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It follows the successful transatlantic crossing by a Gulfstream G600 business jet using the same fuel last week. SAF is key toward reducing those emissions, but it is costly and accounts for less than 0.1% of total global jet fuel in use today. The fuel used to power Tuesday's flight is mostly made from used cooking oil and waste animal fat mixed with a small amount of synthetic aromatic kerosene made from waste corn, Virgin Atlantic said. Yet the 2030 target looks challenging given SAF's small volumes and its high cost, right now about three to five times as much as regular jet fuel. Virgin said the engines on the flight would be drained of SAF and tested before it returns to service using regular fuel.

Persons: Virgin, Richard Branson, Shai Weiss, Mark Harper, John F, Magdalena Heuwieser, Sarah Young, Joanna Plucinska, Tomasz Janowski Organizations: Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Boeing, Royce, Trent, Gulfstream G600, London Heathrow, Kennedy International Airport, Virgin, SAF, Boeing, BP, Aviation, British Airways, Air France, Union, Thomson Locations: London, New York, Dubai

☆ Poor Visibility Hampered Channel Rescue Effort in 2021 Migrant Accident -UK Report
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-08 | by ( Nov. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +3 min

By Kylie MacLellanLONDON (Reuters) - Unsuccessful attempts to rescue migrants from a sinking boat in the Channel in November 2021 were hampered by poor visibility and confusion over locating the right vessel, Britain's Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) said on Thursday. "The UK search and rescue response ... was hampered due to poor visibility and by the lack of a dedicated aircraft conducting aerial surveillance," it said in a report published on Thursday. The Channel between France and Britain is one of the world's busiest shipping lanes and currents are strong, making the crossing on small boats dangerous. On the day of the deaths, 1,227 people attempted to cross the Channel, the British government said. More than 25,000 people have arrived in small boats so far in 2023.

Persons: Kylie MacLellan, MAIB, Mark Harper, Rishi Sunak, Emelia Sithole Organizations: Kylie MacLellan LONDON, Channel, Investigation, " Coastguard, British Transport, British Locations: France, Britain, French, British, Rwanda

☆ UK joins Europe's growing 'greenlash' with new pro-motorist policies
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Protesters against Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) expansion brought traffic to a standstill as they demonstrated against the expansion of London's Ultra Low Emission Zone. MANCHESTER, ENGLAND — Moves by the U.K. government to introduce a series of pro-motorist policies brings Britain into the fold of countries succumbing to a political backlash against Europe's green agenda. A so-called "greenlash" has been growing across Europe as the cost of implementing ambitious environmental policies has faced resistance from citizens, prompting some governments to water down their targets. The decision comes as the ruling Conservative Party seeks to shore up support from voters — many of whom live in rural areas and feel unfairly penalized by green transport policies — ahead of next year's General Election. "The Conservative Party is proudly pro-car," Harper said as the Conservative Party Conference got underway in Manchester, England.

Persons: Mark Harper, Harper Organizations: Britain's, Conservative, Conservative Party, Conservative Party Conference Locations: MANCHESTER, ENGLAND, Europe, Manchester, England

☆ UK aviation regulator to review air traffic control failure
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

REUTERS/Raphael Satter/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON, Sept 6 (Reuters) - Britain's civil aviation regulator said on Wednesday it would undertake an independent review of the circumstances surrounding an air traffic control failure last week that caused widespread disruption to flights and left thousands of passengers stranded. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said the review would also consider the response of NATS, the country's air traffic control provider, which has apologised for the failure. Air traffic controllers then closed the system to maintain safety and switched to manual operation to continue service. The CAA, Britain's independent aviation and aerospace regulator, said it had shared analysis this with the government on Monday and outlined its next steps. The regulator said the event was now understood and, if it happened again, should be fixed quickly with no effect to the aviation system.

Persons: Raphael Satter, Rob Bishton, NATS, Mark Harper, Muvija, Farouq Suleiman, William James Our Organizations: REUTERS, Civil Aviation Authority, Interim, CAA, Air, Thomson Locations: London, Stansted, Britain

☆ UK flight disruption will take 'days' to fix after technical glitch causes travel chaos
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Karen Gilchrist | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

The United Kingdom's air traffic control systems have grounded thousands of flights on one of the busiest travel days of the year. LONDON — A technical glitch which has caused hundreds of U.K. flights to be disrupted could take "days" to fix, causing chaos for passengers during the busy summer travel period. Hundreds of flights were delayed and canceled Monday after a systems failure at the U.K.'s air traffic control services left operators unable to automatically process flight plans. Britain's National Air Traffic Service said several hours later that it had resolved the issue, but warned that it would take time for normal flight schedules to resume. The issue comes during the U.K.'s busy public holiday travel period, with many people returning from summer vacations.

Persons: Juliet Kennedy, Kennedy, Mark Harper, Harper Organizations: LONDON, Air Traffic Service, London's, London Gatwick, BBC Radio, Civil Aviation Authority Locations: Heathrow, Manchester

More than 1,500 flights were cancelled on Monday - a public holiday in parts of Britain, and one of the busiest travel days as the school holidays draw to close - when air traffic controllers were forced to switch to manual systems due to a technical problem. Ryanair, Europe's biggest airline, would be operating a normal schedule by Wednesday, said boss Michael O'Leary, as he criticised how Britain's National Air Traffic Services (NATS) had handled the situation. Harper chaired a meeting on Tuesday with NATS, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), airlines, airports, trade bodies and Border Force. EasyJet (EZJ.L) said that the knock-on impact meant some flights were cancelled on Tuesday morning. Heathrow Airport, Britain's busiest hub, told passengers to contact their airline before travelling to the airport on Tuesday.

Persons: Maria Ball, Charles De Gaulle, Mark Harper, Michael O'Leary, haven't, O'Leary, Raphael Satter, Rishi Sunak, Sunak, Harper, NATS, Cirium, Sarah Young, Padraic Halpin, Farouq Suleiman, Kate Holton, Alistair Smout, Alison Williams, Mike Harrison Organizations: British, Ryanair, Europe's, Air Traffic Services, REUTERS, Civil Aviation Authority, CAA, Border Force, Aviation, British Airways, Heathrow, Thomson Locations: Europe, Britain, Liverpool, England, Paris, Edinburgh, London, Stansted, NATS

☆ UK air traffic control failure: Disruption to last for ‘days’
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Tamara Hardingham-Gill | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Travelers have been warned that the chaos brought about by a UK air traffic control failure earlier this week will continue for days. After waiting at the airport for an update, Palladino, who lives in the UK, was informed that the flight was canceled. “Due to yesterday’s technical issues suffered by UK Air Traffic Control, there may be some continuing disruption on some routes, including flight cancellations,” reads a statement from London’s Heathrow Airport on Tuesday. Passengers are however advised to check the status of their flight with the airline before travelling to the airport. “Our priority is always to ensure that every flight in the UK remains safe and we are sincerely sorry for the disruption this is causing.

Persons: Mark Harper, ” Harper, NATS, Rosa Palladino, Palladino, ”, Lee Vanstone, “ Organizations: CNN — Travelers, Transport, BBC, Air Traffic Services, CNN Travel, Gatwick Airport, Pisa Airport, UK Air Traffic Control, Gatwick, Gatwick LGW, British Airways Locations: Naples, Italy, Pisa

☆ U.K. Air Travel Will Be Disrupted for ‘Some Days’ After Traffic Control Glitch
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-29 | by ( Emma Bubola | More About Emma Bubola | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Flights in and out of Britain will be disrupted for days, the U.K. government said on Tuesday, after a technical issue with the country’s air traffic control system left thousands of passengers stranded abroad or facing severe delays. Around 150 flights departing Britain and 130 arriving were canceled on Tuesday, about 5 percent of the total scheduled, according to Cirium, an aviation analytics company, compounding travel woes for British holidaymakers after more than a thousand flights were canceled the day before. “The timing was not at all helpful for people,” Mark Harper, the government minister responsible for transport policy, told the BBC on Tuesday morning. “It’s disrupted thousands of people. Lots of flights were canceled yesterday because of the imperative to keep the system working safely, and it is going to take some days to get completely everybody back to where they should be.”

Persons: ” Mark Harper, “ It’s, ” Organizations: BBC Locations: Britain

The UK government said last August it would advance a bill in the current parliamentary session, which is expected to end this autumn, providing detailed regulations by 2025. That has not yet happened, with political turmoil forcing the government to water down ambitions for this session. Transport Minister Mark Harper in December said there would no longer be a Transport Bill this session, and did not mention a separate AV bill in an outline of the ministry's legislative agenda. Last month Junior Minister Jesse Norman said he shared AV startups' concerns. They fear a self-driving bill will be crowded out by other vote-winning priorities in the run-up to the election.

Persons: Toby Melville LONDON, Claudio Gienal, Mark Harper, Iain Stewart, Jesse Norman, We've, Kaity Fischer, Wayve, Ashley Feldman, Alexander Dennis, Jim Hutchinson, Oxbotica, Paul Newman, Nick Carey, Ben Klayman, Sharon Singleton Organizations: REUTERS, Ireland, AXA, Transport, United Arab Emirates, Microsoft, Autonomous Vehicles, Stagecoach, BP, Thomson Locations: Oxford, Britain, British, France, Germany, California, London, Bristol, Edinburgh, Fife

☆ Britain's RMT union accepts improved pay offer from Network Rail
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

LONDON, March 20 (Reuters) - Rail workers at Britain's RMT trade union have voted to accept an improved pay offer from Network Rail, ending a long-running dispute with the organisation which owns and maintains train infrastructure, the union said on Monday. Earlier this month, the rail union suspended planned strike action, which has caused widespread disruption to the rail network on several days over the last few months, to hold a referendum on the improved offer from Network Rail. The RMT, which represents 20,000 Network Rail members, said turnout in the ballot was nearly 90%, with 76% voting to back the improved offer covering pay, jobs and conditions. The union remains locked in another pay dispute with the Rail Delivery Group (RDG), which represents more than a dozen train operators. Further strikes by those RMT members are due to take place on March 30 and April 1.

☆ Strikes in Britain set to intensify as teacher ballot results due
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-15 | by ( William James | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] Rail workers that are members of the ASLEF union stand at a picket line outside Euston station while on strike, in London, Britain, January 5, 2023. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls/File PhotoLONDON, Jan 15 (Reuters) - Strikes disrupting swathes of the British economy look likely to intensify this week, with teachers ready to announce industrial action, according to the Sunday Times, and nurses warning their strikes could double in size next month. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's government, which sets pay levels in the publicly-funded health and education services, is already dealing with strikes in rail and other industries as wages increases fall behind rapidly rising prices. Last week, a strike ballot by a different teachers' union fell short of the required turnout threshold. Transport minister Mark Harper told Sky News on Sunday that any decision to strike by teachers would be regrettable.

LONDON, Jan 3 (Reuters) - British rail workers kicked off the new year with a week-long strike on Tuesday, disrupting the return to work for millions of commuters in the latest bout of industrial action to hit the country. Repeated rail strikes have crippled the network in recent months while nurses, airport staff, paramedics and postal workers have also joined the fray, demanding higher pay to keep pace with inflation that is hovering around 40-year highs, reaching 10.7% in November. "Due to industrial action, there will be significantly reduced train services across the railway until Sunday 8 January," Network Rail said. "Trains will be busier and likely to start later and finish earlier, and there will be no services at all in some places." Mick Lynch, the head of the RMT rail union, said the government seemed content for the strikes to go ahead.

☆ How London became the divorce capital of the world for the mega-rich
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-26 | by ( Bill Bostock | Charles R. Davis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A UK judge ordered Sheikh Mohammed of Dubai to pay a $679 million divorce settlement to his ex-wife. Princess Haya had filed for divorce in London, known as "the divorce capital of the world." It also reaffirmed London's status as the de facto "divorce capital of the world," at least for the rich and famous. The often-cited case — "White v White" — concerns Martin White and Pamela White, farmers from Somerset who filed for divorce in 1994. Lawyers for Khoo told the court that his case had enhanced "the ill-gotten reputation of this country for being the divorce capital of the world."

☆ Virgin Orbit: The UK just took a step closer to space flight
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Anna Cooban | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

London CNN —The United Kingdom is one step closer to conducting its first ever satellite launch from its own shores. The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), a regulatory body, said on Wednesday that it had granted the final licenses to Virgin Orbit to carry out the launch. The company has already conducted four successful satellite launch missions in this way from California. “Today we are one step closer to opening the UK’s galactic gateway, with Virgin Orbit receiving an historic first license to allow the UK’s first ever spaceflight launch,” UK transport secretary Mark Harper said in a statement on Wednesday. The CAA said it granted Virgin Orbit the final remaining licenses after it met all necessary safety, security and environmental tests.

☆ Richard Branson's Virgin Orbit gets green light for first orbital space launch from UK — and will use a repurposed Boeing 747 for the mission
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( Kate Duffy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Richard Branson's Virgin Orbit gained a license for the first orbital space launch from the UK. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the UK's space regulator, announced in a statement on Wednesday that Virgin Orbit was permitted to launch from Spaceport Cornwall in southern England. Issuing the final license to Virgin Orbit for the UK's first orbital satellite launch was another "major milestone," the CAA said in the statement. Virgin Orbit didn't respond to Insider's request for comment about the new launch date. Virgin Orbit has named the mission "Start Me Up" after a song by The Rolling Stones.

☆ British rail workers union rejects offer aimed at averting strikes
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-04 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Dec 4 (Reuters) - Britain's RMT union said on Sunday that it had rejected a pay rise offer of 4% in 2022 and 2023 from train operators aimed at heading off further strike action, which has disrupted travel for millions of rail users. The Rail Delivery Group, which represents train operators, had earlier offered the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers a pay rise of 8% over two years with a guarantee of no compulsory redundancies to April 2024. Rail workers in Britain have staged several strikes this year, including the country's biggest strike in decades during the summer, pressing demands for better pay during a cost-of-living crisis. Businesses and train companies warned of travel disruption in the run-up to Christmas from the strikes. The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) has said the week of the strikes planned for December is usually the year's busiest for the pub industry.

☆ UK public sector pay won't keep up with inflation: transport minister
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-27 | by ( David Milliken | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Dylan MartinezLONDON, Nov 27 (Reuters) - British public-sector pay will not be able to keep up with soaring inflation, transport minister Mark Harper said on Sunday, as the country faces a wave of industrial disputes. British consumer price inflation hit a 41-year high of 11.1% in October, but the latest official wage data, for July-September, showed public sector pay rose by an annual 2.4%, while average private sector wages increased by 6.8%. "We want to try and give all the workers in the public sector who work very hard decent pay rises. We haven't seen those in the private sector either," Harper told Sky News. Harper said he wanted changes to employment practices in the rail sector - where Sunday working is optional - before agreeing more public funding.

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