Unite joins calls for government rescue package for airlines March 15, 2020 Unite, the UK’s largest union, has called on the government to listen to the country’s airlines, which have warned that they are facing unprecedented challenges due to the coronavirus outbreak. The workers’ association, which represents tens of thousands of people in the aviation sector, said that the industry needs government assistance now to help it [...]
HS2: Transport department defends top civil servant over transparency row March 15, 2020 The Department for Transport (DfT) has denied its top civil servant broke the civil service code of conduct as she faces accusations she withheld information on HS2’s budget blowouts. City A.M. reported earlier this month that DfT permanent secretary Bernadette Kelly admitted she did not tell parliament’s Public Accounts Committee (PAC) she knew HS2 was [...]
Coronavirus: Scandinavian Airlines puts flights ‘on hold’ due to ‘non-existent’ demand March 15, 2020 Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) today announced that it has put most of its operations “on hold” due to the “non-existent” demand for air travel as a result of coronavirus. The measures are the most extreme yet taken by an airline and comes amid the grounding of thousands of planes worldwide as countries step up their measures [...]
Railway industry in talks with government over emergency coronavirus measures March 15, 2020 The government is in talks with the rail industry over a range of steps to protect franchises against falling passenger numbers due to the coronavirus outbreak. According to the BBC, at a meeting of industry figures last week it was revealed that numbers had fallen by up to 18 per cent on certain lines, although [...]
Heathrow Airport expansion in a ‘deep freeze’ after court decision and coronavirus March 15, 2020 Heathrow Airport’s planned expansion is now in a “deep freeze”, with the aviation industry expecting the project to fall off the agenda during the coronavirus pandemic. Airlines have been told an impending coronavirus recession will likely delay the third runway a further two years to 2030 at the earliest and could require job cuts, according [...]
Virgin Atlantic calls on government for £7.5bn airline bailout package March 15, 2020 Virgin Atlantic’s chiefs are preparing to send a letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson calling for the government to provide a £7.5bn package to support airlines, which have been decimated by the coronavirus outbreak. Sky News reported that Virgin Group chairman Peter Norris will write to Johnson on Monday warning him of the potentially devastating [...]
Coronavirus: Spanish cases jump by 1,500 as Ryanair joins Jet2 in cancelling flights to Spain March 14, 2020 Spain has had a 1,500 rise in confirmed coronavirus cases today, the country’s public health officials have said. It brings the total to 5,753, almost of half of which are in Madrid. Meanwhile, the death toll has risen to 136. Spain has more cases of coronavirus than any other country in Europe except for Italy, [...]
BA boss warns coronavirus worse than financial crisis for airlines March 13, 2020 The boss of British Airways (BA) has warned that the coronavirus pandemic will have a bigger impact on the airline industry than the financial crisis. BA chief executive Alex Cruz reportedly told staff that the outbreak is a “crisis of global proportions like no other we have known”. The spread of Covid-19 will force the [...]
Coronavirus: Jubilee Line Tube driver tests positive March 13, 2020 A Tube driver on London Underground’s Jubilee Line has tested positive for coronavirus, Transport for London (TfL) confirmed today. It is the first case of coronavirus to be reported among London Underground workers. Transport for London (TfL) said the affected Tube driver is now self-isolating. A TfL spokesperson said: “A train driver on the Jubilee [...]
Saga suspends cruises in £15m coronavirus blow March 13, 2020 British travel group Saga today suspended cruises until the start of May over the escalating coronavirus outbreak, at a cost of between £10m and £15m to the company. Saga’s move follows rival Carnival’s decision to suspend all Princess cruise ship voyages for two months. One of its ocean liners, the Diamond Princess, was an early [...]