Coventry launches bid for battery ‘gigafactory’ at airport February 16, 2021 Coventry City Council has joined forces with the local airport to develop plans for a battery gigafactory which could create up to 4,000 new jobs. The joint venture partners will submit a planning application for the project, which they said could bring in £2bn in investment, later this year. West Midlands Mayor Andy Street said [...]
Travel businesses urge customers to book summer holidays despite guidance February 15, 2021 A coalition of the UK’s largest travel companies has come together to give consumers the confidence to book summer holidays despite oscillating advice from ministers. The group, which commands combined revenues of over £11bn, has offered any customer who books with them a guaranteed refund or change of holiday date if the trip has to [...]
Jaguar Land Rover commits to UK as luxury brand launches 2030 electrification push February 15, 2021 Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) today announced that its full range of vehicles would be electrified by 2030 as the luxury car brand seeks to shift away from fossil fuels. It also committed to keeping its UK factories open for the duration of the electrification process. The Tata-owned firm said that all vehicles in its Jaguar [...]
Rolls-Royce picks former Deloitte partner Kakoullis as finance chief February 15, 2021 Engineering giant Rolls-Royce has named Panos Kakoullis as its new chief financial officer, as the FTSE 100 group steers through a pandemic-driven restructuring. Kakoullis, who spent 30 years at accountancy firm Deloitte, will join the company in May. Restructuring Rolls-Royce said in January that its restructuring efforts were continuing apace, with 7,000 roles removed last [...]
Scotland to Northern Ireland underwater tunnel could be green lit next month February 14, 2021 An underwater tunnel connecting Great Britain and Northern Ireland could get the green light as early as next month. The tunnel, which could be dubbed Boris’ Burrow, would help ease post-Brexit tensions, after Boris Johnson’s withdrawal agreement created checks for some goods travelling between Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Network Rail chair Sir Peter Hendy [...]
Hotel quarantine booking site still not working February 12, 2021 Hotel quarantine booking site launches, there are no spots at London airports until Wednesday
Jet2 raises £422m in fresh cash despite travel restrictions February 12, 2021 British holiday company Jet2 said this morning that it has raised £422m through a new share issue to bolster the company’s finances amid sustained restricted travel. Equal to 20 per cent of its share capital prior to the fundraise, the fundraiser comprised of over 35m placing shares and subscriptions for nearly 600,000 retail shares. “The [...]
Hotel quarantine: What do the new rules mean for arrivals travelling to London? February 11, 2021 Hotel quarantine: What do the new rules mean for arrivals travelling to the UK border?
French government scraps plans for expansion of Charles de Gaulle airport February 11, 2021 The French government has today scrapped plans for a major expansion at Charles de Gaulle airport due to climate change concerns. According to an interview given by a French minister to Le Monde, the €9bn expansion was “no longer aligned with environmental policy”. The development would have increased the capacity of Europe’s biggest airport by [...]
HS2: Next phase of controversial rail link gets green light February 11, 2021 The next phase of the controversial HS2 rail link has today been approved by MPs. Lawmakers gave Royal Assent to phase 2a of the project, which connects Birmingham to Crewe. It will be built simultaneously with phase 1 of the rail line from London to the West Midlands. An additional 5,000 jobs will be supported [...]