LONDON - Heathrow submitted "shovel-ready proposals" for a privately financed third runway, capable of flights taking off within a decade. The "once-in-a-generation" redesign of the runway and terminal system of Europe's biggest aviation hub just received a government nod - and faces British Airways scrutiny.

LONDON - London Gatwick is set to welcome Jet2 in March 2026, marking a "major milestone" for the airport as it becomes the latest base for one of the UK’s largest airlines. Jet2 will launch operations with six aircraft, including five Airbus A321neo, and a network of 29 routes, the airport said in a statement.

LONDON - Virgin Atlantic drafts a fleet investment plan. London Heathrow slots will serve as collateral for the loan.

LONDON - Heathrow airport submitted details for a new 3,500m northwestern runway in August. The third runway is needed to support future traffic growth - but carries a hefty price tag. Core Heathrow user British Airways favors a "shorter runway" as a cheaper solution for airlines that will ultimately pay for it.

LONDON - Several airlines met headwinds recently. The streak of suspended operations continues in the UK: Eastern Airways cancelled all flights Monday and put itself under administration. British regulator CAA urged all passengers booked with Eastern Airways to make "alternative travel arrangements".

LONDON - After a seven-year tenure, Shai Weiss will stand down as CEO of Virgin Atlantic and leave the airline on 31 December 2025. Current Chief Customer and Chief Operating Officer Corneel Koster will succeed Weiss - and become the next Virgin Atlantic CEO on 1 January 2026. Koster re-joined Virgin Atlantic in 2019.

LONDON - "Important piece of national infrastructure": The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has today a consultation on reforms to the airspace change process, a key part of Britains’s wider programme to modernise airspace.

LONDON - Figures in the latest edition of the Aviation Index - NATS’ annual survey of the UK public carried out by Ipsos - show that drones are increasingly seen as valuable, practical tools for delivering essential services.

LONDON - Gatwick Airport wants to put its northern runway to full use by the end of the decade. The Government signaled support for the northern runway plans and follows through: Gatwick just received official approval for its expansion plans.

LONDON - Several airports across Europe face disruptions upon a cyber attack on a third-party IT services provider. Heathrow airport expects "delays for departing passengers" and put additional staff on duty to "minimise disruptions".

LONDON - Heathrow Airport faced major operational disruptions late Monday. According to media reports a hazardous materials alert caused an evacuation of Terminal 4. Emergency services were on site while flight operations at other Heathrow terminals continued. The alarm was called off soon after.

LONDON - A new arrivals spacing tool calculates safe and efficient gaps between aircraft approaching London Heathrow. British air navigation service provider NATS credits the "Pairwise" extension to its "Intelligent Approach" system with "a cut in carbon emissions, better punctuality and greater operational resilience".

LONDON  - Heathrow has submitted "shovel-ready proposals" for a privately financed third runway, capable of flights taking off within a decade. The "once-in-a-generation" redesign of the runway and terminal system received government backing earlier this year - and carries a 49 billion GBP price tag.

LONDON - A "technical issue" at NATS affected London air traffic Wednesday. According to NATS, the issue at the Swanwick Centre has been resolved. Still, London airports experience significant delays and flight cancellations. It remained unclear which exact system caused the glitch.

LAKENHEATH - A C-17A Globemaster III flies from the US straight into the UK. The flight path: No secret. The inbound cargo: Top secret. Mission circumstances and details give rise to speculation: The US government might have moved some nuclear warheads to back the UK to deter Russia.

LONDON - A serious accident Sunday keeps Southend Airport closed at the beginning of the week. This causes some headache to Easyjet.

LONDON - Up 300 Boeing 737 MAX 10 aircraft deliveries will propel Ryanair to 300 million passengers by 2034. The airline needs a steady inflow of new pilots to support its ambitious growth strategy - a flight school programme in the UK will give Ryanair access to 400 new hires over the next four years.

LONDON - The UK-US trade deal has come into force Monday, slashing US export tariffs for the key UK industries. Aerospace goods will clear US customs without any levies again - with immediate effect. A deal between the US and the EU about future trade remains pending but could copy elements of the UK blueprint.

LONDON - Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (OTPP) reached an agreement to sell its interests in three UK airport assets - Birmingham Airport, Bristol and London City Airport - to Macquarie Asset Management. The Canadian pension plan has been a long-term investor in these airports.

LONDON - Two RAF Airbus A330 MRTT military aircraft have been vandalized at Brize Norton air base.

LONDON - Following 15 years as Chief Executive of London Gatwick, Stewart Wingate has been appointed as Managing Director, UK Airports, a newly created role by airport owner VINCI Airports and Global Infrastructure Partners.

LONDON - A London-bound Air India Boeing 787-8 crashed right after take-off in the Indian city of Ahmedabad killing 241 of 242 people on board. The UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) has offered its assistance in the investigation. In addition, the UK AAIB will have expert status in the Indian safety investigation.

LONDON - Since 2015, UK-headquartered AOG Technics has supplied parts for passenger aircraft engines around the world, at least some of those with bogus documents. This carries consequences for the former director.

LONDON - London Gatwick has expanded its connectivity across Africa with the launch of a new service to Entebbe by Uganda Airlines - the only direct route between the UK and Uganda.

DUBAI - Flydubai will support future growth with a stream of pilots from an ab initio programme of its own. The scheme is run "in partnership with international overseas flight training partners," the airline said.

LONDON - With over 2.5 million flights handled through UK airspace each year, the role of an air traffic controller is critical in keeping the skies safe and efficient. This year, NATS is offering further opportunities for people to start a hugely fulfilling career at the heart of the aviation industry.

LONDON - British Secretary of State for Transport Heidi Alexander is "minded to grant consent” for the Northern Runway planning application at London Gatwick Airport subject to certain conditions. The airport will accept stricter limits on aircraft noise in return for Government approval - and a public transport requirement.

MONTREAL - London Heathrow switches spots with Tokyo Haneda in the 2024 ACI list of the world's busiest airport. The British Airways hub remained the biggest European airport by passenger numbers with 83.8 millions travellers last year. An airport in the United States is trailing Heathrow close behind.

LONDON - A fire at a substation cut power supply at London Heathrow Airport for hours last Friday - 1,300 flights were cancelled, 200,000 passengers affected by schedule disruptions. The incident triggered an anti-terror investigation by MET Police and Scotland Yard - as of now, no foul play is suspected.

LONDON - Heathrow Airport shuts down all Friday due to a "significant power outage". Operations have been suspended until 11.59pm local for safety reasons, the airport said on X. Passengers were advised not to travel to the airport, British Airways faces major disruptions before the weekend.

LONDON - Gatwick Airport wants to put its northern runway to full use by the end of the decade. The Government just signaled support for the project as the Secretary of State for Transport "is minded to approve" the northern runway plans and has outlined "a clear pathway to full approval" later in the year.

LONDON  - The UK government endorsed expansion plans for London Heathrow. A third runway would not only expand overall capacities of Europe's largest aviation hub, but also most likely "reshape" British Airways' operating model. The carrier could switch from a "constant operation" to inbound and outbound traffic waves.

LONDON - The British government backs plans for a third Heathrow runway. The airport expects the infrastructure project to stimulate growth beyond greater London, "putting the UK back on the map of at the heart of the global economy". Still, not everybody is in favor of the idea.

LONDON - London City Airport has submitted an application to the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) that would, if approved, enable Airbus A320neo to operate at the the airport. The airport suggests a new approach procedure with a less steep glidescope angle for landing A320neo aircraft.

LONDON - Gusty weather: Storm Eowyn caused serious flight disruptions Friday. Airports in Ireland and the UK cancelled a combined 1,000 flights through early afternoon. Several aircraft had to divert to alternative airfields.

LONDON - London Heathrow Airport tracks its "busiest December ever" - and ends 2024 with a new record of 83.9 million passengers. Strong growth rates in domestic, EU and Asia-Pacific traffic pushed the British Airways hub to new heights along with double digit increases in key international cargo markets.

LONDON - 1.05 billion GBP in 2025 and 1.29 GBP in 2026: Heathrow disclosed a 2.3 billion GBP investment plan over the next two years to upgrade the airport supported by new shareholders Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, PIF, and French investment firm Ardian.

LONDON - The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has set out its thinking on how it will oversee the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the UK aviation industry. The regulator laid out a "two-pronged approach" to enabling the aerospace sector’s use of AI - and using the technology to support its own operations.

LONDON - A Ryanair Boeing 737 MAX discontinued an unstable approach into Standsted Airport. During the go around procedure the aircraft entered a steep descent exceeding the speed limit for its current setup. Ryanair amended its discontinued approach procedures in the wake of the incident.

LONDON - Much of the UK airspace was designed in the 1950. Fewer delays and reduced bottlenecks could help millions of passengers each year and deliver economic growth as the UK Civil Aviation Authority and Department for Transport unveil new plans to modernise UK airspace.

LONDON - "Major failure on part of the air traffic control system": Investigators published a final report on the 28 August 2023 air traffic meltdown that caused chaos across UK air traffic. The report meets air navigation service provider NATS and other parties with a total of 34 recommendations.

LONDON - London Stansted recorded the busiest day in its history as the start of the half-term holidays saw more than 107,000 passengers pass through the terminal on 27th October.

LONDON - A British Airways A380 aborted a transatlantic flight shortly after take-off upon an engine oil pressure warning.

LONDON - London Stansted airport revealed details of a five-year 1.1 billion GBP investment programme that will "help secure links to even more global destinations" and create "extra space" for growth. The centrepiece of the plans is a 600 million GBP extension to the airport’s existing terminal.

LONDON - British Airways has become the first airline to accept the HM Armed Forces Veteran Card as an acceptable form of photographic identification on domestic flights.

MANCHESTER - Manchester Airport has recorded 30 million passengers in a year - putting it alongside some of the biggest airports in the world. A twelve months streak of straight growth supported by several new routes put the airport over the mark - during the final stage of a transformation plan.

LUTON - Jan De Raeymaeker joins Easyjet as its next Chief Financial Officer by January 20 succeeding Kenton Jarvis

LONDON - Fierce competition with Chinese carrier has British Airways suspend its London-Beijing route through 2025. The airline will deploy even more capacity on transatlantic routes next year and trial new destinations in its international network including Jeddah and Kuala Lumpur.

RIGA - Air Baltic announces extension of its codeshare partnership with British Airways from October.

LONDON - Emirates has opened its doors to a new lounge at London Stansted. The airline has invested more than 4 million GBP to design a spacious 900-square-metre lounge that can accommodate up to 125 guests at a time, including First and Business Class customers, as well as Emirates Skywards members.