Aslef’s not happy with Southern over “misleading” claims it cancelled a strike ballot November 7, 2016 Train drivers' union Aslef is not happy over a press release sent out by Southern's parent company Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR) over the weekend. A press release from GTR said Aslef "cancels ballot 24 hours after launch", calling it off for technical reasons. Aslef said it had simply been postponed. Angie Doll, Southern's passenger services director, [...]
European Commission wants details on the Nissan deal from the UK government November 7, 2016 The European Commission has confirmed it has made contact with the UK government regarding the Nissan deal, following media coverage. A spokesperson said: "We have seen press reports regarding this issue. As a result, the Commission at services level is in contact with the UK authorities." The Commission has asked for details on what assurances [...]
Toyota has set its sights on long-range electric vehicles November 7, 2016 Is Toyota doing a U-turn over electric vehicles (EV)? The company is aiming to begin selling its first long-range EV in 2020 in Japan, according to Japan's Nikkei newspaper. It said Toyota would set up a team in early 2017 dedicated to developing electric cars that can travel more than 300km or 186 miles on a [...]
British Airways is going to squeeze an extra 52 seats onto its Boeing 777 economy flights November 7, 2016 British Airways is adding an extra 52 seats to its Boeing 777s at Gatwick from 2018 as it seeks to stay competitive. It also plans to look into its aircraft at Heathrow following that. BA currently has nine economy seats in each row of its 777 fleet, from 2018 that'll go up to 10 (even though [...]
Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary wants Theresa May to stop “faffing around” in India and focus on Brussels November 7, 2016 Ryanair has just raised its passenger growth forecast but chief executive Michael O'Leary isn't happy. He told the BBC that business was "booming" but the environment was "bearish" post-Brexit. And he was particularly unimpressed with how the government is proceeding, saying it had "no idea" as to how it will actually deliver Brexit. O'Leary said Prime Minister Theresa May [...]
Ryanair reports hike in first half profit in the face of weaker sterling November 7, 2016 Ryanair has reported an increase in profits during the first half of 2016, despite what boss Michael O'Leary described as "difficult market conditions" in the aftermath of Britain's vote to leave the EU in June. The figures Revenue rose two per cent in the three months to 30 September, to €4.13bn (£3.68bn) from €4.04bn. Profit after tax [...]
Mitsubishi Motors gears up for an electric car revolution with no Brexit road bumps in sight November 7, 2016 “One of the things we did when we launched the Outlander plug-in hybrid electric vehicle [PHEV] was accentuate the ordinary aspect of it,” says Mitsubishi Motors’ managing director Lance Bradley. It may not sound like a hugely appealing marketing attribute, but Bradley believes it has worked. “People either expect a milk float or the Starship [...]
Aslef postpones ballot of Southern Rail drivers after “technical hitches” November 7, 2016 Train drivers' union Aslef has postponed its ballot of Southern drivers after a series of "technical hitches" over the weekend. Aslef had given out the papers on Friday 4 November, but noticed technical issues on Saturday. A spokesman told City A.M. there would be a re-ballot as it was "important to give members an opportunity to [...]
Evans Cycles poaches Dobbies Garden Centres’ boss Andy King November 6, 2016 Evans Cycles has announced that Andy King has been appointed as its new chief executive. King was formerly managing director at Dobbies Garden Centres, the national garden retail business, and prior to that worked at Notcutts Garden Centres, The Body Shop and Mothercare. He replaces Nick Wilkinson, who left the company earlier this year. ECI [...]
Ryanair’s earnings set to fly lower than expected as weak sterling drags down fares November 6, 2016 Ryanair has suffered some turbulence post-Brexit, predominantly fuelled by the plummeting sterling, and investors are braced for a bumpy landing in its upcoming results. Full-year profits expected to grow five per cent lower than previously guided at seven per cent. The revised guidance, provided a couple of weeks ago, reflected weaker sterling with 26 per [...]