UK Government eases airport slot rules to avoid last-minute cancellations AIRPORT SLOTS The UK Government has announced it will ease airport slot rules to avoid last-minute cancellations as travel chaos continues to rampage through the industry. The decision comes as Ryanair’s boss Michael O’Leary warned passengers disruption will stay throughout the summer. Under the new plan, airlines will have an “amnesty” period to give back the summer [...]
We’re focusing on profitable passengers not volumes, says Southend airport SOUTHEND AIRPORT Southend airport is focused on attracting profitable passengers back instead of worrying about volumes, according to David Shearer, executive chairman of the airport’s owner Esken. The airport welcomed its first passenger flight at the beginning of May, after low-cost airline returned back to the hub, with routes services to Faro, Malaga and Mallorca. The airport [...]
Travel chaos hits new low: Thousands of airline passengers forced to wait outside airport for hours Travel chaos Thousands of airline passengers at Birmingham Airport were forced to wait in long queues outside for several hours as the aviation sector continues to suffer from staff shortages. The situation on Monday was described as “absolute chaos” and “manic” by travellers on Twitter. One person said it took her “two hours to get through check-in [...]
No delays for pandemic recovery as London City Airport welcomes 35 per cent more passengers May 5, 2022 London City Airport has crowned April its busiest month since the pandemic, after the hub reported a 35 per cent increase on March levels. Over the last month, 256,000 people passed through London City’s gates, up on the 189,000 registered a month earlier. The airport – now at 61 per cent of 2019 levels – [...]
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), [...]
EU court expands scope of flight refund policy to non-EU airlines April 12, 2022 The EU’s highest court has expanded the scope of its flight refund policy, by allowing passengers to claim refunds from non-EU airlines. The European Court of Justice ruled in favour of plaintiffs suing Chicago headquartered firm United Airlines in allowing them to claim a refund for a 223-minute delay between Brussels and San Jose, [...]
Manchester airport director quits after passengers miss flights due to long queue chaos April 5, 2022 Manchester Airport’s director has quit her role after eight years, following mounting criticism over chaos with queuing. Karen Smart left on Tuesday after Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham said emergency services could be drafted in to deal with the mayhem. Long queues developed over the past month due to lengthy security checks, which led to [...]
London City Airport crowns March as most successful month since Covid start April 5, 2022 London City Airport today crowned March as its most successful month since the pandemic’s start. The airport reported that 189,000 passengers passed through its gates last month – 54 per cent up on February levels. While 31 March was its busiest day with more than 10,000 passengers, the airport said it was gearing up to [...]
Moscow airport furloughs 7,000 people as sanctions continue to bite March 21, 2022 Moscow’s Sheremetyevo Airport has furloughed around 7,000 members of its staff after West’s sanctions on Moscow following the invasion of Ukraine. The hub – which last year saw 30.9 million passengers pass through its gates – furloughed 40 per cent of its staff, cutting pay by a third, Russian media reported. General director Mikhail Vasilenko [...]
London City Airport reports fourth consecutive busiest week March 21, 2022 Passenger numbers continue to grow at London City airport, as the hub reported today its fourth consecutive week of growth since the pandemic’s start. Following the end of all UK travel restrictions, passenger numbers have gone up 40 per cent on February’s levels, while business travel has reached 2019 figures – representing a 46 per [...]