NASA flies helicopter on Mars in world first April 19, 2021 NASA has today made history by performing the first ever powered, controlled flight from the surface of another planet with robot helicopter Ingenuity. The mini helicopter took off from the surface of Mars and was airborne for less than a minute before landing, the space agency said. MiMi Aung, project manager for Ingenuity at Nasa’s [...]
Eurostar secures lender support as it eyes government bailout April 18, 2021 Eurostar is said to have signed a deal with its lenders to refinance hundreds of millions of pounds of debt as it looks to secure financial support from the UK government. A group of banks, including Natwest, have agreed to refinance £400m of loans that were due to be repaid this summer, the Daily Telegraph [...]
Nissan to idle Sunderland staff amid semiconductor shortage April 16, 2021 Car giant Nissan will reportedly put 800 staff at its factory in Sunderland on furlough due to the worldwide shortage of semiconductors. The Japanese automaker will send about a tenth of its 8,000-strong workforce at the plant home until the current squeeze eases, the Nikkei reported today. The decision comes as it was revealed that [...]
World’s biggest semiconductor maker warns that shortage could continue into 2022 April 15, 2021 The world’s biggest semiconductor maker this morning warned that the current chip shortage could well last into 2022. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) said that it was doing everything it could to alleviate the drought of the processors, which are vital for a vast range of electric devices. Chief exec C. C. Wei told investors [...]
Mass sacking at British Gas as 500 engineers lose job amid contract row April 15, 2021 Nearly 500 British Gas engineers lost their jobs yesterday after refusing to sign new contracts which will reportedly cut their pay by around 15 per cent. British Gas owner Centrica told various media last night that around 2 per cent of its staff had chosen not to sign the new contracts, though it refused to [...]
Wizz Air dives to €590m loss as wait for recovery goes on April 15, 2021 Wizz Air came back down to earth with a bump this morning as the firm braced itself for a net loss of up to €590m for the full financial year. The Hungarian flier warned that it did not expect traffic to pick up until late in the summer due to continued restrictions across its core [...]
Ford to further cut car production due to global semiconductor chip shortage April 14, 2021 Ford to further cut car production due to global semiconductor chip shortage
Phoenix from the ashes: the rise, fall, and rebirth of Flybe April 14, 2021 It’s been a bumpy ride. From humble beginnings as Jersey European Airways to becoming Europe’s largest independent carrier, followed by downturn, collapse, and now rebirth, Flybe’s 40-year flight path has been anything but direct. After becoming Europe’s biggest regional airline in the middle of the 2000s, the end of the 2010s saw the carrier plunged [...]
Flybe set for summer return as buyout deal completed April 14, 2021 Flybe’s journey back to the skies moved a step closer today after the sale of the collapsed airline to a firm backed by private equity firm Cyrus Capital was completed. The deal, which was first announced in October last year, will see new owner Thyme Opco change its name to Flybe Limited. A spokesperson for [...]
Too early to speculate on travel ‘green list’ countries, ministers insist April 14, 2021 The UK’s aviation minister has said it is still too early to speculate on the countries that will be on the travel “green list”, despite increasing calls for clarity from the travel industry. With just over a month to go before international travel is due to restart on 17 May, airlines and passengers alike are [...]
