Thomas Cook pension funds in talks over buyout deal September 27, 2019 Thomas Cook’s pension funds are in talks with insurers to mitigate cuts to payments for the employees of the collapsed travel firm. Chair of trustees Steve Southern has launched discussions with several parties about a buyout deal to prevent pension scheme members losing out on payments, Sky News reported. Read more: 40 per cent of [...]
Renewables soar on strong wind September 27, 2019 Generation of renewable electricity soared last quarter in Britain as new wind energy came online, bringing the country a small step closer to phasing out emissions. Electricity from renewables rose by nearly 10 per cent year-on-year, government data released today shows. Read more: IEA boss Fatih Birol: Oil demand could slow if economy stays weak [...]
Civil Aviation Authority has flown back 40 per cent of stranded Thomas Cook holidaymakers September 27, 2019 A total of 61,000 Thomas Cook customers have now been flown back to the UK by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). On Thursday it used 69 flights to bring home a further 15,000 people, taking the total of those returned to the UK following Thomas Cook’s collapse to 40 per cent. Read more: MPs launch [...]
Thomas Cook: MPs launch inquiry into ‘corporate greed’ at collapsed holiday giant September 26, 2019 Thomas Cook bigwigs will be hauled in front of MPs in the coming months and forced to explain the firm’s catastrophic collapse, which left 150,000 Brits stranded abroad and forced the biggest peacetime repatriation in history by the British government. After meeting this afternoon, the Commons’ business select committee agreed to launch a wide-ranging inquiry [...]
City airport boasted lower fares than Heathrow and Gatwick last summer September 26, 2019 London City Airport has said its fares last summer were lower than both Heathrow and Gatwick on a route-by-route basis, as it sets itself up as a competitor to the two hub airports. The airport favoured by businesses and bankers also said it saw a 22 per cent increase in the number of local people [...]
IAG issues profit warning after British Airways strikes September 26, 2019 British Airways owner IAG today slashed its 2019 profit guidance after recent strikes forced it to cancel more than 2,000 flights. International Airlines Group warned that adjusted operating profit will fall €215m (£190m) below last year’s €3.49bn. Read more: Ryanair threatens to remove pilot perks over strikes, says union It estimated that Balpa’s strike action [...]
Uber teams up with the Open University to offer drivers free courses September 26, 2019 Ride-hailing giant Uber has teamed up with the Open University to offer free higher education courses to its drivers. The firm has today launched Uber Pro, a tiered loyalty scheme that gives drivers access to a variety of courses depending on the number of trips they have completed as well as ratings they receive from [...]
Tube drivers vow October disruption over ‘excessive’ track noise September 26, 2019 Tube drivers are set to launch industrial action in October over the noise levels of train tracks, saying they cause “distraction, discomfort, and anxiety” for drivers and passengers. The RMT union said 95 per cent of drivers voted in favour of taking action in a ballot covering the Jubilee, Central, Northern and Victoria Lines. Read [...]
Crossrail: TfL to run Paddington to Reading trains from December September 26, 2019 Transport for London (TfL) will start running services between Paddington and Reading from this December, which will become part of Crossrail when it opens from 2021. TfL Rail will replace GWR as the operator of the services, with four trains per hour at peak time and two at off-peak. Read more: Crossrail shares progress pictures [...]
17,000 more Thomas Cook passengers flown back to UK September 26, 2019 Around 17,000 people were flown home on specially chartered planes yesterday three days after they were left stranded by the failure of Thomas Cook. The Civil Aviation Authority said it managed to bring back 95 per cent of all customers whose Thomas Cook flights were scheduled on the day. It flew 71 different flights. Read [...]