22 JULY 2019
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- COMMENT: Fast Speed One
- Air China in new £5bn A350 order
- B737 Max delay hits Ryanair
- Bahrain seals deal for Raffles resort
- EasyJet on course for £400m profit
- Hampton by Hilton opens in Toulouse
- Heathrow slots auction call
- HS2 costs escalate
- Hyatt moves forward in China
- London City and wi-fi
- Manchester flavour of the future
- More check-in and parking for Stansted
- NATS lands 10-year contract at Cardiff
- Sir Timothy departs Flybe
- Solar initiative at Doncaster Sheffield
- Sustainability to the fore for KLM
- The next century of aviation
- Thumbs-up for Gatwick plans
- Virgin Atlantic A350 goes on sale
- Williams strengthens call for rail reform
- Wizz Air UK adds Russia routes
- ON TOUR: Arundel Castle
- AND FINALLY: It’s not cricket
- AND FINALLY EXTRA: Wings over Fairford
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Sir Timothy departs Flybe
With Mark Anderson now in place at Flybe owner Connect Airways (BTN 17 June), Sir Timothy Anderson is to leave his post as Flybe’s chief operations officer to oversee a national programme to transform the UK's airspace infrastructure for the next generation.
Air China in new £5bn A350 order
Another 20 Airbus A350s to add to 10 already in service have been ordered by Air China as potential replacements for the carrier’s oldest long-haul aircraft. Deliveries set to run from 2020 to 2022.
B737 Max delay hits Ryanair
Continuing delays in getting the Boeing B737 Max back into the air have forced Ryanair to cut its traffic forecasts for next year and move to short-term cuts or closures of under-performing or loss-making bases from November.
EasyJet on course for £400m profit
Full-year pre-tax profits of £400m–£440m were forecast by easyJet last week after it posted third-quarter revenue up 11.4% to £1.76bn and passenger numbers up 8% to 26.4m. The airline said the results were “in line with market expectations”.
Hampton by Hilton opens in Toulouse
A second property in France for the Hampton by Hilton brand has opened with the arrival of the Hampton by Hilton Toulouse Airport, conveniently located near the passenger terminal.
Heathrow slots auction call
Additional take-off and landing slots released by the opening of Heathrow’s proposed third runway should be auctioned, says the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). The move would benefit passengers, business and the economy, it adds.
HS2 costs escalate
The chairman of the High Speed 2 rail project has reportedly warned that its cost could rise by £30bn.
London City and wi-fi
Users of London City Airport from Westminster (30min according to Google Maps) will be delighted to learn that from next March they will be able to pick up messages, check-in and learn of any delays while on the Jubilee Line between that station and Canning Town.
Manchester flavour of the future
The first food and drink outlets to feature in the new “super terminal” being built at Manchester Airport as part of its £1bn transformation have given passengers a taste of the flavour of the future.
NATS lands 10-year contract at Cardiff
A 10-year contract to provide air traffic and engineering services and expertise for Cardiff Airport has been secured by NATS. It also includes the addition of services for MOD St Athan for the first time.
Thumbs-up for Gatwick plans
A final masterplan for the future of Gatwick was published by the airport last week after two-thirds of respondents to a public consultation on the project said they backed its intention to build capacity by making best use of existing runways.
Virgin Atlantic A350 goes on sale
Featuring a redesigned Upper Class cabin and a one-of-a-kind social space called The Loft (BTN 15 April), Virgin Atlantic’s new Airbus A350-1000 (below) has gone on sale with the first commercial service, Heathrow – New York, due on 10 September.
Williams strengthens call for rail reform
The government needs to step back from running Britain’s railways and allow increased transparency and a greater focus on passenger needs, says former British Airways chief executive Keith Williams.
ON TOUR: Arundel Castle
The last lap of a recent long weekend sojourn in what is technically West Sussex saw a visit to Arundel Castle, the historical home of the Duke of Norfolk, writes editor-in-chief Malcolm Ginsberg.
AND FINALLY EXTRA: Wings over Fairford
You knew it was coming (BTN 17 June), and it came.
Bahrain seals deal for Raffles resort
The iconic Raffles brand is set to make its debut in Bahrain following a landmark agreement between Accor and GFH Financial Group (GFH) to manage the country’s first ultra-luxurious retreat.
Hyatt moves forward in China
A new hospitality brand for China is on the way from Hyatt in partnership with its joint-venture partner, Shanghai-based BTG Homeinns. The two companies joined forces in February to target the upper and middle market.
More check-in and parking for Stansted
A new check-in area with eight desks and a first multi-storey car park have been unveiled at Stansted as part of the airport’s ongoing transformation project. It takes the number of check-in desks opened as part of the developments to 20.
Solar initiative at Doncaster Sheffield
Plans to build a £2m solar farm which will generate 25% of Doncaster Sheffield Airport’s energy and drastically reduce its carbon footprint have been unveiled by the airport’s owner and operator the Peel Group in the presence of aviation minister Baroness Vere.
Sustainability to the fore for KLM
An advertising campaign encouraging passengers to fly less has been launched by KLM with the theme ‘Fly Responsibly’. It began with an open letter from CEO Pieter Elbers in the international press and has now been underpinned with a video.
The next century of aviation
A first-of-its-kind exhibition based on global research identifying what aviation could look like over the next 100 years goes on show at the Saatchi Gallery in London from 1-26 August in a collaboration between British Airways and the Royal College of Art.
Wizz Air UK adds Russia routes
New daily services from Luton to Moscow and St Petersburg are being launched by Wizz Air UK on 1 October. It is the first time the airline has served Russia’s two largest cities from the UK.