Latest news with #flights
The Independent
10 minutes ago
- The Independent
How to avoid travel disruption across air, rail, road and ferries this weekend
At the end of the week in which many schools in England and Wales break up, more UK holidaymakers will be travelling than ever before. Friday will be the busiest day of the year so far for flights from UK airports: 3,255 departures are scheduled, carrying 556,000 passengers. Rail travellers face a range of disruptions, from crowded trains to engineering works. On the roads, the RAC warns: 'The 'end of summer term' getaway weekend will be classically busy.' Motorists heading for France via LeShuttle through the Channel Tunnel to Calais will face the biggest crowds on Friday, while the CEO of the Port of Dover has asked motorists not to arrive more than two hours ahead at the UK's busiest ferry port. The Independent has conducted in-depth research to identify the key pressure points for travellers. Air Most airports are reporting record figures. Friday 25 July is expected to be busiest day of the year at Birmingham; at Luton, it will be Sunday 27 July. Fridays in late July and August see the biggest crowds at five top airports. At London Gatwick, landings and take-offs will be just 65 seconds apart on key dates. A four-day strike by ground handlers at Portuguese airports – including Faro, Madeira, Lisbon and Porto – could cause problems for some holidaymakers between Friday and Monday, with further strikes threatened during weekends in August. But easyJet, Ryanair and Tui say their flights will be unaffected. The Independent has asked British Airways and TAP Portugal if their passengers could be hit by the strike. Air-traffic control (ATC) delays are impacting thousands of flights across Europe each day – to the extent that Ryanair, Europe 's biggest budget airline, has taken to sending emails to affected passengers headlined 'ATC delayed your holiday'. Eurocontrol, the pan-European coordination body, said that over the past week, 'network hotspots saw 31 per cent of network delays generated by France [due to] capacity and staffing issues compounded by adverse weather". Operations over Germany and Spain were also affected by 'weather and some capacity issues'. Airspace is constrained across Europe by the closure of Ukrainian skies to all passenger aircraft and Russian skies being off limits to most airlines. In addition, President Trump's visit to Scotland from 25 to 29 July is likely to cause airspace restrictions at Prestwick and Aberdeen. Rail After a week that has seen some extreme delays and cancellations, including at London Waterloo, train operators are hoping that Network Rail infrastructure will cope with the pressure over one of the busiest weekends of the year. Rail passengers face a combination of crowds, especially to the seaside, and engineering work that will close links including Crewe to Shrewsbury, Nuneaton to Leicester and halt all trains through Huddersfield. Eurostar is advising all but 'Premier' passengers to arrive at London St Pancras International for trains to France, Belgium and the Netherlands 75 minutes ahead of departure. The cross-Channel train operator says: 'To ensure you have enough time for all pre-departure steps, please come to the station at the recommended time and not just before the gates close.' Eurostar Premier passengers can allow just 45 minutes. Roads The RAC is warning motorists that 'Frantic Friday' on 25 July will see extremely busy motorways until around 7pm, as holidaymakers jostle with regular commuter and commercial traffic. The motoring organisation says that the worst affected roads on Friday will be the M5 between Bristol and Devon and the M25 around London – particularly the southeast quadrant approaching Dartford Crossing. The best time to travel will be after 7pm. The highest number of holiday journeys over the weekend are predicted to be on Saturday, with three million motorists on the move. Congestion is expected to be worst between 10am and 5pm. The M6 northbound through the West Midlands, from the M42 junction near Coventry to the M54 turn-off past Wolverhampton, is expected to be particularly busy, as is the A82 from Glasgow to Loch Lomond. An additional 2.7 million trips are expected on Sunday 27 July, The optimum time to reach a UK destination is before 11 am. From then onwards many motorways and trunk roads will be busy all day to 7pm, with the worst congestion predicted southbound from Wigan (junction 27) to the Stafford turn-off at junction 13. Ferry/Eurotunnel At the Port of Dover, drivers are being urged not to arrive too early for the key getaway ferries to France between 5am and 1pm. Doug Bannister, chief executive of the UK's busiest ferry port, told The Independent 's daily travel podcast: 'Certainly it's going to be very busy on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and into Sunday. Those are our peak travel days of the year.' More than 10,000 cars are expected to pass through the port on both Friday and Saturday. Dover's CEO said: 'Please don't turn up earlier than two hours before you're sailing. 'We know the sailings and we know the bookings on the sailings and if they all come through in an even rate then we can get on top of it.' LeShuttle, carrying cars through the Channel Tunnel, will see its busiest day on Friday 25 July. A spokesperson for Getlink, which owns the tunnel and runs LeShuttle, said: 'We wish to reassure our customers that we've closely analysed travel patterns, identified high-demand days, and taken a comprehensive approach to capacity management to help everyone travel with confidence this summer. 'We advise checking in at least one hour before departure, and no more than two hours before, to allow time for border checks and boarding.'
The Herald
6 hours ago
- Business
- The Herald
Flights reduced but stable amid partial pilot strike, FlySafair says
FlySafair says all flights scheduled for Wednesday are operating as planned despite industrial action by a portion of its pilot workforce led by Solidarity. The airline said it is operating 'a reduced but stable schedule'. On Tuesday, it operated 95.2% of its reduced schedule on time, with 'most of our pilots actively at work'. As part of its contingency plans, two of about 120 daily flights operated by the airline will be conducted under a passenger protection agreement with SAA. 'Our focus remains on supporting our customers and restoring full operations as quickly as possible, said Kirby Gordon, FlySafair's chief marketing officer. 'The airline remains committed to resolving the matter constructively and will continue its engagement with Solidarity through the mediation process led by the Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration this afternoon.' TimesLIVE
Zawya
11 hours ago
- Business
- Zawya
SalamAir reconnects Muscat, Beirut with direct flights
SalamAir, Oman's low-cost airline, has announced the return of Beirut, Lebanon, to its flight schedule, with direct flights operating twice a week starting December 3, 2025. This move comes as part of SalamAir's broader strategy to expand its regional network and enhance air connectivity across the Middle East and beyond. The reintroduction of Beirut marks a key milestone in the airline's continued growth and commitment to offering affordable, flexible and various travel options to its customers. Beirut is a cultural and historical gem offering stunning Mediterranean coastlines, world-class cuisine, and a rich blend of ancient and modern heritage. The city attracts tourists year-round, and its significance as a regional hub for business and leisure makes it a highly desirable destination for travelers from Oman and beyond. Adrian Hamilton-Manns, Chief Executive Officer of SalamAir, commented: "Bringing Beirut back to our network reflects our ongoing commitment to strengthening air connectivity and enhancing travel options for our guests. There is a significant Lebanese population in Oman, and currently, there are no direct flights between the two countries. Our new service aims to fill that gap, offering greater convenience and supporting increased tourism, trade, and business opportunities. This move also aligns with the broader objectives of Oman Vision 2040, particularly in advancing the tourism and logistics sectors and driving economic diversification. As always, we continue to expand with competitive Lite Fares and easy add-ons to ensure real value for our guests." Albert Samaha, Ambassador of Lebanon to Oman, welcomed the resumption, stating: 'These long-awaited flights serve as a vital link for the Lebanese community residing in Oman and facilitate easier access to their homeland. It also paves the way for enhanced tourism, cultural interaction, and bilateral cooperation between our two nations. We sincerely thank the Civil Aviation Authority of Oman and SalamAir for realising this shared vision.' -TradeArabia News Service Copyright 2024 Al Hilal Publishing and Marketing Group Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Skift
20 hours ago
- Business
- Skift
KKR Becomes ‘Significant Minority Investor' in Booking.com Partner eTraveli Group
sees growing its flights business as a strategic priority. An eTraveli deal may still be on its agenda if it can get the courts to overturn a competition decision. If Booking Holdings gets the chance to again try and acquire its flight-services partner eTraveli Group, it likely would have to pay nearly double the $1.8 billion the two parties agreed to in 2021. eTraveli Group announced this week that private equity firm KKR became "a significant minority investor," and Bloomberg quoted sources as saying that the valuation was $3.1 billion. Fellow private equity company CVC Capital Partners is the majority investor. Amsterdam-based Booking and Stockholm-headquartered eTraveli Group, which powers growing flights business, agreed to the $1.8 billion deal in 2021, but the European C
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Travel + Leisure
a day ago
- Travel + Leisure
These Are the Shortest Flights in the U.S.—and Some Are Under 10 Miles
Not all flights require hours in the air—some are over in minutes. A newly released list reveals the shortest commercial routes in the U.S., many of which span less than 200 miles and serve as lifelines for remote communities. The briefest of them all? A scheduled one-mile flight between the Alaskan towns of Point Baker and Port Protection, operated by Taquan Air. This is followed by the four-mile flight between Twin Hills, Alaska, and Togiak, Alaska. The data was collected by aviation analytics company Cirium and shared with Travel + Leisure. The single-digit mile scheduled flights, all under 10 miles, operate mostly throughout Alaska and Hawaii. Many travelers may not recognize the small aviation companies by name—such as Bering Air or Grant Aviation—but these air carriers often provide critical help and support to the small communities they serve (like transporting goods) while also offering unique opportunities for travelers to visit off-the-beaten path destinations. When it comes to major commercial flights, most of the shortest in the U.S. are between small islands and remote destinations. In fact, the top four shortest flights operated by major carriers are all within remote parts of Alaska on Alaska Airlines, with the shortest being just 31 miles. Beyond Alaska, flights between Chicago O'Hare International Airport (ORD) and Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (MKE) clock in at just 67 miles. Other short routes include Denver International Airport (DEN) to Colorado Springs Airport (COS) as well as San Francisco International Airport (SFO) to Monterey Regional Airport (MRY). Slightly further down the rankings is a quick 126-mile hop between Miami International Airport (MIA), and Key West International Airport (EYW). At the opposite end of the spectrum, some of the longest flights in the U.S. tend to be operated from the East Coast all the way to Hawaii. The absolute longest recorded flight within the country is a 5,095-mile-long trip flown by Hawaiian Airlines between Honolulu and Boston. Once other carriers' Hawaii routes are excluded, Atlanta to Anchorage ranks high as one of the longest routes with a total distance of 3,416 miles. The longest flight within the contiguous U.S. is flown between Seattle and Miami at 2,724 miles and is operated by several carriers, including American Airlines and Delta Air Lines. If travelers are preparing for a long—or short—flight, experts have previously recommended to T+L they consider downloading movies and podcasts before boarding, and charge all of their electronics in advance. Regardless of the flight length, experts recommend staying hydrated and stretching throughout the flight to prevent dehydration or the potential for a blood clot to form.
