Latest news with #Gatwick
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Gatwick strike action poses threat to start of summer holidays
British holidaymakers may face disruption ahead of summer as staff at the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) are to stage fresh strikes in a dispute over pay and conditions. Members of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union based at sites including Gatwick airport will walk out on June 3, 4, 10, 11, 17 and 18, following stoppages in January and March. Pay negotiations for 2025-26 are under way, but PCS warned the gap between the two sides was 'significant'. Fran Heathcote, PCS general secretary, said: 'We're frustrated and disappointed after management imposed a 2024 pay offer without engaging in meaningful negotiations. 'The current offer – a one-off, non-consolidated payment of £1,150 – has been rejected by union members as inadequate amid rising living costs and concerns about long-term pay erosion. 'Our members deserve a fair pay rise that reflects the cost of living, restores the value of their salaries and recognises the value of their work. Instead, CAA has chosen to bypass negotiations and impose a deal, which is unacceptable to us.' A spokesman for the UK Civil Aviation Authority, said: 'We continue to engage with our PCS trade union colleagues, and after prolonged discussions it is disappointing that PCS trade union members are taking industrial action in June. 'PCS trade union members make up approximately 5 per cent of the CAA's employees and we do not anticipate any disruption to the aviation sector, or any impact on our regulatory oversight activities or other safety and security critical work, as a result of this action.' Previously in April, Unite, the union, warned of 'flight delays, cancellations, long queues at check-in and baggage delays', in Gatwick. Staff who worked for Red Handling, a firm that provides baggage handlers, check-in staff and flight dispatchers for the airlines Norwegian, Delta, TAP and Air Peace, staged the strike over the Easter weekend.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Gatwick Airport boss moves on after 15 years
The chief executive of the UK's second largest airport is moving on after 15 years in the role. Stewart Wingate, who took up his position at Gatwick in 2010, is moving on to a newly created role overseeing three UK airports. As managing director, UK airports, for Vinci Airports and Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) he will oversee the future development and strategic direction of Gatwick, Edinburgh and Belfast International, with the chief executives of all three airports reporting to him. Pierre-Hugues Schmit, currently chief commercial and operational officer at Vinci Airports and a non-executive director on the Gatwick board, will take over at the West Sussex airport. Both appointments will start on 1 September. Gatwick is one of the busiest single-runway airports in the world, serving approximately 43.2 million passengers in 2024. Plans for a second runway were backed by the government in February. The airport wants to move its northern runway, which is currently only used for taxiing or as a back up, and make it operational by the end of the decade. A joint statement from Vinci and GIP said: "Stewart is one of the most experienced aviation executives in Europe and on behalf of the Board we would like to thank him for his outstanding contribution to Gatwick. "His broad expertise and strong track record make him an ideal choice for the newly created role." Mr Wingate said: "It's been a privilege to lead the Gatwick team through a number of very exciting projects such as the seven-year planning process to bring our Northern Runway into routine use and more challenging periods such as the Covid pandemic. "The airport is in a strong financial and operational position with more airlines than ever before serving our passengers. Mr Schmit said he was "excited" to be joining Gatwick to lead it "through the next stage of its growth journey". Follow BBC Sussex on Facebook, on X, and on Instagram. Send your story ideas to southeasttoday@ or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250. Gatwick second runway backed by government Gatwick Airport has one of its busiest summers Gatwick CEO relieved as South Terminal reopens Gatwick Airport
BBC News
2 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Gatwick Airport chief executive moves on after 15 years
The chief executive of the UK's second largest airport is moving on after 15 years in the Wingate, who took up his position at Gatwick in 2010, is moving on to a newly created role overseeing three UK airports. As managing director, UK airports, for Vinci Airports and Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) he will oversee the future development and strategic direction of Gatwick, Edinburgh and Belfast International, with the chief executives of all three airports reporting to Schmit, currently chief commercial and operational officer at Vinci Airports and a non-executive director on the Gatwick board, will take over at the West Sussex airport. Both appointments will start on 1 September. Gatwick is one of the busiest single-runway airports in the world, serving approximately 43.2 million passengers in for a second runway were backed by the government in February. The airport wants to move its northern runway, which is currently only used for taxiing or as a back up, and make it operational by the end of the decade. A joint statement from Vinci and GIP said: "Stewart is one of the most experienced aviation executives in Europe and on behalf of the Board we would like to thank him for his outstanding contribution to Gatwick."His broad expertise and strong track record make him an ideal choice for the newly created role." Mr Wingate said: "It's been a privilege to lead the Gatwick team through a number of very exciting projects such as the seven-year planning process to bring our Northern Runway into routine use and more challenging periods such as the Covid pandemic. "The airport is in a strong financial and operational position with more airlines than ever before serving our passengers. Mr Schmit said he was "excited" to be joining Gatwick to lead it "through the next stage of its growth journey".
The Sun
2 days ago
- Automotive
- The Sun
String of UK car dealerships to SHUT in weeks with dozens of jobs up in the air after being ditched by huge brands
TWO major car brands are set to stop trading with one of the largest dealerships in the UK. Staff at affected branches were left fuming after being informed of the decision earlier this week, putting dozens of jobs at risk. 5 5 5 Stellantis UK, who own huge brands including Peugeot and Vauxhall, confirmed it had terminated its contract with Marshall Motor Group by mutual consent. It means that Marshall, which represents 25 manufacturers, is set to close several of its 138 stores across the country. Six branches were unexpectedly closed earlier this year, with another four now also confirmed to be shutting up shop, potentially affecting thousands of customers. Three Peugeot stores have been culled, with locations in Gatwick, Cambridge and St Neots set to be shut down by the end of June. And one Vauxhall garage in Ipswich is also set to close its doors for the final time by the end of next month. Staff members at the affected shops were informed of the shock decision earlier this week following an internal announcement. Speaking to The Sun, a source said: 'Staff at all four branches have been told the exact same thing. 'There is a lot of purposefully confusing jargon being thrown around, but essentially they are not renewing the contracts with Stellantis. 'There are roughly 60 people at each location, so we're looking at dozens of jobs being put at risk. 'They didn't give staff any particular reason, it doesn't seem to make much sense to them.' It is not known whether Marshall plans to offload staff to other branches or take on new contracts at the eight closed dealerships. The motor firm declined to comment on the closures. Stellantis confirmed they would continue to sell cars in the same areas with new investors. In a statement, the firm said: "Stellantis UK confirms that, by mutual agreement, our retailer agreements with Marshall as a group has ceased at all their sites. "We have appointed new investors to represent our brands in the majority of these locations, therefore offering our customers continued representation for sales and service." It comes after Marshall confirmed in March it was "downsizing" its relationship with Stellantis. The firm axed Peugeot dealerships in Canterbury, Ashford and Peterborough. It also shut a Vauxhall store in Peterborough, with all four closing on March 31. 5 Employees at these locations were reportedly "blindsided" by this shocking news, according to Car Dealer Magazine. Staff were reportedly told about the sad news on February 28. An employee claimed: "We were blindsided by it to be honest, we just didn't see it coming. "When the directors came down to tell us last week, they said it wasn't linked to performance and it's because Marshall is downsizing its number of Stellantis sites." Marshall Volkswagen Horsham and Aylesbury were also culled at the end of March. A statement on its website read: "Further to a strategic review, Marshall Volkswagen Aylesbury and Marshall Volkswagen Horsham will close. "Its sales, service and parts operations, including the customer base will transfer to Marshall Volkswagen stores." Why are so many car dealerships closing down? By Summer Raemason According to Business Rescue Expert there are multiple reasons why car dealerships are folding across the UK. The first major factor is rising online car sales which are beating in-person sales at dealerships. With an extensive range of comparison and second-hand sites to chose from, may car buyers don't even step foot into a dealership anymore. Secondly, the actual cost to physically run the sites has soared. Rent, wages and energy bills have all been increasing for roughly the past five years, putting many out of pocket. Car manufacturing across the globe was also hit by a semiconductor chip shortage in 2022 which made it difficult to produce new motors. The high demand with limited supply created a backlog, which although has eased, is still having an impact on the industry. A third reason for recent closures is the shift to electric cars. They are becoming more popular, given the Government initiative to be Net Zero in 2050. The industry is also affected when companies merge or are bought by rivals. This may lead to some independent names falling victim to the ongoing spate of closures.
The Independent
3 days ago
- General
- The Independent
Heathrow airport: Terminal 3 evacuated because of ‘suspicious item'
Thousands of airline passengers face travel disruption after a key terminal at London Heathrow airport was evacuated. A suspicious item is believed to have been found in a passenger's baggage in Terminal 3, with travellers told to leave the building. Police and emergency services are dealing with the incident. Terminal 3 is the London home of many major airlines, including Virgin Atlantic, Delta, Emirates, Cathay Pacific and Qantas. British Airways also has a substantial operation to and from the terminal. It is not clear whether the item was found during the security search or in the arrivals area. No official communication has yet been made, except for the Heathrow Express rail service – which uses a station beneath Terminal 3. The train operator said: 'Some Heathrow Express trains to and from Heathrow Airport are currently delayed. Please allow extra time for your journey. We apologise for any inconvenience this may cause and appreciate your understanding.' The Piccadilly Line of the London Underground is next to Terminal 2, some distance from Terminal 3. The circumstances appear similar to the closure of South Terminal at Gatwick in November 2024 following a suspicious item being identified in a passenger's bag during the security search. On that occasion the traveller and the item were later allowed to travel, but tens of thousands of passengers faced disruption with the terminal closed. During the afternoon Heathrow Terminal 3 is normally busy with many departures to the Gulf, Asia and North America. Under air passengers' rights rules, if a flight is cancelled for any reason – including a bomb scare – the airline is obliged to get the traveller to their destination as soon as possible. Until that is achieved, the airlne must provide meals and accommodation as appropriate.
