Blue collar brain drain to Saudi is harming major infrastructure projects May 20, 2025 An exodus of talent from Britain’s infrastructure sector to the Middle East is harming the delivery of major projects in the UK, according to the head of a key labour supplier. “Certain skills are missing in every level really when you look at it,” the boss of London-listed Hercules, which specialises in supplying labour to [...]
Uber Boats by Thames Clippers nets £59m from Natwest and Santander May 19, 2025 Uber Boats by Thames Clippers has secured £59m in funding from Natwest and Santander after experiencing a surge in passenger numbers since the Covid-19 pandemic. The London river transport provider said the joint funding package would support plans for new vessels, pier upgrades and improvements to dry docking facilities. “It’s vital that we have funding [...]
Uber ready to go driverless in the UK May 19, 2025 Uber has declared itself “ready to go” with driverless taxi services in the UK, saying it could roll out the technology immediately if regulators give the green light. Andrew Macdonald, the taxi giant’s senior vice president of mobility, told the BBC the company is prepared to deploy robotaxis as soon as the “regulatory environment is [...]
National Express owner’s new chair takes up the reins May 19, 2025 The new chair of National Express owner Mobico faces a gargantuan task to turn around the struggling coach operator. Presenting his first trading update on Monday, Phil White insisted “considerable value and momentum” exists across the group, with a nine per cent growth in revenue indiciative of strong demand for its services. True, the company’s [...]
Ryanair profit falls as Boeing delivery delays bite May 19, 2025 Ryanair’s annual profit dipped significantly in its latest financial period despite passenger numbers reaching record levels, as the Irish airline took a swipe at Boeing for aircraft delivery delays. Europe’s largest airline reported a 16 per cent decline in post-tax profit to €1.61bn (£1.4bn) over the 12 months ended 31 March. Ryanair blamed the drop [...]
Ofwat: Water regulator courts investors with refreshed PFI deals May 16, 2025 Ofwat is courting investors with plans to guarantee risk and minimise competition as it looks for more than £50bn to upgrade the water sector’s second-rate infrastructure. Private investors will have the “right to collect” revenue from customers, “opportunities for upside”, “capped liabilities” and “investment positive” support from the government, according to a briefing paper seen [...]
National Grid profit jumps by a fifth despite record investment May 15, 2025 National Grid’s annual profits rose by a fifth as it lauded stable growth against a backdrop of “international economic uncertainty.” On an underlying basis, pre-tax profit increased 20 per cent to £3.7bn over the 12 months ended 31 March. Earnings per share rose two per cent to 73.3p, ahead of previous guidance. National Grid announced [...]
British execs still fly to US despite Trump turmoil, data suggests May 14, 2025 Business travel across the pond has increased this year despite concern over policy developments under President Trump, data suggests. Data from the travel tech firm Navan, shared with City AM, shows year-to-date bookings for UK-US corporate trips have risen by nearly a quarter year-on-year. There were 8,000 corporate trips from the UK to the US [...]
Eurostar routes could see double-decker trains May 14, 2025 Double-decker trains could be running through the Channel Tunnel in the coming years as part of proposals from the French rolling stock giant Alstom alongside Eurostar. Chief executive Henri Poupart-Lafarge told the Financial Times the trains would increase traffic on routes between London and Europe, which are traditionally operated by Eurostar. “The double-decker train has [...]
Tui shares slump as losses widen after quitting London May 14, 2025 Shares in Tui have slumped as losses widened despite a bumper performance from its cruise segment. Underlying operating losses increased by €18m to €207m (£174.3m) even as second quarter revenue rose from nigh-on breakeven to €3.7bn. Shares were trading down around the 11 per cent mark in early deals on Wednesday. The travel operator did [...]