After a very successful eight-year tenure as Director of Tourism/Head of the British Virgin Islands (BVI) Tourist Board and Film Commission, Sharon Flax-Brutus has decided it is time to hang up her shoes on November 15th, 2020. 
 
Flax-Brutus took BVI tourism to levels it had never achieved before. The territory attained the recognition as an award-winning tourism destination, breaking record arrivals in 2016 welcoming over 1million visitors, and rebuilding its tourism product following the 2017 hurricanes. Mrs. Flax-Brutus can be credited for several major achievements during her tenure including:
 
• Inspiring a new generation of tourism professionals via the Management training and tourism education programmes, 
 
• Paving the way for talented BVI Athletes to attend the prestigious IMG Academy through partnership with The Miami Open,
 
• Launching a Destination training program in conjunction with the Disney Institute Training, that has been unprecedented in the industry, paving the way for other destinations,
 
• Entering new and emerging markets giving BVI a competitive advantage, and enabling the BVI to forge relationships with major consortia and leading travel companies,
 
• Raising the BVI Tourism profile locally, regionally and globally as a strong advocate for the BVI as a tourism destination,
 
• Launching two major advertising campaigns which successfully repositioned the BVI as a leading tourism destination,
 
• Building a strong partnership between the Board and BVI Tourism stakeholders,
 
• Negotiating the payment of accommodation taxes with Airbnb,
 
• Launching BVI Food Fete in November 2013, a month of various activities and events including the popular Anegada Lobster Festival, that has brought significant international attention to the territory’s culinary offerings. 
 
Commenting on her departure, Flax-Brutus stated that “It has been my pleasure working with the BVI Tourist Board and Film Commission and to represent this territory which I am so proud to be a citizen of globally. I am gratified by my achievements over the last 8 years, but I think it is time to move on and focus on other ways which will continue to benefit the BVI tourism industry. 

“I wish to thank the Board as well as successive governments for giving me the opportunity to serve our country at such a senior level. I also wish to thank my head office team here in BVI as well as my colleagues in the United States as well as the United Kingdom. 

“Partnerships and relationships are golden in this industry and I’ve appreciated the work that our worldwide agencies as well as the travel trade and journalists have done in supporting me and by extension our British Virgin Islands.

“I will work with the Board over the next 6 months to ensure a smooth transition as we work together to re-open the BVI following COVID-19.”
 

Heathrow Airport is set to close one of its runways within the next week as air traffic throughout the world drops dramatically – due to the Covid-19 epidemic.

The air hub in the west of London – which has two runways - is set to use just one strip for landing and take-off operations as a statement said; 'to increase resilience for staff, passengers and cargo during the coronavirus crisis”.

A spokesperson for Heathrow Airport said: “Although we are looking at significantly fewer flights at the moment, Heathrow will remain open for as long as possible so that we can continue to play a crucial role in helping to secure vital medical goods during this unprecedented epode.

A BA spokesperson said: “Our colleagues have a done a brilliant job keeping vital routes open to reunite customers with their family and bringing in supplies to our hospitals factories and shops”.

As Britain’s largest airport, it is part of International Consolidated Airlines Group SA

As per the UK government’s furlough scheme, staff at the airport will be paid 80% of their pay plus 80% of their allowance.

Heathrow Airport will alternate use of each individual runway on a week-by-week .basis.

The travel industry has taken a massive hit with airlines – around the world - suspending schedules.

Italy’s government has signed a decree that will allow travel to and from the country from June 3, as it moves to ease lockdown measures.

The country has also announced that it will also allow travel between the regions – which has, up to now, been tightly restricted – from the same day.

The move marks a major step in the country’s efforts to reopen the country’s economy following more than two months of lockdown.

Italy has one of the highest death tolls in the world, but its infection rate has fallen sharply in recent days.

The government’s plans follow a decree which was signed by Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte.

Certain travel may still be limited based on disease risks, which will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. People who have tested positive for Covid-19 will still remain under strict quarantine orders.

The travel ban lifts the day after Italy’s Republic Day, likely preventing mass travel over a long holiday weekend.

The country’s infection rate has fallen sharply in recent days. Despite calls for a quick reopen, Conte said that a gradual return to normality can help to prevent a second wave of infections.

According to the decree, all sectors of the economy which are still shut can reopen in June, as long as proper safety guidelines, social distancing and hygiene rules are adhered to. Health officials plan to closely monitor reopening in order to limit further infections.

Before coronavirus took the USA by storm, Italy – the first in Europe to detect Covid-19 - was rated as the country with the highest rate of infection in the world.

It currently has the fifth-highest number of confirmed infections in the world and the third-highest death toll, behind the U.S. and the U.K.

These troubled times will pass and although no-one is certain when that will be, Ski Abruzzo can confirm that their lodging partners in Italy have said there will be no price increases next winter. In addition, Ski Abruzzo guests can cancel any booking up to 60 days before departure without penalty. In other words, deposits will be refunded.

Roccaraso is Italy's fifth biggest ski area with over 100 km of linked piste and 800 metres of vertical drop. It also has one of Europe's most comprehensive snowmaking systems An average of 350 cm of snow falls each winter for a ski season that lasts from December until April.

easyJet has many flights to Naples from London and elsewhere and the transfer time from Naples to resort can be as little as 90 minutes. Popular with Italian skiers for many years, Abruzzo offers a genuine Italian skiing experience as yet untouched by mass tourism.

Skiers looking for modern ski lifts, well-groomed pistes, abundant snowfall, family-run hotels with tasty Italian food and very competitive prices should consider Abruzzo for their next holiday on the slopes.

During the week, the slopes are, in general, blissfully quiet. The price of a lift pass is very competitive. For example, a five days pass, high season in Roccaraso is roughly £170, with reductions for children and seniors.

Getting to the slopes is easy – SkiAbruzzo.com's programme includes hotels that offer complimentary door-to-door ski shuttle services exclusively for their guests.

Half term holidays to Roccaraso have become more popular with each year as the word gets around that prices in Abruzzo are not inflated at all for the February half term week 

Qatar Airways and Standard Chartered have successfully signed a US$ 850 million financing in respect of seven Boeing 787-9 aircraft. This transaction demonstrates the confidence that the banking market has in Qatar Airways and also highlights the strong relationship between Qatar Airways and Standard Chartered.

Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive His Excellency Mr. Akbar Al Baker stated, ”I am grateful to Standard Chartered for their continued support to Qatar Airways.  The bank has been a close partner of Qatar Airways for many years and have proven their support for the airline by closing this transaction during difficult times resulting from COVID-19. 

Qatar Airways focus remains on finding solutions to get as many people back to their homes to be with their families and loved ones during these difficult times and this is made possible by the support we have from so many people including our close partners such as Standard Chartered.”

Standard Chartered Chief Executive Mr. Bill Winters stated, “We value our partnership with Qatar Airways and are very pleased to close this landmark deal at this difficult time.

At Standard Chartered we continue to support our clients and communities despite the ongoing challenges with COVID-19 and are proud to have been able to provide Qatar Airways with this financing.”

easyJet, Europe’s leading airline, have welcomed the announcement by its partner Wright Electric on its engine development program for its flagship 186 seat electric aircraft, named Wright 1. 

Wright is engineering electrical systems at the megawatt scale which will be necessary for commercial flight for its 186 seat electric aircraft. It is building a 1.5 MW electric motor and inverter at 3 kilovolts. These components will form the powerplant of Wright’s revolutionary Wright 1 aircraft and move towards aiming to pave the way for a future of zero emissions flight in Europe and worldwide.

Wright also announced that it is moving its headquarters to Albany, New York, to take advantage of the world-class engineering talent there.   

The motor development program is the next step towards building its narrow body class aircraft. Wright will be simultaneously conducting aerodynamic tests on its fuselage, which will inform the propulsion design. The company expects entry of service of its flagship Wright 1 in 2030. 

Johan Lundgren, CEO of easyJet, commented: “This is another crucial step for our partner Wright Electric to move towards the introduction of commercial electric aircraft and it is exciting to see their ambitious timeline for testing and entry into service”.   

Wright Electric CEO, Jeffrey Engler, added: “We are dedicated to bringing low-emissions 186 seat electric planes systems to market. Wright Electric’s mission is to make commercial aviation greener, and our megawatt engine program is the next step in making our mission a reality.”