Long-haulers slam APD hike as it “will penalise Global Britain” October 27, 2021 Long-haul carriers have criticised the Chancellor’s decision to increase air passenger duty (APD) rates for flights longer than 5,500 miles. Luis Gallego, chief executive at British Airways’ parent company IAG, said the move “will penalise Global Britain” at a time when the country should be more competitive on the global stage. “We need to get [...]
Morocco bans UK flights as Covid cases soar October 20, 2021 Morocco suspended today all flights from the UK, Germany and the Netherlands due to the soaring number of Covid-19 cases in the countries. “Upon decisions of national authorities and following the pandemic situation, flights from/to Germany, Netherlands and the UK are suspended from today, Wednesday 20th Oct at 23:59,” tweeted Morocco’s national carrier Royal Air [...]
Easyjet goes into the lounge business at Gatwick’s north terminal October 20, 2021 Easyjet announced today its first lounge will open tomorrow at Gatwick airport’s north terminal. Called the Gateway, the space was developed in collaboration with lounge company No1 Lounges. With prices starting at £18.50, the space will allow all travellers – regardless of airline ticket – to eat, drink and work before their flight for one, [...]
UK shorter-term bookings surge compared with pre-Covid levels October 12, 2021 Despite uncertainty on travel restrictions, during the summer the British airline industry registered a 25 per cent jump in shorter-term international bookings compared with pre-pandemic levels. Data from the Airlines Reporting Corporation (ARC) showed that this year 52 per cent of international flight bookings from the UK were made over a four-week window, compared to [...]
Easyjet’s bookings skyrocket as chief executive says recovery is back October 12, 2021 Easyjet’s chief executive Johan Lundgren has said that recovery is on the way as the airline’s bookings skyrocket, especially for warmer destinations. As reported by Lundgren during the carrier’s trading update call, bookings for destinations such as Turkey and Egypt have registered a 400 per cent increase. “We have seen city breaks beginning to return [...]
EasyJet expects losses to top £1.1bn for the year October 12, 2021 EasyJet financials took a hammering in the final quarter of the year despite an uptick in flights over Summer as travel restrictions eased. The company’s headline loss before tax for the year ending 30 September 2021 is expected to be between £1.14bn and £1.18bn with the board opting not to issue a dividend for FY21. [...]
BA will drop ‘ladies and gentlemen’ to promote diversity October 10, 2021 British Airways will drop the customary ‘ladies and gentlemen’ formula from announcements to promote a more diverse and inclusive environment aboard its planes. “We celebrate diversity and inclusion and we’re committed to ensuring that all our customers feel welcome when travelling with us,” a British Airways spokesperson told the Telegraph. As reported by the paper, [...]
Pilots give British Airways the green light on restarting of Gatwick operations October 7, 2021 The British Airlines Pilots Association (Balpa), which represents more than 16,000 UK pilots, has signed off a new agreement with British Airways (BA), after union members agreed to back up the establishment of a British Airways’ subsidiary operating from Gatwick airport. “Balpa and British Airways have concluded an important new agreement covering revised pay and [...]
Shareholder turbulence: EasyJet reigns slip from billionaire founder Stelios September 28, 2021 The founder of EasyJet, Stelios Haji-Ioannou, has reportedly lost his power to veto decisions made the board on behalf of the airline after he let his stake dwindle. The billionaire, who launched the budget airline 26 years ago, chose not to buy new shares in a rights issue following a takeover bid by rival Wizz [...]
Ryanair boss: EasyJet and WizzAir merger would be ‘sensible development’ September 22, 2021 Ryanair’s boss has doubled down on his point that rivals EasyJet and WizzAir will not survive as independent airlines without a merger. Chief executive Michael O’Leary said it would be a “sensible development,” for the airlines to merge in the future and there was industry-consensus there would be “more consolidation across Europe” post-Covid. “I’m not [...]