15 MAY 2017
- COMMENT: Aviation and the election
- Air Canada's new look
- Airport forum for London
- BA long-haul wi-fi switch-on
- Blackbushe at 75
- Bombardier's Biggin event
- Flybe's new Hamburg link
- Flying start for Eurostar
- Gammell in Etihad reshuffle
- Hot air at Heathrow
- Icelandair upgrades Vancouver
- Johnson in US market launch
- Kerry arrives in Hong Kong
- Newquay's special celebration
- Norwegian eyes Argentina
- Paris Air Show 2017 beckons
- Pilots' laptop ban warning
- Primera heads transatlantic
- Qatar's free stopovers
- Vietnam keeps up the pace
- Warwick Brady and Stobart
- ON TOUR: Sailing to Cabrera
- AND FINALLY: Guinness is good for you
© 2022 Business Travel News Ltd.
Flybe's new Hamburg link
A new year-round service between Birmingham and Hamburg is being launched by Flybe on 10 July with up to four flights a week and additional frequency promised for winter. It will be the only direct operator on the route to the city, a key business destination.
Hot air at Heathrow
Luxury clothing store Burberry is celebrating the magic of flight and giving passengers a surprise by installing a life-size hot air balloon at more than 15m (nearly 50ft) tall and opening a pop-up store at Heathrow.
Kerry arrives in Hong Kong
Claimed to be the city’s first “urban resort”, the new 546-room Kerry Hotel, Hong Kong, welcomed its first guests last week with an emphasis on world-class business and meeting services as well as its outdoor living spaces.
COMMENT: Aviation and the election
Calling an election may make sense politically to the parties concerned but it has the unwelcome side effect of diverting attention from certain matters that really should be in the process of being dealt with. Like, say, for instance, um – aviation! All good wishes to the Airport Operators Association (AOA) therefore, which last week released a general election manifesto of its own.
Air Canada's new look
With this year marking the 150th anniversary of Canada and the 80th birthday of Air Canada, the national carrier, has been celebrating with a new livery, new uniforms and a fleet update and has announced the first non-stop service between Melbourne and its home country.
BA long-haul wi-fi switch-on
High-speed inflight internet on selected international services is now online with British Airways, with domestic and European flights to follow by the end of the year, at prices ranging from £4.99 to £14.99.
Flying start for Eurostar
A 9% increase in the number of UK business passengers travelling has helped Eurostar to a flying start to 2017, helping the train operator to raise sales revenue by 15% to £232m during the first three months.
Icelandair upgrades Vancouver
The seasonal summer service operated by Icelandair between Reykjavik and Vancouver is being upgraded to a year-round service with connections to and from the seven UK airports the airline also serves.
Johnson in US market launch
A specialist consultancy and agency promoting travel and transportation products to the North American market has been launched in Washington DC by former London City, VLM, Sabre, Air Berlin and Thomas Cook Group Airlines executive Titus Johnson.
Pilots' laptop ban warning
Speculation the US ban on laptops on some aircraft could be extended to the UK and Europe took a new turn yesterday (Sunday) when the British Airline Pilots’ Association (BALPA) said the move could have a dangerous knock-on effect.
Qatar's free stopovers
A special stopover package to promote and market Qatar as a destination of choice for international travellers was launched last week by Qatar Airways in partnership with the Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA).
Vietnam keeps up the pace
Keeping up its recent fast-paced momentum, Vietnam Airlines has taken delivery of its 11th Boeing 787 Dreamliner and moved part of its operations to the brand new Terminal T2 at Da Nang International Airport.
Warwick Brady and Stobart
Seven months after leaving easyJet, where he was chief operating officer after joining in 2009, Warwick Brady is to become group CEO of Stobart Group, the LSE listed infrastructure and support services company. The familiar trucking business was recently spun off on AIM as Eddie Stobart Logistics Plc, with Stobart Group retaining a small interest.
ON TOUR: Sailing to Cabrera
Freelance journalist Jan Edwards takes a trip to a largely unknown but picturesque island off Mallorca. Edwards has lived on Mallorca since 2004 and written regularly for luxury lifestyle magazine abcMallorca since 2008. She presents a weekly programme on Mallorca Sunshine Radio and authors the blog https://eatdrinksleepmallorca.com
AND FINALLY: Guinness is good for you
Airline enthusiast Brother Michael Bartlett, known in civil aviation circles as the Mad Monk and the Guinness World Records aviation champion, has been duly honoured with his latest certificate.
Airport forum for London
Challenges and opportunities related to providing the best ways of getting people into and out of airports, improving customer experience and reducing carbon emissions will be debated next month.
Blackbushe at 75
Two days of memorable aviation-themed entertainment are promised over the 1-2 July weekend in a "Festival of Flight" celebrating the 75th anniversary of Blackbusbe Airport.
Bombardier's Biggin event
Prince Michael of Kent, patron of the British Business and General Aviation Association, will be at Biggin Hill on Thursday (18 May) for the official inauguration of Bombardier Business Aircraft’s service and maintenance facility (BTN 27 June 2016).
Gammell in Etihad reshuffle
Irishman Ray Gammell, chief people and performance officer for Etihad, was appointed the airline’s interim CEO on Monday after the company confirmed the current chief executive, James Hogan, would leave on 1 July.
Newquay's special celebration
As airports round the UK last week were announcing record business for the year so far, Cornwall Airport Newquay was holding its own celebration after witnessing its busiest April to date.
Norwegian eyes Argentina
Plans by Norwegian to launch operations in Argentina took a major step forward last week after the airline board approved hiring of staff and route expansion. The first new routes are planned to be announced by the end of the year.
Paris Air Show 2017 beckons
The 52nd edition of the Paris Air Show will be held from Monday 19 to Sunday 25 June at Le Bourget Airport, with the first four days reserved for trade professionals and a pioneering new exhibition space on show called Paris Air Lab.
Primera heads transatlantic
More transatlantic routes between Scandinavia and the US east coast are in the offing from Copenhagen-based Primera Air after the company last week announced an order for eight Boeing B737 MAX 9s.