Another ‘disastrous month’ for Boeing as reputation hits rock bottom January 29, 2020 Boeing’s reputation has hit a record low this month, as the troubled plane maker gears up to announce its annual results this afternoon. The manufacturer is still reeling from two crashes involving its 737 Max jet in 2018 and 2019. They killed a combined 346 people, and led to the best-selling jet being grounded worldwide. [...]
‘Enough is enough’: Two thirds of South Western Railway passengers fed up with fares January 28, 2020 Barely a third of South Western Railway passengers feel they are getting value for money, after months of strikes and delays caused misery across the network. According to the National Rail passenger survey, just 34 per cent of customers were satisfied with fares, the lowest score of any franchise in the country. Overall passenger satisfaction [...]
Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary calls Flybe a ‘loss-making turkey’ in stinging rebuke to chancellor Sajid Javid January 28, 2020 Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary has issued another sharp rebuke to chancellor Sajid Javid in the wake of the government’s rescue of Flybe, this time saying the UK’s business strategy is “doomed to fail”. In a letter bound to further escalate the row between the two, O’Leary called the struggling regional airline a “loss-making turkey”. He [...]
Electric avenue: E-scooters to get green light for road use January 28, 2020 Eco-conscious commuters are set for a welcome boost to their journey under plans to legalise the use of electric scooters on roads and cycle lanes. The government is expected to launch a consultation next month on how to regulate the speedy scooters and ensure safety, the Times reported. This will be followed with trials in [...]
Near-miss: Iran plane skids onto major road after pilot misses runway January 27, 2020 Iran narrowly avoided its second major aviation tragedy in less than a month this morning, after a passenger jet ended up belly-down in the middle of a major highway after a botched landing. Nearly all of the 136 passengers on board escaped unscathed – with two on board suffering leg injuries. The incident happened in [...]
Flybe: Ministers draft in restructuring advisers on rescue loan talks amid ‘state aid’ row January 27, 2020 Ministers have brought in advisers to help negotiate a government loan to struggling regional airline Flybe, despite insisting the rescue deal will not constitute state aid. Alvarez & Marsal (A&M) has been tasked with advising the Department for Transport (DfT) in assessing the basis for a commercial loan, according to Sky News. The company, a [...]
Powering up Britain: How the UK will become carbon neutral by 2050 January 27, 2020 Net zero by 2050. At first blush, it sounds like a code phrase one would hear in the halls of MI6 or in the Ministry of Defence. But as British citizens or residents, we should remember it. In simple terms, it is a declaration by Britain to become carbon neutral in 30 years. This may [...]
Levelling up is possible — but the government has to listen to what people want January 27, 2020 Levelling up. This slightly odd turn of phrase is set to become one of the defining tests of the new Johnson government. Inequalities between the regions and nations of the United Kingdom are not a new problem, and nor are central government policy initiatives designed to tackle them. Business communities — particularly those outside the [...]
Police to get more anti-drone powers in fresh crackdown January 27, 2020 The government is planning a fresh crackdown on drones, after a number of near misses in the sky. Ministers hope to give police new powers to land, inspect and seize drones under a bill which has its second reading in Parliament today. Drone pilots could also face on-the-spot fines for failing to prove they have [...]
Flybe looks for another tax delay, weeks after government saves airline January 26, 2020 Flybe is said to have implored airports to give it more time to find millions of pounds it owes them in unpaid landing fees. Europe’s biggest regional airline held crisis talks with airports including Birmingham, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Southampton, according to reports. It is said to be in a race against time to plug a [...]