Air India in the UK confirmed on Friday that it would be suspending all flights to and from Birmingham Airport from Saturday due to "extraordinary circumstances" involving the closure of Pakistan's airspace.

The Indian national carrier said that its daily flights to India from London Heathrow remain unaffected as the New Delhi and Amritsar services in and out of Birmingham will be grounded until further updates.

"The flight cancellation is due to extraordinary circumstances, namely closure of Pakistan airspace and resultant impact which is beyond the control of Air India, said Debashis Golder, Regional Manager UK and Europe.

"In fact, besides Birmingham, many other flights in our network have been cancelled, combined or being operated with restricted payload, to reduce impact on passenger travel to the minimum, he said.

Pakistan airspace remains closed since Indian airstrikes on a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist camp in the country following a terror attack claimed by the terror outfit that killed 40 jawans in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir last month.

Air India flies six times a week from Birmingham Airport three times direct to Delhi and three times direct to Amritsar.&nbsp;

The airport expressed its disappointment at the suspension of AI113 Delhi-Birmingham, AI114 Birmingham-Delhi, AI117 Delhi-Amritsar-Birmingham, and AI118 Birmingham-Amritsar-Delhi and said it was working with the airline to restore the schedule.

"The airport is very understanding of the current situation which means that Pakistan airspace cannot be overflown and the operational impact that this is having on Air India,? a Birmingham Airport spokesperson said.

"Passengers that are already booked on Air India flights from Birmingham will be contacted by the airline to re-book or to gain a refund. We are working closely with Air India to restore these flights to Birmingham Airport's schedule as soon as possible," the spokesperson said.

Among the other routes affected by Friday's announcement include Air India's Delhi-Madrid and Madrid-Delhi flights.

Air India in the UK confirmed on Friday that it would be suspending all flights to and from Birmingham Airport from Saturday due to "extraordinary circumstances" involving the closure of Pakistan's airspace.

Air India in the UK confirmed on Friday that it would be suspending all flights to and from Birmingham Airport from Saturday due to "extraordinary circumstances" involving the closure of Pakistan's airspace. The Indian national carrier said that its daily flights to India from London Heathrow remain unaffected as the New Delhi and Amritsar services in and out of Birmingham will be grounded until further updates. "The flight cancellation is due to extraordinary circumstances, namely closure of Pakistan airspace and resultant impact which is beyond the control of Air India, said Debashis Golder, Regional Manager UK and Europe. "In fact, besides Birmingham, many other flights in our network have been cancelled, combined or being operated with restricted payload, to reduce impact on passenger travel to the minimum, he said. Pakistan airspace remains closed since Indian airstrikes on a Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist camp in the country following a terror attack claimed by the terror outfit that killed 40 jawans in Pulwama district of Jammu and Kashmir last month. Air India flies six times a week from Birmingham Airport three times direct to Delhi and three times direct to Amritsar. The airport expressed its disappointment at the suspension of AI113 Delhi-Birmingham, AI114 Birmingham-Delhi, AI117 Delhi-Amritsar-Birmingham, and AI118 Birmingham-Amritsar-Delhi and said it was working with the airline to restore the schedule. "The airport is very understanding of the current situation which means that Pakistan airspace cannot be overflown and the operational impact that this is having on Air India,? a Birmingham Airport spokesperson said. "Passengers that are already booked on Air India flights from Birmingham will be contacted by the airline to re-book or to gain a refund. We are working closely with Air India to restore these flights to Birmingham Airport's schedule as soon as possible," the spokesperson said. Among the other routes affected by Friday's announcement include Air India's Delhi-Madrid and Madrid-Delhi flights.

Air India suspends flights to and from Birmingham

London's counter-terrorism police said they had launched an investigation into who mailed three small bombs to two airports and a major rail station on Tuesday.

No one was injured by the devices, one of which caused a small fire in an office building at Heathrow airport.

"The Met Police Counter Terrorism Command is treating the incidents as a linked series and is keeping an open mind regarding motives," London's police force said.

They received the first report of a suspicious device at Heathrow at 0955 GMT after staff opened a package which caught fire.

Later, a similar package was identified in the post room of London's busiest rail station, Waterloo, and a third was found in an office at London City airport in east London.

Flights were unaffected, though a light rail line linking London City with central London was temporarily suspended.

Britain is on its second-highest level of terrorism alert, with security services seeing an attack as "highly likely".

In 2017, five attacks in London and Manchester killed a total of 36 people.

London's counter-terrorism police said they had launched an investigation into who mailed three small bombs to two airports and a major rail station on Tuesday. No one was injured by the devices, one of which caused a small fire in an office building at Heathrow airport.

London's counter-terrorism police said they had launched an investigation into who mailed three small bombs to two airports and a major rail station on Tuesday. No one was injured by the devices, one of which caused a small fire in an office building at Heathrow airport. "The Met Police Counter Terrorism Command is treating the incidents as a linked series and is keeping an open mind regarding motives," London's police force said. They received the first report of a suspicious device at Heathrow at 0955 GMT after staff opened a package which caught fire. Later, a similar package was identified in the post room of London's busiest rail station, Waterloo, and a third was found in an office at London City airport in east London. Flights were unaffected, though a light rail line linking London City with central London was temporarily suspended. Britain is on its second-highest level of terrorism alert, with security services seeing an attack as "highly likely". In 2017, five attacks in London and Manchester killed a total of 36 people.

UK police link small bombs sent to London airports and rail hub

The main international airport of Amsterdam, Schiphol airport was temporarily closed on Sunday due to the major power outage forcing&nbspoperations to shut down.

Road and train traffic was also stopped by the authorities in order to ensure the safety of travellers.

Following the shutdown, dozens of flights were also delayed and cancelled. Airport waiting rooms were flooded by the waiting passengers. &nbsp

Though roads were reopened after power was restored but the&nbspdisruption in services remains.

Flights to Amsterdam&nbspfrom other airports were also affected as the airport is only handling ten arriving planes per hour following the priority given to flights waiting to take off from the airport.

Schipol airport is one of the Europe's busiest airports. It is the third-busiest airport in numbers of travellers after London's Heathrow and Paris'&nbspCharles de Gaulle airport.

Road and train traffic was also stopped by the authorities in order to ensure the safety of travellers

The main international airport of Amsterdam, Schiphol airport was temporarily closed on Sunday due to the major power outage forcing&nbspoperations to shut down. Road and train traffic was also stopped by the authorities in order to ensure the safety of travellers. Following the shutdown, dozens of flights were also delayed and cancelled. Airport waiting rooms were flooded by the waiting passengers. Though roads were reopened after power was restored but the&nbspdisruption in services remains. Flights to Amsterdam&nbspfrom other airports were also affected as the airport is only handling ten arriving planes per hour following the priority given to flights waiting to take off from the airport. Schipol airport is one of the Europe's busiest airports. It is the third-busiest airport in numbers of travellers after London's Heathrow and Paris'&nbspCharles de Gaulle airport.

Amsterdam's Schiphol airport temporarily closed after power outage

Two vehicles collided on the airfield at London&#39;s Heathrow Airport on Wednesday. According to reports, a man lost his life in the accident that happened at Europe&#39;s biggest hub.&nbsp;

The local police reported few people to have sustained injuries. &quot;One male is believed to have sustained a broken shoulder; his injuries are not life-threatening or life-changing,&quot; the Metropolitan Police said in a statement.&nbsp;

&quot;Another male, aged in his 40s, was taken to a west London hospital with serious injuries. He has since died.&quot;&nbsp;

Some passengers were asked to deboard due to the incident. Aiport authorities stated their utmost cooperation with the police to facilitate further investigation.

The airport was not closed as a result of the accident.&nbsp;

(With inputs from Reuters)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The airport was not closed as a result of the accident

Two vehicles collided on the airfield at London's Heathrow Airport on Wednesday. According to reports, a man lost his life in the accident that happened at Europe's biggest hub. The local police reported few people to have sustained injuries. "One male is believed to have sustained a broken shoulder; his injuries are not life-threatening or life-changing," the Metropolitan Police said in a statement. "Another male, aged in his 40s, was taken to a west London hospital with serious injuries. He has since died." Some passengers were asked to deboard due to the incident. Aiport authorities stated their utmost cooperation with the police to facilitate further investigation. The airport was not closed as a result of the accident. (With inputs from Reuters)

London: Vehicles collide at Heathrow Airport, man dies 

Britain was recovering Monday after heavy snow brought freezing temperatures, shutting hundreds of schools and disrupting flights for a second day.

Power was restored to more than 100,000 homes, while airports tried to recover their schedules following the winter`s first major snowfall -- the biggest in four years.

The last time Britain saw this much heavy snow nationwide was in March 2013 and during the winter of 2010.

Newspaper front pages were filled with pictures of people either enjoying the snow or stuck in gridlock on the roads.

Some 32 centimetres (12.5 inches) of snow fell in Sennybridge in south Wales on Sunday.

And temperatures overnight dropped to minus 11.6 degrees Celsius (11 degrees Fahrenheit) in Northumberland, northeast England.

The Western Power Distribution network said it has restored power to more than 99,500 customers, while a further 7,000 were still without electricity, largely in west central England.

Meanwhile, disruption continued on the roads and at airports.

London Heathrow, Europe`s busiest airport by passenger numbers, said it was still experiencing problems.

&quot;Some flights at Heathrow will be disrupted on Monday due to crew and aircraft being out of position following yesterday`s weather,&quot; it said.

&quot;We`re working with our airline partners to return aircraft to where they need to be, and full-service recovery remains the focus.&quot;

Hundreds of schools were closed in western England and north Wales, while much of the kingdom was on a yellow weather warning for snow and ice.

All local authority-run schools in the central city of Birmingham were also shut.

London Heathrow, Europe`s busiest airport by passenger numbers, said it was still experiencing problems

Britain was recovering Monday after heavy snow brought freezing temperatures, shutting hundreds of schools and disrupting flights for a second day. Power was restored to more than 100,000 homes, while airports tried to recover their schedules following the winter`s first major snowfall -- the biggest in four years. The last time Britain saw this much heavy snow nationwide was in March 2013 and during the winter of 2010. Newspaper front pages were filled with pictures of people either enjoying the snow or stuck in gridlock on the roads. Some 32 centimetres (12.5 inches) of snow fell in Sennybridge in south Wales on Sunday. And temperatures overnight dropped to minus 11.6 degrees Celsius (11 degrees Fahrenheit) in Northumberland, northeast England. The Western Power Distribution network said it has restored power to more than 99,500 customers, while a further 7,000 were still without electricity, largely in west central England. Meanwhile, disruption continued on the roads and at airports. London Heathrow, Europe`s busiest airport by passenger numbers, said it was still experiencing problems. "Some flights at Heathrow will be disrupted on Monday due to crew and aircraft being out of position following yesterday`s weather," it said. "We`re working with our airline partners to return aircraft to where they need to be, and full-service recovery remains the focus." Hundreds of schools were closed in western England and north Wales, while much of the kingdom was on a yellow weather warning for snow and ice. All local authority-run schools in the central city of Birmingham were also shut.

Schools closed, flights delayed after United Kingdom snowfall

Pakistan&#39;s National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has approached the Airport Security Force (ASF) seeking access to former premier Nawaz Sharif&#39;s flight to execute his bailable arrest warrants.

According to the letter written to the chief of Airport Security Force, the accountability bureau sought access to Nawaz Sharif&#39;s flight when the former prime minister returns to the country at the Benazir Bhutto International Airport in Islamabad.

Sharif left for Islamabad from London&rsquo;s Heathrow Airport on Wednesday night on PIA flight PK 786. He is to appear before the accountability court on Friday, November 3, in connection with a reference filed against him by NAB in line with the Supreme Court directive in the Panamagate case.

In the letter, NAB has stated that it wished to comply with the orders of the court to bring Nawaz Sharif to the accountability court.

The accountability court had on Thursday started the trial of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and her husband Captain (retd) Safdar in corruption references filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB).

Ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who was charge-sheeted by the court last week in all three NAB references, did not turn up at the court since he is in Saudi Arabia; however, his lawyer Khawaja Haris attended the hearing.

As the hearing begun, Nawaz Sharif&rsquo;s lawyer Khawaja Haris filed an application of his client seeking exemption from personal appearance in the court for seven days.

The court first reserved its decision on the plea and later announced to dismiss Sharif&rsquo;s plea. The court issued bailable arrest warrants for him before adjourning the hearing till Nov 3.

In the letter NAB has stated that it wished to comply with the orders of the court to bring Nawaz Sharif to the accountability court.

Pakistan's National Accountability Bureau (NAB) has approached the Airport Security Force (ASF) seeking access to former premier Nawaz Sharif's flight to execute his bailable arrest warrants. According to the letter written to the chief of Airport Security Force, the accountability bureau sought access to Nawaz Sharif's flight when the former prime minister returns to the country at the Benazir Bhutto International Airport in Islamabad. Sharif left for Islamabad from London’s Heathrow Airport on Wednesday night on PIA flight PK 786. He is to appear before the accountability court on Friday, November 3, in connection with a reference filed against him by NAB in line with the Supreme Court directive in the Panamagate case. In the letter, NAB has stated that it wished to comply with the orders of the court to bring Nawaz Sharif to the accountability court. The accountability court had on Thursday started the trial of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, his daughter Maryam Nawaz and her husband Captain (retd) Safdar in corruption references filed by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). Ousted Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who was charge-sheeted by the court last week in all three NAB references, did not turn up at the court since he is in Saudi Arabia; however, his lawyer Khawaja Haris attended the hearing. As the hearing begun, Nawaz Sharif’s lawyer Khawaja Haris filed an application of his client seeking exemption from personal appearance in the court for seven days. The court first reserved its decision on the plea and later announced to dismiss Sharif’s plea. The court issued bailable arrest warrants for him before adjourning the hearing till Nov 3.

NAB seeks access to Nawaz Sharif's flight to execute bailable arrest warrants

Britain&#39;s&nbsp;nuclear power stations and airports have been instructed to &quot;remain resilient&quot; against potential terrorist attacks, amid fears that their systems may be targeted by hackers, according to a media report.

Security services have issued a series of alerts in the past 24 hours, warning that terrorists may have developed ways of bypassing safety checks, <a href="http://http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/04/01/airports-nuclear-power-stations-terror-alert-government-officials/">The Sunday Telegraph</a> reported.

Intelligence agencies believe ISIS and other terrorist groups may have developed methods of planting explosives in mobile phones and laptops that can evade airport security screening methods.

It was this intelligence which is understood to have led the US and the UK to ban travellers from a number of countries carrying laptops and large electronic devices on board.

Now there are concerns that terrorists will use the techniques to bypass screening devices at European and US airports, the paper said.

There were also fears that computer hackers were trying to bypass nuclear power station security measures, it said.

Security services fear that some will nonetheless try to exploit &quot;vulnerabilities&quot; in the nuclear industry&#39;s internet defences.

Energy minister Jesse Norman said the government was &quot;fully committed to defending the UK against cyber threats, with a &pound;1.9 billion investment designed to transform this country&#39;s cyber security.&quot;

But the threat of attack on Britains 15 operational reactors, which account for nearly a fifth of the country&#39;s electricity, from terrorists, foreign spies and &quot;hacktivists&quot; remains high.

Norman said the civil nuclear strategy published in February sets out ways to ensure that the civil nuclear sector &quot;can defend against, recover from, and remain resilient to evolving cyber threats.&quot;

Professor Malcolm Chalmers, deputy director-general of the Royal United Services Institute, an independent think tank for defence and security, said that it was crucial for the Government to &quot;respond rapidly&quot;.

&quot;The potential threats are wide-ranging and are coming from government and non-government sources,&quot; the paper quoted him as saying.

&quot;Crucially there has to be clear co-operation with the private sector to tackle this, especially as airports are usually in private hands,&quot; he added. 
 
(PTI)

 
&nbsp;

Intelligence agencies say terrorist groups may have developed methods of planting explosives in gadgets that may evade screening checks

Britain's nuclear power stations and airports have been instructed to "remain resilient" against potential terrorist attacks, amid fears that their systems may be targeted by hackers, according to a media report. Security services have issued a series of alerts in the past 24 hours, warning that terrorists may have developed ways of bypassing safety checks, The Sunday Telegraph reported. Intelligence agencies believe ISIS and other terrorist groups may have developed methods of planting explosives in mobile phones and laptops that can evade airport security screening methods. It was this intelligence which is understood to have led the US and the UK to ban travellers from a number of countries carrying laptops and large electronic devices on board. Now there are concerns that terrorists will use the techniques to bypass screening devices at European and US airports, the paper said. There were also fears that computer hackers were trying to bypass nuclear power station security measures, it said. Security services fear that some will nonetheless try to exploit "vulnerabilities" in the nuclear industry's internet defences. Energy minister Jesse Norman said the government was "fully committed to defending the UK against cyber threats, with a £1.9 billion investment designed to transform this country's cyber security." But the threat of attack on Britains 15 operational reactors, which account for nearly a fifth of the country's electricity, from terrorists, foreign spies and "hacktivists" remains high. Norman said the civil nuclear strategy published in February sets out ways to ensure that the civil nuclear sector "can defend against, recover from, and remain resilient to evolving cyber threats." Professor Malcolm Chalmers, deputy director-general of the Royal United Services Institute, an independent think tank for defence and security, said that it was crucial for the Government to "respond rapidly". "The potential threats are wide-ranging and are coming from government and non-government sources," the paper quoted him as saying. "Crucially there has to be clear co-operation with the private sector to tackle this, especially as airports are usually in private hands," he added. (PTI)

UK's nuclear stations, airports put on alert against potential terrorist attacks

After decades of debate, the British government on Tuesday approved a third runway at London&#39;s Heathrow airport, a long-awaited decision that comes amid protests from environmentalists.&nbsp;

The government announced its support for the new runway with a statement, saying it was &quot;the first full length runway in the southeast since the Second World War.&quot; &nbsp;It said that after Britain&#39;s exit from the EU, the decision would show its commitment to being &quot;open for business now and in the future and as a hub for tourism and trade&quot;.

&quot;A new runway at Heathrow will bring economic benefits to passengers and the wider economy worth up to &pound;61 billion,&quot; the statement issued after the cabinet meeting read.

The expansion of the airport would create an additional 77,000 jobs locally over the next 14 years, the government claimed, adding that the airport has committed to create 5,000 apprenticeships over the same period.

Those not in favour&nbsp;

The approval process could be delayed or blocked because of the fierce opposition from environmentalists and politicians alike. The Parliament could take upto a year before giving the final go ahead, AFP reported.

Environmentalists are opposed to plans of airport expansion --- parts of which routinely breach EU air pollution limits --- and are now threatening legal action. 
&nbsp; 
Ministers opposed to the plans will be granted the rare opportunity to voice their dissenting views. These include Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, London&#39;s former mayor, and education secretary Justine Greening.

The government rejected a rival bid for a second runway at Gatwick airport south of the capital, which was backed by current London Mayor Sadiq Khan. &quot;This is the wrong decision for London and the whole of Britain,&quot; Khan said adding that he would look into the possibility of legal action.

&quot;A new runway at Heathrow will be devastating for air quality across London --- air pollution around the airport is already above legal levels of NO2,&quot; the London mayer said.

Prime Minister Theresa May&#39;s local council of Windsor and Maidenhead, an area to the west of the airport, has also voiced its protest.

Business leaders welcome announcement

Business leaders, many of whom have long campaigned for a third runway, say London&#39;s five existing airports are not keeping up with rising air travel demand and hope expansion will send a strong message on London`s economic post-Brexit future.

The news was welcomed by the industry with Paul Drechsler, president of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) calling the outcome an &quot;enormous relief&quot; to firms across the country.

&quot;A new runway at Heathrow is really fantastic news, especially as the country has waited nearly 50 years for this decision,&quot; he said.

Budget airline easyJet agreed, saying the move would benefit the economy and the passengers.

&quot;This is good news for UK consumers and businesses and will help ensure that the UK is better connected to the rest of the world,&quot; said easyJet CEO Carolyn McCall.

Activists, meanwhile, held demonstrations ahead of the announcement and blocked a fake runway set up outside parliament.&nbsp;

&quot;People are going to be ready to fight this decision,&quot; said Annie Wright, of Reclaim the Power, one of the groups staging the demonstration. &quot;If you want to honour your commitment to climate change you cannot build new runways.&quot;

West London lawmakers and residents are also opposed to the plan. Conservative MP Zac Goldsmith intends to resign and trigger a by-election in his Richmond constituency, local Conservative Association confirmed to AFP.

Hundreds of homes would have to be demolished to accommodate a third Heathrow runway and the small village of Harmondsworth, on the edge of the airport, would be largely flattened. On the small village green in front of the Five Bells pub and The Crown pub, banners have been put up against the expansion, AFP reported.

Paul Cooper, a taxi driver from the village, told AFP, &quot;I feel sorry for the older generation. They don`t want to be moving at their time of life. They should be looked after. They should give us compensation but I don`t know if they will or they won&#39;t.&quot;

&quot;It&#39;s a lovely village. It&#39;s a shame it&#39;s being knocked down,&quot; he added.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

Environmentalists are fiercely opposed to any airport expansion in the British capital, parts of which routinely breach EU air pollution limits

After decades of debate, the British government on Tuesday approved a third runway at London's Heathrow airport, a long-awaited decision that comes amid protests from environmentalists. The government announced its support for the new runway with a statement, saying it was "the first full length runway in the southeast since the Second World War." It said that after Britain's exit from the EU, the decision would show its commitment to being "open for business now and in the future and as a hub for tourism and trade". "A new runway at Heathrow will bring economic benefits to passengers and the wider economy worth up to £61 billion," the statement issued after the cabinet meeting read. The expansion of the airport would create an additional 77,000 jobs locally over the next 14 years, the government claimed, adding that the airport has committed to create 5,000 apprenticeships over the same period. Those not in favour The approval process could be delayed or blocked because of the fierce opposition from environmentalists and politicians alike. The Parliament could take upto a year before giving the final go ahead, AFP reported. Environmentalists are opposed to plans of airport expansion --- parts of which routinely breach EU air pollution limits --- and are now threatening legal action. Ministers opposed to the plans will be granted the rare opportunity to voice their dissenting views. These include Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, London's former mayor, and education secretary Justine Greening. The government rejected a rival bid for a second runway at Gatwick airport south of the capital, which was backed by current London Mayor Sadiq Khan. "This is the wrong decision for London and the whole of Britain," Khan said adding that he would look into the possibility of legal action. "A new runway at Heathrow will be devastating for air quality across London --- air pollution around the airport is already above legal levels of NO2," the London mayer said. Prime Minister Theresa May's local council of Windsor and Maidenhead, an area to the west of the airport, has also voiced its protest. Business leaders welcome announcement Business leaders, many of whom have long campaigned for a third runway, say London's five existing airports are not keeping up with rising air travel demand and hope expansion will send a strong message on London`s economic post-Brexit future. The news was welcomed by the industry with Paul Drechsler, president of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) calling the outcome an "enormous relief" to firms across the country. "A new runway at Heathrow is really fantastic news, especially as the country has waited nearly 50 years for this decision," he said. Budget airline easyJet agreed, saying the move would benefit the economy and the passengers. "This is good news for UK consumers and businesses and will help ensure that the UK is better connected to the rest of the world," said easyJet CEO Carolyn McCall. Activists, meanwhile, held demonstrations ahead of the announcement and blocked a fake runway set up outside parliament. "People are going to be ready to fight this decision," said Annie Wright, of Reclaim the Power, one of the groups staging the demonstration. "If you want to honour your commitment to climate change you cannot build new runways." West London lawmakers and residents are also opposed to the plan. Conservative MP Zac Goldsmith intends to resign and trigger a by-election in his Richmond constituency, local Conservative Association confirmed to AFP. Hundreds of homes would have to be demolished to accommodate a third Heathrow runway and the small village of Harmondsworth, on the edge of the airport, would be largely flattened. On the small village green in front of the Five Bells pub and The Crown pub, banners have been put up against the expansion, AFP reported. Paul Cooper, a taxi driver from the village, told AFP, "I feel sorry for the older generation. They don`t want to be moving at their time of life. They should be looked after. They should give us compensation but I don`t know if they will or they won't." "It's a lovely village. It's a shame it's being knocked down," he added. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Britain backs Heathrow airport expansion despite opposition