bmi chief expresses fears over Leeds Bradford charges

The chairman of bmi, the only airline offering a link between Leeds Bradford Airport and London Heathrow, has warned that the cost of operating the route places a question mark over its future.

Sir Michael Bishop has written to Michael Goodwin, the chairman of Leeds-Bradford, saying its airport charges are higher than any other airport in its network.

The Telegraph and Argus website quotes from the letter in which Sir Michael says: "fees will need to drop significantly in cash terms for the service to remain viable" and stresses the importance of local businesses supporting the route.

Jet2.com axes Belfast to Prague flights

Jet2.com is to end its service between Belfast International and Prague from early next year.

The BBC website reports that the low-cost airline will stop flying the route in March.

The current service has been in operation since February 2004 and offered four flights a week, on Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. But Jet2.com says the flight will end due to "seasonal factors" and it hoped that providing passengers with advance notice would enable them to make alternative travel arrangements. Passengers with tickets for travel are being told they will receive a refund.

Ryanair 'top for customer service and punctuality'

Ryanair has claimed it offers higher levels of customer service and punctuality than other European carriers.

The budget airline cited the Association of European Airlines' latest consumer report, which rated airlines including British Airways, easyJet and Lufthansa for aspects of customer service and punctuality. According to Ryanair, it offers a better level of punctuality than six of Europe's biggest airlines and fewer occurrences of missing luggage and flight cancellations.

Peter Sherrard, Ryanair's Head of Communications, claimed that the airline provides both low fares and high levels of customer satisfaction. "The high fare airlines can't match Ryanair's guaranteed low fares and as these statistics prove, they can't compete with our customer service either."

Qantas celebrates 60 years flying the 'Kangaroo Route'

Australian national airline Qantas will tomorrow (Saturday, December 1) celebrate 60 years of flying between the UK and Australia on the so-called Kangaroo Route.

It was on December 1, 1947, that the first scheduled Qantas flight from Australia to London took off. Before that, passengers had travelled with Qantas to Singapore and then onwards with Imperial Airways to London.

That first flight flew from Sydney to Darwin, then to Singapore, Calcutta, Karachi, Cairo, Tripoli and London, taking more than 93 hours in total. There were 29 passengers and 11 crew members onboard.

Of course, the journey has come a long way since then, and after the Boeing 747-400 was introduced in 1989 it was reduced to 23 hours with just one stop.

Etihad offers discounted fares for 2008 getaways

Book by Saturday, December 15: Etihad Airways is offering cheap flights from London Heathrow and Manchester airports to a host of worldwide destinations during the first half of 2008. Fares quoted are for return travel and include all taxes and charges.

A maximum stay of two months is permitted, while the outward journey must be made between January 22 and June 15, 2008.

Heathrow to:
Abu Dhabi from £274
Brisbane from £623
Dubai from £274
Jakarta from £450
Johannesburg from £420
Kuala Lumpur from £458
Mumbai from £333
Muscat from £277
New Delhi from £333
Singapore Changi from £457
Sydney from £627

British Airways' cheaper fares to Europe

British Airways has cut prices on a range of flights to European destinations. Below is a selection of what is on offer, the prices being for one-way tickets including taxes and charges.

From London City: Frankfurt, Zurich, Madrid from £53; Milan (Malpensa) from £57

From Gatwick: Dresden, Luxembourg from £47; Geneva, Innsbruck from £37; Amsterdam from £36; Krakow from £42; Prague from £46; Naples, Pisa, Rome from £42

From Heathrow: Berlin from £58; Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, from £48; Geneva, Zurich from £53; Lyon, Nice, Paris from £48; Athens from £78; Istanbul from £88; Larnaca from £100; Lisbon from £51;
Malaga from £48

Singapore Airlines could launch UK-US flights

A new air services deal between Britain and Singapore could see Singapore Airlines offering flights between the UK and the US.

The deal provides access to each other's aviation market for their respective airlines, which means that Singapore Airlines could offer onward flights from the UK. It is the first accord that gives a non-EU or US airline unfettered access to the London to US market. A spokesman for the carrier called it a "landmark" deal that would benefit passengers and the aviation industry in general.

Currently, the transatlantic UK-US routes are dominated by the likes of major British and American carriers such as British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and United Airlines. The presence of Singapore Airlines on popular routes such as London to New York would be a boon for passengers, as the airline is regularly rated as a passenger favourite in travel surveys.

Virgin shows online drama KateModern in-flight

Online drama KateModern is to be shown on Virgin Atlantic flights from the beginning of December.

KateModern is the UK spin-off of the drama lonelygirl15, which became an internet sensation, and will be available via the V:port entertainment system that all passengers have on their seat-back TVs. It debuted on social networking site Bebo this summer.

On the web, it is screened in short, three to five-minute episodes, charting the adventures of art student Kate and her friends as they pitch their wits against the dark forces of an evil Order.

Virgin Atlantic passengers will be able to view a short introductory video and the first 31 episodes.

Happy Hour ticket deals on offer from Aer Arann

Aer Arann has launched special Happy Hour prices on flights between the UK and Ireland, offering a range of deals from special prices on routes to last-minute, travel that day offers.

The special deals will be available from 1pm to 2pm each Thursday and Friday during the winter period, but they must be booked through the Aer Arann website.

Colin Lewis, of Aer Arann, said: "With holidaymakers searching for flights at the end of the working week, we thought we would give them an added bonus of being able to receive special deals during Happy Hour to inspire travel to Ireland this winter."

Birmingham International sets sights on future

Birmingham International Airport (BIA) has put forward a blue print for its future direction, which include an extension of the runway and greater emphasis on promoting access to the terminal by public transport.

The airport's plan supports proposals to extend the runway by 405 metres, a planning application for this work is expected to be submitted by the end of the year, which would enable Birmingham to operate more long haul routes.

The Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Transport, Jim Fitzpatrick, attended a presentation at the airport where it was also announced that a target of 25 per cent of all people travelling to BIA by public transport was to be aimed for by 2012.

New routes to Greece and Spain from easyJet

EasyJet has announced it will start a new service from London Gatwick to the Greek city of Thessaloniki early next year.

The low-cost airline will offer flights three times a week, starting on January 30, with one-way tickets starting from £27.99.

David Osborne, easyJet UK general manager, said: "Thessaloniki is the second Greek destination easyJet will offer from the UK and we expect to carry over 41,000 passengers on the route this summer. The addition of this new service takes the total number of routes available from our base at Gatwick to 44."

Nov 29: Ryanair offers 150,000 seats for £1 for today only

Book on November 29 only: Ryanair is offering 150,000 seats for flights on 100 of its routes for just £1 until midnight tonight (November 29).

The price includes both taxes and charges, with all the available flights for travel between January 7 and 31, 2008.

Passengers can fly between 12pm Monday and 12pm Thursday within that period, subject to availability.

Announcing the news, Sinead Finn, head of sales and marketing at the budget airline, said: "Christmas has come early at Ryanair, because for one day only 150,000 seats are up for grabs across Europe.

Oasis Hong Kong snips prices to Far East

Book by December 15: Oasis Hong Kong Airlines is offering cheap flights from London to the Far East in its winter fare sale.

For travel between January 6 and March 12, 2008, economy tickets to Hong Kong are available from £297 return, and business class tickets from £1,157 return. Prices include all taxes and charges.

Fares for children (aged 11 or below) are 25 per cent lower than adult fares, and those for infants (aged 2 or below) are 85 per cent lower. Sale tickets are non-refundable and non-transferable, and cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer.

Iceland Express adds flights on London to Kefalavik route

Iceland Express is to increase the frequency of its flights between London Stansted and Kefalavik in the south-west of Iceland.

Beginning on February 26 next year, the airline will offer 11 flights per week on this route, which is two more than the summer programme. Flights will begin at £69 one-way, including taxes.

The move has come about partly because of the decision by British Airways to suspend its flights between London Gatwick and Iceland.

Thomsonfly cuts Bournemouth Airport routes

Thomsonfly is to cut five routes from Bournemouth Airport next summer, although it will begin two new ones.

When the airline's summer schedule begins on May 1, flights to Alicante, Pisa, Salzburg, Tenerife and Valencia will come to an end, because of a lack of customer demand.

The new flights are to Dalaman, a gateway to many popular Turkish resorts, and Heraklion on the Greek island of Crete.

New door-to-door bus shuttle bus service for Stansted Airport

A new door-to-door "shared journey" minibus service is set to be launched for Stansted Airport passengers on December 10.

The Stansted Shuttle will transport passengers between the airport and any address in Essex, and some surrounding areas, with the potential for expansion if the service proves to be popular.

Journeys will be available seven days a week, 365 days a year, with hourly departures from a dedicated stand at Stansted Airport Coach Station, and a pre-booking service available for customers wishing to be picked up from their homes.

European airline black list updates sees PIA removed

The European Commission has lifted restrictions it placed on Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) when flying to airports in member states, as it updated its black list of airlines banned from the skies of Europe.

In a statement the Commission said that PIA had taken steps to deal with issues raised earlier this year, which included the refurbishment of some of the operator's older jets.

Jacques Barrot, Commission vice-president in charge of transport, said: "This latest revision shows that when airlines take rapid and sound corrective action to comply with safety standards, they can be withdrawn from the list quickly. It also shows that the list increasingly serves as a pre-emptive rather than punitive tool for safeguarding aviation safety."

Bmibaby announces new European routes from UK regional airports

Budget airline bmibaby has announced a series of new routes to mainland Europe from three of the UK's regional airports for summer 2008.

The following new flights have gone on sale today (November 28): Birmingham to Milan (Bergamo), Madrid and Krakow; Cardiff to Gdansk and Warsaw; and East Midlands to Gdansk and Warsaw and Nice.

Flight details for summer 2008:

Birmingham to
Milan (Bergamo), three flights a week, from £24.99 one-way (from April 1)
Madrid, six flights a week, from £24.99 one-way (from December 7)
Krakow, three flights a week, from £21.99 one-way (from February 12)

New 24-hour bus link for Heathrow

A new 24-hour bus service is set to be launched, improving transport links for passengers travelling to London Heathrow from south-west London.

The 111 bus route from Kingston to Heathrow will have its service extended from December 1 to provide half hourly journeys throughout the night, seven days a week.

The announcement guarantees improved public transport links to the airport for people living in London suburbs such as Kingston, Hampton, Feltham and Hounslow.

Art work set to star at Inverness Airport

The work of local artists is to be showcased in front of thousands of travellers when Inverness Airport opens a programme of exhibitions in the terminal building.

The airport has teamed up with Bridge of Allan based Ealain Gallery to feature different artists in a series running for eight weeks that will each feature pieces from two or three artists.

Callum Smith, Inverness Airport terminal manager, said: "We are delighted to have teamed up with the Ealain Gallery on this project that will give passengers a great opportunity to see works by a range of exciting contemporary artists in the terminal.

Silverjet launches company loyalty scheme

Silverjet, the all-business class airline that flies from London Luton Airport, has launched an innovative new loyalty scheme specifically for businesses. Called "Silverjet Set", the programme allows companies to get a free flight for every ten that are taken by employees.

This means that points do not have to be accumulated by an individual flyer, an attractive proposition for firms, and could allow Silverjet to take more market share from rivals such as Virgin Atlantic and British Airways.

Those businesses signing up to the scheme will also be able to manage flight bookings, have a dedicated support team, and have access to exclusive special offers.

Tokyo for £509 with Virgin Atlantic

Book by 10pm on December 6: Virgin Atlantic is offering cheaper flights to Tokyo from London Heathrow for travel early next year.

A return rate of £509 from Heathrow, including all taxes is charges, is on offer for flights departing between January 8 and February 29 for the following fare.

This price is for economy seating, which includes an in-flight amenity kit, food and drink, and an individual seat-back TV. The minimum stay is a Saturday night, and the maximum stay is 12 months. Journey times on the London to Tokyo route are around 12 hours.

Christmas shopping above the clouds

You’ve traded your shoes for socks, reclined your seat, and slipped on the eye mask when it suddenly dawns on you that you haven’t done any of your Christmas shopping yet. Panic sets in from the mere thought of having to face the hordes of crazy Christmas shoppers, all frantically fighting to jump the queue. Relax. You’re 30,000 feet in the air, it’s just you and the glossy in-flight catalogue; the only fighting you’ll need to do is deciding what to buy your loved ones. Here’s our pick of the best in-flight shopping out there (up there) that you may encounter on your next trip:

The sky is the limit
Most airlines offer similar shopping onboard: alcohol, chocolate and stuffed teddy bears. Yawn. But others including British Airways and Virgin have luxurious goods and exclusive gifts that could rival even the swankiest department store.

Last chance for discounted Air France deals to the Americas

Book before November 30: Air France's offer of discounted fares from UK destinations to both North and South America ends this Friday (November 30). Fares quoted are for return travel from London Heathrow, and include all taxes, fees and charges.

Flights to US destinations are for travel before December 15, 2007 and between January 1 and March 31, 2008.

Heathrow to:
Atlanta from £378
Boston from £358
Chicago from £383
Detroit from £383
Houston from £385
Miami from £378
New York from £388
Philadelphia from £358
San Francisco from £358
Washington DC from £378
Seattle from £418
Los Angeles from £358

Yotel to open Heathrow capsule hotel

Yotel is set to launch a new capsule hotel at London Heathrow Airport, following the opening of its first location at London Gatwick earlier this year.

The hotel is scheduled to open at Heathrow's Terminal Four on December 6, 2007, and will offer 32 cabins, providing facilities for both business travellers on a short stop-over and others looking to stay for longer.

Facilities offered with each cabin include en suite bathrooms and 24-hour room service, while free Wi-Fi and wired internet access, 'techno wall' entertainment systems and workstations will also be available to all passengers staying over.

More flights on Sofia to Luton route offered by Wizz Air

Wizz Air is to base a new aircraft at Sofia resulting in an increase in flight frequency to London, as well as launch other routes from the Bulgarian capital.

The addition of an Airbus A320 from July 12, 2008, will enable the low-cost operator to offer daily flights to Luton Airport, expanding on the current four flights a week.

The airline will also start a new domestic flight to Varna, as well as flights to Milan-Bergamo, Valencia, Barcelona and Izmir (Turkey), and will increase frequencies on existing services to Rome and Dortmund.

New tourism message to welcome visitors at Scottish airports

Visitors arriving at airports in Scotland are to be greeted by new messages promoting the country as a vibrant destination.

From the end of the month messages proclaiming "Welcome to Scotland" will feature at Glasgow, Edinburgh, Prestwick, Dundee, Inverness and Aberdeen airports.

They will incorporate a range of local messages celebrating diversity and success across Scotland, which Culture Minister Linda Fabiani said would give people a taste of the country's past and future direction.

Zoom Airlines announces ski flights

Zoom Airlines is to begin a new Belfast to Vancouver route this winter, as well as an extra weekly flight between London Gatwick and the Canadian destination.

This will increase the frequency on the Gatwick to Vancouver route to three times per week, and is likely to be popular with skiers and snowboarders attracted by this season's plentiful snowfall.

Also, Zoom is to double its flights from Gatwick to Montreal to two per week, and will continue to fly weekly from Glasgow and Manchester to Vancouver and Calgary.

Ryanair reports record flight times on Glasgow to Belfast route

Low-cost airline Ryanair has achieved record times on the Glasgow to Belfast route, with flights completing the journey in less than 20 minutes.

The airline flies daily between Glasgow Prestwick and Belfast City airports, and tailwinds have allowed planes to travel faster on the route. On several occasions recently the airline has managed to beat the regular 45-minute flight duration by some way.

Flybe to increase Scottish routes next year

Flybe is to offer four new routes from Inverness Airport next year.

Europe's largest regional airline has completed the rollout of its summer 2008 schedule, with more than seven million seats on sale across the UK and Europe. It includes four new routes, from Inverness to Birmingham, Exeter, Manchester and Southampton.

The Birmingham route will begin on March 30 and operate daily, with fares beginning at £24.99 one-way, including taxes and charges. The daily Exeter route will start on May 8, costing from £32.99.

BA launches new routes from London airports

British Airways has announced plans to launch new routes from London City Airport, London Heathrow and London Gatwick next year.

The airline's subsidiary, BA CityFlyer, will commence a service between the Docklands airport and Nice next March, with flights to Amsterdam, Barcelona and Warsaw to follow in May. At the same time the carrier announced an increased frequency for its London City Airport to Zurich service, with five flights a day to the Swiss destination from next year.

Dublin Airport pushes up car park prices by 50%

© Dublin Airport

The cost of parking at Dublin Airport's short-term car park has increased by 50 per cent.

The daily charge now stands at €40 (£28), with the hourly charge for those parking for longer than one hour rising to €4.50 (£3.22). At the airport's long-term car parks, the daily charge has been hiked to €9.50 (£6.80).

A spokesman for the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) said one of the main reasons for the increases was to ensure that there are enough spaces available for the majority of customers who park for less than one hour. The charges for these customers remain unchanged at €1.50 (£1) for up to 30 minutes and €3 (£2) for up to one hour.

Flywatch to fly from London Southend to Europe

Flywatch is to begin scheduled flights from London Southend Airport to Le Touquet and Calais in France, and Bruges/Ostend in Belgium next year.

From March 1, flights from London Southend to the elegant resort of Le Touquet will operate seven times per week, on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays (three flights) and Sundays. Fares will cost from £180 return (including taxes).

From April 1, the airline will begin flights from the airport to Ostend/Bruges, on Saturdays. Tickets begin at £200 plus taxes and charges. Bruges is a World Heritage Site and is regarded as one of the most beautiful cities in Europe.

Gatwick Airport opens revamped lounge

An executive lounge has opened at Gatwick Airport, offering a relaxing atmosphere and Wi-Fi internet access.

The Aviance Lounge Gatwick is available free of charge to passengers travelling with Aviance's airline partners (such as Air France, Austrian Airlines and Brussels Airlines), and others can pay as little as £20 at reception for entry.

It is located on the first floor of Gatwick Airport in the departure lounge, and is twice the size of the previous Aviance facility. It has new ceilings, lighting, toilets and furniture, and has seating and access to computer work stations for up to 130 people. Wi-Fi is available at a small extra charge. There is a bar and coffee area with snacks, as well as TV screens, newspapers and magazines.

Weekly news round-up

Some excellent special offers were released this week. Turkish Airlines, Emirates, and Qantas have all cut the prices on their worldwide fares, and those wishing cheaper tickets around the UK and Europe can check out bmi's special regional deals. New routes include easyJet and Flybe links to Jersey, and a host of new flights from Heathrow could be on the cards if plans for a third runway go ahead.

Special offers
Cheap flights with Turkish Airlines
Book by January 31, 2008: Turkish Airlines has a number of promotional fares for travel from the UK, including London to Bangkok from £449. Fares are for return tickets, including taxes and charges.

Regional returns from £75 with bmi
Offer runs until April 1, 2008: bmi has many regional return fares on sale - "perfect for a last-minute weekend getaway".

Strike threat hangs over airports

Workers at airports operated by BAA are to ballot for strike action which could mean serious disruption to travel in the run up to New Year if it goes ahead.

Members of the Unite union, which include firefighters, security, maintenance and administration staff at airports such as Heathrow, Gatwick and Aberdeen, are angry at plans to stop new staff joining the final salary pension scheme from December 1.

A ballot will take place later this month, with any stoppages planned to occur from December 27, although BAA bosses say there is no need for disruption and that the door is open for negotiation.

Two new routes to Jersey announced by Flybe

Flybe has announced the launch of two new routes to Jersey as part of its summer 2008 schedule.

The airline will begin flights from Robin Hood Doncaster Sheffield Airport and Inverness Airport, with both routes set to start on March 30, and provide a weekly service operating on Saturday.

Tickets for flights from Doncaster Sheffield start at £39.99 one way, while the cost of a single ticket from Inverness starts at £49.99.
Mike Rutter, chief commercial officer at Flybe, said: "The new routes we are introducing to Jersey reflect our continued commitment to the island and to promoting the growth of regional air travel.

KLM cuts prices to Dubai

Dutch airline KLM is offering cheaper fares from various UK airports to Dubai, for travel between now and March, 2008. Prices are for return tickets, including taxes:

Travel to Dubai from:

Aberdeen from £352.70
Birmingham from £319.70
Bristol from £355.70
Cardiff from £355.60
Durham Tees Valley from £352.50
Edinburgh from £319.50
Glasgow from £317.70
Humberside from £352.20
Leeds Bradford from £394.20
London from £322.90
Manchester from £338
Newcastle from £321.90
Norwich from £358.40

Getaway Calendar - December

December 2 - December 3: Chichibu Yomatsuri, Japan
One of Japan’s grandest float festivals takes places every year in the small town of Chichibu, near Tokyo. For nearly 300 years the festival has been held to honour the town's six protective deities, each represented by a float weighing up to ten tons and reaching ten metres in height. Lanterns, wood carvings and tapestries adorn the floats while flute music and drums provide a dramatic soundtrack as they leave the grounds of Chichibu Shrine and wander through the streets.

One of the highlights of the festival is the spectacular fireworks show, which lasts for a couple of hours. And for those courageous enough to brace the cold winter night for that long the food stalls lining the streets provide plenty of comfort food and drinks such as amazake, a sweet rice wine that is sure to warm you up.

Getting there:
Fly direct on Virgin Atlantic and British Airways or take a connecting flight on Alitalia to Tokyo then take a short train ride to Chichibu.

Retail therapist service introduced on Silverjet

As of yesterday (November 22), passengers flying with business class-only airline Silverjet can seek personal shopping advice from a dedicated retail therapist.

For no charge, travellers can email retailtherapist@flysilverjet.com with their flight reference, likes and dislikes, budget, hobbies and interests, and retail guru Lucia Van Der Post will compile for them a personalised shopping guide to their destination.

Lucia Van Der Post is a columnist and author of Things I Wish My Mother Had Told Me, and will use her retail expertise for the benefit of passengers.

Photographs and fossil tour at Liverpool Airport

A fossil finding tour and art exhibition will help passengers to pass the time as they wait for their flights at Liverpool Airport.

The Merseyside hub has established a fossil tour, the "JLA (John Lennon Airport) Fossil Mystery Tour", which looks at the ancient stone markings that are dotted around the building.

Joe Crossley of the Liverpool Geological Society, which produced the tour, said: "It has been quite fantastic and most enjoyable to research the exotic continental fossils at JLA, because they are such superb fossils, so very well preserved, and beautifully displayed in the polished limestone slabs which not only floor the entire concourse but also adorn the walls.

Ryanair has flights from £5 one-way, including taxes

This offer has now expired

Special offer expires November 26: No-frills airline Ryanair is offering many routes from just £5. Fares quoted are for one-way tickets including taxes and charges.

For travel between December 7 and March 12, 2008 (except on Fridays and Sundays), the following is a selection of the routes on offer:

London Stansted to:
Barcelona (Reus) from £5
Gdansk from £5
Glasgow (Prestwick) from £5
Majorca from £5
Alicante from £10
La Rochelle from £10
Montpellier from £10
Newquay from £10
Biarritz from £25.10
Salzburg from £25.10

Heathrow expansion consultation begins

The government has published a consultation on increasing capacity at Heathrow, which will consider whether a third runway and sixth terminal could be built at the west London airport.

Heathrow is facing increased competition from continental airports such as Paris Charles de Gaulle and Frankfurt, which offer a greater range of destinations. Transport minister Ruth Kelly warned that "if nothing changes, [its] status as a world-class airport will be gradually eroded - jobs will be lost and the economy will suffer".

Critics note that building a new runway would require the destruction of a whole village - Sipson - and would lead to a host of towns suffering worse noise pollution.

Qantas offers cheaper flights from regional airports

Book before December 4: Qantas is offering cheaper flights from a number of the UK's regional airports. The fares quoted below are for return flights and include both taxes and charges.

For travel between April 16 and June 15, 2008:

Manchester to:
Adelaide from £751
Auckland from £826
Brisbane from £789
Cairns from £837
Christchurch from £826
Darwin from £808
Melbourne from £713
Perth from £784
Sydney from £729
Wellington from £826

Emirates discounts economy worldwide flights

Book by November 30: Emirates has discounted worldwide flights from a number of airports around the UK. Fares quoted are for return tickets, including taxes and charges.

For travel between April 16 and June 30, 2008:

Heathrow to:
Auckland from £736
Brisbane from £713
Melbourne from £709
Perth from £664
Sydney from £717

Edinburgh Airport to get dedicated police service

A police unit is to be created dedicated to protecting Edinburgh Airport.

Five more officers will be added to the 39 already on duty at the Scottish hub, with more of these authorised to use firearms.

The unit, which will be stationed at the airport, will help to alleviate passenger security fears in the wake of the terrorist attack on Glasgow Airport earlier this year. Airport operator BAA will pay the £2.5 million annual cost.

XL.com to begin new West Ireland service from Gatwick

Budget airline XL.com is to begin the only scheduled route between London Gatwick and Knock in the west of Ireland.

The service will operate six days a week beginning on December 14, with flights departing at varying times. Tickets are on sale now, beginning at £19 one-way, including taxes.

Boeing 737-800 aircraft, with 189 seats, will be used on the route.

Study looks at how to speed up passenger journey

More needs to be done to speed up journey times for passengers travelling both to and through airports, Transport Minister Ruth Kelly has said.

A study released today, titled Improving the Air Passenger Experience looks into every stage of a journey, from leaving home to arrival at Heathrow Airport, and notes pinch-points which slow passengers down. It identified those accountable and highlighted areas that could be improved. The Department for Transport intends to analyse other airports and methods of transport to help improve travel options.

Ruth Kelly said: "My priority is to improve the experience of air passengers and to do that we need to consider their whole journey time. It is not simply the flight that matters.

US Airways to launch Heathrow to Philadelphia route

US Airways has announced it will begin operating a service between London Heathrow and Philadelphia early next year.

Flights between the two destinations are set to begin on March 29, 2008, with tickets available for purchase from December 1.

There will be one flight daily in each direction, departing Heathrow at 12.50pm and arriving in Philadelphia at 4pm, while the return leg will take off from the US city at 10.45pm and arrive at Heathrow at 11.05am.

Monarch offers cracking Christmas fares

Book by midnight, November 22: Budget airline Monarch has released its "festive fares" sale, offering passengers the chance to get return flight tickets from £10 one-way (including taxes).

For travel this December, one-way flights with Monarch begin at £24.99, and the flights back can be had from £10.

The following routes are on offer:
- London Luton to Alicante, Almeria, Malaga and Lanzarote
Example fares include Luton to Almeria for £34.71, flying out on Sunday, December 9 and returning on Sunday, December 16.