Travel startup Duffel picks up $30m to revitalise outdated airline technology October 28, 2019 Duffel, a London-based startup seeking to provide airlines with a fresh software update, has today closed a $30m (£27.1m) funding round led by Dropbox and Slack investor Index Ventures. Existing investors Benchmark Capital, which has backed the likes of Snap and Uber, and Blossom Capital also participated. Duffel helps travel agencies to connect to airline [...]
Zamna raises $5m as it secures deal with IAG for airport security tech October 28, 2019 UK startup Zamna, which develops software to automate airport security checks, has bagged $5m (£3.9m) in funding and confirmed International Airlines Group (IAG) as its first client. The seed funding round was led by venture capital firms Localglobe and Oxford Capital, alongside Seedcamp, the London Co-Investment Fund and O2 parent company Telefonica. Read more: Tory [...]
Heathrow enjoys record passenger numbers amid rise of US and African traffic October 25, 2019 Heathrow has posted a record number of passengers travelling through its airport this year, as a boon in transatlantic flights helped offset a slowdown in short-haul journeys. The airport hub has said it is expecting its ninth consecutive year of growth after reporting a 0.7 per cent year-on-year rise in passenger numbers to 61m in [...]
Science Museum staff strike over pay October 23, 2019 Employees at London’s Science Museum have been strike today in a conflict with management over pay. Workers at the Kensington museum claim they have suffered a 10 per cent real-terms pay cut since 2011 following a series of below-inflation pay rises. Read more: Royal Mail workers vote in favour of largest strike in a decade [...]
British flight ban to Sharm el-Sheikh lifted, as airlines eye resort for summer 2020 October 22, 2019 British holidaymakers could soon have the chance to return to the popular Egyptian resort Sharm el-Sheikh, after the government lifted a ban imposed in 2015. Flights to the resort town were suspended after 224 people were killed by the bombing of a Russian airliner, which was linked to the so-called Islamic State group (Isis). Read [...]
On the Beach swoops in for Thomas Cook market share after collapse October 22, 2019 Package holiday firm On the Beach has jumped at the opportunity created by the collapse of Thomas Cook, it said today, nudging shares up in early trading. The London-listed firm said the failure of the 178-year-old travel giant has “created an unprecedented opportunity to take additional market share at an increased rate”. Read more: Thomas [...]
Extinction Rebellion patron buys stake in Heathrow Airport October 20, 2019 A billionaire backer of Extinction Rebellion has been revealed to have a stake in Heathrow Airport. Sir Chrisopher Hohn has clandestinely built a 4 per cent stake in Heathrow parent company Ferrovial worth €730m (£630m), according to the Sunday Telegraph. Read more: Ferrovial makes bid to take trio of Britain’s regional airports It was reported [...]
Virgin Atlantic in fresh broadside against British Airways owner over Heathrow slots October 17, 2019 A war of words between two of Britain’s two biggest airlines over take-off and landing slots at Heathrow escalated further this morning, as Virgin Atlantic’s boss launched a fresh salvo against the dominance of British Airways owner International Airlines Group (IAG) at the airport. Shai Weiss, Virgin Atlantic’s outspoken chief executive, revealed he had set [...]
British Airways boss says electric planes idea won’t fly until 2050 October 17, 2019 The boss of British Airways has thrown doubt over predictions electric planes could enter service over the coming decades. Alex Cruz, BA’s chief executive, said there was “limited opportunity” for electric aircraft entering the market up until 2050. When pressed on the matter, he said BA had consulted with academics and come to the conclusion [...]
Heathrow airport faces fresh calls to increase competition between airlines October 17, 2019 Heathrow airport has come under fresh pressure to increase competition between airlines, amid concerns over a monopoly by British Airways owner International Airlines Group (IAG). A survey has suggested 57 per cent of British travellers support more choice of airline at Heathrow, one day after the transport secretary backed calls for greater competition. Read more: [...]