That Was The Week That Was: 19 – 23 March
In Noel Coward’s Private Lives, the central couple rely on ‘the inspiration of the moment’ for their communications strategy. That, of course, assumes that it is not going to be a moment completely without inspiration. This week, the week that was, we can sympathise. After last week’s poetry, this was a week completely without poetry. It did not even rhythm or attempt to do so. No, this week was a week for naked short-sighted greed. Monday started with the news that Africa has overtaken Europe as the preferred destination of Chinese tourists. The tourism industry likes to remind us, regularly, that one in five new jobs will be in the tourism sector. The Bulgarian presidency of the Council of the European Union has had a major focus on tourism, and attracting Chinese tourists in particular. In a week when the drums of a trade war have moved from background to centre stage, this is going to be interesting. Because on Tuesday, the TRAN Committee of the European Parliament voted for what can only be called a ridiculous version of the revision of Regulation 868 – the so called ‘Fair Competition’ regulation. It is hard to imagine a more unfair, protectionist, short-sighted, trade destroying piece of legislation, or to be fair, draft legislation, in the history of trade wars, but no doubt the European legacy carriers loved it. It perhaps goes without saying that the Aviation Intelligence Reporter will look into these things this month. On the other hand, Ryanair’s move on the eastern European market by acquiring almost 25% of Niki – now Laudamotion, making it sound like something taken against the vapours – will be less good news for the legacy carriers, or one of them, anyway. The 25% will rise to 75% in the near future, according to Ryanair; that is, of course, if DG Comp gives its blessing. By Wednesday, the stupidity of the TRAN Committee was becoming public. The airports’ association had realised that the draft TRAN Committee draft was a total disaster and was not afraid to say so. Sadly for the ACI, the extreme right and Euro-sceptic ECR group – yes, it counts UKIP as a member, as well as the UK Tories –also dislike this proposal, on anti-protectionism grounds. Distasteful partners are one thing; cold hard cash is another. Word started circulating of the incentives various remoter Chinese airports have been giving to well-known European legacy carriers. Surely this could not be the sort of thing that calls for ‘redressive measures’??!!?? It just might be. The only way to avoid that would be to tell the truth. The truth. You know, you have heard of it. A brave track, but hey, if you want to stop nasty foreign carriers, you need to be clear. If it was being truthful, the proposed revision will just say that ‘European airlines are exempt. This is an attack on foreign carriers’. There, fixed that for the Committee. So to Thursday and the legacy carriers were in serious need of a diversion. Step forward the French controllers. When all else fails… On cue, unable to stop themselves, even when to do so might be to their advantage, down went the tools. The A4E wasted no time in hitting back, noting the ruination of your holidays. Spoiler alert – they are shattered. Now would be a good time to relearn the word ‘staycation’ etc. Europe’s economy risks irretrievable damage, etc. Intolerable, etc. By Friday, things were getting out of hand on the trade war front, so we reverted to that old stand-by, a new runway at Heathrow. Right runway, IATA thundered, wrong price. The appropriate response here is to put away your irony-o-metre, and sit back and enjoy the ride…Trackback from your site.