British Airways is going to squeeze an extra 52 seats onto its Boeing 777 economy flights November 7, 2016 British Airways is adding an extra 52 seats to its Boeing 777s at Gatwick from 2018 as it seeks to stay competitive. It also plans to look into its aircraft at Heathrow following that. BA currently has nine economy seats in each row of its 777 fleet, from 2018 that'll go up to 10 (even though [...]
Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary wants Theresa May to stop “faffing around” in India and focus on Brussels November 7, 2016 Ryanair has just raised its passenger growth forecast but chief executive Michael O'Leary isn't happy. He told the BBC that business was "booming" but the environment was "bearish" post-Brexit. And he was particularly unimpressed with how the government is proceeding, saying it had "no idea" as to how it will actually deliver Brexit. O'Leary said Prime Minister Theresa May [...]
Ryanair reports hike in first half profit in the face of weaker sterling November 7, 2016 Ryanair has reported an increase in profits during the first half of 2016, despite what boss Michael O'Leary described as "difficult market conditions" in the aftermath of Britain's vote to leave the EU in June. The figures Revenue rose two per cent in the three months to 30 September, to €4.13bn (£3.68bn) from €4.04bn. Profit after tax [...]
Ryanair’s earnings set to fly lower than expected as weak sterling drags down fares November 6, 2016 Ryanair has suffered some turbulence post-Brexit, predominantly fuelled by the plummeting sterling, and investors are braced for a bumpy landing in its upcoming results. Full-year profits expected to grow five per cent lower than previously guided at seven per cent. The revised guidance, provided a couple of weeks ago, reflected weaker sterling with 26 per [...]
Air France launches low-cost airline in fight to stay “competitive” November 4, 2016 Low-cost airlines are still on the rise. Not only did Frankfurt airport recently open its doors to Ryanair, after holding out as the only major European airport to stick to "legacy" airlines beforehand, now Air France is setting up a low-cost flying unit for long-haul routes. Air France's new boss Jean-Marc Janaillac unveiled the plan, saying [...]
Regus is moving its HQ out of the EU from Luxembourg to Switzerland November 3, 2016 Workplace provider Regus is on the move: it's setting up a new holding company outside the EU. The new firm in Switzerland is called International Workplace Group (IWG), as the firm looks to provide a range of "flexible work solutions" across a range of brands. The company will still use the Regus brand extensively, saying it had [...]
Ryanair sticks to post-Brexit plans of non-UK expansion: It’s now flying from Frankfurt November 2, 2016 Ryanair's branching out (but not in the UK). The no-frills airline is spreading its wings and opening a base at Frankfurt airport. That makes it the first of the low fare airlines to open a base at Germany's biggest airport as the rise of the budget carriers continues. Michael O'Leary, Ryanair's chief executive, has said the [...]
Heathrow expansion gets the green light – the airlines react October 25, 2016 The government has given the green light to Heathrow's plans for a third runway, after several delays and months of wrangling between the airport and its rivals. Transport secretary Chris Grayling said today that a new runway at Heathrow "will improve connectivity in the UK itself and crucially boost our connections with the rest of the [...]
Ryanair warns sterling decline will hit full year profits October 18, 2016 Shares in budget airline Ryanair dipped today after it warned its full year profits are likely to be hit by the recent declines in sterling following June's Brexit vote. The pound plunged to record lows in the wake of the EU referendum result, and has struggled to recoup its losses since. The carrier reduced its full year [...]
Meet the woman who wants to make the private jet market greener October 17, 2016 From bouts of turbulence to nightmare passengers, air stewardesses have to cope with their fair share of challenges on a daily basis. “You learn to keep a smile on your face,” says Gabriella Somerville as we climb to 12,000 feet above the capital. The founder of private aviation firm ConnectJets – which manages private jet [...]