The Week In Travel

A security breach has led to ‘chaos’ at Gatwick Airport this week, with the entirety of the North Terminal being evacuated. Following a fire alarm being activated in one of the airport restaurants, a number of passengers who had not been security screened entered the departure lounge via a fire door. As a result of this, everyone within the departure lounge as well as those who had already boarded flights were re-screened, leading to a number of delays and cancellations.

Staying in Europe, airlines have come under fire from European consumer organisation BEUC this week, with the organisation launching an EU-wide complaint against 17 airlines for so-called “greenwashing” over their claims about making air travel more sustainable. BEUC claims the airlines breached EU rules by ‘tackling unfair commercial practices’ and using ‘misleading practices’. The organisation is calling for a Europe-wide investigation into the claim.

Over in the Middle East, Etihad Cargo has launched a new pharma development programme, which will provide training for customer service and customer-facing expertise in order to ‘smooth the customer journey’. With the company reporting strong growth in the area last year, it will also be investing in its pharmaceutical handling infrastructure at Abu Dhabi International Airport – with plans including temperature-controlled zones and state-of-the-art equipment.

In the private sector, Lygg, a private aircraft platform for short-haul travel, has raised €3.6 million to expand its routes to more locations ‘in Europe and beyond’. The Helsinki-based company establishes routes to destinations under-served by commercial carriers but a high enough demand from corporate clients to justify a route. Lygg plans to use the funds to expand routes to locations including Rotterdam, Stockholm, Aberdeen and Frankfurt.

And finally, after recent reports of selfies being banned at various picturesque spots around the world, the bar has been raised with an entire island launching a ‘no phones’ policy for tourists. The island of Ulko-Tammio, located in the Eastern Gulf of Finland National Park, has launched a no phones policy offering visitors the chance to enjoy a ‘digital detox’. Naturally, many snap happy holidaymakers will be dismayed by this – but perhaps some will appreciate the opportunity to recharge while unplugged.