Turboprop manufacturer ATR has completed a series of ground and flight tests with sustainable aviation fuel as part of an effort to certificate its aircraft for 100% SAF operation from 2025. The airframer says an ATR 72-600 was operated for seven flight-hours with one engine powered by 100% SAF based on “residue” raw materials and waste products, including used cooking oil. In 2021, ATR disclosed a collaboration with Swedish carrier Braathens Regional Airlines and fuel supplier Neste, aimed at accelerating the certification process for full SAF deployment. The three partners plan to complete a demonstration flight with an aircraft in BRA’s ATR fleet this year. One of the aircraft’s engines will be powered by 100% SAF and the other by a 50% blend with fossil-based kerosene. ATR estimates that carbon-dioxide emissions on a “typical” regional route could be reduced 82% if the aircraft were fully SAF-powered. Chief executive Stefano Bortoli describes the ATR series as an “ideal platform” for “significant” CO2 reduction, citing a 40% fuel-burn advantage of the turboprop versus similar-sized regional jets. Full SAF deployment will enable operator to “more sustainable air links not in 2035 or 2050 but in the coming years”, he states.

Lufthansa subsidiary Eurowings will hire around 550 additional flight attendants and 200 pilots at Eurowings Germany and Eurowings Europe, as it prepares for a strong travel season into the summer. Staffing levels will also be increased for ground service roles at Eurowings Technik in Cologne and Dusseldorf, as well as in sales and customer experience teams, it says. Eurowings previously began hiring around 750 new flight crew members in 2021 including employees from elsewhere within the Lufthansa Group who had lost their jobs due to the pandemic. Eurowings’ head of HR and legal Anja Draxler states: “With more than 1,500 new hires within 24 months, we are investing in the future viability of Eurowings at a time when our industry is working its way out of the deepest crisis. At the same time, we are setting the course for a significant expansion of our flight programme in the summer of 2022.” Moreover, Eurowings will offer over 140 destinations in its summer flight schedule. This includes flying to Mallorca in Spain from more than 20 airports up to 380 times a week.

The UK government in consulting on a post-Brexit shake-up of passenger compensation legislation which could include cash payments for customers who experience delays of as little as one hour on domestic flights. Changes could also include a simpler process to claim compensation, although the amount passengers may be entitled to would be reduced in many circumstances, with the amounts linked to ticket prices instead of absolute values. Currently, passengers are able to claim for delays of three hours or longer, for which they are entitled to £220 ($297). The government's central proposal is that for a delay of more than one hour but less than two, passengers will be entitled to compensation of 25% of their ticket price. For a delay of more than two hours but less than three, this rises to 50% of ticket price. Beyond three, the full ticket price would be refunded. "People deserve a service that puts passengers first when things go wrong, so today I've launched proposals that aim to bolster airline consumer protections and rights," states UK transport secretary Grant Shapps. "We're making the most of our Brexit dividend with our new freedoms outside of the EU, and this review will help build a trustworthy, reputable sector." In a risk assessment of the proposed changes, the department finds that these proposals would bring a reduction in compensation paid to customers for delays of over three hours, but an increase in the amount paid for delays of 1-3 hours. Based on data from 2018 and 2019, the department says this would equate to a total claim amount of around £2.6 million for delays of three hours or more, £7.9 million less than if they take no action. However, this would be set against an extra £5.9 million in payouts from airlines for compensation for delays that are under three hours. Estimates are derived from CAA data on the number of flight delays pre-pandemic, ticket prices, and information on the proportion of eligible passengers who claim for refunds. Additionally, the proposals include forcing airlines to join the industry's alternative dispute resolution (ADR) scheme, which enables passengers to escalate disputes that have been unsatisfactorily settled. Membership is currently on a voluntary basis. The UK's Civil Aviation Authority would also be given stronger enforcement powers to enforce consumer-protection laws. The government also appears to leave the door open to the possibility of changes for compensation for international flight delays, although no specific proposals are set out. "Considering that the compensation rates are set by the [1999 Montreal] Convention for international flights that are delayed, government is interested in views on alternative approaches to recognise the changes in the types of airlines being used to travel and to link compensation to the costs of travel."