A phantom menace plaguing the London cloudosphere has been discovered:
The airline BMI is to scrap a phantom service after it emerged that the company is flying an empty passenger jet between Cardiff and Heathrow in order to retain valuable slots at the London airport. The 124-seat plane shuttles between the airports six times a week but carries no passengers and no tickets are sold. BMI operates the empty services because if it did not it would lose its take-off and landing slots under "use it or lose it" rules at Britain's biggest airport.
We've said it before and we'll probably say it again, but all together now; What. The. Fuck?
An environmental group yesterday said BMed's strategy underlined the aviation sector's indifference to the fight against global warming. The group, Plane Stupid, said: "It is absolutely crazy that they are flying around these planes. It shows that airlines do not take climate change seriously. They have a free-for-all and they can do what they want." The 140-mile flight between Heathrow and Cardiff emits 5.2 tonnes of carbon dioxide.
More background here.
