British Airways has not detected any change in ticket bookings as a result of uncertainty around Brexit. "We are not seeing any evidence of the Brexit impact," said Willie Walsh, chief executive of BA parent IAG, during a results briefing today. He acknowledges that Ryanair and other airlines have warned how their operations could be affected, especially by a no-deal Brexit. But he insists: "We don't see any impact on bookings or the profile of bookings going forward in terms of the visibility that we have." Walsh suspects that BA's heavy reliance on London and the UK southeast may be one explanation for the carrier's apparent resilience. "Maybe… we are not exposed to the whole of the UK as they [competitors] would be," he says. Nevertheless, BA has put in place contingency plans for the UK's scheduled departure from the EU on 31 October. These, Walsh notes, are based on "a sensible Brexit". He says the carrier will be flexible in adjusting capacity if bookings fluctuate.

Source: Flightglobal

Cathay Pacific and Hong Kong Airlines have cancelled a large number of flights in and out of Hong Kong, as ongoing city-wide protests against an unpopular extradition bill wears on. As of 12 noon on 5 August, Cathay Pacific and units Cathay Dragon and HK Express have cancelled more than 150 flights in and out of the city on 5 August. These were flights to various points across Asia. Cathay Pacific and Cathay Dragon have cancelled a further 13 flights in and out of Hong Kong on 6 August. Meanwhile, Hong Kong Airlines has cancelled more than 30 flights in and out of Hong Kong International Airport on 5 and 6 August. These include points such as Bangkok, Shanghai Pudong, as well as Tokyo Narita. It was not just Hong Kong carriers that suspended flights. China Airlines and subsidiary Mandarin Airlines, which have flights to Hong Kong from points such as Taipei Taoyuan, Kaohsiung as well as Jakarta, have also suspended some flights to Hong Kong. Fellow Taiwanese carrier EVA Air has also pulled flights to and from the city.

Source: FlightGlobal

Airbus has determined that the A320neo is potentially vulnerable to an angle-of-attack protection weakness which could result in excessive pitch attitude under certain circumstances. The condition is "different" from the excessive-pitch anomaly recently discovered during analysis of the larger A321neo, says the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, although it appears outwardly similar. EASA stresses that the condition has never been encountered during A320neo operations. But it says that a "reduced efficiency" of the aircraft's angle-of-attack protection under certain flight configurations, and in combination with specific commanded manoeuvres from the crew, could lead to excessive pitch and higher workload. The scenario has been uncovered during analysis and laboratory testing of the A320neo flight-control laws. Airbus has developed temporary revisions to the A320neo flight manual to address the condition, and EASA has ordered operators to amend their manuals accordingly.

Source: FlightGlobal