Business Travel


Sector Focus In Brief


Emirates – which operates daily flights from Birmingham – is on track to achieve a record year by carrying five million passengers between the UK and Dubai in 2017-18. This is an increase on the


Behind the wheel: National Express’ 2017 ‘Bus Driver of the Year’ hopefuls Bus driver to defend title


National Express’ Craig Lockyer is getting ready to defend his crown as Britain’s top bus driver. The Wolverhampton-based


driver and five of his colleagues will be heading to Blackpool in September to contest the national Bus Driver of the Year competition. The six National Express drivers


have qualified from an in-house competition which saw them tackle a series of tricky manoeuvres and challenges that covered customer service and driving ability.


This year’s competition involved


driving a route carrying a bowl full to the brim with water, with every drop spilt losing the contestant points. The drivers were also faced with


various other challenges, including an unplanned ‘road closure’ and helping a passenger on a mobility scooter safely onto the bus. Madi Pilgrim, director of human


resources at National Express, said: “Each year all of our drivers put in an outstanding performance and


this year’s standards were the best yet. The competition is just one of the ways we endeavour to celebrate the achievements of our staff and recognise the incredible talent we have.” In 2015, National Express rolled


out the Master Driver programme, which assesses, trains and rewards exceptional drivers. The company also holds an annual Values Awards ceremony, where employees nominate each other for going above and beyond in their service.


2016-17 total for the airline, which saw 4.92 million passengers fly between the UK and Dubai. It is 30 years since Emirates launched its first flight to Gatwick. Laurie Berryman, VP UK, Emirates, said: “The last 30 years have been an incredible journey for us at Emirates.”


Turkish Airlines is celebrating a significant milestone – the launch of its 300th destination. The award-winning airline,


which offers 12 flights per week from Birmingham Airport to its hub in Istanbul, has added Phuket to its vast range of travel destinations. Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce chief executive Paul Faulkner said: “Turkish Airlines prides itself on its service and its vast range of destinations. Launching a 300th destination is a significant landmark both for the airline and for the regions it serves – including Birmingham.”


September 2017 CHAMBERLINK 63


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