Beyond Heathrow versus Gatwick: The government should set airports free to compete for future growth October 12, 2016 The question of where to build a new runway in the South East has been stuck in the hangar for decades. But the lack of progress has not been for want of trying. Far from it. In fact, for all the time that’s been devoted to this issue over the last 40 years, we should have [...]
Norwegian’s flying with 14 per cent passenger growth for September October 6, 2016 Low cost airline Norwegian carried nearly 2.8m passengers in September – an increase of 14 per cent on the same month last year. A total of 2,778,806 passengers flew with the airline last month, while total traffic growth increased by 21 per cent and capacity growth was up 19 per cent. Norwegian CEO Bjørn Kjos [...]
EasyJet shares drop after company posts lower profit guidance October 6, 2016 EasyJet said today it expects profits to fall this year due to significant foreign exchange movements and a testing trading environment. The company's share price fell 6.8 per cent at the open. Profit before tax is expected to be in the range of £490m to to £495m, down from £686m in 2015 – a possible drop [...]
Ryanair’s creating 3,500 jobs next year as it bolsters air fleet October 4, 2016 Ryanair has announced a major recruitment drive as it plans to add 50 new aircraft in the coming year and aims to grow its overall numbers from 355 to 500 over the next five years. To prepare for the expansion, the airline will be hiring 2,000 new members of cabin crew, 1,000 pilots and 250 aircraft engineers. [...]
EasyJet buckles in for a bumpy ride with profits set to take a tumble October 2, 2016 Budget airline EasyJet is braced for a sharp fall in pre-tax profits when it gives a trading update this week. A combination of terrorist attacks, air control strikes and a hefty price war with Ryanair have taken their toll on the carrier, analysts say. They are expecting profit before tax in the year to end [...]
Brits stick together as British Airways says it will start selling Marks and Spencer food on board September 30, 2016 There was good news and bad news for British Airways (BA) passengers today after the airline announced that it will serving up Marks and Spencer food on its short-haul flights from next year, but customers are going to have to pay for it. Following the lead of low-cost airlines, complimentary snacks will be a thing of the [...]
Lufthansa board approves plans to take over Brussels Airlines September 28, 2016 German airline Lufthansa said today that its supervisory board has approved plans to buy the remaining chunk of Brussels Airlines that it didn't already own. The carrier bought 45 per cent of Brussels Airlines owner SN Airholding in 2009 for €65m (£56m), with the option of buying the other 55 per cent from 2011 onwards. Lufthansa [...]
Shareholder group thinks Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary is overpaid September 13, 2016 An influential shareholder body has called on investors to reject Michael O’Leary’s €2.5m (£2m) pay packet, claiming the Ryanair boss might be overpaid. Ahead of the company's AGM tomorrow in Dublin, Pirc, an advisory group which represents investors with £1.5tn of assets under management, cited a string of concerns over the independence of O'Leary's fellow board members and recommended [...]
Delays on a new runway decision are costing the UK up to £1m an hour in emerging markets trade, according to a new study September 7, 2016 Delays in decision making on airport expansion are costing the UK as much as £1m ever hour in lost trade with emerging markets, according to a new analysis. Sir Howard Davies first recommended expansion at Heathrow last July, but since then the government has failed to approve the plan, and is currently set to return [...]
Easyjet’s share price edges up 1.5 per cent after announcing it flew 7.5m passengers during August September 6, 2016 Easyjet’s planes were fuller in August although experts say it is a trend that may stall in the future. Load factors nudged up from 94.4 per cent to 94.9 per cent in 2016 compared to the previous year. Meanwhile the total number of passengers flying with the Luton-based carrier beat expectations – growing by 6.4 per cent [...]