30 JULY 2018
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- COMMENT: Another £600m for Crossrail but still no London City station
- AirAsia X No 1 for A330neo
- AirPortr in Gatwick baggage initiative
- Aviation Festival sets date
- BA for Pittsburgh, Cologne
- Cabin crew in demand
- Cadets in focus at Airbus
- Cathay dining upgrade
- Dublin fleet cutback
- EasyJet route 1,000
- French strikers condemned
- Hodder to head Level
- HS4Air moves forward
- Lounge luxury for Air France
- Lounge upgrade at Gatwick
- Qatar boost for Manchester
- Radisson Blu Antwerp new look
- Ryanair results warning
- Southampton assistance praised
- Thomas Cook airline for sale?
- UK debut for IHG brands
- ON TOUR: The airport of the future
- AND FINALLY
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Cadets in focus at Airbus
With a total of 540,000 new pilots likely to be needed over the next two decades according to its own Global Services Forecast, Airbus is launching a cadet training programme to help to fill the gap.
COMMENT: Another £600m for Crossrail but still no London City station
With still no date announced for the actual opening of the first section of the Elizabeth Line between Paddington and Abbey Wood, the Department for Transport has confirmed £600m extra funding for the project.
AirAsia X No 1 for A330neo
An order with Airbus for an additional 34 A330neo widebody aircraft has been confirmed by Malaysia-based AirAsia X, making it the largest customer so far for the model, with the total it has ordered now standing at 100.
AirPortr in Gatwick baggage initiative
Following last week’s announcement of an arrangement between Finnair and AirPortr at Heathrow, the scheme is being introduced at Gatwick, this time with easyJet (see BTN 23 July).
Cathay dining upgrade
Meals individually plated and delivered to passengers by hand rather than by trolley are being introduced by Cathay Pacific as part of what the airline calls its new “Business Class dining concept”.
EasyJet route 1,000
With its biggest expansion to date at Manchester for winter 2018, easyJet has reached a key milestone with the launch of its 1,000th route. Operating to Bordeaux, it is one of 16 new services from the UK now on sale. Flights begin in November.
French strikers condemned
Bosses at seven airlines have hit out at this year’s rash of air traffic control strikes in France with a strongly-worded complaint to the European Commission saying the actions restrict freedom of movement within the EU.
HS4Air moves forward
New details including an image of the proposed route map have been released for HS4Air, the proposal for a high-speed railway around London connecting both Gatwick and Heathrow. The proposal is being submitted to the Department for Transport in response to a call for ideas within the rail sector.
Lounge luxury for Air France
A showcase Business Class lounge in Terminal 2E at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport for Air France passengers has revealed its final look after being reopened partially earlier this year.
Qatar boost for Manchester
Flight frequencies between Manchester and Doha on Qatar Airways are to be increased to triple daily from May next year as the airline capitalises on what it says is ever-growing traffic on the route.
Radisson Blu Antwerp new look
A major refurbishment programme which began early last year and has involved an investment of more than €9m has been completed at the Radisson Blu hotel in Antwerp, giving the building a new look and feel.
Thomas Cook airline for sale?
Reports of a possible break-up of the 177-year-old Thomas Cook travel empire surfaced yesterday after The Sunday Times said the company was considering selling off its airline and selling a stake to an outside investor.
UK debut for IHG brands
UK debut locations for the boutique brand Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants and the newly-launched upmarket portfolio voco Hotels were announced last week by the InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG).
ON TOUR: The airport of the future
By João Fernandes, Founder and CEO of BuzzStreets.
Aviation Festival sets date
The Aviation Festival conference and exhibition, billed as one of the largest and most established aviation and travel technology shows in the world, returns to the Business Design Centre in London on 5-7 September with thousands of industry experts expected.
BA for Pittsburgh, Cologne
Top business destinations Cologne and Pittsburgh are joining the British Airways network as part of a winter/spring build-up, with the German city gaining a new four-a-week service from Gatwick from 16 November this year.
Cabin crew in demand
More than 1,200 new permanent and fixed-term cabin crew positions, over half of which will be based in the UK, are being offered by easyJet in a new recruitment drive.
Dublin fleet cutback
In a move widely expected to be repeated elsewhere in face of continuing industrial unrest, Ryanair is to cut its Dublin-based fleet from 30 to 24 aircraft for winter 2018-19 amid claims strikes by Irish pilots have had a negative effect on forward air fares.
Hodder to head Level
Flybe is losing its chief strategy officer, Vincent Hodder, to the new International Airlines Group (IAG) low-cost airline Level, where he has been appointed chief executive.
Lounge upgrade at Gatwick
Following criticism in the CAA’s latest annual report on accessibility services provided by UK airports (BTN 16 July), Gatwick has now officially opened its £2m airline lounge style area in North Terminal for passengers needing special assistance.
Ryanair results warning
A warning of cutbacks as a result of strike action was followed up immediately by Ryanair last week with news it was cutting its Dublin-based fleet from 30 to 24 aircraft for the winter 2018 season (see separate story in this issue).
Southampton assistance praised
A pre-travel advice and tips information booklet produced by Southampton Airport which includes a detailed section on travelling with hidden disabilities has been singled out for praise by the CAA.