12 SEPTEMBER 2022
- COMMENT: A new Transport Minister *
- Business Travel News sold
- LETTER OF THE WEEK:
- Aberdeen - Oslo offered by Loganair
- Aer Lingus Regional expands
- Blue Air suspends flights
- Budget airlines fly in global rankings
- Call for PM to back aviation, travel and tourism *
- Delta and South Africa
- Finnair cuts back *
- Fly-cruises to Canaries for P&O
- Franco Mancassola *
- Greek row for Ryanair
- Hong Kong and travel
- Lounging around with easyJet
- Qatar drops red travel list and masks
- Revamp for Zurich airport
- River levels
- Rolls-Royce drops Boom *
- Sky high performance for Norwegian
- Travel spending down
- ON TOUR: Gdansk by Geoff Moore
- SEPTEMBER ROAD TEST: Lexus NX 350 F Sport
- AND FINALLY: The King's Flight *
© 2022 Business Travel News Ltd.
Business Travel News sold
The news concerning BTN’s future was published last week but is recapped here for readers who may have missed the announcement. The new owner/Editor Rob Burgess will explain details in the issue of Monday 3 October.
LETTER OF THE WEEK:
Peter Villa, a veteran of the regional airline scene, backs up Jonathan Hinkles with his Newquay Airport dealings.
www.btnews.co.uk/article/19558
Franco Mancassola *
The charismatic low-cost airline pioneer Franco Mancassola, who founded Debonair in 1996, has passed away aged 84, after a long battle with cancer.
Please scroll down for this week's BTN stories.
Welcomed by Sir Philip Beck, Chairman of developer Mowlem Plc, Her Majesty the Queen opens London City Airport, 5 November 1987.
COMMENT: A new Transport Minister *
The Rt Hon Anne-Marie Trevelyan MP has been appointed by the new Prime Minister Liz Truss to a Cabinet position as Secretary of State for Transport. She was first elected as Member of Parliament (MP) for the Berwick-upon-Tweed constituency at the 2015 general election. Previously she was Secretary of State for International Development.
Aberdeen - Oslo offered by Loganair
Loganair has re-introduced flights between Aberdeen and Oslo in what the carrier hopes will encourage both business travellers in the energy sector and people booking city breaks in either city. The carrier has scheduled six flights a week, with one-way fares starting at £79.00.
Aer Lingus Regional expands
The brand, which is operated by Emerald Airlines, will offer both routes from 30 October. Dublin to Southampton will be daily, with Aberdeen flights up to three times a day. One-way fares are from €37.99.
Blue Air suspends flights
Romanian low-cost carrier Blue Air has been forced to suspend all flights from Romania after the government froze its bank accounts.
Budget airlines fly in global rankings
Low-fare airlines Ryanair and Wizz Air rose up the global rankings for passenger traffic last year in spite of the impact of Covid travel restrictions, according to aviation analytics firm Cirium.
Call for PM to back aviation, travel and tourism *
A cross-party group of parliamentarians has called on the administration of the new Prime Minister Liz Truss to back UK aviation, travel and tourism as it continues its recovery from the impacts of Covid-19.
Delta and South Africa
Based at Atlanta Georgia, which vies with Chicago O’Hare as the world’s busiest airport, Delta Air Lines is expanding its South African services, adding a new, seasonal “triangular” route from the hub to Johannesburg and Cape Town – Atlanta starting 2 December.
Finnair cuts back *
The closure of the Russian airspace has significantly impacted Finnair’s Asia-bound flights.
Fly-cruises to Canaries for P&O
P&O Cruises’ ship Azura is to operate fly-cruises from the Canary Islands for the first time during the coming winter.
Greek row for Ryanair
Ryanair plans to close its base in Athens for the winter, blaming what it calls a ‘dysfunctional’ charging regime by the airport operator, under which it refuses to offer incentives to stimulate traffic in the winter season.
Hong Kong and travel
Hotel quarantine in Hong Kong could end by November, ahead of a summit of global bankers and the Hong Kong Sevens international rugby competition in November.
Lounging around with easyJet
Book a FLEXIfare with easyJet and you will now be able to take advantage of pre-departure access to the airline’s Gateway Lounge at Gatwick airport. The offer, which is being trialled from now until 30 November, is also available to any FLEXIfare passengers who have already booked to travel between these dates.
Qatar drops red travel list and masks
Qatar has dropped its red travel list and mask mandate as it announced visitor numbers rose to a record-breaking 151,000 visitors in July.
Revamp for Zurich airport
Zurich airport’s public areas are due to undergo a revamp over the next few years, with more spacious passenger routes, new retail spaces and a food hall in the plans.
River levels
Rainfall in Europe has calmed the nerves of river cruise lines that have been hindered by low water levels.
Rolls-Royce drops Boom *
Boom Supersonic has lost its engine supplier raising questions about what or who will power the aircraft.
Sky high performance for Norwegian
The end of the main summer holiday season saw Norwegian Air’s August carryings more than doubled year-on-year to just shy of two million, with renewed demand expected in the autumn months, the airline says.
Travel spending down
The latest consumer card spending data from Barclaycard has revealed the negative impact of the cost of living crisis on international travel.
SEPTEMBER ROAD TEST: Lexus NX 350 F Sport
It is not often one sits in a car and says “This is for me”.
The new Lexus NX 350 F Sport mini SUV is one of those.
AND FINALLY: The King's Flight *
For the record “The Queen’s Flight” will not have to be renamed “The King’s Flight”.