British Airways owner IAG predicts bounce back to profitability on return of global travel May 6, 2022 British Airways owner International Airlines Group (IAG) today said it believes the easing of global restrictions and the return of global travel will see it bounce back to profitability. The firm – formed through the merger of Iberia and British Airways in 2011 – said its Q1 2022 passenger numbers were 65 per cent those [...]
Chelsea facing administration unless Roman Abramovich drops plans to call in £1.5bn debt May 4, 2022 Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich will likely have to drop plans to call in his £1.5bn loan to the club or see it go into administration. Abramovich is reported to have scrapped an apparent previous commitment to write off the debt as part of the sale of the club. The sanctioned Russian oligarch is not allowed [...]
Chelsea sale: Sir Jim Ratcliffe bid ‘rejected out of hand’ by Roman Abramovich’s bankers May 4, 2022 Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s bid for Chelsea has been “rejected out of hand”, according to senior figures at his business the Ineos Group. The British petrochemicals billionaire made an 11th-hour offer for the Premier League club last week which comprised £2.5bn plus a commitment to invest a further £1.75bn. But Ratcliffe has indicated that he is [...]
Chelsea sale: Deal plunged into doubt after U-turn on loan repayment – reports May 3, 2022 Fresh doubt surrounds the proposed sale of Chelsea after it was reported that owner Roman Abramovich wants to change the structure of the deal. Having previously indicated that he was willing to write off more than £1.5bn of debt owed by the club to another of his companies, he is now said to have asked [...]
Airlines UK boss Tim Alderslade warns aviation’s recruitment problems are here to stay May 3, 2022 The aviation sector’s ongoing difficulties to recruit more staff are here to stay, according to Airlines UK’s chief executive Tim Alderslade. “There’s a huge number of challenges [to overcome in the industry] and labour will be a real issue moving forward, and not just in the short term,” he said today while speaking at Advantage Travel [...]
Come fly with me: Wizz Air flew 3.62m passengers last month as holidays rocket May 3, 2022 Wizz Air said it has carried a staggering 3.62 million passengers in April, 542 per cent up on April 2021. For the week ending 2 May, Wizz Air reported an average of 722 flights per day, ranking seventh in Europe’s top 10 aircraft operators. The low-cost carrier beat legacy airlines such as British Airways (BA), [...]
Chelsea price is a steal – English clubs will be worth $10bn soon, says banker selling club April 28, 2022 The banker running the sale of Chelsea FC says the club would be a bargain even if it fetches £2.5bn, a record price for a sports team. Joe Ravitch, co-founder of US bank the Raine Group, said he expected Premier League clubs to be worth several times more very soon. “My guess is that Chelsea [...]
Chelsea sale: Todd Boehly bid wins backing from influential former player Paul Canoville April 26, 2022 Influential former Chelsea player Paul Canoville has thrown his weight behind Todd Boehly’s bid to buy the club. Canoville, who has a suite named after him at Stamford Bridge, has come out in support of the Boehly consortium after holding talks with all three remaining bidders. “This is by far the best fit for Chelsea [...]
Chelsea bidders told they must commit to keeping control of club for 10 years April 25, 2022 The three shortlisted bidders in the sale of Chelsea Football Club have been told they must commit to holding a majority stake for at least 10 years, according to reports. The requirement is set to be a legally binding part of any agreement to purchase the Premier League team from sanctioned owner Roman Abramovich, Sky [...]
British Airways sets short-term base in Madrid to beat staff shortages April 25, 2022 British Airways (BA) could set up a short-haul base in Madrid to beat the staff shortages that force it to axe 1,400 flights over the last few weeks. The airline said it will open a cabin crew base in the Spanish capital and hire staff locally to avoid putting passengers through further travel disruption. Under [...]