3 SEPTEMBER 2018
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- ON THE SOAPBOX: Karen Dee on UK border worries
- Airports' Brexit warning
- All change for CityJet
- BA CityFlyer expanding
- Chadian Air set for take-off
- Far East growth for Finnair
- Happy birthday for Qazaq
- Heathrow – Chongqing
- Lauda – Ryanair celebration
- Morgan quits London City
- New aparthotel for London
- Pre-flight drinks threat
- Primera moves on Berlin
- Ryanair union breakthrough
- SpiceJet joins biofuel club
- St Regis heads for Melbourne
- Sydney non-stop on track
- United joins seats shuffle
- Virgin Australia signs for MAX 10
- VLM in liquidation
- Year's delay for Crossrail
- YouGov ratings slide for BA
- ON TOUR: The far north – Norway and Russia
- SEPTEMBER CRUISE ISSUE
- AND FINALLY: Man overboard
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BA CityFlyer expanding
More aircraft, more routes and more frequencies for the London City Airport (LCY) network were announced last week by British Airways as it celebrated its busiest summer yet at the Docklands base.
Primera moves on Berlin
Fulfilling its pledge to open more long-haul routes (BTN 6 August), and just over a week after announcing new service between Brussels and North America, Primera Air has said it is to open a transatlantic European base at Berlin Tegel Airport.
ON THE SOAPBOX: Karen Dee on UK border worries
Karen Dee joined the Airport Operators Association (AOA) as chief executive on 1 March 2017. She has more than 20 years’ experience in policy development, communications and representation activities within the transport sector, incorporating roles in government, consultancy and trade associations including the Department for Transport and the CBI.
Airports' Brexit warning
The chief executive of the group which runs Glasgow, Aberdeen and Southampton airports has effectively backed claims that a no-deal Brexit could wreck ex-UK air travel.
Chadian Air set for take-off
A new African carrier is set to take to the skies on 1 October after Ethiopian Airlines sealed a deal to purchase a 49% stake in Chadian Airlines. The government of Chad will retain 51%.
Heathrow – Chongqing
The first direct flight linking the Chinese “megacity” and major business destination Chongqing with Heathrow arrived last week. The Tianjin Airlines service is Heathrow’s tenth direct Chinese connection and has capacity for 81,000 passengers a year and 3,744 tonnes of cargo.
Morgan quits London City
Following his appointment as chairman of HS2 Ltd, Sir Terry Morgan last week confirmed he was stepping down from his role as chairman of London City Airport (LCY) and Crossrail in September to focus on the HS2 project.
New aparthotel for London
A new 57-apartment aparthotel called Rockwell East, complete with all-day dining café, has opened in London. It is owned by the property developer Marldon and was designed by Waldo Works.
Ryanair union breakthrough
Further progress in calming labour relations was reported by Ryanair last week as the airline said it had signed its fourth cabin crew union recognition agreement with the union Fórsa.
Sydney non-stop on track
All systems are go for Qantas to launch non-stop flights between London and Sydney in four years’ time, according to the airline’s CEO Alan Joyce last week in his latest briefing on the subject.
Virgin Australia signs for MAX 10
The largest member of the Boeing B737 MAX family is on its way to join Virgin Australia’s growing single-aisle fleet after the airline last week converted ten orders for the MAX 8 to the larger model.
VLM in liquidation
Just weeks after dropping most of its flights, Belgian carrier VLM Airlines went into liquidation on Friday, suspending all operations, including flights into London City Airport (LCY). The news was broken in a statement on the company website.
YouGov ratings slide for BA
People’s opinion of British Airways as a positive brand has slipped by 13 points in a year, new research by YouGov revealed last week.
ON TOUR: The far north – Norway and Russia
Last year, BTN editor-in-chief Malcolm Ginsberg and his wife took a cruise on NCL Jade to southern Norway from Southampton and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. In 2018, CMV was returning with Marco Polo to northern Norway plus Murmansk and Archangel in Russia and it seemed a good idea to book early. Only six cruise ships visited Murmansk in 2017.
SEPTEMBER CRUISE ISSUE
Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) on selling cruising, P&O plans for the future, and we take a look at Cruise and Maritime Voyages (CMV) and Marco Polo.
All change for CityJet
Aircraft in Aer Lingus colours return to London City Airport (LCY) next month after the Irish national carrier signed a deal with Dublin-based CityJet, which is pulling out of operating scheduled services marketed under its own brand.
Far East growth for Finnair
Frequencies on popular Asian routes, including double-daily flights to Hong Kong and additional flights to Japan, are being boosted by Finnair next summer as the airline continues what it says is strong growth across key Far East markets.
Happy birthday for Qazaq
A 41% increase in passenger traffic since the beginning of 2018 compared to the same period last year was reported by Kazakhstan carrier Qazaq Air last week as it celebrated its third birthday.
Lauda – Ryanair celebration
Increased captain and first officer wage rates being paid by Laudamotion were published by the Austrian carrier last week as it celebrated the completion of Ryanair’s purchase of a 75% shareholding in the company from founder Niki Lauda.
Pre-flight drinks threat
A crackdown on passengers binge drinking before a flight is being considered by the government after the number of incidents of disruptive behaviour on aircraft more than quadrupled in the past four years.
SpiceJet joins biofuel club
India's first test flight powered by biojet fuel was carried out last week by the country’s fourth-largest carrier, SpiceJet, in a development hailed as marking a new chapter in the fast-growing domestic aviation sector.
St Regis heads for Melbourne
The first hotel in Australia for the St Regis luxury hotel brand is due to open in 2022 in Melbourne. Owned by Century Group Aus, the new-build property will be in the city centre as part of the area’s distinct architecture and arts scene.
United joins seats shuffle
The growing practice of charging passengers in the US extra to reserve Economy seats near the front of an aircraft, already adopted by American and Delta, has now spread to United as carriers scramble to boost revenue in face of rising oil prices.
Year's delay for Crossrail
The opening of Crossrail, the Elizabeth Line, has been delayed by up to a year until at least autumn 2019 after planners said a revised schedule was needed to complete final infrastructure and testing to ensure the line opens “as a safe and reliable railway”.