The Week In Travel

The Japanese government has this week revealed a $33 billion endeavour to create a domestically produced aircraft, utilising alternative fuels like hydrogen, by 2035. The initiative involves local and foreign manufacturers, including Subaru and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and will be the first Japanese commercial aircraft produced since 1965. This follows the retirement of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries’ SpaceJet after years of delays due to regulatory issues.

In sustainability news, ACI Europe is urging future EU leaders to allocate more funding for aviation and sustainability goals. Joining a coalition of over 40 transport organisations, ACI Europe has emphasised the need for increased EU financing, which it has deemed as crucial for achieving decarbonisation targets by 2050.

In the UK, passengers at major UK airports will still face limits on the amount of liquid they can carry in hand luggage this summer as the deadline for new scanners has been extended. London Gatwick, Heathrow, and Manchester airports won’t have the technology in place in time for the 1st June deadline, potentially delaying the change for up to a year. Smaller airports such as Teesside, London City and Birmingham have implemented new security screening technology and expect to launch on schedule.

Across the pond, Virgin Atlantic is aiming to return to profitability in 2024, buoyed by record revenues in 2023 totalling £3.1 billion. The airline has revealed this week that it suffered a pre-tax loss of £139m in 2023 - but there are plenty of encouraging signs that it will return to profit this year. Strong demand for premium leisure travel drove passenger revenue to £2.4 billion, a £323 million increase from 2022.

And finally, a railway enthusiast has visited almost every train station in the UK in just six weeks. 34-year-old David Jones visited 2,542 of the UK’s 2,580 stations overall, having been on track to see them all before being derailed by flooded stations. David’s journey spanned over 400 hours and close to 10,000 miles, but he continued to chug along, raising £2,500 for charity in the process.