Unacceptable: Aviation regulator slams Wizz Air over complaints and refunds December 16, 2022 The UK aviation regulator has slammed Wizz Air for its “unacceptable” behaviour when it comes to passengers’ complaints and refunds. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) reported that the low-cost carrier ranked as the worst airline for escalated complaints, with 811 grievances per million UK passengers. Escalated complaints are complaints taken to alternative dispute resolution schemes [...]
MoD awards Lockheed Martin with £129m 10-year drone contract December 16, 2022 The Ministry of Defence has awarded aerospace giant Lockheed Martin with a £129m contract to provide drones to the UK’s army. As part of the ten-year deal, the group will provide more than 250 drones with high-resolution imaging that can identify targets far from the operator. Lockheed Martin’s technology is already being used by the [...]
Rail strikes: Union boss Mick Lynch optimistic about reaching deal soon December 16, 2022 Mick Lynch is optimistic about reaching a deal that could end the ongoing rail dispute “in the next week or so.” The union RMT boss told Sky News this morning that the prospect of achieving a compromise during talks is “achievable.” “I know that there are some very simple steps that the employers and ourselves [...]
Heathrow raises earnings forecast to £1.67bn as passengers surpass 61m December 16, 2022 Heathrow has raised its 2022 earnings forecast to £1.67bn as over 61 million passengers are set to pass through its gates this year. The west London hub has increased predictions by £308m following higher revenue and flat operating costs. “Our liquidity position remains strong, and we expect to finish the year with £4.3bn of cash [...]
Tube network thrown into chaos as rail strike continues December 16, 2022 London’s tube network has been thrown into chaos with significant delays and disruption as a result of the rail strikes. Members of the union RMT working at Network Rail and 14 other operators will walk out today and tomorrow as part of a long-standing dispute over jobs and salaries. They will be joined by platform [...]
November sales down as online retail flops despite Black Friday December 16, 2022 Sales have slumped this November as Black Friday didn’t give online stores the boost it needed. Figures published today by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that retail sales volume contracted by 0.4 per cent following a 0.9 per cent rise in October. Online shops were hit the most as non-store retailing sales volumes [...]
Virgin Atlantic receive Govt funding for first ever net-zero transatlantic flight December 16, 2022 Virgin Atlantic has made aviation history as it received £1m in government funding to operate the world’s first net-zero transatlantic flight. The London to New York flight – which is set to take off next year – will be fully powered by sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) instead of kerosene. A byproduct of solid waste and [...]
Elon Musk offloads another £2.9bn of Tesla shares sparking investors’ fury December 15, 2022 Elon Musk has offloaded a further $3.6bn (£2.9bn) worth of Tesla shares, sparking the fury of several investors. The serial entrepreneur announced late last night he relinquished 22 million of the EV giant’s shares between Monday and Wednesday. The $3.6bn sale is the second time Musk has sold part of his stake in the company [...]
Chaos at Heathrow averted as ground handlers suspend 72-hour strike December 15, 2022 Chaos at Heathrow has been averted as ground handlers u-turned and called off a 72-hour strike following an eleventh-hour deal. Members of the union Unite working for aviation firm Menzies have decided to call off tomorrow’s walkout after receiving an improved pay offer. “As an act of goodwill, the strike action scheduled to begin tomorrow [...]
Platform staff accept Network Rail’s pay offer December 15, 2022 Platform staff at Network Rail are getting closer to ending their industrial dispute after members of the union TSSA accepted a pay increase. The union – which didn’t have any strike action planned after calling off its walkout on 17 December – said 85 per cent of members voted in favour of the proposal. As [...]