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Gatwick airport news - February, 2008 |
Virgin Atlantic are hoping to introduce a mobile phone check-in service for passengers, giving them a larger choice of check-in alternatives. Despite it being too early to say what the reaction will be from passengers, the airline did add that the service could save a lot of time, as a boarding card which is sent to a passengers phone could be read directly from the device at the airport.
Virgin’s press officer, Janine Donovan, said, “We believe it will be another option for customers to use and that it will give them more choice of check-in options. The fact that most people have a mobile phone and it is with them most of the time indicates it would be a powerful way to check them in.”
As well as the boarding card, passengers would also receive up to date departure information on their phones, for example, terminals, gate numbers, etc.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) claimed last year that the aviation industry is moving towards mobile phone check-in using two-dimensional barcodes, and that the end of 2010 is the deadline for bar coded boarding passes to be fully implemented.
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How many of you went away over the Easter break? How long did you have to wait in line?
Apparently, the long queues at Gatwick and other UK airports over the Easter weekend were made worse due to the Government’s failure to employ enough immigration officers to keep up with the extra passengers travelling through the airports, so say the Conservatives.
Figures were released that showed the number of immigration officers at Gatwick and Heathrow airports has increased by 5.9% since 2001, yet passenger footfall has grown by 12.5% in the same period. Damian Green, a Tory immigration spokesman, said that the discrepancy has caused ‘misery’ for those passengers who are forced to queue as they return back from their holiday or business trips.
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Dot2Dot, London’s luxury airport transfer service, connecting 600 central hotels with Gatwick and Heathrow airports, last month announced plans for a major expansion.
The new service will be operated 24/7, having only previously run from 5am to 2pm to meet the demand of the arriving North America flights. By the end of the year, the Company will now be able to accommodate all flights from the airport.
The Gatwick Airport service Dot2Dot provides, uses their own customised shuttles with leather seats and a good seat pitch, along with the use of the Gatwick Express train. Passengers are given a first class service; plush leather seats and a good seat pitch to sit back and enjoy the journey, help with luggage on all parts of the journey, and escorted to and from the station by their friendly staff.
Dot2Dot's Managing Director, Paul Whitfield, commented, “Our research prior to launching Dot2Dot showed that there was a strong demand among the business community for a financially and environmentally responsible way to travel to the airport that does not compromise on convenience or comfort. We are delighted that Dot2Dot will be able to meet this need for the whole community at Canary Wharf.” |
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It has been reported, that in an effort to stay in the UK, a 34-year old African illegal immigrant deliberately (allegedly) broke his neck to avoid deportation.
The African man repeatedly hit his head against the wall of the secure unit cell he was being held in at the 137-bed Tinsley House Immigration Removal Centre, that houses men, women and families, near Gatwick Airport, West Sussex.
Mr Amadov Nyang has broken three bones in his neck causing paralysis from the neck down. Mr Nyang was immediately taken to the specialist trauma unit at St George’s Hospital, Tooting, South London, where he stayed for a week, after ambulances were called by the discovering immigration officer.
Mr Nyang has recently been transferred to East Surrey Hospital, Redhill, Surrey.
An unnamed source has confirmed, “The three main vertebrae in his neck snapped. As a result he is paralysed and is a quadriplegic who is very unlikely ever to walk again, if he survives.”
Meanwhile, the Border and Immigration Agency officials at the Home Office are to decide on his fate. Should Mr Nyang survive the decision will have to be made as to whether he will be allowed to stay in Britain, or sent back to his home land. A Government official, said of the impending decision, “We would only ever remove someone from the UK if they were fit to fly and to do so complied with the relevant human rights legislations.”
An investigation into how such injuries were able to be inflicted whilst in custody is underway.
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Zoom Airlines has publicised its plans to offer two new direct flights from London Gatwick Airport to the US.
The Canadian airline, from May 2008, will be running its new flight from Fort Lauderdale, Florida plus an additional new route from San Diego, California from June 2008.
The Fort Lauderdale flights will run twice-weekly, operating on Thursdays and Sundays, with passengers paying from £399 for return flights, including airport charges and taxes.
The San Diego flight service will also run twice-weekly, operating on Mondays and Fridays. Passengers can expect fares to be from £449 return, including airport charges and taxes.
Zoom co-owner, John Boyle, says, “This new route confirms Zoom’s commitment to offering customers lower airfare across the Atlantic.” of the new San Diego service. “Direct non-stop flights to San Diego will offer a convenient low-fare service from London, which allows customers to avoid the need to change planes on-route.”
Zoom currently provide flights from London Gatwick Airport to a variety of North American airports, including New York, Toronto and Montreal.
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Gatwick Airport has moved another step closer in relaxing its One Hand Baggage Rule. Though restricted to connecting flights, the one bag rule is still in enforcement on all other flights.
Now, Gatwick Airport’s South and North Terminals allow connecting flight passengers to travel with more than one piece of hand baggage, however, do note that each individual airline’s own rules and regulations still apply.
In July 2007 the airport created six new security lanes and an additional seven lanes open by Easter 2008. In total this brings the airport’s security lanes to 35 - 21 of which are located in the South Terminal and 14 in the North Terminal. Such security improvements has meant that a further 450 new airport security staff have been recruited in just 12 months.
In a statement, Gatwick Airport commented, “This rule (for all flights) will be relaxed in the near future when the ongoing construction project to upgrade and expand the security facilities at the airport is completed. The Government’s deadline for all UK airports to be ready to relax single bag restrictions is 31 May.”
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On 9 February 2008 lightening struck Continental Flight 114, from Newark, bound for London Gatwick Airport.
The aircraft was forced to return to Newark, where it made a successful emergency landing.
Full emergency crews where on standby as the aircraft made a rapid decent from 10,000ft back to Newark Airport. Passengers on-board reported hearing a huge explosion just after take-off from the New York Airport, with take-off having taken place in torrential rain. The National Weather Service said there were some ‘isolated thunder storms in New Jersey during Saturday night’.
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, which operates Newark Airport, confirmed that the aircraft was hit by lightening at 2245 Saturday night, shortly after take-off, bound for London Gatwick. The Authority also confirmed that no injuries were reported.
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The buyout of GB Airways by easyJet has been cleared and completed, allowing the budget airline to increase its services out of Gatwick and operate its first flights from Manchester airport. It also means easyJet will account for 24% of London Gatwick’s network.
The £103.5 million deal was being investigated by the Office of Fair Trading, however they found no competition concerns which could have given passengers less choice or higher fares.
An easyJet spokeswoman commented, “Our acquisition of GB Airways means that we are able to grow at Gatwick, which is a key business hub, plus build a new hub at Manchester.” The deal gives the airline’s network an additional 14 new destinations, including Tenerife, Corfu and Malta.
“Our strategy is to increase our number of business travellers, which currently account for around 20% of our passengers.”, said the easyJet spokeswoman.
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