Skip to main content

London City Airport reopens as UK resumes economic activities

London City Airport received its first commercial flight in nearly three months Sunday as Britain moved another step closer to fully emerging from its coronavirus lockdown on July 4.

The gateway to the once-bustling Canary Warf and City financial districts welcomed a short flight from the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea.

The small turboprop plane’s landing and quick departure for its return leg was the only one scheduled – but officials could hardly sound more pleased.
“This clear early demand from our passengers to get back to flying is really encouraging,” airport chief executive Robert Sinclair said.

Initial routes will be domestic because of international travel restrictions and only a handful of destinations will be served in the first weeks.

London businesses are also unhappy with the government’s divisive decision to impose 14-day quarantines on most people arriving in Britain.

“Both blanket Foreign Office advice not to travel abroad and the mandatory two-week quarantine for all arrivals into the UK should be limited to the highest risk countries,” the London First business lobby said on the airport’s website.
Heathrow and London’s smaller Gatwick and Stansted airports remained partially open throughout the crisis.
Britain’s official death toll of 42,632 is Europe’s highest and third globally behind the United States and Brazil.

But health officials lowered the alert level to three on a five-point scale on Friday – a signal the government needed to take a more business-friendly approach.
British pubs and restaurants are most upset about a requirement for people to stay two meters (six feet) apart in public.
Business owners complain the restriction means they cannot seat enough people to make a profit.

The measure is also partially blamed for the government’s inability to reopen schools before the summer break.

British newspapers and business figures have been waging a war against it for weeks.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected Tuesday to give the formal go-ahead for pubs and restaurants to start seating clients on July 4.

Some hair salons have also started taking bookings for July in anticipation.

But most will be watching to see what he has to say about the two-metre requirement – an issue that some critics view as emblematic of Johnson’s incongruous response to the crisis.

Telegraph newspaper reported that Johnson will announce a “one metre plus” rule that allows people everywhere to stand closer together if they wear masks.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Nigerian Military hands over 23 rescued children to UNICEF through Borno State

The Nigerian military has handed over 23 children who were formerly associated with Boko Haram insurgents, to UNICEF through the Borno State government.  The children were picked up during various military operations around the north-east region. Aged between 17 and 10 years, the boys and girls confessed to the military that they have been assisting the Boko Haram insurgents either as fighters or domestic helps in the camps. The Theatre Commander of a military counterinsurgency force, Abba Dikko, said the 23 children were released in line with Nigeria military’s commitment to the observance of human rights. He observed that the children and other vulnerable persons were victims who faced with the highly unstable circumstances induced by the conflict would have had little option but to fall under the thrall of the insurgents.  “We were able to identify this category of people, especially the women, the aged and children to whom it behooves our sense of duty and res...
Post a Comment
Read more

FRSC reinforces directive on use of google maps while driving

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has clarified its position on the use of Google Maps, The FCT Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Ayuba Gora was quoted saying that driving with the aid of Google map using mobile phones is a serious traffic offence. Gora said this at the inauguration of the 2019 Ember Months Campaign by Lugbe Unit Command of the FRSC in Abuja yesterday. But, FRSC Spokesman Bisi Kazeem making reference to Gora’s comments said the Sector Commander was quoted out of context and his statement outrightly misrepresented. Kazeem said the FRSC as a technology-driven organisation is not and has never stood against the use of Google Maps by Motorists. The statement read: “To state the obvious, we have always enlightened the public on the position of the law on the use of phone while driving. “The statement he made during the flag off buttresses the position of the Corps, which is that any driver who intends to deploy the use of Google Map...
Post a Comment
Read more

Rihanna confirms she's headlining the Super Bowl LVII halftime show

  Rihanna has confirmed she will be headlining the 2023 Super Bowl half-time show.   The Barbadian singer, 34, announced the news Sunday September 25, by sharing a photo of her tattooed arm holding a football. The post marks Rihanna's first social media activity since giving birth to her first child in May.   The NFL also Tweeted the big news with the same snap and the message 'Let’s GO-#SBLVII' A statement released by Roc Nation founder Shawn Jay-Z Carter, read: 'Rihanna is a generational talent, a woman of humble beginnings who has surpassed expectations at every turn. A person born on the small island of Barbados who became one of the most prominent artists ever. Self-made in business and entertainment.'  A statement from Apple Music read, 'We are thrilled to welcome Rihanna to the Apple Music Super Bowl Halftime Show stage,' shared Seth Dudowsky who is the NFL Head of Music. 'Rihanna is a once in a generation artist who has been a cultural fo...
Post a Comment
Read more