WestJet restarting St John's - London Gatwick seasonal route

WestJet to restart transatlantic service between St. John's and London with a seasonal operation to London's Gatwick Airport.  The flights will operate three times weekly between May and October, creating new opportunities for St. John's business, leisure, cargo and tourism economies to thrive. 

"In service of our valued Atlantic communities, partners and guests, the WestJet Group is proud to close the critical gap in air accessibility for the province by providing non-stop connectivity to one of Europe's most popular travel hubs," said WestJet Vice-President External Affairs, Andrew Gibbons. "Today's announcement reaffirms our commitment to the city of St. John's and the surrounding region, as we deliver on our promise to bolster leisure travel and two-way tourism options in Eastern Canada."

London's calling and we're on our way! We have worked hard to re-establish a direct connection to Europe, and Newfoundland and Labrador welcomes the wide-reaching benefits – from our highly lucrative tourism industry to our business and trade markets. I extend my appreciation to WestJet for seeing the potential that exists in our province and the St. John's International Airport Authority for its dedicated air service development efforts. I look forward to seeing this route succeed," said The Honourable Dr. Andrew Furey, Premier of Newfoundland and Labrador.

"Re-establishing non-stop transatlantic service from St. John's has been a strategic priority for the St. John's International Airport Authority," said Dennis Hogan, Chief Executive Officer, St. John's International Airport Authority. "This St. John's to London-Gatwick route marks a significant air access milestone and demonstrates our commitment to providing passengers with convenient access to key destinations. We look forward to continuing our valued relationship with WestJet, and sincerely appreciate the commitment to address opportunities within our market."

WestJet Route	Frequency	Start Date	End Date	Departure time (local)	Arrival time (local)
St. John's – London (Gatwick)	3x weekly	May 1, 2024	October 25, 2024	12:15 a.m.	9:00 a.m.
London (Gatwick) – St.  John's	3x weekly	May 1, 2024	October 25, 2024	11:00 a.m.	1:15 p.m.

 

Air travel guidance refreshed to give passengers more clarity on their rights

Updated guidance explains what passengers need to know about their rights and responsibilities when flying.

As millions of people are expected to travel through UK airports over the upcoming half term, the Department for Transport (DfT) has refreshed the newly named Air passenger travel guide, making it even easier for passengers to know their rights and responsibilities when they travel. 

Formerly known as the aviation passenger charter, it details what people can expect from airlines, travel agents, tour operators and airports, and what to do if things don’t go to plan.

This includes advice on what to do if flights are cancelled or delayed, if baggage goes missing, and the rights of disabled passengers, as well as guidance on how to complain if passengers feel they have been treated unfairly. 

Not only does it help passengers in these stressful situations, the travel guide also provides general advice for all aspects of your journey, such as what to expect at passport control, what you can bring through UK customs and how to manage connecting flights.

It also reminds passengers to regularly check the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FDCO) website for the latest security and safety advice before booking travel, as well as what counts as an extraordinary circumstance when compensation isn’t available.

The advice also makes clear that while security checks are changing over the coming months, they should continue to be prepared to remove electronics and small liquids from their bags when travelling by air. 

Aviation Minister Baroness Vere said: 

"Whether going on holiday, travelling for business or visiting loved ones, we all want our journeys to be smooth and without any hiccups, which is why the air passenger travel guide is so important.

Having a one-stop shop of information and advice, which is clear and concise, will help improve the overall travel experience and make sure passengers are getting what they deserve."

UK's Gatwick limits flights after illnesses cause staff shortages

Britain's second biggest airport Gatwick implemented a temporary limit on daily flights on Monday because of a shortage of staff in air traffic control caused by illnesses, including coronavirus.

The airport imposed an immediate cap of 800 flights taking off or landing a day until Sunday and said 164 flights will be cancelled because of the disruption.

London Gatwick boss Stewart Wingate apologised for the disruption and said it was "a difficult decision to take".

"The action we have taken today means our airlines can fly reliable flight programmes, which gives passengers more certainty that they will not face last-minute cancellations," Wingate said in a statement.

In a separate statement air traffic control provider NATS said around a third of staff in air traffic control were unavailable for "a variety of medical reasons including COVID," leaving it unable to manage the number of flights that were originally planned.

Reporting by Muvija M. Editing by Andrew MacAskill

London Gatwick asks for your views on its growth plans

London Gatwick’s application to bring its Northern Runway into routine use, alongside its Main Runway, was accepted for examination by the Planning Inspectorate on 03 August 2023.

From now on members of the public, including local residents and other stakeholders, have until 23:59 on 29 October 2023 to register with the Planning Inspectorate and provide a summary of their views on the airport’s application to routinely use its existing Northern Runway, alongside its Main Runway. 

Relevant Representations must be made on the Planning Inspectorate's Registration and Relevant Representation Form, which can be found on their website here.

Those who register will be submitting a ‘Relevant Representation’ to become an ‘Interested Party’. They will be kept informed of progress of the examination and will have the opportunity to provide further representations during the examination phase. 

The Planning Inspectorate provides further guidance on how to register and make a relevant representation on their website here

By investing in its long-term future, London Gatwick will also enhance the crucial economic role it plays by creating around 14,000 new jobs and injecting £1 billion into the region’s economy every year. This growth would come from increased jobs and activity on the airport site, as well as the wider benefits of tourism, trade, supply chain, and other business opportunities.

Two of the UK's major airports confirm that they have reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac)

The two busiest UK airports, London's Heathrow and Gatwick have both confirmed they have the porous reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (Raac) which is at the centre of the school building controversy.

A spokesperson for Gatwick confirmed the airport carries out regular inspections on the Raac concrete at the airport and the last one was completed in June which did not present any concerns.  "We have a register of locations containing Raac on the airport campus, which are closely monitored through a regular comprehensive structural inspection regime."

London Heathrow said it was "assessing our estate and will continue to mitigate the risk where this material is found". Some areas of Terminal 3 have Racc and the airport's management had already put in mitigation measures to make it safe. The airport confirmed it had the means to keep it safe until "permanent solutions" were able to be introduced. A spokesperson added, "Passenger and colleague safety will always be our first priority, and we will continue to update stakeholders across the sector as our plans for permanent solutions progress."

Two London airports in the worst European flight hubs for delays this month

• Two in five (41%) of London Gatwick outgoing flights are delayed and nearly 1 in 3 (28%) of planes from London Heathrow have arrived late. 
• Almost half (49%) of flights from Frankfurt were delayed - the highest figures across the whole of Europe.
• Travel expert shares tips for navigating and keeping stress low during this turbulent summer holiday season.

London Gatwick has seen the second-highest number of delays across the whole of Europe, with over two in five outgoing flights arriving late (41%) at the beginning of August, according to data analysed by flights comparison site, FlightsFinder.

The capital also took another seat on the delays list with London Heathrow being the sixth worst on the continent as a result of almost 1 in 3 (28%) of its outward planes being held up. 

Taking the top spot overall though is Frankfurt International Airport, with a whopping half (49%) of flights delayed. 

39% of flights were delayed at Charles de Gaulle/Roissy CDG, positioning it in third place, closely followed by Paris Orly in fourth place with 38% delayed and Istanbul Airport in fifth with 33%.

Making up the eight European airports experiencing the most delays at the start of this month are Vienna Int'l and Pôle Caraïbes (PTP), both with 26% of flights delayed.

European airports aren’t the only ones tackling difficulties at the moment though. An average of 30,000 global flights are delayed every single day Forbes reveals - a staggering number considering that this is almost a third of the estimated 100,000 flights each day worldwide.

In fact, flight delays have soared to a 10-year high in 2023 according to Flight Aware. 

London Gatwick has donated more than two tonnes of toiletries sacrificed at security to a charity tackling hygiene poverty.

London Gatwick has donated more than two tonnes of toiletries and hygiene products to local communities through a partnership with charity The Crawley and Horley Hygiene Bank. 

Since the partnership began earlier this year, 2.1 tonnes of toiletries have been donated. The items include unused and unopened hygiene products such as shower gels, deodorants and shampoo, which were left behind at security by passengers.  

Diverting these products for reuse demonstrates the airport's commitment to meeting its goals and using resources more sustainably, as set out in the second Decade of Change sustainability policy. 

The Hygiene Bank brings communities and businesses together to tackle hygiene poverty by providing products to those who need a helping hand.  Through the partnership, The Hygiene Bank has been able to increase the number local community partners they support by a third.  

The products collected at London Gatwick support two local schools, three local food banks, one food club, Ten Little Toes baby bank and the Danny Gallivan Trust supporting homeless veterans.  

Through the agreement with The Hygiene Bank, Gatwick expects to donate an estimated 10 tonnes of the forecast aerosol and cosmetics, that otherwise would have been wasted, by the end of 2023.  

Through this partnership with The Hygiene Bank, Gatwick estimates 10 tonnes of aerosols and cosmetics, which would otherwise be waste, will be donated to local communities by the end of 2023.   

Lauren McDaniel, Senior Commercial Operations Manager at London Gatwick said: “At London Gatwick we are always looking for ways we can both reduce waste and support local communities. Our waste goal is to recover 100% of our operational, commercial and construction waste for beneficial use by 2030 (beneficial use is defined as repair, reuse, donation, recycling, composting, or converting to fuel).  

“This scheme demonstrates our ongoing commitment to meeting our goals and using resources more sustainably. We are investing in local programmes and partnerships that build better communities, enable social mobility, improve health and wellbeing and support people.” 

Lorraine Tippett, volunteer and coordinator at The Crawley and Horley Hygiene Bank, said: “When money is tight it is toiletries that disappear from the shopping basket first. You can imagine how your wellbeing would be affected should you not have deodorant or are unable to wash your hair or clothes. It can affect confidence and reduce time spent with friends or colleagues. London Gatwick makes a huge difference to the people who benefit from our donations. Items such as deodorant, shampoo and toothpaste are like gold dust for us and we are very grateful.” 

Ethiopian Airlines to return to London Gatwick from November.

Ethiopian Airlines has confirmed it will start a thrice-weekly service between Addis Ababa and London-Gatwick from 21st November 2023.

The carrier will fly every Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday with flights departing Addis at 00:15 arriving at Gatwick at 05:15 with the return flight departing Gatwick at 10:10 and landing in Addis Ababa at 20:40.

The new service by Ethiopian will offer a direct flight between London-Gatwick and Addis Ababa onboard Airbus A350 with Business Class and Economy cabins, providing seamless connectivity to Ethiopian Airlines’ vast global networks stretched across Africa,  Far East, the Americas and Asia. 

Regarding the commencement of the flight Ethiopian Airlines Group CEO Mr Mesfin  Tasew said, “We have a 50-year relation with the UK. We give high regards to our Heathrow services and now we are excited to add Gatwick to our vast global network. We are ready to stretch our reach to Gatwick and provide our renowned, award-winning services. History has it that we last served Gatwick in 2005 and 2006 using the Boeing 757. Now the route will be served by the most modern Airbus A350-900 aircraft. Over the years, we have established commendable partnerships with over 100 UK-based companies in the aviation sector. Our expansion in the UK, among others,  will enable us to nurture this cooperation and partnership to a higher level.”

Mr. Henock Woubishet, Area Manager UK & Ireland commenting on the new service said, “The UK is a strong and important market for Ethiopian. Adding London-Gatwick to our  UK schedule is truly great news as it will enable us to provide much-needed capacity not only for our passengers but also for our cargo services carried in the belly hold. Ethiopian will now serve  London Heathrow, Gatwick, and Manchester Airports.” 

Stephanie Wear, VP of Aviation Development, at London Gatwick said, “We are delighted to welcome Ethiopian Airlines back to London Gatwick this winter. As the largest carrier in Africa,  this is an excellent addition to our network and adds a valuable, direct connection to Eastern  Africa. Ethiopian Airlines is the latest in a number of carriers looking to operate long-haul routes from Gatwick, which further highlights the strong demand for slots at our airport. It’s also  fantastic news for passengers across London and the South East to have more choice and direct  services to Addis Ababa, as well as greater opportunities for onward connections across Africa,  Asia and the Middle East.” 

London Gatwick is the UK’s second-largest airport and is a vital piece of national infrastructure that helps drive both the regional and national economy. More than 40 airlines fly from the airport to over 150 short-haul and more than 45 long-haul destinations. The airport is focused on rebuilding and growing sustainably in the long term. It has ambitious plans to be a net zero airport by 2030 and increase capacity by bringing its Northern runway into routine use.  Vinci Airports owns a 50.01% stake in the airport, with Global Infrastructure Partners managing the remaining 49.99% interest. 

Jonathan Pollard, Chief Commercial Officer, London Gatwick said: “Returning to 50 long-haul routes is a milestone moment for London Gatwick. While we’re delighted to offer passengers such an expansive range of short-haul routes across Europe, we’re also proud to provide connections to an increasing range of destinations around the world. 

These services are vital not only for offering people across London and the South East an excellent choice of holiday locations, or for visiting family and friends, but also for supporting local and regional businesses. Whether that’s outbound trade or inbound tourism, growing London Gatwick’s long-haul network is crucial for economic opportunities across the region. 

We look forward to welcoming Ethiopian Airlines to London Gatwick. This is the latest in a number of carriers looking to operate long-haul routes from Gatwick, which further highlights the strong demand for slots at our airport.” 

Gatwick could be crippled by strike action later this month....

London Gatwick could be crippled by strike action later this month as around 950 workers are set to walk out over pay and conditions.

The Unite Union members that are ready to take industrial action are employed by four different companies at the Sussex airport  – ASC, Menzies Aviation, GGS and DHL Services Ltd. They are employed in various roles, including, aircraft dispatch, baggage handling, check-in, customer service,  ground handling and ramp agent. Some of the airlines that will face major disruption include British Airways, easyjet, Ryanair, Tui, WestJet and Wizz Air.

Initial strike dates run from 28th July to 1st August, the second period is scheduled for 4th August to 8th August with a longer period planned for later in August.  The union is happy to destroy the travel plans of other hard-working people by timing the industrial action at the start of the peak summer school holiday period.

Unite regional officer Dominic Rothwell said: “Strike action will inevitably cause severe delays, disruption and cancellations across Gatwick’s operations but this dispute is entirely of the companies own making. They have had every opportunity to make our members’ a fair pay offer but have chosen not to do so.”

Emirates A380 makes emergency landing at London Gatwick following gear issue.

An Emirates Airbus A380 had to make an emergency landing at London Gatwick Airport on Tuesday evening following a fault with its landing gear. 

The aircraft, registration A6-EUN developed a fault whilst operating a flight from Dubai to Gatwick and the crew requested support from emergency services.  According to early reports, a hydraulic leak affected the front landing gear which prompted the crew to conduct an emergency landing. 

The aircraft appears to have come to a halt on the runway but looked slightly uneven and was unable to turn off the runway and needed the support of an airport tug to tow it off the main runway and to a parking stand.

According to a spokesperson at the airport the runway was closed for a short time following the emergency landing and "our team worked to get the plane off the runway as quickly as possible".  A number of other flights were delayed by up to forty-five minutes, however, normal operations have now resumed. 

The UK's worst ranked airports for cancellations.....

UK’s airports ranked on performance ahead of summer holidays

220m passed through UK airports in 2022

Glasgow cancelled the most flights with 1,500 in 2022

Belfast & Stansted were reliable with only 0.8% & 0.7% of flights cancelled

The latest research by tax specialists, RIFT, reveals that while Heathrow may be the UK’s busiest major airport, Brits heading abroad this summer are best to avoid Glasgow Airport, as it ranks as the worst when it comes to the proportion of flights being cancelled.

RIFT analysed the number of annual flights and cancellations at each of the UK’s 10 busiest airports to see which provides the most efficient service to passengers. 

Last year (2022), a combined total of 221.8 million passengers passed through the UK’s 10 busiest airports. 

28%, or 61.6 million, of these people travelled through Heathrow, making it the busiest airport in the nation. 

Gatwick handled 32.8 million passengers (15%), while Manchester and Stansted (10.5%) each served an estimated 23.3 million passengers (11%).

However, when it comes to the possibility of flight cancellations throwing a spanner in the works for UK holidaymakers, it’s Glasgow Airport that is most likely to kick off your holiday on a sour note. 

In 2022 2.5% of all flights from Glasgow were cancelled and while this might not seem like many, it equates to almost 1,500 cancellations. 

Heathrow does rank second when it comes to the frequency of cancelled flights. Of the 367,000 flights that were due to take off last year, Heathrow saw a cancellation rate of 1.7% or 6,391 flights.

Gatwick (3,472) and Edinburgh (1,363) also rank high with 1.6% of flights taken off the board.

Meanwhile, Birmingham airport handled almost 69,000 flights in 2022 and managed a cancellation rate of just 0.6%, equivalent to less than 400 flights. 

Stansted (0.7%) and Belfast International (0.8%) were also impressively reliable. 

Check the tables online here RIFT Holiday cancellations and passports 

What to do if your flight is cancelled

If your flight is cancelled, you have a legal right to either a full refund or a replacement flight to your intended destination. 

If you are halfway through a journey and the cancelled flight is, for example, a connecting flight, you also have the right to a free flight back to the airport you originally departed from. 

If a cancellation delays your journey for more than two hours, and occurs less than 14 days before the scheduled flight time, you are also entitled to compensation to cover your costs, such as food or accommodation when required. 

Compensation ranges between £100-£500 depending on how many miles the cancelled flight was going to take you and how many hours late your eventual arrival was. 

Be passport prepared

While cancelled flights are a common cause of holiday frustration and disappointment, it’s more common for holidays to be disrupted by passport issues. 

If your passport is out of date, it needs renewing before you can travel. The timeline for receiving a new passport is around 12-29 days after submitting your application. But His Majesty’s Passport Office recommends you allow for a waiting time of 10 weeks. 

What’s really important to know is that even if your passport is within its expiry date, it still might not be valid depending on your destination of choice. 

Some countries, such as the US, simply require your passport to be in-date for the duration of your trip, but many popular destinations require you to have at least three months left on your passport, including Spain, Greece, Italy, and France.

Anyone who isn’t aware of this can be in for a nasty surprise when they get to the airport and cancelled flights will be the least of your worries. 

Be prepared and make sure you check the rules specific to your destination well ahead of travelling. 

Bradley Post, MD of RIFT, commented: “Given how many flights leave UK airports every day, it’s fair to say that the industry is highly efficient and reliable with cancellations kept at a minimum. 

In fact, if your holiday is going to get scuppered at the airport, it’s far more likely to be a passenger error than an airline error. Forgotten passports and out of date passports are always going to be leading contributors to ruined holidays. 

You’ve got to double check your passport well before you travel. And don’t forget, when a flight is cancelled by the airline, there’s a good chance of getting your money back. But if it’s your own fault that you can’t travel as planned, you’re not going to get any compensation whatsoever.”

London Gatwick Airport gets a brand new look.......sort of.

London Gatwick Airport gets a brand new look from today,  well sort of, they've not added a third terminal or a second runway yet,  but the VINCI Airport on the Surrey / Sussex border has got a brand new corporate identity.  

The airport says it has released a new identity to go along with a refreshed vision which is designed to reflect the airport's ongoing recovery from the pandemic, as well as provide a platform for the airport’s next phase of growth.   

 

In the marketing blurb,  the new logo and design acknowledge the airport’s proud history, the new, modernised brand is designed to reaffirm and showcase London Gatwick’s position as a major international gateway and apparently also recognises the airport as part the greater VINCI Airports network.

I'm not sure I see all that, maybe the pointy arrow bit of the giant G is a bit like the G of the GH logo for Gatwick Handling, which was never owned by the airport operator. At first glance, it just appears to be what many companies do in difficult times, spend a fortune on branding, rather than spending money on wages or better services, or physical improvements to the customer experience. 

 

However, VINCI tells us that along with the new brand and vision is an exciting multi-million-pound development programme. This significant programme of investment includes the expansion and refurbishment of departure lounges to create more modern, appealing spaces for passengers, while at the same time considering the airport’s sustainability goals. So maybe they are going to improve the passenger experience of the airport, which can be either good or bad, with little in-between. The airport is also moving in more automation in improvements across check-in and boarding, as well as enhanced airfield technology. 

Jonathan Pollard, Chief Commercial Officer, London Gatwick said: “This is a perfect time for us to launch our new brand and refreshed vision, as we head into our second year of recovery from the global pandemic and look to embark on a very promising chapter of growth.

 We are taking a multi-dimensional approach, combining investment in airport development, along with a new visual identity, to rejuvenate the image of London Gatwick. We expect this will translate to more people choosing to fly from the airport, with even more exciting destinations for passengers.

 Our previous brand served us well for over 10 years, but it’s now the right time to modernise and update our airport. As we look ahead to future growth, our refreshed brand celebrates the past and brings us into the future.” 

The new branding can already be seen across many of Gatwick’s digital and social channels, as well as key focal points within the airport. Over the coming months passengers, airport partners and colleagues will see it come to life across the airport.  However,   like the last brand change,  old signage and logos will still be seen about the airport terminals for quite some time,  maybe even years, after all, there is still at least one of the old yellow and black BAA style signs up! 

 

Strong recovery for VINCI Airports as latest figures released.

● Strong recovery (54%) in the first quarter of 2023 compared to the same period last year

● All-time record traffic numbers in Q1 in Portugal, Serbia, Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Costa Rica

● Excluding Asia, VINCI Airports’ overall traffic numbers are nearing pre-pandemic levels (just 4% below 2019 levels)

● Improvement in Asia driven by domestic traffic in Japan and international regional travel

Airports in the VINCI Airports network welcomed over 56 million passengers in Q1 2023, i.e. almost 20 million more than in 2022 – 12% down on the same period in 2019, and just 4% down when excluding Asia. Domestic traffic has almost returned to pre-pandemic levels (3% down across the entire VINCI Airports network in March), while international traffic continues to improve (15% down). A number of airports in Europe and the Americas enjoyed record-breaking traffic numbers – exceeding those of 2019 – powered by extremely robust demand and the boom of offers implemented during the crisis.

Traffic at our airports in Portugal came to 13 million passengers in Q1 2023, 15% up on 2019, benefitting from the rapid growth in seats offered by airlines in all segments – both traditional and low cost. While Madeira remains a popular destination (with a 44% rise in traffic at Funchal, due in part to Ryanair opening a new base in April 2022), Lisbon welcomed a record 7 million passengers this quarter (up by 14%) – driven by the excellent performance of connections with France, the UK and Brazil, among others. The US market also contributed, with new routes to Chicago and San Francisco, for example. Belgrade airport in Serbia, 27% up on 2019, continues to benefit from the strong momentum of routes to Turkey (up by 84%) while developing links with other destinations, such as France, Germany and China. Supply has also increased here, for example by way of Wizzair’s third aircraft stationed at Belgrade in April 2022, followed by a fourth in April 2023. Meanwhile, in Mexico, traffic at OMA airports is enjoying buoyant growth this quarter, driven by the rapidly growing capacity of Viva Aerobus (91% up), Volaris (40%) and American Airlines (82%), contributing to increasing traffic – both domestic and to the US (24%).

Elsewhere, the recovery continues – like at London Gatwick, where traffic bounced back this quarter, particularly to Mediterranean destinations. The airport continues to improve its connectivity, as illustrated by the new flights announced for the summer (including Norse Atlantic, with five aircraft stationed at Gatwick for transatlantic connections). A number of companies, including Sky Airlines (up by 11%), bolstered their capacity at Santiago airport in Chile – contributing, for example, to the swift improvement of domestic traffic (3% down in March). In France, alpine airports have made a clear recovery with the first full ski season since 2019, but that progress was held back slightly at certain airports in March, when traffic was interrupted due to strikes by aviation workers.

After a gap of 15 years, the U.S mega-carrier, Delta has returned to London Gatwick with daily non-stop flights to New York-JFK.

After a gap of 15 years,  the U.S mega-carrier, Delta has returned to London Gatwick with daily non-stop flights to New York-JFK. 

“Delta started flying to the UK 45 years ago this month at Gatwick and so it is fitting that we are restarting our operations from Gatwick to the United States,” said Nicolas Ferri, Delta’s vice president of Europe, Middle East, Africa, and India. “On board, customers will discover an elevated service and special touches to make their journey memorable.”

Stewart Wingate said:  “We are thrilled to welcome Delta Air Lines back to Gatwick. It means that we will expand furthermore our connectivity to the US. This trust from such a network carrier as Delta underlines the competitiveness and the operational capabilities of Gatwick.

Delta is a huge name in the transatlantic market and being able to offer passengers across London and the South East the opportunity to travel with them between Gatwick and New York City is fantastic, providing not only wider choice, but further competition. It also demonstrates the strong pull of Gatwick as an airport for big-name, long-haul airlines.”

The route is serviced by recently refurbished Boeing 767-300 aircraft featuring the luxury of a fully flat-bed seat in Delta One to Delta Comfort+ and Main Cabin, customers will find an elevated onboard experience on board.

Customers in every cabin enjoy seat-back screens featuring hours of complimentary premium entertainment via Delta Studio, in-seat power, high-speed Wi-Fi (for purchase, with free Wi-Fi coming by the end of 2024) and free mobile messaging via iMessage, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.

All flights between the UK and the US will be operated in cooperation with Delta's joint venture partners Virgin Atlantic, Air France, and KLM which ensures price fixing and mileage compatibility. 

Delta is launching the route in direct competition with JetBlue's recent embarkation on the transatlantic market and according to sources at Delta, the company expects the route to make a loss for 13 months and has launched measures to target JetBlue customers. 

For travel insurance....

London Gatwick sees the return of Delta to compete with JetBlue.

After a gap of 15 years,  the U.S mega-carrier, Delta has returned to London Gatwick with daily non-stop flights to New York-JFK. 

“Delta started flying to the UK 45 years ago this month at Gatwick and so it is fitting that we are restarting our operations from Gatwick to the United States,” said Nicolas Ferri, Delta’s vice president of Europe, Middle East, Africa, and India. “On board, customers will discover an elevated service and special touches to make their journey memorable.”

Stewart Wingate said:  “We are thrilled to welcome Delta Air Lines back to Gatwick. It means that we will expand furthermore our connectivity to the US. This trust from such a network carrier as Delta underlines the competitiveness and the operational capabilities of Gatwick.

Delta is a huge name in the transatlantic market and being able to offer passengers across London and the South East the opportunity to travel with them between Gatwick and New York City is fantastic, providing not only wider choice, but further competition. It also demonstrates the strong pull of Gatwick as an airport for big-name, long-haul airlines.”

The route is serviced by recently refurbished Boeing 767-300 aircraft featuring the luxury of a fully flat-bed seat in Delta One to Delta Comfort+ and Main Cabin, customers will find an elevated onboard experience on board.

Customers in every cabin enjoy seat-back screens featuring hours of complimentary premium entertainment via Delta Studio, in-seat power, high-speed Wi-Fi (for purchase, with free Wi-Fi coming by the end of 2024) and free mobile messaging via iMessage, WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger.

All flights between the UK and the US will be operated in cooperation with Delta's joint venture partners Virgin Atlantic, Air France, and KLM which ensures price fixing and mileage compatibility. 

Delta is launching the route in direct competition with JetBlue's recent embarkation on the transatlantic market and according to sources at Delta, the company expects the route to make a loss for 13 months and has launched measures to target JetBlue customers. 

For travel insurance....

Government completes review of airport ground operations to increase sector’s resilience

Areas set out for the aviation industry to focus on to avoid a repeat of the travel disruption seen last summer.

Ministers have agreed 10 areas for the aviation industry to focus on to address the issues with ground handling at airports seen last summer

Aim to help the aviation industry to rebuild its strength and resilience, so they can deliver for passengers for years to come

Follows an in-depth review of how the ground handling industry works and wide-ranging consultation with industry.

The government has today, set out 10 areas for the aviation industry to focus on to ensure airport ground operations get back to full capacity and avoid a repeat of the travel disruption seen last summer.

It concludes its review of the ground handling market, which the government committed to as part of its wider 22-point plan for tackling aviation disruption last June.

The report finds that staffing shortages were a major factor in last summer’s disruption, with ground handlers struggling to recruit enough staff in time for the peak travel season after coronavirus (COVID-19) restrictions were lifted and facing issues with onboarding processes.

Aviation Minister Baroness Vere of Norbiton said:  "The misery passengers faced last year when their flights were severely delayed or cancelled at the last minute was simply unacceptable.

We’ve made it clear that improvements can and must be made, so the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) are working closely with the industry to build a resilient ground handler market for years to come."

Since then, the aviation industry has made significant progress to improve its resilience. To ensure this progress continues, the government has also proposed:

further exploration of how to improve how ground handlers’ performance is measured and monitored

better engagement between ground handlers and the government, including through the new Aviation Services UK trade association

continued support from the government and industry’s flagship Generation Aviation programme for recruitment, retention, upskilling and outreach

establishing a series of working groups involving airports, airlines and ground handlers to address areas including airport ID processes and performance standards

Ground handlers undertake several activities including baggage handling, check in, catering and refuelling. But last year as the industry began its recovery, companies were unable to meet demand.

Shortages of staff at airports, including drops in ground handler performance, had a domino effect on the rest of airport operations, causing delays and last-minute cancellations for passengers around the country.

While the aviation industry operates in the private sector, and is responsible for managing demand and resourcing, passengers should have confidence the government is doing everything it can to help ahead of this summer season. With Baroness Vere meeting industry representatives to discuss Easter preparedness last week, it’s important that both the private sector and the government move in lockstep.

By focusing on these areas, the aviation industry, the government and CAA can build a sector that provides a world-leading service for passengers long into the future.