Airports

Heathrow capitalises on UK weather as passenger numbers up 20%

The airport reported on Friday (11 August) that departures to Turkey have hit their highest ever in a month

OTAs hit back at Ryanair for urging passengers to book direct

It comes after the carrier last week accused some online travel agents of providing airlines with inaccurate passengers details

Gatwick faces bank holiday disruption as ground handlers announce eight-day strike

The union Unite announced on Wednesday (9 August) that more than 230 workers employed by ground handler Red Handling and passenger service firm Wilson James will strike

Mediterranean wildfires could reshape peak season, Tui boss predicts

Extreme temperatures across most of southern Europe this summer could drive the peak season to start later and finish earlier, Sebastian Ebel has predicted

Spend with agents rebounds in July following ‘significant’ dip in June

Airlines also saw a sharp rise in spending growth, with transactions up 35.4% month-on-month in July

Airport facing threat of 'toilet hell' as cleaners plan walkout

Sanitation workers are set to take strike action this month in a dispute over pay

Gatwick’s expansion moves forward as government greenlights review

The airport said on Thursday (3 August) the government was satisfied with Gatwick’s consultation process, which went through between 2021 and the summer of 2022

British Airways adds Riga and Belgrade to London network

Flights to the Latvian and Serbian capitals will commence on 29 and 31 October respectively

Weekend walkouts at Gatwick called off but more strikes loom

The action by ground handlers employed at the airport by GGS, which had been due to get under way on Friday (4 August), has been pulled

Covid-era air passenger patterns here to stay, says airports body

Data published on Monday (31 July) by Airports Council International (ACI) shows that 52% of European airports are still below pre-Covid levels

Transatlantic start-up Global Airlines eyes Gatwick berth

New transatlantic carrier insists it is hopeful of launching from the Sussex airport during the first half of 2024, subject to seeking the necessary regulatory approvals

Birmingham airport strikes called off following pay talks

Workers had been due to embark on a period of indefinite strike action starting Tuesday 1 August

Air travel disruption and heatwaves trigger spike in refund demands

New analysis reveals UK online search volumes for travel refunds increased by 17.9% in the seven days to Friday 21 July

More Gatwick ground handlers call off July and August strikes

ASC and Menzies workers at Gatwick join easyJet’s DHL ground handlers in accepting new pay offer

Rhodes: Operators cancel more holidays in the south but operations in the north to resume

Holidays to southern areas of Rhodes most severely affected by recent wildfires have been cancelled through to mid-August, but operations to the north of the island are set to resume

Etihad ups capacity on London route with return of A380 ‘superjumbo’

First of the Gulf carrier’s four A380s returned to the sky on Tuesday (25 July) providing additional capacity during ‘the busy summer travel period’

Heathrow ‘ready and staffed up’ for summer but warns of ongoing cost of living impact

The London hub reported on Wednesday (26 July) passenger numbers have gone up 42% to 37.1 million passengers over the past six months

Thousands stranded after 70 flights to and from Gatwick cancelled

The airport has apologised to angry customers saying the disruption was caused by poor weather across Europe as well as last-minute staffing issues

Gatwick strike threat eases as easyJet ground handlers accept new pay deal

Several of the airport’s other ground handlers remain in dispute over pay with strikes fixed for 28 July to 1 August and then 4-8 August

Jet2.com expands twilight check-in service to ninth UK base

The service allows customers to drop their bags off at the airport between 4.30pm and 9pm the day before their flight

Ryanair puts $3 billion behind commitment to return to war-torn Ukraine

Ryanair executives have visited Kyiv to pledge to reopen air routes once the conflict in Ukraine ends

Airport accessibility 'improved significantly' last year, says CAA

The CAA’s Airport Accessibility Report, which assesses 26 of the largest UK airports, details airports efforts in providing disabled and less mobile passengers the standard of service to which they are entitled

The Big Question: Can aviation do more to help disabled travellers?

Frequent press stories about accessibility ordeals appear to highlight a need for improvement across the whole sector, but the sector insists things are getting better

Another UK airport facing threat of summer strike action

Parking workers at Luton airport to walk out later this month in dispute over pay