can remove the worry of will I get my luggage in an overhead next to me.

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Apple tracks you!

Apple keeps a record of all frequent locations visited as the iPhone tracks your duration spent at the location and what type of transportation was used to get there. This is done by a small device which logs all your locations and how many times you have visited them by tracking your ‘Significant Locations’.

Apple claim this allows them to provide a personalised service such as traffic routes and help in building photo memories. Google also records user’s location data, through location history found if you have a Google account activated on your phone.

The location data is encrypted and stored on your iPhone and it is not distributed without consent. Do look at this part of your device, it is a bit creepy.

If you want to stop Apple from tracking your ‘Significant Locations’ follow the steps to turn it off and delete the history from your iPhone, so the data is untraceable.

Open the Settings app and click the Privacy tab.
Then click the first option which is Location Services.
Scroll to the end of the page and click System Services.
Then you will see a list of the inbuilt Apple services you have allowed access to your location data.
Continue scrolling and click on Significant Locations, a password, fingerprint or face ID will be requested.
Then you will see a list of all your locations, you can even find the exact addresses visited and the duration spent at that location.
Scroll to the end and click Clear History.
Scroll back up to Significant Locations, click the screen and finally this secretive feature is removed!

It is likely that Apple may still have access to your data, at least you can prevent access to your location data.

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Wow Air failure leaves thousands of passengers stranded.

Iceland’s Wow Air ceased operations and cancelled their flights resulting in passengers being left stranded. Passengers traveling with Wow Air are advised to book with other airlines.

Airlines may offer rescue fares or flights at a reduced fare, the travel editor for the independent said he did not think other airlines would intervene as they have no intention of making a profit from a bad situation.

Wow were selling flight tickets until 07:00 on the morning they went bankrupt. There is a possibility of compensation if passengers booked their flights through a package, they may be entitled to get their money back as they were part of an ATOL. If this is not applicable to passengers, then they might be able to claim their money back through their travel insurance. Otherwise passengers may be eligible to receive some compensation from Wow according to the European Regulation on Air Passenger Rights.

Lately airlines are experiencing financial trouble especially with higher fuel bills. Ryanair admitted to their first quarterly loss since March 2014, Flybe was bought for a one penny share and Germania airlines went bankrupt. There is further turbulence ahead in 2019.

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Are Unqualified Advisers Your (McKenzie) Friend? Duty of Care Explained

The High Court has provided helpful guidance as to the duty of care which legal advisors, such as McKenzie Friends, owe to its clients in the recent case of Paul Wright v Troy Lucas (A Firm) & George Rusz. It was ruled that if an unqualified legal advisor hold themselves out as a competent legal professional, then they will owe the same standard of duty of care as a competent legal professional.

In 2004, following a negligent operation at the Basildon & Thurrock University Hospital NHS Foundation, Mr Paul Wright, aged 70, was left with three plastic bags inside his body; he suffered severe injuries and was left permanently disabled as a result.

Mr Wright sought the assistance of Mr George Rusz, by way of his ‘litigation firm’, Troy Lucas, who described himself as ‘an experienced legal professional’. Although Mr Rusz did not describe state that he was a barrister or a solicitor, he boasted to Mr Wright that he was ‘as good as, if not better, than any solicitor or barrister’. Whilst the NHS Trust paid £20,000 in full and final settlement of the clinical negligence claim, Mr Wright had to pay £75,000 of the NHS Trusts’ legal costs.

Mr Rusz and Troy Lucas were held to the standards of the ‘experienced legal professionals’, which they had held themselves out to be. The High Court found that the defendants had been professionally negligent in their poor conduct of Mr Wright’s clinical negligence claim.

Not only had the defendants wildly valued the claim at £1.1million, then later £3million, without any supporting material, but also, adverse costs orders were made against Mr Wright, due to their failure to comply with court orders.

Accordingly, the defendants were ordered to pay the sum of £263,759, plus legal costs of £73,200, to compensate Mr Wright for what he would have otherwise likely recovered, had he received proper advice from a competent legal practitioner.

The ramification of this decision is welcomed as it protects unsuspecting consumers, who may not understand the difference or be able to afford the legal services provided by a barrister or a solicitor, in comparison to an unqualified legal advisor.

Given that there is an increase in the number of the likes of McKenzie Friends, there is a growing concern that these legal advisors are not regulated and do not necessarily have appropriate insurance or possess proper legal qualifications. Subsequently, this judgment acts as a warning to this growing, unregulated industry that it will face liability, if it falls below the standard of a competent legal professional.

This decision therefore serves as a cautionary tale that you cannot hold yourself out to share the same competency and skills as qualified legal professionals, whilst also demand to be held to a lower standard as you are not suitably qualified.

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Apple Patents iPhone camera change.

Leaks about Apple’s innovation always seem to come from Apple. Secretly, Apple has lodged a patent about their new iPhone. Apple is going to release an iPhone that will tell you when to take a photo and the camera will open automatically. Yes, you heard that correctly. The hardware for this production has been confirmed and it is due to feature in iPhones this year. Apple explains how this will work. The automatic camera will activate once detecting an intent to take a photograph or video. This will be effective when the phone is placed in a typical photography position, then the camera will open automatically.

Apple filed a patent with the US Patent and Trademark Office on 17 January 2019.

The motion to detect the photography position is handled by accelerometers and a proximity-based sensor. At present iPhones have a short-range proximity sensor.

Not everyone will be a big fan of Apple’s automatic camera, but it will definitely add colour to the technological market.

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The demise of the Airbus A380.

Airbus SE have recently announced their decision to stop the production of the model A380 by 2021, which was delivered by Tom Enders the Airbus Chief Executive. The Airbus A380 at the start of its production was the spacious, quieter and more comfortable alternative for passengers. As a result of the halted model production, Airbus has estimated at least 3,500 jobs to be affected. The company’s largest consumer, Emirates are said to be decreasing their order from 53 aircrafts down to a mere 14 aircrafts.

The A380 for many years had been a popular aircraft among its buyers and therefore had struggled to keep up with their orders, making their decision a turning point for many in the aviation industry. Despite their popularity, Airbus encountered several glitches very early on. For the Airbus A308, issues had varied from its faulty communication to its first flight in 2007, when the climate of the economy was at crisis point.

The largest consumer of the model, being the Emirates Airline ordered 160 units in total. Despite these impressive figures, Emirates inevitably became a part of the A380 demise. As the predominant customer for the Airbus, the airline held the power to factually make or break Airbus SE. Therefore, Emirates inconclusive nature regarding the 20 units had Airbus withdrawing the production.

Unfortunately for Airbus, plans for resale have not exactly gone accordingly. With the US carrier completely avoiding Airbus, the alternatives were the Chinese and Japanese airlines. However, it is worth mentioning that the Chinese carriers have purchased models in incredibly low numbers and as for the Japanese it is a recent phenomenon as they traditionally are Boeing 747 consumers. However, adding to the vortex of negativity surrounding the A380, Qantas Airways Ltd have cancelled an outstanding order alongside the retraction of 20 orders by Amedeo.

George Ferguson the global aviation analyst says that, “Airbus” cancellations of the A380 eliminates a drag of commercial airplane margin, given at the current rate of 12 the company garnered no profit on 2 billion euros of revenue. Maintaining production at lower rates would have resulted in a loss”.

Where the A380 model has monopolised in airports such as London Heathrow with the adoption of the model, it has sadly failed to create shockwaves in the aviation industry to allure potential buyers. Airline popularity lies with aircraft models that encompass luxurious elements including flight bars, showers and suites. This decision by airlines have also proved to pay off, as the passengers have seemed to indulge in the newer model facilities.

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