The grounding of the Qantas fleet by CEO Alan Joyce stands out as the biggest news story in travel for 2011. Photo: Reuters

A soaring dollar and domestic turmoil left airlines and tourism operators counting the cost this year, writes Craig Platt.

Australian airlines and tourism operators may look back at 2011 as their ‘annus horribilis’.

Airlines faced groundings due to industrial disputes, safety concerns and ash clouds, while tourism operators suffered as the high Australian dollar deterred international visitors and encouraged Australian holidaymakers to head overseas.

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Wings of desire … the Dreamliner launch was one bright spot in a dismal year for airlines. Photo: Reuters

More than any other event this year, the grounding of the Qantas fleet by its chief executive, Alan Joyce, has been the biggest event affecting Australian travellers. Following a long-running industrial dispute with airline unions, Joyce grounded the fleet without warning on October 29, throwing the travel plans of almost 70,000 passengers into chaos.

The story continued to run in the weeks after the grounding, as the airline attempted to make amends with passengers by offering free flights to those affected and increasing frequent-flyer rewards for a limited time.

However, Qantas is not the only airline in crisis this year. in July, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority grounded Tiger Airways after two safety incidents involving the landing of aircraft. It took six weeks before the airline was cleared to fly again.

Air safety was also paramount in June when ash from an erupting volcano in Chile made its way halfway around the globe to ground flights here. The cloud from the Puyehue volcano led to hundreds of flights being cancelled.

But it wasn’t all bad news in the air. after a delay of more than three years, Boeing’s long-awaited 787 Dreamliner jet entered service with its launch customer, all Nippon Airways, on October 26. The plane is the first to have a fuselage made of carbon fibre and it promises a more pleasant passenger experience: larger windows, a wider cabin and improved air quality.

Australian tourism operators will likely be glad to see the back of 2011. The strong Australian dollar and increased competition on international air routes resulted in Australians abandoning domestic holiday destinations in record numbers.

The most recent figures show more than 600,000 Australians headed overseas in September, with 5 million departures for the year so far.

However some of Australia’s favourite destinations were also hit with significant downturns. our No.1 international destination, New Zealand, suffered in the wake of two devastating earthquakes centred around Christchurch, while Thailand is still feeling the effects of the floods that hit last month.

Japan, hit by a tsunami in March that caused fears of a meltdown at Fukishima’s damaged nuclear plant, experienced a huge drop in tourist numbers – down almost 50 per cent in the months immediately following the disaster.

Other popular destinations have fared better, however. Vietnam continues to grow as an alternative destination to its overcrowded neighbours, with Australian visitor numbers up an astonishing 130 per cent, while the soaring dollar meant Los Angeles became the go-to destination for shopping trips and catapulted Australia into the No.1 position for overseas visitors to that city.

The year in travel – most read stories

January

A passenger on a Delta Air Ways flight from Nice to New York was charged with assault after an altercation with cabin crew, who confronted him on suspicions he had been smoking on board. His response? “I’m French, f— you!”

Meanwhile, readers were taken with a story on Sandy Cay – a private island off Honduras that was available for rent from just $100 a night.

February

The always-controversial Ryanair made headlines after kicking 100 passengers off a flight in the Canary Islands after a scuffle broke out over an excess baggage charge.

Later in the month, crowds gathered on the banks of Sydney Harbour for the arrival of cruise royalty as giant ships the Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary 2 visited Australia.

March

Readers showed their hunger for new destinations, making our story on “10 top Australian destinations you’ve never heard of” the most read of the month.

Meanwhile, a leaked email from a Jetstar pilot telling his colleagues to “toughen up princesses” caused controversy, after some Jetstar pilots had complained of fatigue due to flying rosters.

April

More bad behaviour on planes as a drunk Melbourne University graduate had to be handcuffed and bound to his seat after “behaving like a terrorist” on a Malaysian Airlines flight from Kuala Lumpur to Melbourne. Khairulddin Mohammad Yahya repeatedly entered the business class cabin to sit with his mother, though he was travelling economy class, after being asked to leave by crew.

On April 5, a United Airlines flight made an emergency landing in New Orleans with no electrical power. The plane overshot the runway, but injuries to passengers were minor.

May

The world’s biggest travel website, TripAdvisor, named the world’s best destinations, with Sydney coming in second behind Cape Town in South Africa.

Plane enthusiasts were excited by news that Alice Springs would become the site for the world’s first aircraft “boneyard” outside the US for storing decommissioned planes.

June

Airbus revealed its vision of air travel in the year 2050, including a futuristic fuselage that would be transparent, offering passengers panoramic views.

Back in the present day, passengers were stuck on the ground as ash from the Puyehue volcano in Chile made its way over Australia and grounded flights.

July

A rare spectacle occurred in New York City, where a spectacular sunset created a “Manhattanhenge” from the city’s skyscrapers.

July was another month of air travel chaos as the Civil Aviation Safety Authority grounded Tiger Airways after a second breach involving a plane flying too low while approaching an airport.

August

Cathay Pacific went into damage control after photos of a pilot and flight attendant having a sexual encounter in the cockpit of a plane were leaked on to the internet. The pair were identified and sacked.

The Air Transport Rating Agency released its first list of the world’s safest airlines.

Readers showed plenty of interest in our close neighbour East Timor, which is positioning itself as a quieter alternative to Bali for tropical escapes.

September

Another big month for air travel dramas, including lesbian actress Leisha Hailey, star of The L-Word, getting kicked off a Southwest Airlines flight for kissing her girlfriend. The airline claimed several passengers had complained about Hailey’s “excessive” behaviour.

In a more serious incident, a New Zealand man choked on his in-flight meal during a Jetstar flight and died on board.

October

Carolyn Webb’s blunt assessment of Bali (“Bali: why bother?”) caused plenty of controversy and a record number of comments.

The biggest travel story of the year hit at the end of the month, as Alan Joyce grounded the entire Qantas fleet without warning – throwing the travel plans of almost 70,000 passengers into chaos.

November

Qantas news also dominated in November, with the airline announcing its “thank you” to frequent flyers in the wake of the disruption. The airline’s “Qantas luxury” competition on Twitter backfired – instead of using Twitter to enter the competition, users took the opportunity to attack the airline.

As our oldest airline struggled, a new kid on the block emerged – Strategic Airlines rebranded itself as Air Australia and relaunched as a budget airline flying to Bali, Phuket and Hawaii.

December

The month is less than halfway through, but it’s highly unlikely there will be a more read story than that of the couple on board a Jetstar flight who were caught allegedly trying to join the “mile-high club”. An ensuing altercation with the crew resulted in the male member of the couple being arrested.

And speaking of guilty pleasures, Lonely Planet’s list of the best places in the world to indulge in your vices also proved hugely popular.

The year in travel – an ‘annus horribilis’ for airlines, tourism