Government extends emergency agreement for Great Western Railway September 1, 2020 First Group this morning said the Department for Transport (DfT) has extended its emergency deal to keep franchise Great Western Railway (GWR) running for another nine months. At the end of March, First Group signed a new contract with DfT to run the franchise for three years, with the option to extend the deal by [...]
Row over train operators’ finances threatens to hamper back to work plan August 30, 2020 The government’s back to work campaign, due to launch this week, could be derailed amid a row brewing with train operators. In March the coronavirus outbreak prompted ministers to take the UK’s trains under emergency measures for six months to protect them from any losses incurred by the 95 per cent slump in passenger numbers. [...]
Norwegian Air says it needs more cash as losses mount August 28, 2020 Norwegian Air was battered by the coronavirus pandemic in the first half, with its pre-tax loss amounting to $544m (4.79bn Norwegian krone or £409m). The airline said it faced “challenging times ahead” as it released its results, and said it needs more cash to see it through Covid-19. The figures Norwegian Air’s fell to a [...]
Gatwick crashes to £321m loss on pandemic passenger plunge August 28, 2020 Gatwick Airport today said it swung to a £321m loss in the first half of the year after the Covid-19 pandemic caused a 66 per cent plunge in passenger numbers. In the six months ended 30 June, 7.5m passengers travelled through Gatwick, a decrease of 14.7m compared to the same period in the prior year. [...]
European test flights for grounded Boeing 737 Max to begin next month August 27, 2020 European aviation regulators are set to start test flights for Boeing’s grounded 737 Max aircraft, with the trials due to begin next month. The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) today announced that test flights would begin on 7 September, two months after similar trials in the US. The body said that clearance from the [...]
Ministers in talks over London to New York air bridge August 27, 2020 Plans are being made for an air bridge between London and New York so that passengers can travel to the US without needing to quarantine, it was reported today. Although the US remains on the UK’s travel “red list” due to high overall rates of coronavirus infection, ministers are in talks with American counterparts over [...]
Rolls-Royce crashes to £5.4bn first-half loss on Covid-19 hit August 27, 2020 Engine-maker Rolls-Royce said today it had swung to a loss of £5.4bn for the first-half following the economic shock of the Covid-19 pandemic. The aero giant said revenue crashed 26 per cent to £5.8bn and reported a post-tax loss of £5.4bn and an underlying post-tax loss of £3.3bn in the six months to 30 June. [...]
The travel industry will not survive without a radical U-turn August 27, 2020 The UK has a rich history as a global transport hub. While we all value our holidays as individuals, the value of travel to the UK economy cannot be overlooked. In 2019, the 40.9m overseas visitors who came to the UK spent £28.4bn. While many of us don’t consider the UK economy to be as [...]
Car production slump continues despite signs of improvement August 27, 2020 The slump in UK car manufacturing continued in July, with just 85,000 vehicles rolling off production lines last month, over 20 per cent lower than a year ago. However, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said the figure showed a “marked improvement” on previous months as factories continued to reopen after lockdown. With [...]
Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos to build new 4×4 in France August 26, 2020 UK car manufacturing suffered another blow today after it emerged that Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s Ineos had made an official offer to buy a factory in France to build its new 4×4. The billionaire was understood to have been in talks with the Welsh government to build a new factory in Bridgend for the car, a [...]