Content about London

Gatwick Airport has signed a deal with Air China, which is seeking to expand its London network.

China’s national flag carrier will operate a non-stop service from Gatwick to Beijing International Airport four times a week. The Airbus A330-200 aircraft will depart Gatwick at 1300 on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, arriving at Beijing airport at 0620 local time the following day. Return journeys will leave at 0135 and touch down at Gatwick at approximately 0550 the same day. Monday’s flight will start operating from the beginning of June.

Shell has agreed to buy East Africa-focused Cove Energy in a deal worth £1.12 billion, it has been announced.

London-listed Cove will be acquired by the energy giant’s Shell Bidco subsidiary.

The acquisition marks Shell's entry into Kenya and Mozambique, with potential for new LNG from recent gas discoveries offshore Mozambique. Shell already has interests in Tanzania.

Britain’s last remaining train factory has been thrown a lifeline with the announcement of the four shortlisted bidders for the Crossrail rolling stock and depot contract.

The Derby-based Bombardier Transportation (UK) factory is up against bids from Construcciones y Auxiliar de Ferrocarriles of Spain; Hitachi Rail Europe; and Germany’s Siemens.

Crossrail will require around 60 new trains, each around 200 metres in length and able to carry up to 1,500 passengers, with key features to be air conditioning and inter-connecting walk-through carriages.

Anglo-Swiss mining operator Xstrata has confirmed talks with the world’s largest commodities trader Glencore International plc about an “all share merger of equals.”

After much speculation about alleged talks, Xstrata issued a statement today confirming that it has received an approach from and is in discussions with Glencore, but stressed that “there can be no certainty that any offer will be made.”

London, UK-based Bisichi Mining has announced that its principal South African coal mining subsidiary, Black Wattle Colliery, has been approved an allocation of 87,500 tonnes of export tonnage at Richards Bay Coal Terminal.

The allocation falls under the four million tonnes per annum Quattro Programme, which allows junior black economic empowerment (BEE) coal producers—typically with annual export volumes below 250,000 tonnes per annum—access to the coal export market.

The allocation is provided on an annual basis.

A survey released today has revealed that despite falling business optimism, companies in the UK are spending more on their marketing activities in an effort to ward off competition.

The latest IPA Bellwether survey published today showed that marketing budgets were revised up in Q4 for a second successive quarter.

Swiss onboard products and services provider gategroup has won a contract with Virgin Atlantic Airways to provide end-to-end catering services for the airline's long-haul operations from the UK.

The agreement, worth CHF40 million to CHF50 million per annum, is for services on Virgin’s flights from London Heathrow, London Gatwick, Manchester and Glasgow. The contract will take effect from June 1 this year for three years, with an option to extend for a further two years.

Bombardier Transportation has secured an additional order for 130 of its Electrostar rail carriages from UK rail operator Southern, in a contract valued at £189 million (€227 million/$296 million).

“We are delighted to be awarded this contract by Southern. This is a significant project which emphasises the performance of Bombardier’s products in the UK,” said Paul Roberts, chief country representative and president of Bombardier Transportation, Services UK and Passenger Fleet Management Service Line. 

Canadian business software company Intelex is to open its first overseas office in the United Kingdom.

The office will open in London in February 2012, and will serve as a beachhead for the company’s coming European and Eurasian expansion, as well as helping to serve existing clients in Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

Stephen Ross, Intelex’s vice president of sales and a 10-year veteran of the Intelex team, will relocate to London, England, to help launch the new office.

French water utility Veolia Environnement has announced plans to divest several of its UK assets as part of its restructuring programme.

The €5 billion of assets it will sell include three UK-regulated water companies and its 50 per cent stake in public transport company Transdev.

The three companies are Veolia Water Central, Southeast and East—known until 2009 as Three Valleys Water, Tendring Hundred and Folkestone & Dover. Together, the companies have a combined turnover of £269 million and serve more than three million customers.

Bob Gannicott, Chairman and CEO of Harry Winston Diamond Corporation, and Frédéric de Narp, CEO of the luxury brand Harry Winston Inc, talk about a unique business model, the expansion of an exclusive brand, and about living up to its founder’s commitment to giving back.

UK engineering company Costain has been awarded a £400 million contract to redevelop London Bridge Station, it has been announced.

Under the terms of the contract from Network Rail, which is worth £400 million over a five-year period, Maidenhead, Berkshire-based Costain will carry out the detailed design and delivery of the project.