Airline industry

Airline tickets have soared by a third for British travellers attempting summer getaways, as airlines cash in on travel chaos. The cost of a ticket on the top 36 routes out of the UK was on average 30pc higher than pre-pandemic levels in the first week of August, according to travel agency Kayak. Passengers booking short-haul flights from UK airports face the steepest price increases, with average airfares from London to Athens and Portugal's Algarve now more than double what they were in 2019. The rise in prices comes amid a wave of flight cancellations , which is creating huge demand for seats on flights still running. One in every 14 flights from Gatwick was cancelled in June, pushing up airfares for those flights that did happen. Customers looking to book last-minute breaks have faced particularly steep price increases, after British Airways halted short-haul bookings for the first two weeks of August. The decision sent ticket prices spiralling within hours of the … [Read more...] about Flight prices soar 30pc as airlines cash in on travel chaos

As a relatively unknown junior education minister, Liz Truss set out her ambitions for Heathrow to become a four-runway airport. "We do need a hub airport in the south-east of England," she argued. "If you want to have a hub airport, three runways probably isn't enough. If we're imaginative about Heathrow, I don't see why we can't build four runways there.” Fast-forward ten years and Truss is now the frontrunner in the crunch Tory leadership race – one of two final candidates to replace Boris Johnson, who in stark contrast once vowed to “lie down” in front of bulldozers to stop the construction of a third runway at Britain’s leading travel hub. The leadership battle coincides with rumours of a possible stake sale by Heathrow’s Spanish owner Ferrovial, which last year signalled it will cut the airport off from further investment in a stance that was viewed as a major blow to expansion plans. Potential ownership changes have revived hopes of a third runway among supporters, … [Read more...] about Heathrow sale revives hopes of a third runway under new Prime Minister

N orway has drawn up plans to ration electricity exports in a move that has heightened fears of energy shortages in the UK and Europe this winter. The government in Oslo on Monday announced new rules limiting the sale of power to foreign countries as heatwaves threaten Norway’s hydroelectric power generation. Experts said the restrictions threatened the UK’s plan to draw power from Norway this winter via the North Sea Link - leaving electricity supplies more stretched and risking even higher bills for consumers. The National Grid has already revealed that the UK is set to be more dependent than ever on the Continent for power, with interconnectors expected to provide up to 5.7 gigawatts of electricity at peak times. About one quarter of that total – or 1.4 gigawatts – is set to come from Norway. Kathryn Porter, an energy consultant at Watt-Logic, said the proposed restrictions “put at risk the ability of Britain to import from Norway this winter”. “National Grid ESO needs to … [Read more...] about Norway threatens to ration electricity in fresh blow for UK and European energy supplies

Apisalome Movono is a senior lecturer in Development Studies at Massey University ANALYSIS: With Samoa fully reopening its borders on August 1 , another Pacific country moved tentatively forwards after two years of border closures and little or no international tourism. But opening up is not as simple as flipping a switch, given the many challenges facing Pacific aviation. Rising fuel costs, mounting debt, management issues and a shortage of pilots have all plagued the industry in the region. Climate change adds to these problems. Tourism aside, small island nations with very small economies, spread across a vast expanse of ocean, depend on high carbon-emitting air transport for health, trade and family connections. READ MORE: By the numbers: How to save up for a holiday The Hawaiian concept all travellers should learn - no matter where they go 7 international airlines that are still missing from New Zealand skies Air New Zealand ditches Rarotonga-LA … [Read more...] about Pacific aviation is struggling to take off after the pandemic – how can the ‘blue continent’ stay connected?