2008 Articles

Heathrow to be linked to Channel Tunnel?

Engineering experts have proposed that Heathrow Airport be linked to the national rail network and the Channel Tunnel, according to reports.

In a plan put forward by civil engineering consultants Arup, a station would be built on the Great Western main line in order to make the London airport accessible to the west, the south-west, Wales and the Midlands.

Joining the new station with the existing high speed line above King’s Cross-St Pancras would mean that passengers could travel directly between Heathrow and the Channel Tunnel by rail.
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Belfast Airport up for sale

Belfast City Airport has been put up for sale by its Spanish owners, according to reports.

Ferrovial Group, which bought the airport in 2003 for £35 million, has put Belfast City on the market and is likely to get more than £100 million following extensive development to the site, claims the BBC.

A new terminal was opened in 2001 which completed the transformation of the area from converted sheds and huts when it was first built in 1983 to a thriving and popular airport.
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Flybe boosts Manchester-Inverness route

Regional airline Flybe has announced an increase in capacity on its connections to Inverness Airport from Manchester Airport and Southampton.

The carrier, which claims to be Europe's largest regional low-cost airline, is set to upgrade the aircraft used on these routes to a 78-seat Bombardier Q400.

This move effectively doubles the seat capacity on these services and has been confirmed following strong demand for the connections between southern England and northern Scotland.
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Stansted link set to boost Shetland tourism

The Shetland islands are looking forward to a boost in tourism this summer following the launch of a direct air link from Stansted Airport.

Atlantic Airways will provide the service, which got under way today (May 23rd) and will operate every Monday and Friday until August 29th.

The flight between south-east England and the Shetland islands, which are situated nearly 300km north-east of mainland Scotland, takes 90 minutes and will this summer see its third year of operation.
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Virgin offers new vodka to Heathrow visitors

Virgin Atlantic customers using the airline's Clubhouse facility at London Heathrow Airport will soon be offered a new tipple.

The airline will offer Akvinta vodka, a five-times distilled 'super premium' vodka from Croatia, to its passengers prior to the departure of their flight.

From June 1st, the drink will be available as a pouring vodka and will also feature on Virgin's Clubhouse cocktail list.
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BA to improve facilities at New York JFK

Holidaymakers catching flights with British Airways to New York JFK airport will soon have access to a range of new facilities.

The flag-carrying airline flies to New York JFK from London Heathrow, Gatwick Airport and Manchester Airport.

It is set to overhaul its terminal at JFK in a plan that will cost some $30 million (£15.1 million) and span a period of 18 months.
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Bank holiday to prompt mass exodus of Brits

The beginning of school half-terms and possibly showery weather in the UK are expected to precipitate a mass exodus of British people over the bank holiday weekend, according to the Association of British Travel Agents (Abta).

Some 1.9 million British holidaymakers are expected to flee these shores between May 23rd and 26th.

Heathrow Airport is set to be the busiest hub, with 390,000 people passing through, followed by Gatwick (240,000) and Stansted (150,000).
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Gatwick hosts new service to Nantes

Holidaymakers travelling from Gatwick Airport now have access to a new flight to France with easyJet.

The carrier launched a new service from London Gatwick to Nantes on May 21st.

Operating on a daily basis, the new connection is expected to carry some 60,000 passengers in its first year.
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EasyJet celebrates ten years at Stansted

Low-fares airline easyJet today (May 21st) celebrated ten years of operations at Stansted Airport.

The carrier launched its first flight from Stansted, under the brand name Go, to the Italian capital of Rome on May 21st 1998.

Go merged with easyJet on August 1st 2002, creating a company that would grow into one of Europe's largest budget airlines.
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UK passengers offered new class to Mauritius

People catching flights from the UK to the island of Mauritius have been offered a new business class service.

Air Mauritius announced that its new business class product will be available on all of its flights from the UK, which operate from Heathrow Airport.

The carrier's new provision includes lie-flat 'cocoon' seats that offer a 60-inch pitch and lots of room to recline.
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Ryanair celebrates 20 years at Liverpool

Low-fares airline Ryanair has celebrated the 20th anniversary of its launch of services from Liverpool Airport.

The first flight offered by the airline from Liverpool, which launched in May 1988, connected the north-west city to Dublin.

Some 38 routes are now operated by Ryanair from Liverpool and the carrier is expecting to handle two million passengers on its flights from the hub this year.
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