Dubai International raises 2023 forecast to 85 million passengers Dubai International (DXB) has once again upwardly revised its 2023 forecast of passenger traffic from 83.6 million to 85 million and would therefore be “just 1.6 per cent shy of DXB’s annual traffic in 2019.” DXB’s passenger traffic for the first half of this year already surpassed the corresponding period of …

Heathrow baggage carousel workers balloted on strike action Baggage carousel maintenance and servicing workers at Heathrow airport are being balloted over possible strike action.  Unite said that around 170 Vanderlande Industries workers were being balloted following what the union referred to as a “poor pay offer”. The ballot runs until 1 September, and Unite said that should its members take …

China relaxes entry rules for business travellers China has released a series of new measures intended to ease travel into the country, including greater flexibility for business travellers. The Ministry of Public Security on 3 August issued 26 new ‘convenience’ measures, which include relaxed rules for movement across the country and the ability for business travellers to upgrade single-entry arrival …

TfL unveils details of new Piccadilly Line trains TfL has released images of its new Piccadilly Line trains, which are set to enter service in 2025. The first of the 94 trains has arrived at the Siemens Mobility Test and Validation Centre in Germany for testing, having travelled from the production line in Vienna at the end of July. The …

UK government extends use of eGates to travellers aged ten and over Children aged ten and eleven years can now use eGates at UK air and rail ports, following a change in the rules. Previously travellers had to be at least 12 years old to use eGates, but effective Monday 24 July the service has been extended to those aged …

British Airways trials digital wayfinding tool at Heathrow. British Airways has launched a trial of new digital wayfinding maps at its Heathrow T3 and T5 hubs.  The maps can be accessed via wayfinding.maps.ba.com or via QR codes on digital screens at the airport, and as part of the trial links are also being sent out to customers travelling into Heathrow …

London’s airports ready to grow and ‘steal a march’ on Heathrow Gatwick, Luton and London City airports have all lodged applications to significantly increase passenger capacity, while Heathrow’s expansion hopes have lost momentum.  Gatwick recently submitted a planning application to bring its existing emergency runway into “routine use” by the end of the decade. Elsewhere, Stansted announced plans earlier this …

Ryanair Verification Information for Corporate Travellers   Following on from recent concern surrounding the newly implemented Ryanair verification process, we have collated the following information for our corporate client’s reference. We aim to support our clients through this process and hope to make checking-in as efficient as possible for those flying with Ryanair in the future. If you have been …

Government unveils plans to enhance protections for air passengers The UK government has published new proposals to ensure stronger enforcement powers for the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), improved rights for disabled passengers and better access to dispute resolution.  The proposals are part of the government’s response to its consultation on aviation consumer policy reform published in January 2022. Under the new …

Rail strike planned for three days in July Rail union RMT has announced three strike dates in July “after train operators failed to make a new pay offer”.  The union said that 20,000 of its members across 14 train operating companies (TOCs) are set to walk out on July 20, 22 and 29. This follows the strikes which took place …