Pandemic crash: Almost 200,000 UK travel jobs lost or at risk due to Covid crisis June 17, 2021 Around 195,000 people working in the UK travel industry have either lost their job or are at risk of losing their job due to the Covid-19 crisis. The sector employs around 526,000 people across the UK in ordinary times, meaning that more than a third (37 per cent) of all jobs in the sector face [...]
Trainline ticket sales rebound 269 per cent after May’s £100m loss June 17, 2021 Trainline has posted a staggering 269 per cent UK ticket sales increase in its first quarter, which raked in £237m to partially offset May’s £100m operating loss. In the highest level since the start of the pandemic, the train and coach travel platform brought home £334m in total sales in the 14 weeks to 31 [...]
Khan’s ‘Streetspace’ appeal upheld in blow for London’s taxis June 16, 2021 Sadiq Khan has this evening won his battle against London’s cabbies over the controversial “Streetspace” scheme. The Court of Appeal has upheld the Mayor’s appeal against a High Court judgement which deemed that the programme, which is designed to encourage walking and cycling during the pandemic, was introduced unlawfully. In his appeal, Khan argued that [...]
Ford and Samsung among firms ‘in talks’ over UK battery gigafactories June 16, 2021 Ford and Samsung are considering building battery “gigafactories” in the UK as the government seeks to drive investment in the electric vehicle sector. The FT reported that ministers were in talks with six firms in total, including Nissan and South Korean electronics firm LG, over the locations of the new facilities, which are seen as [...]
Addison Lee becomes London’s largest taxi firm with ComCab deal June 16, 2021 Addison Lee has inked a deal to acquire black cab operator ComCab, creating the capital’s largest private hire and taxi firm. Under the terms of the deal, Addison Lee will purchase the London operations of ComCab, City Fleet Networks and Flightlink International from the ComfortDelGro Corporation. The combined company will have over 7,000 vehicles, making [...]
Howard Davies: Heathrow airport expansion ‘not needed at the moment’ June 16, 2021 Howard Davies: Heathrow airport expansion 'not needed at the moment'
Moody’s downgrades TfL’s debt, says pandemic damage ‘unlikely to be reversed’ June 15, 2021 Credit agency Moody’s has this evening downgraded Transport for London’s (TfL) debt, saying that the transport network’s finances have “been durably and materially weakened by the pandemic”. The ratings agency said that the government’s unwillingness to provide “clarity” on the operator’s long-term finances meant that “this erosion in its financial strength is unlikely to be [...]
€229m drop in April: Imports from Britain to Ireland continue downward slope June 15, 2021 Irish imports from Great Britain in April decreased 20 per cent from a year ago. Imports have continually fallen since Brexit, according to a Bloomberg report. Ireland’s statistics office today reported imports from Britain fell by €229m compared with April 2020. The greatest decreases were in the imports of “Food and live animals” and “Chemicals and related products”. Goods [...]
Rail industry puts service and job cuts on the line amid warnings that government support ‘not unlimited’ June 15, 2021 The rail industry is taking steps to trim services and cut jobs in a bid to save £2bn a year as it warned that the government’s current support for the sector was “not unlimited”. Since the beginning of the pandemic in March last year, ministers have spent over £10bn – £800m per month – propping [...]
Airlines add extra seats to rare green list destinations Gibraltar, Iceland and Israel June 15, 2021 Airlines add extra seats to rare green list travel destinations Gibraltar, Iceland and Israel