Page 42 - World Airnews Magazine June 2020 Edition

FUEL

AIR BP PROVIDES SUPPORT

s the impact of COVID-19 touches
Aevery corner of the globe, Air

BP has supported communities across the
globe in which they operate through a

number of initiatives.

In Australia Air BP worked with their pro-
curement team to donate 35,000 N95 masks
to the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) for
their frontline staff. The donation builds on a life-saving work during the pandemic. All

long-standing relationship with the organiza- these services are charitable organisations Aviation Oil Co. has been working round the clock

tion which spans decades of providing bespoke that the company already supply with jet to maintain aviation fuel supplies for chartered

fuelling services. Air BP has been a national fuel. Yorkshire air ambulance and Great flights carrying medical and relief equipment to

partner of the RFDS for the past three years. Western air ambulance receive fuel directly Wuhan and other cities in China.

Also in Australia, Air BP’s rapid response from Air BP, whilst Wales air ambulance and Jon Platt CEO Air BP said, “We are pleased

helped to keep a Qantas Sydney to London Midlands air ambulance charity are supplied to be able to play our part in supporting our

‘Kangaroo’ route going after Singapore banned by Air BP customer Babcock International. communities during these difficult times.

stopovers in late-March. Air BP provided an In the US Air BP donated three million Our commitment to safe, reliable fuelling

average of 266,000 litres of fuel per flight at gallons of jet fuel to customers FedEx and operations remain unwavering and we’re

Darwin airport, enabling aircraft to continue Alaska Airlines to support the timely deliv- grateful for the hard work of our front-line

on the historic non-stop 16-hour flight. ery of medical supplies and other essential Air BP operators who continue to enable us

to meet the needs of our customers.”

In France Air BP supported an initiative goods, such as food and mail, to areas of

led by Aviation Sans Frontières, an aviation the US at the greatest risk for COVID-19. Air BP’s efforts form part of the wider

charity dedicated to providing humanitarian The company will also offset the carbon BP response to COVID-19, which includes

assistance. The company donated 60,000 litres emissions of all donated fuel deliveries a (US) $2 million donation to the WHO’s

of jet fuel for flights that transported medical through the BP target neutral programme. COVID-19 solidarity response fund;

staff and equipment between French hospi- supporting mental health across the UK;

tals. The flights were carried out free of charge IN CHINA, AIR BP HAS BEEN providing free fuel to UK emergency

when requested by medical authorities. With PROVIDING SUPPORT THROUGH service vehicles; providing discounted fuel

more than 50 locations in France, Air BP is TWO JOINT VENTURES for first responders, doctors, nurses and

positioned to support this critical service. To date, the South China Blue Sky joint venture hospital workers in the US and donating

In the UK, Air BP provided free jet fuel for has fuelled more than 800 epidemic relief and BP’s supercomputing capability to help halt
use by the helicopters of a number of UK repatriation flights. Meanwhile at Shenzhen the spread of the virus. Q

air ambulance services, supporting their Airport, staff working with Shenzhen Chengyuan

AIRLINES
BRITISH AIRWAYS TO CUT JOBS
port,” said BALPA in a statement. 15.2 percent. Seat load factors fell by just
“BALPA does not accept that a case has 4.3 percent, to 76.4 percent. IAG indicated

ritish Airways has launched a been made for these job losses and we that much of the decline occurred during

Bconsultati on process likely to will be fighting to save every single one.” March. The group has cut passenger ca-
pacity by 94 percent in April and May.
result in 12,000 layoffs among its 42,000 Announcing preliminary results for the “In the last few weeks, the outlook for the

staff. The move was confirmed in a first quarter, IAG said total revenues fell by aviation industry has worsened further and

statement issued by the UK carrier’s par- 13 percent, to €4.6 billion (US) $4.9 billion, we must take action now,” said BA chief ex-

ent group, IAG, which also owns Spain’s compared to €5.3 billion (US) $5.7 billion ecutive Alex Cruz in a statement headlined

in the same period in 2019. Mainly due to
Iberia and Ireland’s Aer Lingus. the impact of a €1.3 billion (US) $1.4 billion "Preparing for a Different Future."

The airline has requested talks with hit resulting from adverse hedging on “There is no government bailout stand-

trade unions and it is unclear, for now, how fuel and foreign currency rates, the group ing by for BA and we cannot expect the
many of the company’s approximately incurred a pre-tax loss of €535 million (US) taxpayer to offset salaries indefinitely,”

4,500 pilots and 16,000 cabin crew might $580 million. Its statement indicated that Cruz said. “Any money we borrow now will
lose their jobs. Pilots union BALPA said it the majority of this loss was accounted only be short-term and will not address

intends to oppose the proposed layoffs. for by BA. During the first three months the longer-term challenges we will face.”

“This has come as a bolt out of the of 2020, passenger capacity, in terms of Earlier this month, BA announced that
blue from an airline that said it was available seat kilometres, dropped by 10.5 it was using the UK government’s job
wealthy enough to weather the Covid percent during the first quarter, while retention scheme to furlough 22,626

storm and declined government sup- revenue passenger kilometres declined by employees. Q
World Airnews | June 2020
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