31 OCTOBER 2016
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- COMMENT: Brexit bonus for the regions
- AA engine fire at Chicago
- AirBaltic, Icelandair join A4E
- Airports expo expansion
- All change with UK airlines
- Another SSJ100 for CityJet
- Arora Group celebrates
- Bidders line up for e-Go
- Business boost for airberlin
- Caplan moving to RIA
- East Midlands at St Pancras
- Gatwick’s new head of retail
- GWR hits back on Cardiff
- Hong Kong's 'Skycity' plan
- IAG in fares warning
- London City incident update
- New look for top hotels
- Scanner breakthrough for LCY
- St Helena RJ100 tech-stop
- TAP's one-way fare strategy
- Virgin Trains' new app
- ON TOUR: Hotel hopping
- AND FINALLY: Friend of Boris?
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AirBaltic, Icelandair join A4E
Two new carriers, airBaltic, which operates from bases in Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia and is headquartered in Riga, and Reykjavik-based Icelandair, have joined the Airlines for Europe (A4E) pressure group.
Another SSJ100 for CityJet
The third of 15 Superjet SSJ100 aircraft on order by CityJet was handed over to the airline on Thursday by the Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Company (SCAC) and Superjet International (SJI) at the SJI international centre in Venice.
Gatwick’s new head of retail
Rachel Bulford has been appointed Gatwick’s head of retail, over-seeing the airport’s line-up of 82 shops and 36 restaurants including Harrods, Ted Baker, Comptoir Libanais and Jamie’s Italian.
Check your tickets and timings. Many airlines have gone into their winter schedules with effect from today.
COMMENT: Brexit bonus for the regions
At last, a definitive decision on a new runway for the South East. Even Norwegian Air, a Gatwick resident, says that we must put the past behind us and get on with the future.
The R3 decision has to be linked with Brexit.
Airports expo expansion
Organisers of the British-Irish Airports Expo are planning a major expansion for the event next year following the success of the inaugural show this summer at the NEC Birmingham. The expo will again by hosted by Birmingham International Airport.
All change with UK airlines
Saad Hammad, CEO, unexpectedly stood down at Flybe last week with the airline due to publish its quarterly results on Wednesday 9 November. No immediate replacement has been announced, with the rumour circulating of a personality clash with chairman Simon Laffin, the former land director of Safeway Supermarkets.
Arora Group celebrates
Sir Cliff Richard was on hand to wield a shovel for the official ground-breaking ceremony performed by the Arora Group for two new hotels at Heathrow Terminal 4. The project is set to become the largest hotel development at the airport.
Business boost for airberlin
A decision by airberlin to offer a Business-Class product on European flights has been a “resounding success”, the company’s CEO, Stefan Pichier, said last week, with 15,000 seats already reserved and the number “trending upwards”.
Caplan moving to RIA
Airport Operators Association (AOA) chief executive Darren Caplan is switching roles in January after being appointed to a similar position at the Railway Industry Association (RIA), which represents UK-based suppliers to the world’s railways.
East Midlands at St Pancras
The railway company that operates services between St Pancras International and Nottingham/Sheffield has opened a new ticket office at its London terminal.
GWR hits back on Cardiff
Hard on the heels of Flybe boosting services between Cardiff and London after an increase in demand during the Severn Tunnel closure (See BTN 24 October), Great Western Railway hit back this week with developments of its own.
IAG in fares warning
A drop in operating profit for the third quarter of the year of nearly 4% was reported on Friday by British Airways’ parent company International Airlines Group (IAG).
London City incident update
Police have detained a man in connection with an incident that led to the evacuation of London City Airport. (See BTN 24 October)
ON TOUR: Hotel hopping
With exploring the UK, or staycationing, growing in popularity, it’s useful to know the best places to rest your head. A close study of the Good Hotel Guide 2017, just published, is one way to find out.
AA engine fire at Chicago
An engine fire in an American Airlines Boeing 767 at Chicago’s O'Hare International Airport on Friday could have been catastrophic had it happened seconds later when the aircraft was in the air, officials said.
Bidders line up for e-Go
A number of interested parties were reported last week by Cambridge-based private-aircraft maker e-Go aeroplanes to have contacted the company, which is seeking a buyer to put what it calls its “fun flying machine” into full production (See BTN 26 September).
Hong Kong's 'Skycity' plan
Another indication of what Britain’s airports are up against in terms of future world standing came last week with Hong Kong International Airport announcing plans for a major development near Terminal 2.
New look for top hotels
Two luxury hotels in the South East, the Grand in Brighton, and Duke’s London in Mayfair, are undertaking major refurbishments and remain open during the work.
Scanner breakthrough for LCY
New state-of-the-art full-body scanners for passengers have been installed at London City Airport (LCY) after a trial period, making it the first UK facility of its kind to introduce them.
St Helena RJ100 tech-stop
An Avro RJ100 jet aircraft operated by Tronos Jet Maintenance and carrying two Atlantic Star Airlines personnel among the passengers has successfully conducted a technical stop at the troubled St Helena Airport as part of a delivery flight to a customer in Chile (BTN 17 October).
TAP's one-way fare strategy
One-way fares were announced last week by TAP Portugal for all its intercontinental destinations, making the airline one of the first in Europe to offer passengers what it hailed as “a simple, more flexible and transparent fare structure”.
Virgin Trains' new app
A global first in rail-travel technology is being claimed by Virgin Trains with a new Explorer app designed to helps passengers on its East Coast route to navigate their way around stations to find friends, shops and platforms.