Q&A: Why would cutting air passenger duty help Flybe – and how is it damaging? January 14, 2020 In a bid to save regional airline Flybe, chancellor Sajid Javid is meeting officials from the business and transport departments today. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has already shown he is against conventional bailouts for struggling companies – as he showed when he decided against keep Thomas Cook afloat in September. But one option still on [...]
London Waterloo named as UK’s busiest rail station January 14, 2020 London Waterloo has been named as the country’s busiest train station, with nine of the top 10 all located in the capital. The Office of Rail and Road released its annual passenger figures today, revealing there was 94.2m entries and exits at Waterloo in 2018-19. The figure was the lowest number of passenger journeys for [...]
Ministers ‘considering rescue loan’ for struggling airline Flybe January 14, 2020 The government is considering a rescue package for Flybe that could include a short term loan which falls within state aid rules, according to reports. The BBC reported the loan would come from a pot of government money which is available to firms which does not breach state aid rules. Nissan was reportedly encouraged to [...]
Yamaha issues musical instrument case warning after Carlos Ghosn escape January 14, 2020 Yamaha has warned people not to try and squeeze into musical instrument cases after reports former Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn used the ploy to escape Japan. The musical instrument maker refused to give a specific reason, but said it had noticed increased interest in climbing inside the cases in recent weeks. “We won’t mention the [...]
Flybe: Boris Johnson keeps options open on air passenger duty cut January 14, 2020 Boris Johnson has fuelled further speculation that the government will cut air passenger duty on domestic flights in a bid to keep struggling regional airline Flybe aloft. The Prime Minister said that although he does not see it as the government’s role to bail companies out, Flybe was important for people getting around the country. [...]
Flybe in crisis talks with government to stave off collapse January 13, 2020 Struggling airline Flybe is reportedly locked in last ditch talks with the government to defer its multi-million pound air passenger duty (APD) bill as it teeters on the brink of collapse. The airline has asked Whitehall to help it find a way of delaying its APD payments while it struggles with cash flow in the [...]
Bakerloo line extension may be funded by landowner tax hike January 13, 2020 Transport for London (TfL) is considering funding the £3.1bn Bakerloo line extension with a tax on landowners. The proposed works would extend the line from Elephant and Castle to Lewisham via stations on Old Kent Road and New Cross Gate. Read more: Bakerloo line extension to Lewisham now open to public ocmment However, the project [...]
Decline in German automotive production weighs on its economy January 13, 2020 Structural change and a sharp decline in automotive production in Germany is weighing on the economy, according to a report published today. The Munich-based ifo Institute estimated that the automotive industry workforce has shrunk by 1.3 per cent since the beginning of 2019, a much sharper decline than in the rest of the manufacturing industry [...]
Troubled airline Flybe insists flights continue as normal amid survival funding talks January 13, 2020 Flybe’s chief executive today pleaded with employees not to give away details of its financial situation, as the struggling airline remained tight-lipped on reports that it is hurtling towards collapse today. Europe’s biggest regional carrier was rocked by suggestions that it is in a fresh battle for survival on Sunday night, less than a year [...]
Porsche enjoys record sales despite industry struggles January 13, 2020 Porsche has powered ahead of an industry-wide sales slowdown for car makers, reporting record deliveries for 2019. The German luxury manufacturer said global deliveries rose 10 per cent to 280,000 cars in 2019, driven by demand for the Macan and Cayenne SUV models. Read more: Carmaker Porsche facing German tax investigation Meanwhile, it predicted that [...]