Coronavirus safety measures risk ‘immeasurable damage’ to economy, says travel boss June 18, 2020 The economy faces “immeasurable” damage if the government veers too far towards medical safety measures to to protect agains the coronavirus pandemic, according to the boss of travel industry association ABTA. Speaking on City A.M’s The City View podcast this morning, Mark Tanzer gave a grim assessment of the problems facing Britain’s travel industry. He [...]
Three quarters of customers ready to fly, says London City Airport June 18, 2020 Ahead of restarting services on 21 June, London City Airport has said that over three-quarters of its customers have said they are likely to travel when they are told it is safe to do so. An anonymous survey of over 4,700 of the airport’s customers showed that 78 per cent of respondents were either very [...]
Eurostar to roll out facial verification technology from next year June 17, 2020 Eurostar is set to roll out facial verification technology on services from London, meaning that passengers will be able to skip borders and ticket checks. The new technology, from biometric authentication firm iProov, will allow passengers to make entirely contactless journeys through the deployment of a facial biometric corridor at St Pancras station. The UK-based [...]
European Union begins Fiat-PSA mega-merger probe June 17, 2020 European Union officials have launched a four-month probe into the $50bn mega-merger between Peugeot owner PSA and Fiat Chrysler (FCA) over competition fears. Antitrust regulators are concerned about the merged entity’s high market share in the lucrative small van sector. Upon completion of the merger, the new Fiat-PSA company will control a third of the [...]
There can be no route back to normality for ableist commuter culture June 17, 2020 “Do not expect to return to the transport network you were used to.” We’re all used to hearing that there will be no return to “normal” life any time soon. So it’s no surprise that Transport for London (TfL) has broadcast the same message about our commutes as some tentatively plan to return to the [...]
Cruise firm CMV seeks rescue deal or risks going under June 17, 2020 Cruise firm Cruise and Maritime Voyages (CMV) is in a race against time to secure emergency funding after the coronavirus crisis left it struggling to remain afloat. Sky News reported that Essex-based CMV, which employs 4,000 people, is in last-ditch negotiations with creditors and lenders after another rescue deal fell through. The previous talks were [...]
Serco shares leap as it reinstates full year guidance June 17, 2020 Serco shares shot up this morning as it announced it would reinstate guidance for the year following strong performance in the first half of the year. Shares in the public services provider jumped 17.89 per cent this morning after it reported a 23 per cent increase in revenue. Underlying trading profit was around 50 per [...]
Lufthansa’s largest shareholder hits out at bailout deal June 16, 2020 Lufthansa’s largest shareholder has hit out at the German flag carrier’s bailout deal, saying he hoped that alternatives could be explored. Speaking to German newspaper FAZ, Heinz Hermann Thiele said he had upped his stake in the embattled flyer to 15 per cent. At the beginning of June, the carrier announced that the German government [...]
Businesses call on chancellor to support UK hydrogen strategy June 16, 2020 More than 40 companies have written to Rishi Sunak calling on the chancellor to lay the foundations for a UK-wide hydrogen strategy to power the country’s post-coronavirus recovery. The companies, which include industrial giants such as Anglo American, Bosch, Equinor, Siemens and EDF, said they were ready to invest £1.5bn in hydrogen fuel projects around [...]
Ride hailing app Grab cuts 300 jobs amid coronavirus hit June 16, 2020 Ride hailing company Grab has announced it will lay off more than 300 employees due to the effects of the coronavirus. The company, backed by Softbank, said it would cut about five per cent of its workforce after the ride hailing industry has taken a significant hit from the pandemic. Grab is Southeast Asia’s most [...]