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Crawley councillors limit Uber operations around town but Gatwick fails to support local taxi drivers says union

Published

2 months ago

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Unite, Britain’s leading union has welcomed an agreement reached between Crawley councillors and Uber to limit the operations of London licensed Uber vehicles operating in Sussex.

The union, local taxi drivers and campaigners are now calling on Crawley Borough Council to keep up the pressure on Uber’s activities at Gatwick Airport.

Following a campaign by local taxi drivers and a rally on Saturday 31 October, Crawley Borough Council approached Uber and Transport for London to agree a ‘geo-fence’ covering areas outside Gatwick Airport to limit Uber’s operations, and to support local taxi drivers who have been badly hit by the Coronavirus pandemic

However, Gatwick Airport will continue to permit the Uber app to remain operational within the boundaries of the airport, charging London licensed Uber vehicles to use one of its long stay car parks.

According to the union this decision will continue to deny local taxi drivers of much needed business in the middle of the Coronavirus crisis.

Unite, local taxi drivers and campaigners are now calling on the council to keep the pressure on Gatwick Airport saying the airport must demonstrate its commitment to the local economy and local employment by ending its agreement with Uber and to support hardworking, locally licensed taxi and private hire drivers.

Unite regional officer Jamie Major said: 

“It’s good news to see Crawley’s Labour councillors making progress on behalf of local taxi drivers but more needs to  be done.  

“We hope the council will keep the pressure on Gatwick Airport. Thousands of local jobs have been lost and the airport should be going the extra mile for the local economy. Crawley has been a major source of skilled employment for the airport over the years. Gatwick should be putting local taxi drivers first, not Uber. Crawley has been hit hard by the pandemic and whether you’re a politician or an employer, the right thing to do is to support the community in these challenging times.”

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More good news for Gatwick as SunExpress to launch non-stop flights to Antalya (that’s in Turkey if you didn’t know)

Published

1 month ago

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17th December 2020

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More good news for Gatwick as SunExpress is expanding its UK operations, announcing the launch of a new route between Gatwick Airport and Antalya from March 2021.

For the Turkish-German airline – a joint venture between Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines – the market has been an important part of the route network for several years with flights from London-Luton mainly catering for visiting friends and relatives.

Now the airline extends its offer for British holidaymakers. Starting on 28 March 2021, SunExpress will launch three weekly flights between London Gatwick and Antalya, offering passengers an ideal destination for the Easter holiday period. From 28 May, this route will be served daily.

On 26 March, SunExpress is also set to launch another new flight from Manchester to Antalya. The route will be served twice per week before passengers will have a choice of four weekly connections starting 30 May.

“After a year of staying at home, the people of Britain deserve a sunny holiday”, said Peter Glade, CCO of SunExpress. “Our new services to Antalya will allow the British people to arrive at their well-deserved holiday destination, in a fast and relaxed manner, and for a competitive price, experiencing our unique SunExpress service.”

Stephen King, Head of Airline Relations, Gatwick Airport said:

“We are delighted to welcome SunExpress to Gatwick from March. Antalya has been an increasingly popular destination in recent years, with an average temperature of more than 20 degrees between May and October making it a great Mediterranean getaway.

“The addition of SunExpress’ three weekly flights from Gatwick in March – increasing to daily flights from May – is excellent news for passengers looking to book an Easter or summer break and will also offer passengers across London and the South East even greater choice when planning holidays.

“Despite the turbulent time the aviation industry has suffered this year, slots at Gatwick remain in high demand, so it is positive news to be able to welcome SunExpress to the airport.” The new routes from Gatwick and Manchester are already available for bookings through tour operators, travel agencies as well as www.sunexpress.com

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