Rolls-Royce shareholders approve £2bn rights raise plan October 27, 2020 Rolls-Royce shareholders have this morning approved the engine maker’s £2bn rights issue as it seeks to bolster its finances. As a result, the group’s liquidity will rise by £5bn, as the capital raise opens up new options including a £2bn bond issue and the extension of a two-year loan by £1bn. Chairman Ian Davis told [...]
Driverless Tube trains would cost £7bn, report shows October 27, 2020 A leaked document has shown that it would cost £7bn to introduce driverless trains onto London’s Tube network. Automating trains on the capital’s underground network is a pet project of PM Boris Johnson, who has pushed for progress on the development. Back in July, he said that driverless Tube trains should be a condition of [...]
Exclusive: Private jet sector remains ‘robust’ amid air travel slump October 27, 2020 The number of flights made on private jets in August was nearly three per cent higher than in the same month last year, new data for City A.M. has shown. Analysis from business aviation broker Colibri Aircraft showed that there were 68,525 such flights in August, a 2.8 per cent rise year-on-year, despite the coronavirus [...]
Easyjet raises £300m from plane sales in bid to boost balance sheet October 27, 2020 Easyjet today agreed to sell nine more planes for £305.7m as the low-cost carrier seeks to relieve pressure on its balance sheet. Wealth management firm Wilmington Trust Services will buy five Airbus 320s, and aircraft leasing firm Sky High 112 will buy the remaining four 320s. Earlier this month Easyjet was reported to have told [...]
UK legal case launched against Fiat Chrysler over diesel emissions October 27, 2020 Auto giant Fiat Chrysler (FCA) is facing a £5bn UK legal challenge over claims that the carmaker concealed the true levels of emissions that its vehicles produced from customers. International law firm PGMBM has issued a case in the High Court alleging that up to half a million cars manufactured since 2008 were fitted with [...]
Eurostar launches direct Amsterdam to London service – but was anybody onboard it? October 26, 2020 Eurostar’s eagerly-awaited direct Amsterdam to London service started today but Covid disruption meant there were plenty of empty seats.
Aviation watchdog slams Heathrow’s legal threats over £1.7bn airport charge hike October 26, 2020 The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has hit back at Heathrow Airport over threats that it will take the regulator to court unless it budges on its decision to reject Heathrow’s attempt to increase airport charges by £1.7bn. Earlier this month, the CAA turned down the request from the UK’s largest airport, which wanted to hike [...]
British Airways ends in-flight food partnership with M&S October 26, 2020 British Airways today confirmed that it is set to end its three-year partnership with M&S to provide food on short-haul trips for economy-class passengers. A spokesperson for the airline confirmed the move: “We proudly launched our buy-on-board catering in 2017 with high street favourite, M&S. “After a successful journey, we are headed off on a [...]
Exclusive: Tram risk audit at time of Croydon crash was never revealed to TfL safety panel October 26, 2020 The Croydon tram network was undergoing a safety audit at the time of the fatal Sandilands crash in 2016 – a fact not revealed to the chair of TfL’s safety panel at the time. The former board member, tasked with overseeing investigations into the disaster, described the failure to inform him as “beyond shocking.” Over [...]
Aircraft orders flatline in September after worst ever quarter October 26, 2020 No commercial aircraft were ordered last month as the global aviation industry recorded its worst ever quarter on record due to the coronavirus pandemic. From July to September, there were just 13 orders placed for planes, a decline of 91.4 per cent on the same quarter last year. There were four orders in July, and [...]