Former airport chair takes aim at Willie Walsh July 24, 2022 The war of words enveloping the entire aviation industry descended further still this weekend after a former Heathrow chair and City grandee said former British Airways (BA) boss and now trade body chief Willie Walsh had “trashed a great brand and created a company that is a byword for poor service”. Sir Nigel Rudd accused [...]
BA staff call off strike for good following 13 per cent pay rise July 22, 2022 British Airways check-in staff in the Unite and GMB unions have called off planned industrial action after accepting a 13 per cent pay rise. “No one wanted a summer strike at Heathrow, but our members had to fight for what was right,” said GMB’s national officer Nadine Houghton. “This improved pay deal came because of [...]
Refuellers suspend strike at Heathrow following improved offer July 20, 2022 Members of the union Unite working as refuellers for Aviation Fuel Services (AFS) have suspended their planned strike action at Heathrow following last-minute negotiations. Unite, which had planned a three-day walkout starting tomorrow, said AFS made a “sustainably improved offer.” The proposal will now be voted on by Unite members. “Unite has consistently said that [...]
Chaos-stricken Heathrow dealt kerosene blow as refuellers plan to walk out from tomorrow 5am July 20, 2022 Heathrow will need to brace itself for further chaos as refuellers are set to go on a three-day strike starting tomorrow. Around 50 members of the union Unite working for Aviation Fuel Services (AFS) announced the decision yesterday, after they rejected a 10 per cent pay increase. The walkout will begin at 5am tomorrow and [...]
Walsh: Heads must roll if airport chaos repeated next year July 17, 2022 OUTSPOKEN global aviation boss Willie Walsh laid into Heathrow management again this weekend, warning that any repeat of this year’s chaos should see bosses given the boot. The Hounslow airport has been bruised and battered by passenger demand outstripping expectations, leaving staff shortages, last-minute delays and myriad stories of travel chaos on social media. “If [...]
Emirates accuses Heathrow of being ‘cavalier’ after refusing to comply with cap July 14, 2022 Gulf carrier Emirates has accused Heathrow’s management of being “cavalier”, after refusing to comply with the hub’s passenger cap. The airline described Heathrow’s request to cut daily departing passengers to 100,000 as “unreasonable and unacceptable,” blaming airport executives for showing “blatant disregard for consumers.” On top of operating flights as scheduled, the Dubai carrier added [...]
Plenty of sympathy for aviation chiefs but time for excuses is running out July 13, 2022 Running an airport or an airline is no doubt a hard job, not least because people most often notice you when something has gone wrong. One wag on twitter says he has a recurring nightmare in which he serves as a social media manager for a major carrier, and it is true that very few [...]
Airlines to stop selling tickets as Heathrow puts 100,000 daily passenger cap July 12, 2022 Heathrow has asked airlines to stop selling summer tickets, as it was forced to cap the number of daily passengers to deal with travel mayhem. The airport’s cap – introduced from today until 11 September – will amount to 100,000 departing passengers per day. Commenting on the decision, aviation analyst Sally Gethin told City A.M.: [...]
Heathrow apologises for poor service as it continues to battle travel chaos July 11, 2022 Heathrow has apologised for unacceptable service levels as it continues to battle the ongoing travel chaos. In a trading update published today, the west-London hub said that while it started recruiting staff in November, rebuilding capacity quickly following the end of travel restrictions had been “very challenging.” Over the last few weeks, travellers have reported [...]
Brits to face further travel woes as airlines prepare to announce fresh wave of cancelled flights July 2, 2022 Airlines using the country’s busiest airport are readying to announce a new torrent of cancellations next week. According to The Telegraph, airlines using the west London airport must tell officials which flights will be scrapped by Friday, before the school summer holidays begin. Tens of thousands of Brits are set to have their holiday plans [...]