Heathrow Airport News
Aspire to open new spa lounge at Heathrow Terminal 5
Heathrow announced today the appointment of Terminal 5’s first independent lounge. ‘Aspire, the Lounge and Spa at LHR T5’ will open to the customers this summer and will available to everyone travelling through Terminal 5, regardless of their class of travel. Located near Gate 18, the lounge is designed to meet independent customer demand for a place to relax and refresh in the world’s leading airport terminal.
Vietnam Airlines lands at London Heathrow Airport
Vietnam Airlines has begun its daily service from Heathrow Terminal 4 with a direct flight from to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. The route frequency will be further increased to a daily service, from the present five times weekly, as Vietnam Airlines benefits from the strong transfer traffic and premium passenger demand that Heathrow attracts.
Qatar Airways continues hotel acquisition agenda with London purchase
Qatar Airways has purchased the Sheraton Skyline hotel in the UK, one of the best-located hotels for travellers using Heathrow Airport and a perfect base for a trip into central London or the rest of England. The hotel will continue to be managed by Starwood under the Sheraton brand. The Sheraton Skyline is the first hotel to be bought by Qatar Airways outside of Qatar, where it owns the five-star Oryx Rotana Hotel in Doha and runs the new Hamad International Airport Hotel, which includes squash courts and a swimming pool.
Heathrow Airport sees record passenger numbers in 2014
Heathrow Airport in London has reported its busiest year ever in the 12 months to December 31st, with 73.4 million passengers served, an increase of 1.4 per cent. However, with capacity limited at the airport, there was no real growth in flights last year. Heathrow also recorded a strong financial performance for the year, with revenue up 8.8 per cent to £2.7 billion and EBITDA up 10.3 per cent to £1.57 billion.
Heathrow appoints chief financial officer
Heathrow Airport Holdings has appointed Michael Uzielli as Chief Financial Officer. Michael, whose starting date will be confirmed shortly, is currently Finance Director for British Gas where he has led a highly engaged finance team.
Heathrow sees record passenger figures for January 2015
Heathrow saw its busiest ever January last month, with a record 5.45 million passengers travelling through the airport’s terminals, an increase of 1.3 per cent on January 2014. Larger, fuller, quieter aircraft at Heathrow continued to be a driver for passenger growth. Seats per aircraft increased two per cent to 209, while load factors increased 0.2 percentage points to 70.7 per cent.
Airlines come out in favour of Heathrow expansion in UK
In its closing submission to the Airports Commission today, the Board of Airline Representatives in the UK, representing over 70 airlines, has stated that expansion at Heathrow is the right solution to drive the UK’s economy. At the same time, UKinbound is calling upon the Airports Commission to recommend the development of additional runways at both Gatwick and Heathrow to boost tourism.
Heathrow claims Vietnam Airlines coup shows support for hub status
Vietnam Airlines is leaving Gatwick to launch a direct service from Heathrow, with new bookings available from this month. From next summer, the airline will use its new fleet of 787-9 Dreamliners to operate five weekly services to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
Cross-border air traffic control trial cuts Heathrow holding times
A trial to cut the amount of time aircraft spend circling in ‘holding stacks’ at Heathrow Airport has started to reap rewards. Led by air traffic services provider NATS, as part of the UK-Ireland FAB and in collaboration with FABEC and Heathrow Airport, the trial has the overall aim of cutting average holding times by a quarter from the current time of eight minutes.
Louis Vuitton comes to London Heathrow
Louis Vuitton has opened its first European airport store at Heathrow Terminal 5. The 301 sq.m store is dedicated to Louis Vuitton’s travel heritage and welcomes the modern explorer to journey through an entirely new retail concept.
Heathrow completes sale of Aberdeen, Glasgow and Southampton airports
Heathrow Airport Holdings has today completed the sale of Aberdeen, Glasgow and Southampton airports to a consortium formed by Macquarie and Ferrovial. The sale enables Heathrow to focus on improving its remaining airport for passengers and winning support for a third runway expansion.
Fortnum & Mason comes to London Heathrow
Renowned food and drink retailer, Fortnum & Mason, has opened its first standalone airport store at Heathrow Terminal 5. The presence at the airport represents an important milestone for a brand that has been synonymous with world travel since 1707. From its earliest days Fortnum’s has supplied intrepid explorers in the furthest corners of the world with hampers full of home comforts.