Blanca Garcia

EU Aviation Giants Slam Proposed Non-CO2 Emissions Exclusion as “Absurd” and Potentially Illegal In a strongly-worded joint letter, leading European low-cost airlines easyJet, Ryanair, and WizzAir have voiced opposition to the proposed exclusion of extra-European Economic Area (extra-EEA) routes from the European Union’s non-CO2 Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV) system. The airlines argue that such an exclusion would significantly undermine the scientific value of the MRV and potentially breach EU law. The MRV system is a critical tool designed by the European Union to gather data on the non-carbon dioxide (non-CO2) effects of aviation. These effects include contrails, nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulphur dioxide (SO2), water vapour, and other emissions like soot and aerosols. While the impact of CO2 emissions is well-documented, the non-CO2 effects are less understood but are believed to contribute significantly to global warming. The MRV aims to advance scientific knowledge in this area by collecting comprehensive data from the aviation sector. However, the proposed exclusion of extra-EEA routes has sparked controversy. The airlines argue that this would create a misleading impression that long-haul flights, which are suspected to generate the most significant non-CO2 effects, have no impact. This could misdirect future mitigation measures and damage the aviation sector’s reputation, which is already under scrutiny for its environmental impact. #airlines #co2 #emissions #eu #mrv Eóghain M. (easyJet) Giovanni Zucchetta (Ryanair - Europe's Favourite Airline)

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Boeing v Singapore Airlines two different approaches to a crisis: lessons for every leader Boeing has become the equivalent of a corporate Pinjata following a series of high profile safety events that has seen its share price more than halve over the past five years. Singapore Airlines has been there in the past, however its response to recent extreme turbulence events demonstrates a much more effective approach to managing its reputation in a crisis. Two recent articles probe the relative merits (or lack thereof) in each Airlines' management of these high profile reputation impacts: Boeing from 'Chief Executive' online “Lessons from Boeing’s Ongoing PR Crisis” and Singapore Airlines from Gordon Smith of Skift “Singapore Airlines Delivers a Masterclass in Crisis Communications.” If you are a CEO, Board member or leading an organisation, understanding Boeing’s missteps and Singapore Airlines proactive response brings sage lessons for every organisation. Here’s my take on the top three lessons to learn: 1.     Get proactive? Singapore Airlines has won plaudits for its rapid and proactive response to fill the information vacuum; in complete contrast to its historical approach in the face of disaster, it got out early with the facts. Singapore Airlines CEO Goh Choon Phong was out quickly on social media with a factual video which also communicated the right balance of empathy. By contrast Boeing has been heavily criticised for bunkering down and for letting the narrative getting ahead of the issue. This made it look like Boeing had not even prepared for an obvious risk. From experience, the facts are difficult to be on top of in the early phase of an incident and the last thing an organisation should do is communicate something uncertain. However, there is almost always room for a brief factual holding statement with what is known early in the process to inject the organisations' position into the narrative. 2.     Communicate regularly and consistently   Singapore Airlines gets high marks for consistent messaging & being proactive across its social networks. It also promised to provide regular updates and made it easy for those impacted (families) to engage. Boeing also did this well, making sure that all its communication came from the same source, placing CEO Dave Calhoun at the centre. Organisations need to keep updating important audiences as the situation progresses, particularly staff. 3.     Prepare, prepare, prepare A rapid response capability is the only defence in a rapidly evolving situation. Boeing has been criticised for seemingly not anticipating this risk might come into play and therefore being behind the eight ball when the incident happened. Too often there is an organisational complacence in this space. You will not have time go get this in place in real time. #csuite #leadership #crisismanagement #reputationmanagement

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Thank you Mitra Sorrells for the opportunity write about the four systemic changes in how aviation’s carbon emissions are regulated that will be required for it to reach net zero. While each of us in tourism must reduce our emissions we will have very limited impact on total emissions without systematic change to managing aviation’s emissions - which a paper in Nature forecasts will grow to 22% of global CO2 emissions by 2050. As tour operators, agents, service providers, accommodation owners and destination managers we cannot accept the exceptionally light touch given to regulating aviation’s emissions. Our futures - and given the scale of aviation’s future emissions - the planet depend on regulators getting to grips with aviation.

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There are 3 things I'd like to share about our new campaign website: 1️⃣ It's simple 2️⃣ It's not perfect 3️⃣ ❤️ it! Can it convince passengers that single pilot operations are dangerous? Well, maybe not on its own. But it gives our audience plenty of material to help them make an informed decision. #onemeansnone #safetystartswith2 European Pilots

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MJets Air Acquires Seventh Aircraft, Targets Fleet Expansion by 2025 - MJets Air, a Malaysian-based charter airline, is set to expand its operational capacity with the acquisition of its seventh aircraft, a Boeing 737-400SF. The aircraft is being purchased from JPA No.161 Co., a Japanese entity, for US$4.6 million in cash. This strategic move aligns with MJets Air’s ambitious plan to increase its fleet size to 13 aircraft by the end... - https://lnkd.in/d6EBQ_DY

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You may have seen Aviation Business News report on the findings in the Digital Maturity Report on the world's 50 more popular airlines last month. Well, we also recorded an edition of ABNcast on it with report author Hayley Bonnick, global head of marketing at Remarkable Group. ✈ 🛬 💻 🖱 ⌨ In this episode we chat about the findings and how the aviation sector is faring on the whole as it strives to take advantage of the retail revolution that is being driven by digital technology. 📈 💳 💲 📲 https://lnkd.in/ewMpTRNT #airlines #aviation #digital #digitaltransformation #digitalmaturity #ecommerce #online #rertail #retailing #modernretailing #retailrevolution

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I'm sure we've all had experiences recently of flight delays being attributed to ATC or slot issues- I myself sat on the tarmac for an hour before departing when trying to fly home recently- things really are creaking at the seams. Airlines want to operate their flights on-time and efficiently but the state of Europe's airspace and ATC system is making that challenging during the busiest time of the year. Weather can be a challenge yes, but when at least a quarter of delays (on a good day) are still being caused by ATC capacity issues, something needs to change. A good first step would be to have more effective coordination between airlines, ATC providers or ANSPS as they're known and Eurocontrol to ensure as much as possible that capacity is being placed where there is the demand. You can read more in the Financial Times piece below which quotes Airlines for Europe (A4E) MD Ourania Georgoutsakou

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[CASE STUDY] As regulators and political leaders react to media amplifications of passenger experience failures, it is becoming clear that there is a lack of focus on the customer in global aviation. There are real reasons for this. Hyper-competition. Complex systems. Disability charities and "advisory" boards acting as (poor) proxies for passenger demand. Profit-seeking entities - airports and airlines - must reset from 30 years of layered "regulatory spaghetti". Step back from chasing shiny objects and engage in proper customer research and design/systems thinking. Ask us how. At The Return on Disability Group, we do this every day. (A hint to regulators...you can nudge this along too. For the benefit of passengers and a critical industry in the global economy.) #aviation #airlines #airports #pwd #disability

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Etihad 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐨 is expanding its 𝐔𝐒 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 by adding 𝟐𝟓𝟎 𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐬 to its current 500 tonnes of weekly capacity to 𝐍𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐡 𝐀𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚. New flights will service 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐘𝐨𝐫𝐤, 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐠𝐨, 𝐖𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐨𝐧, 𝐁𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐧, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐨𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐨, with connections via European gateways like 𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐛𝐨𝐧, 𝐁𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐚, 𝐌𝐚𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐝, and 𝐑𝐨𝐦𝐞, in partnership with network airlines. 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐚 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐨 𝐀𝐢𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬 is also boosting its transpacific capacity through a new hard block space agreement with 𝐀𝐅-𝐊𝐋𝐌 𝐂𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐨, allowing the use of Air France’s belly capacity from 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐬 to 𝐒ã𝐨 𝐏𝐚𝐮𝐥𝐨 starting 1 July. Research and Markets forecasts 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐳𝐢𝐥’𝐬 𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭 to reach $𝟖𝟕.𝟔𝐛𝐧 𝐛𝐲 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟖, highlighting lucrative opportunities for Chinese ecommerce entities. 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩 has signed an MoU with 𝐙𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐳𝐡𝐨𝐮 𝐀𝐢𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭 to enhance e-commerce traffic with increased flight frequencies, a multimodal hub, and improved road and rail links. Despite growing concerns over e-commerce scrutiny from the US and Europe, FedEx is adapting to market changes, retiring 22 Boeing 757 aircraft to achieve $2.2bn in cost savings for fiscal 2025. Stay tuned for more updates! Source: The Loadstar #GlobalShipping #Logistics #TradeRoutes #GlobalTrade #GLA #GLAFamily #GLADaily #GlobalNews #GLADaily

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The momentum is growing for a new generation of aircraft flying faster than the speed of sound and passengers dashing from Brussels to Sydney in just three hours. However, we are still years away from civilians traveling routinely again at the speed of sound. An incipient air travel revolution aims to reduce both time travel and fuel consumption. Faster travel would bring space closer. European Space Agency - ESA is looking at the challenges and opportunities in the air and space industries to build vehicles flying at hypersonic speeds in Earth’s atmosphere and beyond...https://lnkd.in/gKx7Jax3

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The high-pressure environment of aviation communications demands a unique set of resilience skills. From my time working alongside Ryanair's CEO to leading communications at Wizz Air, I've experienced firsthand the challenges this industry presents – including, but not limited to, two crash landings in Rome; one in Ciampino and one in Fiumicino. My #1 rule to stay resilient ever since? Don't fly to Rome. 😉 To thrive amidst constant change and unexpected events (let's not forget when the CEO of Ryanair - Europe's Favourite Airline unexpectedly announced we'd charge for lavatory visits on board and all hell broke loose!), I've developed a four-pronged approach to resilience: Proactive Planning: Always anticipate potential crises and develop contingency plans to mitigate risks. This ensures preparedness for even the most unforeseen situations. You'll feel in control, and that makes a huge difference. Strategic Workload Management: Front-loading tasks and staying ahead of deadlines creates valuable breathing room when emergencies inevitably occur. A prime example is the "toilet fees" media frenzy: having all campaigns running smoothly allowed me to dive in fully and manage that self-inflicted PR crisis. Strong Team Collaboration: Building and nurturing a cohesive team that can effectively share the workload and leverage diverse perspectives is vital. I built great teams in the airline business, and in recent years working in tech, I've again confirmed the value of a great team. The outstanding team at Scout24 Schweiz AG and SMG Swiss Marketplace Group consistently kept pricing watchdogs at bay and avoided negative media whenever price hikes occurred. But remember, you must relentlessly work on building the right culture for this to happen. Prioritizing Well-being: Adequate sleep, finding joy, and maintaining a healthy work-life balance are crucial for managing stress and avoiding burnout. A good sense of humor also helps to navigate the inevitable turbulence. These strategies have consistently helped me navigate high-pressure situations and maintain effectiveness in the fast-paced world of communications. What resilience techniques have you found valuable in your career? Share your insights and let's continue to elevate our practice together. #aviationcomms #crisismanagement #resilience

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The CrowdStrike episode has provided the latest evidence of why the world needs a diverse air transport system, in which the flexibility of business aviation plays an important role. Business aviation is well aware of its sustainability challenge and is acting on it. It should talk more confidently about its progress and its other important contributions to society and the economy. In my latest blog post I argue that a more balanced public narrative about business aviation is overdue and would serve everyone well. https://lnkd.in/eFvMCikx #businessaviation #bizav #reputationmanagement

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Some mainline carriers have announced plans to restart pilot classes in early 2025, signaling a potential rebound in pilot hiring. Regional affiliates have announced plans to resume hiring with the expectation of higher pilot attrition. https://lnkd.in/dSeYuEje .

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Elon Musk's TOP 10 RULES for SUCCESS 💫 hashtag 1️⃣ "Speak things into existence" (Translation ➡️ Thoughts become Things...) 2️⃣ “Think big and dream bigger” (Translation ➡️ Since we’re going to be thinking anyway — might as well thing big...) 3️⃣ "I don’t ever give up! I’d have to be dead or completely incapacitated... before I’ll quit” (Translation ➡️ Winners never quit; quitters never win...) 4️⃣ “I think it’s possible for ordinary people to choose to be extraordinary” (Translation ➡️ To be extraordinary, you merely have to add that “extra” to everything you ordinarily do...) 5️⃣ “Don’t confuse schooling with education. I didn’t go to Harvard, but the people that work for me did” (Translation ➡️ Perhaps there’s more to knowing than just “knowing”...) 6️⃣ “Your company is built on great products” (Translation ➡️ Great products sell themselves...) 7️⃣ “Take risks now. Do something bold. You won’t regret it” (Translation ➡️ The biggest risk is taking no risk at all...) 8️⃣ “Life is too short for long-term grudges” (Translation ➡️ Too err... is human. To forgive... is divine.) 9️⃣ “When something is important enough, you do it even if the odds are not in your favor” (Translation ➡️ As that great ancient Roman poet Virgi taught us, “Lady Fortune favors the bold.”) 🔟 “I sleep in my office... Work like hell.” (Translation ➡️The only thing separating the dreamer from the dream is a bridge called WORK...) ns.

🌍✈️ How Can We Truly Decarbonise European Aviation? ✈️🌍 ✨ It was such a pleasure speaking with Amon Cohen and sharing my thoughts on the future of aviation in Europe for Business Travel News Europe! 🚀 With GHG emissions from aviation forecast* to keep rising 📈—despite EU measures like ETS and ReFuelEU Aviation—and little appetite to curb flights given the renewed focus on competitiveness 💼, the big question is: how do we square the circle? 💡 Mario Draghi highlights we need €61 billion annually** 💶 to decarbonise aviation alone. So, where do we find the money? 💪 I’m not saying it’s impossible—but we must start having honest, solutions-driven conversations about the scale of the challenge and what’s required to meet it. As Zig Ziglar said: "You cannot solve a problem until you acknowledge that you have one and accept responsibility for solving it." 🔑 💬 What’s your take? How do we align ambition with action? Let’s talk! #Aviation ✈️ #Decarbonization 🌱 #Sustainability 🌍 #EU 🇪🇺 #ClimateAction 🌟 * EEA GHG Forecasts for Aviation: https://lnkd.in/enHjGvYY ** Draghi Report: https://lnkd.in/e_TPRR2G

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There can be no daylight between government relations, public relations and investor relations. Watching Boeing CEO David Calhoun testifying to the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. Questioned about the "gobbledygook" the government relations folks provided to the committee in response to questions, Calhoun looks at the document and agrees with the description. Putting aside whether the CEO of an extremely important and troubled company wasn't consulted before providing BS information to a Senate committee, this becomes a PR and an IR problem. As a PR person who worked closely with both, I can attest that they are the Relations Trinity of every public company. In an interconnected world where information is rapidly shared and digested on social media and elsewhere, these functions need to be highly coordinated and consistent. That's even more critical when a company is struggling with safety, transparency, legal and other issues as well as facing potential prosecution from the Justice Department. #boeing #investigations #PR #oversight

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