Latest news with #LondonGatwick
Saudi Gazette
5 days ago
- Saudi Gazette
Norway leads Europe's best airports list
BRUSSELS — As millions of Europeans set off on their summer travels, new data reveals which airports are most likely to deliver a smooth journey – and which ones might test your patience. AirHelp, a passenger rights organisation, has just released its annual global airport ranking, assessing performance based on punctuality, passenger satisfaction and service quality. And, while major hubs like Paris Charles de Gaulle and London Gatwick failed to impress, several smaller European airports stood out for their reliability and customer care. Cape Town International Airport in South Africa ranked first overall, scoring 8.6 for punctuality and 8.7 for customer opinion to top a list of 250 international airports from 68 different countries. The best-performing airport in Europe overall was Bergen Flesland in Norway, which came 9th globally and topped European airports for punctuality. Other high scorers in Europe included Bilbao Airport in Spain's Basque region (16th), Bodø Airport (23rd) and Oslo Gardermoen (28th), also in Norway, and Reykjavik Keflavík in Iceland (30th).Despite ranking 130th overall, Luxembourg Airport scored 9.0 for customer opinion, putting it atop all other European airports in that category, while Amsterdam Schiphol (111th overall) scored highest in Europe for food and drinks, scoring and perhaps unsurprisingly, given recent air-traffic control strikes and criticism about the country's performance, France's best-scoring airport, Toulouse-Blagnac, ranked just 101st it topped the French list for the second year running, earning solid scores for punctuality and customer satisfaction, though it rated slightly lower for shopping and dining. In 181st, Paris Charles de Gaulle performed poorly across all metrics, with frequent delays and low customer ratings dragging down its Gatwick ranked 235th, with low marks across the three still outperformed Europe's worst airport, Rhodes Diagoras. The Greek island air hub scored a paltry 6.05, with a 5.8 for punctuality. That score put it in 249th, one spot above the world's worst by these metrics, Tunis Carthage methodology gives the most weight – 60 per cent – to on-time performance, based on flights departing or arriving within 15 minutes of their scheduled time. Rhodes Diagoras' score of 5.8 for punctuality, for example, translates to 58 per cent of flights running on remaining 40 per cent is split evenly between passenger feedback on airport staff, cleanliness and general experience, and services offered, such as restaurants and bulk of the data was gathered from multiple vendors and cross-referenced with statistics from government agencies, airports, flight-tracking vendors and historical resources. To gather user reviews, AirHelp surveyed travellers in more than 58 countries and gathered more than 13,500 unique airport rankings cover only airports with a substantial number of international flights, using data collected between 1 June 2024 to 31 May delays and cancellations are often beyond an airport's control, the highest-performing airports tend to be those that combine operational efficiency with attentive service and clear to AirHelp's findings, travellers looking to reduce their stress this summer may want to opt for smaller regional airports in Scandinavia, where the odds of a smooth journey are markedly better than at the continent's biggest transport hubs. — Euronews
Euronews
6 days ago
- Euronews
Europe's best and worst airports ranked for 2025
As millions of Europeans set off on their summer travels, new data reveals which airports are most likely to deliver a smooth journey – and which ones might test your patience. AirHelp, a passenger rights organisation, has just released its annual global airport ranking, assessing performance based on punctuality, passenger satisfaction and service quality. And, while major hubs like Paris Charles de Gaulle and London Gatwick failed to impress, several smaller European airports stood out for their reliability and customer care. Which airports are Europe's best? Cape Town International Airport in South Africa ranked first overall, scoring 8.6 for punctuality and 8.7 for customer opinion to top a list of 250 international airports from 68 different countries. The best-performing airport in Europe overall was Bergen Flesland in Norway, which came 9th globally and topped European airports for punctuality. Other high scorers in Europe included Bilbao Airport in Spain's Basque region (16th), Bodø Airport (23rd) and Oslo Gardermoen (28th), also in Norway, and Reykjavik Keflavík in Iceland (30th). Despite ranking 130th overall, Luxembourg Airport scored 9.0 for customer opinion, putting it atop all other European airports in that category, while Amsterdam Schiphol (111th overall) scored highest in Europe for food and drinks, scoring 8.3. Meanwhile, and perhaps unsurprisingly, given recent air-traffic control strikes and criticism about the country's performance, France's best-scoring airport, Toulouse-Blagnac, ranked just 101st globally. Still, it topped the French list for the second year running, earning solid scores for punctuality and customer satisfaction, though it rated slightly lower for shopping and dining. In 181st, Paris Charles de Gaulle performed poorly across all metrics, with frequent delays and low customer ratings dragging down its score. London Gatwick ranked 235th, with low marks across the board. All three still outperformed Europe's worst airport, Rhodes Diagoras. The Greek island air hub scored a paltry 6.05, with a 5.8 for punctuality. That score put it in 249th, one spot above the world's worst by these metrics, Tunis Carthage Airport. How the rankings were calculated AirHelp's methodology gives the most weight – 60 per cent – to on-time performance, based on flights departing or arriving within 15 minutes of their scheduled time. Rhodes Diagoras' score of 5.8 for punctuality, for example, translates to 58 per cent of flights running on schedule. The remaining 40 per cent is split evenly between passenger feedback on airport staff, cleanliness and general experience, and services offered, such as restaurants and retail. The bulk of the data was gathered from multiple vendors and cross-referenced with statistics from government agencies, airports, flight-tracking vendors and historical resources. To gather user reviews, AirHelp surveyed travellers in more than 58 countries and gathered more than 13,500 unique airport ratings. The rankings cover only airports with a substantial number of international flights, using data collected between 1 June 2024 to 31 May 2025. While delays and cancellations are often beyond an airport's control, the highest-performing airports tend to be those that combine operational efficiency with attentive service and clear communication. According to AirHelp's findings, travellers looking to reduce their stress this summer may want to opt for smaller regional airports in Scandinavia, where the odds of a smooth journey are markedly better than at the continent's biggest transport hubs.
Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Automotive
- Daily Mirror
Major UK airport scraps buses from car parks with £14m futuristic alternative
Millions of passengers will soon be whizzed over from long-stay car parks to their terminal in a sleek new fleet of futuristic vehicles following a £14 million sustainability investment One of the busiest UK airports is ditching gas-guzzling buses as part of a huge £14 million investment. Last year, London Gatwick Airport - which is owned and managed by VINCI Airports and Global Infrastructure Partners - handled a whopping 43.2 million passengers. Many of these travellers will have used the hub's Park & Ride, which allows customers to park their vehicle at a designated car park outside of the airport and then take a shuttle bus to the terminal. It's often much cheaper to use this option than using the roll-up parking, which can total up to a whopping £75 per day. But passengers using Park & Ride will soon be whizzed over to the airport in a futuristic tram powered solely by electricity. Gatwick has confirmed it has signed a contract with Irizar e-mobility to bring 14 new electric tram-style buses - all of which are 18 metres long - to transfer passengers from the long-stay car parks to the terminals. The move is expected to save 17.7 tCO2e in carbon emissions per year, and is part of the airport's sustainability efforts to decarbonise the aviation industry. The Irizar ie trams, which are known for their futuristic and minimalistic design, will all be equipped with luggage racks inside for 'greater comfort and functionality'. The vehicles use the latest generation Irizar batteries and are charged using an ultra-fast pantograph system, which can do a full charge in less than six minutes. "In addition, with the goal of improving safety, the new buses will be equipped with digital vision cameras, which significantly improves the front, side and rear visibility," Irizar said in a statement. "In this way, Irizar e-mobility is expanding their electromobility solutions in the United Kingdom, where more than 50 Irizar electric buses are already operating in several cities." The Mirror was told the electric buses won't be deployed until around Christmas time this year. Steve Kelso, Head of Engineering at London Gatwick added: "We're excited to have 14 new electric tram busses coming to London Gatwick. We are playing our part to decarbonise the aviation sector and as we grow, we must do it sustainably. "The electric buses are part of our transition to a fully electric vehicle fleet and just one example of our Decade of Change sustainability strategy in action." Last week (July 9), Gatwick celebrated another landmark after its first-ever electric flight landed at the hub, as part of the VINCI Airports Network Elektro Tour. The 50-flight leg tour, an early-stage proof of concept, coincides with the delivery of 47 new electric vehicles at London Gatwick, including airside operations and engineering cars. This is part of the airport's mission to upgrade its 300-strong vehicle fleet to fully electric by 2023 to support its broader £250m decarbonisation programme to achieve net zero for its own emissions in the next five years. Mark Johnston, chief operating officer at London Gatwick said: "We're pleased to welcome the VINCI Airport's Elektro Tour team to the airport, this might just be the smallest aircraft to ever land at London Gatwick! "We're proud to be playing our part in supporting wider efforts to decarbonise the aviation sector. Our vision is to be the airport for everyone, whatever your journey, and as we grow, we must do it sustainably. Our transition to an electric vehicle fleet is just one example of our Decade of Change sustainability strategy in action."
The Independent
15-07-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Tata's Air India crash aftermath in numbers, from record insurance claim to flight cancellations
Reduced flights, ticket cancellations and fare adjustments continue to deepen losses for Air India over a month after one of its Boeing 787 Dreamliners crashed shortly after takeoff from the Ahmedabad airport. The crash, which killed at least 260 people on 12 June, and the subsequent losses are a blow to owner Tata Group's ambitious plans to restore the airline's reputation and revamp its fleet. All but one of the 242 people onboard flight AI171 to London Gatwick were killed in the crash, including 53 British citizens. The plane crashed into a hostel complex at the Byramjee Jeejeebhoy Medical College, killing several students and residents on the ground. Only one passenger, a British man seated in 11A, miraculously survived. A preliminary investigation report released last week revealed the aircraft's fuel switches almost simultaneously flipped from 'run' position to 'cutoff' three seconds after takeoff. It claimed that one pilot was heard on the cockpit voice recorder asking the other why he had cut off the fuel. "The other pilot responded that he did not do so," the report added. At the crash site, both fuel switches were found in the 'run' position and the report noted that there had been indications of the engines relighting before the low-altitude crash. The crash is challenge to CEO Campbell Wilson's push to revive Air India as a 'world-class airline'. It's set to become the most expensive aviation insurance claim in India's history, with about £353m in total liability, according to Bloomberg. The figure includes the full hull value of the aircraft, compensation for families of the victims under international aviation law, and payouts for third-party property damage and loss of life on the ground. While the airline's losses are expected to be covered under 'all-risk' aviation insurance, the payouts for passengers are governed by the Montreal Convention, to which India is a signatory. The minimum compensation per dead passenger under this framework could go up to 128,821 Special Drawing Rights, which works out to £134,000-£171,000, although the actual amount might vary depending on nationality, legal claims, and additional liabilities. The Tata Group has already announced interim compensation of about £85,000 for each of the families of the dead. In addition, Air India has announced £21,000 in interim payment to the families of the victims as well as the sole survivor Vishwash Kumar Ramesh. The claim for the plane's hull and engine is estimated at around £93m, according to Ramaswamy Narayanan, chairman and managing director at General Insurance Corporation of India. He estimates additional liability claims for loss of life of the passengers and third-party property damage at almost £260m. This amount is more than triple the annual premium for the aviation industry in India in 2023, according to Bloomberg. Given the large number of international passengers, including from the UK, Portugal and Canada, global reinsurers are expected to absorb much of the financial impact. Air India has suffered additional losses, with bookings for flights dropping around 20 per cent on domestic and international routes in the week after the crash. The airline cancelled dozens of flights after the crash and slashed ticket prices on key routes by up to 15 per cent, deepening its financial losses. Air India has a 30 per cent share of the domestic passenger market. The airline has a fleet of 198 planes, of which 27 are 10-15 years old and 43 are over 15 years old, the civil aviation ministry told the parliament in March. It was ranked the worst airline for flight delays in the UK, where its departures were, on an average, just under 46 minutes behind schedule in 2024, according to an analysis of Civil Aviation Authority data by the PA news agency published in May. Air India has been reporting losses since at least fiscal year 2019-20. It reported a net loss of about £386m on sales of £34bn in 2023-24. The preliminary investigation report, Mr Wilson said, found no mechanical or maintenance faults with the aircraft. He added that all required maintenance had been carried out on the aircraft, and that the pilots had 'passed' all pre-flight checks amid allegations that the disaster was caused by human error. The report has triggered unprecedented checks on all Boeing flights to secure the safety of the fuel switches. India's aviation authorities set 21 July as the deadline for all airlines with Boeing jets to confirm the security of the switches. Over 150 Boeing 737 and 787 aircraft are reportedly in operation across India, flown by carriers including Air India, Air India Express, Akasa Air, SpiceJet, and IndiGo. South Korea's flag carrier Korean Air Lines said on Tuesday it had proactively begun inspecting fuel control switches and would implement any additional requirements the transport ministry may have. Japan Airlines said it had been doing such inspections since 2018. "Any issues detected were repaired on the ground, and therefore did not occur during flight," JAL said in a statement. South Korea's aviation authorities said it was preparing to order all airlines in the country with Boeing jets to examine the switches. Singapore Airlines said it had completed precautionary checks on the fuel switches of its 787 fleet, including aircraft used by its low-cost subsidiary Scoot.
The Independent
14-07-2025
- General
- The Independent
The question spurring fresh intrigue in the Air India crash
A preliminary investigation into the Air India flight AI171 crash on 12 June revealed that the aircraft's fuel control switches were moved to the "cut-off" position, starving the engines. The Boeing 787 Dreamliner, bound for London Gatwick from Ahmedabad, crashed shortly after takeoff, resulting in 260 fatalities, including 241 of the 242 people on board. Cockpit voice recordings captured a moment of confusion where one pilot questioned why the fuel had been cut off, which the other pilot denied. The two pilots, Captain Sumeet Sabharwal and First Officer Cliver Kunder, had vastly different levels of experience, with Mr Sabharwal nearing retirement and Mr Kunder at the start of his career. The Airline Pilots' Association of India has rejected the presumption of pilot error, calling for a "fair, fact-based inquiry," while Air India's CEO cautioned against premature conclusions.
