IN THE AIR ➔ UK losing competitive edge
THE government is letting down the business travel community by failing to invest in transport infrastructure, says Ajaya Sodha of Key Travel. Sodha, who is chairman of
Key Travel – one of the UK’s leading TMCs for the not-for- profit sector – and deputy chairman of the GTMC, spoke out at the Travel Matters conference in April, where other speakers included Justine
SKYWORKS LANDS AT LCY
SKYWORKS Airlines made its UK debut at the end of March when it launched services between London City Airport and Bern, the Swiss capital. The service operates daily from Sunday to Friday, moving to two flights a day in September. The current single service takes off from London City at 19.55, arriving in Bern at 22.35, and lead-in web fares start at 79 CHF, or around £52 each way. Food is included in the fare while alcoholic drinks are available for purchase. Visitors to Bern would previously have flown via Basel, Zurich or Geneva. A 31-seat aircraft initially operated the service but has now been replaced by a 70-seat Bombardier Q400. The passenger profile is split evenly between leisure and business.
Greening, Economic Secretary to the Treasury, and Louise Ellman, chair of the Transport Select Committee. Sodha also criticised the UK’s excessive aviation taxes and warned of the increasing trend for taking a short-haul flight to a European hub from which to fly the longer international leg and hence minimise the cost of taxes. Transit passengers are looking to avoid UK hubs
altogether and fly via other European hubs instead. “If next year’s planned increase in APD comes into effect, far more travellers will do the same with the Exchequer losing significant revenues,” said Sodha. “Competing hubs such as Amsterdam, Paris, Frankfurt and Munich have more runways and are increasingly serving more cities than London airports. If we don’t invest now, London and, consequently UK PLC, will increasingly become irrelevant 20 years from now.” In addition to championing
fairer air taxes, he set out a further five areas in which the UK’s travel industry needs to improve, namely by expanding air capacity in the South East, improving passenger facilities at UK airports, increasing capacity on rail routes, by building a high-speed rail link to Scotland, and enhancing road and motorway links.
FALCON GOLD TAKES OFF AT T4
Five minutes with... Clive Wratten
PROFILE
General Manager UK ETIHAD AIRWAYS
Clive has over 15 years’ airline experience and is responsible for the continued growth and development of Etihad’s activity in the UK. Prior to joining Etihad, he held senior positions at British Airways, Qantas and Gulf Air.
What is your most memorable business travel trip and why? That would have to be my first business trip to New York. I was there to present to a large merchant bank and thought I had finally made it! I soon learnt that business in the USA was tough and uncompro- mising. The lasting memory was that business travel is not glamorous, and life in a global arena is tough. It was a totally life-changing experience.
What is your worst business travel experience and why? I really enjoy travelling for business, but do find the jet lag can be gruelling! I try to be disciplined with when I sleep to make the transition easier, but sometimes there’s nothing you can do. Delivering a presentation having been wide awake since 1am is never ideal, but I have had to do this on more than one occasion!
What is your favourite destination worldwide and why? I’m a big fan of Sydney. It was my dream destination when I was a boy and when I finally made it there I wasn’t disappointed. It’s a stunning location, has great food and wine, and top people to do business with.
GULF AIR has opened a new Falcon Gold lounge at London Heathrow’s Terminal 4 which, at 6,500ft2, is one of the largest airline lounges in the terminal. The lounge is for the use of
all the carrier's Platinum, Gold and Silver FFP members, plus premium class ticket holders of Gulf Air and its codeshare partner airlines. The open-plan layout features
a central bar area surrounded by business, dining and lounge areas, plus a TV room. There is wifi internet throughout the lounge, plus computers, printers and fax facilities in the
business section, as well as washrooms and showers, a self-service buffet, coffee counter and lockers. Views are over the runway and apron. Gulf Air CEO Samer Majali
says, “The opening of the lounge is a further example of our commitment to invest in the UK market and our focus on improving our products and services. Passengers these days, particularly premium passengers, have become more discerning. Lounges are no longer just a place to wait for flights or transit spots between connections.”
What three items do you never leave home without when on business? That'll be my tie holder, which was given to me by a great friend from Shangri-La hotels. I also always have a picture of my wife and a packet of headache tablets – not that the two are related in any way!
What single thing could be done to improve your business travelling life? I would love to spend less time on a PC and more time out meeting and talking to customers and colleagues.
What destinations would you like to visit next and why? I really want to go to Vietnam. I’ve heard so much about it and it has been at the centre of such an interesting part of modern day history that I have lived through, and I’d love to see it first hand.
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