Delta flies empty planes from US to UK

An airline has made transatlantic flights without passengers in order to clean its planes.

Delta has flown its aircraft from the US to London so that they can be disinfected.

These planes then make the trip back to the US before then heading on to Australia.

This has occurred due to regulations regarding the risk of dengue and malaria in Australia, with the country’s rules stating that jets must undergo this cleaning process before flights.

However, US laws outline that this cannot take place there but must be carried out at an Australian quarantine and inspection service – the nearest being at London Heathrow.

It is understood that the airline has made several journeys of this nature during the last two months.

Elsewhere, the Aviation Environment Federation claimed that the rise in Air Passenger Duty which is to come into force in November will counterbalance the tax breaks this sector receives.