Stansted baggage handlers set to strike over Easter weekend March 29, 2012 PASSENGERS using Stansted airport may face travel chaos over the Easter period after baggage handlers voted to press ahead with strike action next weekend. Around 150 employees of Swissport – who provide luggage services to airlines including Ryanair, Monarch and Thomas Cook – are set to strike for four hours on Good Friday, Easter Sunday and [...]
Ryanair hit by setback in claim over payout March 22, 2012 BUDGET airline Ryanair yesterday lost the latest round in its legal battle to avoid paying for hotels, meals and drinks for passengers disrupted by delayed flights during the Icelandic volcano eruption in 2010. The European Court of Justice (ECJ) published an opinion indicating that airlines were not exempt from regulations requiring them to pay for [...]
Planes a priority but passenger levy must stay March 21, 2012 THE CHANCELLOR yesterday signalled his support for more airports or runways in the south east of England – but airlines were left fuming after he again ignored their calls to halt a hike in air passenger duty. George Osborne said the government must “confront” the problem of air capacity, though he shied away from backing [...]
Record-breaking Big Bucks wins fourth World Hurdle March 15, 2012 RECORDS tumbled on day three of the Cheltenham Festival as Big Bucks claimed his fourth World Hurdle crown and equalled the mark for consecutive victories over jumps. The 8-11 favourite stayed on bravely to hold off mare Voler La Vedette and put Paul Nicholls back in the Trainers’ Championship lead. The horse’s triumph brought him [...]
Captain Chris has to be of interest at a massive 14/1 March 14, 2012 THERE have only been seven runnings of the Ryanair Chase and sponsor Michael O’Leary won’t be happy that no horse from his native Ireland has won this yet. They arguably have their strongest hand this time with last year’s Jewson winner NOBLE PRINCE and the third home in this race 12 months ago, Rubi Light. [...]
WHAT THE OTHER PAPERS SAY THIS MORNING March 8, 2012 FINANCIAL TIMES DEUTSCHE BANK TAPPED ECB FOR UP TO €10BN Deutsche Bank took as much as €10bn of European Central Bank emergency funding last week, despite deep reservations over the programme voiced by outgoing chief Josef Ackermann. Investors briefed by Deutsche Bank’s finance director and investor relations executives say the bank was persuaded by the [...]
SAS braces for annual loss amid tough competition February 8, 2012 SCANDINAVIAN airline SAS has reported a fourth consecutive annual loss in 2011 and said it would accelerate a 5bn Swedish crown (£473.3m) plan to cut costs and boost revenue. The group, half-owned by Sweden, Norway and Denmark, has faced competitive pressure in its home Nordic markets from Norwegian Air Shuttle and Ryanair. A buoyant Norwegian [...]
BAA loses Stansted appeal February 1, 2012 AIRPORT operator BAA must sell London Stansted airport, after losing an appeal against an earlier order by the Competition Commission. But BAA has not ruled out appealing further, in the latest twist in a three-year fight between the firm and the Competition Commission over its dominance of the UK airport market. “We are disappointed by [...]
Fund manager launches fight against fees January 31, 2012 ONE of the City’s best-known fund managers has launched a campaign against fees in the investment industry, arguing that customers have been “ripped off” for too long. Alan Miller, who recently founded low-cost fund manager SCM, said investors faced a “minefield of charges” and were being left “seriously out of pocket” when it came to [...]
Ryanair lifts profit target for the year January 30, 2012 RYANAIR yesterday raised its annual profit forecast, after a decision to ground 80 planes over winter paid off. The budget airline said its traffic fell two per cent to 16.7m in the last three months of 2011, but higher revenues per passenger lifted turnover 13 per cent to €844m (£706m). Ryanair’s quarterly after-tax profit of [...]