Latest news with #ThomasWoldbye
The Independent
11-06-2025
- Business
- The Independent
Heathrow issues fresh expansion plea after record-breaking month
Heathrow Airport is advocating for an 'open conversation' regarding expansion plans following a record-breaking month for passenger traffic. In May, the airport saw over 7.2 million passengers pass through its terminals. That was a 0.4 per cent increase from the previous year and the highest number ever recorded for the month. A Heathrow spokesperson highlighted the need for proactive planning. 'As these record numbers become the norm, it's time to start an honest conversation about the challenges this presents for an already space-constrained yet highly efficient hub,' they said. "Heathrow continues to deliver excellent service, but to sustain this performance and meet future demand, expanding capacity will be essential." The airport has previously said it will submit detailed plans for building a third runway to the Government in the summer. Chancellor Rachel Reeves used a speech on growth in January to give her support to the project, which has been repeatedly delayed over several decades because of environmental concerns. Ms Reeves said it would potentially create 100,000 jobs. However, Labour transport committee chair Ruth Cadbury, London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan and party donor Dale Vince have all criticised her decision. Sir Sadiq said he remains opposed to the plan because of the 'severe impact it will have on noise, air pollution and meeting our climate change targets'. In February, Heathrow 's chief executive Thomas Woldbye announced a multi-billion pound investment to expand terminals 2 and 5, reconfigure the layout of the airfield, and improve bus and coach connections. He said the UK 'risks losing its status as a global trading hub' if the airport does not grow. The third runway is 'critical for the country's future economic success', Mr Woldbye said. 'Heathrow is proud to answer the chancellor's call to get Britain building. 'This is vital investment and will ensure Heathrow remains globally competitive and a jewel in the country's crown.'
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Heathrow boss should never have had phone on silent, says Virgin Atlantic chief
The chief executive of Virgin Atlantic has hit out at the boss of Heathrow for muting his phone while he slept as a fire broke out at the airport, leading to thousands of delayed and cancelled flights. Shai Weiss said as the head of an airline he would 'never' put his phone on silent because the job required round the clock attention. Last week an internal report into the incident found Thomas Woldbye, who was paid £3.2m last year, was uncontactable for the first seven hours of the airport's shutdown because his phone had been switched to silent mode before he went to sleep. Speaking at an airline industry event, Mr Weiss said: 'The last time I put my phone on silent when running an airline was – never. I think all of my colleagues would share that observation. 'This is a 24/7 job and safety and security are the number one priority.' This embedded content is not available in your region. Credit: X/ @Zain_018 Mr Woldbye also came under fire from Sir Tim Clark, the Emirates Airline chief, who said that Heathrow had been 'caught short' by the outage that created such turmoil on March 31. He said: 'They were floundering around trying to think what had actually happened. 'It ranged from sabotage by a foreign actor to a meltdown at a substation through to mice running around and doing all sorts. 'Nobody really had any idea. That was a bit of a shock. If they haven't learned from that they never will.' Sir Tim said it had come as a shock to him that Heathrow had no supplementary power supply that would kick in when the outage hit. He said Emirates employees 'have eyes on every single aspect of our operation 24/7. 'We've learnt from our mistakes. We never close our eyes. If we did we'd be in trouble. Insurrection, coup, fire or whatever it may be. It happens all the time.' Willie Walsh, chief executive of the International Air Transport Association, said the shutdown of Heathrow had undermined Labour's bid to restore Britain's status as a major economic force. He said: 'The fact remains that a single point of failure brought the country's global connectivity to a halt. A government that promotes 'a Britain back on the world stage' should understand how unacceptable such a vulnerability is. 'It cannot be 'Britain's back, provided there's power.'' Mr Weiss said he expects Heathrow to begin compensating airlines for the cost of the outage now that an inquiry commissioned by the airport, and led by former transport secretary Ruth Kelly, has published its findings. He said that the disruption 'cost a lot of money' and that Virgin and other airlines had been 'very clear' with Heathrow management about their expectations regarding compensation. Mr Weiss added: 'We have put in a request and we expect them to do the right thing. We agreed with them to hear some responses from the Kelly report and others, which have recently been published. But once the dust settles, our bill is coming.' Mr Weiss previously said that had he been in Mr Woldbye's position he would have 'rushed to the airport at that moment. All CEOs are geared for that.' It was initially reported that Mr Woldbye went to bed at around 12.30am having been made aware of the fire, leaving the decision to close the airport to his deputy, Javier Echave. The Kelly report said that was not the case and that he had retired to bed unaware of the situation and 'was not involved' in the decision to shut down for 24 hours. Alerts known as F24 alarms were sent to Mr Woldbye's mobile at 00:21 and 01:52 to activate emergency procedures and Mr Echave tried to call him several times. The report said: 'Mr Woldbye first became aware of the incident at approximately 06:45 on March 21, and received a debrief from Mr Echave.' A Heathrow spokesman said: 'The Kelly review, as well as independent legal counsel assisting the panel, had access to all Heathrow decision-makers and company papers and published a well-documented and robust report containing a number of findings and recommendations. 'The review concluded that while some detailed elements of our response could be sharpened, the overall approach to prioritise safety was the right one and the right decisions were taken on the day. We have accepted all the recommendations in full.' Error while retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data Error while retrieving data
Daily Mail
01-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
Heathrow boss who slept through airport fire shut-down should never have had phone on silent, says rival airline chief
The boss of Heathrow who was unaware of that a substation fire shut down one of the world's busiest airports should 'never' have had his phone on silent, according to an airline chief. A review into the fire which took place on March 20 into March 21 and disrupted more than 200,000 passenger journeys found that the airport's chief executive, Thomas Woldbye, had been called when the fire broke out but did not answer his phone. The Kelly Review concluded that Mr Woldbye's phone was muted 'without him being aware' and that he only knew of the fire at 6.45am - more than seven hours after it broke out at 11.20pm. Chief operating officer Javier Echave attempted to call his boss 'several times' during the night and raised an F24 alarm to activate emergency command response teams, but did not hear back. As detailed in the 75-page report, Mr Woldbye - who was paid more than £3million last year - said he felt 'deep regret' at not being contactable during the incident. But Virgin Atlantic CEO Shai Weiss said he would 'never' have made the same mistake when speaking today at an industry event, as first reported by The Telegraph. Mr Weiss said: 'The last time I put my phone on silent when running an airline was – never. I think all of my colleagues would share that observation. This is a 24/7 job and safety and security are the number one priority.' The Virgin boss added that Heathrow should begin compensating airlines for the cost of the shutdown in the wake of the Kelly Review. Emirates Airline chief Sir Tim Clark also said he was 'shocked' by Heathrow's 'floundering' response to the fire, adding that Emirates 'never close their eyes' to such problems potentially arising. Meanwhile International Air Transport Association CEO Willie Walsh said the shutdown of Heathrow showed Britain to be 'vulnerable' under Labour leadership. A Heathrow spokesman told MailOnline: 'The Kelly review, as well as independent legal counsel assisting the panel, had access to all Heathrow decision-makers and company papers and published a well-documented and robust report containing a number of findings and recommendations. 'The review concluded that while some detailed elements of our response could be sharpened, the overall approach to prioritise safety was the right one and the right decisions were taken on the day. We have accepted all the recommendations in full.' The report was led by former Labour Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly and concluded that closing the airport was the 'correct' and 'essential' decision. Ms Kelly said the fire at the North Hyde substation had been 'unprecedented' and that waiting until March 22 to fully re-open was wise, given that safety checks needed to be carried out before full service could resume. 'The evidence confirms that Heathrow made the right decisions in exceptionally difficult circumstances,' she said in a statement accompanying the report. 'Whilst the disruption was significant, alternative choices on the day would not have materially changed the outcome. 'The airport had contingency plans in place, and the report highlights that further planned investment in energy resilience will be key to reducing the impact of any similar events in the future.' The shutdown of the substation prompted questions over why Heathrow was not prepared to cope in the event of a total power loss and why it took 18 hours for power to be fully restored. But the report revealed that the power loss crippled vital safety systems and infrastructure including an airport fire station. Security staff in Terminal 2 had to use the torches on their phones to see at night because of the total loss of power. The report revealed that the power loss crippled vital safety systems and infrastructure including an airport fire station London Fire Brigade officers also told Heathrow they would not be able to safely bring the fire under control for at least six hours. Interim findings published by the National Energy System Operator earlier this month found power was restored to a chaos-stricken Heathrow around seven hours before flights were allowed to resume. The electricity was switched back on for all four terminals - Terminal One no longer being in use - at 10.56am on March 21, almost 12 hours after the fire broke out. Heathrow said the report raises 'important questions' for National Grid - which owns the substation that caught fire - and Scottish and Southern Electricity Networks (SSEN), which is responsible for power distribution in the area. In all, 1,273 flights were disrupted by the near-24-hour closure with economists estimating that the fire cost the UK up to £4.8million in lost tourism alone. But not a single Heathrow employee interviewed for the review disagreed with the decision to close. While the review was largely positive about the airport's response to the fire, Ms Kelly issued 28 recommendations for Heathrow to consider. They include firming up relations with SSEN - which is responsible for local power distribution - as well as ensuring emergency lighting is in place across terminals, and assessing whether to invest in additional back-up generators. There is also a recommendation to have a 'second means of contact' for key individuals, such as CEO Mr Woldbye. Heathrow Chairman Lord Deighton said after the report: 'The Kelly Review is thorough with clear recommendations which the management team will be taking forward. 'This was an unprecedented set of circumstances, but the learnings identified in the Kelly Review will make Heathrow more fit for the future.'
Yahoo
01-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Heathrow boss should never have had phone on silent, says Virgin Atlantic chief
The chief executive of Virgin Atlantic has hit out at the boss of Heathrow for muting his phone while he slept as a fire broke out at the airport, leading to thousands of delayed and cancelled flights. Shai Weiss said as the head of an airline he would 'never' put his phone on silent because the job required round the clock attention. Last week an internal report into the incident found Thomas Woldbye, who was paid £3.2m last year, was uncontactable for the first seven hours of the airport's shutdown because his phone had been switched to silent mode before he went to sleep. Speaking at an airline industry event, Mr Weiss said: 'The last time I put my phone on silent when running an airline was – never. I think all of my colleagues would share that observation. 'This is a 24/7 job and safety and security are the number one priority.' Credit: X/ @Zain_018 Mr Woldbye also came under fire from Sir Tim Clark, the Emirates Airline chief, who said that Heathrow had been 'caught short' by the outage that created such turmoil on March 31. He said: 'They were floundering around trying to think what had actually happened. 'It ranged from sabotage by a foreign actor to a meltdown at a substation through to mice running around and doing all sorts. 'Nobody really had any idea. That was a bit of a shock. If they haven't learned from that they never will.' Sir Tim said it had come as a shock to him that Heathrow had no supplementary power supply that would kick in when the outage hit. He said Emirates employees 'have eyes on every single aspect of our operation 24/7. 'We've learnt from our mistakes. We never close our eyes. If we did we'd be in trouble. Insurrection, coup, fire or whatever it may be. It happens all the time.' Willie Walsh, chief executive of the International Air Transport Association, said the shutdown of Heathrow had undermined Labour's bid to restore Britain's status as a major economic force. He said: 'The fact remains that a single point of failure brought the country's global connectivity to a halt. A government that promotes 'a Britain back on the world stage' should understand how unacceptable such a vulnerability is. 'It cannot be 'Britain's back, provided there's power.'' Mr Weiss said he expects Heathrow to begin compensating airlines for the cost of the outage now that an inquiry commissioned by the airport, and led by former transport secretary Ruth Kelly, has published its findings. He said that the disruption 'cost a lot of money' and that Virgin and other airlines had been 'very clear' with Heathrow management about their expectations regarding compensation. Mr Weiss added: 'We have put in a request and we expect them to do the right thing. We agreed with them to hear some responses from the Kelly report and others, which have recently been published. But once the dust settles, our bill is coming.' Mr Weiss previously said that had he been in Mr Woldbye's position he would have 'rushed to the airport at that moment. All CEOs are geared for that.' It was initially reported that Mr Woldbye went to bed at around 12.30am having been made aware of the fire, leaving the decision to close the airport to his deputy, Javier Echave. The Kelly report said that was not the case and that he had retired to bed unaware of the situation and 'was not involved' in the decision to shut down for 24 hours. Alerts known as F24 alarms were sent to Mr Woldbye's mobile at 00:21 and 01:52 to activate emergency procedures and Mr Echave tried to call him several times. The report said: 'Mr Woldbye first became aware of the incident at approximately 06:45 on March 21, and received a debrief from Mr Echave.' A Heathrow spokesman said: 'The Kelly review, as well as independent legal counsel assisting the panel, had access to all Heathrow decision-makers and company papers and published a well-documented and robust report containing a number of findings and recommendations. 'The review concluded that while some detailed elements of our response could be sharpened, the overall approach to prioritise safety was the right one and the right decisions were taken on the day. We have accepted all the recommendations in full.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Telegraph
01-06-2025
- Business
- Telegraph
Heathrow boss should never have had phone on silent, says Virgin Atlantic chief
The chief executive of Virgin Atlantic has hit out at the boss of Heathrow for muting his phone while he slept as a fire broke out at the airport, leading to thousands of delayed and cancelled flights. Shai Weiss said as the head of an airline he would 'never' put his phone on silent because the job required round the clock attention. Last week an internal report into the incident found Thomas Woldbye, who was paid £3.2m last year, was uncontactable for the first seven hours of the airport's shutdown because his phone had been switched to silent mode before he went to sleep. Speaking at an airline industry event, Mr Weiss said: 'The last time I put my phone on silent when running an airline was – never. I think all of my colleagues would share that observation. 'This is a 24/7 job and safety and security are the number one priority.' Mr Woldbye also came under fire from Sir Tim Clark, the Emirates Airline chief, who said that Heathrow had been 'caught short' by the outage that created such turmoil on March 31. He said: 'They were floundering around trying to think what had actually happened. 'It ranged from sabotage by a foreign actor to a meltdown at a substation through to mice running around and doing all sorts. 'Nobody really had any idea. That was a bit of a shock. If they haven't learned from that they never will.' Sir Tim said it had come as a shock to him that Heathrow had no supplementary power supply that would kick in when the outage hit. He said Emirates employees 'have eyes on every single aspect of our operation 24/7. 'We've learnt from our mistakes. We never close our eyes. If we did we'd be in trouble. Insurrection, coup, fire or whatever it may be. It happens all the time.' Willie Walsh, chief executive of the International Air Transport Association, said the shutdown of Heathrow had undermined Labour's bid to restore Britain's status as a major economic force. He said: 'The fact remains that a single point of failure brought the country's global connectivity to a halt. A government that promotes 'a Britain back on the world stage' should understand how unacceptable such a vulnerability is. 'It cannot be 'Britain's back, provided there's power.'' Airlines expect compensation Mr Weiss said he expects Heathrow to begin compensating airlines for the cost of the outage now that an inquiry commissioned by the airport, and led by former transport secretary Ruth Kelly, has published its findings. He said that the disruption 'cost a lot of money' and that Virgin and other airlines had been 'very clear' with Heathrow management about their expectations regarding compensation. Mr Weiss added: 'We have put in a request and we expect them to do the right thing. We agreed with them to hear some responses from the Kelly report and others, which have recently been published. But once the dust settles, our bill is coming.' Mr Weiss previously said that had he been in Mr Woldbye's position he would have 'rushed to the airport at that moment. All CEOs are geared for that.' It was initially reported that Mr Woldbye went to bed at around 12.30am having been made aware of the fire, leaving the decision to close the airport to his deputy, Javier Echave. The Kelly report said that was not the case and that he had retired to bed unaware of the situation and 'was not involved' in the decision to shut down for 24 hours. Alerts known as F24 alarms were sent to Mr Woldbye's mobile at 00:21 and 01:52 to activate emergency procedures and Mr Echave tried to call him several times. The report said: 'Mr Woldbye first became aware of the incident at approximately 06:45 on March 21, and received a debrief from Mr Echave.'
