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WORDS MOLLY DYSON
NEWS
A round-up of the latest stories in business travel
QANTAS HAS MADE SEVERAL key announcements regarding Project Sunrise – its quest to determine if ultra-long-haul routes would be viable. The Australian airline had been looking at both the
EXPEDIA CHIEFS DEPART COMPANY
EXPEDIA GROUP’S CHIEF EXECUTIVE Mark Okerstrom and chief financial officer Alan Pickerill have resigned at the request of the company’s board of directors. Okerstrom also stepped down as a member of the board. Both executives will be allowed severance and equity
award acceleration in accordance with their terms. Expedia said Okerstrom did not have any disagreement with the company on any matter relating to its operations, policies or practices. Okerstrom took over as chief executive in 2017 following Dara Khosrowshahi’s move to Uber, having previously been chief financial officer. The news comes after Expedia revealed net income
across the group dropped 22 per cent year-on-year in the third quarter of 2019.
Airbus A350-1000 and the Boeing 777X, but said Airbus offered the best option because its aircraft uses a Rolls- Royce Trent XWB engine, which has been in service for more than two years and has a “strong reliability record”. Airbus will add an additional fuel tank to the A350s and increase the maximum take-off weight to deliver the performance needed to operate Project Sunrise routes – currently planned for Sydney to London and New York. Cabins will also need to be modified, to provide
dedicated areas for stretching and movement. Flight time on both routes is expected to be up to 21 hours. No orders have been placed, but Qantas has asked
Airbus to draw up contract terms for up to 12 aircraft ahead of making a decision on whether to proceed with the routes. If the board approves the programme, flights could begin as soon as the first half of 2023. More Qantas news: BBT Hotlist, p89
Ola moves into London
INDIAN RIDE-HAILING APP Ola has started to onboard drivers in London after rival Uber had its licence revoked.
Mark Okerstrom 12 JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2020
The firm, which first entered the UK market in 2018 in South Wales and Greater Manchester, received a private hire operating licence from Transport for London (TfL) in 2019. The app is already able to serve passengers across 27 boroughs in the UK. The news follows TfL’s decision to deny Uber a new licence after it found a series of issues that it claimed put passengers at risk. One key flaw discovered by the regulator allowed unauthorised drivers to use another operator’s details to accept rides through the app.
buyingbusinesstravel.com
QANTAS CHOOSES AIRBUS FOR PROJECT SUNRISE
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