LONDON - Summer holidays spur passenger demand across the UK. Heathrow Airport reports a 38.1 percent increase in passenger numbers for July. Holiday and intercontinental travel is showing robust signs of improvement - with one particular destination in the US proving extremely popular among Brits this summer.

LONDON - Heathrow Airport has confirmed the appointment of Thomas Woldbye, currently the boss of Copenhagen Airport, as the person to replace John Holland-Kaye when he steps down as CEO of the British Airways hub later this year after nearly 10 years in post. 

LONDON - Virgin Atlantic announced the launch of new routes across three continents. Network growth comes as the airline capitalises on "sustained demand for international travel" and will add "more than 250,000 total seats" across Virgin Atlantic’s network, compared to 2019 while accepting new aircraft.

LONDON - Rail operator Greater Anglia is boosting Stansted Express rail services as a result of the strong recovery of the airport from the pandemic.

LONDON - Holiday Swap sources Airbus A380 aircraft from Doric Aviation to venture into aviation: Global Airlines, a Holiday Swap company, is working towards transatlantic flights from spring 2024 with a fleet that will eventually include four pre-owned A380s in the 471 seat configuration of a previous operator.

LONDON - For the first time since before the pandemic, people can apply to join the NATS student controller scheme, with basic training based at one of their two training facilities in Hampshire and Gloucester. The British air navigation service provider is looking to attract more female talent to it control facilities.

LONDON - The UK Civil Aviation Authority and the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) of Israel have signed a working arrangement, which will lead to closer collaboration and boosts international trade. The framework will lead to less complexity in validation and acceptance of aviation certificates.

LONDON - Air China resumed flights between Beijing and London Gatwick Airport this months with four flights per week and just upgraded the service.

LONDON - Union unite unleashed ten days of strikes involving over 1,400 security officers at Heathrow Airport as "last-ditch talks failed to resolve the current pay dispute". The airport is trying to mitigate the fallout of labor action on passengers as London-Heathrow braces for Easter traffic.

LONDON - London City has made its strongest start to a year since the pandemic. In January, 217,000 passengers used the airport and 225,000 did so in February.

LONDON - "Bounce-back in passenger numbers": UK air travel increased significantly in 2022, with over 224 million passengers travelling to and from UK airports, reaching 75 per cent of 2019 levels, UK Civil Aviation Authority data reveals. One British airport came quite close to pre-pandemic levels in 2022.

LONDON - A OneWeb launch sees 36 more UK-licenced OneWeb satellites put into orbit as the major constellation programme is completed.

LONDON - Following two years impacted by the pandemic, 2022 heralded a return to growth with 3 million passengers choosing to fly to and from the central London hub. The airport expects to attract more first-time passengers in 2023 after investments in its terminal infrastructure and security lanes.

LONDON - Virgin Atlantic will become a SkyTeam member by March 2 as the only UK outpost of the alliance.

BIRMINGHAM - British regional airline Flybe finds itself under administration less than one year after its relaunch. All flights to and from the UK are cancelled, Flybe confirmed in a statement Saturday. The airline does not expect to resume services any time soon. Passengers were urged to not to go to the airports.

KEMBLE - Zero-emission flight took a giant step forward with ZeroAvia flying the largest aircraft yet to be powered by a hydrogen-electric engine. The 19-seat Dorniert 228 testbed took to the skies for the maiden flight retrofitted with a full-size prototype hydrogen-electric powertrain on the left wing of the aircraft. 

LONDON - A 2018 strike affected thousands of Ryanair passangers. After fighting a legal battle the airline will finally pay out compensation.

LONDON - The UK will work with Italy and Japan to adapt and respond to the security threats of the future through an "unprecedented international aerospace coalition" announced by the Prime Minister Friday. The three nations join forces and share ressources to develop a new fighter jet by 2035.

LONDON - The UK will ease rules on liquids in carry-on luggage within the next two years. According to a media reports, the ongoing introduction of latest generation CT scanners at British airports will also relax security check protocols for travelers with regard to electronic items like notebooks and tablets.

NEWQUAY - The UK’s first orbital space launch moved one step closer to take-off as Spaceport Cornwall received the UK’s first-ever spaceport licence. The UK Civil Aviation Authority issued the licence, following consent from Transport Secretary Mark Harper, clearing the way for Virgin Orbit space activities from the site.

LONDON - The UK Civil Aviation Authority published for consultation its initial proposals to establish new price controls for NATS En-Route ("NERL"), a subsidiary of air navigation service provider NATS. The controls regulate the prices NERL can charge airlines for the services it provides in UK airspace.

LONDON - British Airways is avoiding a clash with its pilots. The airline reached a new agreement with British pilot's union Balpa on wage increases and the end to a scheme that curbed pilot pay during the pandemic. British Airways competitor Ryanair is stuck in negotiations with its Irish pilots over pay.

GLASGOW - The UK’s largest regional airline, Loganair, has increased its flight schedule for summer 2023, announcing more services across key regional routes as it responds to growing demand from leisure and business travellers. The airline may commence its summer 2023 under new ownership.

LONDON - The pandemic delayed the A330neo EIS at Virgin Atlantic. The airline is now close to taking delivery of its first A330-900. The new jets replace older A330s at London Heathrow.

LONDON - Strong passenger demand and higher air traffic volumes following the lifting of all UK travel restrictions in March 2022 accelerated Gatwick’s recovery from the impacts of the pandemic, the airport revealed in its half year results. The London hub increased its passenger forecast for the remainder of 2022.

LONDON - Following a summer where 70 percent of the aiport's passengers were travelling for leisure, London City expects business traffic to rebound through the winter season. The airport just saw the return of Sun-Air with its service to Billund, while British Airways switches from leisure to business routes.

LOSSIEMOUTH - The RAF’s new Boeing P-8A Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft based at RAF Lossiemouth was launched on Search and Rescue duties for the first time this month as they helped rescue two transatlantic rowers. The P-8A crew coordinated a merchant vessel to the stricken rowers.

LONDON - Ryanair adds over one million seats to its winter schedules to and from 20 UK airports "in response to British Airways’ announcement that it will cancel 8 percent of its winter schedule due to staff shortages and capacity cuts" at "hopeless Heathrow" airport. The Irish LCC expects to carry more passengers this year.

LONDON - After its relaunch in April 2022, British regional airlines Flybe will continue to grow with a new winter schedule that will see the airline serve twelve destinations.

LONDON - British Airways responds to the passenger cap at Heathrow airport. The IAG airline suspended ticket sales for short-haul flights from its main hub until August 8 citing "responsible action" to ease capacity constraints. The move sent ticket fares at other London airports through the roof.

LONDON - London Heathrow airport caps it daily departures at 100,000 passengers to avoid additional cancellations through the summer period. The airport expects an average of 1,500 passengers per day to be affected by the "intervention" - and blames airlines for not taking sufficient action to help ease the situation.

LONDON - Staff shortages meet demand peaks: British Airways is canceling 10,300 additional short-haul flights through October to stabilize its schedule and "protect as many of our holiday flights as possible". Pending labor action at Heathrow airport will not cause British Airways additional headaches.

LONDON - Only once in a while Heathrow slots return to the open allocation pool. British slot coordinator ACI has now reallocated 32 Aeroflot take-off and landing slots among other airlines. JetBlue Airways, Virgin Atlantic and four other airlines will take off on seized Aeroflot slots in the winter season.

LONDON - Following a further review of its operation Gatwick is temporarily moderating its rate of growth for July and August by putting in place a gradually increasing capacity level at the airport, which aligns its growth trajectory with airlines and ground handler’s resource capabilities. 

LONDON - Jobs and innovation are at the heart of a government and industry initiative for developing the UK aviation sector after the pandemic. A peer council of airlines, airports, industry experts and government officials will work together to implement the conceptual 10-point framework.

LONDON - Unite is balloting its union members employed as check-in staff by British Airways at Heathrow airport for industrial action in a dispute over pay.

LONDON - British Airways owner IAG commits to 50 Boeing 737 MAX aicraft. The order is split in 25 737-8200s - a high-density version with additional doors that Boeing developed for low-cost airlines - and 25 737 MAX 10s, which is still pending regulatory approval. Deliveries are scheduled between 2023 and 2027.

RIGA - Air Baltic has 315 pilots in its workforce. The airline is looking to add 120 pilots through 2023.

LONDON - Royal Mail firms up plans to scale up its use of drone technology and create more than 50 new postal drone routes over the next three years, subject to Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) approval, as part of a new partnership with Windracers, a leading logistics drone company.

TEESSIDE - Loganair suspends its flights from Teesside to London-Heathrow and Southampton citing "cost of aviation fuel" and recent fee increases at the London hub. The Heathrow route suffered from a sluggish return of business travel while leisure traffic spearheads recovery of British aviation.

LONDON - Easyjet is limiting its A319s to 150 seats over summer. This will allow the airline to operate flights with one crew member less.

LONDON - British Airways owner IAG expects its operating results to be profitable from quarter two, "leading both operating profit and net cash flows from operating activities to be positive for the year". The company curbed its operational loss by one third to 731 million Euros in the first quarter.

LONDON - Heathrow welcomed 9.7 million passengers in Q1 2022. January and February were "much weaker than expected" due to Omicron-related travel restrictions, while March demand increased after the unexpectedly quick removal of all UK travel restrictions on 18th March. The future remains uncertain.

MANCHESTER - Air Canada has announced it will resume its non-stop seasonal service between Manchester and Toronto, operating five-times weekly from 1 June thrroug 30 September 2022.

LONDON - Virgin Atlantic 2021 results reflect an "intensely challenging year" for the airline and the continuation of the "immense challenges" the industry faced due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Management expects conditions to improve in 2022 and to turn Virgin Atlantic to a profit by 2023.

LONDON - March saw London City Airport deliver its best monthly passenger figures since the beginning of the pandemic two years ago: 189,000 passengers used the central London hub last month with Amsterdam the most popular route, continuing the airport’s post pandemic rebound.

MANCHESTER - Jet2 firmed up purchase rights for another six Airbus A3210neo as the airlines moves from a Boeing to an Airbus fleet.

LONDON - Severe Covid-19 outbreaks in their workforces cause Easyjet and British Airways to slash their schedules. Easyjet cancelled about 100 connections Monday, including 62 UK departures, according to "BBC". The airlines try to discourage short-term bookings with higher ticket prices.

LONDON - Hans Airways expects start commercial operations this summer. The new British longhaul airline will focus on flights to India to serve pent-up demand as the country opens up after two years of travel restrictions. Hans Airways just arranged the first leasing deal for an Airbus A330-300.

LONDON - Gatwick Airport reopenend its South Terminal Sunday and has gone from an airport with about 300 flights a day (26 March) to one operating around 570 flights (27 March) – making it the equivalent of opening a medium-sized airport overnight. The airport expects a busy summer season.