Qantas coughs up $9bn to renew its entire domestic fleet October 6, 2021 Australian carrier Qantas is renewing its domestic fleet for a total spending of more than $9bn. The airline has entered the final stages of a tender process with aircraft and engine manufacturers that will see more than 100 new aircraft become operational by 2034, according to a Bloomberg report. The renewal will reportedly mainly affect [...]
Biggest shipping companies navigate plan for net-zero by 2050 October 6, 2021 The International Chamber of Shipping (ICS), which represent the world’s biggest shipping companies, has recently set out its plan to achieve net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050, doubling the current pledge of getting to 50 per cent less CO2 emissions. ICS members have also stated that the industry cannot reach such ambitious targets by itself but [...]
Thousands of Brits stuck at Heathrow as e-gates fail again October 6, 2021 Thousands of people were stuck queuing today at Heathrow airport after the e-gate system encountered issues for the second time in two weeks. The Times reported that bottlenecks lasted up to four hours, with passengers saying that more than 3,000 people were queuing, because e-gates were not functioning properly and there were insufficient members of [...]
Emirates boss: Covid will be ‘history’ by end of next year and aviation will recover October 6, 2021 Emirates president Sir Tim Clark has said that the aviation sector is months away from going back to normal and will not suffer a long recovery, which was initially predicted by industry stakeholders during the peak of the pandemic. Clark, who has run the Dubai-based airline since 2003, told the Telegraph the aviation sector will [...]
Uber strike over ‘racist’ facial recognition algorithm as case heads to tribunal October 6, 2021 A union is taking legal action against Uber for what it claims is indirect racial discrimination. The Independent Workers’ Union of Great Britain (IWUGB) is taking Uber to court on behalf of one of its members who says their account was terminated because of a facial recognition algorithm used to identify drivers incorrectly mis-identified drivers [...]
Chinese airlines push back against IATA’s net-zero pledges October 5, 2021 Chinese carriers lobbied global airlines body IATA to push back its net-zero 2050 deadline but they were rejected by the organisation, which stressed its commitment to the Paris Agreement, according to reports. Chinese airlines have pushed back against the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) resolution to commit to net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050. Carriers reportedly [...]
Government launches competition to find office for Great British Railways outside London October 5, 2021 As Great British Railways is set to take the reins of the UK railway network, the Department for Transport (DfT) has launched a competition to find a new appropriate headquarters. UK transport secretary Grant Shapps has launched a competition to find the Great British Railways a head office, the new state-owned public body in charge [...]
Staycations are over: Uber trips to airports soar by 328 per cent after restrictions lift October 5, 2021 British holidaymakers have increased exponentially their trips to the airport after more than a year of ‘staycations’. Data from Uber showed today that in the UK, trips to the airport increased 328 per cent since the government lifted the Covid-19 travel restrictions on 17 May. The statistics showed that trips booked using the reserve feature [...]
Eurostar to hold on to its brand name in Thalys merger October 5, 2021 Eurostar will retain its brand name even after a planned merger with continental operator Thalys. The post-merger business will operate from Brussels but UK-bound services will be overseen by an operational centre in London. The news was first reported by the International Railway Journal. Speaking to the magazine, Belgian National Railways’ chief executive Sophie Dutordoir [...]
British Airways to bring back ‘Superjumbo’ Airbus A380 on short-haul flights October 5, 2021 British Airways is rumoured to bring back the 600-seater Airbus A380, after grounding it more than 18 months ago. Travel magazine Head for Points reported that the airline is planning on restarting operations for five of its 12 Airbus A380 aircraft from next month onward. The plan reportedly involves scheduling the plane – also known [...]
