20 AUGUST 2018
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- COMMENT: British Airways – What happened after King?
- Aberdeen greets aviation minister
- Air France-KLM turmoil
- Border row heats up
- Boutique Hotel Awards names date
- Busiest day yet for Heathrow
- Cranfield courses unveiled
- Edinburgh to host ERA assembly
- First ACJ320neo takes a bow
- Gatwick bomb hoaxer jailed
- Hilton Garden Inn adds 10
- Long-haul wellness from SIA
- Luxury travel on stage
- MH370 probe 'reopened'
- Premium Economy boost at American
- Shanghai's underground hotel
- Spotlight on air charter
- Stansted – Kristiansand
- Thompson moves in at Abu Dhabi
- Vivanta arrives in London
- Wizz UK investment nears £1bn
- ON TOUR: Discovering Docklands
- AND FINALLY: 100 years in concert
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Gatwick bomb hoaxer jailed
A passenger who made a hoax bomb call because he was late for a flight from Gatwick to Los Angeles on Norwegian was jailed last week for 10 months. Jacob Meir Abdellak, a French national, caused a 90min delay to the aircraft.
Luxury travel on stage
The Luxury Travel Fair, presented by Condé Nast Traveller magazine and offering what organisers say is an unrivalled collection of immersive and tailor-made luxury travel experiences on the market, returns to London’s Olympia from 1-4 November.
COMMENT: British Airways – What happened after King?
Last week’s COMMENT asking the question “Is IAG a Brand?” seems to have created considerable interest, easily topping the BTN “hitlist”. It raises a further question – where does BA go from here?
Air France-KLM turmoil
Concern over the future direction of Air France-KLM continued over the weekend as French unions expressed outrage over the appointment of former Air Canada executive Benjamin Smith to head the airline group.
Border row heats up
More heavyweight criticism of immigration queues at Heathrow, including from airport CEO John Holland-Kaye, was voiced last week in the wake of British Airways chairman Alex Cruz’s attack in The Times (BTN 13 August).
Busiest day yet for Heathrow
Latest statistics issued last week from Britain’s busiest airport show records galore falling by the wayside last month as Heathrow scored the biggest day in its history on 29 July.
Edinburgh to host ERA assembly
The largest event of the year for the European Regions Airline Association, the ERA General Assembly, is being held at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre from 9–11 October.
Long-haul wellness from SIA
Passengers on the forthcoming world’s longest flight will be given special “wellness” meals and other benefits to allay the effects of ultra-long-range (ULR) travel thanks to a partnership between Singapore Airlines (SIA) and wellness brand Canyon Ranch.
MH370 probe 'reopened'
France has reopened the investigation into the fate of missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 amid claims of a Malaysian cover-up, according to the French newspaper Le Parisien.
Premium Economy boost at American
After lagging behind in the Premium Economy stakes, American Airlines is accelerating its offering as the upgrade nears completion on its main fleet. It was the first US domestic carrier to include the cabin.
Spotlight on air charter
Billed by organisers as “an opportunity to make business travel easy”, this year’s Air Charter Expo, ACE 2018, takes place at Biggin Hill Airport on 11 September, with the aim of showcasing the best in corporate and business aviation.
Stansted – Kristiansand
Norwegian airline Widerøe boosted its UK presence further last week with the launch of the first direct route between Stansted to the southern Norwegian city of Kristiansand.
Wizz UK investment nears £1bn
Further expansion at its Luton base with the allocation of a ninth A321 Airbus and the launch of new routes to Lisbon from the end of October and Ukraine’s second largest city, Kharkiv, from mid-November has been announced by Wizz Air.
ON TOUR: Discovering Docklands
London’s Docklands Light Railway (DLR) is running special guided tours on weekends until 9 September to give visitors and residents an unusual view of the operation and the historic areas through which it runs. Richard Cawthorne joined the fun.
AND FINALLY: 100 years in concert
The Royal Air Force’s finest musicians are giving audiences across the country their last opportunity to celebrate the centenary of the service on a special concert tour of 11 venues from Poole on 23 September to Manchester on 31 October.
Aberdeen greets aviation minister
Latest developments in the multi-million terminal transformation project at Aberdeen Airport were under government scrutiny, but in a nice way, last week with a visit by aviation minister Liz Sugg.
Boutique Hotel Awards names date
Delegates from some of the world’s top business and leisure accommodation providers will gather in London on 8 November for the latest Boutique Hotel Awards at the Merchant Taylor's Hall.
Cranfield courses unveiled
Details of forthcoming courses for 2018-19 have been announced by the Cranfield Centre for Air Transport Management in Bedfordshire, globally recognised as a leading research and teaching centre.
First ACJ320neo takes a bow
Assembled on programme, fitted with CFM International LEAP-1A engines and painted in house colours in preparation for its initial flight in the coming weeks, the first ACJ320neo has made its public debut at Airbus in Toulouse.
Hilton Garden Inn adds 10
Ten new properties including firsts for the brand in France and Zambia have been announced by Hilton’s upmarket division Hilton Garden Inn, continuing the company’s rapid growth into popular markets.
Shanghai's underground hotel
An 18-storey hotel with two floors above ground and the rest below, including two floors under water, is due to open soon in China’s biggest city. The 336 rooms and suites all boast balconies where guests can view waterfalls from the surrounding cliffs.
Thompson moves in at Abu Dhabi
Dubai Airport’s former vice-president in charge of corporate development, Bryan Thompson, has been appointed CEO of Abu Dhabi Airports, taking with him more than 25 years’ international experience in management and operations.
Vivanta arrives in London
The Indian Hotels Company Ltd (IHCL), India's largest hospitality company and the group behind the Taj brand, is opening a new 108-room Taj Vivanta at Heathrow in three years’ time, its first example of the Vivanta brand in London.