Headlines
BA stops selling short-haul flights out of Heathrow.
British Airways has halted sales of tickets on short-haul flights from Heathrow Airport until 8 August as disruption to air travel continues.
The move is due to the cap on daily passenger numbers that the UK’s largest airport has imposed over the summer.
The sales suspension will affect BA’s flights to domestic and European destinations.
Thousands of air travelers have been hit by disruption in recent weeks, including last-minute cancellations.
Airports and airlines, which cut jobs during Covid lockdowns, have found it difficult to recruit enough staff as demand for holidays has returned.
Heathrow Airport has struggled to cope with the rebound in air travel and problems with its baggage handling systems have also led to passengers seeing huge delays in reclaiming their luggage.
Last month, Heathrow told airlines to stop selling summer tickets, as it said it would limit the number of passengers departing each day to 100,000 – 4,000 fewer than previously scheduled.
The cap on numbers is set to remain in place until 11 September.
As BA is the largest airline at Heathrow it is affected by the limit more than other carriers.
In a statement, BA said: “As a result of Heathrow’s request to limit new bookings, we’ve decided to take responsible action and limit the available fares on some Heathrow services to help maximize rebooking options for existing customers, given the restrictions imposed on us and the ongoing challenges facing the entire aviation industry.”
Julia Lo Bue-Said, chief executive of travel agent industry body Advantage Travel Partnership, told the BBC the move was “positive news” for consumers.
“The whole idea is that you allow space on flights for anybody that is on a flight that has been disrupted – it enables [BA] to scale up,” she said.
“In one sense it sounds quite counter-intuitive that an airline would be reducing seats at its peak period but it’s absolutely all about building resilience, making sure there’s less disruption, ensuring that those people that have booked… that there’ll be less risk to those flights being disrupted.”
Stopping selling some tickets from Britain’s biggest airport in the lucrative summer peak, when demand is strong, is not something you would normally expect an airline to be doing.
But this is not a normal summer.
The decision follows Heathrow’s extraordinary decision to limit traffic to a level the system can cope with, given ongoing resourcing challenges.
It is understood British Airways was close to reaching the number of passengers it could carry under that cap this week.
The decision is meant to prevent last-minute bookings. And it should leave some leeway in the system for where rebooking is needed.
This is not about cancellations – existing bookings are not affected.
But it will limit passengers’ last-minute options at a time when capacity has been squeezed and many prices have risen.
It is not clear yet whether more ticket suspensions could follow.
BA has cut nearly 30,000 flights from its April-to-October schedule in response to staffing problems.
On Friday, BA owner IAG reported its first profit since the beginning of the Covid pandemic, despite facing what it called a “challenging” environment at Heathrow Airport.
The company said the problems at Heathrow had forced British Airways to limit its capacity to 69.1% of pre-pandemic levels between April and June, and this was expected to increase to about 75% between July and October.
A row broke out last week between Ryanair and Heathrow after the airline said airports had not recruited enough staff to cater to the rebound in travelers, saying they “had one job to do”.
But Heathrow hit back at the criticism, describing it as “bizarre”.
“Airports don’t provide ground handling, that’s provided by the airlines themselves. So, this is like accusing us of not having enough pilots,” said Heathrow’s chief executive John Holland-Kaye.
Virgin Atlantic also criticized the airport, claiming it was responsible for failures that were contributing to the chaos.
Emirates Airlines had initially rejected Heathrow’s request to cut flight capacity but later agreed to cap sales following talks between the two companies.
Last month the Competition and Markets Authority and Civil Aviation Authority issued a joint letter to carriers raising concerns that “consumers could experience significant harm unless airlines meet their obligations”.
The letter said there were concerns some airlines may not be doing everything they could to avoid harmful practices, including selling more tickets for flights than they could reasonably expect to supply.
The Chairman House of Representatives Committee on Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Rep. Aliyu Betara (APC-Borno), has congratulated the FCT Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike, on his emergence as THISDAY/Arise TV Minister of the Year.
Betara, in a congratulatory message issued in Abuja, eulogised the leadership virtue and dedication of the minister to infrastructural development in the territory.
The lawmaker, representing Biu/Bayo/Shani/Kwaya Kusar Federal Constituency of Borno, said that the award was well-deserved.
“On behalf of the House of Representatives Committee on FCT, I wish to extend my warmest congratulations to the FCT Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike, on your well-deserved recognition as the Minister of the Year by THISDAY/Arise TV.
“This prestigious honour is a testament to your visionary leadership, tireless dedication and exceptional contributions to the infrastructural transformation in the territory.
“Your unwavering commitment to service and your determination to improve the lives of residents and visitors alike to the FCT has been nothing short of exemplary.
“Through your bold initiatives and strategic policies, you have not only enhanced the aesthetics and functionality of Abuja, but have also reaffirmed the FCT’s position as a beacon of progress and modernity in Nigeria,” he said.
Betara said that the recognition was a reflection of the positive impact of Wike’s work and the admiration he had earned across various sectors.
While describing the recognition as an outstanding achievement, the lawmaker prayed that the milestone would serve as an inspiration for greater accomplishments in service, with integrity and purpose.
A Federal Capital Territory High Court on Wednesday, adjourned hearing in the alleged money laundering case against former governor of Kogi, Yahaya Bello until April 3 and April 24.
Justice Maryann Anenih adjourned the case for continuation of hearing after the first witness, Fabian Nworah, a property developer, was called to testify.
The Prosecution Counsel, Kemi Pinheiro, SAN, informed the court that he had five witnesses to call for the day.
Justice Anenih said she could only take one witness as she had other matters to attend to.
The court also announced that it would not be sitting on Thursday as previously scheduled.
Counsel for the 1st and 2nd Defendants, Joseph Daudu, SAN, however, informed the court that the prosecution had not made the statements on oath of the 2nd defendant available to the defence team.
He said he was aware that the first defendant had not made any statement.
Daudu also objected to the witness presented by the prosecution, arguing that the defendants had no prior knowledge of the witness and were only seeing him in court for the first time.
Citing authorities, he emphasised that legal proceedings should not be a “hide and seek” game, stating that the prosecution was required to provide the witness’ statements on oath in advance so the defence could adequately prepare for cross-examination.
“The statements of the second defendant have not been served on us to be able to know if we will be able to represent him or not.
“So, it is a serious handicap on us. They need to serve us all the statements made by the defendants.
“I understand the first defendant has not made a statement. Fortunately, we are still within the house keeping stage of the proceeding,” he added.
Corroborating this, counsel for the 3rd Defendant, Abubakar Aliyu, SAN, said, “mine is not a comment but an observation my lord. My application is for the court to order the prosecution to provide us with the statements of the 2nd and 3rd defendants.”
When the judge asked if he had requested for the statements, Aliyu SAN said, he discovered on Tuesday that the said statements were not part of the proof of evidence served on the defendants.
He said: “I am also applying that the court order the prosecution to provide us with copies of recovered digital device and the report or the extract therefrom mentioned on Page 14 of Volume 1 of the proof of evidence and the report of the forensic expert if any.
“I am following the procedure followed in Okoye against the Commissioner of Police, which was adopted by the Supreme Court in Okemini Vs Commissioner of Police.”
The prosecution witness, however, disagreed, saying the defendants were trying to delay speedy trial.
He insisted that the proof of evidence was served on the defendants on Nov. 27, 2024.
“The constitutional provisions, which they rely on, does not imply that the prosecution should provide all the documents which it relies on.
“The law only provides that the prosecution should oblige the defence with all the documents requested for,” Pinheiro argued.
He noted that the issues would be addressed whenever they receive formal applications from the Defendants and urged the court to proceed on the business for the day.
“As it is, we have almost utilised more than an hour on these arguments,” he stated.
The judge asked the defendant’s counsel why he did not raise the issues in December.
Daudu SAN replied that it was because it had to be done after arraignment.
“I have applied and they are not obliging me. It is absolutely necessary for our defence,” counsel for the 3rd defendant said.
The judge, however, declined the application for adjournment and directed the prosecution to proceed with the case.
The prosecution then proceeded to call its first witness, Fabian Nwora, a property developer with EFAB Property Nigeria Limited.
Nwora testified that he was invited to the Economic and Financial Crimes on Feb. 8, 2023, regarding a transaction between Shehu Bello and EFAB Property concerning a property located at No. 1 Ikogosi Street, Maitama.
He stated that he sold the said property to Shehu Bello but observed that the name on the sale agreement was Dr Bello Ohiani, not Shehu Bello.
He said, in 2023, Shehu Bello approached EFAB Property, informing them that the property was under investigation by the EFCC.
He returned all documents related to the purchase and demanded a refund of the N550million that was paid.
Subsequently, he said, EFAB Property was invited by the EFCC to explain what transpired between them and Shehu Bello.
The EFCC instructed the company to refund the entire sum to an EFCC-designated account. EFAB Property complied in two batches of N400 million and N150 million.
The Kebbi Government says it is assessing the condition of the Zuru General Hospital with the aim of upgrading it to a referral centre.
Gov. Nasir Idris stated this when he visited the Emir of Zuru, Alhaji Muhammadu Sani-Sami on Wednesday in Zuru.
Idris visited the emir to thank the people of Fakai, Sakaba, Danko/Wasagu and Zuru Local Government Areas that make up the emirate.
Idris said that upgrading the Zuru General Hospital to a referral centre would ease the difficulties faced by people of the emirate.
The governor said that quality healthcare services remained an utmost priority of his administration.
He said that the Sir Yahaya Memorial Hospital, Birnin Kebbi and the State Medical Centre, Kalgo, currently serving as referral health institutions were overstretched.
“The government is committed to reversing the trend by making referral hospitals close, accessible and affordable to the people of the state,” he said.
On the expansion of the Zuru Water Works and construction of urban township roads, Idris promised to reappraise the facilities for necessary action.
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