The Gibraltar Tourist Board will host a series of travel trade roadshows starting off upcoming month, thanks to coincide with the destination’s new “Time to be Enlightened” advertising and marketing marketing campaign.
4 roadshows will be held through February and March
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Gibraltar Vacationer Board to host vacation trade roadshows
Airlines, operators, hoteliers and sights will hyperlink up with the vacationer board for 4 gatherings developed to court docket agents, which will be held in London, Manchester, Bristol and Edinburgh.
The remaining occasion in Edinburgh on 3 March comes as easyJet prepares to start a new 2 times-weekly route to Gibraltar from the Scottish funds, thanks to get underneath way on 31 March.
The vacationer board mentioned the gatherings in February and March had been “optimally” times to refresh agents’ know-how of the desired destination and quick them on the destination’s new goods and providers.
“Gibraltar presents a amount of exceptional promoting details as a British Overseas Territory in the centre of the Mediterranean, which include its sterling currency and warm local climate,” mentioned the vacationer board.
Agents attending the activities will be taken care of to wonderful dining, and will have the prospect to take part in a amount of prize attracts.
“Hi Helen, fancy checking out the ski scene in Uzbekistan?”
“Costa Rica wants to welcome you in 2020, Ms Coffey.”
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And so it begins. Regret. Frustration. And the most acute form of FOMO I’ve ever experienced.
I’m only five minutes into my year of no-flying and already I’m wondering if I’ve made a huge mistake. I don’t know whether travel companies are secretly trolling me or if I’m only noticing the onslaught of opportunities now because I’m forced to turn them all down – but every exciting long-haul destination I’ve ever dreamed of touching down in is inviting me on the trip of a lifetime. And I have to say, “No, thank you. Ask me again in 365 days?” to every single one.
1/7 Mont Blanc aerial photographs from 1919 (left) and 2019 (right)
The images show the impact that climate change has had upon the mountain’s glaciers
Walter Mittelholzer, ETH-Bibliothek Zürich/Dr Kieran Baxter, University of Dundee
2/7 Walter Mittelholzer’s biplane
ETH-Bibliothek Zürich
3/7 Mont Blanc aerial photographs from 1919 (left) and 2019 (right)
Walter Mittelholzer, ETH-Bibliothek Zürich/Dr Kieran Baxter, University of Dundee
4/7 Walter Mittelholzer
ETH-Bibliothek Zürich
5/7 Mont Blanc aerial photographs from 1919 (left) and 2019 (right)
Walter Mittelholzer, ETH-Bibliothek/Dr Kieran Baxter, University of Dundee
6/7 Dr Kieran Baxter photographing Mont Blanc in 2019
Dr Alice Watterson, University of Dundee
7/7 Dr Kieran Baxter in front of the glacier
Dr Alice Watterson, University of Dundee
1/7 Mont Blanc aerial photographs from 1919 (left) and 2019 (right)
The images show the impact that climate change has had upon the mountain’s glaciers
Walter Mittelholzer, ETH-Bibliothek Zürich/Dr Kieran Baxter, University of Dundee
2/7 Walter Mittelholzer’s biplane
ETH-Bibliothek Zürich
3/7 Mont Blanc aerial photographs from 1919 (left) and 2019 (right)
Walter Mittelholzer, ETH-Bibliothek Zürich/Dr Kieran Baxter, University of Dundee
4/7 Walter Mittelholzer
ETH-Bibliothek Zürich
5/7 Mont Blanc aerial photographs from 1919 (left) and 2019 (right)
Walter Mittelholzer, ETH-Bibliothek/Dr Kieran Baxter, University of Dundee
6/7 Dr Kieran Baxter photographing Mont Blanc in 2019
Dr Alice Watterson, University of Dundee
7/7 Dr Kieran Baxter in front of the glacier
Dr Alice Watterson, University of Dundee
Or maybe I don’t. I start frantically entering searches into The Man in Seat 61, the pre-eminent train travel site that tells you, in painstaking detail, how to work the tracks all the way from London to Vladivostok (and everywhere else in between). OK, east Africa and Central America are temporarily out, but what about Uzbekistan? Surely a two-day hop?
Hmm, not quite. (Considering I’m a travel writer, geography’s never been my strong suit.) First up it’s 48 hours onboard a comfortable sleeper train from Paris – so far, so good – and then…Oh. Then three nights on the service from Moscow to Uzbekistan’s capital Tashkent, before even getting to the mountains. That’s around five days spent on trains on the outbound journey – so 10 days round trip, then. Plus the three days or so I would actually want to spend skiing.
Right. It’s possible, yes – but suddenly I’m looking down the barrel of a fortnight out of the office (sure to go down well) and at least eight nights sleeping on trains. I feel a bit overwhelmed just thinking about it. That’s before even tackling the issue of expense: first the Eurostar to Paris, at a minimum of £58 return; then Paris to Moscow, priced at €313 (£266) one-way, €626 (£532) return; and, finally, Moscow to Tashkent, from around £130 one-way (third-class, of course), or £260 return. That’s – oh boy – £850. Without adding on the exorbitant price of a Russian transit visa (£101), which is sadistically time-consuming and complicated to fill out.
All that, for three days of skiing.
It’s an eye-opening exercise. Buoyed up by the romance of the idea of roaming the rails, exchanging life stories with my fellow sultry European passengers a la Before Sunrise while my hair blows softly in the breeze, I sort of forgot to factor in the reality of my flight-free year ahead. A year in which I am effectively and permanently grounded. Every trip I take will be a trade-off between time, money and distance. Every excursion will require immense planning, from wading through rail websites in different languages to ensuring I make connections and figuring out how to get online while on the move.
Somehow I’d convinced myself that, because it was new and exciting, it would also be easy. Not so much, as it turns out.
But being slapped with the real-life ramifications also helps focus the mind a bit. Alright, the ’Stans might be a stretch – so maybe closer to home is the way to kick things off? I’ve always wanted to see the Scottish Highlands; and the newly revamped Caledonian Sleeper service can whizz me there from London overnight for £45 one-way. I keep hearing about how the Spanish coastal city of Valencia’s gastronomy scene is on the up; turns out I can get there for just under £100 and in under 24 hours. And Rijeka in Croatia is a European Capital of Culture for 2020; the journey involves one overnight stop in Munich, arriving by evening the next day, all for around £107 each way.
Yes, flying would be cheaper and quicker – but not flying is doable. More than that, there’s something genuinely thrilling about it, in a way there isn’t when blandly entering your bank details into the easyJet website. Researching potential journeys (which in truth feel more like adventures), I sense something a little like butterflies flitting around my gut. Because, let’s face it, there’s nothing that racy about jumping on the Gatwick Express, getting herded onto a winged metal box and being spat out of a faceless airport some hours later. But spending two days traversing five countries on four trains? That’s something to write home about.
Looking for an Easter break? There’s still some snow time to be enjoyed in the Alps, just as European city breaks are warming up. Or discover under-the-radar spots in South America and the Far East, which unfurl their most impressive scenery this month.
The Independent’s hotel recommendations are unbiased, independent advice you can trust. On some occasions, we earn revenue if you click the links and book, but we never allow this to affect our coverage.
Bolivia
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Bolivia’s famous salt flats become dazzling mirrors in April, as the last of the seasonal rains settle across the landscape. Besides surveying the other-worldly crystalline mounds of Uyuni, the largest salt flat on Earth, Bolivia thrills with smoking volcanoes, flamingo-filled lagoons and surreal deserts where the stones resemble trees. It’s best taken in on a roaming 4×4 adventure tour. An Abercrombie & Kent 10-day tailor-made Lake Titicaca and Uyuni trip takes in the highlights, from $4,295 per person. But whether you go it alone or take a guide, chances are your flight lands in La Paz, the sky-high city (a whopping 3,640m above sea level), where increasingly cool fine-dining and design hotel scenes mean it’s worth lingering in town for a few days. Check into art-filled, parallelogram-shaped property Atix (rooms from £132) and try the llama tartare at Noma alumnus Claus Meyer’s restaurant, Gustu. After soaking up the capital’s thronging squares you’ll need to catch your breath with a cortado among the vintage typewriters at The Writer’s Coffee.
The perfect reflections of the Uyuni salt flats (Getty/iStock)
Journey time: 18h 45m via Madrid
Average temperature in April: 14C
Crete, Greece
Seek out some rays in Greece’s southernmost island. As Crete peels back its blue shutters for the season, you won’t have to elbow through the crowds (except for the Easter school holidays, of course) to visit Crete’s blockbuster ruins – most famous of which is the 4,000-year-old fresco-adorned Palace of Knossos – or the pink sands of Elafonisi beach. Newly refurbed Daios Cove Luxury Resort & Villas (rooms from €254) occupies prime position overlooking Mirabello Bay, with that all-important infinity pool and suntrap terrace – most rooms have private plunge pools, too. But don’t miss a visit to the island’s interior either, where the most authentic slice of Cretan village life is to be found. Here, it’s all languid tavernas serving homemade cheeses, vineyards and olive groves clinging to craggy hillsides, and walking trails threading through Samaria Gorge, just as the wildflowers are coming into bloom.
Heraklion, the capital of the Greek island of Crete (iStock/Getty)
Journey time: 4h
Average temperature in April: 17C
Zermatt, Switzerland
Yes, you can still ski in Europe after Easter – if you pick the location wisely. At 1,620m above sea level, car-free Zermatt is one of the highest resorts in the Alps, with runs open until the end of April (in fact, the glacier even means you can ski in summertime). Presided over by the soaring shark’s fin form of the Matterhorn, get ready for a glamorous après scene that sees ski bunnies swooshing between Papperla Pub and Z’Alt Hischi for mugs of steaming Gluhwein. For an even more impressive panorama, take a ride up the world’s highest-altitude 3S cable car – see if you can count all 14 glaciers and 38 mountain peaks. With 360km of pistes, keen skiers and boarders should be kept busy all week. As for where to rest those weary limbs after long days on the slopes, check out the Zermatt properties by new eco-friendly self-catering concept Lagom, which enables travellers to customise chalet services (whether you want housekeeping, toiletries, etc) and carbon-offset the booking.
Hit the heights for late-season skiing at Zermatt (Getty/iStock)
Journey time: 1h 40 (to Zurich)
Average temperature in April: 4C
South Korea
Cherry blossom season isn’t exclusively Japanese: parks and gardens across South Korea are similarly tickled pink in springtime, and a host of festivals celebrate these beot-kkot in bloom. While Seoul’s five palaces are extremely pretty places to blossom-watch, how about heading to a more under-the-radar option such as Jinhae Gunhangje (1-10 April) in Gyeongsangnam-do? As well as its petal power, this southwestern province has plenty more secrets up its sleeve. For starters, there’s island-hopping by ferry to glorious beaches and time-capsule fishing villages, while inland awaits a lush landscape dotted with hot springs, temples and paddy fields. Oh, and this stretch of coast has some of the country’s best seafood: hold your nose and delve into Busan city’s enormous Jagalchi Market, where all sorts of scaly or tentacled creatures are hawked from rickety stalls; after buying your fish of choice head to the upstairs eatery where they’ll prepare it for you. That’s what we call fresh.
Sunset in Seoul (iStock)
Journey time: 11h
Average temperature in April: 4C
Porto, Portugal
From grandiose palaces to an ornate 75m bell tower, there’s nothing second-rate about Portugal’s second city, Porto. After the obligatory shots of the Rio Douro, crisscrossed by spectacular bridges, let your mind whisk back to medieval times as you wander the Ribeira district’s cobblestone streets, passing 15th-century churches, merchants’ houses and the former stock market, Palácio de Bolsa. Besides a few glasses of the city’s namesake fortified wine (there’s even a dedicated Port Wine Museum on the riverside), eating well comes easily in Porto, whether it’s lining up for the ultimate pork sandwich at Casa Guedes or sampling small plates of seafood at Tapabento. Need some holiday reading material? Lello Livraria is often called the world’s most beautiful bookstore, due to its Hogwarts-esque oak interiors and stained-glass ceiling. Continue the literary leanings by staying at Gallery Hostel (rooms from £54): rooms are named after local writers, and its free walking tours reveal the neighbourhood’s lively cultural scene.
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Blossom along Tokyo’s Chidorigafuchi Moat
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Cherry blossom-watching on the Meguro River
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Blossom along the Meguro River in Tokyo
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Riding a boat underneath cherry blossom along Tokyo’s Meguro River
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Tokyo’s Meguro River
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6/13 Japan cherry blossom
Tokyo’s Meguro River
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Illuminated cherry trees with the Roppongi Hills Mori Tower in the distance
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Illuminated cherry trees along the Meguro River
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Cherry blossom along the Chidorigafuchi Moat
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Admiring cherry blossoms during a tea ceremony in Yokohama
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Taking a selfie underneath the cherry blossom in Yokohama
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Japanese Emperor Akihito, left, and Empress Michiko see weeping cherry in Kyoto
AP
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Cherry blossom in Asakusa, Tokyo
AFP/Getty
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Blossom along Tokyo’s Chidorigafuchi Moat
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Cherry blossom-watching on the Meguro River
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Blossom along the Meguro River in Tokyo
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Riding a boat underneath cherry blossom along Tokyo’s Meguro River
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Tokyo’s Meguro River
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6/13 Japan cherry blossom
Tokyo’s Meguro River
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Illuminated cherry trees with the Roppongi Hills Mori Tower in the distance
Getty
8/13
Illuminated cherry trees along the Meguro River
Getty
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Cherry blossom along the Chidorigafuchi Moat
Getty
10/13
Admiring cherry blossoms during a tea ceremony in Yokohama
AP
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Taking a selfie underneath the cherry blossom in Yokohama
AP
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Japanese Emperor Akihito, left, and Empress Michiko see weeping cherry in Kyoto
Asia professional Wendy Wu Excursions has said it is rerouting excursions transiting the Chinese city of Wuhan amid the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.
Wendy Wu explained tours transiting by Wuhan would be rerouted
The operator stated on Thursday (23 January) although its excursions had been working as usual and clients’ sightseeing would be unaffected, there could be alterations to transit.
“We are aware of the coronavirus that is at present in the news and recommend that all of our tours keep on to operate as regular and clients’ sightseeing is unaffected,” reported the operator in a assertion.
“The journey suggestions to China is to stay clear of all but critical vacation to Wuhan. We can confirm none of our tours run sightseeing to this town and any excursions which transited by way of Wuhan airport have been rerouted. Travel to all other parts in China continues to be unaffected.
“Our passengers’ overall health and wellbeing are generally our best priority and we will go on to carefully keep track of this circumstance.”
The Foreign Business office strengthened its journey guidance on Wednesday evening (22 January) to recommend in opposition to all but vital vacation to the metropolis.
Authorities in China have informed citizens to remain in the metropolis and not to vacation. Rail and air backlinks have been suspended in an attempt to prevent the an infection spreading.
The nearby town of Huanggang has also been put on lockdown. The an infection is identified to have distribute to Beijing and Shanghai, and instances have been documented in Japan, the US and Taiwan.
The hard landings of two planes by the exact same airline at the same Istanbul airport in the area of a one month have elevated thoughts about aviation basic safety in Europe’s major city, a main transit hub for a great deal of Eurasia.
On Wednesday, a Pegasus airways flight arriving at Istanbul’s Sabiha Gokcen airportslipped off the damp runway on landing, smashed into a wall, split into three parts and burst into flames, killing three travellers on board and injuring pretty much each individual other a single of the 179 of the crew associates and other people aboard the Boeing 737-800.
The accident follows a 5 January incident in which yet another Pegasus airlines jet landing at the exact airport for the duration of a wet working day also slipped off the runaway. No travellers or crew were being harmed.
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Information of Wednesday’s crash dominated headlines and tv broadcasts across Turkey, with numerous pundits criticising the authorities and the privately owned airline. The crash temporarily shut down Istanbul’s selection two airport, situated on the Asian facet of the town.
The crash has prompted criticism about Turkey’s aviation insurance policies, one particular calendar year right after the country shut down the storied Ataturk Intercontinental Airport. In its spot it opened what it billed as the world’s greatest airport, together the Black Sea on the city’s northernmost edge – and in spite of the objections of some city scheduling and aviation gurus.
“The state is like an out of manage teach,” former pilot Bahadir Altan advised professional-govt CNN Turk, just after the crash. “There should really be additional perception than just carrying out a person challenge immediately after the other.”
Among the all those killed was Zehra Bilgi Kocar, a young dentist whose partner was compelled to get a flight numerous days previously.
“Everything happened in two or three seconds,” 36-12 months-old Yunus Elmaci, 1 of the passengers aboard the airplane, instructed the DHA information agency, as he recovered from his accidents.
The accidents at Sabiha Gokcen come amid promises that the authorities is neglecting the airport in favour of the newly developed Istanbul Worldwide Airport, which is the hub of the country’s flagship provider Turkish Airlines.
CEO of Pegasus Airlines Mehmet Nane reacts as he speaks throughout a press convention on Thursday (AFP by way of Getty Pictures)
Expansion do the job at Sabiha Gokcen, which some aviation specialists say is underutilised, has stalled as the new airport on the city’s European aspect struggles amid an economic downturn to retain ample website traffic to spend off the mega-contractors who crafted and function the facility.
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But many others alleged that uncomplicated incompetence at the airport by the pilots may perhaps have led to the most up-to-date crash. Retired pilot Kazim Dikici, speaking on privately owned NTV television explained the Pegasus jet should have by no means been accepted to land as tailwind speeds experienced attained 25 knots,
“At this position the procedure should be stopped and planes really should be advised that people who have gasoline need to wait around and these who you should not need to divert to alternate airfields,” he said, noting that two planes experienced aborted landings just right before the accident.
“If I was in the tower, I would have produced that airplane abort its landing and prepare its landing at another runway,” previous air visitors controller Ibrahim Ozcan claimed in a tv interview.
“It was a error to leave it to the pilot,” Mr Ozcan said. “It was obvious a crash was going to materialize.”
Publicly traded Pegasus, Turkey’s selection two airline, operates nearly 82 planes and emphasises no-frills flights throughout Turkey, the Center East and Europe, including to London’s Stansted airport. Passengers frequently spend further for meals and checked-in luggage, even though flight attendants and other crew normally complain about lower wages. At a press convention on Wednesday, Pegasus CEO Mehmet Nane was visibly shaken, tearing up as he spoke, but declining to just take any thoughts.
“It is not simple to arrive below,” he claimed, in accordance to a transcript of his geared up statement. “We will do whatever it can take to recover the wounds. This procedure is a difficult method for us, the households of individuals who missing their life.”
He denied that the pilots took a possibility by landing the flight. “If our pilots see chance, it is stated by rules that they pass or be directed to other airports,” he mentioned.
The earlier incident in January, involving a Boeing 747 arriving from Sharjah, also took spot in the course of rough climate.
“I have hardly ever viewed a storm like this in quite a few several years,” one person on the social media channel Eksi Sozluk wrote at the time. “The auto was shuddering right to left and shifting lanes. Driving is very perilous and trees are becoming knocked down.”
And a 13 January 2018 Pegasus airways flight skidded off a wet runway runway although landing at the airport in the Black Sea city of Trabzon. No a single aboard the Boeing 737-800 was hurt, even though the aircraft sustained significant harm.
The Association of Bonded Vacation Organisers Trust’s Meet the Authorities seminar is back again by common desire just after the first session bought out months early.
Matt Gatenby from Travlaw will be at the next Meet up with the Experts session
The affiliation (Abtot) is utilising the knowledge of its associates by internet hosting conversations on difficult journey market subjects with specialists.
In the very first session in London on 18 March, its members can discover about grievances handling with Kim Daplyn, visitor relations supervisor at Scott Dunn, and Matt Gatenby, senior companion at Travlaw.
The 2nd session, to be held on 5 Could, will be on health and fitness and security with Colin McGregor, controlling director of Tranquilico.
“As Abtot membership grows we are continually on the lookout at new prospects to engage with Abtot customers,” said Richard Watson, controlling director of Abtot.
“As we perform with a number of gurus in the sector, there was an opportunity to facilitate engagement in between them and associates, incorporating worth to membership at the exact time.”
Meet the Experts will be held at the Abtot offices in Houndsditch.
The prime minister will set out his response to the Oakervee Review in an announcement to parliament and is expected to give his final approval to the first stretch, linking London to Birmingham.
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Here are the key questions and answers around the project.
What is HS2 (and for that matter, what is HS1)?
High Speed 1 is the 68-mile fast railway line from London St Pancras to the Channel Tunnel at Folkestone in Kent, which opened in 2008.
High Speed 2 is a much more ambitious rail project, involving 345 miles of new high-speed track.
1/50 10 February 2020
Waves crash over a lorry on Blackpool waterfront as weather warnings for wind, snow and ice have been issued across large parts of the country. A day after the UK is trying to recover from the battering from Storm Ciara
PA
2/50 9 February 2020
Residents attempt to remove water from their property as the streets flood in Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria, as Storm Ciara hits the UK
PA
3/50 8 February 2020
England’s Ellis Genge celebrates scoring the first try of their Six Nations match against Scotland with teammates. The weather at Murrayfield Stadium hampered the playing conditions, with winds and rain from Storm Ciara approaching the UK. The away side won the match late on, with the scoreline ending 6-13
Reuters
4/50 7 February 2020
Activists surround a wooden trojan horse in the courtyard of the British Museum in London. The horse, which is 4 metres tall and can seat 10 people inside, was pulled in by a group of supporters with flags reading “BP Must Fall”
BP or not BP/PA
5/50 6 February 2020
Members of the Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme team examine a dead whale that died after becoming stranded in the Thames estuary at Medway over the weekend
PA
6/50 5 February 2020
Children from Oaklands Secondary School in Bethnal Green and Families Belong Together campaigners in Westminster before handing a petition in to the Home Office, as they call on the government to amend the UK’s refugee family reunion laws
PA
7/50 4 February 2020
Rasputin the polar bear, shakes off water as he is unveiled at the Yorkshire Wildlife Park, Doncaster
PA
8/50 3 February 2020
Police activity inside a cordon where a man was shot by armed police in a terrorist-related incident in Streatham, London
EPA
9/50 2 February 2020
Micheal Ward with his Rising Star Award alongside Daniel Kaluuya Baftas
Reuters
10/50 1 February 2020
Activists attend an anti-Conservative government, pro-Scottish independence, and anti-Brexit demonstration outside Holyrood, the seat of the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh
AFP/Getty
11/50 31 January 2020
Pro EU supporters display a banner ‘ Here to Stay, Here to Fight, Migrants In, Tories Out’ from Westminster bridge in front of the Houses of Parliament in London. Britain officially exits the EU on 31 January, beginning an eleven month transition period
EPA
12/50 30 January 2020
Kiko the 2-year-old British Bulldog skateboarding with his owner, Ebel Perez, from Shiremoor, North Tyneside
PA
13/50 29 January 2020
British MEP’s and their assistants along with members of the political group Socialist and Democrats at a ceremony prior to the vote on the UK’s withdrawal from the EU at the European Parliament in Brussels
AP
14/50 28 January 2020
Torches are lit using a flare ahead of the Up Helly Aa Viking festival. Originating in the 1880s, the festival celebrates Shetland’s Norse heritage
PA
15/50 27 January 2020
England bowler Mark Wood is lifted aloft by Joe Root after taking the final wicket of South Africa to win the match and series during day four of the Fourth Test at Wanderers in Johannesburg
Getty
16/50 26 January 2020
Performers taking part in a parade involving costumes, lion dances and floats, during Chinese New Year celebrations in central London, which marks the Year of the Rat
PA
17/50 25 January 2020
A couple walks along the Basingstoke canal near to Dogmersfield in Hampshire
PA
18/50 24 January 2020
Boris Johnson gestures as he watches a performance during celebrations for Chinese Lunar New Year at Downing Street in London
Reuters
19/50 23 January 2020
Gabriella Zaghari-Ratcliffe stands next to her father Richard Ratcliffe, the husband of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and his mother Barbara, as they address the media in Downing Street following a meeting with Prime Minister Boris Johnson
PA
20/50 22 January 2020
Rosa Connolly takes a close look during a preview of the Tyrannosaurs exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh
PA
21/50 21 January 2020
The sun sets behind tower cranes and the London skyline in the city financial district
PA
22/50 20 January 2020
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, speaks with Prime Minister Boris Johnson as they attend the UK-Africa Investment Summit at the Intercontinental Hotel in London. Johnson is hosting African leaders and senior government representatives along with British and African businesses during the UK-Africa Investment Summit, aimed at strengthening the UKs economic partnership with African nations
Getty
23/50 19 January 2020
Joe Root celebrates with his England team mates after taking the wicket of Rassie van der Dussen during day four of the third Test against South Africa in Port Elizabeth. He took a career-best four wickets during the day’s play, which saw the home side follow on in their second innings. They trail England by 188 runs going into day five
Getty
24/50 18 January 2020
Drag queens pose on the pink carpet as they participate in the “Queen’s Walk” during RuPaul’s DragCon UK at Kensington Olympia
AFP via Getty
25/50 17 January 2020
Kitty Ross, curator of social history, is pictured reflected in a display cabinet while holding a skeleton violin from the 1880s that forms part of the Sounds of our City exhibition at the Abbey House Museum in Leeds
PA
26/50 16 January 2020
Britain’s Harry, Duke of Sussex (C), hosts the Rugby League World Cup 2021 draw in the gardens of Buckingham Palace in London, Britain, 16 Ja​nuary 2020. The Duke, who is expected to step back from senior Royal duties, spoke with Ruby League ambassadors and children from St Vincent de Paul Catholic Primary School in London
EPA
27/50 15 January 2020
Vehicles negotiate the flooded B4069 road at Christian Malford in Wiltshire after the river Avon burst its banks
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28/50 14 January 2020
Huge waves hit the sea wall in Porthcawl, Wales, as gales of up to 80mph from Storm Brendan caused disruption around the UK
PA
29/50 13 January 2020
Puppeteers from Vision Mechanic rehearsing with Scotland’s largest puppet, a ten-metre tall sea goddess called Storm, in the grounds of the Museum of Flight, East Lothian. Made entirely from recycled materials, it was unveiled ahead of its debut at the Celtic Connections Costal Day celebrations in Glasgow this weekend
PA
30/50 12 January 2020
A windsurfer jumps in the air after hitting a wave in the sea off of West Wittering beach in West Sussex
PA
31/50 11 January 2020
Mikuru Suzuki celebrates winning the women’s championship of the BDO World Professional Darts Championships 2020 in London
PA
32/50 10 January 2020
One of seven new lion cubs at the West Midlands Safari Park in Kidderminster
PA
33/50 9 January 2020
Rawson Robinson, from Nenthead, on the Cumbria and Northumberland border clears snow from the model village he has built in his garden
PA
34/50 8 January 2020
People read messages written on the David Bowie mural in Brixton, south London, on what would have been the singer’s 73rd birthday
PA
35/50 7 January 2020
England’s Stuart Broad celebrates with teammate Ben Stokes after the dismissal of South Africa’s Rassie van der Dussen during the fifth day of the second Test cricket match in Cape Town. Stokes claimed the last three wickets in the space of 14 deliveries to wrap up a 189-run win
AFP via Getty
36/50 6 January 2020
Protesters in London take part in a demonstration in support of a British woman found guilty of lying about being gang raped in Cyprus
AP
37/50 5 January 2020
Protesters demonstrate outside the US Embassy in London, after America killed Iran’s general Qassem Soleimani in a drone strike at Baghdad’s international airport
PA
38/50 4 January 2020
Metropolitan police cordon off Charteris Road close to the junction with Lennox Road in Finsbury Park in north London, after a man was stabbed to death on Friday evening, the first murder in London in 2020
PA
39/50 3 January 2020
Protesters, holding a photograph of the leader of the People’s Mujahedin of Iran Massoud Rajavi, outside Downing Street in London after the US killed General Qassem Soleimani in a drone strike at Baghdad’s international airport. Soleimani was head of Tehran’s elite Quds Force and Iran’s top general
PA
40/50 2 January 2020
A keeper counts squirrel-monkeys at London Zoo during the annual stocktake. Caring for more than 500 different species, ZSL London Zoo’s keepers face the challenging task of tallying up every mammal, bird, reptile, fish and invertebrate at the Zoo
AP
41/50 1 January 2020
Peter Wright celebrates winning with the Sid Waddell trophy at the Darts World Championships in London. He stunned Michael van Gerwen to clinch his first title 7-3
PA
42/50 31 December 2019
Surfers at Tynemouth on the north east coast
PA
43/50 30 December 2019
Deer graze in the morning mist as cyclists ride by in Richmond Park, London
Reuters
44/50 29 December 2019
Night sky after the sunset at Whitley Bay in Northumberland
PA
45/50 28 December 2019
The Harlequins players arrive at the stadium prior to the Gallagher Premiership Rugby Big Game 12 match between Harlequins and Leicester Tigers at Twickenahm Stadium
Getty Images for Harlequins
46/50 27 December 2019
A car drives through floodwater near Harbridge, north of Ringwood in Hampshire, after the river Avon burst its banks
PA
47/50 26 December 2019
Participants in the Old Surrey and West Kent Boxing Day Hunt in Chiddingstone. Hunting with horses and hounds is a Boxing Day tradition. Since the fox hunting ban in 2004, modified hunts take place using scented trails for the animals to follow
EPA
48/50 25 December 2019
Swimmers of the Serpentine Swimming Club take part in the Peter Pan Cup race, which is held every Christmas Day at the Serpentine, in central London
PA
49/50 24 December 2019
Shoppers bid for cuts of meat during a Christmas Eve auction in Smithfield market in London
EPA
50/50 23 December 2019
Reggie the dog is rescued with a boat from flooding at the Little Venice Country Park and Marina in Maidstone
AFP via Getty
1/50 10 February 2020
Waves crash over a lorry on Blackpool waterfront as weather warnings for wind, snow and ice have been issued across large parts of the country. A day after the UK is trying to recover from the battering from Storm Ciara
PA
2/50 9 February 2020
Residents attempt to remove water from their property as the streets flood in Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria, as Storm Ciara hits the UK
PA
3/50 8 February 2020
England’s Ellis Genge celebrates scoring the first try of their Six Nations match against Scotland with teammates. The weather at Murrayfield Stadium hampered the playing conditions, with winds and rain from Storm Ciara approaching the UK. The away side won the match late on, with the scoreline ending 6-13
Reuters
4/50 7 February 2020
Activists surround a wooden trojan horse in the courtyard of the British Museum in London. The horse, which is 4 metres tall and can seat 10 people inside, was pulled in by a group of supporters with flags reading “BP Must Fall”
BP or not BP/PA
5/50 6 February 2020
Members of the Cetacean Strandings Investigation Programme team examine a dead whale that died after becoming stranded in the Thames estuary at Medway over the weekend
PA
6/50 5 February 2020
Children from Oaklands Secondary School in Bethnal Green and Families Belong Together campaigners in Westminster before handing a petition in to the Home Office, as they call on the government to amend the UK’s refugee family reunion laws
PA
7/50 4 February 2020
Rasputin the polar bear, shakes off water as he is unveiled at the Yorkshire Wildlife Park, Doncaster
PA
8/50 3 February 2020
Police activity inside a cordon where a man was shot by armed police in a terrorist-related incident in Streatham, London
EPA
9/50 2 February 2020
Micheal Ward with his Rising Star Award alongside Daniel Kaluuya Baftas
Reuters
10/50 1 February 2020
Activists attend an anti-Conservative government, pro-Scottish independence, and anti-Brexit demonstration outside Holyrood, the seat of the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh
AFP/Getty
11/50 31 January 2020
Pro EU supporters display a banner ‘ Here to Stay, Here to Fight, Migrants In, Tories Out’ from Westminster bridge in front of the Houses of Parliament in London. Britain officially exits the EU on 31 January, beginning an eleven month transition period
EPA
12/50 30 January 2020
Kiko the 2-year-old British Bulldog skateboarding with his owner, Ebel Perez, from Shiremoor, North Tyneside
PA
13/50 29 January 2020
British MEP’s and their assistants along with members of the political group Socialist and Democrats at a ceremony prior to the vote on the UK’s withdrawal from the EU at the European Parliament in Brussels
AP
14/50 28 January 2020
Torches are lit using a flare ahead of the Up Helly Aa Viking festival. Originating in the 1880s, the festival celebrates Shetland’s Norse heritage
PA
15/50 27 January 2020
England bowler Mark Wood is lifted aloft by Joe Root after taking the final wicket of South Africa to win the match and series during day four of the Fourth Test at Wanderers in Johannesburg
Getty
16/50 26 January 2020
Performers taking part in a parade involving costumes, lion dances and floats, during Chinese New Year celebrations in central London, which marks the Year of the Rat
PA
17/50 25 January 2020
A couple walks along the Basingstoke canal near to Dogmersfield in Hampshire
PA
18/50 24 January 2020
Boris Johnson gestures as he watches a performance during celebrations for Chinese Lunar New Year at Downing Street in London
Reuters
19/50 23 January 2020
Gabriella Zaghari-Ratcliffe stands next to her father Richard Ratcliffe, the husband of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe and his mother Barbara, as they address the media in Downing Street following a meeting with Prime Minister Boris Johnson
PA
20/50 22 January 2020
Rosa Connolly takes a close look during a preview of the Tyrannosaurs exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh
PA
21/50 21 January 2020
The sun sets behind tower cranes and the London skyline in the city financial district
PA
22/50 20 January 2020
Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, speaks with Prime Minister Boris Johnson as they attend the UK-Africa Investment Summit at the Intercontinental Hotel in London. Johnson is hosting African leaders and senior government representatives along with British and African businesses during the UK-Africa Investment Summit, aimed at strengthening the UKs economic partnership with African nations
Getty
23/50 19 January 2020
Joe Root celebrates with his England team mates after taking the wicket of Rassie van der Dussen during day four of the third Test against South Africa in Port Elizabeth. He took a career-best four wickets during the day’s play, which saw the home side follow on in their second innings. They trail England by 188 runs going into day five
Getty
24/50 18 January 2020
Drag queens pose on the pink carpet as they participate in the “Queen’s Walk” during RuPaul’s DragCon UK at Kensington Olympia
AFP via Getty
25/50 17 January 2020
Kitty Ross, curator of social history, is pictured reflected in a display cabinet while holding a skeleton violin from the 1880s that forms part of the Sounds of our City exhibition at the Abbey House Museum in Leeds
PA
26/50 16 January 2020
Britain’s Harry, Duke of Sussex (C), hosts the Rugby League World Cup 2021 draw in the gardens of Buckingham Palace in London, Britain, 16 Ja​nuary 2020. The Duke, who is expected to step back from senior Royal duties, spoke with Ruby League ambassadors and children from St Vincent de Paul Catholic Primary School in London
EPA
27/50 15 January 2020
Vehicles negotiate the flooded B4069 road at Christian Malford in Wiltshire after the river Avon burst its banks
PA
28/50 14 January 2020
Huge waves hit the sea wall in Porthcawl, Wales, as gales of up to 80mph from Storm Brendan caused disruption around the UK
PA
29/50 13 January 2020
Puppeteers from Vision Mechanic rehearsing with Scotland’s largest puppet, a ten-metre tall sea goddess called Storm, in the grounds of the Museum of Flight, East Lothian. Made entirely from recycled materials, it was unveiled ahead of its debut at the Celtic Connections Costal Day celebrations in Glasgow this weekend
PA
30/50 12 January 2020
A windsurfer jumps in the air after hitting a wave in the sea off of West Wittering beach in West Sussex
PA
31/50 11 January 2020
Mikuru Suzuki celebrates winning the women’s championship of the BDO World Professional Darts Championships 2020 in London
PA
32/50 10 January 2020
One of seven new lion cubs at the West Midlands Safari Park in Kidderminster
PA
33/50 9 January 2020
Rawson Robinson, from Nenthead, on the Cumbria and Northumberland border clears snow from the model village he has built in his garden
PA
34/50 8 January 2020
People read messages written on the David Bowie mural in Brixton, south London, on what would have been the singer’s 73rd birthday
PA
35/50 7 January 2020
England’s Stuart Broad celebrates with teammate Ben Stokes after the dismissal of South Africa’s Rassie van der Dussen during the fifth day of the second Test cricket match in Cape Town. Stokes claimed the last three wickets in the space of 14 deliveries to wrap up a 189-run win
AFP via Getty
36/50 6 January 2020
Protesters in London take part in a demonstration in support of a British woman found guilty of lying about being gang raped in Cyprus
AP
37/50 5 January 2020
Protesters demonstrate outside the US Embassy in London, after America killed Iran’s general Qassem Soleimani in a drone strike at Baghdad’s international airport
PA
38/50 4 January 2020
Metropolitan police cordon off Charteris Road close to the junction with Lennox Road in Finsbury Park in north London, after a man was stabbed to death on Friday evening, the first murder in London in 2020
PA
39/50 3 January 2020
Protesters, holding a photograph of the leader of the People’s Mujahedin of Iran Massoud Rajavi, outside Downing Street in London after the US killed General Qassem Soleimani in a drone strike at Baghdad’s international airport. Soleimani was head of Tehran’s elite Quds Force and Iran’s top general
PA
40/50 2 January 2020
A keeper counts squirrel-monkeys at London Zoo during the annual stocktake. Caring for more than 500 different species, ZSL London Zoo’s keepers face the challenging task of tallying up every mammal, bird, reptile, fish and invertebrate at the Zoo
AP
41/50 1 January 2020
Peter Wright celebrates winning with the Sid Waddell trophy at the Darts World Championships in London. He stunned Michael van Gerwen to clinch his first title 7-3
PA
42/50 31 December 2019
Surfers at Tynemouth on the north east coast
PA
43/50 30 December 2019
Deer graze in the morning mist as cyclists ride by in Richmond Park, London
Reuters
44/50 29 December 2019
Night sky after the sunset at Whitley Bay in Northumberland
PA
45/50 28 December 2019
The Harlequins players arrive at the stadium prior to the Gallagher Premiership Rugby Big Game 12 match between Harlequins and Leicester Tigers at Twickenahm Stadium
Getty Images for Harlequins
46/50 27 December 2019
A car drives through floodwater near Harbridge, north of Ringwood in Hampshire, after the river Avon burst its banks
PA
47/50 26 December 2019
Participants in the Old Surrey and West Kent Boxing Day Hunt in Chiddingstone. Hunting with horses and hounds is a Boxing Day tradition. Since the fox hunting ban in 2004, modified hunts take place using scented trails for the animals to follow
EPA
48/50 25 December 2019
Swimmers of the Serpentine Swimming Club take part in the Peter Pan Cup race, which is held every Christmas Day at the Serpentine, in central London
PA
49/50 24 December 2019
Shoppers bid for cuts of meat during a Christmas Eve auction in Smithfield market in London
EPA
50/50 23 December 2019
Reggie the dog is rescued with a boat from flooding at the Little Venice Country Park and Marina in Maidstone
AFP via Getty
Phase one involves building a line from London Euston via Old Oak Common in west London via Birmingham Interchange (near Solihull and the airport) to Curzon Street station in central Birmingham. The latest proposal is to add an extension northwest to Crewe to the first stage, allowing Liverpool and Glasgow to be served by high-speed trains from the outset.
The second part of the project is a Y-shaped extension with one branch going to Manchester (via Manchester airport) and the other to Leeds via an “East Midlands hub”. The latter branch will also serve Sheffield and provide connections to the existing East Coast main line to York and Newcastle.
HS2 was announced by Labour’s last transport secretary, Lord Adonis, in 2009, and has been supported by the main political parties ever since.
Why is it needed?
When the plan was first unveiled, the arguments were focused on cutting journey times. But the real reason is to provide much-needed extra capacity. The existing West Coast main line is the busiest inter-city route in Europe, handling a mix of Avanti express services, commuter trains and freight. There is no room for expansion, and the system has little resilience.
By removing the express passenger trains to the West Midlands, northwest England and Scotland, pressure on the existing West Coast line will be relieved – allowing services between towns and cities such as Milton Keynes, Rugby and Coventry to be improved.
The East Coast main line will also be freed up with express trains to York and Newcastle routed via HS2, providing more capacity between Hull, Doncaster, Peterborough and London.
How fast will trains go – and how much quicker will journeys be?
The maximum speed is expected to be 225mph (360 km/h), which is 100mph more than the current top speed on the East and West Coast main lines.
Journey times from London to Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds will be almost halved, while links north from Birmingham will save a greater proportion of time due to poorer links at present.
Trains between London and Scotland will be about an hour faster.
These are the key target times published by HS2, compared with actual fastest times for corresponding journeys today:
London-Birmingham: 45 minutes (81 minutes)
London-Manchester: 67 minutes (125 minutes)
London-Leeds: 81 minutes (133 minutes)
Birmingham-Manchester: 40 minutes (87 minutes)
Birmingham-Leeds: 46 minutes (117 minutes)
When will it be ready?
Phase one was due to be open in 2026. But in 2016, the National Audit Office reported that the planned opening date was at risk, noting that HS2 Ltd had missed one third of its own planning and development milestones.
The current expectation is for a token service of three trains an hour between Old Oak Common and Birmingham Curzon Street starting some time between 2029 and 2033, with 10 trains an hour from Euston between 2031 and 2036. That assumes that work begins by March 2020.
The complete HS2 network is unlikely to be ready until 2040.
How many people will use it?
HS2 is predicted to carry 100 million passenger a year when it is completed – though the Stop HS2 pressure group says: “Passenger forecasts have simply been invented for no other purpose than to try and justify the building of HS2, with it being suggested that HS2 would carry more passengers than all current inter-city services on the East Coast, West Coast and Midland main lines combined, despite the fact that HS2 would stop at far fewer stations.”
How much will it cost to build?
Who knows? Around £9bn has been spent on preparation work. Currently £56 billion (in 2015 prices) is allocated to the project, but the Department for Transport (DfT) now estimates the final bill will be between £65 billion and £88 billion. One scenario suggests that the final cost could be as high as £106bn – 89 per cent higher than originally planned.
How much will tickets cost?
There is likely to be a premium of between 20 and 33 per cent for using the fast service. That would in theory push the cost of a London-Manchester Anytime ticket from £180 to £240 at 2020 prices, which works out at 6p per second. But at the same time as HS2 is being built, the government has pledged to carry out fare reform.
Who’s against HS2?
The project has many opponents, starting with those who reside near the planned line and say their lives will be blighted.
Environmentalists say the proposed line jeopardises 693 classified local wildlife sites, 21 designated local nature reserves, 33 sites of special scientific interest, five wildlife refuges of international importance and 108 ancient woodlands. The Green Party calls it “an act of ecocide”.
Opposition is being coordinated by the Stop HS2 group, which says: “Far from being a magic wand to cure the North-South divide, HS2 would simply reinforce the economic dominance of London.
“HS2 is forecast to be a net carbon contributor 120 years into the future, according to the official forecasts from HS2 Ltd themselves.
“Far from being intended to take flights out of the air, HS2 is being actively lobbied for by at least four major airports which see it as essential to their expansion plans.”
Some supporters of the basic premise argue that the plans have been badly thought through. They point out that Birmingham already has three disconnected city-centre railway stations – New Street, Snow Hill or Moor Street stations – and that Curzon Street will add a fourth, with no easy connections to existing train services.
The London terminus is half a mile from London St Pancras – terminus for Eurostar to Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam as well as an important hub for trains to southeast England. That does not provide a good connection.
HS2 does not serve London Heathrow, the busiest airport in Britain, and even though it cuts beneath East Midlands airport there is no station to link with it.
What is HS2?
Could plans change?
Certainly, in two main ways. The project could be “descoped”, reducing cost by downgrading the specification. For example if the present 18 trains per hour target is reduced to 14, billions could be saved.
The second phase of the project also has scope for savings, for example by relying more on existing lines rather than new tracks. But that would be strongly opposed by proponents in the Midlands and North of England who say that brand new infrastructure is needed.
Is HS2 the right solution to mid-21st century mobility?
No one knows for sure. Sir Richard Branson and Elon Musk are working on competing Hyperloop systems, in which pods are propelled through vacuum tubes at up to 600mph.
Others say that a revolution in autonomous vehicles will allow far more capacity and speed to be extracted from the UK’s existing motorway network.
But at present the UK is lagging way behind France, Germany, Spain and Italy in its rail network, and HS2 is one way to start catching up. One reason Avanti (a consortium involving the Italian state railway) was given the West Coast main line franchise was because of its expertise in running high-speed trains.
Abta is contacting for “meaningful reform” of Air Passenger Obligation (APD) ahead of the upcoming March price range.
Mark Tanzer, Abta’s main govt
Though the affiliation welcomed information of a governmental critique into APD and regional connectivity, it has contacted chancellor of the exchequer Sajid Javid inquiring for a in depth reform.
It argued altering the tax without the need of thoroughly taking into consideration the broader effects could undermine the UK’s world competitiveness.
APD is not an environmental tax, it reported, and broader reform would assistance the United kingdom attain its goal of net zero emissions by 2050.
“We have today composed to the chancellor detailing that APD now requirements in depth assessment and reform,” explained Mark Tanzer, Abta’s chief executive.
“Any reform in domestic duty at the price of global obligation without a wider overview would only serve to undermine the UK’s international competitiveness and induce getaway selling prices to increase, whilst failing to address urgent environmental priorities.
“Meaningful reform, shipped in partnership with the business, can manage the country’s world competitiveness and help the government’s commitment to guide the globe on lessening carbon emissions.”
This comes just after the federal government assisted to rescue regional airline Flybe by handing out an APD tax break.
Both equally Ryanair Team main executive Michael O’Leary and IAG main govt Willie Walsh have because complained the offer was in breach of levels of competition legislation.
Tim Alderslade, main govt of Airlines British isles, the trade system for Uk registered airlines, explained double taxation of domestic aviation is a “damaging anomaly that adversely impacts United kingdom regional aviation”.
He included: “Increasing APD does not reward the environment, and APD is not the proper way to incentivise conduct.
“Rather, it serves to hamper financial investment by airways in new, much more environmentally helpful aircraft and in the progress of different fuels and technologies. Right now, most Uk airlines operate with pretty higher-load components and modern-day, gasoline-successful fleets.
“This is at the heart of an airline’s business enterprise product, mainly because it is just uneconomic to fly fifty percent-vacant aircraft or planes that do not have the ideal offered gasoline efficiency.”
Justin Francis, Dependable Travel’s main executive, included that the organization has staying lobbying for a ‘Green Flying Duty’ to make cash for exploration and advancement into reduced carbon transportation.
He said: “However, I would also like to see recognition from the industry that any workable eco-friendly tax would also want to incorporate price raises, more than and over the current APD prices – especially for domestic as perfectly as 1st class and small business course.
“There is no escaping the simple fact that aviation gas is at present untaxed and is subsidised by the taxpayer rather. A truthful tax would not stifle the UK’s capability to trade competitively, as we currently have entry to a wide community of routes and small fares owing to an oversupplied aviation sector – APD has not stopped this.”
Paris Charles de Gaulle is set to eclipse Heathrow airport as Europe’s leading aviation hub within 18 months, The Independent has calculated.
The airport in the French capital has four runways, compared with two at Heathrow.
In 2019, Paris CDG grew by around 5 per cent to 76.15 million passengers. Heathrow’s growth was 1 per cent, to 80.9 million.
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The Independent calculates that, if those rates of growth are sustained, Paris CDG will handle 80 million passengers this year, compared with 81.7 million for Heathrow.
The rolling annual totals for both airports, assuming constant growth, would be equal at 82.3 million at the end of July 2021. After that, Charles de Gaulle airport would move ahead.
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Artist’s impression of Heathrow Airport with the third runway (L)
Grimshaw Architects
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The runway will pass over the M25
Grimshaw Architects
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Heathrow aiport as it currently stands
Google
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Overlay shows the approximate size of the expansion plan for Heathrow Airport
Google
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Design for the new terminal to serve the third runway
PA
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Artist’s impression of Heathrow Airport with the third runway (L)
Grimshaw Architects
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Artist’s impression of Heathrow Airport with the third runway (L)
Grimshaw Architects
2/6
The runway will pass over the M25
Grimshaw Architects
3/6
Heathrow aiport as it currently stands
Google
4/6
Overlay shows the approximate size of the expansion plan for Heathrow Airport
Google
5/6
Design for the new terminal to serve the third runway
PA
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Artist’s impression of Heathrow Airport with the third runway (L)
Grimshaw Architects
Predictions may well be confounded by the sharp decline in traffic between Europe and China because of the coronavirus outbreak.
Five years ago, the Davies Commission on airport expansion in southeast England unanimously recommended a third runway at Heathrow. The plan was backed by government and parliament. But the project has lost momentum.
The planned opening date of 2026 has been missed, and – if it goes ahead – the new northwestern runway may not open until the very end of the 2020s.
Heathrow’s chief executive, John Holland-Kaye, said: “If we are to be a truly global Britain, we need to be better connected to global markets than our rivals in Europe.
“It would be an economic disaster for the country to fall behind, just as we leave the EU. Heathrow’s new runway will make the UK a winner, connecting all of Britain to global growth and that’s why we need to get on with delivering it.”
Heathrow has reported a record January, with 2.9 per cent more passengers than a year earlier.
There was a spike in domestic flights, largely attributed to the Flybe link with Newquay in Cornwall than began in March 2019.
The airline has announced it will end the Heathrow route in March 2020 and transfer flights to Gatwick.
