2007 Articles

Edinburgh 'needs 1,500 new rooms in 5 years'

City planners have warned that the rising number of people travelling through Edinburgh Airport will necessitate an extra 1,500 hotel rooms by 2013.

Passenger traffic at Edinburgh is expected to climb from 8.9 million people a year now to around 13 million in 2013, the Scotsman reports.

More than 1,500 new hotel rooms will be needed near the airport to cope with this increase, planners said, while a further 2,100 will be required by 2030.
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Glasgow to invest £500k in drop-off zone

Glasgow Airport has announced plans to plough £500,000 of investment into its passenger drop-off facilities.

The drop-off zone will be widened to increase capacity, new shelters will be installed along St Andrew's Drive and a covered walkway will be built leading to the main terminal.

Improvements to facilities for disabled passengers are also being considered. Present arrangements allow blue-badge holders to pick up or drop off in car park two, opposite the terminal, with up to 30 minutes free access.
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Gatwick hosts first flights from Muscat

Gatwick Airport has this week hosted its first direct flights from Muscat, the capital of Oman, provided by national carrier Oman Air.

The first service touched down on November 26th and flights will continue to run six times a week using Airbus A330 aircraft.

Business and first class passengers will have access to "state-of-the-art" airport lounges at both Muscat and Gatwick airports and the flights will also carry economy travellers.
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EMA thrilled with new bmibaby routes

Nottingham/East Midlands Airport (EMA) has announced that it is "thrilled" to be hosting three new routes from low-cost carrier bmibaby from summer 2008.

The airline will launch a new service from the East Midlands to Nice next year and also open connections to Gdansk and Warsaw in Poland.

Flights to Nice, which the airport predicted will be popular with leisure travellers wanting to access the French Riviera, will commence on April 1st next year and run three times a week.
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Developing travel market 'gives lifeblood to regions'

Regional parts of the UK are benefiting from a developing travel market and steady growth at local airports, an industry spokesperson has claimed.

According to Neil Pakey, managing director of Liverpool Airport and deputy chair of the Airport Operators Association (AOA), growth in regional travel markets has been partly stimulated by the success of low-cost airlines.

Development can also be attributed to changes in the travel booking habits of consumers, the airport manager said, with more people taking a direct approach to their travel arrangements.
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Woman in Black gets new cast to scare

A new cast has been confirmed for The Woman in Black, one of the West End's longest running shows.

The spooky production will from December 3rd star Sean Baker and Ben Porter in place of Michael Burrell and Dominic Marsh.

A new booking period has also been confirmed for the play, meaning that theatregoers can reserve seats at the Fortune Theatre to watch the ghostly goings-on unfold until December 20th 2008.
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Liverpool linked to Channel Island

Liverpool Airport is now linked to the Channel Island of Jersey following the announcement of a new service by easyJet.

The low-cost carrier confirmed that it will be expanding its route network from the north-west hub next spring with daily services to Jersey.

With the launch of the new flights next year, easyJet's operations from Liverpool John Lennon Airport (JLA) will offer a total of 18 destinations.
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Major businesses support Heathrow growth

The government's proposals to expand Heathrow Airport have received strong support from a group of businesses, unions and aviation employers.

Future Heathrow, which counts British Airways and Virgin Atlantic among its members, welcomed the government's recent confirmation that plans for growth would meet requirements regarding noise and air quality.

The group claimed that expansion at Heathrow would benefit wealth and job creation across the UK by nearly £10 billion a year.
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New BA routes from Gatwick, Heathrow next year

British Airways has announced that it will begin new services from Gatwick Airport and Heathrow Airport for summer holiday passengers next year.

The flag-carrying airline will begin flights from Heathrow to the Spanish hotspot of Malaga from March 30th.

In March next year BA's agreement with franchise carrier GB Airways will come to an end, meaning that the airline will take over routes between Gatwick and Alicante, Faro, Gibraltar, Ibiza, Malaga, Palma and Tunis.
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Govt commences plans for Heathrow expansion

The government has made the first steps in the journey to expand Heathrow Airport by publishing a public consultation on the issue.

Transport secretary Ruth Kelly released the publication, which puts forward the idea of a third runway being built at the airport, served by a sixth terminal with access to the road and rail network.

These improvements would enable Heathrow to handle around 700,000 flights a year.
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EMA celebrates 'fantastic five'

Nottingham/East Midlands Airport (EMA) has celebrated the fact that a recent award win completes a 'fantastic five' accomplishments for the hub this year.

At the recent British Travel Awards, EMA was handed the 'airport of the year' accolade which, among other things, recognised the efficiency with which it moves passengers through its terminal.

In January this year Nottingham was named the best regional airport at the Travel Weekly Globe Awards and took the World Travel Award for the leading eco-friendly airport.
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