Review demands government intervention to save the construction industry October 17, 2016 An independent review of the construction sector has called for government intervention to save an industry in "inexorable decline". The report, commissioned by two government departments, slams construction's "dysfunctional training model" and its "lack of innovation". Read more: UK construction industry still struggling for momentum Mark Farmer, chief executive of Cast, who led the review, said [...]
London travel disruption: Severe delays on Central Line after signal failure at Mile End station October 17, 2016 Commuters are facing difficulties on the Central Line this morning due to a signal failure in east London. Transport for London said there were "severe delays" on the line, and blamed an earlier signal failure at Mile End station. https://twitter.com/centralline/status/787932619405135872 Londoners trying to use the Central Line took to Twitter to vent their frustration, with [...]
Meet the woman who wants to make the private jet market greener October 17, 2016 From bouts of turbulence to nightmare passengers, air stewardesses have to cope with their fair share of challenges on a daily basis. “You learn to keep a smile on your face,” says Gabriella Somerville as we climb to 12,000 feet above the capital. The founder of private aviation firm ConnectJets – which manages private jet [...]
easyJet will invest millions in tech startups with Founders Factory October 16, 2016 easyJet is the latest established business tapping tech talent to boost innovation, partnering with the high-profile London-based startup accelerator and incubator Founders Factory. The airline is the sixth corporate backer of the startup hot house created by renowned entrepreneurs Brent Hoberman and Henry Lane Fox – both of Lastminute.com fame – with the ambitious goal of creating 200 successful startups over the next five years. The [...]
Nissan boss leaves meeting with Prime Minister Theresa May on a positive note October 14, 2016 Nissan's chief executive Carlos Ghosn has visited Prime Minister Theresa May to talk about Brexit following signals that the carmaker will halt investment in the UK. After leaving the meeting, Ghosn suggested that it went smoothly. According to Sky News, he told reporters he is "confident the government will continue to ensure the UK remains a competitive place to [...]
London travel disruption: Delays and cancellations on trains in and out of Paddington due to person hit by train October 14, 2016 Travellers journeying through Paddington could be affected by severe disruptions at the station this afternoon, after a person was hit by a train this morning between Ealing Broadway and Southall. National Rail said the line between the stations is blocked while emergency services deal with the incident. Some services will be cancelled, while others are delayed, [...]
Airport expansion go-ahead could coincide with the general election October 13, 2016 The government is set to decide on airport expansion in the south east next week, as legal experts warn that a lengthy process means consent is not likely to come before 2020 – an election year. Kevin Gibbs, planning partner at Bond Dickinson who has advised on airport expansion since the government’s 2003 whitepaper, The [...]
Luton Airport hits the 14 million passenger mark October 13, 2016 Luton Airport has reached another milestone – 14 million passengers have flown through the airport in the past 12 months. September marked its 30th consecutive month of passenger growth. There was a 15.6 per cent increase compared with the same period last year. In total a record 1.4m passengers chose to fly from London Luton Airport (LLA) [...]
Tax Uber more and cut black cab fares, think tank tells London mayor October 13, 2016 The Mayor of London has the power to make Uber pay more taxes and the city's iconic black cab drivers should reduce night time fares to compete, according to a new report calling for a major shake up of London's cab industry. A maximum working day of 12 hours should be imposed on Uber drivers and all black cab drivers [...]
Don’t pass Heathrow’s third runway costs onto customers, warns British Airways boss October 13, 2016 As speculation grows over the government's anticipated airport expansion decision next week, British Airways has said it would be "totally unacceptable" for carriers and passengers to bear the cost of construction. Alex Cruz, chief executive of BA, told the British Air Transport Association that while a third runway at Heathrow Airport was "overwhelmingly" the obvious choice, [...]