Exclusive: Virgin Media O2’s business chief on the £31bn mega merger that dazzled the City January 13, 2023 As the UK is in the midst of a merciless recession, with the cost-of-living crisis raging, businesses are scrambling to cut costs, maintain market share and find a way to get through the economic misery. The telecoms sector is no exception. Time for City A.M. to catch up with Jo Bertram, managing director of Virgin Media [...]
Porsche in talks to integrate Google software in cars despite data sharing concerns January 12, 2023 Porsche is reportedly in talks to integrate Google into its car cockpits, in a sign the luxury carmaker has overcome its doubts about data sharing. Sources told Reuters the deal would enable Porsche customers to use the Google Automotive Services (GAS) package. This will mean motorists will no longer have to connect their smartphones to [...]
Luton’s busiest Christmas not enough as passenger levels lag behind pre-Covid glory January 12, 2023 Luton’s busiest Christmas day on record was not enough to return the airport to its former glory, with passenger numbers still significantly lagging behind pre-pandemic levels. The Bedfordshire hub said that 1.1m passengers passed through its gates in December, 87.9 per cent up on last year’s levels. Luton also reported its busiest Christmas day ever, [...]
Elizabeth line: No service to the City and the Wharf TODAY as strike goes ahead despite Khan’s attempts to avert it January 12, 2023 No trains will operate on the Elizabeth line today between Paddington and Abbey Wood as staff are walking out over salaries and pensions. The industrial action will also lead to reduced service on the east and west ends of the line, between Liverpool Street and Shenfield as well as between Paddington, Reading and Heathrow. Members [...]
UK airlines hit back against calls for green taxation January 12, 2023 UK airlines have hit back against reports calling for a fairer taxation of the aviation industry to avoid “spiralling” CO2 emissions this decade. London-based think tank Green Alliance today called on transport secretary Mark Harper to ensure the industry is taxed appropriately. The government’s failure to tax different modes of transport according to their environmental [...]
Royal Mail’s export service hit with major cyber incident and is experiencing ‘severe disruption’ January 11, 2023 Royal Mail is experiencing “severe service disruption” to its international export services following a cyber incident, the company has announced. A statement said it was temporarily unable to despatch export items including letters and parcels to overseas destinations. Royal Mail said: “We have asked customers temporarily to stop submitting any export items into the network while we work hard [...]
Staff shortages could cause summer travel chaos again – and 40 per cent of industry bosses blame Brexit January 11, 2023 Summer 2023 could spell additional trouble for the UK travel industry, with over half of rail and airline operators worrying about future staffing shortages – and almost 40 per cent blaming Brexit. Data published today by software company SAP show that 55 per cent of industry decision makers believe staffing challenges will impact customers’ travel [...]
On the right track? Rail boss optimistic but blames RMT for stalled talks after rejecting pay deal January 11, 2023 The RMT recommending its members vote against Network Rail’s improved offer hasn’t helped negotiations progress, the company’s chief negotiator Tim Shoveller told MPs today. Union members walked out between 6pm on Christmas Eve and 6am on 27 December as well as throughout last week after they rejected a 9 per cent pay offer. As part [...]
Uranium detected in package at Heathrow as terror police vow to ‘follow every avenue’ – but where did it come from? January 11, 2023 Counter-terrorism investigators will “follow every avenue” to discover how material contaminated with a radioactive substance came to be found at Heathrow Airport. Uranium was detected during routine screening of a package at the airport on December 29, that according to the Sun had originated in Pakistan and arrived on a flight from Oman. The newspaper reported [...]
Heathrow: Strikes and ongoing charging issues fail to dent December’s passenger levels January 11, 2023 Heathrow Airport’s passenger numbers skyrocketed last month despite challenges posed by Border Force Strikes. The west London hub said 5.9 million travellers passed through its gates during the festive month, up 90 per cent on 2021 levels. Overall, the airport remained in line with former expectations, with 61.6 million passengers using Heathrow in 2022. John-Holland Kaye, [...]