“This is a damaging break in the UK’s export chain, and its consequences are a real concern for businesses across the country.” Such is the threat to the UK’s prominence that Dubai is set to overtake Heathrow by 2016 as the world’s largest international airport.  Aggressive growth of Paris and Frankfurt has intensified pressure from aviation and business leaders for the Government to have a change of heart.

Willie Walsh, the head of the International Airlines Group, welcomed the Coalition’s decision to reopen the debate on runway capacity in the South East, but added that all options should be considered. James Hogan, the chief executive of Etihad, also called for Heathrow to be allowed to expand. “We currently fly three services a day into Heathrow, we would like to operate five.

“Heathrow will not be able to compete unless it opens another runway.” The plight has been thrown into even sharper focus by Dubai’s plans to overtake Heathrow by 2016 as the world’s largest international airport. Last year Heathrow handled 69.4 million passengers. With both parties opposing expansion and the building of a third runway. By 2020 Dubai expects to cater for 90 million passengers thanks to expansion of existing terminals and the construction of a new one capable of handling 20 giant Airbus A380s. Even this will be dwarfed by Dubai’s plans for a new monster airport by the middle of the next decade. With five runways, it is anticipated that it will be cater for 160 million people by the late 2020s.

Instead, those passengers will be asked to book in the 350-seat economy class zone on the main deck, which the airline has designated as its child-friendly zone. In a statement, the airline cites the availability of extra family-friendly facilities, including eight toilets for the lower-deck economy section and a dual aerobridge that offers “speedier/faster embarkation and disembarkation for this group of passengers.”

But the policy may have more to do with the comfort of its upper-deck fliers.   “Malaysia Airlines is trying to make its premium product on the A380 more appealing to the high-yielding business passengers,” said Shashank Nigam, CEO of SimpliFlying, a company specializing in airline branding and customer engagement. “They value their peace and quiet and [this way] can rest assured that they won’t be disturbed by kids on long-haul flights.”

Along with the new Airbus A380-800s, Malaysia Airlines has already reconfigured the first class cabins on the airline’s Boeing 747s to no longer accommodate bassinets, effectively making that section baby-free. Bassinets, however, are available in business or economy class. Some have called Malaysia Airline’s plan discriminatory to families. But child-free sections on airplanes would be “no different than the ‘quiet cars’ provided by train companies,” said Suzanne Rowan Kelleher, editor-in-chief of WeJustGotBack.com. “My guess is that many parents would opt for kid-free zones on planes when they’re traveling without their children.”

Kelleher said many family-friendly hotels and resorts now have designated spaces, such as spas, adult-only pools, fitness rooms and formal restaurants, where kids are not allowed. And most cruise lines offer adult-only areas such as pool decks and quiet restaurants. “Even Disney Cruise Line does this, much to the delight of adults on board,” said Kelleher.

Joe Brancatelli, publisher of the business-travel website JoeSentMe.com, understands those who would want babies and young children banned from the premium-class cabins. But he suspects that when it comes to other carriers following Malaysia Airlines’ lead, dollars may over rule toddlers. “I doubt anyone will match, although Asia is a unique market,” said Brancatelli. “But it comes to this: If a parent wants to pay to bring a child in a premium cabin, well, it’s hard to turn away the money.”

He may be right. In a memo clarifying its policy, Malaysia Airlines states, “Where there is overwhelming demand for seats in economy class from families with children and infants, resulting in full load in the main deck, we will still accommodate such demand in the 70-seat upper deck economy class zone of our A380.”

QANTAS pilots

Their union, the Australian and International Pilots Association, refused to reveal the contents of the documents, which were submitted to Fair Work Australia yesterday. It follows a long-running dispute between AIPA and Qantas, which came to a head in October when the airline grounded its entire fleet.

“We’re not making what we’ve put in our submission public, but it has gone in, absolutely,” an AIPA spokesman said. Qantas tabled its offer to the pilots in December, and Fair Work Australia will now begin a process of arbitration to nut out an agreement.

The dispute revolves around pay. But AIPA is also pressing for a Qantas flight-Qantas pilot clause in their new three-year enterprise agreement, to guarantee that all Qantas flights are flown by Qantas pilots or those on an equal deal.

The union is also continuing its challenge to Fair Work Australia’s decision to ban Qantas pilots from taking industrial action. The industrial umpire delivered the ruling in the wake of October’s mass grounding, also banning members of the Transport Workers’ Union and the Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers’ Association from taking industrial action.

On the occasion of the 30th anniversary, Khalifa Al Mazrouei, chairman of ADAC, said: “Abu Dhabi Airports Company is proud to be celebrating this special occasion and highlighting Abu Dhabi International Airport’s achievements over the past thirty years. “The emirate of Abu Dhabi has experienced remarkable development in this short period of time, with Abu Dhabi International Airport being a vital part of the capital’s growth. “Already established as a major international hub for travellers around the globe, Abu Dhabi International Airport is committed to further developing into a leading airport in the region, and a key contributor to the Abu Dhabi 2030 vision of economic diversification.”

The past 30 years have been particularly successful for Abu Dhabi International Airport in terms of airline and infrastructure developments. Etihad Airways launched in 2003 and then Terminal 2 opened in 2005 with a passenger capacity of two million passengers per year. Four years later in 2009, Terminal 3 was delivered, providing Etihad Airways with a dedicated terminal and a handling capacity of an additional five million passengers per year. In the same year, the 4,100 metres North Runway was completed doubling the airport’s runway capacity, while being the first airport in the UAE with CATIIIB capability.

In 2011, Abu Dhabi International Airport saw the completion of the iconic Air Traffic Control Complex, developed to enhance the capacity and efficiency of air traffic services at the airport and cater to the anticipated growth in air traffic in the years to come. During the same year, ADAC completed an enhancement and refurbishment project at Terminal 1 to align its facility and offerings to that of Terminal 3 and other world class airports.

Today, Abu Dhabi International Airport caters to 53 international airlines connecting Abu Dhabi with more than 85 destinations in over 49 countries globally. Passenger numbers have also continued to increase over the past 30 years positioning Abu Dhabi International Airport as one of the fastest growing hubs in the world.

In the coming five years, ADAC will be focusing on achieving further competitive milestones with the completion of the new Midfield Terminal Building (MTB), which is scheduled to open in 2017. The 700,000 square meter terminal building is a landmark project being undertaken in Abu Dhabi and the UAE, and will be able to handle 27-30 million passengers per year when it opens.

Kecskes was one of the founders of Wizz Air, the largest low cost airline in Central and Eastern Europe. At the airline she was responsible for branding and marketing where she developed the Wizz Air brand and defined all elements of the customer journey. As director of marketing and customer experience she successfully launched Wizz Air in 23 countries in Europe and spearheaded the annual marketing strategy, budget and communication plan including objective setting and strategies for building brand awareness and driving sales through cost efficient communication.

Previous airline experience also includes the position held as head of product and service development at Malev Hungarian Airlines where she was responsible for harmonising on-board and ground services and creating a reliable value chain for customers. At Malev she initialised the company’s re-branding project which also included a new long haul business product.

Kecskes started her career at DDB, a leading multinational advertising agency. In her role as account director she handled both multinational and local clients with full responsibility for client service activities, strategic planning, brand development and international project management.

Philip Saunders, chief commercial officer at Air Malta said, “Melinda brings with her a wealth of knowledge. She has a broad understanding of the challenges and opportunities involved in successfully developing new airline brands. Her experiences in both the airline industry and the advertising business made her the ideal candidate for this position. I believe she will be a key asset in the rebranding of Air Malta, which will bring about change in our customer’s journey from the reservation process to ground procedures, cabin standards and aircraft configuration.”

On taking up the appointment, Melinda added, “I am looking forward to facing the challenges ahead here at Air Malta. I am confident that together with my team, we can drive forward a new airline brand strategy to ensure a positive future for the airline, our staff and customers. I believe that Air Malta is in a strong position to continue as a main contributor to the development of tourism industry of the islands and I will be working with all stakeholders in the industry to achieve this.”

Rather than slavishly booking with the same airline to rack up reward points, Choice says you’re better off just hunting down the cheapest flights. “These points have become a virtual currency for airlines, you are better off finding the best flight deal and saving your money to spend elsewhere,” Choice spokesman Ingrid Just said.

“Unless you’re clocking up serious air miles or paying for more expensive seats when you do fly, you’re going to wait a long time before you earn enough points for a toaster, an upgrade or a ticket.” A review of Virgin Australia’s entry-level frequent flyer scheme found passengers needed to book 13 return flights between Sydney and Los Angeles to earn enough reward points to pay for the same trip once.

A bronze member of the Qantas reward program would need seven return trips between Sydney and Los Angeles to earn a similar freebie. Choice also criticised frequent flyer programs that allow passengers to swap points for products. A Virgin traveller would need to fly Sydney to Los Angeles return four times to earn a microwave worth about $129, it said. That would be an outlay of $6400 based on a $1600 return flight.

A Qantas bronze member would need to do the trip six times to get a television worth $439.

The announcement was made in a press conference during the World Routes Conference 2011 in Berlin from 2- 4 October, which was attended by Abu Dhabi Airports Company’s CEO, James E. Bennett, and COO, Eng. Ahmad Al Haddabi, along with senior officials from the Department of Transport, Etihad Airways, Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority, and the UAE Embassy in Germany.

At the press conference, Jim Bennett highlighted the importance of Routes coming to Abu Dhabi as with an event at this magnitude will give Abu Dhabi Airports a golden opportunity to showcase to the Routes audience, Abu Dhabi as a business and leisure destination, as well as the award winning services that Abu Dhabi International Airport is offering to its airlines-partners. The conference will offer a platform for the company to share the success story of the capital’s airport and bring an in-depth insight of the airport’s impressive expansion and development plans for the years to come.

Eng. Ahmad Al Haddabi presented the portfolio of Abu Dhabi as a destination and promised the delegates of Routes 2012 a unique voyage into the Emirate to experience its cosmopolitan mix and the harmony offered between heritage, culture and modernity.

Commenting on the event, Mr. James E. Bennett, CEO at Abu Dhabi Airports Company, said: “Hosting the next Routes in Abu Dhabi demonstrates the Emirate’s position as a leading driver in the aviation industry. We look forward to welcoming aviation professionals to see our dynamic city and discuss the growth opportunities of air services to Abu Dhabi. The event will showcase Abu Dhabi as a thriving business and tourism destination and it gives us great honour to be the next hosting company.”

The World Routes conference is an industry-wide renowned event in the aviation sector’s calendar. It is attended by senior and decision making personnel including airlines, airports, industry bodies, and is a yearly event rotated worldwide and has proven to be an excellent networking, business building and social event. The 18th World Route Development Forum Abu Dhabi 2012 is expected to be the largest ever planned, as 3,500-4,000 decision-making delegates are estimated to attend the event.