1 JULY 2019
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- ON THE SOAPBOX: Stewart Wingate, Chief Executive Officer, Gatwick Airport
- FREE TICKETS FOR AIR TATTOO
- ABTA Travel Matters
- Airports in carbon-neutral pledge
- American's wi-fi breakthrough
- Chair takes to the air
- Delta's new cabins head for UK
- Eurowings goes short-haul
- Great Dane lands in Edinburgh
- Hard Rock Hotel opens in London
- High-tech updates for Virgin Trains
- London City Airport – The Future
- Park in style at Newcastle
- Qantas eyes more US non-stops
- Radisson Blu in the spotlight
- Scotland air routes boost
- Stobart Leeds Bradford – Dublin rise
- Survey celebration for LNER
- Transat in Air Canada takeover
- United boost for San Francisco
- US heads Top 10 destinations
- Zhengzhou joins China network
- ON TOUR EXTRA: Paris Air Show
- ON TOUR: The Solent Forts
- JULY CRUISE NEWS: Three innovative ships – never before!
- AND FINALLY: Taking to drink
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Chair takes to the air
Switzerland’s new airline takes to the skies with its new name today, 1 July. It is called Chair and is the successor to Germania Flug, one of the two subsidiaries of Germania, which declared bankruptcy earlier this year (BTN 11 February).
United boost for San Francisco
Boosting its status as the largest carrier at San Francisco International Airport, United Airlines last week announced a second daily non-stop service between the US West Coast hub and Hong Kong from 26 October.
ON THE SOAPBOX: Stewart Wingate, Chief Executive Officer, Gatwick Airport
In his 10th year at the helm of London Gatwick, CEO Stewart Wingate reflects on a decade of airport transformation and the changing face of aviation. An airport veteran, Wingate was previously managing director of Stansted Airport and CEO of Budapest Airport. He started his career in engineering, becoming a chartered engineer for Black & Decker.
FREE TICKETS FOR AIR TATTOO
With the 2019 Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT) about to take off from 19-21 July at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, the Air League is seeking volunteers to help to run its stand – with free access to the event and a lunch allowance as perks.
ABTA Travel Matters
The great and the good of the travel industry gathered in Westminster last Wednesday (26 June) for the 10th anniversary Travel Matters conference.
American's wi-fi breakthrough
A first in inflight connectivity was claimed by American Airlines last week with the company saying it now offered passengers access to high-speed satellite wi-fi and live TV on more aircraft than any other carrier.
Eurowings goes short-haul
Long-haul flying is being sacrificed in favour of short-haul routes at Lufthansa’s low-cost carrier Eurowings as part of moves to cut costs by 15% over the next three years, the German carrier said last week. It followed a profit warning on 16 June.
High-tech updates for Virgin Trains
Two high-tech innovations to improve customer service at times of disruption were announced by Virgin Trains last week. The systems, ‘Back on Track’ and ‘Track ’n’ Travel’, make up-to-date information instantly available to staff and passengers.
London City Airport – The Future
A new video offering the public a glimpse into the future of the remodelled London City Airport (LCY) was the highlight of a presentation called Future of Aviation on Thursday 20 June. Just one week later, the airport was to spring a surprise with the publication of what it calls The Draft Master Plan 2020-2035, a public consultation suggesting up to 11.5m passengers for the future. Also sought is a view on a full weekend opening. The airport is shut on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning under the current planning arrangements. BTN will review in COMMENT next week.
Scotland air routes boost
A big boost for winter air services between Heathrow and Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen was announced by British Airways last week. The increased schedule involves almost 200 flights a week from 27 October this year until next March.
Transat in Air Canada takeover
Canada’s third-largest airline Air Transat is being taken over by Air Canada after the national carrier bought the smaller company’s parent group Transat AT in a deal worth a reported C$520m (about £313m) after several months of negotiations.
Zhengzhou joins China network
Europe’s first direct route to one of China’s eight ancient capital cities took off from Heathrow last week as China Southern Airlines launched a twice-weekly service to Zhengzhou.
ON TOUR EXTRA: Paris Air Show
New-generation flying and the arrival of the millenials were features of the Paris Air Show this year. Alison Chambers takes a look into the future. Ken Brookes reflects.
ON TOUR: The Solent Forts
This being the monthly cruise edition, it seemed a good idea to bring readers’ attention to the Solent Forts. Ships sailing in and out of Portsmouth and Southampton can see them all, and that also applies to Isle of Wight ferry users.
JULY CRUISE NEWS: Three innovative ships – never before!
In over 20 years of reporting cruising Business Travel News has never highlighted three ships , new or newly furbished, in the same monthly issue, all outstanding in their own way, innovative and each aimed at a different market.
AND FINALLY: Taking to drink
Arrival in the UK at the weekend of the “Saharan bubble” heatwave caused BTN to wonder how that standby of the travel industry the local tavern might be faring.
Airports in carbon-neutral pledge
Nearly 200 European airports in 45 countries pledged last week to drastic reductions in their greenhouse gas output by 2050. The figure applies to infrastructure, not the aicraft that use the facilities, which are subject to separate rules.
Delta's new cabins head for UK
Brand new inflight experiences are being brought to the UK skies by Delta Air Lines in November with the launch of a reimagined Business Class seat and the airline’s international Premium Economy cabin, Delta Premium Select.
Great Dane lands in Edinburgh
A new regional carrier arrived at Edinburgh last week after start-up company Great Dane Airlines began a twice-weekly Monday and Thursday service from Aalborg to the Scottish capital using ex-Flybe 118-seat ERJ-195s.
Hard Rock Hotel opens in London
The building housing London’s former five-star Cumberland Hotel took on a new mantle last week with the opening of the UK’s first Hard Rock Hotel, with the company celebrating the event as “continuing the brand’s legacy in its original birthplace”.
Park in style at Newcastle
A ‘Premium Meet and Greet’ car parking facility opened last week at Newcastle International Airport with a high-spec hotel-style reception area and photo booths which inspect each vehicle as it enters to give users peace of mind.
Qantas eyes more US non-stops
More non-stop US destinations are in view for Qantas after the airline completes the launch of services between Brisbane and both Chicago and San Francisco next April, group CEO Alan Joyce said last week.
Radisson Blu in the spotlight
Developments in two top business cities with a newly-redeveloped property in Prague and completion of a major renovation project in Stockholm kept Radisson Blu properties in the spotlight last week.
Stobart Leeds Bradford – Dublin rise
A 20% increase in seat capacity on Dublin routes from Leeds Bradford Airport starting from 28 October was announced last week by Stobart Air, which operates Aer Lingus regional routes.
Survey celebration for LNER
Some of the highest scores for a long-distance train operator have been recorded by London North Eastern Railway (LNER) in the latest National Rail Passenger Survey (NRPS) results.
US heads Top 10 destinations
With the summer travel season looming, analysis by industry commerce platform Travelport released last week named China the fastest growing Top 10 long-haul destination for British travellers, jumping from 11th place to seventh in the past year.