Latest news with #Gatwick
Bloomberg
a day ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
London Heathrow's £1 Billion Scanner Challenge Eats Into Profit
London Heathrow Airport said the installation of next-generation security scanners has dented half-year profits because the project is proving so large and complicated. The UK's largest hub is still working with authorities on a completion date for fitting the computed-tomogrophy machines, a project valued at just over £1 billion ($1.4 billion), Chief Executive Officer Thomas Woldbye said on Wednesday. Other London hubs, including Gatwick and City, have already finished switching over to the new devices.
Times
4 days ago
- Times
It's last orders for the onboard bar. Flying is no fun any more
Flying used to go something like this. Turn up at the airport, perhaps slurp a cheeky beer at Gatwick's Red Lion before you board. Switch your smartphone to flight mode, knowing you have a few hours' reprieve to watch something brain-dead like Mission: Impossible without being pestered. Listen intently for the rattle of the in-flight trolley, which still has the ability to reduce me to a panting Pavlovian dog (just me?). And if I'm flying in premium, a discreet slope off to the onboard bar once the seatbelt sign has been switched off. This long-conditioned ritual at 37,000ft skidded to a halt this month. Virgin Atlantic — our 'fun' airline to the more sensible British Airways — said it would axe its beloved bars by 2028; the space will instead be used for more premium seating called 'retreat suites'. It also said it would introduce free Starlink wi-fi across its fleet by the end of 2027. Blame sober Gen Z obsessed with wellness, blame squeezed airline margins, blame our hyperconnected world. I'm dismayed — and thirsty. I have fond, and squiffy, memories of in-flight bars. One of the most ridiculous flights I've been on was — no surprise — a Virgin service to New York for 2019's World Pride, staffed entirely by LGBT crew. The DJ Jodie Harsh took over the bar on the Airbus A330 and we passengers, giddy on gin miniatures and mini pretzels, jumped around to Spice Up Your Life somewhere over Newfoundland. It's hard to imagine that kind of stunt today. Other times it's more prosaic. These extra social spaces — installed on all Virgin aircraft at great expense — are an escape valve from your seat, particularly if you're flying long haul. That there are gin and tonics and delicious little bags of crisps and sweets on tap is neither here nor there. 'We have loved the bar, but we have a new vision for social spaces: the retreat suites, the private space built for sharing and socialising,' Virgin Atlantic said. Meh. Onboard bars still do exist, but increasingly limply. The Gulfies, including Emirates, Qatar Airways and Etihad, all offer social spaces only on their monstrous Airbus A380s, but on the few times I've sneaked in they have been pin-drop quiet. When I flew on the weird Global Airlines inaugural flight in May — the founder's aim being to take the airline back to the golden age of flying — I spent a lot of it propping up the SkyPub on the upper deck of the A380. Qantas's A350 aircraft, which it uses for ultra-long-haul flights from London to Australia, instead have a 'wellbeing zone' for stretching and hydrating … and not the fun kind. The advent of free onboard wi-fi is a further dent to the in-flight experience, forcing us to stay connected to the ground. Lots of airlines, like British Airways, offer free wi-fi to their premium passengers and members of their loyalty schemes. Others, like JetBlue and Air New Zealand, offer it to everyone, regardless of cabin. Other carriers are trialling streaming entertainment straight to your phone — which I guess is fine and perfectly logical. But, but, but. I spend my life looking at my phone — is it too much to ask to stare at a slightly bigger screen to watch some mindless guff for a few hours? The sky is the last sanctuary we have. Rhys Jones, aviation editor of the frequent-flyer website Head for Points, agrees that 'it's a shame to see the bar go'. He adds: 'It was part of what set Virgin Atlantic apart. Without it, Virgin will lose a little bit of its sparkle. That said, I understand why it has made this decision: attitudes have changed and competition has become cut-throat. Increasingly we are seeing airlines maximise every square foot of space on board planes and, unfortunately, the bar just simply didn't pay its way.' I think I speak for a lot of frequent flyers when I say: one for the road?
The Independent
6 days ago
- The Independent
Smell of ‘used socks' why BA flight made u-turn back to Gatwick
On Tuesday, 15 July, a British Airways flight (BA2203) from London Gatwick to Cancun was forced to return to the airport shortly after take-off due to a strong "smell of used socks" that caused dizziness among the crew. The Boeing 777 circled for approximately 30 minutes before landing safely back at Gatwick, where it was met by emergency services. British Airways confirmed a technical issue led to the diversion, apologised for the disruption, and provided passengers with overnight hotel accommodation before they re-boarded their flight the following morning. Minutes after the BA incident, an easyJet flight (EZY8520) from Funchal also requested a priority landing at Gatwick due to a suspected bird strike. The easyJet aircraft landed normally and was met by emergency services in line with procedures, purely as a precaution, with the airline stating that customer and crew safety is their highest priority.
The Independent
6 days ago
- The Independent
Two London Gatwick flights encounter mid-air emergencies within minutes of each other
Two flights flying into London Gatwick Airport experienced mid-air emergencies within minutes of each other on Tuesday (15 July), with one flight requesting a priority landing following a suspected bird strike. British Airways flight BA2203 departed from Gatwick at 2.30pm on Tuesday 15 July for an almost 10-hour journey to Cancun, Mexico. However, this was cut short almost immediately after a strange smell took over the aircraft, which forced the pilots to make a last-minute diversion back to Gatwick. The crew onboard said a 'smell of used socks' left them feeling 'dizzy', with the mysterious smell leading to oxygen masks being deployed for passengers, according to The Sun. Shortly after takeoff, the Boeing 777 circled the East Sussex coast for around half an hour before making its way back to the airport, data from FlightRadar shows. The plane landed back at Gatwick at 3.29pm, with The Sun reporting that emergency services lined the runway to meet the plane as it came into land. British Airways told The Independent that the aircraft 'landed safely at Gatwick after our pilots identified a technical issue. 'Customers disembarked normally, and we've apologised for the disruption to their travel plans.' Passengers were provided with overnight hotel accommodation by the airline and were able to board their flight to Cancun the following morning. Within minutes of the BA incident, another flight requested priority landing. EasyJet flight EZY8520 jetted from Funchal airport, Madeira, just before midday on Tuesday. While flying into Gatwick, the pilots requested that their flight be given priority to land ahead of other scheduled planes due to a suspected bird strike. A bird strike is a collision between a bird or airborne animal and an aircraft. They can cause significant damage to aircraft, with a risk of jet engines losing power should they suck in a bird. Struck aircraft will often need to abort their take-off or landing attempts, which can be costly for airlines and their passengers. An easyJet spokesperson told The Independent that 'the aircraft landed normally and was met by emergency services in line with procedures, purely as a precaution. 'The safety of our customers and crew is easyJet's highest priority, and easyJet operates its fleet of aircraft in strict compliance with all manufacturers' guidelines.'
Auto Express
7 days ago
- Auto Express
Airport drop-off price rises to hit holidaymakers
Holidaymakers should prepare for hefty airport drop-off prices as new research shows that nine in 10 of the UK's most popular airports have raised their charges within the last year. The RAC's study shows that Britain's busiest airport, London Heathrow, has seen its drop-off charge increase by £1 in the last year to £6; there is no time limit, but those who forget to pay by midnight the next day face an £80 fine, reduced to £40 if paid within 14 days. The second-busiest and among the most expensive to drop-off is London Gatwick which has also increased its charge by £1 year-on-year, meaning drivers face a £7 fee in 2025. London Stansted charges the same amount for use of its Express Set Down area, although this saw no fee increase in the past year. Advertisement - Article continues below In fact, as many as 11 of the UK's 20 biggest airports raised their drop-off prices in the previous 12 months, with the likes of Edinburgh, Birmingham and Liverpool also having raised prices by £1, or the equivalent of 20 per cent. Perhaps the most heinous charge in the UK is at Manchester Airport which charges £5 to use its Drop Off areas. This might sound like a bargain compared to other airports and it doesn't represent an increase over 2024, but Manchester Airport only allows drivers to stay for five minutes at a time. This means that using the drop-off area costs as much as £1 per minute. Skip advert Advertisement - Article continues below If you plan to stay longer, Manchester will charge £6.40 for 10 minutes or an eye-watering £25 for half an hour. Those picking up passengers rather than dropping them off will have to fork out anything between £6.40 and £8.30, depending on which terminal they're using. The RAC's head of policy, Simon Williams, described how 'the sky really seem[s] to be the limit when it comes to the amount drivers get charged for making the briefest of stops to let friends or loved ones out to catch a flight. The annual ritual of many airports hiking the cost of drop-offs is unfortunately continuing unabated.' Advertisement - Article continues below Williams admitted 'airports understandably need to manage the often-limited on-site space they have', however, he pointed out that those using these services often are helping loved ones with mobility issues and are more likely to get penalised for unintentionally overstaying the time limit. The majority of airports now utilise ANPR (automated Numberplate Recognition) technology, rather than traditional toll booths, in order to collect fees for pick-up and drop-off parking. This, Williams says, means 'anyone who doesn't notice the change or simply forgets to pay will inevitably be stung with a very unwelcome parking charge notice.' It's also important to note that out of Europe's busiest airports, the vast majority don't enforce any drop-off charges at all; drivers can drop off passengers at Paris, Madrid, Frankfurt, Barcelona, and Rome airports all without paying a fee. Hefty drop-off and pick-up fees are just one of the many obscene costs facing drivers at airports. There are several websites you can use – many of which we've tested and compared – to save some cash on short and long-stay airport parking, although parking close to the terminal can still cost well over £100 for a single night at the likes of Heathrow or Gatwick. Airport 2024 charge Time allowed Price per minute 1 London Stansted £7.00 15 mins £0.47 2 Leeds Bradford £6.50 10 mins £0.65 3 London Gatwick £6.00 10 mins £0.60 4 Bristol £6.00 10 mins £0.60 5 Glasgow £5.50 15 mins £0.37 6 Aberdeen £5.50 15 mins £0.37 7 London Heathrow £5.00 n/a 8 Manchester £5.00 5 mins £1.00 9 Edinburgh £5.00 10 mins £0.50 10 Birmingham £5.00 15 mins £0.33 Did you know you can sell your car through Auto Express ? We'll help you get a great price and find a great deal on a new car, too . Find a car with the experts New Xiaomi YU7 2025 review: a world-beating new EV to worry the establishment New Xiaomi YU7 2025 review: a world-beating new EV to worry the establishment BMW or Mercedes would do anything to keep the new Xiaomi YU7 from sale in the UK and Europe, and this is why The Electric Car Grant is here: Government's new £3,750 EV discount in detail The Electric Car Grant is here: Government's new £3,750 EV discount in detail The government has set out its plan to help reduce the cost of affordable EVs by introducing a new £3,750 Electric Car Grant for new EVs sold under £3… Electric Mercedes CLA Shooting Brake will keep going long after rivals need to stop Electric Mercedes CLA Shooting Brake will keep going long after rivals need to stop The second of Merc's new-era EVs is here in the form of an attractive estate with a huge range
