Car sales sink 40 per cent as 2021 gets off to worst start since 1970 February 4, 2021 Just 90,000 new cars were sold in January, the worst start to a year since 1970 for the UK auto industry. According to new figures from the Society for Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), registrations dropped 39.5 per cent last month, with 90,249 cars sold in total. That’s nearly 60,000 fewer registrations than in January [...]
Grant Shapps: Sadiq Khan cannot ‘raid national budget’ to fix TfL finances February 3, 2021 Grant Shapps has this morning said that Sadiq Khan cannot “just raid the national budget” to fix Transport for London’s ailing finances. Speaking to the Transport Select Committee, the transport secretary said that it would not be fair on taxpayers to fund services and concessions that were not available outside of London. The comments raise [...]
Eurostar is ‘not our company to rescue’, says Grant Shapps February 3, 2021 The transport secretary has poured cold water on hopes that the UK would lead the rescue of the struggling Eurostar rail link. Speaking to MPs on the Transport Select Committee this morning, Grant Shapps said that the cross-channel service was “not our company to rescue”. Pointing to the fact that the French government owned the [...]
UK airports launch fresh bid for new government support February 3, 2021 The UK’s airports have today launched a fresh bid for more financial support from the government as the pandemic shows no signs of abating. The Airport Operators’ Association (AOA) today said that it did not expect passenger numbers to recover to pre-Covid levels until 2025 at the earliest. It said that the coming summer needed [...]
Ryanair ‘jab & go’ ads deemed ‘misleading’ by watchdog February 3, 2021 The advertising watchdog has banned Ryanair from airing its controversial “jab & go” advert, in ruling published today. The Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) said it had received 2,370 complaints over the advert – the third most for any single ad. ASA said that the campaign, which encouraged people to book flights with Ryanair after getting [...]
Pilots slam Norwegian Air over owed salaries following UK collapse February 2, 2021 Pilots have hit back at Norwegian Air after it emerged the airline will not pay outstanding salaries to laid-off staff following the collapse of its UK operations. The British Airline Pilots Association (Balpa) today said staff were demanding answers as to why they had been left with “absolutely nothing”. Norwegian Air last month announced it [...]
Ferrari dodges questions over CEO succession as profit slows February 2, 2021 Ferrari gave no indication on Tuesday of who it was lining up to replace Louis Camilleri as chief executive as analysts said the luxury carmaker appeared to be touching the brakes on its profit outlook. Italy’s ‘Cavallino Rampante’, or ‘Prancing Horse’, forecast that its adjusted core earnings would be between 1.45 billion euros ($1.7 billion) and [...]
Revealed: The London bus drivers ‘abandoned’ to the pandemic February 2, 2021 London bus drivers have told City A.M. they were “abandoned” by their employers and unions alike and forced to fend for themselves as the coronavirus pandemic swept across the UK. Speaking on condition of anonymity, a number of drivers revealed to City A.M. the personal risks to which they have been exposed while keeping essential [...]
Global business travel to grow a fifth this year February 2, 2021 Global business travel spending will begin to recover this year but will not return to pre-pandemic levels until the middle of the decade. According to the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), spending will increase 21 per cent this year to $842bn (£615bn). The increase comes after spending fell more than half in 2020 due to the pandemic. The [...]
Ryanair on track for record loss after €306m third quarter hit February 1, 2021 Ryanair this morning plunged to a €306m (£222.6m) loss as the Irish carrier continued to suffer “the most challenging year in its history”. The Irish carrier said that passenger numbers were down almost 80 per cent to just 8m people over the three month period. As a result, it said it was reducing its full [...]