2008 Articles

Holidaymakers can still fly to Thailand

Tourists are being told they are safe to fly to Thailand from British hubs such as Gatwick Airport despite the domestic political dispute in the country.

According to the Pacific Asia Travel Association (Pata), the only region to avoid is the area around Government House in Bangkok, while almost all tourism facilities and services are operating as normal.

Pata noted that passengers can still fly from Gatwick Airport to Bangkok Airport and Phuket Airport as both are operating as normal and all hotels, resorts and attractions in the Thai capital and throughout the country are open for business.

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Heathrow Airport opens business class check-in

Business class passengers will now be able to enjoy a dedicated check-in area at Heathrow Airport, according to reports.

British Airways has launched the new service at zone H at the far end of Terminal 5 next to the airline's first-class check-in area.

While customers are still advised to use online check-in services, British Airways said the dedicated area could prove useful for people with hold luggage or passengers who want to speak to customer service desks.

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Terminal 5 gets Wi-Fi capability

Passengers travelling through Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport will now be able to take advantage of Wi-Fi thanks to T-Mobile, it has been reported.

The new technology will allow passengers at Terminal 5 to access the internet via their mobiles, laptops and PDAs.

Developed in partnership with airport operator BAA, the internet access zone spans an area equivalent to about 50 football pitches.

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Foodies set to fly to Paris

Those with a large appetite may love to visit Paris this autumn as the metropolis is set to host an international food fair, according to reports.

Cuisinez! Expo at the Paris Carrousel de Louvre regularly sees up to 12,000 visitors for the two-day event which runs from the 24th to the 26th October.

The opportunity to try some of France's best food, ranging from speciality cheese to more refined fair, will be too much for some, so those on a diet may wish to reconsider, claims travel website whatsonwhen.com.

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Airline reaches landmark at Luton Airport

An eastern European airline was celebrating after reaching an aviation milestone at Luton Airport, it has been reported.

Carrier SkyEurope announced it had flown more than 250,000 passengers out of Luton Airport to destinations in Slovakia and the Czech Republic in under ten months.

Natalie Raper, Luton Airport's marketing director, said: "We are delighted to reach this significant milestone with SkyEurope and look forward to working closely with the airline for further passenger growth.

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Hooligans barred from Bristol Airport

Football hooligans have been warned to steer clear of Bristol Airport as England's World Cup qualifying campaign gets underway.

Avon and Somerset Police have announced they will be at Bristol Airport to stop any banned fans from taking flights to Barcelona for Saturday's game against Andorra, or Zagreb for Wednesday night's fixture against Croatia.

Roger Thayer, Avon and Somerset police's football intelligence desk officer, said: "The high-profile operation will seek to identify and prevent those from travelling those who it is believed may cause violence and disorder in the host cities for games or where intelligence has highlighted possible locations for potential disorder."

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Branson interested in Gatwick Airport

Virgin Atlantic has announced it is considering joining a consortium to bid for Gatwick Airport if BAA is forced to sell it, according to reports.

The carrier's owner Richard Branson has claimed he is in talks with several potential bidding partners over a proposed offer for London's second busiest airport.

In a statement, the airline said: "If the Competition Commission recommends the sale of Gatwick Airport, then Virgin Atlantic would be interested in possibly bidding to run it, as part of a consortium."

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Heathrow Airport hosts basketball match

Passengers travelling through Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport last week saw top class sport when the hub hosted an impromptu basketball match.

The game involved members of the British women's Paralympic basketball team, who were waiting to catch their British Airways flight to the Paralympic Games in Beijing.

One of the players, Clare Strange, said: "We've played in courts all around the world, but this is the first time we've played at an airport terminal!

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Luton Airport gets multilingual announcement system

Luton Airport has introduced a state of the art multilingual passenger communication system to help its passengers, according to reports.

The facility, called Aviavox, can make announcements in nine different languages and provides messages relevant to flights owing to its connection with the airport departure schedule.

Important information is broadcast in the language relevant to travelling passengers and varies in different areas of the airport.

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Cameras to record number plates at Manchester Airport

New cameras at Manchester Airport will automatically record 500,000 vehicle number plates in a bid to bolster security.

The new automated surveillance is intended help security forces to decide which vehicles should be prioritised to investigate.

Supt Peter Turner told the BBC: "It will record every vehicle which enters or leaves the airport and allows us to track people we would like to intercept."

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Possible wind turbine for Bristol International Airport

A 65 foot wind turbine may be built at Bristol International Airport to help provide the site with a clean energy supply.

The height would mean the structure would be below the light columns, while the noise often associated with wind farms would be unnoticeable against the airport background. Wind turbines have proved controversial in the UK owing to their impact on local topography, while they are also known to have an impact on local radar systems, but airport chiefs are hoping that North Somerset Council will grant permission.

James Gore, a spokesman for BIA, said: "The size we are looking at is not huge and we believe it should not cause too many problems. Hopefully we can get the decision soon."

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