• No new runway … yet

    The campaign against a new runway at one of Europe’s busiest airports appears to have been won, at least in the short term. Earlier this year the British government gave approval to a third runway at London Heathrow, one of the three busiest airports in Europe. But the opposition Conservative party has been against it, and with the Conservatives looking likely to be elected to government in the spring, Heathrow’s owners have said they will not ask for formal planning permission until after the election.

    The British government raised its Air Passenger Duty this month and will raise it again next year. The biggest rises are for flights outside Europe, which went up from €45 to €60 for economy class and €89 to €121 for other classes.