International airlines have joined the attack by their Australasian counterparts on airport regulation, saying a “light-handed” approach has not delivered the expected level of services.

The Board of Airline Representatives of Australia said a  recent member survey about the cost and quality of airports reinforced the failure to deliver the high-quality services envisaged 15 years ago.

BARA, which represents the interests of international airlines serving Australia, said it acknowledged progress and improvements by airports as and when they were delivered.

“Members, however, are operating on a day-to-day basis with airport services that can fall below their reasonable expectations and below the standards they consider to be commensurate with the charges levied,’’ BARA executive director Barry Abrams said.

“Underpinning these issues, most agreements with airlines still fall well short of being commercially-balanced.

“Airlines often have no contractual rights to enforce any minimum standard over the availability of services and limited or no financial remedy if the services are either not available or sub-standard.”

The battle between airlines and airports is heating up ahead of ann expected Productivity Commission review of airline economic regulatory arrangements.

Industry group Airlines for Australia and New Zealand (A4ANZ) recently issued a report saying airport profit margins are up to double those of other airports around the world operating in competitive markets or with greater regulation.

READ Australian airports’ profits excessive claims new report.

The report, with analysis from Frontier Economics,  argued that passengers were paying the price of privatization in the absence of the restraints on monopoly power.

It claimed Australia’s four main airports were collecting 25 percent more revenue per passenger than they were 10 years ago in real terms but the quality of services had not improved.

Meanwhile, airfares had fallen more than 40 percent over the same period.

The Australian Airports Association said the A4NZ claims were not borne out by the facts and airports had invested more than $A11.5 billion on airport improvements in the past decade.

“Attracting international airlines and growing competition has been key to the rise of the tourism industry as a powerhouse of Australian small business and regional economies,” AAA chief executive Caroline Wilkie said.

The AAA also rejected A4NZ ’s claim about airports’ use of market power, saying the argument ignored robust negotiations between airlines and airports to deliver runways, terminals and technology to meet passenger needs.

BARA pointed to a 2015 Productivity Commission research paper that said rising household incomes and lower travel costs remained the main drivers of inbound tourism in Australia.

Disclosure: Steve Creedy provides content for the Australian Airports Association’s  The Airport Professional website.

All that’s missing is a James Bond supervillain and a white cat  —  Airbus already has in place a  holographic globe that can be used to telegraph a dastardly plan to the British superspy before seeing it thwarted at the 11^th hour.

Welcome to Airbus Corporate Jet’s new Harmony cabin, a swirling concept that could fit easily into the world of arch-villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld and his vodka Martini-loving nemesis.

This is not a cabin designed for the hoi polloi, but for those with the significant wherewithal to allow them to leave behind the tighter confines of traditional business jets for the luxury of a widebody.

Originally designed for ACJ330neo family, it can also be used on other widebodies such as the ACJ350 XWB.

Neither aircraft is cheap —  the 2018 list price for an A330-900neo passenger version is $296.4 million — but what you get is space and range.

Read: Airbus and Zodiac to develop sleeper cargo berths.

Airbus puts the range of the 58.82m-long plane, which has new fuel-efficient engines and aerodynamic tweaks such as sharklets, at 17,400km with a passenger load of 25.

The company says this means the aircraft can fly “nonstop to the world”

The manufacturer’s new concept adds some 007 pizzazz with concentric circles designed to emulate the ripples in a pond.  It says this and widebody benefits such as space, comfort and quietness produce “a consistently harmonious customer experience”.

“Harmony is a timeless and elegant design concept because we dare to break the conventions that are traditionally imposed on us as cabin designers,’’ says ACJ head of creative design Sylvain Mariat. “Our creativity needs to be unique to fit the needs of our customers, as befits a host receiving their guests in their ‘world above the world’.’’

The holographic globe shows the aircraft’s position as passengers enter, with a master bedroom, office and bathroom to the left.

The spacious lounge has seating grouped at round tables designed to encourage social interaction with a conference table at the back.

Behind that are four VIP suites, offices which convert into a bedroom with an ensuite bathroom and shower.

Seating for support staff and a galley make up the rear of the cabin, which can be adapted to serve both private and government customers.

The company has more than 190 corporate jets in service on every continent, including Antarctica, but it is not the only manufacturer offering bigger business jets.

Rival Boeing Business Jets announced this week it had so far won four new orders this year after selling 16 jets in 2017.

Boeing said two of the new orders this year are for the single-aisle BBJ MAX, adding to a backlog of 19 aircraft.

Based on the new 737 MAX passenger plane, the BBJ MAX delivers 14 percent better fuel efficiency thanks to advanced engines and improved aerodynamics.

The aircraft is capable of flying 7,000 nautical miles (12,964 km) and features a lower cabin altitude, bespoke interiors and 787-style flight deck displays.

Cabin crew have been given new tools to identify an ancient evil that still stalks one in 200 people worldwide and uses air travel as a major vector for spreading misery.

The International Labour Organisation estimates about 40 million people were victims of modern slavery in 2016 with women and girls accounting for more than 70 percent of that number.

But how do you tell when someone’s nightmare is beginning?

The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)  and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for  Human Rights   (OHCHR) have joined forces to help cabin crew identify victims of people trafficking.

ICAO believes the use of aircraft by international traffickers increases the likelihood airline staff will face-to-face with victims and perpetrators.

It says cabin crew members are in a unique situation where they can observe passengers over a period of time, allowing them to use their observation skills to identify potential victims.

The training provided 14 indicators to help cabin crew.

These include a person who avoids eye contact and social interaction, avoids and distrusts authority figures or law enforcement and is not in control of his or her documentation.

A victim also may not speak the same language as the person with whom they’re traveling, could have no money or personal items and be wearing clothing that does not fit the destination or weather.

The document also covers the procedures cabin crew, pilots and airlines should follow if they identify a suspect.

Read: Australian safety oversight in ICAO top six.

“The development of these joint ICAO-OHCHR guidelines will help improve the awareness of cabin crew concerning the various types of trafficking they may encounter, who the victims and perpetrators are, and the signals to be looked for to confirm a trafficking incident,” said  ICAO secretary general Dr. Fang Liu.

“Critically, this document will also provide cabin crew with the reporting and response procedures should they find themselves confronting a potential trafficking situation.”

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein described the jointly produced guidelines as a powerful tool to protect and help victims of human trafficking.

“By coming together, the UN Human Rights Office, ICAO and the wider aviation sector now have the means to play a significant role in ending a despicable crime that uses and abuses people and crushes their human rights,’’ he said.

“Together, we can make a real difference in standing up for the rights of victims trapped in modern-day slavery.”