Author: Shawon Hannan

During May, Gloucestershire Airport has handled more flights than London City and Bristol airports. In its list of the 15 busiest airports in the UK, the Civil Aviation Authority has ranked the Staverton-based airport 10 places behind Heathrow, using figures that are based on the number of flights as opposed to the number of passengers. Gloucestershire airport handled slightly fewer than 7,000 flights in May, making it the 11th most active airport in the UK, and the airport has handled more than 42,000 flights so far this year. Head of operations, Darren Lewington, said: ‘The airport has had an exceptionally…

In a new Hall of Fame, Prestwick Airport in Scotland will honour those key figures in aeronautics and engineering that led the development of Scottish aviation. The initiative was launched on July 25, which marks the 100th anniversary of flights from the Ayrshire airport. It is part of the run-up to the inaugural Prestwick World Festival of Flight next month. Similar halls have been established in the United States, Canada and Australia. Among the first to take their place in the Hall of Fame is Winifred Drinkwater, who captained a Glasgow to Campbeltown flight for Midland and Scottish Air Ferries…

Bristol Airport is showcasing a Concorde visual experience for summer passengers. The airport has unveiled a lighting feature in the departure lounge based on the iconic ‘delta’ wing shape of Concorde. Passengers can new admire the acclaimed, locally built aircraft while waiting to board their flights. Lighting Services and SSE Contracting have worked on the design and installation of the lighting feature, based on the brief by Bristol Airport’s head of engineering, Fraser Dury, who commented, ‘We wanted to enhance the passenger experience within the departure lounge by increasing the lighting levels. The location we chose is above the main…

Newcastle International Airport has announced its future expansion plans, which are likely to result in more than 2,000 new jobs being created over the next decade. The plans will see extensive development of the site, with increased potential for the terminal, more car parking space and construction of office and factory space. The successful completion of the plans would also more than double the airport’s worth to the regional economy, to GBP1.3bn by 2030, the authorities said. The expansion will also see passenger numbers increasing from over four million in 2012 to eight and a half million journeys by 2030,…

A cross-party group of influential peers has called on the British government to develop a new strategy for music-based tourism to support the UK economy. The call was made during a House of Lords debate on the impact of music on tourism. According to the debate sponsor, Liberal Democrat Lord Storey, music festivals have been attracting unprecedented numbers of overseas visitors that have been pouring money into local economies. The world’s ‘evident love’ of the UK’s musical heritage should now be used to support music tourism, he said, adding, ‘I have seen first-hand the positive impact music can make on…

Being able to connect online with family and friends is now the top priority for travellers, new research from InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has revealed. 40 percent of the 10,000 business travellers who responded to the survey said that being out of contact was the biggest annoyance when travelling. The global research was commissioned to mark the launch of IHG’s renamed loyalty programme, IHG(R) Rewards Club. It is intended to help IHG to understand hotel guests’ priorities when travelling, as it becomes the first and only hotel group to offer free global Internet access to all of its loyalty members.…

British Airways’ first Airbus 380, the world’s largest commercial passenger aircraft, has landed safely at Manston Airport, Kent, UK. The Airbus, a recent addition to British Airway’s fleet, will be based at Manston as part of the airline’s training for its pilots, flight crew and cabin staff before the A380s commence service in September. The A380 is claimed to generate only a quarter of the noise level of the Boeing 747-400 when landing. It also produces 10 percent less NOx emissions and is 16 percent more fuel efficient than the aircraft it replaces. Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines, built at Derby,…

Glasgow, Scotland’s second busiest airport, has announced its busiest June for five years, as passenger numbers increased by 5.4 percent to nearly 775,000 compared to 2012. The most popular routes included those to sunspots in the Balearics, Canary Islands, Portugal and Turkey. Long haul routes including Virgin Atlantic’s direct flights to Florida and Canadian Affair’s Toronto service, as well as Emirates double daily service to Dubai, also saw extra passengers last month. Amanda McMillan, managing director of Glasgow Airport, said: ‘It really is an exciting time for Glasgow Airport and it’s particularly pleasing to follow the unveiling of our new…

Concerns over the safety of the world’s newest passenger plane have increased after a Boeing 787 Dreamliner operated by Ethiopian Airlines caught fire at Heathrow airport on Friday, and another 787 carrying British holidaymakers to Florida returned home after a technical fault. The Ethiopian Airlines incident led to closure of runways at the London airport, as arrivals and departures were suspended for about an hour and a half until emergency services put out the fire. Heathrow said that the aircraft was parked on a remote stand and no passengers were aboard. The disruption hit about 80 arrivals and departures at…

Hertz UK Limited, a part of The Hertz Corporation, a general use car rental brand, will expand its network following the recent acquisition of CCL Vehicle Rentals Limited (CCL), the Dorset, UK-based national accident management provider. The new branches will provide both Hertz and CCL customers with a complete range of rental vehicles including cars, SUVs and commercial vehicles, as well as special weekend rates for local leisure business. Additionally, Hertz is opening major hub locations for its CCL business and co-locating with body shops, hotels and repair facilities to serve local customers. Michel Taride, group president of Hertz International,…