Drunk US pilot blames 'strong British beer'

A US pilot who attempted to fly a packed Boeing 777 while twice the legal alcohol limit has blamed strong British beer for his recklessness.Captain Joseph Crites told a court that UK beverages are stronger than drinks in America, and he did not realise they would put him over the legal limit.

The American Airlines pilot was arrested at Heathrow Airport in May, when security guards smelled alcohol on his breath as he attempted to board his plane.Captain Crites has an otherwise unblemished 40-year record, which Judge Sam Katkhuda said had been taken into consideration during sentencing.

The former Air Force pilot escaped with a fine, despite facing a maximum penalty of two years behind bars for performing an aviation function while intoxicated.Appearing before Isleworth Crown Court, barrister Neil Fitzgibbon, mitigating, recalled the events of May 20 after entering a guilty plea on behalf of his client.

"He did have some drinks," Mr Fitzgibbon confirmed. "But the only thing he can suggest to explain this is that he had some unfamiliar beers, which were stronger than those he was used to."Captain Crites has been flying airplanes for some 40 years and, during that time, there has never been the slightest hint of anything untoward. He is a consummate professional aviator of the highest standards and integrity, for whom safety has always been paramount."

Handing down sentence, Judge Sam Katkhuda said: "It is a shame to have somebody like you in my court and it must be very distressing for you and your family."But flying an aircraft, as you well know, carries with it a special responsibility. The rule is no alcohol, or if there is, it must be minimal. What you consumed was too much."Captain Crites was ordered to pay a fine of £1,500, with £300 costs.

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Ryanair to axe flights from Manchester Airport

Ryanair is to cut nine out of the ten routes it flies from Manchester Airport following the airport's recent refusal to cut its costs.The routes that will cease, from October 1, are: Barcelona (Girona), Bremen, Brussels (Charleroi), Cagliari, Dusseldorf (Weeze), Frankfurt (Hahn), Marseille, Milan (Bergamo) and Shannon.

However, flights to these destinations will be switched to East Midlands, Leeds Bradford and Liverpool airports.Passengers with bookings on these routes will be contacted and offered a refund or the alternative of flying to some destinations from East Midlands, Leeds Bradford and Liverpool airports.

In a release on its website, the Irish airline said: "This move will result in the loss of 44 weekly Manchester flights, 600,000 passengers per annum and up to 600 local jobs."Ryanair continues to lowe air fares to encourage travel, but with passengers paying lower fares airports must lower their charges – particularly high cost airports like Manchester, London (Stansted) and Dublin."

In July, Ryanair said it would cut the number of aircraft based at Stansted Airport and scale back its presence at Dublin Airport this winter.Andrew Cornish, Managing Director of Manchester Airport, told TTG Live earlier today that the airport would not "prostitute itself". He said: "Ryanair made us an offer we could refuse. We are not prepared to prostitute ourselves to have the market trashed."

Iceland Express plans Birmingham-Reykjavik flights

Quirky Icelandic low-cost airline Iceland Express is planning a link between Birmingham and Reykjavik next year.The seasonal service is expected to run on Sundays, for just 13 weeks. Flights will touch down at Keflavik International Airport, located 50km (30 miles) southwest of Reykjavik.

Matthias Imsland, CEO of Iceland Express, told : "We are proud to be able to serve another UK destination and look forward to working with Birmingham International Airport."Our new route will make flying to Iceland more convenient for people living north of London and we cannot wait to begin the service.

Paul Kehoe, Chief Executive Officer of Birmingham Airport, also welcomed the news, commenting: "This weekly service will give passengers the chance to visit the world’s most northerly capital and sample the delights of whale watching, horseback riding or relaxing in spectacular geysers.

"Initially this service will be seasonal from July to September, however we are confident this service will prove to be popular so we can work with Iceland Express to make this a year round service flying on more days per week in the near future."

BA extends online upgrades to front cabins

British Airways is extending its online upgrade scheme to allow passengers travelling on certain World Traveller Plus and Club World tickets to upgrade to Club World or First respectively.The paid upgrade scheme is currently only available to passengers in BA’s Euro and World Traveller economy cabins.

A BA spokeswoman told Times Online: “The upgrade offer is only available for flights that have no offers attached to them, is restricted to specific booking classes and will not apply to all flights - it will be offered tactically.She added that all benefits for the upgraded cabin would apply, including increased baggage allowance, lounge access as well as Tier Points and BA Miles.The cost of upgrades will vary by route but start from £399.

Customers must have booked at least 14 days before departure and be booked in either T or E class in World Traveller Plus fares or in C class in Club World (for UK bookings) to qualify for an upgrade.Passengers from outside the UK travelling in Club World in C, D, I and R classes will qualify for an upgrade to First.Anyone booking through a travel agency will be offered an upgrade if they visit ba.com 24 hours before departure.

BAA unveils £1bn Heathrow Terminal 2 plans

The development project, formerly known as Heathrow East, will boost passenger numbers at the terminal to 30 million per year by the time it is completed in 2019.It involves the construction of a brand new 185,000 sq metre (2 million sq ft) building, which according to BAA will produce 40 per cent less CO2 than the current site.Computer-generated images released by BAA show a modern facade featuring ten-metre high windows and undulating roofs mounted with solar-panel.

The new terminal, which by 2019 will also have subsumed the adjacent Terminal 1, will become home to Star Alliance airlines such as bmi and Lufthansa.Its development forms part of a £4.8 billion investment programme being overseen by BAA. Recently, the Spanish-owned airport regulator conceded that Terminal 2 "was designed for a fraction of the number of people that now use it – in simple terms, it is too small".

But once redeveloped, the new building will be capable of handling 30 million people – significantly more than the design capacity of terminals 1 and 2 combined."This is an exciting project, for the engineers ... and for our airlines and passengers," affirmed Steven Morgan, BAA's Capital Director. "We are constructing a significant new building in the middle of one of the world's busiest airports, and ensuring the operating airport is not affected is an absolute priority."

Lufthansa gives passengers 'sunshine insurance'

People who booked flights with Lufthansa can now claim compensation if their holiday is blighted by rainclouds, the German flag carrier confirmed today.Under the terms of its new 'sunshine insurance' scheme, the airline will pay €20 per day for up to 10 days to anyone whose vacation is disrupted by wet weather.Lufthansa defines a rainy day as one in which more than 5mm of rain falls per square metre.

Its 'sunshine insurance' will apply on routes from Germany to 36 destinations, with all travel dates in September and October eligible if booked before August 18.The promotional offer includes rain-prone US cities such as New York and Washington DC, in addition to traditional sunspots like Barcelona, Cairo, Madrid and Istanbul.

Unveiling the novel scheme, Lufthansa said in a statement: "If the sunny stay hoped for by many is spoiled by rain, maybe €20 (£17) compensation will brighten the mood."

Lufthansa Offers Compensation for Rainy Days

What's worse than rain every day of your beach vacation? Not much, actually, but when you add up all the money you spent on sunscreen, beachwear and the flights and hotels for your beach vacation, the rainy day blue truly sink in.One airline is offering a small silver lining in the sky. Book and international flight with Lufthansa and if it rains while you're on vacation, the airline will pay you 20 euros (approximately $28) for every day you're rained out.

No, it won't pay for the entire trip, but the extra money will get you a few more cocktails at the hotel bar or provide the extra money you need to buy yourself something special from your washed out trip.Lufthansa is capping the payout at 200 euros and the 'sunshine rate' is available only on flights departing from Sept. 1 to Oct. 31.The offer applies to 36 European and worldwide destinations, including Barcelona, Madrid, Rome, and Tel Aviv.