BT’s giving London’s phone boxes a revamp and they’ve got free Wi-Fi October 26, 2016 BT’s made a rather bold decision – it’s giving London’s phone boxes a makeover. The telecoms group has announced plans to replace the traditional boxes with kiosks called Links, in a new service LinkUK, offering free calls to UK landline and mobile phones, free Wi-Fi access and charging facilities. Hundreds of users within range of [...]
Airbus profit nosedives after production troubles and choppy helicopter sales October 26, 2016 Supplier headaches and a turbulent switch to newer models have taken a toll on Airbus Group's third quarter profit, which slumped 21 per cent. The figures Airbus may have been celebrating the delivery of its 10,000th aircraft last week (an A350-900 for Singapore Airlines, in case you were wondering), but it had less to enjoy today, posting lower than expected [...]
Chris Grayling says Heathrow’s considering a “ramp runway” over the M25 October 26, 2016 As debate rages on over Heathrow’s expansion and how deliverable it is, transport secretary Chris Grayling said the idea of building a ramp for the new Heathrow runway is being considered. The “ramp runway” would be built over the M25 and the transport secretary says it would be “cheaper and quicker” than moving the M25. Speaking on BBC [...]
RMT confirms 3,500 London Underground workers will be balloted for strike action after last week’s security incident at North Greenwich station October 26, 2016 Transport workers' union RMT has confirmed that it will ballot 3,500 London Underground workers for strike action and "action short of a strike" in a dispute over jobs and safety. RMT said last week's security incident at North Greenwich Tube station had put safety "back at the top of the agenda". The station was closed and [...]
One new runway at Heathrow isn’t enough for our ultra dynamic aviation industry October 25, 2016 Few industries have been more dynamic and disruptive than aviation. No one foresaw the rapid shift from propeller planes to jets, the overnight rise of transatlantic jet travel or the 5 per cent cumulative annual passenger growth between 1970 and 2010. Other trends also came as a surprise, including the explosion in airport retail and [...]
As the government gives the go-ahead to expand Heathrow, should it have approved Gatwick too? October 25, 2016 Paul Wait, chief executive of the Guild of Travel Management Companies, says Yes. There is a simple but solid economic argument that a runway at Gatwick should be approved alongside one at Heathrow. Increased capacity at both airports would offer greater connectivity for passengers travelling to both short haul and long haul destinations, and offer businesses [...]
The Heathrow expansion decision has made other UK airports antsy October 25, 2016 The government giving Heathrow expansion the green light has sparked demands from other UK airports. The likes of Gatwick, Birmingham and Stansted all have growth aspirations and have stressed the need for a new aviation policy that consults them so future decisions aren’t so drawn-out. Ken O’Toole, chief executive of Manchester Airport, noted that airports across [...]
JetBlue Airways’ share price falls following third quarter release October 25, 2016 JetBlue Airways' share price fell by over three percent in pre-market trading after announcing its third quarter results. The company reported an operating income of $345m (£130m) in the third quarter, a one per cent increase from the same quarter in 2015. The low-cost airline, the fifth largest domestic carrier in the US, mainly serves internal flights within [...]
Gatwick boss: Heathrow is not the right answer for Britain October 25, 2016 Gatwick has criticised the government's decision to give Heathrow expansion the go-ahead, but said it "stands ready to proceed when the time comes". The airport had been mulling over its response to the news and a few hours after the story broke, chief executive Stewart Wingate said: "We are disappointed as we do not believe this is the right [...]
The winners and losers of Heathrow expansion October 25, 2016 The airport expansion decision has finally been made, with Heathrow getting the go-ahead after numerous delays. And while many have welcomed the announcement, others haven't been quite so supportive. Here are some of the biggest winners and losers of the government's decision. WINNERS Heathrow (obviously) It's been a tense wait for the airports involved, with [...]