Sector Focus


Business Travel Sector Focus The latest news from the sectors that matter to business


Coach firm rescues ski trip


Bouden Coach Travel has come to the rescue of a ski tour operator by purchasing a new 63-seater coach. The operator was plunged


into crisis just two days before heading for the slopes of Folgardia in Italy, after realising it had not had accounted space for the extra driver required to make the trip. But Birmingham-based


Bouden sprang into action by purchasing a new 63-seat Scania Omni Express coach to cater for the client’s needs. The new vehicle was


purchased from Scania in Worksop, Nottinghamshire. Bouden’s director Adel


Bouden said: “The clients are at the heart of everything at Bouden Travel. “We were quick to act,


coming to the rescue by purchasing this new 63-seater and ultimately saving the day. “I can’t wait to have a go in


it myself, our first Scania addition to the fleet.”


Connect’s takeover of Flybe is ready for take-off


Flybe shareholders have approved the regional airline group’s purchase by Connect Airways. A majority of Flybe shareholders voted in favour of


the offer of one pence per share or £2.2m. Connect Airways is a holding company made up of


Virgin Atlantic, Southend Airport owner Stobart Group and US hedge fund Cyrus Capital. The Connect Airways consortium already owns the


airline Flybe having paid £2.8m for the carrier in a deal completed in February. According to reports, Flybe is to be rebranded as


Virgin Atlantic but will be operated separately by Connect Airways. In a statement, Flybe described the Connect Airways


deal as “the only viable option available to the company which provides the security the business needs to continue to trade successfully”. It warned it would be wound up if the deal was not


completed. Flybe was put up for sale last year after the airline’s


results for the half year to the end of September 2018 revealed a 54 per cent drop in pre-tax profit to £7.4m, while revenues fell 2.4 per cent to £409.2m. Falling consumer demand, a weaker pound and


higher fuel costs were blamed. It is the largest airline in terms of passenger


volumes at Birmingham Airport, with more than 20 winter routes.


Cross City trains line up for major overhaul


Trains on the Cross City Line are undergoing a major overhaul to improve the passenger experience. Trains on the line, which runs


from Lichfield to Redditch and Bromsgrove via Birmingham, are having new toilets fitted, along with upgraded passenger information screens, new seat covers and a deep clean of the interior.


72 CHAMBERLINK April 2019 The improvements on the Class


323 trains will help make travelling on the route easier for those requiring accessible facilities and will bring the inside of the units up to modern standards after 25 years of operation. The first Class 323 train from the


line to undergo this work has re- entered service.


Work will be undertaken on all


Class 323 units operating on the Cross City line and is due to be completed by the end of next year. Neil Bamford, engineering


director for West Midlands Railway, said: “The installation of fully accessible toilets on the Cross City line is an important step in providing an improved experience for all.


“While this work is being


completed, we are also taking the opportunity to have a major internal overhaul done on the trains. “Once the project is complete, all


passengers on the line will also benefit from up to date information screens, as well as a refreshed interior on these trains.”


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