Ma Filleule can silence big guns up at Aintree April 8, 2015 BILL ESDAILE PREVIEWS THE OPENING DAY OF THE CRABBIE’S GRAND NATIONAL MEETING AT AINTREE ANYONE who witnessed Holywell’s demolition of the Mildmay Novices’ Chase field at this meeting 12 months ago will find it pretty hard to oppose the AP McCoy-ridden eight-year-old in the Betfred Bowl (2.50pm) at Aintree this afternoon. He jumped and galloped [...]
Aer Lingus rejects takeover bid by British Airways owner IAG December 18, 2014 Aer Lingus has rejected a takeover bid by International Consolidated Airlines Group (IAG), the latter said in a statement to the London Stock Exchange today. It confirmed an earlier report it had made a takeover bid for the company. IAG, the company behind British Airways and Spanish flag carrier Iberia, also said there was no certainty of [...]
Balder looks primed to give Alan King a second Ascot Chase success February 12, 2015 BILL ESDAILE PREVIEWS THE BEST OF THE WEEKEND RACING ACTION WITH just over three weeks to go until the start of the Cheltenham Festival, the excitement is really starting to build. Most of the key protagonists have now had their prep runs but there are still a couple of decent trials to look forward to, [...]
Cheltenham Festival fever hits the City again March 8, 2015 PATRICK CALLAGHAN REPORTS FROM UNIBET’S CHELTENHAM FESTIVAL PREVIEW EVENT AT THE BREWERY HAVING been treated to some belting stories from Arsenal legend Paul Merson, the last guest interviewed at the Unibet-sponsored City A.M. Long Lunch on Friday afternoon, those that ventured downstairs after for the Cheltenham Festival Preview were in good spirits. Chaired by Channel [...]
Aer Lingus loses passengers but wins EU lawsuit February 5, 2015 BOTH Aer Lingus and rival EasyJet have posted disappointing passenger numbers for the first month of 2015. The Irish flag carrier said mainline passenger numbers fell 4.5 per cent year-on-year in January to 546,000. Aer Lingus, which is subject to a potential takeover bid from British Airways owner International Airlines Group (IAG), said its long-haul [...]
Airline SAS feels pressure from budget carriers December 18, 2014 SCANDINAVIAN airline SAS has announced a set of disappointing financial results for the fourth financial quarter and the full year. These results included a loss of 575m kroner for the year, with 352m of that figure coming in the fourth quarter alone. As a result, the company will now implement its sixth savings plan in [...]
Oil crashes to new six-year low after Goldman Sachs cuts forecasts January 12, 2015 Oil crashed to a new six-year low after Goldman Sachs became the latest banking giant to cut forecasts, saying the price of the black stuff must fall further if it's to discourage investment in its rival shale gas. Brent crude broke the $48 per barrel mark this afternoon taking it to its lowest level since [...]
Road to Cheltenham January 29, 2015 SOME were encouraged by Sprinter Sacre’s return to the racecourse earlier this month, while others were left somewhat cold by the speed at which he stopped up Ascot’s home straight. I guess I sit somewhere between the two camps. I was impressed with how he travelled through most of the race, but was concerned by [...]
CEO Carolyn McCall scoffs at easyJet being labelled as lazy November 18, 2014 A couple of weeks ago, somebody called easyJet lazy. This wasn’t an angry passenger or a disgruntled shareholder, but the chief executive of Hungarian budget carrier Wizz Air, Jozsef Varadi. “Lazy low-cost airlines” will be undercut by ultra-low-cost brands like Wizz and Ryanair in Europe, he told punters at the World Travel Market conference at [...]
TUI on course for profit growth after merger February 10, 2015 The figures Tui Group has reported a 23.5 per cent jump in earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation in its first quarter, and a 5.4 per cent jump in revenues – in line with expectations. Hotels and resorts performed particularly well during the period, it added. The newly formed entity, forged through a merger [...]