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United Kingdom aviation news

UK – Sharm el-Sheikh Flights Halted

The British Government has suspended flights between the Egyptian resort of Sharm el-Sheikh amid fears that the Russian-owned Airbus A321 which crashed on October 31 may have been brought down by an explosive device. The Metrojet aircraft, bound for St Petersburg, came down in the Sinai desert shortly after take-off killing all 224 on board. In a statement on the evening of November 4, the Britis...

Heathrow CEO pledges guarantee on air quality limits with expansion

Giving evidence to the Environmental Audit Committee, Chief Executive John Holland-Kaye confirmed that Heathrow expansion can be delivered within EU air quality limits and without increasing the amount of airport-related vehicles on the roads. Mr Holland-Kaye explained that a “triple lock” guarantee would address the air quality surrounding the airport, should Heathrow be allowed to...

Norwegian launches UK’s only direct flights to Puerto Rico

Norwegian has launched the UK’s first direct flight to Puerto Rico in almost in a decade as the low-cost carrier continues its rapid growth in Britain. Norwegian, Europe’s third largest low-cost carrier, will operate flights to the United States’ territory of Puerto Rico, providing over 12,000 affordable seats to the Caribbean from £159 one way. The flights will ope...

Skylon,to go from Paris to Sydney in four hours

British government decided to invest 84 million euros (60 million pounds) in Skylon, an aircraft that could connect Paris to Sydney in less than four hours. Actually it is the development of an orbital launch vehicle, developed by British Reaction Engines Limited since the mid-90s. Its uniqueness is in its next-generation engine called SABRE for Air-Breathing Rocket Synergetic Engine....

Keep calm and do some yoga at Gatwick Airport

Gatwick Airport has introduced pre-flight yoga for passengers who are nervous flyers or find the whole flying experience stressful. The yoga room will help passengers de-stress and unwind before a flight. The classes have been programmed by Shona Vertue, who is popular on Instagram, and is only 20 minutes long, but Shona believes that’s long enough to ease the effects of flying. Even m...

Wings Alliance looks to transform UK pilot training

A new training system initiative about to be launched in the UK is intended to offer prospective commercial pilots a route to the cockpit at around half the cost of the integrated courses created for major airlines. Being established by partners including Bristol Groundschool, Cardiff Aviation and several other approved training organisations, the Wings Alliance will be formally launc...

Flight Restrictions Imposed over William and Kate's House

Flight restrictions over the country home of Prince William and his wife Kate came into effect Sunday, with the authorities citing security considerations. Anmer Hall in Norfolk, eastern England, is where the royal couple spend most of their time with their children Prince George, two, and six month old Princess Charlotte. From Sunday, most aircraft will be banned from flying over the ten-be...

Fog Hits UK Travel: British Airways Cancels 100 Flights and Other Airlines Grounded at Heathrow

As fog blankets south-east England, airline travellers face a frustrating start to the working week. More than 100 of today's flights have been cancelled by British Airways - mostly to and from its main base, London Heathrow, and the Docklands airport, London City. BA is warning passengers not to travel to the airport unless they have confirmation their flight will be operating. Many o...

Passenger seated on plane next to stranger who looks exactly like him

Have you ever wanted a twin? This man met the next best thing, when he sat next to a stranger who looked exactly like him on a flight. The ginger-bearded man met his match met his match, and was delighted to meet someone who looked exactly like him. They took a grinning selfie together on the flight, which was posted on social media by the friend of our hero's wife. She tweeted:...

London Oxford Airport offers free shuttle services to new rail station

London Oxford Airport has begun offering business jet passengers and crew complimentary shuttle services to and from Oxford Parkway Station. The station, located five minutes’ away from the airport, offers high speed services to Marylebone Station in just under an hour, with trains running every 30 minutes. “The thoroughly modern transport hub at Oxford Parkway with its new hig...

British Airways launches new First luxury magazine

Customers flying in First with British Airways will now be able to browse at their leisure through the airline’s new luxury in-flight magazine. In a first for in-flight magazines, the new-look First appears in a bespoke journal-like size with unique cover artwork and specially textured paper, giving it a book-like feel. The launch coincides with the unveiling of British Airways’...

Demand continues to rise at London Heathrow

Demand at Heathrow has continued to grow, with traffic up 2.3 per cent to a record 56.9 million passengers. Service quality was also ahead of other European hubs during a record summer, with five separate days where Heathrow welcomed over a quarter of a million passengers per day. Robust financial results saw revenue up 4.1 per cent to £2.1 billion and EBITDA up 4.4 per cent to £...