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irlines have operated greater than 14,000 so-called ghost flights from UK airports through the coronavirus pandemic, new figures present.
The worldwide flights, which had not more than 10% of their seats stuffed, departed from 32 airports between March 2020 and September 2021, in keeping with Authorities evaluation.
Heathrow had essentially the most with 4,910 flights, adopted by Manchester (1,548 flights) and Gatwick (1,044 flights).
A complete of 14,472 empty or almost empty flights had been recorded over the 19-month interval, at a median of 25 daily.
The figures embody flights which had been operated primarily to move cargo or repatriate Britons stranded abroad.
Airways have historically run ghost flights when they should hit the 80% threshold for utilizing useful take-off and touchdown slots at congested airports to retain the fitting to make use of them throughout the next yr.
This has led to concern concerning the environmental affect of the flights.
However slot guidelines have been eased through the virus disaster as a result of lack of demand for journey.
Aviation minister Roberts Courts, who printed the evaluation of Civil Aviation Authority knowledge in response to a parliamentary query, mentioned: “Departing flights might function with a low variety of passengers for a spread of causes.
“Because the onset of the pandemic, the Authorities has supplied alleviation from the conventional slot rules that require airways to function 80% of their slots in an effort to retain them for the next season.
“Which means airways haven’t been required to function empty or nearly empty flights solely to retain their historic slots rights.”
No person is flying a airplane until it’s economically viable
Heathrow chief government John Holland-Kaye mentioned flights with low passenger numbers had been usually used to move cargo.
He informed the PA information company: “For those who had been flying PPE (private protecting gear) from China or UK exports into the US whereas these markets had been closed (to leisure journey), you’d fly them on a passenger airplane and also you may solely have a few passengers on board.”
He added: “Given how tight funds are, no person is flying a airplane until it’s economically viable. That is truly about maintaining the UK provide chain going whereas borders are closed for passengers.”
British Airways and Virgin Atlantic insisted they haven’t operated “ghost flights” to retain slots through the pandemic.
A Virgin Atlantic spokeswoman mentioned its low-occupancy flights “supported the worldwide motion of individuals together with returning overseas residents and repatriated UK residents, in addition to maintaining international provide chains operating by transferring important cargo, together with medical provides and PPE”.
Slot guidelines had been suspended at UK airports shortly after the beginning of the pandemic however had been reintroduced at 50% in October 2021.
The Division for Transport (DfT) is ramping this as much as 70% subsequent month.
The Virgin Atlantic spokeswoman mentioned it’s “disappointing” that the DfT has “set the very best slot use threshold on the earth for the summer time 2022 season”.
She continued: “This determination dangers setting again the aviation business and UK financial restoration throughout a vital part, and will result in inefficient flying by some carriers merely to take care of airport slots, with markets in Asia nonetheless as much as 90% under 2019 demand ranges, together with higher China which is basically closed to overseas guests.”
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