7 NOVEMBER 2016
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- ON THE SOAPBOX: Tim Alderslade, chief executive, Airlines UK
- Aeromexico's UK designer
- Air Seychelles expansion
- Belfast loses New York flights
- Codeshare boost for India
- Driverless cars
- Dublin welcomes KLM return
- Flybe results
- Heathrow debut for Qatar A350
- IAG lines up short-haul wi-fi
- JW Marriott arrives in Chengdu
- Lisbon's boutique gem
- Lufthansa farewell to the 737
- Malaga's new grand hotel
- Malaysia expands into China
- MH370 made 'rapid descent'
- More flights from WOW air
- New Air France-KLM airline?
- New franchise for HS2
- Night Tube expands again
- SIA coup for Manchester
- Visitor benefit to UK economy
- ON TOUR: The world of Fatty Weng + Changi
- CRUISING NOVEMBER 2016
- AND FINALLY
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Aeromexico's UK designer
A UK company is breaking new ground by designing the interiors for Aeromexico’s new fleet of Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners.
Dublin welcomes KLM return
Celebrations have been held at Dublin Airport to welcome the return of KLM after 50 years with the launch of a new direct service between the Irish capital and Amsterdam. Starting with twice-daily flights, the airline says it will strengthen the service further from next March by doubling capacity on the route.
Visitor benefit to UK economy
Overseas visitors to the UK’s cultural, historic and natural heritage attractions spend more than double per visit compared with their domestic overnight counterparts, a new report from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) says.
ON THE SOAPBOX: Tim Alderslade, chief executive, Airlines UK
Name change for the trade body for UK-registered airlines
.
Belfast loses New York flights
Officials in Northern Ireland have reacted angrily against the EU after United Airlines said it was ending its daily Belfast – New York Newark service. Economy minister Simon Hamilton attacked "unelected Brussels bureaucrats" for the loss of the region's only direct US air link.
Driverless cars
Tomorrow (Tuesday 8 November), the House of Lords Science and Technology Committee will continue its inquiry investigating driverless vehicles.
Flybe results
On Wednesday (9 November), Flybe will become the first British airline as far back as anyone can remember to publish its quarterly results with a chief executive not being in place. CEO Saad Hammed stood down and went on gardening leave last week (See BTN 31 October – All change at British airlines). On Friday, Flybe shares hit an all-time low of 34p and a market cap of £75.25m, less than the money it reputedly has in the bank.
JW Marriott arrives in Chengdu
Luxury brand JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts has made its debut in Chengdu with a new 5-star property featuring 289 rooms and 47 suites and sweeping views of the city’s newest landmarks, the Sichuan Library and Chengdu Museum.
Lisbon's boutique gem
Now fully open is the AlmaLusa Lisbon, an enchanting 28-room boutique property.
Malaga's new grand hotel
The chief business city of the Costa del Sol, Malaga, is about to welcome the arrival of its first luxury grand hotel, Gran Hotel Miramar, in an historic landmark structure that has been restored in a two-year, €65m refurbishment.
More flights from WOW air
“Soaring demand” has led the Icelandic low-cost transatlantic airline WOW air to announce plans to increase the number of flights from London to its hub in Iceland to two a day while boosting its onward long-haul services to California.
New Air France-KLM airline?
A new stand-alone airline that will fly long- and medium-haul international routes was reported on Saturday to be in the planning stages at Air France-KLM as a way to fight back against the fast-growing carriers of the Middle East.
New franchise for HS2
A new rail franchise is to be created by the government combining the current intercity West Coast network with the development and introduction of the HS2 programme.
Night Tube expands again
London’s new weekend Night Tube services will be extended to the Northern Line on 18 November and the Piccadilly Line, which serves Heathrow, from 16 December. It follows launches on the Central, Victoria and Jubilee lines, where more than a million journeys have been made.
ON TOUR: The world of Fatty Weng + Changi
BTN's Richard Cawthorne enjoys a repeat visit to Lion City, while editor-in-chief Malcolm Ginsberg catches up with developments at Changi Airport
CRUISING NOVEMBER 2016
P&O, 200 years old in 2022 and still going strong, is the mainstay of this issue. Skip the next paragraph if your interest is just the pleasure of cruising. But if you're into ships, don't give it a miss. (See also AND FINALLY)
AND FINALLY
You fathom it out.
Air Seychelles expansion
A major fleet and network expansion early next year was announced last week by Air Seychelles, with the introduction of a second Airbus A330, the launch of non-stop services to Düsseldorf and Durban, and the significant strengthening of its existing regional network.
Codeshare boost for India
More travel options for North American passengers to and from India via Heathrow were created last week after Delta Air Lines and Virgin Atlantic announced an expanded partnership with Jet Airways.
Heathrow debut for Qatar A350
A new sight for aviation enthusiasts has arrived at Heathrow as Qatar Airways’ first daily regularly-scheduled Airbus A350 service to the airport arrived in the UK last weekend (30 October).
The state-of-the-art aircraft joins the airline’s Airbus A380, Boeing 777 and Airbus A330 aircraft on the Doha route.
IAG lines up short-haul wi-fi
“The fastest connectivity available on any aircraft” is being promised by IAG chief executive Willie Walsh when the group introduces high-speed wi-fi to the short-haul fleets of its four carriers – British Airways, Aer Lingus, Iberia and Vueling – next summer.
Lufthansa farewell to the 737
An era came to an end for Lufthansa last week as the airline said farewell to its Boeing 737 fleet, with the last aircraft in service, a Dash-300 registration D-ABEF, with 131 passengers and captain and fleet commander Ulrich Pade in charge, landing at Frankfurt.
Malaysia expands into China
As the quest for answers to the mystery of Malaysia Airlines’ Flight MH370 continues (see story this issue), the carrier on Friday announced a major expansion of services to China with eight new destinations, 11 new routes and 35 additional frequencies from early next year.
MH370 made 'rapid descent'
A new update by Australian investigators on the fate of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has suggested nobody was at the controls when it plunged into the Indian Ocean and that it made a rapid descent, possibly after running out of fuel.
SIA coup for Manchester
In a coup for Manchester Airport, Singapore Airlines has inaugurated non-stop flights to Houston and Singapore after re-routing the US service, which was formerly operated via Moscow.