p5 nov14 12/11/08 21:13 Page 5
ttglive.com
news
In brief
■ NCL chief Veitch succeeded by Sheehan
Wyatt’s brother
NCL has made sweeping management changes.
Chief executive Colin Veitch has stepped aside to
become a consultant to the firm. He is replaced
by Kevin Sheehan, who retains his president and
chief financial officer roles. The reshuffle came
as the line reported a third-quarter operating
joins Kiss parent
profit of £113.8 million, compared with a loss of
£5.7 million for the same period last year.
Jim Wyatt, brother of ex-XL boss Phil, is named a director of
■ Ryanair crash-lands in Rome
Kiss Flights parent firm Meridian Aviation. Chris Gray reports
A Ryanair aircraft crash-landed at Ciampino
airport in Rome on Monday. The aircraft, flying THE brother of former XL boss Phil Wyatt has He said he became involved with Meridian
from Frankfurt, was forced to make an become a director of Meridian Aviation, the com- because of his 30 years’ experience and because
emergency landing after its engines suffered pany behind new seat-only operator Kiss Flights. he had previously worked with Andre Cachia,
“multiple bird strikes”. Jim Wyatt, who was appointed a director on another Meridian director.
October 28, insisted that despite the family link According to Meridian’s accounts for the year
■ Expotel buys Travelocity Business UK his brother was not involved in Kiss, a trading to the end of March 2008, Cachia and director
Travelocity Business UK has sold its UK hotel and name of Meridian. Graham Rolph, Phil Wyatt’s brother-in-law, were
conference booking service to Expotel for an un- He hit back at industry speculation that it was paid a total of £2.8 million. (TTG October 24).
disclosed sum. Expotel now owns the First Option established as a “parachute operation” for his Meanwhile, an official report into the collapse
name, and the hotel and conference clients list. brother. “I know what people say but I know the of XL has been delayed by a month after admin-
facts and he is not involved,” he said. istrators Kroll asked for more time. It said the
■ Cherie Blair to speak at ITT conference “He is my brother and he always will be. Phil is case was complex as it involved 350,000 creditors.
Cherie Blair QC will be the guest speaker at the not involved in Kiss or Meridian and that’s it.” The administrators’ report was due on
ITT’s 2009 conference in Dubai. She will speak Jim Wyatt was the founder in 1994 of November 7, but Kroll has been given High Court
about both her personal and political life, Sabre Airways, which became Excel and later XL permission to put it back to December 4.
including growing up as the daughter of a travel Airways. He is also a director of aircraft leasing Once the report is released, it will be followed
agent. Other speakers include Lord Carlile, a business Ace Leasing. by a creditors’ meeting on December 18.
Liberal Democrat peer and the independent
reviewer of terror legislation; Thomas Cook group
chief executive Manny Fontenla-Novoa; Peter
Rothwell who takes over as Kuoni group chief ex-
ecutive on January 1; and journalist Misha Glenny.
■ Cathay traffic up but lags rise in capacity
Cathay Pacific and regional subsidiary Dragonair
carried 2.09 million passengers in October, up
2.6% on the same month in 2007. But the growth
failed to fill an 11.6% capacity rise in the period.
■ Carnival share price falls on discount rumour
Carnival Corporation saw its share price fall 44p
to £13.02 on Tuesday amid rumours that it was
poised to make big discounts to fill capacity for
the coming Caribbean season.
es■ New Zealand wins Virgin eco award
New Zealand has won this year’s Virgin Holidays’
eatur
e
x
F
Responsible Tourism award. The country, which
also won the best destination award, was lauded
for developing a tourism strategy that helped to R
obin Jones/R
make destinations better places to live and visit. QE2 LEAVES BRITAIN FOR GOOD: Crowds waved an emotional farewell to the legendary
For the full list of winners, go to ttglive.com QE2 on Tuesday as the liner left Southampton to sail to Dubai where it will be converted
into a hotel. The Duke of Edinburgh visited the ship, which ran aground on Monday on
ttglive.com
For the latest news, reviews and comment
its final approach to its home port. Details of plans for the ship, including replacing its
from the travel industry, visit ttglive.com red funnel and removing its engines, saw operator Cunard come in for criticism this week.
14.11.2008 05
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