Travel Health & Environment Watch

Airguide Online, Dec 1, 2008

Nov 30, 2008

Public not told of TB exposure. Manifests not given for a quarter of flights probed for possible TB exposure, report says. Passengers who may have been exposed to infectious TB on at least 15 long-haul flights into and out of Canada were never notified because airlines failed to share information with federal health officials, The Globe and Mail has learned. A Public Health Agency of Canada report obtained under Access to Information legislation says the unnamed airlines either refused or failed to provide manifests and other passenger details on more than a quarter of the flights it investigated for possible tuberculosis exposure between 2006 and 2007. Following international guidelines, PHAC normally identifies passengers who sat in the five rows around an infectious patient. Letters are sent via local public health authorities to these "contacts" to recommend a follow-up skin test. Without passenger information, contacts weren't identified and no letters sent. The agency opted against other measures, such as going public with flight details. The report, which notes a dramatic increase in the number of such cases in Canada, raises questions about Ottawa's ability to manage, track and control the spread of TB and other types of contagion on airplanes. The agency insists there was little risk to passengers, that problems with information-sharing no longer exist, and that airlines have fully co-operated this year on 40 new aircraft-related TB cases - though there is no legal requirement for them to do so. Nov 24, 2008

Air New Zealand, Boeing, Rolls-Royce

Air New Zealand is to operate a demonstration flight from Auckland on 3 December using a Boeing 747-400 with one of its four Rolls-Royce RB211 engines powered in part by fuel that is 50% standard Jet A and 50% synthetic paraffinic kerosene derived from the jatropha plant and refined by Honeywell subsidiary UOP. During processing, hydrogen was added to remove oxygen from the biomass, resulting in a jet fuel that can be used as a petroleum replacement for commercial aviation. Rolls-Royce's technical team tested the fuel for compatibility with jet engine components and to validate the fuel meets performance criteria for use in the aviation industry. Nov 25, 2008

Carlson Wagonlit Travel

At the Carlson Wagonlit Travel seminar on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in London last week, one of the questions discussed was what effect would the adoption of green principles have on the level of travel. The same question was posed, although in a different way, at the joint forum of the Belgian Association of Travel Management (BATM) and the Association of Corporate Travel Executives (ACTE) in Brussels on Thursday. Nov 27, 2008

Ford Motor

Boeing veteran says U.S. automakers are on right track now. Confession is good for the soul, but Ford Motor Co. Chief Executive Alan Mulally argued Wednesday that his company is on its way to redemption from its days of filling the road with weighty, gas-guzzling vehicles. "It's all about the products: We decided to make cars that people really do want. It's a very sophisticated plan," said Mulally, combining optimism toward the future with an acknowledgment of his company's previous bad judgment. Nov 27, 2008

United Airlines, Boeing

A United Airlines Boeing 747-400 flight from Sydney to San Francisco on 14 November concluded "fuel-optimised" demonstrations in 2008 for the Asia and South Pacific Initiative to Reduce Emissions (ASPIRE), but regulators would like to see further participation next year. The Federal Aviation Administration, Airservices Australia and Air New Zealand signed up to ASPIRE in February in a move designed to accelerate the development of air traffic control procedures designed to reduce emissions. The FAA says northern and western Pacific service providers and Asian flag carriers are likely to join ASPIRE, and more demonstration flights may follow as early as the third quarter of 2009. Nov 25, 2008

Virgin Holidays, Ecoventura

Ecoventura was awarded with the Virgin Holidays Responsible Tourism Award for Best in a Marine Environment, one of 13 overall categories. Judges noted that Ecoventura contributes to scholarships for education and helps local women develop micro-businesses. Ecoventura was also recognized to be among the first cruise operators to be independently environmentally audited. The award was presented to Santiago Dunn by Justin Francis, managing director of responsibletravel.com, organizers and founders of the awards, and Amanda Wills, managing director of Virgin Holidays, headline sponsor of the awards. This year, a record 1,976 nominations were received from travelers around the world voting for tourism ventures that provide outstanding holidays that also benefit local people and destinations. To see all the winners, click on The Daily Telegraph at www.telegraph.co.uk:80/travel/hubs/greentravel/3447775/Responsible-Tourism-Awards-the-winners.html. For more information, visit www.ecoventura.com or www.galapagosconnection.com. Nov 26, 2008