For our March 26 issue, we asked Virgin Atlantic chief executive Steve Ridgway to guest-edit a special aviation-themed Travel Weekly.
On this page you’ll find his editor’s note and links to Aviation Issue news and features online.
Guest editor’s comment
It’s a great privilege to be asked to guest-edit this special aviation issue of Travel Weekly, despite the negative headlines the industry has endured this week.
Amid the chaos of a strike, it can be forgotten what is happening behind the scenes and, in particular, how the trade comes into its own. I think you should all be congratulated for your efforts helping customers get to where they wanted to this week.
Industrial action is not good for the industry’s reputation, especially when it can sometimes feel like the industry is under fire on many fronts.
From time to time we should all step back and celebrate our industry’s many successes.
A key one is how we have started pioneering technology to make travel more sustainable. At Virgin Atlantic, we have operated the first plane using biofuel, and aircraft and engine manufacturers continue to make big strides.
Taking into account what has been achieved in a relatively short timescale, imagine what we can achieve in the next few decades.
Of course, it’s not just about the industry taking the right steps towards a more sustainable future but also for us to encourage our passengers to be better tourists. So I was pleased to see one of Virgin Atlantic’s partners, The Travel Foundation, has launched a consumer campaign ‘Make Holidays Greener Week’.
Let’s hope that further rises in APD can be averted later this year so British families can still enjoy their hard-earned holidays and not be priced out of the market.
Steve Ridgway, chief executive, Virgin Atlantic
News
- BA strike: Trade’s support must be repaid, say agents
- Tourism bodies lend fresh support to APD fight
- Virgin Atlantic staff raise £200,000 for charity
- Levy APD on aircraft, says Tories’ shadow tourism minister
Opinion
Features
Flights 2010/11
UK airports update