FirstGroup considers £1.2bn takeover bid from private equity I Squared May 26, 2022 Transport giant FirstGroup has announced it was considering a £1.2bn takeover bid from US private equity I Squared. FirstGroup told investors it was currently considering a 118p per share cash offer after receiving the firm’s latest unsolicited bid yesterday. “The board of FirstGroup notes the recent share price movement,” the group said in a note [...]
UK puts jobs and passengers at centre of post-Covid aviation recovery May 26, 2022 The UK Government has put jobs and passengers at the centre of its post-Covid plan for the aviation sector’s recovery. Launched today by aviation minister Robert Courts, the ‘Flightpath to the Future’ 10-point plan will focus on building back consumer confidence as well as supporting new jobs and the sector’s sustainable recovery to reach net-zero [...]
Heathrow urges govt to ‘bring pace to the policies’ as 10-point plan is rolled out for aviation recovery May 26, 2022 The Government must “bring pace to the policies” after publishing a long-awaited strategy to support the recovery of aviation from the coronavirus pandemic, according to Heathrow Airport. A 10-point plan named Flightpath to the Future has been released by the Department for Transport, focusing on growth, sustainability and protecting passengers. It commits to “position the [...]
UK automotive output spirals downward as global pressures continue to bite May 26, 2022 The UK’s automotive output fell by 11.3 per cent in April as global pressures continue to bite. According to data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), only 60,554 vehicles were produced last month due to a combination of semiconductor shortages and the war in Ukraine’s impact on transport and raw material costs. [...]
Volkswagen coughs up £193m in UK ‘Dieselgate’ settlement May 25, 2022 Volkswagen has agreed to pay £193m as part of an out-of-court UK settlement after 91,000 UK motorists filed a class action over the “Dieselgate” scandal. Tony Winterburn, head of consumer protection litigation at PGMBM, commented on the news and said: “This is a good day for the claimants and is the culmination of five years [...]
DfT urges union to go back to negotiating table following “disappointing” rail strike ballot May 25, 2022 The Department for Transport (DfT) has urged the RMT union to go back to the negotiating table after a strike was announced last night following a 34-day ballot. “Strikes should always be the last resort, not the first, so it is hugely disappointing and premature that the RMT is calling for industrial action before even [...]
Exclusive: It’s all here – Crossrail will be a ‘game changer’ for Canary Wharf’s evolution, says property boss May 25, 2022 The Elizabeth line will be a “game changer” for the evolution of Canary Wharf from mere financial centre to a place where people can live, shop and enjoy themselves. According to Shobi Khan – chief executive of real estate giant Canary Wharf Group – since yesterday’s opening of the Elizabeth Line, passenger numbers at the [...]
We’re focusing on profitable passengers not volumes, says Southend airport May 25, 2022 Southend airport is focused on attracting profitable passengers back instead of worrying about volumes, according to David Shearer, executive chairman of the airport’s owner Esken. The airport welcomed its first passenger flight at the beginning of May, after low-cost airline returned back to the hub, with routes services to Faro, Malaga and Mallorca. The airport [...]
Ryanair reports 15m passengers in May as summer bookings ramp up May 25, 2022 Ryanair has reported that 15 million passengers travelled aboard its planes in May as summer bookings continue to ramp up. According to the low-cost carrier, load factor – the measure of how well an airline fills its seats – has gone up to 92 per cent, 1 per cent above April’s levels. Load factor is [...]
Passengers face ‘apocalyptic’ queues at Heathrow with some waiting for two hours May 25, 2022 Heathrow has found itself once again in hot water after travellers complained about “apocalyptic queues” at its terminals. “The queues at T2 are an absolute shambles, why can every other European airport do a better job?” complained one Twitter user while another said it took them two hours to get through Border Force controls. A [...]