Red Arrows flypast TODAY as RAF squad to soar over Midlands and south of England - TIMES
THE RED ARROWS will fly over swathes of the country today on their way to the Farnborough Airshow for its last day.
Queen’s Jubilee: Red Arrows appear in flypast
The jets are due to perform a flypast at the show just before midday today. Pilots from the RAF squadron are expected to fly from their base at RAF Scampton in Lincolnshire at 11.58am, heading to Farnborough via Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Hampshire.
The last time the Red Arrows were spotted was as the jets made their way to the Goodwood Festival of Speed on June 26. Before that, the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team could be seen wowing crowds celebrating the Queen's Platinum Jubilee.
Queen Elizabeth II watched from the balcony of Buckingham Palace as 72 aircraft flew overhead, including the Red Arrows, Typhoons, Apache helicopters, Spitfires and a Lancaster bomber.
Noted for their distinctive Diamond Nine formation, the Red Arrows pilots fly distinctive Hawk fast-jets. They have been displaying since 1965.
This year is the team's 58th season. At the start of this year, Red Arrows pilots have flown almost 5,000 displays in 57 countries, according to the RAF.
Farnborough Airshow returned this year after a four-year hiatus caused by the Covid pandemic. It is one of the aerospace industry's biggest events with 1,500 plus exhibitors from 48 countries, according to the organisers.
Miami-based airline investor 777 Partners ordered 30 MAX at Farnborough in a deal which could rise to 66 planes if options are exercised.
The deal came after a deal for 100 MAX 10 airliners from Delta Air Lines on Monday, seen as a boost for a model the future of which has been clouded by an elusive, year-end deadline for certification in time to avoid costly rule changes.
Lessor ACG ordered 12 737 MAX while Delta Air Lines placed an order for 12 A220 jets from Airbus. Regional plane makers Embraer and ATR have also announced deals during the biennial event.
Farnborough marks the aviation industry's biggest meeting since the outbreak of COVID-19 pummelled air travel and fractured supply chains. Parts makers are still struggling to get back up to speed.
The head of conglomerate General Electric, Larry Culp, said on Monday: "We have an industry grappling with a downturn and (then) a bounce-back at a challenging time for the economy."
Tim Clark, president of Emirates, warned for airlines the battle back from the impact of the pandemic will likely take until next year.
He added this year the airline industry had to simply "tough it out".
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EasyJet CEO Johan Lundgren said on a visit to the airshow the low-cost airline had stabilised its flight operations after cutting its summer schedule in June, but melting runways and air traffic control (ATC) restrictions were not helping during a "challenging summer".
He added easyJet's daily operations were back to pre-pandemic levels after the cuts, which followed caps on capacity at London Gatwick and Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport.
Mr Lundgren said at the Farnborough Airshow on Tuesday: "We can't help if runways are closed down because they're melting, we have help if air traffic control puts restrictions into the flow system. But the things that actually are within our control, that's been stabilised."
Flights at London Luton Airport were temporarily disrupted on Monday after soaring temperatures caused a defect in its runway, prompting airlines including easyJet to divert planes.
Red Arrows flypast schedule today - Friday, July 22
11.58am - RAF Scampton
Midday - Fiskerton
12.03pm Billingborough
12.07pm - Stapleford
12.12pm - Northampton
12.15pm - Buckingham
12.20pm - Bishopgate
12.22pm - Ramsbury
12.24pm - Newbury
12.28pm - Odiham
12.30pm - Farnborough Airshow
12.31pm - Holybourne
12.37pm - Ford
12.45pm - Market Harborough
12.51pm - North Searle
12.53pm - RAF Scampton
Luton's runway was closed for nearly two hours, prompting airlines to delay or divert flights as temperatures rose above 40C for the first time in Britain.
A spokesperson for the airport said today that a long-standing patch repair to a small section of the runway - the equivalent of 0.2 percent of the entire surface area - became so hot it began to lift. They added it was repaired within two hours.
The spokesperson said the runway is built to the same specification as others in Britain and meets industry safety standards as well as regulations.
They added: "We continue to evaluate all options regarding the ongoing maintenance and long-term resilience of all of our infrastructure."
The record temperatures in Britain have ratcheted up pressure on global aviation to shrink airplane emissions and turn a raft of potential solutions - many of which are yet to be proven - into reality.
The airline industry, responsible for nearly three percent of global carbon dioxide emissions, faces formidable challenges to meet ambitious goals to cut emissions. Global airlines and aerospace manufacturers have vowed to reach net zero by 2050.
The boss of plane maker Airbus said the heatwave was a strong reminder of the need for urgency.
Guillaume Faury said: "I consider there is urgency, speed is of the essence in the transition. And in an industry that is hard to abate ... we need to be moving fast."