LONDON - Virgin Atlantic has opened applications to recruit 400 new cabin crew to take to the skies in its red uniform in summer 2022. Still, the airline remains cautious about future staffing needs. The additional roles will be part of an initial 6-month fixed term contract with the view to extend.

LONDON - The UK is about to decide whether or not to extend slot relief for airlines. 56 percent of people surveyed who are planning to fly in the next 12 months are concerned about airfares increasing if airport slot rules remain the same, according to a YouGov survey commissioned by Gatwick Airport and Wizz Air. 

LONDON - British Airways and Qatar Airways extend their joint business. The news follows British Airways’ relaunch of daily services to Doha, with the airline’s first flight taking off from Gatwick this month, giving customers access to Qatar Airways’ expansive global network with connections to over 100 destinations.

LONDON - British Airways will use sustainable aviation fuel produced on a commercial scale in the UK after signing a multi-year agreement with Phillips 66. Thousands of tonnes of SAF will be produced at the Phillips 66 Humber Refinery near Immingham and will be supplied to British Airways early 2022. 

LONDON - Heathrow has begun recruiting for over 600 new frontline roles as the restart of transatlantic travel and easing of international restrictions boosts confidence in the aviation sector’s recovery. The reopening of the US travel markets stimulates demand in the core business of the airport.

FRANKFURT - After more than a year in storage, British Airways restarts A380 operation with crew familiarization rosters on short trips within its European network. On Monday morning, the A380 G-XLEF went on the BA902/903 rotation from London Heathrow to Frankfurt and back.

MANCHESTER - The first Aer Lingus transatlantic service from the UK took to the skies Wednesday with the departure of the airline’s first ever non-stop direct flight from Manchester to Barbados. The IAG airline will expand its Manchester flights with new services to New York and Orlando in December.

LONDON - Norse Atlantic Airways and the British Airline Pilots Association (Balpa) have entered into an agreement that will deliver hundreds of jobs in the UK. Norse plans to commence affordable flights between Europe and North America in 2022 with a fleet of Boeing 787 aircraft.

DUBLIN - Ryanair laid the groundwork for recovery and expansion with the opening of a new 50 million Euro training center in Santry, close to Dublin Airport. The Irish low-cost airline consolidates training operations under a new agreement with Airline Flight Academy (AFA) and announced a hiring spree.

ABERDEEN - Loganair, the UK’s largest regional airline, has further bolstered its route network as it launches a new direct service between Aberdeen and Dublin, with the first flight taking to the skies Sunday 5 September. The airline operates the route with a 49-seat Embraer 145 regional jet.

LONDON - The UK Civil Aviation Authority has published aviation statistics for the second quarter of 2021. Overall, 6.3 million passengers flew in and out of the UK between April and June this year - compared to 3.4 million in quarter one 2021 - across 124,000 flights (81,000 flights in quarter one 2021).

LONDON - JetBlue Airways has officially entered the transatlantic market with new, nonstop service between New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and London Heathrow Airport (LHR). The first customer-carrying JetBlue flight between the U.S. and the U.K. touched down at Heathrow Thursday just before 10 o’clock.

LONDON - Virgin Atlantic might tap the stock market as the recovery takes shape. The airline will follow up on its IPO plans by autumn, Sky News reports. Virgin Atlantic is co-owned by billionaire Richard Branson's Virgin Group, that holds a 51 percent interest, and Delta Air Lines with a 49 percent stake.

LONDON - More than 3,500 UK pilots have written to the Government to highlight a "new and unfair system" that means UK pilot licences have been "seriously degraded in value and utility" following Brexit. The new state of play might even have prevented UK pilots from securing UK jobs.

GENEVA - The International Air Transport Association (IATA) branded the European Commission’s (EC) decision to set the winter slot use threshold at 50% as "out of touch with reality" and argued that the EC had ignored the advice and evidence presented by EU member states and the airline industry.

LONDON - Britain plans to relax slot use regulation through the winter to protect airline assets. London Gatwick Airport warned the Governement that the step will eventually backfire. The airline landscape is in a split mood: British Airways and Easyjet favor an extended slot relief, while Ryanair and Wizz Air push for a return to normal rules.

ATLANTA - Delta has entered into agreements to add 29 used Boeing 737-900ERs and lease seven used Airbus A350-900s as it continues to streamline and modernize its fleet. The 36 additional aircraft will support Delta's fleet renewal strategy focused on simplification, scale, size and sustainability.

LONDON - In the first three months of 2021 alone, the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) issued a staggering 485 Fixed Penalty Notices - financial fines - to airlines for carrying passengers who had not complied with Covid-19 requirements for international passengers travelling into the UK.

LONDON - British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Heathrow have joined forces to prove it is possible to quickly and easily verify those arriving into the UK who are fully vaccinated - an identification process already in place for outbound travel to several countries.

LONDON - Ryanair expands its Standsted base this winter season with the acquisition of nearly 300 weekly slots from rival Easyjet. The airlines already swapped STN summer slots as Easyjet closes its Stansted post to focus on its London Luton and London Gatwick bases after the crisis.