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.”

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."

London Gatwick Airport recovers strongly in 2022

Airport remains cautiously optimistic about full recovery with popular short and long haul routes performing strongly.

Passenger demand at 70.4% of pre-pandemic levels, with 32.8 million passengers in 2022

London Gatwick Airport to invest over £250 million in reducing carbon emissions and becoming net zero for its buildings and vehicles (known as its scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions[1]), 10 years ahead of its previous commitment

“Thank you to all colleagues across our airport, who supported the operation last year as travel restrictions eased and passengers started to travel. This year we will have even more choice of airlines and destinations for travellers, whether flying for business or leisure” Stewart Wingate, CEO.

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This week, London Gatwick Airport published its financial results for 2022, and recognising the urgent need to make net zero a reality has accelerated its commitment to be net zero for its own Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions by 2030, 10 years ahead of its previous commitment. This commitment is aligned with both VINCI Airports’ environmental action plan, which aims for all its EU airports to be net zero by 2030, and GIP’s strong commitment to decarbonisation action.

This will be achieved by investing over £250 million to reduce carbon emissions, such as moving to an electric vehicle fleet and replacing gas boilers and refrigerants with low-carbon alternatives. The airport will also continue to reduce overall energy use, invest in on-site renewable energy, including solar power, and source renewable electricity through Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), to further continue London Gatwick’s role in helping the UK to decarbonise.

London Gatwick will share more details on plans to deliver against its climate goals in the coming months. 

2022 results include:

Passenger demand at 70.4% of pre-pandemic levels, with 32.8 million passengers passing through the airport in the year ending 31 December 2022.

Revenue at £776.6 million, driven by a strong and steady recovery in passenger numbers throughout 2022. This includes aeronautical income (£405m), retail income (£159m) and car parking income (£102m).

Returned to a profit of £196.5 million in 2022, after over £830 million of losses from 2020 and 2021.

EBITDA at £446.3 million.

 

Despite returning to profitability the airport remains cautiously optimistic about a full recovery, given the current economic uncertainty and inflationary pressures.

Looking back at 2022, the gradual removal of travel restrictions, and the return of discipline to UK airport slot regulations put London Gatwick in a good position 

As widely reported the rapid upturn in demand during Q2 2022 drove significant operational challenges across the aviation sector. In response, London Gatwick took early and decisive action working closely with the airport’s partners, including the airlines, to ensure passenger disruption was minimised during the peak summer months.  

In 2022, London Gatwick made a significant investment by completing an innovative project to resurface its main runway - in half the time and for half the cost of traditional methods, improving the airport’s operational resilience and allowing a saving of embodied carbon during the construction phase. Further investment will also see a fully redeveloped airport train station completed later this year, work beginning to upgrade the North Terminal international departure lounge, and the airport is continuing the preparation of its planning application (Development Consent Order) to bring its existing Northern Runway into routine use.

February passenger numbers up at VINCI Airports

Traffic in VINCI Airports’ network continued to recover in February. At the airports in Portugal, Serbia, Mexico and several countries in South America, it is significantly higher than before the health crisis. Overall, traffic in February is at 89% of its 2019 level.

As the world’s leading private operator in its sector, VINCI Airports manages 65 airports across 12 countries in Europe, Asia and the Americas. Thanks to its expertise as a global integrator, it develops, finances, builds and manages airports, leveraging its investment capacity and know-how in optimising operational performance, modernising infrastructure and steering their environmental transition.

One of the leading airports for VINCI is London Gatwick on the Surrey / Sussex border.  The airport will be welcoming two new restaurants and wine bars this spring – Vagabond Bar & Kitchen and South Downs Sparkling Wine Bar – showcasing a vast array of the best local wines, beers and produce from across the region, alongside global options.

Award-winning urban winery, Vagabond, will be opening its second airport outlet and largest single site, when it lands at Gatwick’s South Terminal in May. South Downs – its sister bar - is a brand-new concept exclusive to Gatwick, and will open a few weeks later.

Vagabond will provide passengers with a choice of more than 80 wines from around the world, via its bespoke self-serve dispensing machines – a fun and easy way for passengers to discover new wines and sample before committing to a glass or bottle.

Norse Atlantic Airways to start routes to Florida's hot sports of Fort Lauderdale and Orlando in May.

The long-haul budget-type airline, Norse Atlantic Airways has put two Florida sunshine destinations on sale today from London Gatwick to Orlando and Fort Lauderdale. 

The flights to Orlando will begin on 25th May 2023 and to Fort Lauderdale on 26th May 2023 and are in addition to the current daily London to New York service that the fledgling carrier started in August last year.

Norse will operate flights to Orlando four times a week in May and June and then make it a daily service in the height of the summer peak season with fares starting from £409 return including taxes. Flights to Fort Lauderdale will operate three times a week in May and June and four times a week for the rest of the summer season with fares starting from £410 return including taxes. 

Bjorn Tore Larsen, CEO of Norse Atlantic Airways said: “We are very pleased to announce two new routes from London Gatwick to the popular holiday destination of Florida. In addition to our current daily New York flights we will also be releasing for sale further destinations between London and the US by the end of February. As a result, our UK based airline, Norse Atlantic UK, will serve more destinations to the US from London Gatwick than any other carrier this summer.

We look forward to a busy summer ahead as we bring value fares and a fantastic service to passengers looking to travel across the Atlantic.” 

Florida sun on offer from London Gatwick with long-haul budget airline Norse.....

The long-haul budget-type airline, Norse Atlantic Airways has put two Florida sunshine destinations on sale today from London Gatwick to Orlando and Fort Lauderdale. 

The flights to Orlando will begin on 25th May 2023 and to Fort Lauderdale on 26th May 2023 and are in addition to the current daily London to New York service that the fledgling carrier started in August last year.

Norse will operate flights to Orlando four times a week in May and June and then make it a daily service in the height of the summer peak season with fares starting from £409 return including taxes. Flights to Fort Lauderdale will operate three times a week in May and June and four times a week for the rest of the summer season with fares starting from £410 return including taxes. 

Bjorn Tore Larsen, CEO of Norse Atlantic Airways said: “We are very pleased to announce two new routes from London Gatwick to the popular holiday destination of Florida. In addition to our current daily New York flights we will also be releasing for sale further destinations between London and the US by the end of February. As a result, our UK based airline, Norse Atlantic UK, will serve more destinations to the US from London Gatwick than any other carrier this summer.

We look forward to a busy summer ahead as we bring value fares and a fantastic service to passengers looking to travel across the Atlantic.” 

Aer Lingus shifts London - Knock service from Gatwick to Heathrow

Aer Lingus has announced a shift away from London Gatwick to London Heathrow for its Ireland West Airport Knock service, which aims to support connectivity for the West and boost the local economy and tourism. The change takes effect from 26th March 2023 and will operate daily. Customers already booked on this route to/from Gatwick will be automatically rebooked on a same-day flight.*

The majority of visitors to Ireland are from Great Britain (42%), followed by the US (15%), and this new route aims to boost direct and connecting inbound tourism to the West.[1] Aer Lingus aims to take advantage of the growing trend of screen tourism, which Tourism Ireland has identified as a key opportunity for 2023, with films like the Banshees of Inisherin showcasing the West of Ireland to a global audience.[2] Ireland West Airport is also a gateway to the Wild Atlantic Way, with nine of the fifteen signature discovery points located within a 60-80 minute drive from the airport.

The announcement reinforces Aer Lingus’s commitment to Ireland West Airport Knock, as the airport continues to rebound after Covid, with passenger numbers increasing by 314% last year, reaching 89% of the record-breaking year of 2019[3].

Aer Lingus expects that the convenience of London Heathrow’s location will drive additional point-to-point demand and increased connecting traffic.  Reid Moody Chief Strategy and Planning Officer at Aer Lingus said: "With a direct service to one of Europe’s busiest airports, customers from the West will now be able to easily connect from Heathrow to destinations right across the globe. The service will also drive inbound tourism at a time when interest in visiting the West of Ireland is very high, with the Oscar nominated Banshees of Inisherin showcasing the beauty of the West of Ireland to millions of people globally.”

Welcoming the news, Joe Gilmore, Managing Director, of Ireland West Airport commented:   "This is a major development for the West and Northwest regions as it opens up key onward connectivity, through one of Europe’s biggest hubs, to over 80 destinations worldwide. The hub status of Heathrow for businesses to connect with the global marketplace is a potential game changer for this region, and from a tourism perspective, the service will deliver a significant increase in tourism visits from all corners of the globe. I have no doubt the service will get huge support from the business community and leisure travellers both here and abroad and we thank Aer Lingus for this strong vote of confidence in the airport and West of Ireland region.”

[1] https://www.tourismireland.com/docs/default-source/visitor-facts-and-figures/visitor-facts-and-figures-2019.pdf?sfvrsn=d5913554_1

[2] https://www.tourismireland.com/news-and-press-releases/press-releases/article/tourism-ireland-launches-2023-marketing-plans

[3] https://www.irelandwestairport.com/news/ireland-west-airport-reports-strong-performance-in-2022-as-722k-passengers-use-the-airport

London Gatwick served 32.8 million passengers during 2022

In the recent publication of traffic results from VINCI Airports, it showed that London Gatwick Airport served 32.8 million passengers in 2022, which represents 71% of pre-pandemic (2019) numbers.  This follows the airport welcoming only 6.3 million passengers in 2021. There were 213,952 total aircraft movements at London Gatwick in 2022, which is 76% of the number in 2019 (281,000).  52,000 aircraft arrived or departed the airport in 2021.

These positive numbers show the south-east airport is bouncing back after a period of stagnation over the whole coronavirus pandemic. Gatwick now has 42 global routes - 68% of the number flown pre-pandemic, but the route network is said to be increasing dramatically this year. This is evidenced by the recent announcement that Air India will fly to four new destinations - Goa, Ahmedabad, Amritsar and Kochi (Cochin) from Gatwick this year. 

Delta Air Lines also returns to Gatwick, flying the airport’s fourth daily flight to New York, while British Airways will operate new routes to Vancouver, Georgetown and Las Vegas this summer, in addition to their services to the Caribbean, North and Central America, the Middle East and Mauritius. 

Four new routes to India from London Gatwick announced.

London Gatwick, part of VINCI Airports’ network, is set to welcome its latest new airline this summer, with Air India announcing four new routes to Goa, Ahmedabad, Amritsar and Kochi (Cochin), starting from 26 March.

These new routes strengthen established, strong community links between the UK – particularly London - and India. 

The Indian flag carrier will be operating 12 flights a week between London and the four Indian destinations on 787-8 aircraft, with 256 seats across business and economy classes. These include:

Three flights a week to Goa, on the western coast of India, famed for its beaches and Portuguese heritage

Three flights a week to Ahmedabad, in western India, and the largest city in the state of Gujarat

Three weekly flights to Amritsar, the second largest city in the state of Punjab in north-western India

Three flights a week to Kochi (Cochin), a major port city on the south-western coast, known as the financial, commercial and industrial capital of Kerala

These new services reflect VINCI Airports’ commitment to serve communities and sustain business growth by developing air connectivity. They also highlight Gatwick’s competitiveness to attract vital new routes.

Stewart Wingate, Chief Executive Officer, Gatwick Airport said: “The arrival of Air India and its four routes to London Gatwick is fantastic news for the airport and passengers across London and the south-east.

“India not only offers wonderful cities and beach destinations to explore but provides a wealth of opportunities for businesses and wider connectivity. These connections are also hugely important to our local and regional communities, with people looking to visit family and friends across India.”

UK Border Force to screw up Christmas for millions of travellers........

Photo by Yolanda Suen on Unsplash

Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union has confirmed that its members working for the UK's Border Force workers will strike at six major UK airports for at least eight days over the Christmas period screwing up travel plans for millions.

The union has called strike action between 23rd and 26th December, and then from 28th to 31st December and will affect the UK's major airports London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Manchester, Birmingham, Glasgow and Cardiff.  A strike will also impact the south coast port of Newhaven, which would have devastating consequences for the only loss-making route to Dieppe by Transmanche Ferries / DFDS.  These dates have been chosen by the union, it says,  to have the maximum impact by causing the most disruption to passengers. 

PCS Mark Serwotka told media that 40,000 of its members were having to use food banks, while 45,000 were claiming in-work benefits. Although, union reps couldn't say how many of those going on strike were included in those numbers.   The union are calling for a 10% pay increase, better job security, with no cuts to pensions or redundancies.  

eGates should remain operational throughout the strikes for those with biometric passports from EU countries, Australia, Canada, Iceland, Japan, Liechtenstein, New Zealand, Norway, Singapore, South Korea, Switzerland or the USA.

Most civil servants have received just a 2% pay rise this year and after a pay freeze for a number of years. PCS said 86% of its 100,000 members across 124 government departments and public sector employers have voted in favour of strike action and promised more strikes - over all departments would be called next year.  So far only a few jobcentres and benefits offices will take strike action in the coming weeks, however, the union is already making plans for most Universal Credit service centres to see crippling walkouts in the new year. 

The Christmas action will affect millions of people who had been planning getaways over the festive period and to reunite with relatives from overseas.  Robert Jenrick, the Immigration Minister called the strike "unjustifiable and will ruin the plans of thousands of families and businesses across the country. - While we are working closely with all UK ports and airports and have robust plans in place to minimise any delays if strike action goes ahead, passengers should be prepared for their plans to be severely disrupted."

Gatwick Airport said it will deploy extra staff on strike days to help with the welfare of stranded passengers and were in consultation with Border Force over mitigation however, delays of between 4 and 6 hours should be expected.  

The Business Travel Association warned  "The entire travel support system will once more be plunged into dealing with cancellations and disruptions rather than bookings with no financial recompense.  - further strike action puts British workers’ Christmases at risk. Hard workers up and down the country will be stranded, struggling to get home."

A spokesperson for London Heathrow Airport claimed that "Our priority is to ensure passengers get through the border safely and as quickly as possible. We are working closely with airlines and Border Force on mitigation plans for potential strike action by Border Force officers and these plans will now be implemented for the notified days."

Manchester Airport said "It is hugely regrettable that the PCS Union has chosen to disrupt one of the most important times of the year for international travel by calling a strike by Border Force officers at several UK ports, including Manchester Airport, for 23-26 December and 28-31 December.  We urge union and Government representatives to work together to find a solution to avert this strike action."

It added: "We will be working with our airlines to provide passengers with as much advance notice of cancelled services as possible, so that people have the chance to rebook their travel around the strike days. Arriving passengers should also be prepared for much longer immigration queues on strike days, owing to reduced Border Force staffing levels.  Those due to travel during the affected period should look out for communications from their airlines over the coming days."

easyJet's FLEXIfare customers to get lounge access at London Gatwick Airport

One of Europe's leading budget airlines easyJet is offering a boost to some of its customers flying from London Gatwick between now and the end of November. Customers on FLEXIfare bookings wil be able to get access to the Gateway Lounge.

All easyJet customers are still able to access the lounge from just £18.99*

All types of travellers will be able to find a comfortable spot in the lounge, whether they’re looking for a quiet space for work, a place to relax before flights, or entertainment for children.

easyJet says all FLEXI fare customers will now be able to enjoy pre-departure access to easyJet’s Gateway Lounge at London Gatwick airport. The offer, which is being trialled from 1st September until 30 November, is also available to any FLEXIfare customers who have already booked to travel between these dates. 

easyJet’s first airport lounge, which opened its doors last summer, is the first airport lounge in collaboration with No1 Lounges at the North Terminal at London Gatwick airport where easyJet is the largest airline. The lounge offers a sanctuary from the hustle and bustle of the airport and will allow business and leisure passengers an opportunity to unwind before jetting off. Passengers will be able to sip on a freshly brewed coffee, unwind with a wine, or enjoy a full buffet offering. 

Gatwick ends capacity reductions as over 400 new security staff recruited to combat delays

Strong demand and encouraging air traffic volumes accelerates Gatwick’s recovery, while economic uncertainty remains

Strong passenger demand - and encouraging air traffic volumes – following the lifting of all UK travel restrictions in March 2022 accelerated Gatwick’s recovery from the devastating impacts of the pandemic. 

The increased demand caused significant operational challenges across the entire aviation sector and in response, Gatwick took early action and reduced capacity at the airport for a period of time. However, the airport now reports that it has recruited over 400 new security staff to help reduce delays. With additional resources across the Gatwick operation in place, no further moderation of flying programmes is necessary.

Indeed,  Gatwick has provided staff to support other airport operators – including airline baggage handlers - as it tried to help improve performance, reduce delays and return to high standard service levels.

In its half-year results, the airport cites the reopening of the South Terminal reopened on 27 March as a major achievement, described as the equivalent of opening a medium-sized airport overnight.  The terminal had been closed since the early days of the global pandemic in June 2020.

The recovery at Gatwick has seen the long-haul route network grow with 40 routes now announced, including new airlines such as Norse and Bamboo flying to New York and Hanoi respectively, British Airways starting a new service to Cape Town and JetBlue adding a new daily service to Boston, in addition to their daily flight to New York. WestJet and Air Transat currently also fly to a range of destinations across Canada, while both British Airways and TUI fly numerous other long-haul services to the US, Mexico and the Caribbean.

In the first six months of the year, 13.1 million passengers passed through the airport and total revenue was listed as £291.5 million - giving an after-tax profit of £50.6 million.

 

Stewart Wingate, Chief Executive Officer, Gatwick Airport said: “We still have some way to go, but strong demand has fast-tracked Gatwick’s recovery from the pandemic, particularly in the last quarter since all UK travel restrictions were removed. Air traffic volumes have reflected this strong passenger demand and have bounced back to around 75% of pre-COVID levels. 

 

The unprecedented growth in traffic led to short-term operational issues in June, however, our decisive early action to limit the airport’s capacity in the crucial school holiday period of July and August has ensured passengers have experienced reliable flight timetables over the summer months. We are now very much operating business as usual and do not see any reason to extend the capacity declaration.

Despite some broad economic uncertainty, we are also looking forward to a successful second half to the year, with new, exciting airlines and routes coming online and continuous improvement in the high service standards Gatwick is known for.”

The future plans 

Gatwick Interim Financial Statements 30 June 2022 1.95 signed 

Gatwick gets a new mascot

Gatwick Airport is on a charm offensive at the moment as it tries to ease passenger concerns over mass delays and disruption in recent weeks and engage local support for its second runway consultation that is ongoing. The latest offering is a new mascot and some special retail offers - including 50% off some items. 

The new campaign, entitled ‘Explore Like Never Before’ aims to get more customers for its retail outlets, hit hard by the pandemic and resulting border closures.  World Duty Free is offering up to 50% off selected spirits, and savings on this season’s top fragrances with the Reserve & Collect service.

Wetherspoons, in both the North and South Terminals, are selling a special guest ale – ‘Summer Sun’ – a pale, hoppy beer produced by Twickenham Brewery, while Juniper & Co. in the North Terminal has launched a range of five summer cocktails exclusive to Gatwick, including a non-alcoholic option.

 The airport is also running some in-terminal activities, including a tombola with a range of prizes to be won, or grab a pre-holiday photo in one of Gatwick’s giant deckchairs. The new mascot is actually a reinvention of an old favourite - Gary Gatwick the cuddly bear! 

Nick Williams, Head of Retail Operations, Gatwick Airport said: “With a busy summer holiday period expected – the first since 2019 with unrestricted travel – it’s fantastic that so many of our retailers and restaurants at Gatwick are able to help our passengers celebrate, with some great offers and exclusive products available."

London Gatwick Airport imposes flight limits in summer to halt mass disruption.

London Gatwick Airport imposes flight limits in summer to halt mass disruption.

 

Managers at the UK’s second busiest airport, London Gatwick are instigating a daily flight limit for July and August to try and halt the mass disruption that has been seen at many airports in recent weeks.

During this peak holiday period, Gatwick is only gradually increasing its capacity to 825 flights a day in July and then up to 850 flights a day in August. The idea is to enable airlines, handling firms and controllers more time and space to be able to offer a more reliable standard of service. Traditionally, the airport would handle up to 900 flights a day during those months.

Gatwick has already seen over 10 million passengers travel through the airport in the first 6 months of this year and is trying to help its airline customers deliver the best and most reliable service possible over the next few months.

A review by the airport has uncovered that a number of companies based at Gatwick are, and will continue to, operate with a severe lack of staff resources over the summer holiday period.  If not addressed, this issue would see airport passengers continuing to experience an unreliable and potentially poor standard of service, including more queues, delays and last-minute cancellations.

By carefully controlling and gradually increasing the maximum number of flights over time - until the end of August - the airport aims to help both its airlines and their ground handling companies improve the service they provide by reducing the number of flights they need to manage.

Gatwick says it is imperative each airline also reviews operational capabilities and puts flight schedules in place that are both realistic and aligned with available crew and ground handling resources.

Stewart Wingate, CEO of Gatwick Airport said: “Gatwick prepared well for the restart of international travel by successfully reopening our South Terminal and we have now successfully recruited 400 new colleagues to help us process passengers quickly through security this summer.  We are also working closely with our airlines to avoid disruption to passengers this summer, and while more newly recruited staff will start work in the coming weeks, we know it will be a busy summer.

“However, it is clear that during the Jubilee week a number of companies operating at the airport struggled in particular, because of staff shortages. By taking decisive action now, we aim to help the ground handlers – and also our airlines – to better match their flying programmes with their available resources.

“As has already been the case, the vast majority of flights over the summer will operate as normal, and the steps taken today mean that our passengers can expect a more reliable and better standard of service, while also improving conditions for staff working at the airport.

“I am immensely grateful to all our staff for their tireless work over the last few months to get the airport back up and running, and for helping get passengers away on their travels.”

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The death of a disabled man at Gatwick prompts investigation.

 

The death of a disabled man at Gatwick prompts investigation.

An urgent investigation is underway at London Gatwick Airport after a disabled passenger fell to his death on an escalator after making his own way off an aircraft.

According to media reports, the man and his wife required special assistance to disembark an easyJet flight but fell down an escalator after making their own way into the terminal. A spokesperson for the airline said  “A number of our cabin crew provided medical assistance to a passenger at Gatwick airport while waiting for paramedics to arrive, however, the passenger sadly later passed away.  Our thoughts are with their family and friends at this difficult time.”

A spokesperson for Gatwick confirmed the incident occurred as airport staff were helping to disembark three passengers with restricted mobility and was “a sad and tragic incident and our thoughts remain with the family of the deceased.”  The spokesperson said that staff shortages were not a factor in this accident.