The Spanish company, which has managed to record a profit for 13 consecutive years, reported an overall net loss of 273 million euros for the past 12 months. The airline commented on the annual report, buttering it over by saying, “Throughout the year Iberia adapted its supply of flight services to the changes in the different markets, cutting seat supply overall by 6 per cent, which brought an overall passenger load factor of 79.8 per cent, similar to that of 2008, and one of the highest achieved by any European network carrier last year.”

Try as they might though, the airline cannot escape the fact that it posted a 20% loss on 2008s income and their business class seats suffered from a lack of interest, due mainly to outside competition. It looks like the merger with British Airways could not come sooner…

His Twitter post read “I’m way fat, but I’m not there just yet.” Southwest Airlines later issued an apology to the director by through its website and Twitter itself.

The statement, which was titled Not So Silent Bob, a homage to the character he plays in a number of his films, the airline said: “We would like to echo our tweets and again offer our heartfelt apologies to you. Our pilots are responsible for the safety and comfort of all customers on the aircraft and therefore, made the determination that Mr Smith needed more than one seat to complete his flight.”

The airline then offered Kevin Smith a seat on a later flight and a $100 voucher to spend. Not bad for a quick rant on Twitter!

The battle between BA and Unite is growing increasingly bitter and underhand, as both sides try and score points off each other as the reality of strike action looms ever nearer. The problems started last year when BA announced plans to freeze staff pay and to switch 3,000 staff to part-time roles. Unite has vigorously attacked this decision and called for strike action.

This strike was due to go ahead over Christmas but a last-minute court decision halted it as it was declared illegal due to issues over how the voting process was conducted. A new strike ballet was started on 25th January and is due to finish on the 22nd February. Whatever the result of the ballet, the union has promised not to call for a strike over the Easter period.

This is the latest blow for an airline that has seen problem after problem hit it in recent times – in the past five years, it has made a loss in four and the forecast for next year is again to make another loss. In total, it has been bailed out by the Japanese government four times since 2001.

Whilst there is hope on the horizon of a turnaround – rival carriers American Airlines and Delta have both been interested in purchasing a stake in the company – this may be put at stake if Japan Airlines files for bankruptcy and could cause complications for any potential deal to be struck. It remains to be seen if 2010 is the last year of operation for the airline…

Of all the major airlines, Easyjet seems to have been hit with the most disruptions, with flights from Luton and Gatwick in particular delayed or cancelled. The airline has responded to the cancellations and backlog of passengers by stating that it may be forced to run flights on Christmas Day in order to help it catch up with the vast number of cancellations, and cabin crew are on standby, but in reality the possibility of this happening is very slim. Whilst alternative arrangements are being made, there airline refuses to promise that it will be able to get every single passenger home in time for Christmas. All in all, Easyjet have been forced to cancel over 150 flights, with Luton passengers told that flights from the airline will not run again until January.

However, it wasn’t just Easyjet who suffered problems, with all the other major airlines affected by the seasonal weather. Airlines at airports across the country are continuing to clear a backlog of flights, with many working around the clock to rectify the situation. Before you venture to the Airport you should check on-line or call your airline to make sure your flight is not delayed or cancelled once youre  sure then Click Here to book your airport parking best deal.

800 jobs are likely to be lost unless a rescue package can be found. The vast majority of the passengers stranded are in Egypt, Cyprus, Portugal and Spain. Unite, the union representing FlyGlobeSpan’s employees, released a statement saying “Many crew are stranded overseas in Europe and beyond, extremely worried about how they will get home and how they will support their families without a wage at Christmas. This is truly horrendous for them and their loved ones, which is why we are in urgent discussion with the receivers on this issue.”

The Civil Aviation Authority has said that it will cover 1,100 passengers who are stranded abroad, but the rest will not be covered under this agreement. EasyJet, RyanAir and Thomas Cook are arranging special ‘rescue’ packages that will be offered to passengers currently overseas and travelling back.

A helpline has been set up for passengers who find themselves affected by the airlines collapse, which can be contacted on 0871 271 9000.