The Week In Travel

It was a chaotic week for UK and European travellers after hundreds of flights were cancelled amid staff shortages at airports and thousands of holidaymakers were left in limbo. The UK was particularly affected by disruption, as the school half-term and the Jubilee Weekend were both occurring at the time. In an emergency meeting between government officials and aviation industry leaders, the Secretary of State for Transport Grant Shapps accused carriers of driving disruption by selling tickets beyond their means. The disruption was not limited to the UK, with airports across the world - including Toronto and Amsterdam Schiphol – seeing long queues and disruption.

Italy removed all entry restrictions for international travellers in a move that heralds a symbolic return to normality for the second country to enforce a lockdown. The announcement came shortly before the Salone del Mobile 2022 exhibition in Milan - an event that attracted more than 370,000 attendees prior to the pandemic. FFP2 masks are still required on public transport in Italy, including flights.

A dispute has arisen in Australia after it was announced by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) that its four largest airports had made a profit in 2020-21, despite the airports insisting that they made losses. The airports say that the watchdog is confusing ‘profit’ with earnings before interest, taxes and amortisation. Despite rises in property value, the airports had to write off debt, take out substantial loans, and lay off staff in order to cope with the crisis.

The architecture and design firm Corgan has been appointed to provide the groundwork for a new terminal at San Antonio International Airport. Corgan will offer architectural concept design for key components of the Terminal Development Program, to enable environmental reviews to begin immediately. The San Antonio City Council voted unanimously to appoint Corgan and subcontractor Lake Flato Architects to begin work on the 20 year, $2.5 billion plan.

And finally, Severn Valley Railways – a heritage steam railway based in the western countryside of England – unveiled a new steam engine this weekend, appropriately named ‘Elizabeth II’. In a ceremony in Bewdley, Worcestershire, the engine, which had been hand painted purple for the occasion, was revealed, and it was announced that anyone named Elizabeth would be entitled to free travel across the weekend to mark the Jubilee.