10 SEPTEMBER 2018
YOUR WORDS
Readers are invited to add their comments to any story. Click on the article to see and add.
BTN DISTRIBUTION
BTN also goes out by email every Sunday night at midnight (UK time). To view this edition click here.
- ON THE SOAPBOX: London City Airport – Where now?
- 'Massive' data attack on BA
- Air Baltic and London City Airport
- Club Class catering upgrade
- Cobalt brings in loyalty card
- EasyJet in SIA link-up
- Embraer's 'Shark' arrives
- Engine troubles under scrutiny
- Eurostar's London Lounge
- Flybe unveils its new colours
- Grayling praise for Gatwick
- Heathrow hails progress on noise
- Laurie Price
- New Stansted takes shape
- Norwegian speeds up Argentina
- PrivateFly takes wing
- RAeS names new chief executive
- Reading gains latest easyHotel
- Ryanair scraps aircraft move
- Waldorf debuts in SE Asia
- World passenger numbers hit 4bn
- ON TOUR: Aviation Festival
- SEPTEMBER ROAD TEST: Audi Q2
- AND FINALLY: Queen for a day
The Business Travel News
PO Box 758
Edgware HA8 4QF
United Kingdom
info@btnews.co.uk
© 2022 Business Travel News Ltd.
Laurie Price
Laurie Price has passed away.
In late August, after a post-op scan, he was told his cancer was terminal was given six to eight months.
Friends said having been told the news, he perhaps decided that it was time to give up his amazing fight, which had been going on for more than eight years, and spare his family a lengthy decline – a sign of a kind and considerate man.
ON THE SOAPBOX: London City Airport – Where now?
BTN editor-in-chief Malcolm Ginsberg has been involved with London City Airport (LCY) since its very conception in 1982. He has written the authoritative history, “London City Airport – 30 Years Serving the Capital”. The last page “AND FINALLY” (see below) was replaced by an advertisement after being initially approved by the then CEO. In this SOAPBOX SPECIAL, Ginsberg attempts to bring the book up to date and considers the future.
'Massive' data attack on BA
A major investigation was under way at the weekend after the theft of customer data affecting up to 380,000 passengers was reported by British Airways from its website and mobile app.
Air Baltic and London City Airport
Taking time out from a stage appearance at the Aviation Festival (see in this issue) Air Baltic CEO Martin Gauss spoke to BTN.
Cobalt brings in loyalty card
In a further enhancement of its service offering, Cyprus’ largest airline, Cobalt Air, is introducing a loyalty card, Cobalt Elements, offering holders seat upgrades, fare discounts, priority check-in/boarding, increased baggage allowance and more.
Engine troubles under scrutiny
What are described as “ongoing issues” with Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines on the Boeing B787 came to prominence last week with reports British Airways and others were having to substitute aircraft from other companies on some Dreamliner flights to fill the capacity gap.
Grayling praise for Gatwick
Boeing’s decision to base a new 60,000sq m service hangar at Gatwick was hailed by transport secretary Chris Grayling during a visit to the airport last week to see progress on the £88m facility project and other new developments.
New Stansted takes shape
New images and details have been unveiled of how Stansted’s planned new arrivals terminal, complete with plaza-style forecourt and spacious new immigration and baggage reclaim areas, will look when it opens in 2020.
PrivateFly takes wing
St Albans-based business aviation on-line booking platform PrivateFly has been acquired by OneSky, with PrivateFly joining forces with OneSky’s brokerage Skyjet to create one of the world’s largest digital platforms for on-demand private jet charter.
RAeS names new chief executive
Sir Brian Burridge, a former commander-in-chief of RAF Strike Command and most recently an independent consultant, has been appointed the new chief executive of the Royal Aeronautical Society, replacing Simon Luxmoore, who is leaving after nine years.
Ryanair scraps aircraft move
Plans to move aircraft from Dublin to Poland this winter were reversed by Ryanair on Friday after the dispute with its Irish pilots was settled, with members of the Irish Air Line Pilots' Association voting unanimously for new working conditions.
Waldorf debuts in SE Asia
In a first foray into South East Asia, the Waldorf Astoria brand has celebrated the official opening of the Waldorf Astoria Bangkok, within the 60-storey Magnolias Ratchadamri Boulevard in the heart of the Thai capital.
ON TOUR: Aviation Festival
From US carrier JetBlue hinting at launching transatlantic services to a call from easyJet for legislation to ensure airlines recruit more women pilots, last week’s Aviation Festival in London provided the usual rich menu of controversy and comment on the state of the industry.
SEPTEMBER ROAD TEST: Audi Q2
Let me start out by saying that the new Audi Q2 small SUV is a very good car and one I would seriously consider myself if in the market for that kind of vehicle writes Malcolm Ginsberg.
AND FINALLY: Queen for a day
If you don’t happen to be a Queen fan, you probably didn’t know Freddie Mercury worked as a Heathrow baggage handler before he joined the band in 1970.
Club Class catering upgrade
New menus with improved recipes and warm breads are being introduced by British Airways on Wednesday in Club Europe, its short-haul Business Class cabin, as part of the airline’s current company-wide £4.5bn investment plan.
EasyJet in SIA link-up
Passengers between Europe and South East Asia are being promised easier bookings via the ‘Worldwide by easyJet’ connections platform after easyJet said it was partnering with Singapore Airlines (SIA) and its low-cost subsidiary Scoot in the project.
Embraer's 'Shark' arrives
Sporting the shark’s mouth livery on the nose that has guaranteed the aircraft wide press coverage since its debut at Farnborough, Embraer’s E190-E2 airliner landed in Amsterdam on Wednesday to start the European leg of its world demonstration tour.
Eurostar's London Lounge
Passengers in Business Premier class departing from St Pancras in London on Eurostar now have a new destination to discover – the London cocktail bar just opened upstairs in the London Lounge.
Flybe unveils its new colours
A new streamlined livery arrived for Flybe last week as the airline revealed its first aircraft to display the latest colours. The design will be rolled out across the whole fleet of Bombardier Q400s and Embraer E175s over the next six years at a rate of ten a year.
Heathrow hails progress on noise
Good news on the noise front as more airlines modernise their fleets to incorporate newer, quieter aircraft led Heathrow last week to claim it was on track for a “greener” year with more than one in five aircraft ‘Chapter 14 Low’ – the quietest available.
Norwegian speeds up Argentina
In a surprise move, plans for a domestic network in Argentina by Norwegian Air through its local subsidiary carrier have been moved up to begin next month with six routes. Tickets went on sale last week.
Reading gains latest easyHotel
The growing portfolio of easyHotel properties in the UK and worldwide reached 30 last week with the opening of the latest example in Reading.
World passenger numbers hit 4bn
Worldwide annual air passenger numbers exceeded 4bn for the first time last year, supported by a broad-based improvement in global economic conditions and lower average airfares, IATA reported last week.