John Lewis Partnership hires British Airways boss Keith Williams as new deputy chairman March 22, 2016 The John Lewis Partnership has appointed British Airways' outgoing boss Keith Williams to take over Mark Price as its new deputy chairman. Williams is already a member of the Partnership board after joining in March 2014 and will succeed Price on 4 April, who is leaving his dual role as deputy chairman and Waitrose managing director to take up [...]
Ryanair slams French air traffic controller unions as “selfish” for striking and calls for ban on industrial action March 20, 2016 Budget airline Ryanair has hit out at French air traffic controller (ATC) unions over strikes that have seen hundreds of flights cancelled across Europe. The company released a statement this evening repeating its call on the French government and EU Commission to "take action to prevent European consumers regularly being held to ransom by tiny numbers of [...]
British Airways, EasyJet and Ryanair forced to cancel flights due to French air traffic control strike March 20, 2016 British Airways, EasyJet and Ryanair have cancelled several flights scheduled for today and tomorrow due to industrial action in France. Air traffic controllers are striking in protest against staff cuts, which industry union UNSA said are unrealistic due to the operational needs of control centres. UNSA also slammed the "considerable technological backwardness" of equipment used by air traffic [...]
Fever-Tree’s share price sparkles as it toasts strong sales for its first full year as a listed company March 14, 2016 Premium mixers brand Fever-Tree, has reported revenue up 71 per cent to £59.3m for the year to 31 December, while pre-tax profits soared to a whopping £16.7m, from just £2.5m the year before. After listing in October 2014, shares have climbed by around 250 per cent, giving Fever-Tree a market capitalisation of around £680m. The company is also offering a substantial hike [...]
Qatar tops list of best airlines – while Virgin Atlantic and EasyJet languish near the bottom of the table March 9, 2016 Calling all frequent fliers. A new survey has revealed the "saints and sinners" of the airline industry – and you might be surprised at some of the worst offenders. Qatar Airways tops the AirHelp list, receiving full marks for quality, 8.7 out of 10 for being on time and 8.1 for claim processing. Dutch airline KLM [...]
The 32 best barbecue restaurants in America: From Austin to North Carolina, we take a foodie tour of the American South’s top grills March 7, 2016 The best way to see America is by car, and the best way to taste America is on a driving tour of the country’s most celebrated BBQ pits. On a three week, six state and 2,500 mile journey from Texas to the Carolinas, I went in search of the best BBQ in the American South, [...]
Brexit vote won’t have a material impact on business, said IAG chief executive Willie Walsh February 26, 2016 A Brexit vote would not have a material impact on the airline business, according to Willie Walsh, chief executive of International Airlines Group (IAG). Last year, Walsh said that he was “pro-Europe”, adding that he believed the UK is better off within the EU from a business point of view. However, speaking this morning on [...]
IAG share price falls despite low fuel costs boosting profits for 2015 February 26, 2016 British Airways owner International Airlines Group (IAG) has unveiled higher than expected profits for the year ending 2015, as a result of cheaper fuel prices and customer demand. The airline conglomerate, which represents British Airways and Iberia, among others, reported an operating profit before exceptional items of €2.34bn (£1.84bn) last year – a year-on-year increase of 125 per cent. [...]
These are the best UK brands for 2016: British Airways tops list with Rolex, Dyson and Google behind February 22, 2016 An annual survey of brands has named the top 20 consumer Superbrands, with airline British Airways retaining the top stop and BBC falling out of the top 20 for the first time. British Airways fended off nearly 1,600 brands to claim the top spot for the third year, while Lego, Rolex and Dyson mounted a [...]
Winner of City Airport auction set to be named February 21, 2016 The sale of City Airport to one of four groups of bidders could be announced as soon as this week. Four groups of bidders are currently in the race to secure the east London airport, which has an expected price tag of over £2bn. A pension fund consortium that includes PSP Investments, money manager for [...]