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Wednesday, July 20th, 2011
Parliament has received a petition to prevent a lucrative train-building contract being awarded to Germany rather than Bombardier, a British manufacturer. More than 50,000 people have signed the document which was delivered by Labour MP for Derby North, Chris Williamson. He described the number of signatures received to help save the train-maker as staggering.
Siemens was recently declared the preferred bidder for the contract to build new carriages for Thameslink which is worth £1.5 billion. Bombardier has since announced that the decision would force it to cut 1,400 jobs in Derby where the firm is based.
Mr Williamson said there was a great deal of ill-feeling over the decision to send the contract abroad and that many in Derby were hoping that the government and Prime Minister David Cameron would step-in to save Bombardier. He used Rolls-Royce as an example of a company which nearly went under in 1971. After nationalisation by the Tory government, the firm went on to become one of the world’s most successful companies, he said.
After being awarded the Thameslink contract, Siemens announced it would be creating 2,000 new jobs in the UK. Mr Cameron ruled out a reversal of the decision to give the job to Siemens but said he would be looking to see if any changes to EU regulations could be made in the future.
The government has said that it is bound by regulations laid down by the EU, and the last Labour government, over criteria controlling the bidding process and that it was legally obliged abide by this process.
Tags: Bombardier, David Cameron, EU, Rolls Royce, Siemens, Thameslink, Tory, train, train-maker
Posted in Political News | Comments Off
Wednesday, July 13th, 2011
Thomas Cook, Europe’s second-largest tour operator, has warned that profits will be lower than originally anticipated this year because of a lack of consumer spending in the UK and the troubles earlier this year in North Africa and in the Middle East. The company has announced that its UK team will be initiating a strategic review of operations.
Analysts had forecast that the travel firm’s profits this year would be about £380 million, a figure which is up on last year’s £362 million. However, Thomas Cook has said that it predicts the actual figure to be more like £320 million.
Shares in the company have dropped by 34.9p to 87.9p, a fall of 28 per cent. Analyst Nick Batram said it was surprising that the predictions had missed by such a margin, and that questions would have to be raised about just how flexible the travel firm’s business model is. He also wondered if it was a case of management reading the situation badly.
Thomas Cook admitted that the lack of summer holiday bookings to countries recovering from social and political unrest was likely to hit profits more severely than was at first predicted. This includes previously popular destinations such as Tunisia, Egypt and Morocco.
In the UK, a review of operations could result in Thomas Cook deciding to close a number of its branches on the high street; there are currently around 750 shops in Britain. The travel operator said that it had been forced to discount a large number of holiday packages in the UK.
Tags: egypt, Morocco, summer holiday, thomas cook, tour operator, travel
Posted in Finance and Business | Comments Off
Wednesday, July 6th, 2011
A mid-air collision near Shoreham Airport in Sussex between two light aircraft has resulted in the death of a former British Airways captain. The incident involved a two-seater Diamond DA40 and an RV6.
The DA40 belongs to Flying Time Aviation, a flight school based at the airport. It managed to land safely following the crash. The RV6 belonged to former BA pilot Alan Weal and crashed into a recreation ground where it exploded.
According to Sussex Police, it appears that Mr Weal had been able to steer his damaged plane away from a residential area before plunging into the ground. Although there was a great deal of debris, no other casualties have been reported.
One eyewitness said she had seen the RV6 steer a course away from a nearby motorway and houses towards an area of open ground after the crash. The plane’s tail section came away and the aircraft hit the ground, sending a fireball into the air. She added that small pieces of debris had also come down into a playground, but none of the children were hurt.
According to Gareth Abbott, a student pilot who also witnessed the crash, the RV6 hit the Diamond taking out its engine. He added that it was extraordinary that the pilots of the DA40 had managed to perform an emergency landing and walk away unharmed. According to a spokesman for the flying school, neither pilot was injured, although they were both shaken up.
The incident is now being looked into by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch.
Tags: Air Accidents Investigation Branch, airport, British Airways, Diamond DA40, Flying Time Aviation, Shoreham Airport, Sussex Police
Posted in UK News | Comments Off
Wednesday, June 29th, 2011
A terrorist attack on the Intercontinental Hotel in Kabul has resulted in the death of at least 10 civilians, according to Afghan officials. The attack took place at the luxury hotel on Tuesday night. Officials say the number of dead does not include at least six gunmen and suicide bombers who were either killed by security forces or blew themselves up.
Spokesman for the Afghan Interior Ministry, Siddiq Siddigi, declared an end to the five-hour siege early on Wednesday morning. Ambulances and security vehicles then moved in to remove the injured and dead. The authorities have warned that the death toll could rise.
Three of the militants apparently took up positions on the roof of the hotel. A NATO spokesman said two of its helicopters had been called in and had opened fire on the gunmen killing them.
Responsibility for the attack has been claimed by the Taliban. It said it was intentionally targeting foreign guests.
The US State Department has issued a statement in which it condemns the terrorists for their disregard of human life. Washington confirmed that all diplomatic staff from the US were safe and extended condolences to the victims’ families.
The attack on the Intercontinental happened on the eve of a conference which was to be held to discuss the transferral of responsibility to Afghan security forces from the International Security Assistance Force led by NATO.
Gen Mohammad Ayub Salangi, Kabul’s chief of police, said the hotel had been searched and confirmed the safety of the guests.
Tags: hotel, Intercontinental Hotel, Kabul, NATO, security forces, suicide bombers, Taliban, terrorist attack
Posted in Political News | Comments Off
Wednesday, June 22nd, 2011
A recent report by motoring organisation RAC has shown that many drivers in the UK are finding it difficult to make their usual journeys because of the spiralling cost of fuel. The RAC polled 1,000 people and asked them about their habits.
The survey showed that 35 per cent were making fewer short journeys than they normally would, and 30 per cent had cut back on longer trips. Just under 40 per cent admitted to planning their journeys so that they could combine several trips into one.
The study also shows that many are being forced to reduce the number of times they venture out to visit friends or take their children to activities held after school. Motoring strategist for the RAC, Adrian Tink, said the situation meant that many people are no longer able to perform simple tasks, such as visiting members of their family.
He points out that drivers in the UK are already being forced to pay Europe’s highest rate of tax and duty on fuel, adding that the government needs to take action. He went on to say that, at the very least, inflationary rises should be abandoned and fuel duty frozen.
According to the survey, if the price of fuel continues to escalate, 65 per cent of motorists will have to seriously cut back on their car use, and 58 per cent admitted that getting behind the wheel would become a luxury.
The average price of a litre of diesel currently stands at £1.42, and a litre of unleaded petrol costs £1.37.
Tags: deisel, fuel, fuel duty, motoring, petrol, RAC, tax
Posted in UK News | Comments Off
Wednesday, June 15th, 2011
Avis Budget, the third largest car rental firm in the US, has announced its intention to reunite with Avis Europe in a deal worth $1 billion. The acquisition has received the blessing of D’Ieteren, the Belgian-based car dealership which owns 60 per cent of Avis Europe. The American company is offering 315 pence per share.
Chief executive of Avis Europe, Pascal Bazin, said the deal would mean a stronger global presence for Avis and that this would be to the advantage of the car hire company’s customers. He added that it also provided the opportunity for growth in the future through strategic advantages as well as greater access to capital. Mr Bazin pointed out that one of the main challenges for car rental firms at the moment was the need to grow their fleets.
He went onto say that along with a stronger worldwide presence the deal would mean better brand development within Europe. Avis purchased a share in its European counterpart in 1989 along with GM and D’Ieteren. However, this was then floated in London in 1997.
According to Avis Budget, the acquisition will produce savings of around $30 million per year. The company will operate around the globe in more than 150 countries and is expected to generate $7 billion worth of sales.
Avis is currently locking horns with rival Hertz in the US over the possible takeover of budget car hire firm Dollar Thrifty. The battle has been going on for over a year and both firms are still awaiting approval from competition regulators.
Tags: Avis, Avis Budget, Avis Europe, car hire, car rental, D'Ieteren, dollar thrifty, GM, Hertz
Posted in Car Rental News | Comments Off
Wednesday, June 8th, 2011
The bodies of 104 people who died when an Air France Airbus A330 crashed into the Atlantic have been recovered by salvage teams from the seabed and are now on their way back to France where forensic experts will attempt to identify them. The plane, which was carrying 228 people, went down during an electrical storm as it was en route from Rio de Janeiro to Paris on 1 June 2009.
All on board perished in the accident and 50 bodies were recovered from the surface of the sea immediately afterwards along with debris from the aircraft. The rest of the plane was located in April using special robots. Among the wreckage salvage, experts were able to locate and retrieve the data and voice recorders.
Although air accident officials will not publish an official report into the cause of the crash until next month, initial findings show the jet fell for well over three minutes before hitting the sea.
It is thought that the pilots were unable to pull the aircraft out of a stall. One of the problems was the air speed indicators which were feeding the crew wrong information. It is thought that the pitot tubes may have iced up at altitude.
According to a representative for the victims’ families the bodies have been retrieved from a depth of 12,800ft. The recovery of the dead has caused divisions between the relatives. Some wanted their loved ones left in peace on the ocean floor where others wanted to bring them home.
Tags: air accident, air france, airbus, pilots, pitot, robots
Posted in Travel News | Comments Off
Wednesday, June 1st, 2011
A 14-year deal between Air France and Air Seychelles has been extended as a new agreement is signed at Seychelles international airport by senior representatives from both airlines. Representing the French flag carrier was Dominique Patry, the airline’s international affairs senior VP. The deal was also authorised by Maurice Loustau-Lalanne, Air Seychelles’ executive chairman.
Caribbean and Indian Ocean senior vice president for Air France, Alain Malka, and Ahmed Afif, principle secretary for finance were also present along with a number of other officials. The deal comes after a review of operations by Air Seychelles and will see improved economics for the airline through better fuel costs and more balanced seat prices.
A codeshare agreement was signed by the two carriers in 2009 which saw seats shared between the airlines and control of the route between the islands and Paris given to Air Seychelles. The deal means passengers will continue to be given a high quality of service on up to six services every week.
Loustau-Lalanne said the new agreement meant the relationship between the two airlines had become stronger and would increase market share in France and across the rest of Europe. He added that it would also mean a stronger position in the face of increased competition from other carriers operating out of the Gulf.
Patry said Air France hoped to become a major player in the tourism industry in the Seychelles and increase visitor numbers from within France and across the rest of Europe to the region.
Tags: air france, Air Seychelles, airline, airport, codeshare, tourism
Posted in Travel News | Comments Off
Wednesday, May 25th, 2011
Hundreds of flights were cancelled across Europe yesterday as volcanic ash continued to spread from the erupting Grimsvotn volcano in Iceland. However, according to Philip Hammond, the UK’s transport secretary, the worst of the situation should now be over. Following an emergency Cobra meeting he said that the height of the plume emanating from the volcano was decreasing as was the intensity of the eruption.
The Met Office has said that winds over the next few days should push any ash in the atmosphere away from Britain. The UK’s air traffic control service, Nats, said it was continuing to monitor the situation but that it did not expect any ash to be present in the country’s air space as of Wednesday.
British Airways has sent up a plane to test the situation over Edinburgh, Glasgow and Newcastle. It is now at Heathrow being examined by safety professionals. Any airline wishing to fly in an area of medium to high density ash has to apply to the Civil Aviation Authority. The CAA said that several carriers had asked for permission to fly in medium density ash.
Budget airline Ryanair has hit out at the authorities for being too cautious and overreacting to the ash threat. Mr Hammond said it was the government’s responsibility to protect passengers and aircraft when they are in British airspace and that he would not be bullied by an airline.
The Foreign Office is advising all passengers to contact their airline or travel agent for updates on bookings and flights.
Tags: British Airways, CAA, Cobra, Foreign Office, Grimsvotn, Met office, Nats, Philip Hammond, Ryanair, volcanic ash
Posted in Travel News | Comments Off
Wednesday, May 18th, 2011
A London branch of car and van hire company Thrifty has been taking advantage of Transport for London’s Barclays Cycle Hire scheme to get around London more efficiently and economically. The Tower Bridge outlet is situated opposite a bike hire station and employees have found it extremely useful for completing their journeys after having either delivered or collected a rental vehicle.
Thrifty has realised that there are not only environmental benefits to travelling by bicycle, but also financial advantages as it has to pay fewer congestion charge bills and is making noticeable savings on fuel. Employees also say getting on a bike is a quicker way to negotiate the capital’s streets than getting behind the wheel of a car.
Thrifty is supplying its colleagues with visibility vests, bike clips and helmets to ensure they are safe.
Tower Bridge branch location manager, Francis Limbambala, said that after deciding to give the bike hire scheme a try, his team found it extremely easy to use and have been happy to support the initiative. He added that using the bikes was voluntary, but that everyone seemed to have embraced them because they are convenient, green and a fantastic way to stay fit.
The initiative, known as Boris Bikes after the mayor of London, allows cyclists to pick up a bicycle from a number of docking stations across the city and only pay a charge for the total time they are used. The bikes can then be returned to another conveniently located station once the journey is over.
Tags: Barclays Cycle Hire, Boris Bikes, rental vehicle, Thrifty, Transport for London, van hire
Posted in Car Rental News | Comments Off
