Latest news with #CityAirport
Metro
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
I tried out every Londoner's worst nightmare and spoke to other commuters
Trapped in a cable car with strangers. Nope, this isn't a new horror film. But that is what came to my mind when I heard about the TfL's chatty cabin initiative in North Greenwich. Running for the second time, the chatty cabins initiative on the IFS Cloud Cable Car allows people to talk to each other while taking in the unobstructed view of London. It's been set up to help tackle loneliness in London, which, according to the campaign to end loneliness, which estimates 8% of Londoners experience severe loneliness. Interested in the real-life psychological experiment, I wanted to try every Londoner's worst nightmare – eye contact and conversation in public transport – while dangling 295ft over the River Thames with nowhere to escape. But I discovered that curiosity is not dead – and Londoners are a warm bunch when one person dares to break the ice. While the Tube air hangs heavy with stressed commuters trying to avoid eye contact, the cable car I jumped into with five other passengers invited conversation. Facing each other on the ski lift-style cabin, conversation began to flow as we took in the sights and introduced ourselves. Any shred of anxiety was gone as the cable car whizzed on, making the journey ahead with strangers feel more like an opportunity to be present rather than a torture chamber (although the mostly see-through cabin was very warm). With only a 20-minute ride ahead of us, it was clear we all wanted to make it count and use the rare opportunity where talking to strangers is not considered too nosy. William Bolding was the first to admit that 'I'm afraid of heights' as he clutched the handrail and braced for the journey ahead. As the wind picked up, he asked whether it was normal for the cable car to swing so much. He had booked a slot on the chatty cabin – which sold out last time the initiative ran – to challenge his fear, he admitted. Jackie Hufford had ridden the cable car with her children years ago when it launched for the 2012 London Olympics, and she wanted to relive the memory after reading about the chatty cabins in Metro. 'I love talking to new people and travelling,' the south east Londoner said. Caroline McLeary joked that 'everyone thinks we know each other already, but Jackie and I have just met,' and the pair, both from the Lewisham area, shared numbers at the end of the ride. Caroline said she wanted to come try the chatty cabin to 'do something for myself' although she had to catch two buses to get there. 'Everyone experiences loneliness,' she said. Naturally, the conversation turned to travel as the City Airport loomed in the background. While we couldn't agree on which London airport is the handiest to get to, one thing we agreed on was how expensive travel in the capital is. Despite the heavy and personal theme of loneliness, which brought us for the ride in the first place, my face hurt from smiling by the time we touched back down on the Greenwich Peninsula terminal. I could have easily gone for a pint with our chatty cabin gang. Despite the sold-out success of the first chatty cabin, there are no plans to bring it on the Tube. 'It would be difficult on the Tube,' Josh Crompton, the head of IFS Cloud Cable Car for TfL, said. More Trending 'The Cable Car is different because it's a closed environment. But we certainly encourage people to have conversations.' Josh said the range of people who have tried the chatty cabins includes people 'who struggle with bereavement to tourists coming to London on their own and wanting to engage with people, single parents who are in with their children all day and are looking to get out.' 'I'm one of those people who struggles opening conversations as much as people do, and that's why we create that environment. It's quite refreshing to have a conversation with people, and I don't generally do that, and I find it quite hard, and this was easy and quite refreshing,' he said. The chatty cabins initiative runs this week until Friday and aims to help tackle loneliness in London as part of the Loneliness Awareness Week. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Cap on bus fares to stay in place until 2027, Rachel Reeves announces MORE: Beyoncé giving away free concert tickets to London shows after 'poor sales' MORE: Map reveals the most up-and-coming sex positions in major UK cities
BBC News
17-04-2025
- BBC News
Belfast City Airport: Technical issues causing 'large' queues
Technical issues at Belfast City Airport are causing large queues, passengers have McQuillan is travelling for work but says the airport is very busy with holidaymakers."It took me 30 minutes to get my bag dropped off and it doesn't look like this will be resolved any time soon," he airport has said: "There is a technical issue that we are aware of and are working to resolve as soon as possible. We apologise for any inconvenience this causes". Former journalist Mervyn Jess is travelling to London for the Easter said "the main belt drive is not working" and described the queue as "large"."All the flights are going into one queue," he Jess said passengers are "concerned" they will miss their City Airport has been approached for comment.
BBC News
09-04-2025
- Automotive
- BBC News
Sydenham Bypass: Belfast roadworks completed
Long-running resurfacing work on one of the busiest roads in Belfast has been began on the Sydenham Bypass six months ago and the regular closure of lanes led to complaints from motorists, especially at City Airport is beside the A2 bypass, which connects Belfast to heavily-populated areas in Bangor and shutdown of city-bound lanes on some Saturdays caused major traffic congestion on alternative routes in east Belfast. In a post on social media, the Department for Infrastructure announced that the £3.8m resurfacing work had been stated: "Thank you for your patience as we carried out this improvement work which has significantly enhanced one of our busiest and most strategic routes." The department said that than 13,000 tonnes of bituminous material was used to provide a smoother began in October but was paused over the Christmas period.
BBC News
21-03-2025
- BBC News
Belfast: NI airport tells Heathrow-bound passengers not to travel
A fire close to Heathrow Airport as thrown flights to and from the London airport into chaos with Belfast City Airport warning passengers not to travel to the airport "until further notice".Heathrow Airport will be closed all day Friday after a fire at a nearby electrical substation that supplies it with least 1,351 flights to and from UK's busiest airport could be cancelled on Friday, according to flight tracking website City Airport advised passengers due to fly to Heathrow to contact their airlines. A number of flights to and from Heathrow are showing as cancelled on Belfast City Airport's website.A Heathrow spokesperson said its terminals had to be shut as they "do not have clarity on when power may be reliably restored".All flights scheduled between Dublin Airport and London Heathrow up until at least mid-afternoon Friday have also been cancelled.A spokesperson for Dublin Airport said further disruption to flights between Dublin and Heathrow scheduled for later on Friday "are likely".A total of 34 flights were scheduled between Dublin Airport and Heathrow on Airport advised affected passengers to contact their Airport in County Clare has said it has facilitated several diverted flights originally scheduled to land at Heathrow on Friday morning, including flights from Toronto, Atlanta, Bridgetown Barbados, Boston, Orlando and Newark.
Yahoo
29-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
At a glance: what was in Rachel Reeves speech?
Rachel Reeves has set out a series of major announcements on infrastructure projects, including backing plans for a third runway at Heathrow Airport. She promised to go "further and faster" than previous governments after years of sluggish growth in the UK. So what did she announce? Reeves confirmed the government is officially backing plans to build a third runway at Heathrow Airport, arguing it could create 100,000 jobs. The plans received parliamentary approval in June 2018, but have been stuck in limbo after legal challenges ever since. She invited Heathrow to submit plans to expand the airport, but promised the government would only sign them off if "in line with legal environmental and climate objectives". The government has already backed the expansion of City Airport and Stanstead Airport around London. A decision to expand Luton Airport and build an emergency runway at Gatwick Airport will be delivered soon, she promised. The government will work with Doncaster Council and the Mayor of South Yorkshire to revive the closed airport, aiming to turn it into a thriving regional hub. There will also be a new partnership between Prologis and Manchester Airport Group will build a new advanced manufacturing and logistics park, unlocking £1bn of investment and 2,000 jobs. Reeves vowed to build "Europe's Silicon Valley" between Oxford and Cambridge, unveiling policies to boost the region's growth and add £78bn to the UK economy in the next 10 years. Funding has been confirmed for transport projects, including the East West Rail, and an upgrade on the A428 between Milton Keynes and Cambridge. The University of Cambridge will open an innovation hub in the city centre, which will be built alongside 4,500 new homes, and schools after the Environment Agency dropped its opposition. A new Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital will also be prioritised. Lord Patrick Vallance, the ex-chief scientific adviser advisor to the government and now a Labour minister, will be in charge of overseeing the project. The government will let water companies unlock £7.9bn in investment to build nine new reservoirs, including a new Fens Reservoir to serve Cambridge. There will also be a new Abingdon Reservoir near Oxford. Government guidance on building major projects will be reviewed in order to support investments outside of the wealthy and productive south-east of England, Reeves said. "This means that investment in all regions is given a fair hearing by the Treasury that I lead." This will work alongside other major changes set out in the government's upcoming Planning and Infrastructure Bill. One of the projects to benefit is plans to redevelop Manchester United's Old Trafford football stadium. Manchester United are set to make a decision by the end of the season on whether to redevelop the existing stadium into an 87,000-capacity venue or build a brand-new 100,000-capacity ground. The Old Trafford scheme will use public money to help regenerate the area around the stadium and relocate three rail freight terminals behind the stadium blocking the current redevelopment. Reeves announced the government will be hosting a range of trade trips. Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds is going to India next month for trade talk while the UK resets "the relationship" with the EU. Building on "our special relationship with the United States under President Trump" is in the national interest, Reeves said. The government will invest in two green energy projects through the National Wealth Fund set up under Labour. Reeves said £65m will be given to electric vehicle charging company Connected Curb project to extend their network. Meanwhile £28m equity will be invested in Cornish Metals, which provide the raw material for solar panels, wind turbines and electric vehicles.
