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Article from TNU NOVEMBER 2024

+THE NEWS IN BRIEF - Everything you need to know

Do see READERS COMMENTS at the end of this article


Aer Lingus to Nashville

Airlines 2024

Airspace – The government gets involved

Aviation Club lunch – Tony Douglas

BA on-board catering 

Border control delay

Destination Shows at London and Manchester

Eurostar dining

Flights to Israel

Heathrow T4 lounge

Manchester Airport’s new hotel
 

No queue jumping on American Airlines

Parliament’s Transport Committee 

Pegasus Airlines Introduces AI-Generated Pilots’ Announcements

Rolls-Royce problems for BA

SS United States

Stopping in Winchester

Transport Secretary for airports conference

World Travel Market


Aer Lingus to Nashville

Aer Lingus is to launch Nashville as its first A321XLR route.  Whilst Iberia will be the first airline to fly the long-range narrow-body the Irish fellow IAG member Aer Lingus is a close follower and is expecting to receive two by the end of the year.

The A321XLR is the newest variant of the A321 family and extends the aircraft’s range even further, to 4,700 nautical miles.

It will become the 17th city in the United States to which the airline flies from Dublin.

For Nashville, this is its second non-stop flight to Europe, joining BA’s existing service from Heathrow.

The new route launches on 12 April 2025 with four flights per week: Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday.

One of the benefits of flying to the United States via Dublin is that you can pre-clear US customs and immigration at Dublin, which is served by many UK airports, meaning a bypass of Heathrow.  At the other end you can simply walk off just like domestic passengers.  

www.aerlingus.com


Airlines 2024

One of the highlights of the aviation industry’s year, Airlines 2024, takes place on Monday 25 November, once again at the Queen Elizabeth Hall, Westminster.  Now in its sixth year, this unique one-day summit will be hosted by Airlines UK, BAR UK and IATA, in partnership with Flight Global.

It is very much a full day with the opening speaker Shai Weiss, CEO, Virgin Atlantic.  Now with his feet well under the table, but making a rare public appearance as he marks his first year in charge of Europe’s leading airport is Thomas Woldbye, CEO, Heathrow. Philip Georgiadis, Transport Correspondent, Financial Times, will act as moderator.  Other speakers include Rob Bishton, Chief Executive, CAA; Ken O’Toole, CEO, Manchester Airports Group.

https://flightglobalevents.com/airlines2024/en/page/agenda


Airspace – The government gets involved

The Department for Transport has launched a consultation process to examine ways to improve the use of UK airspace by initially looking at London’s air traffic management.

The government is promising the “biggest shake-up” in how UK airspace is managed for 70 years, with the intention to “cut flight delays, reduce carbon emissions and deliver growth”.  But no timetable has been announced.

This process will involve the creation of the UK Airspace Design Service, which will work with airports to make more efficient use of the country’s busy airspace.

UK Aviation Minister Mike Kane said: “UK airspace is one of the nation’s biggest invisible assets, but it’s been stuck in the past – a 1950s pilot would find that little has changed.”  A true word from a government minister.

https://consultations.caa.co.uk/policy-development/ukads-consultation


Aviation Club lunch – Tony Douglas

Lunch for Aviation Club members and guests on Wednesday 6 November will be held at the Royal Automobile Club (RAC), 89 Pall Mall, London SW1Y 5HS, where we will be joined by guest of honour, Tony Douglas, Chief Executive Officer of the new Riyadh Air.

Tony has an unrivalled industry reputation for building high-performing teams and leading massive infrastructure programmes with Abu Dhabi Airports, BAE Systems, and more recently Etihad Airways.

Tony joined Riyadh Air as CEO in late 2022 to help establish Saudi Arabia’s new world-class airline, driving Riyadh Air’s growth and development in line with the Kingdom’s ambitious goals.

Riyadh Air says that it should obtain its Air Operators Certificate (AOC) by the end of the year with the first of 39 Boeing 787-9 aircraft already delivered.  A further order of even larger aircraft is anticipated.  

Please note lunch bookings close on Friday 1 November.

www.riyadhair.com

https://aviationclub.org.uk


BA on-board catering 

TNU has not been able to fathom out British Airways’ on-board catering situation as pointed out by Head for Points.

BA has introduced a brunch service to all long-haul flights departing between 08:30 and 11:29.  As the newsletter notes food service cannot start until the aircraft is at the cruising altitude, and anyone at the back of Club World will not be getting fed until around 13:30.  It has also been paired back, even in First Class.  You can of course book in advance but the menu TNU has seen does not offer vegetarian as a standard item.

If you want to learn what Rob Burgess, Editor, Head for Points, makes of this go to 22 October HfP www.headforpoints.com/2024/10/22/british-airways-evening-meal-cuts and also click to the previous issue.  Rob looks like joining TNU’s Malcolm Ginsberg being persona non grata on BA.  Pity.  And as things stand BA will not be offering a speaker at Airlines 2024 (see above).

www.britishairways.com/content/information/food-and-drink/special-meals


Border control delay

The EU has once again delayed the rollout its new electronic border control system after France, Germany and the Netherlands warned the bloc’s central IT infrastructure is not ready.

The long-delayed Entry-Exit System (EES) had been due to launch on 10 November. The November date is "no longer on the table", according to multiple reports.

In a meeting of EU interior ministers, Ylva Johansson, EU Commissioner for Home Affairs, said that the Commission does not yet have a new timeline for the start of EES, but that it is now considering "a phased approach… not a big bang of all border crossing points at the same time".

EES is the first step towards the digitalisation of EU borders, and must be in force prior to the introduction of the ETIAS travel system for non-EU visitors, which is due to go live in the first half of 2025.

ETIAS will require visitors from 60 visa-free countries, including the UK, to obtain a new electronic travel authorisation to enter 30 European countries. The fee for ETIAS will be €7 for those aged 18 to 70 and it will be valid for three years.

Similarly, the UK’s own Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) scheme – which already applies to nationals of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE – will be expanded in two phases next year and, by April 2025, will apply to all visitors.

www.gov.uk/government/organisations/uk-visas-and-immigration


Destination Shows at London and Manchester

It maybe seemingly a long way off but London Olympia’s Holiday and Travel Show needs to go in the diary.  Celebrating 30 years it is the UK's largest and longest-running travel event and is organised in association with The Times and The Sunday Times.

Running from Thursday 30 January until the following Sunday 2 February the annual event is aimed at both trade and leisure participants.  Amongst the speakers listed appearing on various stages are Jeremy Bowen, Simon Calder, Victoria Hislop, Michel Roux and Simon Reeve.

The Manchester version is earlier, Thursday 16 January until Sunday 19 January, at Central Manchester Convention Complex.

www.destinationsshow.com


Eurostar dining

With the amalgamation of the European high-speed rail services Eurostar and Thalys have amalgamated into one brand simply called Eurostar.

Going ahead is a revamp of the dining arrangements.

As far as the Channel Tunnel services are concerned Business Premier becomes Eurostar Premier, with the next class down Standard Premier Eurostar Plus and the bulk of the seating, Eurostar Standard.  Why they cannot call it First, Business Class and Standard defies logic.

At the same time, Raymond Blanc is being replaced, after a decade, by a new culinary team in Eurostar Premier. Eurostar has hired chefs Jérémy Chan (holder of two Michelin stars at London’s Ikoyi) and Jessica Préalpato (a renowned French pastry chef), together with sommelier Honey Spencer.  Eurostar Premier has a completely separate catering team.  TNU plans to report next month.

www.eurostar.com/uk-en/travel-info/eurostar-experience/food-on-board


Flights to Israel 

If you are considering visiting Israel, please keep up with British Foreign Office advice.

At the present time only El Al flies direct ex-UK from Heathrow and Luton.  Alternative routing can be made with Israeli airlines Arkia and Israir via Athens and Larnaca. Other carriers offering services include Air Europa, Corendon, Emirates, Etihad and Ethiopian.  All connect via British airports.

www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/israel

www.israelhayom.com/2024/10/27/the-complete-guide-to-all-airline-flight-cancellations-to-israel-2


Global Airlines is flying 

Start-up Airbus A380 operator Global Airlines has moved its first aircraft.

This aircraft arrived at the Elbe Flugzeugwerke (EFW) facility in Dresden on Friday 4 October. The plane, registered as 9H-GLOBL, flew from Prestwick (Scotland) to Dresden (Germany), with its undercarriage down.  This was the same modus for its Atlantic delivery flight from the Mojave Air and Space Port (MHV) in California.  (See June TNU www.travelnewsupdate.co.uk/article/717)

Global Airlines recently signed a multi-million-Euro agreement with EFW to perform a comprehensive base maintenance for it four A389 fleet.  Portuguese airline Hi Fly, who have operated the A380 in the past, are also involved with the project.  

Liam Mckay, in charge of communications at the developing airline, and previously with London City Airport in a similar position, has now moved on.

See also www.travelnewsupdate.co.uk/article/752

www.globalairlines.com


Heathrow T4 lounge 

Plaza Premium has opened a lounge in Terminal 4 at Heathrow, in the space previously occupied by Skyteam/Air France/KLM.  It is on the same level as the check-ins and shops opposite Gates 10a and 10b.  

The new lounge is open from 05:00 until 22:00 daily and welcomes ad hoc Priority Pass holders and is open 24/7 for online bookings.  

The lounge can take up to around 150 passengers and features a multi-faith prayer room, and shower facilities.

The old lounge had an upstairs but this is presently closed and unallocated.

The lounge is presently open to Plaza Premium card holders, Business Class and eligible Skyteam travellers.  You can also pre-book at a current price of £47.52.  

www.plazapremiumlounge.com/en-uk/find/europe/united-kingdom/london/london-heathrow-airport/international-departures-terminal-four


Manchester Airport’s new hotel 

Australia has arrived at Manchester with the opening of the TRIBE Manchester Airport.

The new hotel features 412 rooms with the terminals a short walk away and the nearby train station for a quick journey into the heart of Manchester.  There is a gym, lounge for aircrew and all-day dining.  Additionally, the hotel offers a versatile breakfast room that can be turned into private dining space for daytime and evening events.

TRIBE Manchester Airport is the brand's 19th hotel globally and the second in the UK, following the opening of TRIBE London Canary Wharf in 2022.

https://tribehotels.com/en/united-kingdom/manchester-airport


No queue jumping on American Airlines  

Americans call it ‘line skipping’ but Brits prefer ‘queue jumping’, sometimes tolerated by airlines’ boarding gate teams.  

American Airlines is attempting to foil it completely.

In a statement shared with Nexstar, a spokesperson for the airline confirmed that agents in select airports are testing new technology to help prevent impatient travellers from boarding the aircraft before their group is called.  They are being met with an ‘error beep’ after trying to scan their tickets.

“I saw this in action yesterday,” noted a queuing passenger. “It was great! I saw about five people get punted out of line for trying to board before their group was called.”

American Airlines is said to be pleased with the testing so far, but it still may be too early to determine its effect.  In any case, the process will likely be satisfying for rule-abiding passengers to watch according to early reactions.

“When people try to board early, they should be automatically moved to the end of the line. And with the overhead bins full their bags put in the hold,” was a typical reaction.

www.aa.com


Parliament’s Transport Committee  

The House of Commons has formally appointed the membership of the Transport Committee.

Member of Parliament Party  Constituency
Ruth Cadbury  [Chair]  Labour Brentford and Isleworth
Steff Aquarone  Liberal Democrats North Norfolk
Dr Scott Arthur  Labour Edinburgh South West
Catherine Atkinson  Labour Derby North
Elsie Blundell  Labour Heywood and Middleton North
Olly Glover  Liberal Democrats  Didcot and Wantage
Katie Lam Conservative  Weald of Kent
Alex Mayer  Labour Dunstable and Leighton Buzzard
Baggy Shanker  Labour (Co-op) Derby South
Rebecca Smith Conservative  South West Devon
Laurence Turner Labour  Birmingham Northfield
https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/153/transport-committee


Pegasus Airlines Introduces AI-Generated Pilots’ Announcements  

It will become the norm for many airlines.  Turkish carrier Pegasus now offers in-flight announcements in Spanish, Arabic and Russian in the respective local language, following the English version.

The Pegasus Innovation Lab, established last year in Silicon Valley to spearhead new technologies and innovations in the aviation sector, which has developed this project, harnessing AI for voice cloning and multi-language announcement systems. It clones the voices of male and female Pegasus captains to create dynamic multi-lingual announcements tailored to each flight.
 
The announcements share details such as flight information, weather, destination, the captain's name, and flight duration, all updated via AI before take-off.

www.flypgs.com/en


Rolls-Royce problems for BA 

British Airways has confirmed that changes to schedules have been made due to the problems Rolls-Royce was having obtaining parts for its engines.

“We’re disappointed that we’ve had to make further changes to our schedule as we continue to experience delays to the delivery of engines and parts from Rolls-Royce – particularly in relation to the Trent 1000 engines fitted to our 787 aircraft”, British Airways said in a statement.

The carrier has halted the launch of services to Malaysia, halved the number of flights to Qatar and suspended routes between Gatwick and New York JFK

If you have booked long-haul over the winter schedules passengers are well advised to check at an early date regarding their reservations.

www.ba.com

www.rolls-royce.com


SS United States

With two great Cunarder’s highlighted in this issue of Travel News Update (TNU), Queen Mary (Long Beach LA) and QE2 (Dubai), here is an update on the fastest transatlantic liner of the all, the SS United States.  

She entered service in 1952 and completed her final voyage in November 1969 and still holds the record for the fastest Atlantic crossing by a passenger ship.

Since 1996 she has been berthed in Philadelphia, across the Delaware River from the equally historic battleship New Jersey.

Numerous attempts over the years have been made to return her to past glories but her end is nigh and she is about to be towed first to Norfolk, Virginia, for decontaminating, and finally Okaloosa County, Florida, to be sunk as the world's largest artificial reef off Destin-Fort Walton Beach.  

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_United_States


Stopping in Winchester 

Drivers on the M3 en route to Southampton and needing a quick stopover or thinking of visiting the one-time capital of Wessex should not be confused.  Close by the National Park via Junction 9 The Holiday Inn Winchester has completed a major renovation and is now trading as Voco Winchester.  Be aware that at Junction 9 major road works are taking place.

Voco is another IHG brand, so the hotel is staying within the IHG family, but with different standards.  Why hotels dream up new names is beyond the understanding of TNU.  All very confusing.  

ON TOUR: Winchester - Capital of Wessex

www.ihg.com/voco/hotels/gb/en/winchester/soawc/hoteldetail

www.visitwinchester.co.uk


Transport Secretary for airports conference

The Rt Hon Louise Haigh MP, Transport Minister, will deliver the opening keynote address at Airports UK annual conference 5 December 2024.  

The venue is London’s Park Plaza Riverbank, a short walk from Vauxhall on the Victoria Line and also served by South Western Rail.  The full programme and list of speakers will be published shortly.

https://airportsuk.org


World Travel Market

ExCeL London, near London City Airport, is again the venue for World Travel Market, 4-7 November.  Access is best via the DLR and Elizabeth Line.  

For the very first time, a session called Regenerative Tourism is at the forefront of its Sustainability Summit, taking place at ExCeL London on Wednesday 6 November 2024.

Overseen by the show’s sustainability advisor Tina O’Dwyer, a leading expert in sustainable tourism and driving impactful campaigns, the three-hour Summit will focus on the core theme of using travel as a force for good, coinciding with the show’s overarching theme of ‘TravelPower’.

The hugely popular and quick-witted Canadian actress, writer and presenter Katherine Ryan will close the show on the Thursday during a 45-minute fireside chat on resilience, breaking barriers and her global travel experiences, where she will unpack her journey of challenging industry norms and breaking cultural barriers with humour.

https://hub.wtm.com

www.wtm.com/london/en-gb/visit/floorplan.html

Index/Home page
 

READERS' COMMENT

All comments are filtered to exclude any excesses but the Editor does not have to agree with what is being said. 200 words maximum


Tim Proctor,

Very good Malcolm. But a bit too fiddly. Tiny font (MG – since corrected). Tricky to put the cursor over highlights. Space it out, make it bolder. It just immediately seems too dense, visually. Looks like a soup. I want to see the steaks. Make it a bit bigger and user friendly - generally - I would suggest.


Barry Graham, US

Nice to see some competition flying to/from Israel. I will still be flying El Al, when I fly through London rather than having to do another stopover. It's time that the US and European airlines stopped their unofficial boycott of Israel.


Aleks Kowalski,

Hi Malcolm I did suggest the text only approach was better some time ago and glad others have thought the same. Was able to speed read that in 4 mins and very much enjoyed it. Thank you very much and look forward to the next one.


David George,

This is SO MUCH BETTER!! Easy to read and find articles which are of interest. Well done!! Best regards.


John Hepworth,

Great Malcolm, just highlight the key stories and then we know where we are.


Sir Brian Donohoe Ret\'d MP, Irvine

Thanks Malcolm


Jenny Wright, Windsor

I’m not sure why this was not done in the first place. No pictures nor daft quotes.


James Segal, United Kingdom

This is very good and a quick read. I am going to tell others. I am pleased AND FINALLY remains.


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