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.

LONDON - Flybe returns to European skies from 13 April. The relaunched airline will operate up to 530 flights a week on 23 routes, PA news agency reported Tuesday. Flybe will mainly serve domestic flights within the UK, but also tap demand on routes to Amsterdam, Brest, Avignon and Toulon.

LONDON - London City Airport is operating in tailwinds once again. BA CityFlyer starts new routes from London City Airport to Milan Malpensa and Luxembourg on March 27th. Connections to Rotterdam and Nice also resume, 20 of the 25 routes that BA CityFlyer operated in 2019 have now returned to the schedule.

LONDON - British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and Heathrow Airport lift the mask mandate for travellers.

LONDON - New UK sanctions on Russia target aviation and oligarchs. Airspace violations by jets that fall under sanctions will be considered a criminal offense under a legal amendment. Authorities already seized a private jet at Farnborough Airport last week and investigate eventual ties to a Russian oligarch.

OSLO - Norse Atlantic Airways and OSM Aviation Academy have agreed to work together to launch a cadet program that will prepare the flight academy’s students for a future career at the new long-haul airline.

LONDON - Gatwick Airport has announced it will reopen its South Terminal in March - after nearly two years being dormant - to help meet the expected strong demand this summer and beyond as confidence in international travel returns.

LONDON - 2021 UK air traffic averaged just 41 percent of pre-pandemic figures, mirroring 2020’s 40 percent average. This is despite shoots of optimism as routes to the USA re-opened and vaccinated passengers were permitted to travel overseas, although destinations were subject to frequent change.

LONDON - British Airways has announced that it will be introducing a new destination to its Heathrow short-haul network: Nuremberg.

LONDON - Workers at Airbus’ factories in Broughton in North Wales and Filton in South West England have begun balloting for industrial action in a dispute over pay. Still, the union hopes for "Airbus to return to the negotiating table" and "a mutually acceptable agreement can be reached".

LONDON - British Airways and Loganair have announced a major expansion of their codeshare agreement, offering more choice and connectivity for customers travelling across the UK.

LONDON - The dust settles on the crisis-shaken job market for pilots, although significant regional differences prevail. According to a recent global survey, one in three pilots has not returned to cockpit duty yet. Two years in the crisis only a few pilots have left aviation for good, a recent survey shows.

LONDON - The UK government laid regulations before Parliament that will curb airport slots rules alleviation for the upcoming summer season to a 70 percent minimum utilization - a compromise between calls to reinstate pre-crisis regulation from low-cost airlines and network carrier concerns.

LONDON - British Prime Minister Boris Johnson revokes the mask mandade in public transport. British Airways will not rush things.

LONDON - Recovery takes shape: London City Airport expects pent up passenger demand and business travel to fuel a surge in growth in 2022, with the introduction of new routes and the return of important destinations, resulting in more than three quarters of 2019 routes operating at LCY this year.

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 - The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is holding firm the price cap that Heathrow Airport (HAL) can charge its airline customers in the period from 1 January 2022.