Birmingham Airport to finally shake off demise of Thomas Cook and Flybe October 10, 2024 Birmingham Airport has said it is finally set to shake off the demise of Thomas Cook and Flybe as well as the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The transport hub increased its passenger numbers to 98 per cent of pre-pandemic levels in 2023, up from 86 per cent in 2022, and is now forecasting it [...]
Why Panama is an undiscovered wonder for nature lovers October 9, 2024 I spot a cayman a couple of metres away on the umber riverbank. It is as still as a park bench, its jaws wide open. I’m not describing a Porsche Cayman with its bonnet up awaiting a recovery truck, I’m talking about a crocodile with a hungry look in its eyes. It surveys me with [...]
Why Georgia’s capital Tbilisi is the most fascinating city in Europe October 7, 2024 Towering over the Georgian capital of Tbilisi is Mtatsminda Park, a Soviet-era fairground and gardens set atop a craggy hill. Accessed by a funicular railway, you will find a host of terrifying, creaky old amusement rides, including the 65-metre-high Giant Wheel, which seems to bow outwards over the edge of a sheer cliff. Dotted around [...]
London City Airport back in the black after losing almost £100m October 7, 2024 London City Airport returned to the black for the first time since the Covid-19 pandemic as passenger numbers continued to recover. The hub has reported a pre-tax profit of £6.6m for 2023, according to newly-filed accounts with Companies House, having made a loss of £1.1m in the prior 12 months. London City Airport had last [...]
BA Cityflyer: London City Airport carrier hails ‘laser focus’ as profit takes off October 4, 2024 BA Cityflyer, the main airline operating from London City Airport, has said a “laser focus” on improving its service led to increased punctuality and profit for 2023. The business, which is wholly owned by British Airways, has reported a pre-tax profit of £11.1m for the year, up from £4.3m in 2022. The figure comes after [...]
To ski or not to ski: How to plan a trip when snow is uncertain September 27, 2024 You are about to spend a small fortune on a ski trip. The reports from the Alps are of muddy, brown slopes. A huge warm weather zone depositing nothing but rain has decimated the snow coverage between Christmas and into January. What to do? Cancel, shift resort in the hope of finding better snow? Press [...]
Passengers provide welcome boost to Newcastle and Liverpool John Lennon airports September 26, 2024 A surge in passenger numbers helped profit at Newcastle International Airport take off during its latest financial year. The transport hub has reported a pre-tax profit of £10.2m for 2023, newly-filed accounts with Companies House have revealed. The total comes after the airport posted a pre-tax profit of £135,000 for 2022. The new accounts also [...]
Heathrow: Passenger numbers soar as boss hails ‘busiest summer’ September 11, 2024 Heathrow Airport has reported a fourth consecutive month of record-breaking passenger traffic in what has proved one of the UK’s busiest ever summers for travel demand. Some 8m travellers passed through in August, up 5.5 per cent year-on-year and bringing the West London hub’s rolling 12 month total to 82.6m. Heathrow said it was “on [...]
Jet2 founder Philip Meeson sells millions more shares September 11, 2024 The founder of budget airline and holidays operator Jet2 has further lowered his stake in the listed business after selling a further five million shares. Philip Meeson has sold the ordinary shares to a limited number of institutional investors. The deal involves approximately 2.3 per cent of the issued ordinary share capital in Jet2. In a statement [...]
Swissport makes first UK profit since 2018 as sales finally recover from Covid September 5, 2024 The UK arm of Swissport has returned to the black for the first time since 2018 as its turnover recovered to pre-pandemic levels. The Cheshire-headquartered division of the aviation services giant also created 1,400 jobs during its latest financial year but its total headcount is still significantly lower than it was in 2019. Swissport has [...]