The Week In Travel

Bosses of two UK airport operators have this week made bullish forecasts for the recovery of air travel throughout 2022. Robert Sinclair, CEO of London City Airport, expects to return to close to pre-pandemic levels of flying this year, while Chief Executive Charlie Cornish, of Manchester Airports Group has reported a surge in bookings since the easing of travel restrictions. This positivity is welcomed by the industry following a difficult December, when panic over the Omicron variant reduced footfall by 30% compared to November.

There was widespread chaos across the global aviation industry on Tuesday as various international operators cancelled scheduled flights to the US over worries about the implementation of the national 5G mobile network. Concerns that Boeing 777’s radio altimeter would be compromised by the new network have since been allayed by the Federal Aviation Administration, with most of the cancelled flights now rescheduled.

In other news, it has been reported that Suvarnabhumi International Airport in Bangkok is set to announce a $236 million dollar expansion from July, which would increase its passenger capacity by 44% - up to 65 million per annum. The plans have been approved by government ministers and will be officially confirmed after a contractor has been obtained for the operation.

Virgin Atlantic has announced a codeshare deal with LATAM airlines, meaning they will now operate a direct flight from Heathrow to Sao Paolo with connections to 12 other Brazilian cities – just in time for Carnival.

And finally, Manchester United legend Eric Cantona has made a storming debut appearance in the travel industry after he announced the opening of his new travel business: Looking FC. The new venture focuses on selling football as a travel-experience and includes itineraries at iconic football cities across the world. Customers are advised that although Eric would adore to meet them, commitments being what they are for a global icon means he, unfortunately, is a bit too busy to join the trips.