Expat Life Spain » Airports http://expatlifespain.com A Female View On The Expat Life Tue, 22 May 2012 11:04:33 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Strike set to close Irish airports http://expatlifespain.com/strike-set-to-close-irish-airports http://expatlifespain.com/strike-set-to-close-irish-airports#comments Tue, 19 Jan 2010 17:11:26 +0000 Expat Life http://expatlifespain.com/?p=3259

Flights to Ireland’s main airports are to be disrupted tomorrow after air traffic controllers announced they are to strike in a dispute over new working practices.

Members of the Impact union said they are to stage a walkout in protest against the decision by the Irish Aviation Authority (IAA) to suspend 15 air traffic controllers who refused to co-operate with new technology.

The strike action will take place tomorrow between 2pm and 6pm at Dublin and Shannon airports, and between 4pm and 6pm at Cork airport. All three airports will shut down during these periods. The strikes are also expected to affect flights passing through Irish airspace.

Liam Kavanagh, director of human resources at the IAA, said the changes to technology are essential for the aviation industry and called on the union to suspend action.
“The airports will be closed for that period; it is not possible to put in contingency arrangements,” a spokeswoman added.

Impact said today that the improved systems would mean extra work for their members, who refuse to operate them unless bosses honour a 2007 agreement for a six percent pay rise. They are also in dispute with the IAA over pension contributions.

A spokesman for Ryanair has said that there is no justification for the strikes and called on the Irish Government to step in to ensure Ireland’s airports remain open.
Passengers should contact their airlines to find out the latest delays and cancellations.

Original Source – Telegraph

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]]> http://expatlifespain.com/strike-set-to-close-irish-airports/feed 1 Almeria airport to beef up security http://expatlifespain.com/almeria-airport-to-beef-up-security http://expatlifespain.com/almeria-airport-to-beef-up-security#comments Fri, 15 Jan 2010 16:10:40 +0000 Expat Life http://expatlifespain.com/?p=3224

Almeria airport is to improve its security measures by introducing state-of-the-art scanning and surveillance technology, it was announced last week.

Eight million euros to be spent on improvements

Spanish airport authority, AENA, announced that eight million euros will be spent on the airport during 2010. The first improvement is designed to help control vehicles entering the airport’s restricted area, which gives direct access to the aircraft loading areas and runways. A guard room for security staff is scheduled for construction which will be equipped with a scanner system, allowing the contents of vehicles to be checked before they enter the restricted area.

The airport’s surveillance system will also be expanded and improved. New 360-degree-view security cameras are to be installed in the extension to the terminal building currently under construction. A total of 29 of these cameras will be installed outside the airport and 17 inside, as well as a further 48 fixed cameras. New measures will also allow the airport’s three different parking areas to be watched.

More advanced metal detectors are also to be installed at the security gates for passengers seeking to board planes.

But the most important measures will be in baggage handling. A new X-ray system will allow more than 2,400 items of baggage an hour to be scanned, a significant improvement on the current system which handles half that amount. The new system passes baggage through five varying levels of security checks and can detect explosives automatically.

Original Source – Costa Almeria News

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]]> http://expatlifespain.com/almeria-airport-to-beef-up-security/feed 1 Latest UK Flight And Airport News: Wednesday Jan 13 2010 http://expatlifespain.com/latest-uk-flight-and-airport-news-wednesday-jan-13-2010 http://expatlifespain.com/latest-uk-flight-and-airport-news-wednesday-jan-13-2010#comments Wed, 13 Jan 2010 11:51:37 +0000 Expat Life http://expatlifespain.com/?p=3202

Gatwick Airport has suspended all flights while it clears snow off the runway. It does not expect flights to resume until at least 4pm. Passengers should check with their airline before travelling to the airport.

Heathrow Airport is open but warning of flight delays and cancellations due to the weather. Passengers should check with their airline before travelling to the airport.

Stansted Airport and Luton Airport are open and operating as normal.

The Stansted Express and Gatwick Express are running as normal, but the Heathrow Express is warning of delays and cancellations.

Southampton Airport has suspended flights while snow is cleared off the runway, but is optimistic that flights will resume shortly. Passengers are being advised to check in as normal.

Birmingham International Airport has closed its runway and says no flights will operate until at least midday. Passengers are being advised to check in as normal unless they hear otherwise from their airline.

Bristol Airport, Exeter Airport, Manchester Airport, Leeds Bradford International Airport, Liverpool John Lennon Airport, East Midlands Airport, Bournemouth Airport and Humberside Airport are all open but flights may be subject to delay and cancellation.

Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen airports are open, but are warning of flight delays and cancellations. Passengers are advised to check with their airline before travelling to the airport.

In addition, Air Traffic Control strike action in Paris airports is also disrupting flights. It is scheduled to last until Friday.

British Airways is warning of continued disruption to flights today with cancellations and delays. It is advising passengers to check the status of their flight online or by accessing its mobile site, batogo.com. Passengers who are unable to get to the airport can re-book on to a flight to the same destination within the next 14 days. Passengers on cancelled flights can also rebook or claim a full refund.

EasyJet is warning of flight cancellations today, some of which may be last minute. It has launched an online flight checker tool for passengers to check the status of their flight. Passengers affected by cancellations are being offered an alternative flight or refund.

Ryanair has cancelled 18 flights so far today, mostly in and out of Birmingham and Gatwick. It has listed them in full on its website. Passengers affected by cancellations can apply for a refund or book an alternative flight.

Flybe has cancelled a number flights in and out of Gatwick, Southampton and Birmingham. The full list is on its website. Passengers whose flights have been cancelled are being offered alternative flights to the original destination or a refund.

Monarch is warning of delays at gatwick and Birmingham, but is advising passengers to travel to the airport as normal.

Jet2 is warning of freezing rain and ice affecting Leeds Bradford airport. It has also cancelled this morning’s flights to and from Belfast and Amsterdam, and is offering customers free transfers to this evening’s flights. Passengers on other flights are being advised to check in as normal .

Aer Lingus is warning of delays and cancellations. Passengers affected by cancellations can apply for a refund or book an alternative flight.

Thomson is warning of delays to flights. It says flights will not be cancelled, so passengers are advised to travel to the airport and check in as normal. Delayed passengers are being offered welfare vouchers, and if necessary, hotel accommodation.

Original Source – The Times

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]]> http://expatlifespain.com/latest-uk-flight-and-airport-news-wednesday-jan-13-2010/feed 5 Airport passenger numbers plummet as Britons stay at home http://expatlifespain.com/airport-passenger-numbers-plummet-as-britons-stay-at-home http://expatlifespain.com/airport-passenger-numbers-plummet-as-britons-stay-at-home#comments Mon, 11 Jan 2010 17:09:29 +0000 Expat Life http://expatlifespain.com/?p=3186

Britain’s major airports bore the brunt of last year’s “staycation” with figures showing that they carried 4.7 million passengers fewer than in 2008.

The 4.1 per cent drop, announced by BAA, reflected a year in which the recession saw demand for overseas holidays drop and a number of airlines ground planes to save money.

Worst hit was Stansted, with 2.3 million drop – representing 10 per cent of total as both Ryanair and easyJet cut back on capacity.

Passenger numbers plummeted in the first half of the year, when not only was the economy at its lowest ebb, but weather forecasters were predicting a “barbecue summer”.

When the barbecue summer stubbornly refused to appear, there was a surge in bookings in the second half of the year, which slowed down the rate of decline compared to the first six months of 2009.

BAA now operates six airports: Heathrow, Stansted, Southampton, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen having been forced to sell Gatwick by the Competition Commission. Last year these six airports handled 106.9 million passengers.

A spokesman for Stansted, an airport heavily dependent on holiday traffic, described 2009 as a “game of two halves”.

It was hit by the decision of both Ryanair and easyJet to delay introducing their summer timetables because of the downturn, but saw a recovery as the recession eased.

Glasgow also had a bad year with an 11.3 per cent fall in passengers, with numbers being hit by the collapse of Globespan at the end of the year.

“2009 was a difficult year for our airline customers,” said Colin Matthews, BAA’s chief executive.

“Towards the end of the year, we saw signs of improvements, particularly at Heathrow, but there are more challenging times ahead in 2010.”

Original Source – Telegraph

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]]> http://expatlifespain.com/airport-passenger-numbers-plummet-as-britons-stay-at-home/feed 2 BAA saw traffic at its airports slide 4.2pc in 2009 http://expatlifespain.com/baa-saw-traffic-at-its-airports-slide-4-2pc-in-2009 http://expatlifespain.com/baa-saw-traffic-at-its-airports-slide-4-2pc-in-2009#comments Mon, 11 Jan 2010 08:22:33 +0000 Expat Life http://expatlifespain.com/?p=3177

BAA, the owner of Heathrow and Britain’s biggest airport operator, said today that the number of passengers travelling fell by more than 4pc last year because of the recession.

The company, which also owns Stansted and recently sold Gatwick, saw passengers numbers travelling through its airports fall to 106.9 million in the year. However, the company said that the speed of decline eased in the final three months of the year to just 1.2pc compared with the same period in 2008.

Colin Matthews, BAA’s chief executive, said that although “towards the end of the year we saw signs of improvements, particularly at Heathrow, there are more challenging times ahead in 2010.”

Britain’s cold snap hit passenger traffic in December, with BAA estimating that 150,000 people couldn’t fly because of it. Overall, passenger numbers slipped 0.9pc in the month to 8 million.

Here’s a breakdown of the figures for 2009 compared with 2008 :

Heathrow down 1.5pc to 65.9 million
Stansted down 10.7pc, to 20.0 million
Southampton Airport down 8.2pc to 1.8 million
Edinburgh Airport’s traffic up 0.6pc to 9.0 million.
Glasgow down 11.3pc to 7.2 million.
Aberdeen down 9.4pc to 3.0 million.

Original Source – Telegraph

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]]> http://expatlifespain.com/baa-saw-traffic-at-its-airports-slide-4-2pc-in-2009/feed 1 Latest UK Travel News: 9th January 2010 http://expatlifespain.com/latest-uk-travel-news-9th-january-2010 http://expatlifespain.com/latest-uk-travel-news-9th-january-2010#comments Sat, 09 Jan 2010 08:49:17 +0000 Expat Life http://expatlifespain.com/?p=3147

Freezing weather is causing disruption to Britain’s roads, railways and airports.

ROADS

M25 Hertfordshire | Clockwise | Accident, 2 lanes closed, congestion – Delays of 20 minutes between J17 and J19 caused by congestion due to an accident closing two lanes between J19 and J20.

A5 Warwickshire | Northbound | Heavy traffic – Delays of 15 minutes from Harpenden towards Cannock, between junctions with the M69 and the A47 Hinckley, due to heavy traffic.

M48 Bristol | Westbound | Incident, 2 lanes closed – On the M48 westbound at junction J1, there are delays of 10 mins due to an incident closing two lanes

M48 Gloucestershire | Westbound | Incident, 1 lane closed – On the M48 westbound between junctions J1 and J2, there are delays of 10 mins due to an incident closing one lane
M48 Gloucestershire | Eastbound | Incident, 1 lane closed On the M48 eastbound between junctions J2 and J1, there are delays of 10 mins due to an incident closing one lane.

M58 Greater Manchester | Westbound | Incident, 1 lane closed – On the M58 westbound between J6 and the M57, there are delays of 10 mins due to an incident closing one lane.

M58 Merseyside | Eastbound | Incident, 1 lane closed – On the M58 eastbound between the junctions with the M57 and the M6, there are currently of 10 mins due to an incident closing one lane.

M6 Merseyside | Northbound | Incident – Delays of 10 minutes between J22 and J23 due to an incident.

M53 Merseyside | Northbound | Overturned vehicle, road closed – The northbound entry slip at J2 is closed due to an overturned vehicle.

M40 Oxfordshire | Northbound | Accident, 1 lane closed – Delays of 10 minutes on the northbound entry slip at J9 due to an accident closing one lane.

A12 Norfolk | Northbound | Heavy traffic – Delays of 10 minutes due to heavy traffic from Lowestoft towards Great Yarmouth, between junctions with the A1117 and the A47.

A12 Norfolk | Southbound | Heavy traffic – Delays of 10 minutes due to heavy traffic from Great Yarmouth towards Lowestoft, between junctions with the A1243 and the A1117.

M60 Greater Manchester | Anticlockwise | 2 lanes closed, incident – An incident closing two lanes has caused delays of 10 minutes on the anticlockwise exit slip at J14.

There are warnings for virtually all motorways and A roads to exercise caution due to the sub zero temperatures. Further traffic updates are available from the Highways Agency.

RAIL

Eurostar: A reduced timetable is running. Eurostar advise customers not to travel unless the journey is essential. Customers who do have to travel should check-in as early as possible to be accommodated on the next available service. Disney and Ski services are running normally.

East Coast: •Buses replace trains between Inverness and Perth. A reduced service will run between London Kings Cross and Leeds.

Stansted Express Due to pre-planned engineering work, a direct bus replacement service will be in operation between London Liverpool Street and Stansted Airport, with an approximate journey time of 1 hour.

First Capital Connect: Thameslink routes: a half hourly service will run between Bedford and Brighton. These trains will run with fewer carriages than normal. There are no Wimbledon Loop services. Customers may use East Midlands Trains, Gatwick Express, Southern, London Underground and Croydon Tramlink services on reasonable routes.

Great Northern route: Trains will be running as follows – •2 trains per hour between London Kings Cross and Peterborough. •2 trains per hour between London Kings Cross and Cambridge. •1 train per hour between Kings Lynn and Royston. •2 trains per hour between Moorgate and Welwyn Garden City / Hertford. Customers may use London Underground services on reasonable routes.

Trains may be further delayed by up to 40 minutes because of a broken down train near Huntingdon.

First Great Western: Reading – Gatwick: A half hourly service will run, terminating at Redhill. Services that normally terminate or start at Shalford will not operate.

Bedwyn / Newbury – London Paddington – An hourly service will run between Bedwyn and Reading calling at all stations. The first service will leave Reading at 05:21.

Subsequent services will then run from Reading at 48 minutes past the hour until 19:42, when the following service will run: •19:42 Reading to Bedwyn •20:41 Reading to Bedwyn •21:01 Reading to Bedwyn •23:00 Reading to Bedwyn.

The following services will run from Bedwyn to Reading: •06:08 Bedwyn to Reading •06:23 Bedwyn to Reading •07:56 Bedwyn to Reading •08:40 Bedwyn to Reading •09:36 Bedwyn to Reading •10:36 Bedwyn to Reading •11:36 Bedwyn to Reading •13:12 Bedwyn to Reading •13:45 Bedwyn to Reading •14:36 Bedwyn to Reading •15:36 Bedwyn to Reading •16:44 Bedwyn to Reading •17:36 Bedwyn to Reading •19:03 Bedwyn to Reading •21:06 Bedwyn to Reading •21:55 Bedwyn to Reading •23:00 Bedwyn to Reading
Basingstoke – Reading – An hourly service is will run on this route.

Henley – Twyford – There are no direct services between Henley-on-Thames and London Paddington. Passengers will be required to change trains at Twyford. The following trains will run: •05:42 Twyford to Henley on Thames •06:21 Twyford to Henley on Thames •06:36 Henley on Thames to Twyford •06:50 Twyford to Henley on Thames •07:09 Henley on Thames to Twyford •07:27 Twyford to Henley on Thames •07:44 Henley on Thames to Twyford •08:14 Twyford to Henley on Thames •08:29 Henley on Thames to Twyford.

The normal weekday service will then apply from the 08:44 Twyford to Henley on Thames service until the 17:31 Twyford to Henley on Thames service. After which the following service will run: •17:58 Twyford to Henley on Thames •18:17 Henley on Thames to Twyford •18:31 Twyford to Henley on Thames •18:46 Henley on Thames to Twyford •18:58 Twyford to Henley on Thames •19:16 Henley on Thames to Twyford •19:38 Twyford to Henley on Thames •19:55 Henley on Thames to Twyford The normal evening service will then apply until the end of service.

Marlow – Maidenhead – An hourly service will run: •From Marlow will leave at approximately 04 minutes past each hour •From Maidenhead will leave at approximately 38 minutes past the hour with the exception of the first service at 25 minutes past the hour. The 1742 and 1842 services from London Paddington to Bourne End will both terminate at Maidenhead.

South Wales – London Paddington – All trains to and from Swansea will run. The following trains are cancelled -•55 minutes past the hour Cardiff Central to London Paddington •15 minutes past the hour London Paddington to Cardiff Central

Severn Beach – Bristol Temple Meads – An hourly service will run between Bristol Temple Meads and Avonmouth. There are no services between Avonmouth and Severn Beach.
Cardiff Central – Brighton -Trains will not run between Cosham and Brighton.

A full service is expected to run on all other lines.

First TransPennine Express: Trains between Manchester Airport and Newcastle are cancelled. Passengers travelling between York and Newcastle should use East Coast or CrossCountry services. Other First Transpennine Express services should be used between Manchester and York. Replacement bus services will run between Northallerton and Darlington for connections to alternative services.

Trains between Manchester Airport and Glasgow Central are cancelled. Passengers travelling between Preston and Glasgow Central should use Virgin Trains services. Other First Transpennine Express services should be used between Manchester and Preston.

Ticket Acceptance – Passengers will be accepted on Virgin Trains services between Carlisle and Glasgow Central. Passengers will also be accepted on CrossCountry services between York and Newcastle. First TransPennine Express have lifted all ticket restrictions. If you have a ticket that is valid for travel between (and including) Friday 8th January and Sunday 10th January 2010 and you are unable to travel, your ticket will be valid for use within 48 hours of the date specified on your ticket. Alternatively customers who decide not to travel and wish to claim a refund can do so either at the booking office where they purchased their ticket or by calling First TransPennine Express Customer Relations on 0845 600 1671. First TransPennine Express will not be charging an administration fee for refunds.

Island Line: An hourly service is running at: •15 minutes past the hour from Shanklin •45 minutes past the hour from Ryde Pier Head.

Northern Rail: A limited service will run on the following routes: •Manchester Piccadilly – Crewe •Manchester Piccadilly – Alderley Edge •Manchester Piccadilly – Hadfield/Glossop.

ScotRail: Because of poor weather conditions, services have been suspended between Milngavie and High Street (Glasgow)/Bellgrove; Edinburgh and Glasgow Central via Carstairs; between Inverness and Aberdeen (no replacement transport available, passengers advised not to attempt travel on this route); and on trains around the Cathcart Circle. Newton services will call additionally at stations via Maxwell Park and Neilston services will call additionally at stations via Mount Florida.

A replacement bus service is running on the following routes, subject to satisfactory road conditions: Between Motherwell and Lanark, between Bathgate and Edinburgh and between Inverness and Aviemore.

Trains are being delayed between Glasgow Central and Whifflet, and signalling problems are causing delays between Lanark and Dalmuir and on all routes via Motherwell/Carstairs.

ScotRail sleeper services between Inverness and London are subject to change for the duration of this week. Customers holding an existing reservation should again call ScotRail Customer Relations on 0845 601 5929 for advice.

Southeastern: All Southeastern ticket holders can use High Speed services at no extra cost and tickets will be accepted on London Underground on reasonable routes. If your route is not listed below, then a normal service is expected to run however we do still recommend that you check the status of your train before setting out.

Trains on the following routes are replaced by buses: •Grove Park to Bromley North •Sittingbourne to Sheerness-on-Sea

An hourly service is running on the following routes: •Dover Priory to Faversham via Canterbury East •Hastings to Tonbridge •Ramsgate to Ashford via Canterbury West •Ramsgate to Ashford via Dover Priory •Ramsgate to Faversham via Margate

A half-hourly service is running on the following routes: •Ashford to London Charing Cross •Ashford to London Victoria via Maidstone East •Dartford to London Charing Cross via Bexleyheath •Dartford to London Cannon Street via Greenwich •Faversham to London Victoria •Gillingham to London Charing Cross via Sidcup •Hayes to London Cannon Street •Orpington to London Victoria via Herne Hill

Early Closedown – Trains will finish earlier in the day than usual. Please check the national rail website for details.

Southern Trains: A small number of trains in the morning and evening peak periods will be cancelled. In addition, a reduced service will run on the following routes: •London Victoria – Southampton/Bognor Regis •London Victoria – Portsmouth Harbour via Horsham •Horsham – Portsmouth Harbour •London – Eastbourne via Haywards Heath •London – Littlehampton via Haywards Heath •Brighton – West Worthing •Brighton – Lewes •Brighton – Hove. For the latest recorded information, please call 0845 301 7641
South West Trains: There may be some cancellations at short notice. The following trains will not run: •Brockenhurst – Lymington Pier •Virginia Water – Weybridge via Chertsey •London Waterloo – Dorking. Trains between London Waterloo and Hampton Court will only run between London Waterloo and Surbiton. Trains between London Waterloo and Alton will run normally as far as Farnham, and then every hour between Farnham and Alton. Trains between London Waterloo and Guildford via Cobham & Stoke d’Abernon will stop additionally at New Maldon and Berrylands. Trains are being delayed between London Waterloo and Barnes because of a broken down train near Clapham Junction.

Ticket acceptance – Passengers may use Southern services between Epsom and Dorking. Passengers may use Stagecoach buses in the Camberley, Frimley, Aldershot and Farnborough areas.

Virgin Trains: Journeys are likely to be significantly delated because of the following disruptions. Trains between Birmingham New Street and Birmingham International may be delayed by up to 120 minutes because of signalling problems. Trains on all routes via Preston are subject to alterations and delays because of signalling problems. Trains between Carlisle and Glasgow Central are being delayed because of a broken down train near Lockerbie and signalling problems at Motherwell.
Trains from London Euston to Manchester Piccadilly at 20 minutes past the hour, and from Manchester Piccadilly to London Euston at 15 minutes past the hour, have been cancelled.

Ticket acceptance – Passengers that decided not to travel on Thursday 7 January may use their tickets to travel on Friday 8 January. Customers may also use CrossCountry services between Birmingham New Street and Reading, and also between Manchester Piccadilly and Birmingham New Street on Friday 8 January.

Wrexham & Shropshire: Trains between Wolverhampton and Birmingham International may be delayed because of signalling problems.

For more information, visit National Rail Enquiries

AIRPORTS

Gatwick Airport: Gatwick remains open with some disruption to flight arrivals and delays to departures, however, the threat of more snow and ice remains. Some airlines are operating very restricted services and it is strongly advised that passengers contact their airline before setting out for the airport.

Heathrow Airport: the airport is open but passengers should only travel to the airport if they have confirmed with their airline that their flight is operating. In addition, yesterday’s disruption at Heathrow and elsewhere has knock on effects which will result in further delays and cancellations today.

Stansted Airport: the airport is open but with further snowfall and icy conditions expected across eastern and southern England, passengers are advised to check with their airlines before travelling and allow extra time for their journey.

Birmingham Airport: the airport is open and flights are mostly running on time. Passengers should contact their airline for further details and leave enough time for their journey to the airport.

Luton Airport: the airport is open. However, as a result of severe weather conditions at UK and European airports, passengers or those meeting people at the airport are strongly advised to contact the airline.

Southampton Airport: the airport is open and flights are operating, but delays and cancellations are expected due to the weather. For the latest flight information please check the airport website .

Manchester Airport: the airport is now open but passengers travelling or people meeting flights are advised to check with their airline before travelling.

Bristol Airport: the airport is open but flights are subject to delay and cancellation. Passengers are advised to check with their airline or tour operator for further information or visit the Departures and Arrivals pages. The Flier coach service to the airport is operating but services may be disrupted.

Exeter Airport: the airport is open and it is anticipated that flights will operate throughout Friday without major delays or cancellations.

Liverpool John Lennon Airport: the airport terminal is open but passengers are being advised that their flights could be cancelled or delayed and they should check with their airline for the latest information.

Glasgow Airport: the airport is open but British Airways flights to and from Heathrow have been cancelled due to operational issues and passengers booked on these services are advised to contact their airline. Due to heavy snow and icy conditions across the UK, flights to and from the airport may be subject to delays and cancellations. Passengers are advised to check with their airline before travelling to the airport.

Edinburgh Airport: the airport is open however flights to and from the airport may be subject to delays and cancellations due to bad weather in other parts of the UK. Passengers are advised to check the status of their flight with their airline before travelling.

Aberdeen Airport: the airport is open and operational, however a number of arriving and departing flights have been affected by poor weather conditions in other parts of the UK. Passengers are being advised to contact their airline before arriving at the terminal.

Leeds Bradford Airport: the airport is open but may experience delays and cancellations. Please check with your airline or on the airport website.

Original Source – Telegraph

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]]> http://expatlifespain.com/latest-uk-travel-news-9th-january-2010/feed 9 UK Flight and Airport News: Friday 8th January 2010 http://expatlifespain.com/uk-flight-and-airport-news-friday-8th-january-2010 http://expatlifespain.com/uk-flight-and-airport-news-friday-8th-january-2010#comments Fri, 08 Jan 2010 12:27:35 +0000 Expat Life http://expatlifespain.com/?p=3135

Gatwick Airport, Heathrow Airport, Stansted Airport, Luton Airport and London City Airport are all open but warning of some delays and cancellations. Check with your airline before travelling.

The Stansted Express, Heathrow Express and Gatwick Express are running as normal.

Southampton Airport’s runway reopened at approximately 10.30am. Flights have started to arrive but departures have been delayed as they clear the backlog. Passengers are being advised to check in as normal.

Bristol Airport, Exeter Airport, Manchester Airport, Leeds Bradford International Airport, Liverpool John Lennon Airport, Birmingham International Airport, East Midlands Airport and Humberside Airport are all open but flights may be subject to delay and cancellation.

Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen airports are open, but are warning of flight delays and cancellations. Passengers are advised to check with their airline before travelling to the airport.

British Airways is warning of continued disruption to flights today with cancellations and delays. It is advising passengers to check the status of their flight online or by accessing its mobile site, batogo.com. Passengers who are flying from Heathrow today (January 8) can elect not to travel and rebook or get a full refund. Passengers due to travel from either Gatwick or Heathrow between January 8 and 10 who do not wish to travel, can also opt to rebook their flights at no extra charge. Passengers on cancelled flights can also rebook or claim a full refund.

EasyJet has listed all cancellations on its website, with Gatwick and Liverpool flights the worst affected today. Passengers affected by cancellations are being offered an alternative flight or refund.

Flybe has so far cancelled 15 flights, mostly from Southampton and Guernsey.

Ryanair has cancelled 7 flights so far today, mostly in and out of Edinburgh and between Stansted and Grenoble. It has listed them in full on its website. Passengers affected by cancellations can apply for a refund or book an alternative flight.

Jet2 says that it plans to operate a normal schedule today but is warning of delays.

Monarch is warning of delays, but is advising passengers to travel to the airport as normal.

Aer Lingus is warning of flight delays and cancellations and is instructing passengers to check the status of their flight online . It is offering alternative flights or refunds to passengers whose flights have been cancelled.

Original Source – Times On Line

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]]> http://expatlifespain.com/uk-flight-and-airport-news-friday-8th-january-2010/feed 7 EU members divided over airport body scanners http://expatlifespain.com/eu-members-divided-over-airport-body-scanners http://expatlifespain.com/eu-members-divided-over-airport-body-scanners#comments Thu, 07 Jan 2010 18:44:22 +0000 Expat Life http://expatlifespain.com/?p=3123

EU countries have been debating the use of body scanners at airports, in response to the Christmas Day attempt to blow up a US-bound jet.

The European Commission is holding talks with aviation security experts from the EU member states in Brussels.

Italy has said it will introduce the scanners for US-bound flights, alongside the Netherlands and the UK.

The 27 EU countries are free to use the scanners as long as the security checks do not contradict national or EU law.

A Nigerian man is accused of trying to blow up a flight from Schiphol on 25 December as it prepared to land in Detroit. He had not gone through a scanner.

Ahead of Thursday’s meeting, Belgium’s Transport Secretary Etiennne Schouppe said the measures were “excessive”, adding that security requirements at European airports were already “strict enough”.

Italy announced it would introduce the scanners as an experiment at airports in Milan (Malpensa), Rome (Fiumicino) and Venice.

Spain has said it will wait until the Commission has made a decision regarding the scanners, while France and Germany remain uncommitted.

Trial run

Schiphol airport in Amsterdam has been trying out the scanners, which use microwaves to see through clothing.

US airport security measures have been tightened since the alleged plot

The Commission withdrew a draft EU regulation on body scanners in 2008, following objections from the European Parliament.

MEPs raised concerns about passengers’ privacy and health, so the Commission decided that further technical analysis was required before EU-wide rules could be adopted.

The Commission says it “remains convinced that body scanners can play a very useful role as a complementary means of screening”.

Some governments argue that the scanners are a necessary tool in the fight against terrorism.

But some civil liberties campaigners say the equipment could breach child protection laws and invade people’s privacy, as it produces a “near naked” image.

The US has singled out 14 countries, including Nigeria, Somalia and Yemen, for enhanced security measures for travellers.

Since November 2006 the EU has enforced a ban on carrying liquids onto planes in hand luggage. No liquids in containers bigger than 100ml are allowed.

That ban followed the exposure of an alleged terrorist plot to smuggle liquid explosives onto planes at London’s Heathrow airport in August 2006.

Original Source – BBC

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]]> http://expatlifespain.com/eu-members-divided-over-airport-body-scanners/feed 4 Airport chaos as icy weather grips northern Europe http://expatlifespain.com/airport-chaos-as-icy-weather-grips-northern-europe http://expatlifespain.com/airport-chaos-as-icy-weather-grips-northern-europe#comments Thu, 07 Jan 2010 12:55:12 +0000 Expat Life http://expatlifespain.com/?p=3114

The icy weather gripping northern Europe has disrupted flights at airports in the UK, France, the Irish Republic and the Netherlands.

Many flights were delayed or cancelled at Orly airport in Paris, Dublin airport and Amsterdam-Schiphol, as well as major UK airports.

A Eurostar train was stuck for about two hours in the Channel Tunnel on Thursday. It later reached the UK.

Four other Eurostar trains were cancelled, a company spokesman said.

At least nine homeless men aged between 42 and 62 have frozen to death in Germany.

Many parts of Germany saw temperatures fall below -10C on Thursday, the Deutsche Welle news website reports.

Widespread delays

Grit supplies for clearing snow are running very low in many parts of Germany.

In the North Rhine-Westphalia region two derailments in as many days have caused havoc with the rail timetable, triggering cancellations and delays.

In the Irish Republic, Dublin airport is open but Knock airport has suspended flights.

All roads into Dublin are extremely icy and hundreds of Irish schools have closed, the Irish Times reports.

Heavy snow caused big traffic jams around Amsterdam and Haarlem on Wednesday evening, Radio Netherlands reports. Few buses were running in the affected areas.

In Hemavan, in the far north of Sweden, a new winter low of -40.8C (-41.4F) was recorded overnight, Radio Sweden reports.

The Arctic freeze has also seen temperatures in central Sweden plummet to between -30 and -40C – the coldest weather since the mid-1980s.

The winter death toll in Poland has reached 122 – most of the victims reportedly homeless people.

In Burzyska nad Bugiem, in the east of the country, the army has installed makeshift bridges after flooding and ice split the village in two.

Original Source – BBC

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]]> http://expatlifespain.com/airport-chaos-as-icy-weather-grips-northern-europe/feed 2 UK Flight and Airport News: Thursday 7th January 2010 http://expatlifespain.com/uk-flight-and-airport-news-thursday-7th-january-2010 http://expatlifespain.com/uk-flight-and-airport-news-thursday-7th-january-2010#comments Thu, 07 Jan 2010 11:50:30 +0000 Expat Life http://expatlifespain.com/?p=3104

Gatwick Airport is open and flights are operating, but the runway is subject to intermittent closure to enable clearance of snow and ice. Delays and cancellations are ongoing.

Heathrow Airport , Stansted Airport , Luton Airport and London City Airport are all open but warning of some delays and cancellations. Check with your airline before travelling.

The Stansted Express is subject to delays, cancellations and alterations. The Heathrow Express and Gatwick Express are running as normal.

Bristol Airport, Exeter Airport, Southampton Airport, Manchester Airport, Leeds Bradford International Airport, Liverpool John Lennon Airport, Birmingham International Airport, East Midlands Airport and Humberside Airport are all open but flights may be subject to delay and cancellation.

Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen airports are open, but are warning of flight delays and cancellations. Passengers are advised to check with their airline before travelling to the airport.

Jersey Airport has reopened and passengers are advised to check in as normal. Flights may be subject to delay.

Guernsey Airport is currently closed.

British Airways is warning of continued disruption to flights today with cancellations and delays. It is advising passengers to check the status of their flight online or by accessing its mobile site, batogo.com. Passengers who are unable to get to the airport can re-book on to a flight to the same destination within the next 14 days. Passengers on cancelled flights can also rebook or claim a full refund.

EasyJet has listed all cancellations on its website , with Gatwick flights the worst affected today. Passengers affected by cancellations are being offered an alternative flight or refund.

Ryanair has cancelled 15 flights so far today, mostly in and out of Gatwick and Knock airports. It has listed them in full on its website . Passengers affected by cancellations can apply for a refund or book an alternative flight.

Flybe has cancelled a number flights in and out of Guernsey, Jersey, London Gatwick and Norwich. The full list is on its website . Passengers whose flights have been cancelled are being offered alternative flights to the original destination or a refund.

Jet2 says that it plans to operate a normal schedule today but is warning of delays.

Monarch is warning of delays, but is advising passengers to travel to the airport as normal.

Aer Lingus is warning of flight delays and cancellations and is instructing passengers to check the status of their flight online . It is offering alternative flights or refunds to passengers whose flights have been cancelled.

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