Airline News & Gossip Archives

These articles/post are taken from various top experts in the travel and tourism industry. A professional group of people that keep us all informed of what is going on in the sky around us. We are then passing this important information on to you.

Airline News & Gossip
New Flybe picks Birmingham as launchpad

Flybe Ltd is reaching for the sky once again. The new resurrected business announced Birmingham Airport will be its new company headquarters and first new crew base. Flybe will serve key regions across the UK and EU with operations scheduled to begin in early 2022....
Airline News & Gossip
East Midlands Airport boost

Perhaps best known as a cargo airport, and owned by Manchester Airport Group, East Midlands Airport (EMA) is to have a significant Ryanair presence next summer. Back, and already open for booking, are 31 European destinations with some 130 weekly flights scheduled to popular holiday...
Airline News & Gossip
Airports call for return of ‘use it or lose it’ slot rules

A coalition of airports including London Gatwick, Belfast International, and Edinburgh as well as Wizz Air have urged the Transport Secretary to reinstate ’80/20′ ‘use it or lose it’ airport slot conditions. This will ensure that UK consumers again benefit from a competitive market giving...
Airline News & Gossip
CAA curbs Heathrow’s sky-high fee increases

Fliers jetting off from Heathrow airport are set to pay more for their flights, but less than the airport proposed. Heathrow’s plans to almost double passenger fees have been curbed to between £24.50 and £34.40 from next year. The airport wanted to hike fees to...
Airline News & Gossip
Bye-Bye the Boeing 757

With the TUI retirement of its final Boeing 757 GOOBB, delivered in 2001, the last vestiges of the once mighty Britannia Airways has finally departed to the great hangar in the sky. G-BYAY flew as Britinnia Airways, Thomson Airlines and TUI. In storage and could...
Airline News & Gossip
Coventry Airport saga

Plans by Sir Peter Rigby’s Regional & City Airports Group to close and industrialize Coventry Airport have been opposed by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Coventry Airport. It is prime land with very good road connections. Image courtesy Sudhir Marathe/UKGA 2021 This follows objection from...
Airline News & Gossip
Wizz Air boosting schedules at Doncaster Sheffield Airport

Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA) and Wizz Air have strengthened plans for future growth with the signing of a new deal. Wizz Air already plans to offer more than 1.5 million seats at DSA next summer. The new agreement comes as restrictions on international travel continue...
Airline News & Gossip
British Airways to ramp up US capacity with A380 flights

British Airways’ A380 superjumbos are set to take flight again. A380 flights will resume in November with extra capacity on key US transatlantic routes. The A380 will operate on the Miami and Los Angeles routes. There will be several short-haul flights to allow for crew...
Airline News & Gossip
TUI Group raising EUR1.1 billion in fresh funding

TUI plans by raise €1.1 billion by selling new stock. The rights offering will allow the tour operator to ‘reduce interest costs and net debt by reducing current drawings,’ it said. The company has raised billions from three bailouts since the beginning of the pandemic....
Airline News & Gossip
BA abandons Gatwick short-haul

After comments by Business Travel News (and other publications) British Airways (BA) has confirmed to Sky News that it has abandoned its short-haul Gatwick operations. This leaves easyJet, Norwegian and Wizz Air a golden opportunity to expand services at the UK’s second busiest airport. BA’s...
Airline News & Gossip
Airlines agree to issue Covid cancellation refunds

A group of 16 major airlines have pledged to issue refunds to passengers for flight cancellations within seven days, as required under EU law. The undertaking came after the Commission had informed the Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) enforcement authorities in late 2020 to take action....
Airline News & Gossip
EasyJet has raised a much needed £1.2 billion in a rights issue.

The funds from the rights issue will be used to shrink its debt, and strengthen its financial resiliency ahead of the uncertain winter season. The budget carrier thanked investors for their support. “The success of this capital raise, thanks to great support from investors, will...
Airline News & Gossip
Jet2 says customer confidence at highest level since pandemic start

A new customer survey by Jet2 suggests confidence about travel has returned to pre-pandemic levels following the easing of international travel restrictions. When it comes to confidence about booking and travelling on holidays this summer and beyond, almost two-thirds (62%) say they feel confident –...
Airline News & Gossip
British Airways Birmingham Airport flights relaunching after three years

British Airways will relaunch flights out of Birmingham Airport after a hiatus of three-years. It returns to BHX this autumn with twice daily CityFlyer flights to Belfast. The route runs initially from 31 October through 26 March 2022, and eventually increasing to three times per...
Airline News & Gossip
Airlines failing to give correct Covid-19 advice

Airlines are failing to give correct Covid-19 information to customers according to a Which? investigation. Some of the advice given could lead to passengers tbeing barred from flights, it found. A mystery shopper initiative found customer agents at British Airways, easyJet, Jet2, Ryanair and TUI...
Airline News & Gossip
Ryanair launching six new routes from Birmingham

Budget carrier Ryanair unveiled its winter 2021/22 schedules from Birmingham, adding six new routes. It is adding flights to Bergamo, Lisbon, Bucharest, Shannon, Turin and Vilnius, making a total of 28 routes from the airport. It marks the expansion with a £19.99 seat sale for...
Airline News & Gossip
EasyJet rejects takeover bid

Budget carrier easyJet plans to raise up to £1.2 billion after revealing it rejected a takeover bid. The airline said it ‘received an unsolicited preliminary takeover approach’ from an unnamed party which is not considering an improved offer. The takeover was unanimously rejected by the...
Airline News & Gossip
Virgin Atlantic A350s showcase ‘The Booth’ social space

Virgin Atlantic has revealed a new interior to its A350 aircraft, designed specifically for leisure customers. The changes include an increased number of seats in both the Premium and Economy cabins, alongside a new social space for its Upper Class customers. ‘The Booth’ is its...
Airline News & Gossip
Jet2 orders new Airbus jets

Jet2 is refreshing its fleet with a new order of Airbus jets. Jet2 plc entered into an agreement with Airbus to purchase 36 new Airbus A321 NEO aircraft with an option to extend it to 60 aircraft. Jet2 will take delivery of the jets over...
Airline News & Gossip
Norwegian Air back in the black

Norwegian reported its second quarter results, with a ‘clear improvement’ in performance leading to a small first half pre-tax profit of NOK1.6 million (about £130,000). It is a positive turnaround compared with a loss of nearly NOK4.8 million in the same period in 2020. Total...
Airline News & Gossip
British Airways partners with Jetstar Asia for flights via Singapore

British Airways customers will get added connectivity across Southeast Asia when flying into Singapore. BA customers can connect to multiple destinations in the ASEAN region on Jetstar Asia services from Singapore Changi Airport. Eligible BA customers will now be able to connect to Bangkok, Phuket,...
Airline News & Gossip
BA plans to restart short-haul operations at London Gatwick

British Airways is planning to re-establish a short-haul flight operational base at London Gatwick. The airline is talking with unions on the plan and the British Airline Pilots Association said it is in the ‘final stages of negotiations.’ BALPA acting general secretary Martin Chalk said...
Airline News & Gossip
Final call for Alitalia

Alitalia is ending ticket sales and flight operations from 15 October. It comes as new business ITA (Italia Trasporto Aereo) agreed to buy some of Alitalia’s aircraft, the workforce, slots and other assets to start as a new state-backed airline. ITA is owned by the...
Airline News & Gossip
Ryanair ceasing all Northern Ireland flights

Ryanair is pulling out of Northern Ireland. It is ending services at Belfast City Airport and Belfast International Airport in September and October respectively. It is ending its eight routes from Belfast City to eight destinations – Alicante, Barcelona, Faro, Ibiza, Mallorca, Mlaga, Milan and...
Airline News & Gossip
JetBlue completes landmark maiden flight to London

New York based carrier JetBlue celebrated a milestone with its fist scheduled transatlantic flight. The long awaited launch of flights to London is ‘game-changing for the transatlantic market’ says London Heathrow Airport CEO, John Holland-Kaye. Fully vaccinated US travellers are now able to travel to...
Airline News & Gossip
British Airways to restart Phoenix flights

British Airlines will restart non-stop flights to Phoenix, Arizona later this month. The route will resume on 31 August after a long 18-month pause due to the pandemic. Flights will operate three times a week to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. BA has been a...
Airline News & Gossip
Booking with Us – Holiday Rights

Ryanair announced the launch of 11 new winter routes. New services include Bucharest, Milan, Turin and Vilnius departing from Birmingham, Bristol to Barcelona and Madrid, Bournemouth to Budapest and Wroclaw and London Gatwick to Malaga. It takes Ryanair’s UK winter 2021/22 schedule to over 2,000...
Airline News & Gossip
Booking with Us – Holiday Rights

Hello there, Whether you book with us or another company, we think it’s only right you fully understand your rights. In a pandemic, holidays can get cancelled, and if they do, you’re legally entitled to a cash refund. Many firms, however, only offered a Refund...
Airline News & Gossip
Ryanair opening new airport base in Newcastle

Ryanair is opening a new airport base in Newcastle for summer 2022 and will base two aircraft there. It plans to operate 63 flights per week and 19 routes including 12 new connections to international destinations across Europe, starting in March 2022. These include Zadar,...
Airline News & Gossip
London city Glad to have you back

“We can’t wait to welcome you back,” says London City Airport (LCY) Chief Executive Robert Sinclair in a new video released last week. The 3min 30sec video heavily emphasises its biggest carrier British Airways. As demand returns and travel restrictions ease, LCY is providing flights...
Airline News & Gossip
EasyJet for kids – Easyjet Welcomes Children

EasyJet welcomes children. What percentage of children are easyJet passengers under normal circumstances we don’t know, but one thing for sure, the airline is keen to promote young bilingual passengers. EasyJet has created a new partnership with children’s book series Mizzi Mozzi, to offer a...
Airline News & Gossip
British Airways and New York

With the go-ahead for US eligible citizens to travel to the UK (and onward into Europe) British Airways has reopened its flagship Galleries lounge at JFK’s Terminal 7. The BA flagship Galleries lounge at JFK’s Terminal 7. The lounge is available for customers travelling in...
Airline News & Gossip
BA ramping up summer flight schedules

British Airways bolstering its summer schedules but still believes a full recovery is more than a year away. It plans to operate about 45% of passenger capacity compared to 2019 which is 22% more than the last three months. BA said it is ‘ready to...
Airline News & Gossip
Ryanair baggage policy clause ruled ‘unfair’ by Spanish court

The Supreme Court in Spain has ruled against Ryanair’s ‘unfair’ rules relating to the carriage of passengers’ baggage. In its conditions of carriage Ryanair states it can send bags on a different flight to the one a customer books but does not state for what...
Airline News & Gossip
Jet2 restarting programme to all amber list destinations on 19 July

Jet2 said it will restart holidays and flights to all amber list destinations from 19 July ‘It is the news that UK holidaymakers have been looking forward to’ the company said as the government confirmed quarantine-free travel to amber list destinations can begin on 19...
Airline News & Gossip
Ryanair plans to recruit 2,000 new pilots

Ryanair this week announced a major recruitment drive, hoping to fill 2,000 new pilot positions. It needs the manpower to meet crewing needs of new aircraft deliveries expected over the next three years as the airline rebuilds from the Covid-19 pandemic. Ryanair has now received...
Airline News & Gossip
EasyJet holidays puts Spain, Greece and Cyprus back on sale

EasyJet holidays is putting more summer holiday packages on sale as travel curbs are eased and Scotland relaxes international travel restrictions. Responding to FCDO travel advice changing for the whole of Spain, Greece and Cyprus, easyJet holidays’ breaks to these destinations are set to take...
Airline News & Gossip
Jet2 restarting programme to all amber list destinations on 19 July

Jet2 said it will restart holidays and flights to all amber list destinations from 19 July ‘It is the news that UK holidaymakers have been looking forward to’ the company said as the government confirmed quarantine-free travel to amber list destinations can begin on 19...
Airline News & Gossip
Airlines to continue mandating masks on flights

Airlines have said they will keep ordering passengers to mask up on flights. Ryanair and easyJet said mask wearing on flights will still be mandatory and they have no immediate plans to drop the requirement after Freedom Day. It comes after PM Boris Johnson outlined...
Airline News & Gossip
Airline startup Flypop chooses London Stansted as UK base

Airline startup flypop has selected London Stansted Airport as its first UK base. The flypop team expects strong long-term demand for direct flights between the UK and key ‘secondary cities’ of India. “During the pandemic we have been in talks with a number of UK...

Flybe Ltd is reaching for the sky once again. The new resurrected business announced Birmingham Airport will be its new company headquarters and first new crew base. Flybe will serve key regions across the UK and EU with operations scheduled to begin in early 2022....

Perhaps best known as a cargo airport, and owned by Manchester Airport Group, East Midlands Airport (EMA) is to have a significant Ryanair presence next summer. Back, and already open for booking, are 31 European destinations with some 130 weekly flights scheduled to popular holiday...

Fliers jetting off from Heathrow airport are set to pay more for their flights, but less than the airport proposed. Heathrow’s plans to almost double passenger fees have been curbed to between £24.50 and £34.40 from next year. The airport wanted to hike fees to...

With the TUI retirement of its final Boeing 757 GOOBB, delivered in 2001, the last vestiges of the once mighty Britannia Airways has finally departed to the great hangar in the sky. G-BYAY flew as Britinnia Airways, Thomson Airlines and TUI. In storage and could...

Plans by Sir Peter Rigby’s Regional & City Airports Group to close and industrialize Coventry Airport have been opposed by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). Coventry Airport. It is prime land with very good road connections. Image courtesy Sudhir Marathe/UKGA 2021 This follows objection from...

Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA) and Wizz Air have strengthened plans for future growth with the signing of a new deal. Wizz Air already plans to offer more than 1.5 million seats at DSA next summer. The new agreement comes as restrictions on international travel continue...

British Airways’ A380 superjumbos are set to take flight again. A380 flights will resume in November with extra capacity on key US transatlantic routes. The A380 will operate on the Miami and Los Angeles routes. There will be several short-haul flights to allow for crew...

TUI plans by raise €1.1 billion by selling new stock. The rights offering will allow the tour operator to ‘reduce interest costs and net debt by reducing current drawings,’ it said. The company has raised billions from three bailouts since the beginning of the pandemic....

After comments by Business Travel News (and other publications) British Airways (BA) has confirmed to Sky News that it has abandoned its short-haul Gatwick operations. This leaves easyJet, Norwegian and Wizz Air a golden opportunity to expand services at the UK’s second busiest airport. BA’s...

A group of 16 major airlines have pledged to issue refunds to passengers for flight cancellations within seven days, as required under EU law. The undertaking came after the Commission had informed the Consumer Protection Cooperation (CPC) enforcement authorities in late 2020 to take action....

The funds from the rights issue will be used to shrink its debt, and strengthen its financial resiliency ahead of the uncertain winter season. The budget carrier thanked investors for their support. “The success of this capital raise, thanks to great support from investors, will...

British Airways will relaunch flights out of Birmingham Airport after a hiatus of three-years. It returns to BHX this autumn with twice daily CityFlyer flights to Belfast. The route runs initially from 31 October through 26 March 2022, and eventually increasing to three times per...

Budget carrier Ryanair unveiled its winter 2021/22 schedules from Birmingham, adding six new routes. It is adding flights to Bergamo, Lisbon, Bucharest, Shannon, Turin and Vilnius, making a total of 28 routes from the airport. It marks the expansion with a £19.99 seat sale for...

Budget carrier easyJet plans to raise up to £1.2 billion after revealing it rejected a takeover bid. The airline said it ‘received an unsolicited preliminary takeover approach’ from an unnamed party which is not considering an improved offer. The takeover was unanimously rejected by the...

Virgin Atlantic has revealed a new interior to its A350 aircraft, designed specifically for leisure customers. The changes include an increased number of seats in both the Premium and Economy cabins, alongside a new social space for its Upper Class customers. ‘The Booth’ is its...

Jet2 is refreshing its fleet with a new order of Airbus jets. Jet2 plc entered into an agreement with Airbus to purchase 36 new Airbus A321 NEO aircraft with an option to extend it to 60 aircraft. Jet2 will take delivery of the jets over...

Norwegian reported its second quarter results, with a ‘clear improvement’ in performance leading to a small first half pre-tax profit of NOK1.6 million (about £130,000). It is a positive turnaround compared with a loss of nearly NOK4.8 million in the same period in 2020. Total...

British Airways is planning to re-establish a short-haul flight operational base at London Gatwick. The airline is talking with unions on the plan and the British Airline Pilots Association said it is in the ‘final stages of negotiations.’ BALPA acting general secretary Martin Chalk said...

Alitalia is ending ticket sales and flight operations from 15 October. It comes as new business ITA (Italia Trasporto Aereo) agreed to buy some of Alitalia’s aircraft, the workforce, slots and other assets to start as a new state-backed airline. ITA is owned by the...

British Airlines will restart non-stop flights to Phoenix, Arizona later this month. The route will resume on 31 August after a long 18-month pause due to the pandemic. Flights will operate three times a week to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. BA has been a...

Hello there, Whether you book with us or another company, we think it’s only right you fully understand your rights. In a pandemic, holidays can get cancelled, and if they do, you’re legally entitled to a cash refund. Many firms, however, only offered a Refund...

Ryanair is opening a new airport base in Newcastle for summer 2022 and will base two aircraft there. It plans to operate 63 flights per week and 19 routes including 12 new connections to international destinations across Europe, starting in March 2022. These include Zadar,...

“We can’t wait to welcome you back,” says London City Airport (LCY) Chief Executive Robert Sinclair in a new video released last week. The 3min 30sec video heavily emphasises its biggest carrier British Airways. As demand returns and travel restrictions ease, LCY is providing flights...

EasyJet welcomes children. What percentage of children are easyJet passengers under normal circumstances we don’t know, but one thing for sure, the airline is keen to promote young bilingual passengers. EasyJet has created a new partnership with children’s book series Mizzi Mozzi, to offer a...

With the go-ahead for US eligible citizens to travel to the UK (and onward into Europe) British Airways has reopened its flagship Galleries lounge at JFK’s Terminal 7. The BA flagship Galleries lounge at JFK’s Terminal 7. The lounge is available for customers travelling in...

British Airways bolstering its summer schedules but still believes a full recovery is more than a year away. It plans to operate about 45% of passenger capacity compared to 2019 which is 22% more than the last three months. BA said it is ‘ready to...

The Supreme Court in Spain has ruled against Ryanair’s ‘unfair’ rules relating to the carriage of passengers’ baggage. In its conditions of carriage Ryanair states it can send bags on a different flight to the one a customer books but does not state for what...

Jet2 said it will restart holidays and flights to all amber list destinations from 19 July ‘It is the news that UK holidaymakers have been looking forward to’ the company said as the government confirmed quarantine-free travel to amber list destinations can begin on 19...

Ryanair this week announced a major recruitment drive, hoping to fill 2,000 new pilot positions. It needs the manpower to meet crewing needs of new aircraft deliveries expected over the next three years as the airline rebuilds from the Covid-19 pandemic. Ryanair has now received...

EasyJet holidays is putting more summer holiday packages on sale as travel curbs are eased and Scotland relaxes international travel restrictions. Responding to FCDO travel advice changing for the whole of Spain, Greece and Cyprus, easyJet holidays’ breaks to these destinations are set to take...

Jet2 said it will restart holidays and flights to all amber list destinations from 19 July ‘It is the news that UK holidaymakers have been looking forward to’ the company said as the government confirmed quarantine-free travel to amber list destinations can begin on 19...

Airlines have said they will keep ordering passengers to mask up on flights. Ryanair and easyJet said mask wearing on flights will still be mandatory and they have no immediate plans to drop the requirement after Freedom Day. It comes after PM Boris Johnson outlined...

Airline startup flypop has selected London Stansted Airport as its first UK base. The flypop team expects strong long-term demand for direct flights between the UK and key ‘secondary cities’ of India. “During the pandemic we have been in talks with a number of UK...