Latest news with #Heathrow
Telegraph
an hour ago
- Business
- Telegraph
Heathrow boss should never have had phone on silent, says Virgin Atlantic chief
The chief executive of Virgin Atlantic has hit out at the boss of Heathrow for muting his phone while he slept as a fire broke out at the airport, leading to thousands of delayed and cancelled flights. Shai Weiss said as the head of an airline he would 'never' put his phone on silent because the job required round the clock attention. Last week an internal report into the incident found Thomas Woldbye, who was paid £3.2m last year, was uncontactable for the first seven hours of the airport's shutdown because his phone had been switched to silent mode before he went to sleep. Speaking at an airline industry event, Mr Weiss said: 'The last time I put my phone on silent when running an airline was – never. I think all of my colleagues would share that observation. 'This is a 24/7 job and safety and security are the number one priority.' Mr Woldbye also came under fire from Sir Tim Clark, the Emirates Airline chief, who said that Heathrow had been 'caught short' by the outage that created such turmoil on March 31. He said: 'They were floundering around trying to think what had actually happened. 'It ranged from sabotage by a foreign actor to a meltdown at a substation through to mice running around and doing all sorts. 'Nobody really had any idea. That was a bit of a shock. If they haven't learned from that they never will.' Sir Tim said it had come as a shock to him that Heathrow had no supplementary power supply that would kick in when the outage hit. He said Emirates employees 'have eyes on every single aspect of our operation 24/7. 'We've learnt from our mistakes. We never close our eyes. If we did we'd be in trouble. Insurrection, coup, fire or whatever it may be. It happens all the time.' Willie Walsh, chief executive of the International Air Transport Association, said the shutdown of Heathrow had undermined Labour's bid to restore Britain's status as a major economic force. He said: 'The fact remains that a single point of failure brought the country's global connectivity to a halt. A government that promotes 'a Britain back on the world stage' should understand how unacceptable such a vulnerability is. 'It cannot be 'Britain's back, provided there's power.'' Airlines expect compensation Mr Weiss said he expects Heathrow to begin compensating airlines for the cost of the outage now that an inquiry commissioned by the airport, and led by former transport secretary Ruth Kelly, has published its findings. He said that the disruption 'cost a lot of money' and that Virgin and other airlines had been 'very clear' with Heathrow management about their expectations regarding compensation. Mr Weiss added: 'We have put in a request and we expect them to do the right thing. We agreed with them to hear some responses from the Kelly report and others, which have recently been published. But once the dust settles, our bill is coming.' Mr Weiss previously said that had he been in Mr Woldbye's position he would have 'rushed to the airport at that moment. All CEOs are geared for that.' It was initially reported that Mr Woldbye went to bed at around 12.30am having been made aware of the fire, leaving the decision to close the airport to his deputy, Javier Echave. The Kelly report said that was not the case and that he had retired to bed unaware of the situation and 'was not involved' in the decision to shut down for 24 hours. Alerts known as F24 alarms were sent to Mr Woldbye's mobile at 00:21 and 01:52 to activate emergency procedures and Mr Echave tried to call him several times. The report said: 'Mr Woldbye first became aware of the incident at approximately 06:45 on March 21, and received a debrief from Mr Echave.'
The Independent
11 hours ago
- Climate
- The Independent
Temperatures hit 26C in warm end to UK's sunniest spring on record
UK temperatures hit 26C on Saturday, wrapping up the sunniest spring on record before the country officially goes into the summer season. Heathrow in west London enjoyed the hottest weather at 26.7C, about 8C hotter than the average for the time of year, while levels of grass pollen were very high in the South East. A balmy end to spring for many comes as provisional figures from the Met Office show 630 hours of sunshine were clocked up across the country between March 1 and May 27. Met Office meteorologist Tom Morgan said: 'It's the last day of meteorological spring today but it'll actually feel more like midsummer for some southern and eastern areas. 'It's fairly warm in that sunshine, particularly across more eastern and south-eastern parts of the UK, with temperatures in the mid 20s.' He said it has been a 'different story' in the North West where people have seen cooler and more showery weather, which is expected to spread on Sunday. 'Further showers and longer spells of rain across the north of the UK and feeling much fresher for all of us by tomorrow,' Mr Morgan continued. 'Generally a fine start for many parts of England and Wales, a mixture of clouds and sunny spells overall though it will be a breezier day tomorrow and generally a bit cloudier too. 'So the cloud bubbling up through the morning, further showers and longer spells of rain pushing eastwards across Northern Ireland and Scotland, the odd rumble of thunder here and there. 'Showers breaking out quite widely across northern England, Wales, the Midlands and the South West as well, but some places will stay dry, particularly across the South East of England.'
The Sun
19 hours ago
- General
- The Sun
Cannabis seizures at UK airports soar to new highs with Thai gangs responsible
CANNABIS seizures have soared to record highs at UK airports — as Thai smuggling gangs attempt to dominate the British market in the illegal drug. The amount caught at Heathrow alone last year — 14.7 tons — was almost triple the 5.6 tons snared at all airports during 2023. 2 Nearly 27 tons of cannabis were seized at British airports last year, 400 per cent up on the previous 12 months. Some 750 people were caught by specialist cops, way up on the 134 nicked the year before. Nearly two thirds were flying in from Thailand. A record 430 suspects were arrested at Heathrow, the National Crime Agency said. Next worst hotspots were Manchester with 135 arrests and 4.8 tons seized and Birmingham, where 40 people were arrested over 1.4 tons. Thai gangs are thought to be trying to expand their stake in the British market by exploiting the Asian state's decriminalising of the drug in 2022. Many Brits are now caught trying to re-enter the UK with drugs having been lured to Thailand by the promise of a free holiday, lavish gifts and posh accommodation. In return, they must bring back suitcases stuffed with drugs. A source said: 'It's so much easier to obtain cannabis in Thailand than anywhere else. 'There is a huge amount of demand in the UK, especially for kush, which is much stronger. That explains the massive surge in seizures.' Charlotte May Lee fears being locked away for 20yrs over £1.2m Sri Lanka drugs bust – & is 'aware' of Bella Culley case More than 50 British nationals have been caught acting as drug mules on flights out of Thailand since the start of 2024. They include Charlotte May Lee, 21, held in Sri Lanka after flying from Thailand allegedly with £1.2million worth of kush. 2
The Sun
2 days ago
- Business
- The Sun
Lorry crashes into PLANE at Heathrow and pierces aircraft's body after ‘laughable mistake' by driver
A DRIVER has smashed into a grounded plane after he "confused the accelerator for the brake". The lorry crashed into the body of the Saudia Boeing 787-9 at Heathrow Airport on May 28 - piercing the aircraft and leading to long delays. It came just minutes after passengers on the SVA105 flight from King Abdulaziz International Airport, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, had departed the plane at Terminal 4 of the London-based airport at around 2:54pm. Baggage handlers at the scene described how the driver mixed up the pedals of the lorry and caused the damage. One said: "The driver must have probably been trying to perform a safety protocol manoeuvre where, when approaching the aircraft, they hit the brakes on multiple occasions. "They have a protocol where they have to fully stop several times when moving towards the aircraft. "I think he confused the accelerator for the brakes - smashing into the plane near stand 414. "The damage doesn't look that big but it pierced right through the body of the aircraft, which makes it a serious incident. "Fire fighters and the police came because even for a small technical error, everyone has to attend the site, so it becomes a major event. "That aircraft won't be able to go anywhere for a long time because they have to replace it and they have to be airtight to fly of course." The following flight from Heathrow to Jeddah was cancelled because of the damage, and passengers on the original flight suffered delays to their baggage reclaim. The baggage handler said: "I don't know what the damage is like within, but I presume ABM will be liable for the damage. "As the lorry was inching closer, instead of doing a brake check, it just accelerated forwards into the plane. "Everyone was shocked because all the work had to be stopped - it's just so stupid and ridiculous, it's almost laughable. "I think it took over an hour to remove the lorry from the airport. They have to take pictures and take down witness reports from everyone involved like the pilot, the driver and the airport staff. "It's very rare that it happened - some of us have more than 15 years experience of baggage handling and between us we've never seen anything like it." ABM and Saudia were contacted for comment. 1
Telegraph
2 days ago
- Business
- Telegraph
The sleeping Heathrow boss proves we're a nation led by donkeys
It was one of the more astonishing admissions of the week: 'Sorry lads, my phone was on silent.' Or, as the Kelly Review, published on Wednesday, put it: ' Mr Woldbye expressed to us his deep regret at not being contactable during the night of the incident.' The apology nestles in a 75-page report authored by Ruth Kelly, the former transport secretary, who examined the circumstances relating to the closure of Heathrow Airport on March 21. It's an impressively speedy job, with most inquiries of this nature usually waiting for the protagonists to die – or, at best, until their memories have long faded and the events have been massaged into a Netflix documentary – to be concluded. Yet here is a report published while the senior folk of one of the largest and busiest airports in Europe are still firmly in post. And clinging on for dear life – especially the chief executive, Thomas Woldbye. Indeed he has been vexed at the idea that he acted in any way other than exemplary over the 18-hour shutdown of Heathrow that resulted in the cancellation of 1,300 flights and affected some 270,000 passengers. The day after the shutdown, the Danish businessman even told Emma Barnett on BBC Radio 4's Today programme that, in relation to the actions and decisions of Heathrow and related parties, he was 'proud of the entire ecosystem'. Pride being the most plausible emotion for him to express because, when the decision was taken to press the Heathrow off-button, Woldbye was asleep. Which for a Dane strikes me as a peculiarly British reaction, albeit with firm roots in the comedy of Captain Mainwaring of Dad's Army or Blackadder 's General Melchett. Our hero, Woldbye, as you can read on page 36 of the report (section 14, subsection 3), 'first became aware of the incident at approximately 06:45 on 21 March, and received a debrief from Mr Echave [Heathrow's chief operating officer]'. 'Fine work, man,' he might have said. 'Now, what's going on?' And, famously, it was not for want of trying to get hold of Woldbye during the night. In fact, what is known in the trade as the most 'critical event communication platform that provides information and sends alerts through all available communication channels', an F24 alarm was issued at 00.21. This is the technical equivalent of a cold bucket of water being thrown in your face, a gong being struck by your ear, a jumping up and down on Daddy at dawn. There was another F24 sent at 01.52, this one activating Gold (harder slaps around the chops, cries of 'wake up, you idiot!') and Echave, also we learn, 'attempted to call Mr Woldbye several times during the early hours'. Except Woldbye's mobile, albeit on his bedside table, was on silent. Or, as the report states, 'the phone had gone into a silent mode, without him being aware it had done so'. That's right, the man in charge of Heathrow – an airport that uses the most sophisticated technology available to run and protect a place with planes departing and landing every 45 seconds – has a phone that, completely of its own accord, jumps into 'do not disturb' mode. Perhaps the man whose most recent annual take-home pay was £3.2 million needs a second phone. Or how about an old-school landline with a trilling bell on it? We Brits are, quite clearly, lions led by donkeys. Incompetence seems key to the skill set in running either a large company or indeed government. There are, for example, the civil servants of the Department for Business and Trade who, in the face of colossal public pressure and moral finger-wagging, continue to resist fully compensating the likes of Sir Alan Bates for the Horizon IT system scandal. Last weekend he revealed that he had been offered a 'take it or leave it' offer of 49.2 per cent of his original claim. The compensation scheme, Sir Alan said, had become 'quasi-kangaroo courts in which the Department for Business and Trade sits in judgement of the claims and alters the goal posts as and when it chooses'. Or, consider the major water companies presiding over the effluent that pollutes our rivers. Earlier this month, Chris Weston, the CEO of Thames Water – Britain's biggest water company; a firm with massive debts, outdated infrastructure and more leaks and spills than the Titanic – admitted that senior managers had been in line for substantial bonuses courtesy of a privately financed £3 billion rescue-plan loan. Following pressure from Environment Secretary Steve Reed, Weston's spokesperson then announced that payments had been 'paused'. Yet, as The Guardian reported, Thames Water 'declined to answer questions about whether any of the retention package has already been paid'. High Court judge Mr Justice Leech, in relation to an £800 million cost to be spent on interest and advisers for the debt deal, said: 'Customers and residents who are struggling with their bills will be horrified at these costs and mystified how the Thames Water Group has been able to fund them or why it has agreed to do so.' Ponder, too, on those who run Royal Mail, increasing prices while presiding over terminal decline of their services, and the pen-pushing ninnies of our councils conjuring up safety costs that are wrecking traditional country street fairs and festivals. Indeed, just look to the politicians who run our country. We have a Chancellor in Rachel Reeves who claims to support hospitality while actually savaging it with increases in National Insurance Contributions for employers, and a Secretary of State for Education gleefully manifesting over a VAT policy that is closing down private schools.
