Travel industry 2022 lookahead: Are we back to square one? December 21, 2021 Less than a month ago, Luis Gallego – chief executive of British Airways’ (BA) owner IAG – was telling aviation stakeholders the industry’s recovery was on its way. Speaking at the Airlines UK conference in Westminster, Gallego revealed that “transatlantic bookings have reached almost 100 per cent of 2019 levels.” “I expect North Atlantic routes [...]
Airbus and Boeing call on Biden to delay 5G roll out December 21, 2021 Airbus and Boeing executives have called on the Biden administration to delay the roll-out of 5G services, citing safety concerns for the aviation industry. In a letter to the White House, Boeing’s boss Dave Calhoun alongside Airbus Americas’ chief executive Jeffrey Knittel said “5G interference could adversely affect the ability of aircraft to safely operate,” [...]
A34 and M4 crowned the UK’s most congested roads December 21, 2021 Hampshire’s major road, the A34, was crowned today the UK’s most congested, with an average delay of 70.7 seconds per car per mile. According to Office for National Statistics data gathered between 2017 and 2020, the A34 was closely followed by Hounslow’s M4 westbound within J1 and J2, with an average waiting time of 70.1 [...]
Three and EE to bring 4G to Tube network December 21, 2021 Mobile operators Three and EE have announced a partnership to bring 4G and 5G connectivity to the whole Tube network. “Three is delighted to be part of bringing even more connectivity to our customers in London,” said Three’s chief executive Robert Finnegan. “They will be able to enjoy smooth streaming, phone calls underground and continued [...]
Qatar Airways sues Airbus over A350 damage dispute December 20, 2021 Qatar Airways is reportedly suing aircraft manufacturer Airbus, taking it to court in the UK over a damage dispute concerning the A350 model. “We have sadly failed in all our attempts to reach a constructive solution with Airbus in relation to the accelerated surface degradation condition adversely impacting the Airbus A350 aircraft,” the carrier said in [...]
Airlines call on government to reopen travel despite possible restrictions December 20, 2021 The aviation industry has called on the UK Government to either reopen travel or “come to the table with economic support.” Airlines UK, the trade body that represents British carriers, has lambasted the government for its lack to support, saying “offering more debt to a sector that has already borrowed billions of pounds is not [...]
Qatar takes 10 per cent stake in Rolls-Royce green nuclear business December 20, 2021 Qatar’s sovereign wealth fund the Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) is reportedly investing £85m in a low-carbon nuclear plant developed by Rolls-Royce and backed by the UK Government. The QIA will own a 10 per cent stake while Rolls-Royce will be left with 70 per cent ownership after investing £195m in the project. Other stakeholders will [...]
Travel shares tank as lockdown concerns mount December 20, 2021 Shares of airlines such as British Airways’ (BA) owner IAG as well as Easyjet have tanked today as concerns over a possible strengthening of restrictions – including a potential Christmas lockdown – mount. IAG went down 3.35 per cent to 127.62p, while Easyjet registered a 2.11 per cent decline to 497.70p. According to Francesco Ragni, [...]
Train services from south Wales return to London December 20, 2021 An additional 18 train services connecting south Wales and London have returned this morning after being cut because of the pandemic. According to Jess Morden, Labour MP for Newport East, the return of services connecting Wales with the capital was “really important.” “We’re seeing more people now using the trains again and it’s really important [...]
Ryanair stops trading on LSE over post-Brexit regulations December 20, 2021 Ryanair announced that it has stopped trading on the LSE’s main market from 8am this morning, while maintaining a primary listing on Dublin’s Euronext. With an £18.4bn value, Ryanair was one of the biggest airlines listed in London. The decision pushed down the low-cost carrier’s shares on the Irish market to €13.85, 4.25 per cent [...]