6 NOVEMBER 2017
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- ON THE SOAPBOX: Tim Alderslade, Airlines UK
- American adds 10 E175s
- Another Stansted newcomer
- BA dispute ends but Lima dropped
- Berlin coup for easyJet
- Boost for Luton shuttle
- Dragon extends mainland reach
- Etihad drops Dallas
- Greybull in profits pledge
- GWR upgrade powers on
- Heathrow – Salzburg for Eurowings
- Island Air in Chapter 11
- Larnaca launch by Cobalt
- Leeds Bradford Airport changes hands
- Nine new routes for bmi
- Peace through tourism
- SIA’s touch of A380 luxury
- SkyWork back from the brink
- Venice joins Liverpool line-up
- VLM heads new London City routes
- Wizz moves in on Athens
- ON TOUR EXTRA : AOA Conference
- ON TOUR: ERA in transition
- NOVEMBER CRUISE NEWS
- AND FINALLY: Loose change disrupts planes
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Boost for Luton shuttle
A programme to boost the number of shuttle buses running between Luton Airport Parkway rail station and Luton Airport by more than 200 services a week was launched yesterday by Govia Thameslink Railway.
Greybull in profits pledge
Britain’s taxpayers could see some of the money spent by the government to repatriate passengers in the Monarch Airlines rescue returned after a pledge by the carrier’s former owner, Greybull Capital.
Island Air in Chapter 11
In a move blamed on threats of legal action to ground aircraft and strand hundreds of passengers, Hawaii’s second-largest carrier, Island Air, has filed for chapter 11 to allow it to maintain its inter-island flights as it reorganises.
Nine new routes for bmi
Nine more routes have been added to the bmi regional network after the airline signed a codeshare agreement with sister carrier Loganair.
Last week’s Business Travel News ON TOUR on Johannesburg was written partially on a Virgin Atlantic Boeing B787-9 at 40,000ft. This week’s cruise issue is produced entirely on Celebrity Eclipse as she crossed the North Atlantic from Southampton and is being completed as we navigate on a Sunday afternoon down New York’s Hudson River. To our right (starboard) is the USS Intrepid with Concorde prominent, and on the left (port), Hoboken, New Jersey, birthplace of Frank Sinatra. And well done Celebrity wi-fi. It is the equal of Virgin. (Read more about Celebrity Eclipse in the Cruising feature.)
ON THE SOAPBOX: Tim Alderslade, Airlines UK
UK airlines – delivering for the consumer
Tim Alderslade joined what is now Airlines UK, the trade body for UK-registered airlines, as chief executive in May 2016. Prior to this, he spent three and a half years at the Airport Operators Association (AOA), most recently as public affairs and PR director. Before joining AOA, he worked for two MPs and for the integrated public affairs and PR consultancy Insight Consulting Group.
BA dispute ends but Lima dropped
In good news and bad for British Airways last week, the airline said a pay deal with its mixed-fleet cabin crew had been agreed, ending the long-running dispute which disrupted operations over the past year, but it was cancelling its Gatwick – Lima service for the winter.
Dragon extends mainland reach
A new four-times-weekly service between Hong Kong and Nanning in Guangxi beginning 8 January has been announced by Cathay Dragon, further strengthening the airline’s network in mainland China.
GWR upgrade powers on
Another stage in the biggest fleet upgrade in 40 years on Great Western Railway has arrived with the company’s new Intercity Express Train carrying passengers for the first time.
Larnaca launch by Cobalt
A six-days-a-week operation linking Gatwick directly with Larnaca in Cyprus has been launched by the island’s largest carrier, Cobalt Air, with the company’s CEO, Andrew Madar, hosting the inaugural flight.
Peace through tourism
Six people from the world of travel are being honoured by the International Institute for Peace Through Tourism at World Travel Market London later today as Global Ambassadors.
SkyWork back from the brink
Fears over the future of the Swiss carrier SkyWork Airlines were lifted on Tuesday when authorities renewed the company’s air operator certificate (AOC), enabling it to relaunch scheduled winter operations the following day.
Venice joins Liverpool line-up
The number of routes operated by easyJet from Liverpool John Lennon Airport (LJLA) climbed to 29 on Tuesday as the airline celebrated its inaugural flight from the North West hub to Venice.
ON TOUR EXTRA : AOA Conference
The government’s new Aviation Strategy will not be about just Heathrow but encompass every airport in the UK, transport secretary Chris Grayling told the annual conference of the Airport Operators Association (AOA) in London last week.
ON TOUR: ERA in transition
Alison Chambers reports from Athens on the ERA’s 2017 general assembly
NOVEMBER CRUISE NEWS
Celebrity Cruises is the premium division of Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines Ltd, which also owns Royal Caribbean International, a mass market provider, and Azamara Club Cruises, the name of the line describing the product, smaller ships to a discerning clientele. Dating from 1988, Celebrity has built up a reputation as a quality 5-star operator with larger ships than its direct competitors.
AND FINALLY: Loose change disrupts planes
Three coins in the fountain, to recall a famous song, is all very well, but one coin in the engine? Not so much.
American adds 10 E175s
The trend towards US carriers equipping their fleets with aircraft from overseas manufacturers continued last week after American Airlines confirmed a firm order with Embraer for ten short- to mid-range E175s.
Another Stansted newcomer
A new airline has touched down at Stansted with the arrival of Greek carrier Air Mediterranean’s inaugural flight from Athens. It is the carrier’s first UK scheduled destination and is operating up to four times a week using the Boeing B737.
Berlin coup for easyJet
A commanding presence in the German market has been acquired by easyJet after the airline signed an agreement with Air Berlin to acquire part of the bankrupt carrier’s operations at Berlin Tegel Airport for €40m (about £35m).
Etihad drops Dallas
A unilateral decision by American Airlines to end a codeshare agreement with Etihad Airways had led the Middle East carrier to suspend its Abu Dhabi – Dallas/Fort Worth route from 25 March next year.
Heathrow – Salzburg for Eurowings
A pledge to keep on expanding and “to bring more passengers into Heathrow” came from Eurowings last week as the German carrier continued the growth of its network from the UK with a new service to and from Salzburg.
Leeds Bradford Airport changes hands
Australian investment company AMP Capital, which owns Newcastle Airport, has now taken control of Leeds Bradford from Bridgepoint Advisers, which has owned it for the past decade.
SIA’s touch of A380 luxury
All-new cabins – including First Class suites with double beds – that are being installed on the Singapore Airlines fleet of 19 Airbus A380 superjumbos at a cost of about US$850m (£650m) were unveiled on Friday.
VLM heads new London City routes
One of the most significant and historic routes into London City Airport (LCY) took off again last week as VLM Airlines made its comeback with one of its Fokker 50 fleet making the crossing to the UK from Antwerp.
Wizz moves in on Athens
More competition for Ryanair in Europe is on the way after Hungarian carrier Wizz Air announced it will begin serving Athens from the start of next summer with eight routes to the Greek capital.