BA order two A318’s for London City – New York service

British Airways has signed a firm contract with Airbus for two Airbus A318 aircraft to launch services between London City Airport, in central London, and New York. The A318 is the most modern and largest aircraft certified by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) for the steep approach procedures which are required at London City.

City centre airports are typically constrained by shorter runways, high building and stringent noise constraints. The A318 can land on very short runways and the steep approach procedure enables a 5.5 degree descent angle rather than the standard 3 degrees. The A318 also climbs and reaches cruising altitude quicker than any other aircraft operating out of London City and with significantly reduced noise than previous generation aircraft, making the A318 ideal for city centre operations.

bmibaby announce Cardiff to Barcelona from £24.99

You can now fly from Cardiff to Barcelona from only £24.99 one way incl. taxes and charges. Flights commence on 24th May 2008 twice a week on Tuesday and Saturday and then from 18th June 2008 there will be an additional flight on Wednesdays. So for food, fiesta, fashion and fun – book your sizzling summer holiday to Barcelona today.

easyJet launch Newcastle – Murcia flights

easyJet has launched a new service from Newcastle Airport to Murcia, offering travellers the chance to visit beaches along the Spanish coastline. The route is the airline's 17th from Newcastle and will operate three times a week, on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday with return tickets starting from £46.98.

easyJet expects to carry 41,000 passengers on this new route in the first 12 months of operation.

Blackpool airport bought by Balfour Beatty

Regional and City Airports (RCA), the airport investment and development group of Balfour Beatty has agreed to acquire 95% of Blackpool International Airport at a cost of £14 million.

Blackpool airport is being sold by Mar Properties, the Northern Ireland-based property developer and is subject to the approval of the remaining minority shareholder - Blackpool Borough Council.

Already owners of Exeter Airport, Balfour Beatty chief executive Ian Tyler stated: "Blackpool International is a well-located airport with the potential to become a thriving international gateway to Lancashire and Cumbria." Mr Tyler went on to state that the company "aim to develop Blackpool to be the airport choice for residents, businesses and visitors of Lancashire and Cumbria."

The future for Blackpool International Airport looks set to bring in higher passenger numbers. At Parking4less we offer Blackpool Airport Parking at fantastic low costs. Remember to check back for the latest travel news and low priced airport parking.

Cheaper flights to USA

Since the ‘open skies’ agreement between the US and EU opened the transatlantic aviation market on March 30, there has been an influx of new services at Heathrow. Airlines including Northwest, Delta, Continental and even Air France rushed into Heathrow, in some cases moving flights from Gatwick and in other cases launching new routes.

From next month transatlantic travellers will be able to choose from 95 flights a day each way between Heathrow and the USA, 18 more than a year ago. The increase in flights means new options to consumers and lower prices, especially for higher-paying business travellers.

Luton airport roadworks

Passengers travelling to Luton airport for a late night or early morning flight over the coming months should be aware of roadworks that are likely to cause delays.

Construction of a new Eaton Green roundabout near Luton airport will affect access to the London hub when approached from the east via the A505.

The A505, Vauxhall Way, will be closed between Crawley Green Road and Airport Way from midnight Friday to 03:00 Monday to carry out works on the following dates:

Friday 9 May - Monday 12 May
Friday 30 May - Monday 2 June
Friday 20 June - Monday 23 June
Friday 27 June - Monday 30 June
Friday 04 July - Monday 07 July

A diversion will be in place during the roadworks and will be well signposted. Traffic will be diverted from the Crawley Green Road / Vauxhall Way roundabout to Eaton Green Road, Frank Lester Way, Percival Way and Airport Way. The diversion will be reversed form the Vauxhall Way / Kimpton Road roundabout for vehicles travelling from Luton airport.

If you're travelling from Luton airport on these dates please be advised to allow extra journey time to allow for the diversion and for any delays that may arise as a result.

Monarch and Thomas Cook add Manchester Airport flights

Monarch and Thomas Cook have both announced increased flights from Manchester Airport.

Monarch have added Larnaca and Gibraltar to their winter programme. The airline will fly to both winter sun destinations three times a week in its 2008/09 schedule, which starts in November. It will also fly to Alicante, Barcelona, Faro, Lanzarote, Malaga, Murcia and Tenerife from Manchester.

Meanwhile Thomas Cook has increased the number of flights it operates from Manchester Airport to Tenerife, Girona in Spain and Antalya in Turkey in its summer timetable, which starts on May 1.