BA’s South African franchisee Comair returns to the skies following suspension lifting March 17, 2022 British Airways’ (BA) South African franchisee Comair announced today it had restarted operations after a suspension by the country’s aviation authority was lifted. “After a thorough review of Comair’s documentation, the SACAA has lifted the precautionary suspension of Comair’s licence,” said chief executive Glenn Orsmond. “We’re pleased that the situation is finally resolved.” The regional carrier said [...]
Stagecoach merger creates superior value than DWS offer, says National Express March 17, 2022 A merger between rivals National Express and Stagecoach could unlock higher dividends for shareholders compared with DWS’s offer, National Express said today. According to National Express, a merger could see share value go up to 170p per Stagecoach share – a 66 per cent premium on the 105p offered last week by German asset manager [...]
TfL to increase tube and bus fines by 25 per cent March 17, 2022 Transport for London’s (TfL) fines are expected to increase by at least 25 per cent, commissioner Andy Byford said in his latest updated. Byford reported that fines are expected to increase from £80 to £100 “to protect our revenue from fare evasion and fraud.” The hike will target chronic fare evaders across the whole TfL [...]
Packed cargo ship sinking quickly, rescue efforts launched for dozens of crew members March 17, 2022 An Emirati-flagged cargo ship is currently sinking in the Persian Gulf, with efforts under way to rescue 30 crew. Captain Nizar Qaddoura, the operations manager of the Salem Al Makrani Cargo company, said that the Al Salmy 6 encountered rough and stormy weather, then capsized. Rescuers had saved 16 crew members, the captain said. Another [...]
BA’s South African franchisee Comair sees fleet grounded over safety concerns March 16, 2022 The fleet of British Airways’ (BA) South African franchisee Comair was grounded over safety concerns. The South African Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA) decided to revoke the regional carrier’s right to fly indefinitely on Sunday, after a 24-hour ban issued the day before due to fears of engine failures and landing gear malfunctions. “The suspension follows [...]
Kremlin in sudden U-turn as ceasefire seems likely: Russia ‘changing tone’ as isolated Putin drops demands for Ukraine to surrender March 16, 2022 Despite fierce fighting in the last 24 hours, with Russia’s military forces blasting Ukraine’s capital region and other major cities. Russia has softened its stance in the talks over a possible settlement and is rapidly ‘changing tone’, according to people close to the Ukraine-Russia peace talks. In fact, a ceasefire seems increasingly likely. Ihor Zhovkva, [...]
Cabbies call on Mayor of London to block Uber’s licence renewal amid worker rights row March 16, 2022 London cabbies are calling on the Mayor of London and TfL to set tougher worker rights conditions on Uber’s application for renewal of their London licence, which is set to expire on March 27th. According to the App Drivers & Couriers Union (ADCU), Uber has failed to abide by the Supreme Court ruling from February [...]
HS2 minister Andrew Stephenson ‘concerned’ about project’s rising costs March 16, 2022 HS2 minister Andrew Stephenson said today he is concerned about the rate at which the railway project’s rising costs are soaring. Stephenson reported that HS2 had taken a further £500m between September 2021 and January 2022, in addition to the £5.6bn contingency funds. He added that the project’s “potential cost pressures” have gone up by [...]
Weekend tube numbers continue to grow, reaching 85 per cent of pre-pandemic levels March 16, 2022 Weekend tube ridership continues to grow, reaching more than 80 per cent of pre-pandemic levels, figures from Transport for London (TfL) showed today. According to the data, numbers on 12 March were at 85 per cent of 2019 levels, with more touristic stations such as Tower Hill, Westminster and Waterloo seeing similar levels of demand [...]
BMW cuts 2022 profit margins as Ukraine war worsens supply chain issues March 16, 2022 BMW announced today it was cutting its 2022 profit margin forecast after the war in Ukraine caused new supply chain disruptions. The automotive maker said its EBIT margin will go down from between 8 and 10 per cent to between 7 and 9 per cent, warning supply chain issues could severely hinder production. Despite engaging [...]