AIR: UK-China visa-waiver programme to extend to Crown Dependencies

An old-style Isle of Man Passport | Source: BBC News

The 30-day visa-free period for British Citizens in China is being extended to citizens who are residents of Crown Dependencies, following a number of cases involving Manx (Isle of Man) residents being refused entry to China without a visa.

The Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) have confirmed that after talks with Chinese authorities, the 30-day visa-free period can be extended to British Overseas Citizens (those who reside in Crown Dependencies such as the Isle of Man, Jersey and Guernsey, as well as the Falklands etc). Treasury Minister Chris Thomas said, "I welcome the confirmation that holders of Isle of Man passports are eligible for visa‑free travel to China under the new scheme... I hope that this clarification will provide greater certainty for people travelling for business, family or leisure."

RAIL: "Flying Scotsman" name returns to a Northbound service

One of LNER's Azuma wearing their tartan | Source: LNER via Instagram

As part of the bi-annual timetable change coming to the UK Rail Network in May, operator LNER has announced the return of the named "Flying Scotsman" service to a Northbound train for the first time since 2011.

The "Flying Scotsman" brand in recent years has been attributed to the early-morning 0537 Edinburgh to London Kings Cross service, which arrives in the capital just before 10am, calling at Newcastle and York only. There has been no Northbound-named train, which changes from the 17th May, as does the time of the Southbound service. The times change to reflect the historic timings of the service as closely as possible, with the Southbound service now being the 1000 Edinburgh to London Kings Cross, and the Northbound service being the 1030 London Kings Cross to Edinburgh service.

LNER Communications Director Stuart Thomas said: “It’s fantastic to see the Flying Scotsman service move much closer to its historic departure timings. The service became famous for its simultaneous 10:00 departures from London King’s Cross and Edinburgh, and these revised departure times are as close as we can get to that today."

AIR(PORT): Bristol Airport Expansion back on the table

A selection of aircraft at Bristol Airport | Source: Bristol Airport

Bristol Airport (and the wider campaign against its expansion) have come into the headlines again, after the Airport launched its vision leading up to 2040 and its plans for expansion.

The Airport's plans to expand in the years up to 2040 include plans to lengthen the runway and expand the terminal, enabling it to transport approximately an extra 4 million passengers a year and be able to accept long-haul flights from the Middle East and North America. It was as recently as 2023 that the Airport was in the High Court and was granted permission to expand its passenger cap from 10 million to 12 million, which included an upgrade to parking facilities and a new public transport interchange, after a 5-year-long campaign against expansion. It currently sits at around 10.8 million passengers using the airport per year.