Coronavirus lockdown: Commuters should prepare to queue, government says May 12, 2020 The government has said that commuters using public transport should prepare to queue as more people begin to return to workplaces on Wednesday. In new guidance published today by the Department for Transport (DfT), people are urged to avoid public transport where possible and to prepare for journeys to take longer than normal. “If you [...]
TfL set for £4bn loss as operator seeks government bailout May 12, 2020 Transport for London (TfL) is on track for a £4bn loss this year as the capital’s transport operator continues to seek a bailout from the government. According to papers from TfL’s finance committee, the operator is currently spending £600m a month due to the coronavirus crisis. As a result of the pandemic, usage of London’s [...]
Ryanair to operate 1,000 flights a day from 1 July May 12, 2020 Ryanair will begin operation 40 per cent of its scheduled flights from 1 July as Europe’s largest low-cost carrier seeks to bounce back from the coronavirus crisis. Subject to travel restrictions, the budget airline will run nearly 1,000 flights a day across 90 per cent of its pre-coronavirus route network. In order to facilitate the [...]
Mayor candidate Shaun Bailey: TfL bailout was ‘inevitable’ May 11, 2020 London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey has claimed that Transport for London’s (TfL) bailout bid was “inevitable” and would have happened even without the coronavirus crisis. The Tory candidate told City PM’s daily podcast The City View that TfL was “bankrupt, virtually” and that its bid for a £2bn bailout from central government was because of [...]
Sir Richard Branson to sell $500m of Virgin Galactic stake to prop up other firms May 11, 2020 Sir Richard Branson is set to sell up to $500m shares in space tourism firm Virgin Galactic in order to prop up his other businesses, company filings published today showed. According to a submission to the US Securities and Exchange Commission, Branson will sell up to 25m shares in the company. At Friday’s close of [...]
TfL: Londoners should wear face masks on Tube May 11, 2020 Transport for London (TfL) has warned commuters that they will have to “significantly change” the way they travel as the country begins to ease coronavirus lockdown measures. After Prime Minister Boris Johnson last night said that those who could not work from home should return to work, the operator laid out its initial plan to [...]
British Airways to review July restart plans after quarantine plans revealed May 11, 2020 IAG’s chief executive Willie Walsh has said that British Airways is reviewing plans to resume 50 per cent of its flights in July due to the government’s new quarantine measures. Speaking to the Transport Select Committee this morning, Walsh said: “I don’t think anybody believed that the UK government was actually implemented if they were [...]
French passengers not included in UK quarantine plans May 11, 2020 The UK’s new quarantine measures for incoming passengers will not apply to people coming from France, Downing Street has confirmed. Last night Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that “it would soon be time” to introduce a quarantine period for all those entering the UK by air. However, after a phone call with French president Emmanuel [...]
Heathrow calls for border reopening plan as passenger numbers fall 97 per cent May 11, 2020 The chief executive of the UK’s largest airport Heathrow has called on the government to lay out a roadmap for how it will reopen its borders after coronavirus. Speaking as the airport announced that passenger volumes in April had fallen 97 per cent, John Holland-Kaye said: “Aviation is the lifeblood of this country’s economy, and [...]
Easyjet calls on government to use quarantine rules for only a short period May 11, 2020 Low-cost carrier Easyjet today said that the government should only keep quarantine requirements for people entering the UK in place for a “short period”. Last night Prime Minister Boris Johnson had announced that mandatory quarantine for air passengers coming into the UK would soon be put in place. He said: “And to prevent re-infection from [...]