Latest news with #Heathrow
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Business
- Daily Mail
Royal Mail boss jumps ship after Czech takeover
Royal Mail's boss has quit weeks after the postal service fell into foreign hands for the first time in its 509-year history. In a move that caught the business world by surprise, Emma Gilthorpe left having been appointed chief executive a little over a year ago. The former Heathrow director will be replaced on an interim basis by chief operating officer Alistair Cochrane. Her departure comes after Royal Mail's parent company International Distribution Services (IDS) was bought by Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky for £3.6billion. The energy tycoon nicknamed the 'Czech Sphinx' for his inscrutable approach to business decisions swooped on the firm last year in a move that prompted outrage from politicians and businesses. The controversial deal, which was approved by 80 per cent of shareholders, saw the postal service fall into overseas ownership for the first time since it was established by Henry VIII in 1516. IDS chairman Keith Williams and the rest of the board stepped down as planned when the firm delisted from the London Stock Exchange in May. But IDS chief executive Martin Seidenberg and finance chief Michael Snape will stay in their roles. The company had not publicly confirmed whether Gilthorpe, 55, would continue to lead Royal Mail under its new owner. Dan Coatsworth, investment analyst at AJ Bell, said: 'A new owner means a different way of thinking and that normally includes a fresh sweep in the boardroom. 'Daniel Kretinsky is a brave man for wanting to own Royal Mail as it comes with a multitude of challenges. He'll already have a firm idea how to fix it and he'll want to parachute his own choice of leader into the company. 'Gilthorpe might have come to the conclusion that if she did not leave of her own free will now, it was inevitable that she would have been pushed out later on.' As part of the deal, Kretinsky agreed to a series of conditions to secure approval from ministers. The Government will retain a 'golden share' in the business. This means any changes to Royal Mail's ownership, tax residency or where its headquarters are based will need ministers' approval. Kretinsky, 49, must also retain the Universal Service Obligation (USO), which guarantees a first-class postal service to anywhere in the UK for a fixed price six days a week. But these rules are set to be changed by the regulator Ofcom, which has proposed cutting second-class deliveries to every other working day. Gilthorpe said yesterday she 'will always be incredibly proud to have led Royal Mail', adding: 'I look forward to seeing Royal Mail continue to transform in the years ahead.'
Daily Mail
2 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Rush hour commuters face massive disruption at one of Britain's busiest railway stations as blaze breaks out beside track
Rush hour commuters at one of Britain's busiest railway stations face lengthy delays after a fire broke out next to the track. National Rail is warning of cancellations and delays for passengers travelling between London Paddington and Heathrow Airport following the blaze. It has since been confirmed that the fire near the track at Acton Main Line has been extinguished, allowing trains to run through the station again. Passengers are being told there will be a 'major disruption' until 10pm with delays up to 35 minutes. In an update, National Rail confirmed the fire has been extinguished and that 'journeys running through this station to begin to run as normal again.' It said: 'Until service recovers, trains running between London Paddington and Heathrow Airport / Reading may still be cancelled, delayed by up to 35 minutes or revised. 'Major disruption is expected to continue to impact services until 22:00.' A notice at the station reads: 'Due to a fire next to the track between London Paddington and Reading some lines are blocked. In an update, National Rail confirmed the fire has been extinguished and that 'journeys running through this station to begin to run as normal again'. Pictured: A Great Western Railway train stopped at London Paddington 'Train services running to and from these stations may be delayed by up to 30 minutes or revised. 'Disruption is expected until 8pm.' A Great Western Railway spokesperson said: 'Due to a fire next to the track between London Paddington and Reading some lines are blocked. 'Train services running to and from these stations may be delayed.' Passengers have taken to social media to vent their frustrations of the rush hour delays. One user wrote: 'Huge delays at Paddington outward bound to all destinations. As usual with, there is no info, just surley unhelpful staff who don't give a damn. More examples of UK's worst run railway.' Another added: 'Acton main line area set on fire now I'm stuck at Paddington sweating my balls off.' While a third said: 'Paddington is at a standstill.'
Daily Mail
12 hours ago
- Daily Mail
Firefighter who gave £45,000 of £200,000 scratchcard win to his 'spendaholic' ex-girlfriend fights her in court to get it back
A firefighter who sent £45,000 of his scratchcard win to his 'spendaholic' ex faced her in court to get the cash back. Craig Titchener, 36, took his ex Heather Douglass to court after she claimed he 'lovebombed' her with £45,000 worth of gifts because he was 'desperate' to keep her. The nurse claims the Heathrow Airport firefighter gave her a five-figure sum to spend on herself after his lucky win to 'get back into her good books' when they quarrelled. She said she splashed out thousands on exotic holidays, household renovations and other expensive items with her ex-partner's approval, adding that ADHD gave her 'an addiction to overspending'. The now-estranged couple ended up facing off in court over three cash transfers totalling £45,000 made by him to her in 2022. Ms Douglass insisted were 'outright gifts,' while he claimed they were for investing on his behalf. Mr Titchener sued, saying he had paid her the sums as he respected her financial 'savvy' and wanted her to plough the cash into premium bonds or other high-interest savings, with both of them sharing the interest. After three days in court, District Judge Charlotte Hart ruled that £40,000 of the money transferred was intended to be invested, as Mr Titchener claimed, and was not meant as a gift. Craig Titchener, 36, took his ex to court after she claimed he 'lovebombed' her with £45,000 worth of gifts because he was 'desperate' to keep her Craig Titchener, 36, took his ex to court after she claimed he 'lovebombed' her with £45,000 worth of gifts because he was 'desperate' to keep her However, she went on to find that a third £5,000 cash transfer was a gift as claimed by Ms Douglass, intended as a thank you from Mr Titchener for her support during their relationship, along with a £300 bottle of Lancôme perfume. Airport firefighter Mr Titchener scored his big win after gambling on a Winter Wonderlines scratchcard in 2019, pocketing the top prize of £200,000. He told the court he wanted to use the money to buy a house for him and his children, but that after beginning a 'volatile' 11-month relationship with Miss Douglass, he handed her £45,000 of his cash in 2022. After they split, he began his Central London County Court bid to retrieve his cash, telling the judge that he had expected Miss Douglass to invest it for him. 'I am someone who has always fought hard for a better life, for both myself and my children,' he told the judge. 'When I won that £200,000 on the scratchcard, I didn't see it as just luck but as a life-changing opportunity. 'I thought that now I can finally buy the family home I've always wanted, and that intention to invest in a home has been consistent from the start.' But Miss Douglass fought the case, asserting that the payments were gifts, claiming that her ex 'lovebombed' her with generous presents and cash to 'get back into her good books' when they quarrelled, telling Mr Titchener: 'You sent me money because you were desperate to be in a relationship with me'. With both sides representing themselves in court and sitting just yards apart in a cramped courtroom, Mr Titchener challenged his former partner as she gave evidence, asking: 'Why would I have transferred half of my life savings just to be in a relationship with you?' She replied: 'You want women to be with you, and you struggle when you're on your own. 'You're very controlling and this was a relationship wholly based on control. You believe that you can buy people.' Miss Douglass, who suffers from ADHD, told the judge that she had spent much of the money with Mr Titchener's agreement, including on a Thai holiday for them both, household work and other items. 'Part of my diagnosis is that I have an addiction to overspending,' she told the court. 'When I'm elated I will buy extravagant things. I have a tendency to overspend. If you came to my house, you'd see there are things coming there every day.' Giving judgment, the judge said there was 'very little evidence to support claims of a controlling or harassing relationship' and ruled that Ms Douglass had failed to prove that the £40,000 was gifted to her. But she held that Mr Titchener had also tried to bolster his case by concocting a digital document which he claimed was a signed agreement between him and Miss Douglass confirming that the transferred money was earmarked for investment. 'I think he created that document to support his genuine case that the money was not outright gifted, but given to use for the purpose of investment,' said the judge. But although labelling this 'extremely damaging to the claimant's credibility,' Judge Hart said it did not alter the central fact that Mr Titchener had transferred the cash sums for investment purposes. 'There will be judgment for Mr Titchener with a sum to be assessed by an equitable account, she added. 'It's declared that £40,000 was transferred by the claimant to the defendant and held in a bare trust for his benefit, to be invested in premium bonds or high interest savings.' On top of the disputed money, the pair also ended up bickering over a 500ml 'prestige' bottle of Lancôme perfume, which Mr Titchener likewise labelled an investment, while Ms Douglass said it was a gift of her favourite scent. Mr Titchener said the scent, bought for around £300 at auction. was 'a prestige bottle bought with the intention of investment,' but Ms Douglass said she wore the perfume 'all the time' and that her ex had told her his car 'smells like you now' after a similar bottle leaked in it. 'I used this perfume throughout my relationship with him,' she said in her closing arguments to the court. Finding against Mr Titchener in relation to the 'limited edition' perfume, the judge decided this was a present from the firefighter, saying: 'It's conceded that this is Ms Douglass' perfume of choice and on the balance of probabilities I find that this was a gift.' Although Mr Titchener had launched his bid to retrieve his cash transfers, the judge decided there must be a further court hearing to determine whether Ms Douglass may have spent some of her ex's £40,000 stake with his consent. The case will return to court for an investigation into where the £40,000 went, the judge noting that some £19,000 is still not accounted for, although £21,000 had been traced going into Ms Douglass' savings accounts.
CNN
a day ago
- Business
- CNN
British Airways CEO Reflects on the Power Outage at Heathrow in March
"We need to have a serious reflection as to why the UK's national hub was closed for 24 hours, and I think we need to make sure that we don't repeat an instance like that again." British Airways CEO Sean Doyle reflects on the power outage at Heathrow in March.
BBC News
2 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Aurigny fails to increase its slots at London airports
Aurigny has failed in its bid to secure additional slots at two of London's airports, according to Airport Coordination Limited (ACL). The Guernsey airline requested 1,232 slots at London Heathrow and an additional 862 slots, on top of the 1,838 it already has, at Gatwick but has been granted slots are needed to gain permission to use an airport's infrastructure.A spokesperson for the airline said: "Aurigny, like many regional airlines, routinely submits slot applications at capacity-constrained airports in the London catchment." They added: "This is a standard part of our network planning, demonstrating our ongoing commitment to evaluating all feasible options for serving the important Guernsey–London market."To our understanding, airlines operating smaller regional aircraft are not and have never been precluded from slot allocations at London Heathrow Airport."The spokesperson said the company was "pleased" to retain its long-standing portfolio of slots at London Gatwick.
