2007 Articles

Cheap flights 'opening up the Far East'

The low-cost travel industry is beginning to expand across the world and will soon open up destinations in Asia for British travellers, it has been claimed.

Most low-fares airlines fly to destinations in Europe only but Investors Provident has claimed that this could soon change as carriers become more ambitious.

Hetal Shah, director of the company, gave the example of Air Asia X, which is set to begin flying to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia later this year.
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Cabaret cast joined by Nuttall, Clary

Former Emmerdale actress Amy Nuttall and comedian Julian Clary have joined the cast of West-End musical Cabaret.

Theatregoers will be able to see the pair at the Lyric theatre on Shaftesbury Avenue from October 2nd.

Nuttall will take over from another former soap star, Kim Medcalf, in the role of Sally Bowles, a performer in a Berlin nightclub in the years leading up to the second world war.
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Cheap flights 'helping local airports'

The 'cheap flights' phenomenon, popularised in Britain by airlines like easyJet and Ryanair, is supporting regional airports, a holiday company has claimed.

A spokesperson for Take the Family, which specialises in the creation of holiday packages for families, said that the availability of low-cost air travel has had a beneficial effect for both travellers and their local airports.

"It has also opened up many of the local airports, which is far more attractive to families," the company representative said.
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MP backs Belfast rail link

A member of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) has given his backing to the prospect of a rail link connecting Belfast International Airport with the centre of the city.

William McCrea, DUP MP for South Antrim, said that an upgrade of the infrastructure around the airport would "undoubtedly help" promotion of the hub.

He recommended that the introduction of a rail link should form a "vital part" of any plans to develop Belfast International Airport.
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Further growth for regional airports in 2006

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has published its 2006 air passenger survey, revealing that 98 million passengers flew from regional airports last year, up from 95 million in 2005.

London's airports handled 137 million customers in 2006, compared to 132 million the previous year.

The most popular destination from the capital's hubs was Dublin, followed by Edinburgh Airport, New York JFK, Malaga and Amsterdam.
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New link between Manchester, Stansted

Travellers will be provided with a revamped air link between Manchester Airport and Stansted this autumn.

UK regional airline Eastern Airways will take over the route from Air Berlin on October 29th and offer passengers extra flights and 'business-led' timings.

Three flights will depart from Manchester for Stansted Airport every day, with one service leaving at 07:15 for commuters.
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Southampton 'a gateway for business'

Southampton Airport is becoming an important gateway for commercial travellers on trips to business hubs around Europe, BAA has claimed.

The airport currently offers flights to 45 destinations across the UK and Europe and 77 per cent of these are to international locations.

Recent additions to the Southampton network include flights to the German cities of Frankfurt, Hannover and Dusseldorf and the business capitals of Amsterdam, Brussels and Paris.
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EMA expands range of destinations

East Midlands Airport (EMA) has announced a number of new destinations that will be served from its base this winter, including Goa in India.

First Choice Holidays will begin flying to Goa's Dabolim Airport from February 7th next year.

Other destinations that will be available from East Midlands Airport over the coming season including Banjul in the Gambia, Cancun and Agadir in Morocco.
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Airport workers back Stansted expansion

Stansted Airport employees have staged a demonstration to show their support for plans to enlarge the base.

Members of the Unite union gathered at a public inquiry into whether the airport can be expanded and argued that further growth would boost the economy and make new jobs available, BBC News reports.

Stansted currently handles around 23.5 million passengers a year but is appealing for the limit on its passenger numbers to be increased to 35 million.
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US to be more accessible from Heathrow next year

Heathrow Airport passengers will be provided with more flights to the US next year after British Airways announced that it is extending its transatlantic network from the hub.

The airline said that it will be operating more flights to the US from Heathrow following the introduction of the EU-US Open Skies treaty in March 2008.

One change will see twice-daily flights from Gatwick Airport to Houston and a daily connection to Dallas Fort Worth move to Heathrow.
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Dublin Airport sees 9% passenger boost

Dublin Airport saw a nine per cent year-on-year increase in passenger numbers in August, it has been revealed.

A total of 2.4 million passengers passed through the hub last month, the Dublin Airport Authority revealed.

This means that, on average, over 77,000 passengers used the airport every day in the month of August.
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