Air

Newmarket, Ponant, Explore: this week's travel trade people moves

Intrepid Travel has hired a new chief impact officer, while Exodus Adventure Travels has brought in a new marketing director – these are the latest travel trade people moves agents need to know about

WestJet forced to ground planes and pull flights after hailstorm pummelling

Canadian carrier grounds 16 aircraft after a hailstorm pummels its Calgary hub, leading to an average 50 flight cancellations a day

Canada's capital to regain direct London air link next year

Air Canada will restore flights from London to Ottawa in spring 2025, starting with a summer-only service but with the potential of a year-round frequency

EasyJet axes hundreds of flights as cabin crew in Portugal walk out

Of the 232 flights easyJet has cancelled, 27 return flights between the UK and Portugal have been pulled, the airline confirmed in a statement

Tui hopeful of 25% spike in full-year earnings with summer nearly 90% sold

UK market bookings for the summer up 5% year-on-year, with prices remaining ’robust’

Jet2holidays and easyJet holidays 'monitoring Athens wildfires closely'

Major package operators urge customers in the area to follow guidance from their hotels and local authorities as thousands evacuated on the outskirts of the Greek capital

Singapore Airlines to go daily at Gatwick next summer

SIA to increase its current five-times-weekly Gatwick-Singapore service to daily next summer, with the additional flights taking off from 30 March 2025

Advantage, RateHawk, Intrepid: all the latest travel trade people moves

Is it time airlines offered the trade more out-of-range fares?

Agents tell TTG that with customers looking to secure their dream holidays increasingly early, they’re being held back by forward flight availability. But why are airlines so reluctant to extend their schedule windows? Gary Noakes reports

British Airways beefs up Bangkok service with more flights and new codeshare

British Airways adds three destinations in Thailand and two in Cambodia under a codeshare expansion deal as it increases frequency to Bangkok next winter

CAA tells five UK airports to make accessibility improvements amid general progress

The CAA says five UK airports need to improve accessibility for those with mobility issues but says the situation generally is improving

Virgin Atlantic's Flight 100 sustainable fuel ad claim banned by ASA

Virgin Atlantic has been told not to repeat claims about sustainable aviation fuels made in a radio ad to publicise a special transatlantic flight last year

Spending with travel agents continues to defy slowdown – Barclays

Barclays Consumer Spend shows spending with travel agents is still increasing, bucking a downward trend in card transactions in July

British Airways owner IAG abandons plan to buy Air Europa for second time

British Airways’ owner says demand for travel remains “robust” this year

Virgin Atlantic to axe Nassau and Providenciales routes in Caribbean shake-up

Virgin Atlantic confirms two route closures as it reshuffles its winter 2024/25 timetable, while extending a South Africa service

EU airports blast bloc's decision to reinstate 100ml liquid rule from September

The trade body representing European airports said the reintroduction will penalise airports with new C3 scanners ‘operationally and financially’

Wizz Air counts the cost of engine issues with huge dip in profits

Wizz Air has seen profits slump in the first three months of its financial year after grounding 46 aircraft due to issues with the engines

Air New Zealand abandons 2030 carbon reduction targets

Carrier blames availability of new, more efficient aircraft, affordability of alternative jet fuels, and a lack of regulatory and policy support for its decision to withdraw from the Science-Based Targets initiative

Gatwick 'open and operating normally' following Just Stop Oil protest

JSO supporters used suitcases with lock-on devices to block the departure gates at Gatwick’s south terminal on Monday (29 July)

The Big Question: Is direct action targeting air travel ever justifiable?

Climate activists don’t believe travel is taking sustainability seriously, and have taken matters into their own hands. But is this the best way to make people fly – and pollute – less?

Pricing problems ahead if suppliers keep discounting, agents warn

Major suppliers are operating their largest-ever summer programmes this year, but what are the knock-on effects to agents?

EasyJet CEO says carrier ‘not feeling rival’s pain’ on pricing

EasyJet’s boss says the airline is not seeing the need to discount this summer, unlike Ryanair, which has signalled it will slash fares for ‘frugal’ passengers

'Our market leaders have tanked package prices, and we're all suffering'

’Package prices in July and August have tanked. Our market leaders are to blame, and we are all suffering,’ writes Sunvil chair Noel Josephides for TTG

EasyJet hopeful of growing package holiday profits by 50% this year

Airline expects in-house tour operator to deliver around £180 million in pre-tax profits in the year to 30 September, up 48% year-on-year