Dame Carolyn Fairbairn joins BAE Systems in non-exec role February 11, 2021 City grandee Dame Carolyn Fairbairn has joined BAE Systems as a non-executive director, the defence giant announced today. Fairbairn, one of the Square Mile’s most high-profile figures, was until last year the director-general of the CBI. She has previously held non-exec roles at the CMA, Lloyds Bank, the FSA, and outsourcer Capita. Prior to that, [...]
European aviation lays out flight path to net zero by 2050 February 11, 2021 A new report from a group of aviation bodies has laid out a programme for eliminating all European airlines emissions by 2050. According to the research, which was conducted by bodies including airports group ACI Europe, emissions from flights within and departing from the European Economic Area, Britain and Switzerland can be cut to et [...]
Heathrow joins calls for plan for reopening travel as passenger numbers plunge February 11, 2021 Heathrow Airport added its voice to calls to see a plan for rolling back the UK’s new border restrictions as passenger numbers dropped 89 per cent in January. The country’s largest airport said that it was vital that Boris Johnson include details of how international travel would restart when he lays out the government’s lockdown-lifting [...]
Shell says peak oil has passed as firm sets course for net zero by 2050 February 11, 2021 Oil giant Shell today declared that it had already passed peak oil production as it announced more stringent plans to eliminate carbon emissions by 2050. At its strategy day this morning, the Anglo-Dutch firm said that its oil production had reached its zenith in 2019, and would fall 1-2.0 per cent every year. It also [...]
Uber launches same-day parcel delivery service pilot February 11, 2021 Uber has today launched a new same-day delivery service which will allow users to have their parcels chaffeur-driven to their destination. The service, which is called Uber Connect, will cost the same as ordering a regular Uber X journey. An initial pilot of the programme will begin in Manchester, Leeds and Birmingham. Jamie Heywood, regional [...]
Are vaccine passports inevitable to keep the global travel industry afloat? February 10, 2021 Transport secretary Grant Shapps today gave the clearest indication yet that people could soon be required to prove they had been vaccinated in order to travel abroad. Speaking to the BBC, he confirmed talks had been held with his counterparts in the US and Singapore over creation of an international vaccine certification system. Such a [...]
Sadiq Khan seeks permission to appeal ‘unlawful’ Streetspace ruling February 10, 2021 Sadiq Khan has today submitted an application to appeal against a High Court ruling that deemed his “Streetspace” plan illegal. Last month the court ruled that Khan had “taken advantage” of the pandemic to push through “radical changes” to London’s streets. Justice Lang said that the plan, which banned taxis from using bus lanes in [...]
Easyjet boss calls for government to share way out of new quarantine measures February 10, 2021 Easyjet’s chief executive has today called on the government to provide details of how it will relax its current border restrictions in order to give people the confidence to travel again. Yesterday ministers unveiled details of a new hotel quarantine policy, which will see travellers from 33 red-list countries forced to pay £1,750 to spend [...]
Prezzo to shut 22 restaurants after insolvency deal February 10, 2021 Italian chain Prezzo will permanently close 22 restaurants after being bought out of pre-pack administration by private equity firm Cain International. As a result of the deal, 22 of the high street stalwart’s 178 restaurants will not reopen. Cain said that 216 of its 2,900 jobs would be lost. The deal came after Prezzo was [...]
Equinor posts record loss as oil firm sells US shale assets February 10, 2021 Equinor has today become the latest oil giant to post a huge annual loss after a dire year for the oil and gas industry. The Norwegian firm posted a loss of $5.5bn (£4bn), a record hit, as the pandemic sent oil and gas prices plunging. As a result, the company said that it had reduced [...]
