Two new beneficiaries from IAG

Global businesses are set to benefit as Montevideo in Uruguay and Santa Domingo in the Dominican Republic are added to IAG Cargo’s worldwide network, which comprises more than 350 destinations in total. Flights to the two new cities will start on September 1 and will build on the strength of the IAG Cargo network in Latin America, which will grow to 16 destinations. The new routes will be served from IAG Cargo’s hub in Madrid by Iberia Airbus A330 and A340-300 aircraft. Each flight will deliver between 9.4 and 12.7 tonnes of capacity on the Madrid–Santo Domingo route, and between 6.5 and 11.7 tonnes of capacity on the Madrid–Montevideo route.

SMS at core of new standard

The National Air Transportation Association, along with the International Business Aviation Council, has announced the creation of the International Standard for Business Aircraft Handling (known as IS-BAH).

This represents a set of global industry best practices for business aviation ground handlers, at the heart of which lies a safety management system. The IS-BAH follows the long-established structure of the International Standard for Business Aircraft Operations Program and incorporates NATA’s Safety 1st Ground Audit Program. IS-BAH is set to provide standardization to handlers and operators around the world to meet the coming SMS requirements that have been mandated by the International Civil Aviation Organization.

De-icer and distributor to form venture

Integrated De-icing Services and GTA Aviation have announced the formation of a strategic agreement to develop new business opportunities within Canada.

Both companies are industry innovators, with IDS widely considered as one of the most technologically advanced independent providers of de-icing/anti-icing services. The company is presently de-icing aircraft at 15 airports in the US and Europe. IDS also operates the largest fleet of forced-air de-icing trucks in the world and has twice earned a spot on the Inc. 5000 list of America’s Fastest Growing Companies. GTA is a leading global distributor of high quality ground support equipment. The Canadian company offers a wide variety of new and refurbished ground handling equipment to airlines and airport authorities in dozens of countries.

Better boarding: time for change?

What’s the best way to board an aircraft?

It’s a thorny issue, and probably one that has dogged the sector’s logistics experts for many a year. A recent survey from the GO Group has found that the most favored method, at 55% of the vote, was that of boarding from the back. This was deemed most efficient of all, along with boarding from window seat to aisle seat, although there were other methods suggested.

Almost 300 people were sampled for the study, which was conducted in response to news some airlines have been testing boarding from back to front as well as outside in, with window passengers first, then middle seats then aisles.

Other suggestions included a desire that carry-ons be placed in bins above the owner, rather than being scattered around the cabin. Random boarding was also put forward as a method worthy of adoption, on the basis that everything is spread out and therefore bottlenecks would not occur.

The findings, though, don’t look as if they are going to change the status quo. After all, whether boarding is conducted from the back or front is immaterial provided that row numbers are clearly called out and, perhaps more importantly, travellers actually follow the boarding instructions in the first place…