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 [...]
Britain’s tech sector is a world leader – and its future is brighter than ever October 25, 2016 Technology has transformed our lives, communities, cultural experiences and our economy. But the UK isn’t just a consumer of innovative technology, we’re a creator too. British industry has quickly become a key player in the tech world and this was plain to see during my visit to the technology cluster, Tech City, in East London. [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
Boris Johnson says third runway at Heathrow “will be stopped” October 25, 2016 Foreign secretary Boris Johnson has said a third runway at Heathrow is "undeliverable", after the government gave the airport's expansion plan the green light earlier today. "I think it very likely it will be stopped," Johnson added. The former London mayor has been set against expansion of the west London airport for years now. He previously [...]
Heathrow legal fight “far from over”, says council October 25, 2016 Wandsworth council's leader has warned that the Heathrow fight is "far from over", after the government gave the airport the green light for expansion. Wandsworth is one of a group of councils that had already pledged to launch legal action should the decision be made. Reacting to the airport expansion decision, Wandsworth council leader Ravi Govindia said: "This is deeply distressing [...]
How businesses reacted to the Heathrow decision October 25, 2016 It's taken a while, but businesses have welcomed the news that Heathrow expansion today got the go-ahead from the government. The IoD: "The Davies Commission process set up a false choice between Heathrow and Gatwick" Dan Lewis, senior adviser on infrastructure policy at the Institute of Directors, said: "Business will welcome the fact that the [...]