15 AUGUST 2022
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- COMMENT: Wizz Air and Moscow *
- LETTER OF THE WEEK
- BA 2023 new routes
- Canary Wharf hotel
- Cardiff reduction for Wizz Air *
- Chris Foyle OBE *
- Dreamliner deliveries return
- Emirates upgrades
- Free Gatwick Lounge
- Heathrow sale?
- Hong Kong entry rules *
- India's new airline AND TRAGEDY *
- Loganair baggage taskforce *
- Manchester Airport Group
- New Zealand welcomes cruise ship
- Revamp for BA A380s
- Rosewood Vienna
- St Helena drops Covid rules
- UK Chinese flights
- US flights cut
- West Coast rail cutback
- Wizz Air to Russia
- ON TOUR: Southern Norway *
- AND FINALLY: A lovely 40-year-old story *
- AND FINALLY EXTRA: The car quiz answer from last week is now up.
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LETTER OF THE WEEK
On a very serious note David Bentley makes the point. Where is our esteemed minister? Who is in charge of the Department for Transport?
Chris Foyle OBE *
Living in two worlds (and perhaps a third when resident in Monaco in his later life) Chris Foyle has passed on.
COMMENT: Wizz Air and Moscow *
I for one will not be flying Wizz Air for the foreseeable future.
BA 2023 new routes
British Airways has been filing its schedules for 2023, and is launching new routes including flights to Aruba, a Dutch Caribbean island and Georgetown, capital of Guyana on the South America mainland, both from Gatwick.
Cardiff reduction for Wizz Air *
Following its retreat from Doncaster, Wizz Air is now to dramatically reduce services from Cardiff. Quick as a flash Ryanair has come up with offers from Bristol Airport, the other side of the River Severn in Somerset.
Dreamliner deliveries return
After a hiatus of 21 months Boeing has started making deliveries of its 787 Dreamliner series. First customer is American Airlines.
Emirates upgrades
Called ‘Fly Better’, Emirates is investing over US$2bn in a project to enhance its inflight customer experience. Over 120 aircraft are involved with the programme starting straight away to coincide with the fleet rollout of Premium Economy.
Loganair baggage taskforce *
With problems associated at UK airports due to a shortage of baggage handlers and spate of air travellers’ bags going missing Loganair has assembled a taskforce to help tackle the problem.
Manchester Airport Group
Passenger numbers continued to recover across the Manchester Airports Group (MAG) in July, with its three airports handling 85% of pre-Covid passenger numbers, up from 82% in May and 84% in June.
Revamp for BA A380s
Following BTN’s Airbus A380 review in last week’s edition news has leaked out that British Airways is to revamp its 12-strong fleet in 2024.
UK Chinese flights
China and the UK have agreed to resume direct passenger flights between the two countries, ending the direct flight ban imposed by Chinese authorities since the start of the pandemic in 2020.
US flights cut
It is not only the UK (and Europe) that is facing flight cuts. In the United States the same in happening, but at least prospective passengers are getting an early warning.
Wizz Air to Russia
Reuters reports that Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, will resume flying to Russia from October later this year. Services are shown on the main Wizz Air web site.
ON TOUR: Southern Norway *
There is still time to visit Southern Norway and the fjords this summer before the long nights and the winter trips for the Northern Lights. Alternatively go next Spring, with the long days and virtually no hours of darkness.
Canary Wharf hotel
Accor has opened its first UK property and eighth worldwide under its midscale lifestyle brand Tribe.
Free Gatwick Lounge
It may sound hardly plausible but the redundant Club Aspire lounge at Gatwick North is now available free of charge for O2 members as discovered by the airline loyalty rewards club Head for Points.
Heathrow sale?
Heathrow’s largest shareholder, Spanish multinational Ferrovial, is reportedly assessing options over a possible sale of its 25% stake in the airport.
Hong Kong entry rules *
Officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China, is reducing its quarantine levels.
India's new airline AND TRAGEDY *
The notorious Indian bureaucracy has not stopped a new airline from emerging.
New Zealand welcomes cruise ship
Carnival Australia’s Pacific Explorer has become the first cruise ship to visit New Zealand since the outbreak of the Covid pandemic in March 2020.
Rosewood Vienna
Vienna celebrated last week the debut of the fifth European property in the Rosewood Hotels & Resorts portfolio and the brand’s first in the German-speaking market.
St Helena drops Covid rules
Last Saturday (13 August) the isolated island of St Helena, halfway between Africa and South America welcomed its first scheduled flight since the outbreak of Covid.
West Coast rail cutback
UK train operator Avanti West Coast is reducing its schedule for four weeks due to industrial action, as well as temporarily suspending ticket sales while it prepares a special timetable.