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

Friday, 26 June 2020

BBC News

• Warning over plans for new Royal Navy aircraft carriersThe National Audit Office is concerned about missing elements such as aircraft and support ships.
• Coronavirus: Airports quiet for 'holiday season'There is little sign of the normal holiday traffic yet at Scotland's major airports.
• Space port plan goes before Highland councillorsHighland councillors are due to vote on the Space Hub proposals, after receiving 457 objections.
• Glasgow's Kingston Bridge could become listed structureAn application is made to mark 50 years of one of Scotland's key motorway bridges.
• Coronavirus: How safe is it to get on a plane?Many airlines are starting to resume flying, but they first need to reduce the risks of Covid-19.
• Virgin Australia to fly again with new US owner Bain CapitalThe struggling airline was pushed into administration by Australia's pandemic travel ban.

Financial Times

• Lufthansa shareholders back €9bn bailout packageBerlin to raise stake in carrier to a blocking minority in the event of a hostile takeover bid
• Bain Capital wins battle to acquire Virgin Australia US private equity group sees off rival bids for control of airline battered by coronavirus

The Guardian

• BA tells longest-serving cabin crew to take 20% pay cut or lose jobsProposal comes two months after airline notified unions of plan to lay off 12,000 staffCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageBritish Airways has told its longest-serving cabin crew they will have to take a 20% basic pay cut and change working patterns if they are to be retained, as it prepares to lay off up to 30% of its workforce.The proposal comes almost two months after BA notified unions of plans to lay off 12,000 staff after coronavirus grounded almost all passenger flights. Continue reading...

The Herald

• Airline outlines new Scottish flight plansAIRLINE easyJet has set out plans to restart flights from Scottish airports.
• Landslip between Glenfinnan and Lochailort causing major disruptionA landslip between Glenfinnan and Lochailort is causing major disruption as trains are currently unable to run between Fort William and Mallaig.

The Independent

• Boris Johnson's 'Brexit Jet' takes to the skies following £900,000 red-white-and-blue makeoverDowning Street claims repaint helps 'promote the UK around the world'
• Travel industry fury as government dithers over air bridge plans'We cannot plan our operations on the basis of government leaks,' said one airline CEO

Times Online

• Airlines call on EU to suspend airport slots rule forcing empty jets to fly [Subscription]Airlines are demanding the suspension of “use it or lose it” rules on airport slots until next spring as they warn of a deepening crisis in aviation.
• Ryanair says rivals fixed prices in Italy [Subscription]Ryanair has filed a complaint to the European Commission alleging price fixing in Italy and Austria.
• Loganair boss Jonathan Hinkles warns of job losses in ‘long, dark winter’ [Subscription]The boss of Scotland’s only airline has warned that the aviation industry is facing a “tougher, longer and darker” winter than ever before, with further redundancies to come.
• Coronavirus in Ireland: We can’t ease travel restrictions on Britain, says Varadkar [Subscription]The Irish government would not ease travel restrictions with Britain if the decision was made now, the taoiseach has said.
• British Airways cabin crew face losing fifth of their pay [Subscription]British Airways is proposing to cut cabin crew pay by up to a fifth under the terms of a policy designed to protect the carrier’s long-term future.
• Pakistan International Airlines grounds third of pilots after crash that killed 98 people [Subscription]A third of the pilots of Pakistan International Airlines have been grounded for flying with fake or dubious licences a month after crew error caused a crash that killed 98 people.
• Rail payouts surge after claims allowed for 15-minute delays [Subscription]More than six million passengers were compensated for late trains last year amid concerns over poor punctuality on the railways.

City AM

• Car production slump continues in May despite factories restartingThe country’s car manufacturers produced a mere 5,314 vehicles in May as output stalled for the second consecutive month due The post Car production slump continues in May despite factories restarting appeared first on CityAM.

Mail Online

• Coronavirus UK: TfL bosses are NOT issuing fines over masksResponding to a customer complaint about the lack of people wearing masks, the Transport for London Twitter account said it was waiting to ensure 'customers understand the new requirements' first.
• Navy's two aircraft carriers don't have enough supply ships to stock them with food and ammunitionThe Royal Navy's two £6.4billion aircraft carriers do not have enough supply ships to keep them stocked with ammunition and food, the Whitehall spending watchdog has warned.
• Air bridges to EVERYWHERE: Boris Johnson faces pressure to open up holiday routes to the whole EUThe British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is due to give the green light to foreign holidays next Monday. Pictured, a beach in Greece.

The Mirror

• Royal Navy aircraft carriers hampered by lack of supply ships, warns watchdogThe National Audit Office said the Government had made "slow progress" in ordering the "crucial" vessels
• Boris Johnson pressured to extend air bridges to all EU countriesAlso known as travel corridors, air bridges will allow Britons to go on holiday to certain destinations without needing to quarantine for 14 days on their return to the UK

This is Money

• Will holiday-goers ever get the chance to fly on electric planes?On May 28, a modified Cessna Caravan 208B, or eCaravan built by electric aircraft company MagniX and aerospace firm AeroTEC, flew in the air for 30 minutes above Moses Lake.

Birmingham Mail

• 550 Birmingham Airport jobs at riskThe company plans to cut 4,500 jobs at airports around the UK, with Birmingham the second hardest hit

Birmingham Post

• Chancellor urged to 'level up' SW with infrastructure investmentBusiness leader calls on Rishi Sunak not to forget region and help it bounce back from lockdown
• Green jet fuel developer Velocys raises £20m in share issueThe company behind huge plans for the South Humber Bank doubles offer on back of demand
• UK car production slumps to lowest May figures since 1946Data from SMMT show that only 5,300 cars were produced in May - though this was an improvement on April's figures
• Hydrogen-powered planes could fly from UK to USA in 20 yearsSuccess for first ever flight of an electric powered light aircraft
• Scores of job losses planned at aerospace factory in DerbyMember of staff told DerbyshireLive they had been 'left in the dark'

Bradford Telegraph & Argus

• Bradford key workers' cars sterilised free at cleaning unit KEY WORKERS in the NHS, emergency services and Bradford Council social services and social care got a free in-vehicle sterilisation service at the former Richard Dunn sports centre car park in Odsal today.

Bristol Live

• Update on whether Bristol Airport plans to appeal expansion refusalBosses have until mid September to lodge an appeal

Daily Post (North Wales)

• Car share warning issued in wake of Covid-19 outbreaks at 2 Sisters and Rowan FoodsTraffic chiefs have urged workers to travel separately after almost 300 contracted coronavirus at the two food processing plants

London Evening Standard

• Transport for London bonus payments delayed by a yearTransport for London chiefs are to have their bonuses delayed by a year due to the impact that coronavirus has had on the organisation's finances.
• British Airways tells staff basic pay cuts will not be more than 20% and slams unions for refusing to enter talksUnite union demands airline drops threat to fire and rehire on worse terms and conditions

Manchester Evening News

• Metrolink's free wifi suspended 'indefinitely' to cut costsFree wifi was originally suspended to discourage non-essential travel but now bosses have a new reason for extending it

The York Press

• York bus firm increases services from this weekend A YORK bus firm is starting to put on more buses from this weekend.

Cambridge News

• PM's newly painted plane unveiled after £900K makeover at Cambridge AirportThe respray was done at Marshall's huge plane respraying hangar at the Airport
• SpaceX Starlink satellites will be visible over Cambridgeshire tomorrow night Elon Musk is set to launch 57 Starlink satellites into the skies tomorrow - here's what to look out for

Leeds Live

• Megabus to resume Leeds coach services in JulySocial distancing rules mean there will be reduced seating on all coaches

Other Regional Press

• megabus to resume intercity coach journeys from MiddlesbroughThe restart date is July 3 for passengers to reunit e with family and friends and to go on staycations
• Yorkshire airport baggage handler announces thousands of job cutsSwissport will cut its UK workforce by half due to the coronavirus pandemic taking its toll
• York to Beverley railway gets MP backing as fresh funding bid madeThe 32-mile track between York and Beverley has been closed for 55 years
• More than 500 jobs at risk at Birmingham AirportSwissport plans to cut 4,500 jobs at airports around the UK, with 546 at risk at Birmingham

C.N.N.

• Virgin Australia finds new owner in US private equity firm Bain CapitalVirgin Australia has found a buyer, US private equity firm Bain Capital, to take over the embattled airline, which collapsed into administration two months ago.

Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport

• Royal Navy's first crewless boat ready for testingA crewless

Coach and Bus Week

• Bus passenger body hits back at calls for council-run bus servicesBus Users has hit back at calls for bus services in the North East of England to be brought back under council control.

Rail Technology Magazine

• HS2 Minister responds to Transport Select Committee Following a letter from the Transport Select Committee back in May, Andrew Stephenson, HS2 Minister yesterday (June 24th) responded and published his letter of response. Mr. Stephenson began his later by discussing the challenge of transparency. He confirmed that HS2’s six monthly reports...

Other News Sources

• Megabus to restart in England and Wales on 3 JulyMegabus will restart part of its scheduled coach network in England and Wales from Friday 3 July, the operator has announced.
• £350m for first mainline digital railwayScheme will see conventional line-side signals replaced     The East Coast Main Line is set to become Britain’s first mainline digital rail link with £350 million of new investment to install state-of-the art electronic signalling. The upgrade, between London King’s Cross and Stoke Tunnel in Lincolnshire, will see ETCS Level 2 in-cab signalling installed that will replace conventional line side signals by 2029. Siemens Mobility and Atkins have already been appointed as as technical and programme management partners for the scheme. “As the country recovers from COVID-19 we want ...
• Shapps confirms move to concession modelGovernment plans to speed up process to end the current franchising system     Transport secretary Grant Shapps has confirmed that the government plans to end the rail franchising model used since privatisation in the 1990s. In its place it will introduce the concession model floated in the Williams Review, Speaking to the transport select committee yesterday, Shapps said that the government was already planning to move to a “different type of railway”. This process will now be accelerated as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. In March the government brought the railwa...
• Winchester cyclists involved in campaign to make sure their needs are heardWINCHESTER cyclists of all ages joined in a socially-distanced campaign to make sure the needs of cyclists are heard loud and clear at this important time.
• London Underground weekend closures: The Tube, Overground and DLR alterations to know about on June 27 and 28Make sure you plan ahead if you're travelling into London via public transport on Saturday and Sunday

EIN News Subscription

• Ryanair complains to EU antitrust watchdog about alleged Lufthansa price-fixing … filed a complaint to EU antitrust regulators about … legal officer of Europe’s biggest budget airline said on Thursday. … euros, a shot at budget airlines’ heavy discounts and following … last week wrote to European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager …
• Quarantines Are As Bad For Airlines As Closed Borders … 11 countries by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), which groups 290 … for Europe. Countries in the EU have suffered through a serious … untenable situations for airlines to manage onboard. Those European airlines which are considering …
• Travel industry fury as government dithers over air bridge plans … . The transport secretary, Grant Shapps, has urged the establishment of “air bridges … killing the aviation industry.â€� The transport secretary responded: “I understand entirely … Further rumours suggest that all European Union countries would be included …
• The changes and new safety measures for Manchester Airport passengers … to increase flights to popular European holiday destinations from this week … Ryanair, British Airways, Air France, KLM, Eastern Airways and Loganair. The airport said the … to travel on public transport? Could you make your airport experience easier by …
• Boris Johnson pressured to extend air bridges to all EU countries … under pressure to open air bridges to all European countries at once … destinations likely to include other European countries such as Denmark, Norway … " Caribbean islands. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said air bridges would only …