Air travel body Iata: Global air passenger rate of growth dives to lowest since January 2015 May 30, 2016 Global demand for passenger travel in April rose 4.6 per cent – the slowest rate of growth since January 2015, the International Air Transport Association (Iata) said yesterday. And demand for air freight, measured in freight tonne kilometres, was up 3.2 per cent in April, but Iata head Tony Tyler said that was not a [...]
With HS2 dubbed over-priced by experts, does Britain have a problem with big infrastructure projects? May 27, 2016 Dr Robin Hickman, reader in transport planning and the city at the Bartlett School of Planning, University College London, says Yes. Large-scale infrastructure projects involve substantial economic, environmental and social impact – affecting present and future generations. Projects can cost billions and affect people and the environment in many different ways. We have a problem in [...]
Boffins blast HS2 arguing Britain’s high speed rail offering could be five times more expensive than its French equivalent May 26, 2016 High Speed 2 (HS2) could be up to five times more expensive than its French equivalent according to a new academic study, reigniting rows over whether the £56bn railway plan is a “vanity project”. The academics, led by Professor Tony May from Leeds University and transport consultant Jonathan Tyler, said that France's TGV line from [...]
London to Sydney in less than two hours? Scientists are closer to developing hypersonic flight technology May 25, 2016 Could it one day be possible to fly halfway around the world in less than the time it currently takes to get from London to Manchester? Scientists in Australia have suggested it might – as they came one step closer to developing so-called hypersonic technology, which could allow people to travel at speeds of over 5,500mph. [...]
Wizz Air Holding’s profits take off after expansion strategy soars May 25, 2016 The largest Central and Eastern European low-cost airline, Wizz Air Holdings, took off with high profits today following a successful expansion strategy across the continent. The figures Total revenue at the airline increased 16 per cent to €1.43bn (£1.1bn) in its full-year 2016 results. The company reported underlying net profit after tax of €224m, an increase of [...]
Toyota invests in Uber to launch ride-sharing partnership May 24, 2016 Car giant Toyota is set to invest in taxi app Uber to launch a ride-sharing venture. The Japanese carmaker will offer new buyers leasing options wherein they can lease their vehicles from Toyota Financial Services and cover their payments through earnings generated as Uber drivers. Terms of the partnership haven’t been revealed. However, Toyota said that [...]
Volkswagen invests $300m in Uber rival Gett May 24, 2016 Volkswagen has invested $300m (£205m) in taxi on-demand service Gett, a rival to Uber, handing it a stake in some of Britain's black cab fleet and also indicating the future of the German car brand. Gett bought up Radio Taxis, adding more than 1,000 traditional cabbies to its fleet of 10,000 drivers in the UK earlier this year and [...]
We spoke too soon: Now maintenance and engineering workers are striking over Night Tube May 24, 2016 Thought a deal had finally been reached to launch Night Tube? Think again: the RMT union has confirmed that there's going to be a strike over the new 24-hour service – by maintenance and engineering workers. The much-maligned service was finally given a launch date of 19 August yesterday following months of delays while drivers' unions [...]
Here’s how Uber wants to solve commuting May 24, 2016 Uber has already revolutionised our late night trips after a night out, but now Uber wants to do the same for your daily commute to work. The boss of the billion dollar startup Travis Kalanick has spoken about one of the bigger plans for the company and the future of commuting – carpooling. "Is there a way that someone could pick [...]
Ryanair pledges to cut fares as it misses profit expectations following the affects of terrorist incidents and union strikes May 23, 2016 Budget airline Ryanair missed expectations in its full-year profits today as the impact of terrorist attacks on bookings and low oil prices began to take their toll. The figures Adjusted net profits came in at €1.24bn (£961m) for the 52 weeks to 31 March, a 43 per cent increase on the previous year, although this missed analysts' estimate of €1.3bn. [...]
