SeaWorld celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2014 but it also marked another anniversary - 50 years of holding orcas captive for ‘entertainment’ purposes. Orcas live in tight family groups who usually stay together for life. SeaWorld ripped many of these wild families apart in the 60s and 70s. Although they don't capture from the wild anymore, they now breed orcas from as early as 6 years old. In the wild, orcas do not start breeding until they are around 15. Impregnating orcas so young has resulted in many mothers rejecting their calves or being aggressive towards them and mothers not knowing how to nurse properly which leads to their calves dying within the first few months. Surviving calves often have to be raised by trainers. Without any bond to their mothers, these orcas do not learn how to nurse and cannot bring up their own offspring. Captivity causes orcas mental distress, as seen in Tilikum (pictured above), who was involved in the death of three humans, and Kasatka, who dragged her trainer Ken Peters under water multiple times in an attempt to drown him in 2006. I do not want to see these beautiful creatures suffer any longer. I also do not want to see another human being die in these theme parks just because the owners of these parks cannot let go of their traumatised star attraction. WDC, Whale and Dolphin Conservation, a charity I am a supporter of, are backing my calls for British Airways to stop working with SeaWorld. In response to WDC’s recent campaign, Virgin Holidays are looking carefully at their future relationship with the captivity industry. I hope BA will step up to the mark and do the same. We ask BA to stop selling trips to SeaWorld. After 50 years of making millions of dollars profit for SeaWorld's Shamu Stadium, we want to see a better future for these magnificent, intelligent and socially complex whales. BA responded positively to WDC’s campaign asking cargo airlines not to transport live whales and dolphins captured in the wild. We hope they will extend their positive response to our wish for an end to the suffering these orcas endure in confinement in the name of ‘entertainment’.Photo credit: P.Wigmore

Der berühmte Vergnügungspark SeaWorld in Florida, Kalifornien und Texas, feierte 2014 Ihr 50-jähriges Jubiläum. Das Jahr 2014 kennzeichnet jedoch noch ein weiteres Jubiläum – 50 Jahre, in denen Orcas von SeaWorld in Gefangenschaft gehalten und zu Vergnügungszwecken zur Schau gestellt wurden. Der Film BLACKFISH (zum Trailer) erklärt gut, was für furchtbare Folgen die Gefangenschaft hat. In den letzten Monaten haben Menschen auf der ganzen Welt dafür gesorgt, dass große Firmen, Stars und Sponsoren Ihre Kooperation mit SeaWorld beenden. Mit dieser Petition fordere ich die Fluggesellschaft British Airways dazu auf den Verkauf von Reisepaketen nach SeaWorld zu beenden. Wir wollen eine bessere Zukunft für Orcas - eine Zukunft ohne Zwang, ohne künstliche Befruchtung und ohne dauerhafte Trennung von Familienangehörigen. Schwertwale leben in sehr engen Familienverbänden, die normalerweise ein Leben lang zusammen bleiben. SeaWorld riss viele dieser Familien zwischen 1960 und 1970 auseinander. Da SeaWorld keine Schwertwale mehr aus freier Wildbahn fangen darf, züchten sie jetzt Orcas in Gefangenschaft ab dem Alter von nur 6 Jahren. In freier Wildbahn pflanzen sich Schwertwale in der Regel nicht vor dem Alter von etwa 15 Jahren fort. Die Weibchen so früh zu befruchten hat oft dazu geführt, dass die Mütter entweder ihre Kälber abweisen oder ihnen gegenüber aggressiv werden und dass viele Mütter zu jung sind um zu wissen, wie sie ihr Jungtier aufziehen und ernähren können, wodurch viele Kälber in den ersten paar Monaten ums Leben gekommen sind. Jungtiere, die überlebt haben, müssen oft von Tierpflegern per Hand aufgezogen werden. Diese Jungtiere lernen ohne die enge Bindung zu ihrer eigenen Mutter jedoch nicht, wie sie selbst ihren eigenen Nachwuchs großziehen können. Schwertwale in Gefangenschaft leiden unter psychischem Stress. Das kann man bei dem Orca Tilikum sehen (im Bild oben), der in drei Todesfällen von Menschen involviert war sowie bei Kasatka, die 2006 ihren Tierpfleger Ken Peters mehrere Male unter Wasser gezogen hat, vermutlich um ihn zu ertränken. Ich möchte diese wundervollen Geschöpfe nicht länger leiden sehen. Des Weiteren möchte ich, dass keine Menschen mehr von Orcas in Gefangenschaft getötet werden, nur weil die Eigentümer dieser Parks nicht auf ihre Star-Attraktion verzichten möchten. Erst kürzlich hat der Reiseveranstalter "Virgin Holidays" nach öffentlichem Druck von Whale and Dolphin Conservation verkündet, dass sie ihre Beziehung mit der "Gefangenschaftsindustrie" in Zukunft gründlich unter die Lupe zu nehmen. Letzte Woche hat die amerikanische Fluggesellschaft Southwest Airlines verkündet, dass sie ihre 25jährige Partnerschaft mit SeaWorld NICHT FORTSETZEN WERDEN und nach dem Auslauf ihres momentanen Vertrages keine Reisen mehr nach SeaWorld verkaufen werden. Ich hoffe sehr, dass British Airways dasselbe tun wird. Wir fordern BA dazu auf keine Reisen nach SeaWorld mehr zu verkaufen. Wir wollen, dass diese prächtigen, intelligenten und sozialen Lebewesen nach 50 Jahren, in denen sie nur geschuftet haben um millionenschwere Profite zu erwirtschaften, eine bessere Zukunft vor sich haben. Photo credit: P.Wigmore

Manchester Airport is one of the busiest airports in the UK, yet they still do not have a hoisting solution for their disabled passengers. This is something which their two main competitors, Heathrow and Gatwick, have already achieved. Hoists are essential for many disabled people to allow them to be transferred safely, comfortably and with dignity. When my younger brother has to travel by plane he- like many other disabled people- has to be dragged onto a dreaded aisle chair, transferred and dragged again into his seat. This long process would be uncomfortable for anyone, but for many disabled people it is downright painful. The ‘dragging’ is usually done by (well-meaning!) airport staff. This kind of man-handling by strangers is obviously humiliating and uncomfortable, not only that; it is also unsafe. He usually gets injured somehow during the whole exhausting process. These experiences are not unique to my family. In 2008 Christopher Stott’s chair tipped over during transfer onto a Thomas Cook plane, causing him to fall to the floor. Being paralysed from the shoulders down, he required help to get back up, but found that staff could not adequately help him [1]. These kinds of stories are everywhere; you only have to look for them to see how many people are struggling with the lack of provision for disabled people.Why this is still seen as acceptable I have no idea. This lack of provision means that many disabled people do not or cannot fly. It’s bad enough that my little brother can’t access the toilets on planes, but the fact that he is even excluded from getting on in the first place is even more distressing. These barriers exclude so many people, BUT there is a simple solution! Transfer hoists would allow so many more disabled people to get out and see the world and to have the same opportunities as their able-bodied counterparts! And hoists are not only a necessity for many disabled passengers; they’re also more time-efficient than the current systems, meaning airlines have quicker turnaround times. Virgin Atlantic recognise that these hoists are vital for many of their disabled passengers and have been contacting Manchester Airport, but they have also been ignored. However, airlines such as Thomson, Ryanair, EasyJet and British Airways have failed to support the use of these hoists at Manchester Airport. It is time that these airlines, the airport and OCS realise just how vital these hoists are for so many people and how urgent it is that they get them. I hope that this petition will mean that Manchester Airport, OCS and the airlines finally commit to helping their disabled passengers.   [1] http://www.reducedmobility.eu/20141030513/The-News/british-war-hero-ben-parkinson-mbe-humiliated-on-thomas-cook-flight.html  

Dear BA, I am writing on behalf of the musical community in Europe regarding a recent incident in Amsterdam Schiphol Airport on 4 June 2016.  Cecilia Bernardini, a violinist flying from Amsterdam to London for a concert at the prestigious Wigmore Hall, was forced by BA staff to carry her 18th century Italian violin on her lap with no case, while her case (not designed for rough travel) containing three valuable bows was checked into the hold.   This is unacceptable behaviour by the BA staff; while of course we musicians understand the many stresses associated with working at an airport desk, we believe that BA needs to understand that the instruments we carry around are not just the tools of our trade but also priceless works of art.  If any instrument or bow were to be damaged because the staff insisted on its being transported in an unsafe manner, it would be a tragedy not just for the individual musician but for the dozens of musicians who will play it in the future and the thousands of audience members who could have been moved and inspired by the instrument.   You say on your website that “at the core of our brand lies 'To Fly. To Serve.'... our promise to our customers.”  This promise was broken in Schiphol, but we would like to work with you to repair the relationship of the musical community. Currently, easyJet has a very clear policy that allows musical instruments including violins and violas, which are somewhat longer (although generally slimmer) than the usual carry-on luggage size, to be carried on. I call on BA to institute a similar policy to clearly allow musical instruments to be carried on as hand luggage - otherwise musicians will be forced to go to other carriers which allow us to carry our instruments.  This policy should be made available on your website and circulated to all airport staff.  Your current policy allows far too much leniency for staff to insist on checking violins/cases into the hold, even when (as was the case with Cecilia) there is plenty of space in the overhead lockers. BA in the past has always been known as a good airline for musical instruments, so let’s work together to ensure that this continues. Best wishes, Paula MuldoonLondon-based violinistMember, Musicians’ Union (UK)M.Mus Guildhall School of Music & DramaB.M. University of Michigan  

After almost 28 years of supersonic travel, Concorde was prematurely retired in October 2003 and despite British Airways pledging to keep one Concorde flying in a heritage capacity, Concorde has not left the ground since 26th November 2003. On that date, a new global campaign was formed - the Save Concorde Group - with the the sole objective of seeing this aircraft fly again in a heritage capacity. In the first 12 months, and with the lack of today's social media tools which back then could probably have prevented Concorde's demise, a 25,000 strong hand-signed petition was delivered to the Prime Minister at 10 Downing Street to call upon the Government's immediate intervention to assist with getting Concorde airborne again. Unfortunately, that Government (and subsequent ones since) have felt unable to intervene in this issue as they feel they have no locus to intervene in Concorde which is a wholly privately owned asset of British Airways. Nearly 12 years on since the final flights, it still remains entirely possible that Concorde could fly again as there is no technical reason prohibiting it flying again. The only issues preventing Concorde from flying again are simply political on many fronts. For more than a decade, speculation has been rife amongst enthusiast groups when discussing Concorde flying again and how much it would cost. Some have estimated £15m, others have guesstimated at several hundred million pounds. However, with the lack of a feasibility study having been commissioned, NOBODY knows. In 2009/10, SCG directly questioned British Airways, who remains the owner of their Concorde fleet despite them resting in museums since they were retired, if they would release a copy of this feasibility study they claimed to have undertaken having previously stated in any media responses that their conclusion was it was not commercially viable. However, British Airways' CEO Willie Walsh, stated to us that he did not know if such a study even existed, never mind if it had been carried out and what it's results were with a view to sharing that with us. When it comes to aviation history, Britain is a serious player and every corner of the British Isles oozes anecdotes and items of major national interest. This has been epitomised in the last few years with various flights by the Red Arrows and the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight who grace our skies at events of major national interest such as the 2012 London Olympics and Her Majesty The Queen's Diamond Jubilee throughout which Concorde was nowhere to be seen. And later this year, the Avro Vulcan XH558 will fly for the last time having successfully been restored to heritage flight capacity by the Vulcan To The Sky Trust. All we ask, is for Concorde to have her rightful place amongst such festivities and we call upon British Airways, Airbus SAS, Air France and the British and French Governments to put aside the history of why Concorde was prematurely retired and collaborate in the same spirit Concorde was born from in co-operating to determine whether we could see Concorde fly again. http://www.saveconcordegroup.co.uk/http://www.facebook.com/saveconcordegrouphttp://www.facebook.com/groups/saveconcordegroup/http://www.twitter.com/save_concorde

BA sells trips to SeaWorld where whales and dolphins are held in tanks and forced to perform. This is cruel and must stop. With your support we can end the suffering. Join us and ask BA to stop selling tickets to SeaWorld.

BA sells trips to SeaWorld where whales and dolphins are held in tanks and forced to perform. This is cruel and must stop. With your support we can end the suffering. Join us and ask BA to stop selling tickets to SeaWorld.

British Airways and Virgin Atlantic control over 80% of all direct flights between the UK and the Caribbean. Both companies operate a fares policy which discriminates against travellers who begin their journey in the Caribbean. For example, a passenger starting their journey in the Caribbean has to pay up to 80% more to travel on the same plane, at the same time and on the same day as a passenger starting their journey in the UK. This unfair discrimination should be stopped. Passengers starting their journey in the Caribbean should have access to the same fares as those starting their journey in the UK.

We see many, many petitions for wonderful causes where we believe that by signing a petition it will make a difference and force action to correct a wrong. These are normally for cruelty, unjust behaviour and unfairness in some way or form that does harm to another, whether man or animal. This petition is asking you to make the lives of our pets easier when they enter the UK from abroad. It may seem trivial to you but for many it will be an emotional relief to know that our pets can travel into the UK, as allowed by the British authorities, in a manner that does not endanger their lives and the trauma caused by traveling cargo. PLEASE READ ON AND LET ME HAVE YOUR SUPPORT, THANKYOU…. We all love to hear about progress and expansion and how our lives are made easier when we travel to and from the UK by air, sea and rail. However, as a pet loving and friendly nation, has anyone realised that it is practically impossible to bring a small pet into the UK via air, sea or rail! I prefaced my comments when I mention small pets. Did you know that nearly all around the world a pet owner can board a plane, boat or train and travel with their pet across borders. Small pets, classified as being less than 5kgs, including their transportation kennel, can travel as hand luggage in the cabin. This is because, as you can imagine a small animal cannot be put through the trauma of traveling as unaccompanied baggage in the hold of an aircraft. Even on cross channel ferries, pets are not allowed unless you have a car and the pet is kept in the car for the entire crossing! Trains also, such as the Eurostar do not have the facility to allow pets to travel with passengers into the UK! And all this from a pet loving nation! Traveling to the USA with our pet from Europe is great! We board the plane anywhere in Europe with our pet in his carry-bag and on arrival in the USA we declare him at customs where the department of agriculture representative, checks his papers, simple and very pet friendly! Thank you USA! Why is it so difficult for the UK to adopt such a system? DEFRA (Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) in the UK have removed the requirement for all animals to land as manifested freight (in the cargo hold!). However, airlines must have their 'Required Method of Operation' (RMOP) approved by DEFRA and as yet; none have chosen to present their amended RMOP's for approval. Pets would still need to be collected by the Animal Reception Centres directly from the aircraft and have their microchips and paperwork verified, in accordance with domestic legislation. Airlines are also legally obliged to give the centre 24 hours pre advice of arriving animals. Airlines may have difficulty in complying with these requirements when flying pets as baggage and certainly in the cabin, but much work has been done by The Animal Reception Centres, DEFRA and BAA (British Airports Authorities) to remove unnecessary obstacles. The Animal Reception Centre of Heathrow Airport expect RMOP's for baggage pets to be presented by some airlines, but it is really now down to passenger demand influencing changes to airline procedures. THAT IS WHY I AM ASKING YOU TO SHOW ME AND YOUR FELLOW PET LOVERS YOUR SUPPORT BY CREATING THE DEMAND AND ALLOWING OUR PETS TO TRAVEL AS CABIN BAGGAGE! I have written to BA, Lufthansa, Swiss, and Aegean Air to understand their implementation plans and I am waiting pensively for their reply. I have also contacted Eurostar and the ferry companies that operate cross-channel links to the UK and have drawn a blank. The standard response is that they have no plans to all pets as hand luggage on any of the trains or ferries! It is through desperation that I ask you to SIGN THIS PETITION and support pet lovers around the world to be able to travel with their pets in to the UK, as they can throughout the world! Progress is great and I thank DEFRA for changing the rules, but now it is up to the airline, train and ferry operators to step up and change their Required Method of Operation to allow pets to be brought into the UK as hand baggage in the cabin.