BTN Europe Business travel groups welcome changes to EU Package Travel Directive Revised rules make clear distinctions between business and leisure travel... EasyJet launches new London-Paris route Twice-weekly route will connect London Stansted and Paris CDG airports... FCM Consulting deploys tool to demonstrate travel programme value New tool assesses governance, risk management and stakeholder engagement to present value "beyond sa... New UK rail rule could throw business travel off track UK rail operators seek refund change workaround for business travel after “massive own goal” warning... Airlines extend Middle East flight suspensions as industry counts cost Travel sector is losing an estimated $600 million per day from impact of Iran war... Oil price turbulence: Gulf conflict may drive up air travel costs Rising oil prices and airline fuel surcharges could increase air travel costs... London Heathrow falls behind Istanbul as Europe’s busiest airport UK hub says it is “full” and needs to be allowed to build third runway ... Lufthansa flights face disruption as union calls 48-hour strike Pilots union is taking industrial action in ongoing dispute over pension schemes ... CMAC Group buys taxi booking specialist Minicabit UK firm bolsters ground transport capabilities with acquisition... ITA and Trenitalia forge partnership for AI-driven intermodal travel Agreement includes the establishment of joint ‘AI Intermodality and Sustainability Lab’... China Eastern expands European network with flights to Stockholm and Vienna Shanghai-based carrier to fly to Stockholm and Vienna... IHG Hotels & Resorts appoints Mistry as UK and Ireland MD Experienced hotel executive will oversee company’s 400-plus properties ... Amex GBT swings to profit in Q4 with AI-led efficiencies in focus Revenue gains driven by CWT acquisition and AI efficiencies as TMC looks to launch Egencia AI in Apr... Belgium strikes to disrupt train and air travel this week Three-day walkout by rail workers will be followed by a general strike... Wizz Air receives green light to operate UK-US flights Budget airline plans to offer charter services to the US for this summer’s World Cup... Kayak for Business announces new France and UK leaders New country managers recruited as part of expansion drive in Europe ... Sixt rolls out new loyalty programme to European markets German car rental firm also announces record-breaking results for 2025... Lufthansa maintains positive 2026 outlook despite Gulf conflict European aviation giant to add flights to Asia and Africa, with plans to expand international capaci... LATAM adds flights to new Amsterdam–Brazil route South American carrier will commence services on 30 March... Sabre names Arthur MD of agency solutions in EMEA Based in London, Arthur will lead growth of Sabre's Mosaic platform... AccesRail partners with Italian high-speed rail operator Italo AccesRail has partnered with Italo to integrate air and rail bookings into a single ticket... European airlines operate Middle East rescue flights from Oman BA, Lufthansa and KLM have all laid on repatriation services from Muscat... BCD Travel recruits Diaz to lead UK and Ireland sales Move follows the closure of Diaz’s start-up Absolute Travel Management... Lufthansa to launch flights from Frankfurt to Malaysia German carrier will restart service to Kuala Lumpur from late October... IATA: International air demand lifts January traffic Europe's international demand rate increased 6.3 per cent year over year... ATG Travel Worldwide appoints Langbein as co-MD of German division New recruit will work alongside current MD Ashworth to drive growth in Germany... Comms and events agency Kintela recruits Crowley as partner Former BCD Travel executive is the latest industry veteran to join consultancy ... PredictX launches traveller risk module in response to Middle East conflict New feature offered to clients at no additional cost... Brussels Airlines to roll out premium economy service upgrades European carrier to enhance meal options starting mid-March... Navan launches AI assistant for unmanaged business travellers New app available to all travellers, even whose companies are not on the Navan platform... ITA Airways content to be added to Lufthansa’s NDC channels Italian carrier’s flights and services will be made available from early May ... UK’s CMA launches investigation into Hilton, IHG and Marriott Authority’s probe is examining suspected sharing of “competitively sensitive” data... Widespread travel disruption continues following Iran strikes Mass airline cancellations in the Gulf region, with European flight operations also affected... Delta Air Lines promotes Long to Europe and Africa managing director Move comes as US carrier prepares to launch expanded transatlantic summer schedule... Deutsche Bahn to launch train service to Brussels Airport Rail operator is adding high-speed link as part of codeshare with Brussels Airlines ... Navan integrates BoomPop into meetings platform TMC says the development will boost the capabilities of its events portal ... IAG: Transatlantic business travel rebound boosts Q4 profits British Airways parent reported “strong” corporate demand from US point of sale... Amadeus reports uptick in Q4 bookings despite US 'softness' Travel tech giant invested 22 per cent of revenue into R&D, with a large part dedicated to its AI ca... Qantas revamps loyalty programme following international profit decline Australian carrier will scrap its ‘Green Tier’ rewards scheme later this year... CTM cites 'clearer path forward' amid accounting debacle TMC expects to publish FY25 financial statement and resume trading on the ASX by Q2... London tops list of most expensive cities for business travel Hickory Global Partners’ rankings are based on average daily rates of spend... Amadeus acquires AI corporate travel assistant SkyLink SkyLink won The BTN Group's Innovation Faceoff in 2024... Flight Centre’s TMC brands ‘outperform’ corporate travel market Owner of FCM and Corporate Traveller has benefited from “resilient” demand and productivity gains ... London City Airport names Cliffe as new CEO Andy Cliffe to lead ‘next phase of growth’ at East London airport... S4BT moves into UK market with HotelHub acquisition French technology specialist plans to create an integrated corporate travel platform ... ANA names Hirasawa as new president and CEO Japanese carrier’s current CEO Inoue will step down in April ... Europcar Mobility Group appoints new MD for UK & Ireland Outgoing MD Gary Smith has announced his retirement... Air France-KLM and Accor face bond penalties over missed climate goals Airline group and hospitality giant both failed to meet targets linked to sustainability bonds... Trenitalia unveils new Frecciarossa brand and accelerates fleet renewal New trains developed for cross-border services... Finnair to expand services in Luxembourg, Spain and Italy Finnish carrier will extend seasonal routes to operate year-round... Hyatt set to open property at renovated London Olympia Hotel is part of the £1.3 billion redevelopment of historic exhibition centre... Nationwide strikes to disrupt air and rail travel in Italy this week ITA Airways has already cancelled more than half of flights scheduled for Thursday... Oneworld airline alliance appoints Orvér as new CEO Former Finnair commercial chief will take over at the start of April... UK to start ‘strictly’ enforcing ETA rules from 25 February Travellers who have not secured electronic authorisation will be denied boarding... Business travel groups warn against UK accommodation levy Mayors in England could be allowed to impose their own “local” overnight fee... Lufthansa to retrofit Airbus A320 aircraft Upgrades will affect aircraft used for short- and medium-haul flights... Sabre reports corporate travel turnaround in late Q4 Company also announced several executive promotions... Air France-KLM reports 'stable' Q4 despite increasing cost pressure Franco-Dutch airline group also urging the EU for a level playing field on SAF mandates... Accor: 'resilient' business demand fuels Q4 RevPAR growth French hospitality giant looks to increase non-RevPAR revenues through its loyalty programme... Airlines hit out at plans to increase Spanish airport charges Airport operator AENA wants to increase passenger fee annually from 2027 to 2031 ... Mesh partners with Adyen to push UK, Europe expansion New partnership to offer local currency cards without forex fees... Lufthansa Group and Air India plan to form joint business The two Star Alliance members are looking to deepen their commercial relationship... BCD Travel partners with Riskline to enhance security alerts New deal aims to provide “timely, trusted” insights to both buyers and travellers... Hyatt CEO Hoplamazian takes over as chair following Pritzker's resignation Thomas Pritzker has resigned following disclosures of ties to Jeffrey Epstein... Lufthansa extends Allegris business class on Boeing 787 aircraft FAA approval clears way for wider rollout on the carrier's Dreamliner fleet... Business travel drives IHG RevPAR growth in 2025 Hotel giant also launched 'Noted Collection' for independent properties in the premium category... Direct Travel to roll out Avenir Travel Edition globally Extended rollout follows Direct Travel's acquisition of longtime partner ATPI in September... Situ expands international operations in the Americas region Serviced accommodation specialist has created Situ Americas subsidiary... London Heathrow increases target for alternative aviation fuels Hub airport aims to surpass UK mandate on alternative fuel usage this year... Italo to introduce Starlink wifi across entire fleet Italian high-speed rail operator to roll out satellite wifi from mid 2026... Amsterdam Schiphol targets traffic rise despite new flights cap Netherlands hub says the use of larger aircraft will allow it to grow in 2026 ... Simplexity Travel Management promotes Smith to MD role UK-based TMC makes internal appointment to drive its expansion plans... Loganair to launch new routes from Jersey in summer 2026 Four new services will include regional airline’s first flights to Paris... Wizz Air rolls out business-style perks across network Budget carrier's Wizz Class extending to all routes following 'successful' trial... Group growth offsets Hyatt's Q4 business transient weakness Business transient RevPAR fell 1 per cent in Q4... Travelport to offer LOT Polish Airlines NDC content Polish carrier's "unsurcharged" NDC content will be available on Travelport+... Lufthansa cancels hundreds of flights on Thursday due to pilot strike German carrier expects to resume "normal" flight schedule on Friday... Air Asia X to launch flights to London Gatwick this summer Low-cost carrier will begin daily flights for London Gatwick from June... ITM: buyers prioritise content access and OBTs in 2026 Annual survey also shows how sustainability is slipping down the priority list ... Navan names Lyft's Nolf as CFO Aurélien Nolf to take financial reins of travel and expense platform in its first full year as a pub... SNCF Voyageurs names Alexandre as Intercités director Magali Alexandre takes the helm of SNCF's regional rail service, succeeding Amandine Thomas-Commin... Aviation groups call for ‘immediate’ action on EES rollout Associations highlight “massive” delays and inconvenience at airports for non-EU travellers ... Salesforce-native meetings app unveils new platform vision Blackthorn to roll out new capabilities and AI tools from April... Marriott expects business travel growth in 2026 despite Q4 dip Hotel company’s results were impacted by US government shutdown last year... Lufthansa City Airlines launches flights from Frankfurt Short-haul subsidiary plans to “gradually” add more routes this summer ... UK-based CrowdComms acquires EventEye amid global growth plans Event management platform will expand operations in the Nordics... Event tech platform Naboo raises $70M in Series B funding round Paris-based company raises funds to support US expansion and global hires... HotelHub: US hotel bookings plunge during ‘volatile’ 2025 Data also shows significant increases in nightly rates in many European cities... UK's CAA issues guidance for flight emissions reporting at point of sale New framework applies to UK-advertised flights that also depart or arrive at UK airports... European air demand shows ‘resilience’ to set traffic record ACI Europe says continent’s airports catered for 2.6 billion passengers in 2025 ... Air France adds capacity on Paris-New York route for summer 2026 Carrier will also operate special transatlantic services to festivals in Cannes... Spain’s rail services disrupted by three-day strike Hundreds of trains cancelled across the country as unions take action over safety... Parkhouse steps down as CEO of Take2Eton Group UK-based TMC’s co-founder Thelen will resume key leadership role ... GBTA warns against new ESTA social media rules Global Business Travel Association has urged the US government to reconsider the proposal... Travelport to provide Oman Air NDC content Travelport-connected agencies will be able to access carrier's NDC content alongside EDIFACT fares... Navan upgrades to Qantas Premium NDC connection Updated API connection provides access to better fares and enhanced servicing options, according to ... Uber to launch autonomous rides in 15 markets by year-end Ride-hailing giant to introduce robotaxis in more cities in 2026... SAS to expand long-haul fleet with ‘large’ Airbus and Boeing orders Scandinavian carrier seeks to bolster long-haul network... Cathay: 2025 corporate SAF commitments more than double Microsoft joined as a top-tier partner alongside the like of EY and EQT... Dutch government to open Lelystad Airport to commercial flights Airport expected to handle up to 10,000 commercial flights a year when fully operational...
