Kerry Ezard: October 2008 Archives

  Fresh from appearing on the cover of the latest issue of Airline Business, Etihad Airways chief executive James Hogan (pictured left) has been named "Aviation CEO of the year" at an awards ceremony held in Dubai.

Hogan was handed the award by ITP chief executive Walid Akawi during the CEO Middle East Awards 2008. For more on his award, see Etihad's press release.

And to read our recent cover interview with James, in which he explains why he believes Etihad's ambitious expansion plans will work despite the current downturn, click here.

The airline industry must be feeling like it's been put in stocks on the village green in medieval times.

Instead of being pelted with rotten fruit, it's pelted with high oil prices, a credit crunch, a global economy that is in meltdown and now the news that a European Parliament committee has voted to make Europe's planned inclusion of aviation in its emissions trading scheme even tougher on the industry.

The committee wants the level of emissions permits to be auctioned to increase from 15% in 2012 to 20% in 2013 to 100% in 2020. This would mean no freebie carbon dioxide emissions permits - you have to pay to pollute.

Airline groups are up in arms, with the Association of European Airlines accusing members of the European Parliament of being "so dogmatic that they have lost touch with reality". The International Air Carrier Association says it is "dismayed" that MEPs have decided to "inflict more damaging and extreme measures on the aviation industry, especially at a time of great economic uncertainty for the sector, airline bankruptcies and weakening demand".

What are your opinions on this? Should the focus on the environment wane while we're all in the midst of an economic crisis? Or should it remain as important, if not more important, as unlike the actions of the banks, the extent to which the world's temperature rises is actually something that we can control?

Or are you of the same mindset as Sarah Palin (and hopefully there aren't TOO many mindsets like that in the world!), who remains unconvinced that our actions have had an impact on climate change? 

British Airways chief Willie Walsh has hit out at a plan put forward by the UK's Conservative party to scrap plans for a third runway at London Heathrow in favour of a new high-speed rail link.

If the Tories win the next general election, says Conservative shadow secretary of state for transport Theresa Villiers, they will build a high-speed rail link from London to Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds instead of providing congested Heathrow with a third runway.

Walsh's reaction includes the following gems: "The latest idea that a rail link from Leeds and Manchester to Heathrow would be an adequate substitute for a third runway beggars belief", and "The Conservatives may have an election win. But they must not forget that if they are successful, they will have a country to govern."

Being a northern lass who lives in London, I'm all for high-speed rail links to my homeland (although my vote would be for one that went to the north east rather than the north west!). However, I can't really see what this has to do with a third runway at Heathrow. Any thoughts?