8 JUNE 2020
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- ON THE SOABOX : Professor Rigas Doganis & Augusto Viansson Ponte
- UK Airlines reopen
- Aer Lingus redundancies
- Airbus A220 VIP
- Airport blacklist
- BA offers short-haul refreshments
- Bombardier sells CRJ programme
- British Airways threatens Government
- English border requirements
- Gatwick station expands
- General Aviation news
- Heathrow Southern Railway
- ICAO guidelines
- Italy welcomes visitors
- London City Airport date?
- Mandatory face coverings + London clampdown
- Passenger Confidence Survey – June 2020
- Virgin Australia
- Wizz Air finances
- World Aviation Festival on Zoom
- ON TOUR: The Airbus A340 – An ideal freighter
- JUNE ROAD TEST: BMW i3
- AND FINALLY: Get lost!
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Virgin Australia
The Virgin Australia saga appears to be moving towards a conclusion.
ON THE SOABOX : Professor Rigas Doganis & Augusto Viansson Ponte
“Beyond the Virus – Too Many Unknowns”
UK Airlines reopen
British Airways – Eastern – easyJet – Loganair
It’s been a good week for scheduled airline capacity worldwide with nearly 60 carriers relaunching services.
BA offers short-haul refreshments
British Airways has found a way around its unpopular on-board payment-only refreshment scheme on short-haul routes.
Bombardier sells CRJ programme
Dating back to the Canadair Regional Jet of the 1990s Bombardier has completed the sale of its CRJ airframe business to MHI RJ Aviation Group, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.
British Airways threatens Government
Willie Walsh, no stranger to controversy, speaking to Sky TV outside British Airways (BA) Waterside headquarters, has threatened the government with legal action if it does not withdraw its quarantine arrangements for incoming travellers from abroad due to start today. (See also COMMENT SPECIAL BTN 1 June Is British Airways still flying?)
English border requirements
Business Travel News here reproduces in full the government’s Covid-19 requirements regarding travel to England from today (Monday 8 June). The final line reads, “There is no exemption period currently in place.”
ICAO guidelines
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has issued a statement urging governments to quickly implement the International Civil Aviation Organization’s (ICAO’s) global guidelines for restoring air connectivity. ICAO is a specialized agency of the United Nations.
London City Airport date?
Although no specific date has been given London City Airport has announced a re-opening “from the end of June”, with domestic flights first and international services in early July, dependant on UK quarantine arrangements.
Mandatory face coverings + London clampdown
Transport Secretary Grant Shapps was the duty cabinet minister to announce at the daily press conference last Thursday (4 June) that face masks would become mandatory to wear on public transport from 15 June.
Passenger Confidence Survey – June 2020
Chris Tarry's CTIARA consultancy has been quick off the mark with an air passenger confidence survey taken during the first few days of June.
World Aviation Festival on Zoom
One time PR Director to Sir Richard Branson at Virgin Atlantic Airlines, and now heading his own consultancy, Paul Charles last week hosted a fascinating session on Zoom for the World Aviation Festival.
ON TOUR: The Airbus A340 – An ideal freighter
The European Aviation Group, based at Bournemouth International Airport, was originally founded back in 1989 by Australian Paul Stoddart, who is still very much hands on.
JUNE ROAD TEST: BMW i3
With the problems provided by the lockdown, without exception the British retail car industry shut down with press fleets garaged. This has left motoring scribes with nothing to write about. A problem even for a monthly column such as Business Travel News Road Test.
Aer Lingus redundancies
The Dublin Head Office of Aer Lingus has announced large significant staff lay-offs.
Airbus A220 VIP
Now suddenly in the best-selling league, and partially built in Belfast, the Airbus A220 has come to the attention of the VIP market.
Airport blacklist
The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) has issued a world-wide list of airports in what it determines the areas of highest coronavirus infection rates.
Gatwick station expands
While local campaigners are lobbying the Civil Aviation Authority and municipal councils to block Gatwick Airport’s expansionary plans as obsolete, the railway station alongside is being upgraded at a cost of £150m.
General Aviation news
The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has introduced a new, more flexible, approach to regulatory charges after Members of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on General Aviation (APPG-GA) highlighted the need to do more to support businesses through the Covid-19 crisis.
Heathrow Southern Railway
Baroness Jo Valentine, Chair of Heathrow Southern Railway Ltd (HSR), has confirmed that in spite of consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic the alternative rail scheme to Heathrow is pushing ahead. It is privately funded.
Italy welcomes visitors
The Italian Tourist Board says that British originating visitors can now enter the country with no quarantine restrictions. However as things stand upon returning to the UK 14 days isolation is required.
Wizz Air finances
The London Stock Market listed Hungarian airline is in a bullish mood having announced favourable financial results, confirmed an Abu Dhabi expansion and taken delivery of its first A320 Neo.