The BBC’s love of the EU is blind and knows no bounds. Here, Richard Black – showing crass ignorance of the laws of supply and demand – bellyaches that the nasty Chinks (his spitefulness makes Diane Abbott look tame, but this is a greenie item, so no holds are barred) are daring to complain about Brussels’ puntive new aviation tax. His breathtakingly naive argument is that Chinky airlines make obscene, nasty capitalist profits so why worry – and in any case it only amounts to a few dollars a ticket – so who gives a stuff? Actually Mr Black, US airlines – never mind China for a second – say it will cost them billions of dollars. But in Mr Black’s lavish never-never land of cash-from-the licence fee will buy my air ticket to Durban or wherever I please, such trifles clearly do not matter.
In the real world of competition and tight margins,a dollar remains a dollar – no matter how devalued it has become under Obama – and this new tax is a pointless, nasty piece of legislation that is one more nail in the coffin of European competitiveness. The BBC should be highlighting its likely negative impact rather than offering such repression an unqualified puff.
The article could have been lifted straight from Atlas Shrugged.
I wonder, should Richard Black read a book like Atlas Shrugged, would he associated himself with the National Science Institute, a moocher, a looter or John Galt himself? In my view he is a shoo in for a number of the characters in the book, and none of them agree with John Galt.
To people like Richard Black, “Atlas Shrugged” is a How-To Guide, not a warning.
Amusing Chicken Littleism from ‘Wolfiewoods’ in the comments below.
“It is totally unacceptable that at a time when the earth is facing climate catastrophe in which half the human population are likely to die, people are still indulging in flying. We only have 5 years to sort things & many people have realised that flying, like driving is immoral. To the rest of you I ask is your lust for travel more important than your children? The survivors will want answers.”
Must be a spoof.
“The BBC should be highlighting its likely negative impact rather than offering such repression an unqualified puff”
No, the BBC should (impartially) give both sides of this argument. Then, of course, Black’s ignorance and arrogance could be shown up for what it is (which defeats the whole object of the BBC Narrative).
Another reason for Black to be opposed to China:
China Buys Stake In US Shale Gas Fields
The Chinese argue that the fuel efficiencies that their airlines are insisting upon are based on high quality technical solutions offered by the market place.
They regard the ETS as a tax not an incentive to leverage efficiency.
Evidence:
“China Southern selected Honeywell’s 131-9A APU, the most commonly used APU for single-aisle commercial transport, operating on more than 1,700 aircraft. An APU is a small turbine engine that provides bleed air for main engine starting and electrical power for cockpit and galley systems. Honeywell’s 131-9A averages more than 10,000 hours between unscheduled repair events, a more than 60 percent improvement over other APUs in its class size.
“With a de-rate modification that reduces fuel consumption by 5 percent, further reducing emissions and total cost of ownership over the APU lifetime, the Honeywell APU can offer operational savings of more than $10,000 in fuel savings per aircraft, per year,” said Mike Madsen, Honeywell Aerospace Vice President, Airlines. “It also provides a 10 percent power advantage over other APUs, which allows it to cool or heat the cabin two minutes faster.”
Honeywell’s APU on-aircraft maintenance costs are up to 36 percent less than other APUs because of the simple design.
Honeywell will provide its 131-9A APU to China Southern for 20 new Airbus A320s to be delivered over the next three years. The long-term supply agreement covers 36 existing A320s, 71 existing B737s, as well as 20 new A320s and 65 new B737s.”
Well done, Honeywell.
The ETS is a tax….not a stimulus to efficiency…..which the EU is attempting to foist upon the world’s aviators….using ‘climate change’ as a pretext.
All airlines are in the business of efficiency….its a free market…and no tax is going to make them more fuel efficient.
But let’s be under no illusions here—both ETS and APD are being used as revenue streams for hard-up governments and not for environmental protections measures.”
–European Parliament Transport Committee chairman Brian Simpson
Brian Simpson is the Labour MEP for the North West.
Over to you, Richard B.
Early in this morning’s Today programme the issue was being discussed – and the interviewee correctly pointed out that everyone in air transport makes profits – the airports, suppliers, etc but NOT the airlines. He added that China is suggesting as one retaliatory measure that it will stop buying Airbuses, will use Boeing instead.
Nice one, I thought. But the BBC guy shrugged it off as probably a bluff. What a bloody fool.
Heard Cameron being hounded about the Euro and the perceived differing accounts of the last summit when Nick Clegg was said not to know what was going on(Today 6.1.12-8.10am).
As Norman Tebbit said in his blog-no mention of Europe and the Euro with Cleggy when HE was on yesterday.
In short-Evan doesn`t care less about Europe except that he wants more of it…and if it can be used to pass gossip between coalition types then that is the only debate worth having.
The Chinese must be very scared…Evan Davis and a well-hidden baguette.
Think China daily has its new Paxman when they take over…maybe Graham Norton could play him in the biopic to come!
Losing hundreds of millions of dollars is “trifling”? Only to a Marxist. This is a classic example of the driving ideology behind Warmism, as we all told David Gregory years ago. Black is a destructive force.
The BBC should start a campaign that nobody buys televisions made in China and shipped round the world to us so we can watch the BBC …. on second thoughts … may be the BBC people should never buy anything that`s airfreighted (including drugs ) …. um well … put the spotlight on bogus asylum seekers who hijack planes to come here ….??
How about the BBC dont use air travel ?