The discount applies to weekly, monthly or annual season tickets compared to the normal price and is available from 1 September.

Heathrow Connect, operated jointly by BAA and First Great Western, runs every 30 minutes from London Paddington via Ealing Broadway, West Ealing, Hanwell, Southall and Hayes & Harlington to Heathrow Central for Terminals 1 and 3. The air-conditioned trains take 25 minutes from London Paddington to Heathrow Central, from where there are free connections every 15 minutes to both Terminals 4 and 5.

In 2009 over 600,000 journeys were made on Heathrow Connect and the new discount is being introduced to encourage more of the 77,000 staff based at the airport to use the service. British Airways staff based at Waterside are also eligible.

In order to benefit from the discount, airport staff need to take a passport sized photograph to their local First Great Western ticket office and show a valid company or Heathrow Airport ID card. A Heathrow Connect photocard will be made at the station and can be used immediately to buy a season ticket, which from 1st September will be half of the current staff fare and 75% less than a normal fare.

“We hope these fantastic new discounts will persuade more staff to consider leaving the car at home and getting the train to work. Heathrow Connect offers a regular, reliable service to the airport and is now cheaper than ever before for airport workers.” said Theo Panayi, Heathrow’s Transport Strategy Manager.

For further information on services and times staff can call Heathrow Connect on 0845 678 6975 or visit www.heathrowconnect.com. The website www.heathrow.com/commuter helps airport staff to make better travel choices and improve their journey to work and save money, time and help the environment.

New staff fares are as follows:

- Paddington to Heathrow weekly/monthly/annual ticket is now £12.05/£46.28/£482.00 (was £24.10/£92.55/£964.00)

- Ealing Broadway, West Ealing, Hanwell to Heathrow ticket is now £8.85/£34.28/£354.00 (was £17.70/£68.55/£708.00)

- Southall and West Drayton to Heathrow ticket is now £7.80/£29.98/£312.00 (was £15.60/£59.95/£624.00)

- Hayes & Harlington to Heathrow ticket is now £4.90/£18.83/196.00 (was £9.80/£37.65/£392.00)

- The discount can also be offered as part of a rail season ticket from stations between Hayes & Harlington to Reading, including connecting branch lines from Henley, Marlow, Windsor and Greenford.

From the 26 August – 12 September, more than 20 restaurants, bars and cafés across the terminals are highlighting some of the nation’s favourite treats and tipples to provide passengers with a quintessential taste of Britain.

To mark the occasion, Gordon Ramsay Plane Food in Terminal 5 is launching a limited edition three-course menu with culinary delights including Beetroot and English goat’s curd followed by Pan-fried sea bream with wild garlic and spring onion mash and tomato dressing.

Other eateries involved in the initiative include Terminal 4’s London themed Dining Street Restaurant, which will offer passengers a range of savoury dishes including Char-grilled Tandoori chicken (served with a free bottle of Kingfisher beer) alongside time-honoured treats such as Jam Roly-Poly Pudding, Kentish Crumble and Eton Mess.

Caviar House & Prunier Seafood Bar (Terminal 1, 3, 4 and 5) and Rhubarb Food Bar (Terminal 3) will also be serving passengers the great British institution of Afternoon Tea, complete with hand-cut sandwiches, warm scones and traditional leaf tea.

For those seeking out beers with taste and provenance, The Harlequin (Terminal 1) will offer Great British pints including Theakston’s Old Peculier, Young’s Waggle Dance and Bishop’s Finger alongside an ale named after and made exclusively for the restaurant.

Malcolm Robertson of Heathrow said: “We are very happy to be showcasing the best of British across Heathrow’s menus. Our culinary heritage is something that we can feel justifiably proud of and as the global gateway of the UK, Heathrow is well placed to promote British food and culture to our international passengers.”

Heathrow’s shops are also joining in the celebrations. During the fortnight, passengers can enjoy special offers on whiskies at World Duty Free and British foodie treats including potted Stilton at Harrods. Passenger with Heathrow’s WorldPoints loyalty cards can also earn double points across all restaurants, bars and cafés across the airport during the fortnight.

The twice daily service fromTerminal 5 starts on November 28, 2010.

Richard Tams, British Airways’ head of UKn&nIreland sales, said: “We are really excited about flying to this fabulous city on the south west coast of Sweden. It boasts Michelin star restaurants, culture and Liseberg, the biggest amusement park in Scandinavia. The schedule is perfect for day trips from the UK and timely connections onto our worldwide network”.

Accommodation in Gothenburg, available through British Airways, costs from £81 per night at the 3* Apple hotel and 4* First hotel G from £150 per night.

Dennis Stone has been photographing celebrities at Heathrow for the past 48 years. Here’s a couple of clips of him with two of his favourites, Paul McCartney and Elizabeth Taylor.

Virgin Atlantic has unveiled its new aircraft livery – with the company name emblazoned down the length of the fuselage.

The first jet to display the branding is a Boeing 747-400 but it will be applied to all of Virgin’s 38 aircraft as well as elements of the company’s signage, communication and advertising, the company said.

“We’re a dynamic and innovative British company and our new livery will really make us stand out from the crowd, both in the sky and on the ground at airports all over the world” said the airline’s chief executive Steve Ridgway.

“Despite the most challenging economic conditions that we have encountered for some time, this is just one of many design projects that Virgin Atlantic has invested in. We have been working behind the scenes with British designers to re-ignite our brand and are developing new designs for the entire fleet of A330s due to come into service next year” he said.

The Virgin Atlantic name, previously on the front end of the fuselage will be displayed large across the whole of the aircraft in a fine custom drawn font. In addition, the undercarriage of the aircraft will feature the new Virgin Atlantic logo in dark purple – making the aircraft more easily identifiable when taking off and landing. The winglets are now red with the Virgin script on the inner side, visible to passengers on board the plane.

A statement said that the new livery uses an entirely new paint system which is unique to Virgin Atlantic – a first on commercial aircraft. It has been specially developed to achieve a highly reflective depth of metallic colour.

The painting process has been simplified, using fewer maskings and applications for a drastic reduction in materials used. Over 450 litres of paint was used and took over 3,000 – 3,500 man hours to paint. The new paint is more durable so aircraft will only require re-painting once a decade.

The iconic, flag carrying flying lady, who appears on all Virgin Atlantic aircraft, has been rejuvenated with a subtle cosmetic makeover and enhanced detailing – now fluttering a larger Union Jack.

London brand agency Circus was commissioned in 2008 to review and refine the Virgin Atlantic brand values. The new livery and logo were developed by award winning design consultancy, Johnson Banks, in collaboration with the in-house brand design team, led by Joe Ferry and Nina Jenkins, and was created using the brand values defined by Circus.

Michael Johnson, Creative Director, Johnson Banks, said

“We’ve tried hard to retain the essential elements of Virgin Atlantic’s first twenty five years and refine them for the future. We’ve adapted the ‘tail fin’ to make it easier to use and to reflect a simpler and more elegant shape. The logotype has been replaced with a thinner and more elegant design that reinstates the pride in Virgin Atlantic’s full name, and supplies more flexibility across a myriad applications.”

Joe Ferry, Head of Design for Virgin Atlantic, commented:

“It is essential that we set a firm, confident foundation for the future of the Virgin Atlantic brand, one which is relevant in the new commercial environment. It’s critical that we portray and live our differentiating brand values.

“Last time Virgin Atlantic launched a new livery and corporate identity was in 2005.”

Congratulations to our old friend Dennis Stone on receiving the ‘key’ to Heathrow after a lifetime of photography at the airport.
We’ve worked alongside him for many years and he represents a great tradition of gentler news photography, where politeness and relationships are the name of the game.
He’s been on first name terms with many of the celebrities of the age and was a familiar face for royalty and politicians as they pass through the airport.
At the age of 78 we wish him well and here’s a shot of him in classic role – kissing Elizabeth Taylor.

Enjoy some video of Dennis in action…more

Recent additions:

England football team return home from World Cup. Exclusive arrival video at Heathrow

Historic footage as Prince William goes on holiday with girlfriends

….more.

www.airtimefootage.com

The show’s first day of business saw Dubai-based airline Emirates place an order with Boeing for 30 of its 777-300s in a deal worth $9.1 billion. “Emirates is the world’s largest operator of 777s, and this latest order, adding to 71 777-300ERs previously ordered, affirms Emirates’ strategy to become a world leading carrier and to further establish Dubai as a central gateway to worldwide air travel,” said His Highness Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, ruler of Dubai who was present at the signing ceremony. “Our latest deal signals Emirates’ confidence in the growth of the thriving aviation sector and our commitment to building a modern, environmentally efficient fleet for tomorrow,” he added.

Tuesday saw another Middle-Eastern carrier, Royal Jordanian, place an order for three Boeing 787 Dreamliners, with another four having been previously ordered back in 2007. In announcing the deal, Mr. Hussein Dabbas, president and CEO of the Jordanian national carrier, cited the 787’s outstanding economics and versatility. “The superior economics and range capability of the 787 will allow us to competitively serve North America and other destinations in our network from Amman,” Dabbas said. “The unique passenger appeal of the 787 will enable us to provide a competitive advantage in the markets we serve.”

Wednesday concluded with Qatar Airways’ purchase of two Boeing 777-200s as part of their continuing expansion plans. Including Wednesday’s announcement, the airline has now firm orders for 10 Boeing 777s and a further three on option with the US aircraft manufacturer.  Qatar Airways Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker  said;  “The Boeing 777 has become the cornerstone of our fleet. It is a tool for profitability, but also a platform for delivering the highest customer satisfaction. Its service reliability and cabin architecture, coupled with our innovative interiors and world-class in-flight service have made the 777 the airplane of choice for our passengers. The additional two Boeing 777-200 LRs will help us open up new ultra long-haul markets as we expand and identify new opportunities further.”

Carriages to be used for the underground rail link between the various Terminal 5 satellites lowered into position through an access point in overnight operation