Summer holiday flight cancellations were up by a quarter at UK airports last year August 22, 2016 Summer holiday flight cancellations at UK airports increased by almost a quarter year-on-year between 2014 and 2015, according to new figures from Columbus Direct. Travellers ready to jet off suffered significant disruption last year as 1,297 flights scheduled to depart from UK airports were cancelled between the peak holiday period of July to September. Extensive [...]
The Night Tube is nigh – but Sadiq Khan has raised some potential “teething problems” August 19, 2016 You'd be hard pushed to find anyone who's sour about the Night Tube finally coming into service tonigh We've already identified some key benefits – and most Londoners, retail groups and even the RMT seem to be excited about it. Naturally, the mayor of London is pretty smitten too. But with great power comes great responsibility and Sadiq Khan has [...]
Southern Rail could be hit by yet another strike as union members hold ballot over ticket office closures August 19, 2016 And so it continues. Ticket office and platform staff at Southern Rail's parent company, Govia Thameslink Railway (GTR), are voting again on whether to go on strike. This time the ballot is around a dispute over ticket office closures and job losses, the TSSA rail union said today. Read more: Talks between Southern Rail and RMT break down [...]
Quiz: How much do you know about the Night Tube? August 19, 2016 It's Night Tube day: everyone is gearing up for the long-awaited arrival of the best moment in London's history since Boris Johnson got stuck on a zipwire. It may seem like a simple concept (Tubes, all the time), but its inception was a political and logistical nightmare. So how much do you actually know about the Night Tube? [...]
Night Tube will support thousands of workers, says Sadiq Khan ahead of tonight’s launch August 19, 2016 The mayor of London has formally hailed the start of Night Tube, saying it will support thousands of workers and help get Londoners around more quickly, safely and affordably. Sadiq Khan applauded the commencement of the 24 hour weekend services, which launch on the Central and Victoria lines tonight. “The launch of the Night Tube this evening [...]
RMT union backs Night Tube – and its members – after having striked on pay August 18, 2016 The RMT has remarkably now decided to support the beginning of services on the Night Tube, claiming its workers deserve the "praise and the credit". The union, which has disputed the implementation of the Night Tube and voted for strike action, has now changed tact and started to back the commencement of services, with the caveat that staff [...]
Uber’s driverless cars hitting roads within weeks after $300m Volvo tie-up August 18, 2016 UpstartUber and traditional car brand Volvo are hooking up to travel together on the road towards an autonomous car filled future – which may not be as far away as you think. Volvo will make the cars and sell them to Uber, the two firms revealed today, investing a combined $300m on the project. Read more: [...]
Oooh, sourcy: Thomas Cook gets into bed with Webjet August 18, 2016 It looks like Thomas Cook is getting off the source: the travel giant said today it has signed a strategic sourcing partnership with Sunhotels, the online accommodation arm of Webjet. Under the deal, Sunhotels will take responsibility for sourcing and contracting hotels that make up what Thomas Cook calls its complementary business. While the company focuses on its [...]
Banning diesel cars is essential to tackling London’s pollution crisis August 17, 2016 Writing in Morning Wire on Friday last week, Trevor Raymond from the World Platinum Investment Council argued that the phasing out of diesel cars from London’s roads, as recommended in a recent report we published, was a “blunt policy response to a complex and evolving [air pollution] problem”. We totally agree. There is no single [...]
Cathay Pacific shares plummet after profits plunge August 17, 2016 Hong Kong carrier Cathay Pacific's shares dropped by more than seven per cent after a huge decline in first half profits. The airline reported that its first half profits fell after losing out on its fuel hedging contracts, as well as increased competition. Read more: Here are the world's 10 safest airlines: Qantas, British Airways and Cathay Pacific [...]