2007 Articles

Jet2 reports surge in sales

The awful summer in the UK has had a beneficial effect on the profit margins of Leeds-based airline Jet2 as Brits flock abroad to catch some sun.

Proving popular is the Canary Islands and Jet2 now offers 26 flights per week to the destination from a range of northern airports such as Leeds Bradford Airport and Manchester Airport.

Sales are currently "above where [Jet 2] anticipated this summer", according to Mandy Round, general manager of Jet2holidays.com and she added that package holidays are the order of the day.
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Hand baggage restrictions may be relaxed

Security restrictions resulting in passengers having to limit the amount of hand luggage they take on holiday with them could be removed as soon as autumn, an expert has said.

According to Simon Calder, travel editor at the Independent, the government is set to increase the amount of hand luggage allowed on a flight from the UK to more than one, meaning flyers can relax more in airport lounges.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's You and Yours programme, Mr Calder explained that transport secretary Ruth Kelly is toying with the idea of relaxing the airport regulations but will only do so if a tight level of security is maintained in major airports such as Heathrow and Manchester Airport.
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BAA bracing for Heathrow disruption

Even after the opening of the long-awaited Terminal 5 at London's Heathrow Airport, passengers will still be troubled by disruptions, says BAA.

The company which operates London's airports, BAA, has stressed that travellers must brace themselves for long waits at airport lounges following the transfer of flights from Terminals 1 to 4 to the newly opened 5 next March and beyond.

Construction of Terminal 5 at Heathrow is currently on schedule and within budget and it will be the base from which all of British Airways' flights depart and arrive from.
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IHG offers new Gatwick hotel

Another addition to the InterContinental Hotels Group's (IHG's) portfolio of airport hotels has been announced after the firm declared that the Crowne Plaza Gatwick-Crawley will open later this year.

The scheduled opening of the hotel is set for October and the new Gatwick hotel will be operated as part of a franchise operation under the guidance of both IHG and Crimson Hotels.

The Gatwick Crown Plaza will be one the top airport hotels in the UK after refurbishment work is completed at the site, this development on top of the previous £8 million-worth of investment injected in 2005.
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Manchester Airport clamps down on troublemakers

Civilised passengers at Manchester Airport will be pleased to learn that local police are to get tough on holidaymakers being anti-social in airport lounges.

Rowdy passengers whose behaviour gets out of hand will be banned from Manchester Airport under a new scheme put in place by Manchester police force.

A new zero tolerance approach will be adopted by the police at Manchester Airport after talks with both UK airlines and the Crown Prosecution Service.
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Heathrow chief resigns

Heathrow Airport is set to see in one of its busiest summers ever with a new boss after Tony Douglas announced his resignation yesterday.

Moving on to Laing O'Rourke, Mr Douglas leaves Heathrow when the London airport is set to see an influx of some 200,000 passengers per day at peak times this summer, increasing numbers found in airport lounges, airport hotels and using airport parking.

Until the new Terminal 5 opens at Heathrow Airport, congestion is expected to remain high at the UK's busiest airport and he recently criticised customer service as "unacceptable".
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Testing continues at Heathrow Terminal 5

Testing of integrated systems at the new Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport has begun by both BAA and British Airways (BA).

The new terminal building at Heathrow is set to enable greater passenger capacity throughout the airport and will also mean that airport parking and airport lounges are less crowded as a result.

As part of the integrated system testing, passenger scheduling, baggage handling and security systems are all set for checks in the coming months ahead of the Heathrow Terminal 5 opening scheduled for March 27th next year.
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Record numbers take to the skies

Last year saw a record number of passengers pass through airport lounges and heading into the skies, according to global airports organisation Airports Council International (ACI).

A total of 4.4 billion passengers flew on domestic and international flights during 2006, which represented a 4.8 per cent rise on the previous 12 months.

Beijing lead the way in terms of passenger traffic increases, seeing a 19 per cent rise last year on the corresponding period in 2005 and it moved up to 9th place in terms of the world's busiest airports.
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Norwich Airport loses two flights

Flights to two Spanish destinations have been axed from Norwich Airport, resulting in ructions between the airport and budget airline Flybe.

According to Niall Duffy, Flybe's head of communications, the airline had been offered little choice but to withdraw flights from Norwich Airport to both Malaga and Alicante due to aiport taxes rising.

However, this claim is disputed by the managing director at Norwich Airport, Richard Jenner who explained that other low-cost airlines were offering larger planes, more frequent flights and lower seat prices for passengers.
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Wizz makes link between Coventry and Katowice

Holidaymakers wishing to travel to Katowice in Poland will be buoyed to learn that as of July 13th, they will be able to make the trip by air from Coventry Airport.

Thanks to Wizz Airlines, three flights will be made available per week between Katowice and Coventry Airport and passengers heading to the airport lounges will be enthused to find staff who have been busy learning their Polish.

On their way to airport lounges at Coventry Airport, passengers will be greeted with phrases such as "witamy w Coventry" (welcome to Coventry) and "dzien dobry" (hello).
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Virgin highlights popularity of Premium Economy Class

Virgin has said that its Premium Economy Class continues to grow in the popularity stakes and the range of people taking advantage of the service is mixed.

Launched back in 1992 as Mid Class, it was re-branded as Premium Economy two years later and can be purchased on Virgin's long-haul flights from airports such as Heathrow and Gatwick.

After stints in hotel lounges, Premium Economy Class could prove to be the perfect way to spend those hours in the air as Virgin offer the customer increased room to manoeuvre and a wider leather seat.
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