Posted on 03/16/2008 6:44:56 PM PDT by Paleo Conservative
British Airways has sparked an environmental row by flying a jumbo jet 6,000 miles to Hong Kong without a single passenger on board.
The Boeing 747 made the 11-hour trip manned by just four flightdeck crew, while all 300 seats behind them remained empty.
During its journey from Heathrow, BA Flight 0027 burned a massive 140 tons of fuel – the equivalent of filling 5,400 family-sized cars – and emitted 329 tons of CO2.
Passengers due to board the aircraft last Sunday were told by BA staff that not enough cabin crew were available for duty and they caught a later flight.
It is thought that scores more planes are being flown without passengers all over the world.
Today, another BA jumbo due to fly from Heathrow to Bombay in India is expected to have no passengers on both its outward and return journeys. The 9,000-mile round trip will burn at least 200 tons of fuel and emit 486 tons of CO2.
BA claims on its website that it is "leading the climate change debate" in the aviation industry to reduce the carbon footprint and that the "most senior people at British Airways are taking a leading role".
It adds: "Together, we promote technology that helps limit the impact of aircraft."
But Greenpeace climate campaigner Anna Jones said: "Aviation is now responsible for 13 per cent of the UK's impact on the climate, and this figure is rising fast.
"While the airlines tell us they desperately need new terminals and runways, they fly empty planes halfway across the world.
"Gordon Brown needs to get a grip on this industry before its wastefulness ruins our chances of tackling climate change."
And Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Peter Ainsworth said last night: "This is a stark example of the perverse way in which the aviation industry works.
"It is utterly ludicrous that at a time of growing public concern about aviation's contribution to climate change, British Airways is operating ghost flights in order to keep its take-off and landing slots at airports."
A BA spokesman said that although the flights did not have any passengers, they carried extra freight.
He added: "The flights would have flown as part of the schedule anyway, so no extra emissions are being created.
"This is about minimising customer inconvenience wherever possible and ensuring that as many flights in our schedule operate as planned."
Jets emit all manner of air pollutants and the only one the environutjobs are concerned about is C02? LOL! They have gone even wackier than I ever thought they would.
That, to me, is the bottom line.
Or do some people on this forum want to have it so they can make it their business. And if we can make it our business, then someone else can make what we do their business. If we can veto this waste, someone else is free to declare our activities a waste. That destroys liberty, that destroys the rights we otherwise seem to deem precious.
Further, we had better not get in the mindset that the supply of hydrocarbon fuels is a zero-sum game, as if when someone uses fuel we somehow get a veto right over that usage, or that their usage somehow deprives us of the fuel we might want to buy. To imply that is to imply ignorance of the free market and supply and demand. Do we really want to go down that road? I don't think so.
This aircraft sure polluted a whole lot less than when our own Federal Government allowed Yellowstone Park to burn to the ground.
Their plane...their gas.
what about the cargo? what about the positioning of the plane for the return flight?
Remember this is hysteria by the SHADOW minister. Essentially a MINORITY PARTY person trying to make political points.
This is a non-issue.
Yeah, can’t the airlines do the equivalent of Space A?
That said, have the enviro wackos ever noticed the number of completely empty buses, etc., that tool around cities disguised as “mass transportation”? Who lobbied for that?
If they need to reposition their planes to cover another flight, what do you suggest they do? Glide there? They’re not flying for the hell of it.
And Shadow Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Peter Ainsworth said last night: "This is a stark example of the perverse way in which the aviation industry works. "It is utterly ludicrous that at a time of growing public concern about aviation's contribution to climate change, British Airways is operating ghost flights in order to keep its take-off and landing slots at airports."
And if it's not in position at the next stop, perhaps even a bigger "waste" of fuel occurs.
Liberals need to mind their own business.
But what about this one?
"Today, another BA jumbo due to fly from Heathrow to Bombay in India is expected to have no passengers on both its outward and return journeys. "
It's not up to ecoterrorists and hysterical global warming nut-jobs to determine what is the correct use of someone else's property.
You said a mouthful there. I agree 100%
The passengers were probably put on other flights. But BA still has contractual obligations to carry cargo. I'm in the pharmaceutical industry. Tons of our material flies commercial. And we need it on time.
Oxygen is much heavier than hydrogen. The math is very likely correct.
-ccm
CH3-[CH2]n-CH3 + ((3n+7)/2)O2 --> (n + 3)H2O + (n + 2)CO2
Oxygen from the atmosphere is much heavier than the hydrogen in the fuel. The math is very likely correct.
-ccm
Bombay is a shorter flight, so the plane needs less fuel.
Al Gore has put them in a bind. They can’t prove they are serious about “climate change” unless they waste a lot of fuel on pointless jet flights.
I feel the same way.
I liked it better when people minded their own business.
If I own an airplane, truck, or battleship; I will do with it what I please, so long as I remain legal.
The way the laws are going, I, too have lived too long.
Two passengers in the first row of first class look at each other across the aisle but say nothing.
About 35 minutes later an explosion is heard emanating from the left side of the plane and as passengers shriek it can be seen that flames are coming from the engine on the left side, closest to the fuselage. Again, after about 30 seconds of agitated attention from passengers in the cabin the pilot comes over the PA system and says "Ladies and Gentlemen, we've had another slight problem, this time with the number three engine and it has been shut down. Remember this is a very modern jetliner and is designed to be capable of operating on 2 engines, in perfect safety. However, this means our airspeed will be reduced and, unfortunately, we will now arrive in New York City about 1 hour and 15 minutes late. I apologize for this inconvenience. Please relax and enjoy your flight."
The first passenger looks across the aisle and rolls his eyes. A similar expression of frustration is reflected in the facial gestures of the second passenger.
About 45 minutes later a sputtering sound is heard emanating from the left side of the plane and as passengers look left it can be seen that raw fuel is gushing from the outboard engine. Once again, after a short period of agitated attention and commotion from passengers in the cabin the pilot comes over the PA system and says "Ladies and Gentlemen, this is a very unusual situation, but we've had another slight problem, this time with the number four engine failed and was leaking fuel - it has been shut down and the fuel supply to that engine has been shut off. Remember, this is the most modern jetliner in service today and every redundancy possible has been built into this airliner, all for your complete safety. This plane is perfectly capable of operating on 1 engine, again, in perfect safety. However, this means our airspeed will be reduced even further and, unfortunately, we will now arrive in New York City about 1 hour and 45 minutes late. I apologize for this inconvenience. Please relax and enjoy your flight."
The first passenger rolls his eyes again and slams his newspaper down on the tray table. He turns to the passenger across the aisle and exclaims "Great! I have a $100K bonus riding on that sales meeting and now I'll miss it!"
The passenger across the aisle nods in disgust and says "I sure hope the 4th engine doesn't fail - or we'll be up here all day!"
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