Airlines

EasyJet Boosts UK Domestic Travel with 140,000 Additional Seats on Belfast Routes”

easyJet, Northern Ireland’s largest airline, has put 140,000 extra seats on sale from its Belfast airports. The additional seats, previously served by Flybe, will not only maintain domestic connectivity but also help serve the demand for domestic travel. easyJet operates more seats on domestic flights than any other UK carrier.

The additional seats provide customers in Northern Ireland with even more choice and direct convenient connections, whether they are flying for pleasure or business. Customers planning their Easter and summer getaways or business trips can now book great value fares from Belfast International starting from just £23.99* to London Luton and Glasgow and £22.99* to Manchester.

Ryanair expansion at Cardiff Airport including new route to Belfast(Opens in a new browser tab)

The airline has also announced two new year-round domestic routes from Belfast City to London Luton and Manchester, which will take off for the first time in June. Belfast to Manchester, which was previously served by Flybe, and London Luton will help maintain connectivity between the regions. This means the airline now operates six routes from Belfast City to Bristol, Glasgow, Liverpool, and London Gatwick, and now London Luton and Manchester. easyJet has rapidly expanded its offering at the city airport over the last two years since relaunching operations from Belfast City for the first time in over 10 years in 2021 with a route to London Gatwick.

Fights to London Luton and Manchester will take off for the first time on 26 June 2023, with departures on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays throughout the year.

Air India launches new routes to London Gatwick(Opens in a new browser tab)

EasyJet will also be basing an aircraft in Belfast City overnight from June and will enable the airline to provide customers travelling from Belfast City with a new convenient 07.00 am departure to London Gatwick, meaning the airline will now offer up to four daily flights between Belfast City and London from next summer and the option for longer day trips to London.

With this news also comes the arrival of an eighth Airbus A320 family aircraft at its Belfast International Airport base from this summer, as well as the launch of two new summer routes to the popular Greek island of Rhodes and Antalya in Turkey. The airline now offers 30 routes to 9 countries from its Belfast base, providing customers with more choice when choosing where to holiday.

Airlines

Federal Court Imposes $100M Fine on Qantas for “Ghost Flights” Scandal

In a major ruling, the Federal Court has confirmed a hefty A$100 million penalty against Qantas for its involvement in the “ghost flights” scandal. As reported by FlightGlobal.

The court found that Qantas misled consumers by offering and selling tickets for flights that the airline had already decided to cancel. Adding to the controversy, Qantas failed to promptly notify ticket holders about these cancellations.

The penalty follows Qantas’ admission of violating the Australian Consumer Law (ACL). The airline agreed with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) on the penalty amount, aiming to deter Qantas and other businesses from similar breaches in the future.

Embraer Opens Applications for 2025 Software and Data Science Training Initiative

The ACCC emphasized that this substantial fine sends a clear message: misleading customers will lead to serious consequences, regardless of a company’s size. In addition to the penalty, Qantas has committed to paying approximately A$20 million to affected passengers who unknowingly purchased tickets for canceled flights.

This compensation comes on top of any refunds or alternative flight arrangements already provided. ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb praised the penalty, underscoring the importance of robust compliance programs red energy qantas in large corporations like Qantas.

She pointed out that Qantas has since made changes to its operating and scheduling procedures to prevent similar issues in the future.