Transportinfo.org.uk - today's transport news in the uk, hand picked for you each morning

Wednesday, 06 May 2020

BBC News

• Health minister 'shocked' at packed plane imagesAer Lingus is boosting capacity on its Belfast-Heathrow route after a photo showed a packed aircraft.
• Coronavirus: Greater Manchester councils invest millions to help airportsLocal authorities across Greater Manchester agree a financial package for Manchester Airports Group.
• Air fares face turbulence when flights slowly restartPrices should initially fall but then spike by more than 50% if airlines have to keep middle seats free.
• Coronavirus: Virgin Atlantic to cut 3,000 jobs and quit GatwickThe airline will axe a third of its workforce in response to the

Financial Times

• Virgin Atlantic to cut third of staff to survive Covid-19 crisisAirline to axe up to 3,150 jobs and close London Gatwick operations as it scales back to save business

The Guardian

• Virgin Atlantic job cuts were the only route to Treasury coffersBillionaire Branson will have a tough time getting a hearing for the fantastical £500m of state aid he requires. What did he expect?Here’s the bit Sir Richard Branson didn’t mention in his open letter to Virgin employees a fortnight ago: the only possible route to the Treasury’s wallet involves almost a third of the 10,000 staff at the Virgin Atlantic losing their jobs.The jobs decision hadn’t been taken at the time but Branson could still have foreshadowed an obvious threat. Government ministers were never going to throw £500m of taxpayers’ money, or some such sum, in Virgin Atlantic’s direct...

The Independent

• Virgin Atlantic to cut 3,150 jobs and stop flying from GatwickAirline plans to 'reshape and resize' the business

Times Online

• Holiday refunds are a mess and ministers must get tough [subscription]Why have Alok Sharma and Grant Shapps remained silent over the scandal of travel firms denying refunds for coronavirus holiday and flight cancellations?
• Gatwick gets watchdog approval to add 50,000 flights on new runway [subscription]Gatwick airport will push ahead with plans for a £500 million second runway after the scheme passed a significant legal hurdle.
• Virgin Atlantic quits Gatwick as it axes 3,000 staffVirgin Atlantic is to cut 3,150 jobs, about a third of its workforce, and will quit Gatwick airport after failing to secure a government bailout.

Mail Online

• Virgin Atlantic will axe THIRD of its workforceVirgin Atlantic will axe 3,000 jobs and cease operations at Gatwick Airport as it battles for survival amid the coronavirus crisis.

Birmingham Post

• Senior partner of Deloitte in Wales named new chair of Cardiff AirportIt comes as the aviation industry faces huge challenges from the Covid-19 pandemic

London Evening Standard

• Virgin Atlantic to cut 3,150 jobs British airline to make drastic cut to staffing and end operations at Gatwick amid financial fallout from coronavirus pandemic

Manchester Evening News

• What's happening to Virgin Atlantic at Manchester Airport as the airline makes 3,150 job cuts?The airline is in the process of applying for emergency loans from the government

Other Regional Press

• Plans get underway to reopen routes at Southampton AirportPLANNING is underway to reopen routes at Southampton Airport despite previous concerns that it is fighting for its future.

C.N.N.

• United Airlines tells staff to take 20 unpaid days off before October and will lay off 30% of themUnited has warned some of its staff that the airline will sharply reduce hours and staffing in the months to come.

Other News Sources

• Gatwick Airport to proceed with second runway conversionMany airports are recognising that the sort of traffic levels that existed in late 2019 and the first month of 2020 will not be seen again for quite some time, and the measurement is in years rather than months.
• Virgin Atlantic to cut more than 3,000 jobs and leave GatwickJust a week after British Airways announced it was axing almost a quarter of their staff, Virgin Atlantic have now said they too will have to cut thousands of jobs.