BBC NEWS | Magazine | The mile-high food fight

BBC NEWS | Magazine | The mile-high food fight: "The mile-high food fight
By Denise Winterman
BBC News Magazine



Would you eat it?
Airline meals are often the butt of jokes but they are even harder to stomach when they don't arrive at all, as British Airways passengers have found. So why is in-flight food such big business?
They are ridiculed almost as much as the old British Rail sandwich, but hungry passengers on recent BA flights would have gladly accepted the usual tray of foil-covered, in-flight food without complaint.
Caught up in a multi-million pound food fight involving BA, its caterers Gate Gourmet and 670 of their sacked staff, travellers had their flights cancelled and no hot food was served on planes that actually made it into the air for two weeks.
They may be a standing joke, but airline meals are at the heart of the battle for customers and add up to a multi-billion pound industry.
BA alone uses 80,000 a day, with the average meal in economy class costing airlines an estimated �12 to prepare and serve, with everything factored in.
Michelin stars
'The whole essence of BA is that it is a class product and worth paying good money for,' says Simon Calder, travel editor of the Independent.
'Meals are a big part of that and it makes much in its advertising of its 'free' food and drink.'
Each airline's menu involves months of research and development, testing and tasting, often with expert consultants. With research suggesting pressurised cabins dull our taste buds by up to 30%, food and wine is selected not only for its flavour but its ability to fly.
To me a vacation begins upon boarding the airplane, so I usually get out my camera when the attendants serve the meal

Aron Danburg
Airline food enthusiast
And getting the meals t"

ITCA Education Committee - Student Fact Sheet

ITCA Education Committee - Student Fact Sheet: "Inflight Catering - Student Fact Sheet
Inflight Catering is a global industry with an annual turnover in excess of US$14 billion. Of this figure approximately 30% is generated in Europe, 35% in the Asia/Pacific region, and 26% in North America, with the balance in the rest of the world
Over the next 3-5 years the airline industry is predicting annual passenger growth rates of c. 4%-5%. International scheduled passenger journeys currently exceed 550m per annum and domestic scheduled numbers are over 1,260m annually.
Recent years have seen significant structural shifts in the industry, with pressure on the catering spend for economy class passengers being counter balanced by increased quality and service levels for high fare customers. Overall, analysts expect the Inflight Catering industry to grow in turnover by 2%-3% per annum over the next five years.
There are approximately 600 flight kitchens worldwide. The average kitchen prepares between 6,000 and 7,000 meals every day, and an average of 150 people per unit are employed. However there are a number of large kitchens, employing over 1,000 people and producing in excess of 9 million meals per year.
The industry comprises airline catering divisions, specialist inflight caterers and supplier companies providing food, beverages and equipment. Most airlines in the western world do not have their own flight kitchens; instead they contract with travel catering companies to provide their needs.
These specialist caterers are consolidating, with the two largest global players - LSG Sky Chef and Gate Gourmet - now holding just over half the worldwide market. Regional and niche caterers account for about another 25%, with the remainder being handled by small local companies. The latter two caterer groups include many airlines - espec"

BBC NEWS | Business | Oil prices shoot up to new record

BBC NEWS | Business | Oil prices shoot up to new record: "Oil prices have surged to fresh record highs again after a surprise drop in US petrol stocks added to worries about a gathering storm in the Caribbean.
Tropical Storm Katrina could threaten oil production in the Gulf of Mexico, analysts warned, while a 2% slump in US supplies signalled a thirsty market.
US light crude closed at a new high of $67.40 a barrel, up $1.69 on the day, topping the previous high of $67.10.
Meanwhile, in London, Brent crude closed up $1.36 to $66.01 on Wednesday. "

BBC NEWS | Business | Economic growth revised upwards

BBC NEWS | Business | Economic growth revised upwards: "The UK economy grew faster than previously thought in the second quarter of 2005, new figures show.
In the three months to June UK GDP grew by 0.5% compared to the previous quarter, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.
The improvement from the ONS's previous estimate of 0.4% was widely expected by economists.
The upward revision was due to a higher estimate for manufacturing output, analysts said.
The manufacturing sector was found to have shrunk by only 0.3%, compared with preliminary estimates of a 0.7% drop.
Rates benign
Annual UK growth was also revised up by 0.1% to 1.8% during the second quarter.
We still expect rates to come down but not until next year

Philip Shaw, economist
However, consumer spending growth picked up only slightly to a rate of 0.2%, from 0.1% in the first three months of the year, the ONS figures showed.
'It's a mixed bag,' said Deutsche Bank economist George Buckley.
'On the one hand the market got the 0.1% upward revision it was looking for, on the other consumption growth remains weak.'
Commentators agreed that the upward revision would have little impact on interest rates.
'There are few policy implications from this data. We still expect rates to come down but not until next year,' said Philip Shaw at Investec. "

BBC NEWS | Business | Heathrow jobs talks put 'on hold'

BBC NEWS | Business | Heathrow jobs talks put 'on hold': "Talks between Gate Gourmet and unions to resolve the ongoing jobs row are on hold after a deal which may help end the crisis was agreed on Thursday.
The caterer and the Transport & General Workers' Union said staff, including 670 sacked workers, would be given the chance to take voluntary redundancy.
Those who wished to leave would get compensation. The deal offers hope that some sacked staff may be reinstated.
Further discussions will take place after workers make their wishes known.
The process of asking volunteers to come forward will take place over the next few days, Gate Gourmet said.
Jobs hope
Although hopes for an end to the deadlock are improving, the issue of alleged militant workers returning is still to be tackled.
It's a step in the process. If you imagine you are trying to climb Mount Everest we have been in the foothills and we are now just about reaching base camp

T&G spokesman


Q&A: Gate Gourmet dispute
Gate Gourmet has always said that 200 so-called 'troublemakers' among the 670 sacked employees would not be allowed to return.
'Our duty is to protect our 1,400 workers who have stood by us during this time,' the company said this week.
Under Thursday's agreement some of the sacked workers could be taken back on, or offered severance pay.
'It's a step in the process. If you imagine you are trying to climb Mount Everest we have been in the foothills and we are now just about reaching base camp,' said a T&G union spokesman.
Talks continued this week despite the absence of Gate Gourmet's chairman, David Siegel, who unexpectedly left for the US on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Gate Gourmet was granted an extension on Friday to a court order restraining protests by dismissed workers."

BBC NEWS | Business | Heathrow jobs talks put 'on hold'

BBC NEWS | Business | Heathrow jobs talks put 'on hold': "Meanwhile, BA has launched an investigation after an undercover reporter claimed he was employed by Gate Gourmet without proper background checks.
We will study fully these allegations and ask Gate Gourmet for a thorough explanation

BA


See BA's share price
According to the Times newspaper, the caterer employed the reporter as a casual worker via an agency.
He gave bogus references and was not searched when entering Gate Gourmet's offices at Heathrow.
Part of his duties included placing security seals on loaded trolleys, to be broken during flights, raising fears that a bogus worker could smuggle explosives into a plane by placing them inside a food trolley.
The newspaper also alleged there were 'serious hygiene problems' at the caterer, which makes 88,000 meals a day for BA - claiming ice for drinks was broken on factory floors and toilets went uncleaned for days.
'If the allegations are true, we will launch a full investigation involving all necessary authorities in the interests of security,' Gate Gourmet said. "

TheMoodieReport.com

TheMoodieReport.com: "Sydney Airport will be offering its A$220 million (US$167 million at current exchange rates) per annum duty free and tax free contract in the market place early next year for a new contract commencement date of 1 November 2006.

The contract has been held by The Nuance Group since it acquired Downtown Duty Free in the mid 1990s and expires 31 October 2006.

Sydney Airport Corporation�s Executive Chairman and Chief Executive, Mr Max Moore-Wilton said that the Airport �has an excellent working relationship with Nuance�, its current duty free retailer.

The airport company said the decision to take the contract to market is reflective of changes within the tourism retail industry, the general evolution of duty free and renewed interest of duty free operators in being part of Sydney Airport�s high profile and well performing duty free business.

�This is the first opportunity since privatisation to interact with the market about Australia�s largest duty free business and the exciting opportunities that lie ahead,� it said.

�The current partnership with Nuance has brought about significant innovations and developments, and as a result created a world class duty and tax free shopping environment for passengers. This is the type of professionalism, commitment and involvement we will be seeking moving forward,� Moore-Wilton said.

The company continued: �The Australian market has major duty free appeal for passengers. To have the opportunity to service all international passengers, both arrivals and departures, as duty free customers is an attractive proposition to duty free operators. Similarly the increase in Australia�s duty free concession allowance in early 2005 provides further stimulus for professional operators.' "

BBC NEWS | Business | Heathrow dispute talks to resume

BBC NEWS | Business | Heathrow dispute talks to resume: "Gate Gourmet has refused to take back all the workers it dismissed and the union said, after 18 hours of talks over two days, that remained a sticking point.
As talks were adjourned on Tuesday, Mr Gold said: 'I'm very disappointed and disgusted at the way things have been concluded this evening.
'The main issue is the reinstatement of all our members.'
However, the union later told the BBC it would rejoin talks on Wednesday.

A new catering deal with British Airways was struck on Tuesday, but it is dependent on labour issues being resolved.

The contract is reported to involve a two-year extension to the current deal to supply food to the airline, but at a better price. "

BBC NEWS | Business | Hopes grow over Gate Gourmet deal

BBC NEWS | Business | Hopes grow over Gate Gourmet deal: "British Airways and union officials have said they are more confident of reaching successful agreements with in-flight caterer Gate Gourmet.
Their comments came as talks continued over an improved BA deal for Gate Gourmet, and the reinstatement of 670 sacked workers at the caterer.
Gate Gourmet says it faces collapse in the UK unless it gets a better contract from BA by 1700 BST.
The Transport and General Workers' Union wants all 670 staff re-employed.
Working practices
As twin talks continue ahead of Tuesday's deadline between BA and Gate Gourmet on the one hand, and the caterer and the T&G on the other, unnamed sources suggested that the airline had further improved its new contract offer for Gate Gourmet.
At the moment, Gate Gourmet is not a viable commercial organisation and so administration has to be a real probability

Andy Cook, Gate Gourmet


Check BA's shares
Q&A: Heathrow dispute
While BA said it could not comment on the new terms of the proposed deal, a spokeswoman said the firm was 'more confident a deal could be struck'.
Gate Gourmet says BA has offered to pay more money for its meals, but the airline has insisted there will be no deal unless Gate Gourmet changes its working practices.
There has also been press speculation that senior government officials have been unofficially putting pressure on both BA and Gate Gourmet to secure a successful deal. "

TheMoodieReport.com

TheMoodieReport.com: "UK. Airport operator BAA has launched an updated version of its successful website, www.baa.com.

In addition to the revamped www.baa.com, BAA has also introduced individual airport websites and domains for each of its seven UK airports � London Heathrow, London Gatwick, London Stansted, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Southampton. So, for example, passengers can now log on to www.heathrowairport.com or www.stanstedairport.com.

The www.baa.com site focuses on communicating corporate information for shareholders and other stakeholders, while the airport sites are specifically designed with the traveller in mind.

The development builds on five years of extensive research and learning from the previous site, which received over 21 million visits and served more than 95 million page impressions last year. A target of a +30% increase in visits has been set for the coming year.

The ultra-modern website features a streamlined design and upgraded functionality with easier navigation. The traveller-focused airport sites host a wide range of free and up to date services to support the traveller experience, including:

�Flight information
�Airline contact details
�Public transport travel information
�An AA route planner
�Interactive terminal maps
�Country, city and overseas airport guides
�Shopping information

The websites provide tailored information on the range of airport facilities available for all traveller groups, including families, travellers with special needs and business executives. They also allow access to booking facilities for car parking, travel insurance, foreign currency, flights, holidays and car rental.

Commenting on the website, BAA Director "

BA In Last-Ditch Talks With Gate Gourmet

BA In Last-Ditch Talks With Gate Gourmet: "British Airways faced a deadline set by caterer Gate Gourmet to sign a more generous contract on Tuesday or risk its supplier of 80,000 flight meals a day putting its UK operations into bankruptcy administration.

One source close to the talks said BA had offered a further improvement on terms overnight in a bid to reach a deal after months of talks.

A BA spokeswoman declined to comment on the new terms but said, "We are more optimistic about finding a solution with Gate Gourmet."

Gate Gourmet, the world's second-largest airline caterer, is calling for BA to sign an improvement to its current contract with the caterer, which lasts until 2008, by 5 p.m. (1600 GMT) on Tuesday or face the risk of Gate Gourmet's UK operations going into administration.

One source familiar with the situation said the deadline could be extended if significant progress was made in Tuesday's talks, and it was still unclear what the outcome would be.

"The extent to which we feel a significant move forward towards a solution, we'll be able to extend the deadline," the source said. "I really think it could go either way."

BA had offered Gate Gourmet improved terms as well as a contract extension of two years to 2010 last month, but no deal has been signed.

BA, one of the world's most profitable carriers, cannot turn to another caterer for an immediate solution if Gate Gourmet falters, as no alternative supplier has large enough operations at Heathrow to fulfil its needs."

RBS: Investor relations - Announcements

RBS: Investor relations - Announcements: "Bank of China, the second largest of China's big four banks, was established in 1912. It traditionally focused on trade-related activities such as trade finance and foreign exchange, where it still has leading market shares. In 1994, Bank of China was converted from a specialised trade bank to a broadly-based state-owned commercial bank.

In Mainland China, Bank of China has 11,307 branches and market shares of 12% of loans and 14% of deposits. Bank of China has branches throughout Mainland China, but its activities are concentrated in the large cities in eastern China. Bank of China's brand appeals in particular to affluent personal customers and large corporate customers.

Bank of China is the most internationalised bank in China. It has subsidiaries in 27 countries including a strong presence in Hong Kong, where its subsidiary Bank of China Hong Kong has already been restructured and partially floated. The value of the 66% of Bank of China Hong Kong owned by Bank of China is $14.8 billion.

In 2004, Bank of China's total income was $12.6 billion. At the end of 2004, its assets amounted to $516 billion and its net asset value stood at $24.8 billion. Income, assets and net asset value are stated on a PRC GAAP basis. Bank of China has about 238,000 employees."

RBS: Investor relations - Announcements

RBS: Investor relations - Announcements: "RBS and Bank of China are pleased to announce that they have reached agreement to establish an exclusive strategic partnership. Within this partnership:
RBS and Bank of China have agreed to co-operate across a range of business activities, building on Bank of China's distribution strength and RBS's product skills in areas including credit cards, wealth management, corporate banking and personal lines insurance.
In addition, the two banks will establish close co-operation in certain key operational areas, including corporate governance, risk management, financial management, human resources and information technology. RBS will nominate a director to sit on the Board of Bank of China.
RBS will lead an investment of 10% in Bank of China for $3.1 billion (�1.7 billion). Within this, RBS itself will invest $1.6 billion (�0.9 billion). RBS and its co-investors have committed to retain their investment in Bank of China for three years. RBS has no plan to increase its investment in Bank of China.
Appropriate warranties and protections have been received
The transaction is subject to regulatory approvals "

NIG Network

NIG Network: "NIG Joins Imarket With New Motor Trade Facility
London, 18 August 2005 � NIG is delighted to announce its decision to further enhance its e-trading capability by joining the industry e-commerce initiative, imarket. IT Development work is now underway and the aim is to be up and running by the end of the year.
Joining imarket is seen as a key part of NIG�s online strategy, and when NIG go live it proposes to bring an attractive array of SME products to the party, one of which will be Motor Trade, which is currently not available on the imarket portal.

With NIG being added to its panel, imarket now has the leading commercial insurers onboard as members, making it easier for brokers, through one site and sign on, to electronically transact commercial business. It will also allow brokers to benefit from expert high technology, competitive products, quick decisions and good customer service.
Charles Crawford, NIG�s Managing Director says:
�NIG is a leading SME insurer and with the backing from our parent, The Royal Bank of Scotland Group, we have strong ambitions to see business grow in the SME sector. Within the commercial market, there is a significant opportunity to offer greater convenience and choice to brokers via the internet, and imarket is a good example as, by offering industry accepted submission forms, it saves the broker the hassle of filling in multiple proposals and chasing different insurers."

Zurich in the UK - Half_Yearly_Results_2005

Zurich in the UK - Half_Yearly_Results_2005: "Zurich reports strong results in the first half of 2005 with an increase in net income of 21% to USD 1.8 billion
Zurich, August 18, 2005 - Zurich Financial Services Group (Zurich) reports a record operating performance for the first half of 2005. Robust underwriting management, tight expense controls and a strong balance sheet underpin the Group's ability to deliver on its strategy and generate attractive shareholder returns. Performance highlights include:
Net income1 of USD 1,799 million, an increase of 21%2 and a return on equity (ROE)3 of 18.4% (annualized); earnings per share (diluted) of CHF 14.77, an increase of 15%
Business operating profit (BOP) of USD 2,305 million, an increase of 17% and an annualized BOP ROE3 after tax of 16.5%
Gross written premiums in General Insurance of USD 18.6 billion, an increase of 1% and a combined ratio of 96.9%
Gross written premiums and policy fees in Life Insurance stable at USD 5.5 billion; new premiums written (APE) of USD 1.1 billion, an increase of 4%, and new business profit margin of 10.9%, an increase of 1.2 percentage points
Management fees and other related revenue at Farmers Management Services of USD 1.0 billion, an increase of 4%, and business operating profit of USD 609 million, an increase of 10%
Group investments achieved net investment income of USD 4.0 billion, an increase of 10%, and total investment return of 3.4% (not annualized)
James J. Schiro, Chief Executive Officer of Zurich, said: 'We are pleased to see that the quality of our results has improved with all core businesses and Group investments contributing to the bottom line. Key drivers of our strong performance were customer focus, operational excellence"

Allianz Cornhill - Press Centre - Press Story

Allianz Cornhill - Press Centre - Press Story: "Allianz Cornhill and Acturis go live with imarket



Allianz Cornhill and Acturis have expanded their existing trading relationship to provide Acturis users with access to Allianz Cornhill products via the imarket portal.

The first product to go live is Allianz Cornhill�s Complete Retailer contract with more products planned for launch in the coming months.

Allianz Cornhill�s Director of Underwriting & Operations Geoff Moylan said:

�For too long we have been faced with a multiplicity of systems and paper that has constrained insurer�s ability to trade effectively in the commercial lines marketplace. imarket has succeeded where some previous initiatives have failed and now provides the market with a single common systems language. We now have a real opportunity to change the way that we trade, driving efficiencies and cost savings to the benefit of both insurers and brokers.

Both Allianz Cornhill and Acturis are fully committed to connectivity through imarket and are working at the forefront of integration to ensure early delivery providing real value where it matters. Brokers will find that the cost of doing business with Allianz Cornhill using imarket integration will be lower, while service standards are improved.�

Theo Duchen, co-CEO of Acturis is delighted that imarket capabilities have been extended with the addition of Allianz Cornhill. He said:

�Allianz Cornhill is a forward thinking and innovative insurer that has always been at the very forefront of our insurer integration initiatives. imarket is genuinely moving from dream to reality and this is indeed an exciting time for brokers.�

Peter Knowles, strategy & marketing director for imarket adds:

'We are delighted to welcome Allianz Cornhil"

Allianz Cornhill - Press Centre - Press Story

Allianz Cornhill - Press Centre - Press Story: "Profits up 22.1% over same period in 2004

Group combined ratio improves to 93.9%


CEO Andrew Torrance, is pleased with the company�s profit performance during the first half of the year despite lower than expected premium volumes.

Mr Torrance is confident the company is well placed to enjoy a strong second half with the continuing strategy of writing for profit before volume representing the key to the organisation�s sustained success.


Q2 2005 Business Highlights

�Commercial Lines business continues to perform strongly with net written premiums up 3.6% over the same period last year. Fleet and small commercial business performance were particularly pleasing. Strong underwriting performance resulted in the combined ratio outperforming expectations.

�Personal Lines broker business GWP is 23.0% lower than this time last year. However, just under half of the decrease is due to the withdrawal from the Broker Direct account.

Direct business GWP income is 3.0% up on the same period last year and the 98.0% combined ratio is better than plan.

�Speciality business GWP is 13.5% down over the same period last year. However, the business continues to offer attractive returns from its three component parts, Schemes, Animal Health and Legal Protection.




Q2 2005 Financial Highlights � Group Level

Q2 2005 Q2 2004

Profit (Before Tax)
� 111.0m � 90.9m

Gross General Business Premium Income
� 876.6m � 936.6m

Combined Ratio
93.9% 95.1%

Underwriting Result
� 40.0m � 33.1m


Q2 2005 Financial Highlights � Divisional Level


Q2 2005 Q2 2004

Commercial Li"

Datamonitor - Zurich H1 results beat forecasts - News

Datamonitor - Zurich H1 results beat forecasts - News: "Swiss insurer Zurich has beaten analyst estimates with strong first-half figures, including a 21% hike in net profits, helped by higher premiums and strong results in its life business.
The insurance giant reported a net income of $1.8 billion and a 17% increase in operating profits to $2.3 billion. This was an improvement on analyst forecasts, which had put first half revenues at between $1.5 and $1.7 billion and operating profit at between $2.1 and $2.3 billion.

Zurich attributed the strong results to growth in its general insurance division, which represents more than half the business, where profits hit $1.38 billion, up from $1.26 billion a year ago.

Life insurance also performed well, seeing a 22% rise in profits from $440 million to $536 million in the first half of the year. The company said new products and changes in the business model over the last two years contributed to the results. The unit also achieved strong results in Germany, Switzerland and the UK.

Zurich said it is now on track to meet its goal of generating operating improvements of $500 million in its general and life insurance operations over the full year."

More Information

More Information: "British Airways has opened an investigation into the circumstances of the unofficial industrial action taken by about 1,000 of its staff last week.

The inquiry will seek to establish the facts of what happened in order to take appropriate action.

The airline is also investigating whether any staff were bullied or intimidated into walking out or staying out.

Groups of baggage handlers, cargo workers and bus drivers staged a wildcat strike last Thursday, causing the cancellation of more than 700 flights and severe disruption for 100,000 passengers.

The stoppage - described by Sir Rod Eddington, British Airways' chief executive, as 'outrageous' - was prompted by the dismissals of 670 staff by the flight catering company, Gate Gourmet.

A special 'Focus on Fact' investigation line has been set up to enable British Airways staff to speak to a third party if they wish to discuss any matters of concern surrounding the decision to leave their work positions. "

Company Profile | Reuters.co.uk

Company Profile | Reuters.co.uk: "Overview
Alpha Airports Group Plc (Alpha) provides catering and retailing services for airlines and airports. Alpha operates from over 150 catering and retailing outlets at 74 airports in 13 countries across five continents. Alpha Flight Services offer catering logistics, in-flight catering, bonded stores and management services. Alpha In-Flight Retail offers in-flight retail management services, and provides onboard food, beverages and gifts. Alpha Retail offers purpose-designed retailing and catering services for airports. Alpha Airport Shopping and Alpha Duty Free in Europe, and Alpha Tax and Duty Free internationally, provide consumer brands. It operates stores at 10 United Kingdom airports, two airports in North America and three airports in the Indian Sub-Continent. World News, Glorious Britain and Zinq are Alpha's specialist shops operating at 18 airports in the United Kingdom and the United States. Alpha Retail Catering offers restaurant, cafe and bar services.


COMPANY ADDRESS
ALPHA Airports Group plc
Europa House 804 Bath Rd Cranford
Middlesex, ENG TW5 9US
P: 20.858.0320
F: 20.858.0320


TOTAL EMPLOYEES
NA


COMPANY WEB LINKS
Home Page
News Releases
Investor Relations
Financial Information
Corporate History/Profile
Executives
Employment Opportunities
Company Contact/E-mail

Quick Financial Synopsis
BRIEF: For the fiscal year ended 31 January 2005, ALPHA Airports Group plc's turnover rose 11% to �487.8M. Net income fell 53% to �4.3M. Turnover reflects an overall increase in revenue from all segments. Net income was offset by increase in cost of sales and higher administrative expenses. The company is a supplier of retailing and catering services to airports and ai"

Alpha Airports Group PLC summary details from Hemscott

Alpha Airports Group PLC summary details from Hemscott: "Alpha Airports Group PLC
Summary Details

ACTIVITIES:The activities of the group are conducted through two main operating divisions, ALPHA Catering Services and ALPHA Retail Services. Catering services provide flight catering and a wide range of ancillary services. Retail Services operates an extensive range of duty free airport shops
STATUS:Full.
INDEX:FTSE SmallCap
SECTOR:Transport
NO.EMP:5,431 (5,664).
REM:�109m (�108m).
GEARING:gross 73.7% (15.7%), net of cash 47.7% (nil).
ROCE:24.9% (40.9%).
PRELIM: (31 Mar 05) yr to 31 Jan 05. T/O �488m (�441m). Pre tax profit �11.7m (�17.4m). EPS 2.46p (5.28p). Final div 3.00p making 4.00p (3.80p)
NOTES:Figures are in accordance with FRS3

22nd August 2005 "

MoodieReport, lack of RSS

Why do more companies/publishers not use RSS? Makes life hard for those of us who are collecting news.

Gate Gourmet International -

Gate Gourmet International -: "Gate Gourmet statement regarding discussions with lenders


Gate Gourmet�s recent labor developments at London Heathrow are an isolated issue and do not have further implications for the parent company or its operations elsewhere in the world.

While the company�s mezzanine lenders exercised an acceleration clause in their agreement, this was an unrelated event that occurred several days before the spontaneous labor actions in London.

The lenders are not taking any action to realize their security or to seek a judgment. The lenders, the company and their respective advisers continue to be engaged in an active and constructive dialogue to achieve a consensual agreement on a financial restructuring plan.

The company remains confident that such an agreement will be reached. "

BBC NEWS | Business | Deadline looms in BA catering row

BBC NEWS | Business | Deadline looms in BA catering row: "The caterer is currently the only firm able to produce the 70,000 meals BA needs each day."

BBC NEWS | Business | Deadline looms in BA catering row

BBC NEWS | Business | Deadline looms in BA catering row: "British Airways has been given hours to agree an improved deal with catering firm Gate Gourmet or risk the collapse of its in-flight meals service.
Heathrow-based Gate Gourmet has warned it will call in the administrators if a deal is not agreed by 1700 BST.
It says BA has offered to pay more money for its meals, but BA insists there will be no deal unless Gate Gourmet changes its working practices. "

BBC NEWS | Business | 'Surreal setting' for caterers' protest

BBC NEWS | Business | 'Surreal setting' for caterers' protest: "They have spent much of the last week on a picket line outside Gate Gourmet's plant at Heathrow Airport.
On a rainy Monday afternoon more than 200 of the 670 sacked workers from the in-flight catering firm briefly re-located their activities to a Sikh temple in nearby Southall.
The catering staff, many of whom are of Indian origin, were sacked by Gate Gourmet in a dispute over working practices.
The company now says it will be forced into administration if negotiations over a contract with British Airways fails.
The sacked workers sat on the floor of a colourful function room - some with their young children - to listen to messages of support and fresh calls for their reinstatement at a protest meeting organised by their trade union.
The General Secretary of the Transport and General Workers Union, Tony Woodley, observing Sikh custom by donning a head scarf, said it was a 'surreal setting' for a dispute which was very 'surreal'.
Testing time
'There is no person in this room who has done anything wrong,' he said.
Mr Woodley told the meeting he was doing all he could to reach a compromise.
The sacked workers also heard from Brendan Barber, general secretary of the TUC, and Anne Keane, the Labour MP for Brentford and Isleworth.
Mr Barber said: 'The eyes of the trade union movement are on this dispute. The answer cannot be mass sackings, but sitting down to settle issues and manage change by agreement.'
Workers said they were left the meeting with a renewed sense of optimism.
I have bills to pay and a mortgage, so I may not be left with any choice

Ferdinand Babaran
Sacked Gate Gourmet worker
But some said a protracted dispute could test their will - and their wallets.
'I'm hoping this will all be"

BBC NEWS | Business | Gate threatens to end UK business

BBC NEWS | Business | Gate threatens to end UK business: "Embattled Gate Gourmet has threatened to walk away from its UK venture as the unions warned of more sympathy strikes by British Airways workers.
The in-flight caterer says it will be forced into administration if negotiations with BA fail, and has set a deadline of 5pm Tuesday.
Gate's comments came as the Transport & General Workers' Union called on BA to help get the 670 Gate staff reinstated.
The T&G said BA's flights may otherwise be affected once more. "

BBC NEWS | Business | Hot food back on the menu for BA

BBC NEWS | Business | Hot food back on the menu for BA: "'We continue to talk to Gate Gourmet regarding its capability to improve further on the service it is currently able to provide,' Mr Street added.
Gate Gourmet employees staged a wildcat strike last week in protest at 670 job cuts - action that in turn sparked an unofficial sympathy walkout by BA ground staff at Heathrow.
The airline is Gate Gourmet's biggest customer at the airport and many of the caterer's staff were previously employed when BA ran its own catering operation. "

BBC NEWS | Business | Gate Gourmet probes union claims

BBC NEWS | Business | Gate Gourmet probes union claims: "The allegations of improper corporate activity and heath and safety issues at Gate were brought up by T&G boss Tony Woodley during Wednesday's talks with the company bosses.
The T&G would not give any further details about the allegations but insisted they had 'no bearing on either the origins or the resolution of the present industrial dispute'.
But Gate accused Mr Woodley of 'threatening' to take the allegations to British Airways unless the caterer immediately rehired all the sacked employees.

T&G boss Tony Woodley made the allegations
'[Gate chairman] David Siegel [then] immediately called a senior British Airways executive to inform him of the situation,' the caterer said in a statement.
Gate added that it was hiring a team of forensic accountants to investigate the allegations.
'We don't believe that there has been any wrongdoing,' Mr. Siegel said in a statement, 'but we intend to make certain that this is the case.'
A T&G spokesman said the union simply wanted Gate to investigate the claims. "

BBC NEWS | Business | Union warns of more BA disruption

BBC NEWS | Business | Union warns of more BA disruption: "The Transport & General Workers' Union has warned of further disruption to British Airways flights unless the 670 Gate Gourmet workers are reinstated.
Speaking to the BBC's Today programme, T&G boss Tony Woodley said BA could be 'severely, severely affected' unless it helped to resolve the situation.
Mr Woodley urged BA to step in and help the sacked Gate Gourmet workers get their jobs back at Heathrow Airport.
Meanwhile, Gate said administration was now a 'real possibility' for the firm.
Gate says it needs to secure an improved contract offer from BA - its biggest UK client - to secure the future of its British operations, and has set the airline a 5pm Tuesday deadline.
The 670 mainly Asian Gate catering staff were sacked two weeks ago in a dispute over working practices.
It prompted a two-day sympathy strike by BA ground staff at Heathrow, causing cancelled flights and chaos for thousands of passengers.
The Trades Union Congress (TUC), the UK's umbrella union organisation, has now also entered the dispute for the first time, contacting both the T&G and Gate Gourmet in the hope of helping to broker an agreement.
'Public support'
Speaking on Monday morning, Mr Woodley said US-owned Gate should not be allowed to get away with removing the workers.
At the moment, Gate Gourmet is not a viable commercial organisation and so administration has to be a real probability

Gate Gourmet director Andy Cook


Check BA's shares
Q&A: Heathrow dispute
'I believe the politics of this are so huge, that the public opinion is so far in favour of the re-instatement of my unfairly sacked workers, the repercussions on British Airways and indeed people using British Airways, particularly their Indian travellers a"

TheMoodieReport.com

"People News — Sponsored by Alpha Retail"

Alpha are sponsoring a "People News" section on the MoodieReport's newsletter. I guess this is driven by the "People making travel special" strapline.

BBC NEWS | Business | RBS leads $3.1bn China investment

BBC NEWS | Business | RBS leads $3.1bn China investment: "Royal Bank of Scotland is to lead a $3.1bn (�1.7bn) investment in Bank of China, giving it control of a 10% stake in China's second-biggest lender.
RBS said it would pump $1.6bn into the deal, which it will head on behalf of co-investors Merrill Lynch and Hong Kong billionaire Li Ka-shing.
Foreign investors are increasingly keen to gain a foothold in China's vast banking sector.
The market alone is estimated to hold $1.5 trillion in personal savings.
However, experts have warned that Western banks risk exposing themselves to China's bad debt problems accumulated after years of state-controlled lending.
China deals
The deal we have announced, from Royal Bank's perspective, is low risk

Fred Goodwin, RBS chief executive


Check RBS's share price
Reports that RBS was considering spending as much as $5bn on the deal had recently hit the Edinburgh-based bank's shares.
News of the more modest investment helped lift RBS's shares on the London Stock Exchange by more than 3% in morning trade.
The deal will give RBS, Europe's second-biggest lender, a 5% holding in Bank of China, though it will control the 10% holding on behalf of its co-investors.
RBS said it planned to sell its stake in Spain's Banco Santander Central Hispano for $1.6bn in order to fund its share of the deal. "

Email from BA to customers

-----Original Message-----
From: listadmin@contact.britishairways.com
[mailto:listadmin@contact.britishairways.com] On Behalf Of British Airways Executive Club
Sent: 17 August 2005 18:58
To: xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: British Airways onboard catering update

Dear xxxxxxxxxxxx,

As you are a valued customer to British Airways, I would like to provide you with an update on the current problems we are experiencing with our onboard catering, due to unofficial industrial action by our Heathrow catering supplier Gate Gourmet.

Although British Airways services into and out of London Heathrow continue to operate as normal, we have limited onboard catering. There will be some catering provided at the airport prior to departure, however, we are continuing to advise passengers, especially those with special dietary requirements, to eat before arriving at the airport.

British Airways services to and from London Gatwick and UK regional services that do not connect with London Heathrow have not been affected and are operating as normal with a full catering service.

We apologise in advance for any inconvenience this situation may cause our passengers and would like to assure you that we are doing all possible to return to the high service standards you have come to expect from us.

For more information please visit http://ba.com

Yours sincerely,



Martin George
Commercial Director, British Airways

Gate Gourmet International -

Gate Gourmet International -: "Gourmet confirms that discussions with the Transport and General Workers Union through the mediation services of ACAS have broken down as a result of preconditions set out by the union.

Whilst agreement was reached on most issues, Gate Gourmet is not willing to reinstate employees that instigated or incited illegal action. The company will not allow itself to be continually put at risk and held to ransom by this type of illegal action.

Gate Gourmet offered to fairly resolve the issue of dismissed employees by offering reinstatement at the company�s option or eligibility for generous severance terms in line with the enhanced redundancy program consulted on since March. The company anticipated that the majority of the dismissed employees would have returned under these arrangements.

Eric Born, Managing Director of Gate Gourmet UK said, 'This is a very sad day for all concerned at Gate Gourmet, I am utterly stunned and disappointed at the attitude of the union and the way it has acted. It is clear that the TGWU does not have the travelling public�s interest at heart. I would just like to thank the staff that did not take illegal action and for the contribution they have made to the service of our customers over the last six days.'

Gate Gourmet is deeply disappointed that it was unable to reach an agreement with the union and while formal talks have ceased we continue to remain committed to finding a consensual solution as we recognise the TGWU as an important business partner for our business operations at Heathrow.

Gate Gourmet will continue to build up its service levels over the forthcoming weeks in order to maintain a chance of survival."

Gate Gourmet International -

Gate Gourmet International -: "Gate Gourmet UK noted the allegations made in today�s Daily Mirror and would like to state that the document mentioned was drafted as a proposal by managers who are no longer at the company.

Current management ignored the plan and its recommendations, considering them as highly inappropriate and undesirable.
Eric Born, CEO Gate Gourmet UK said, �The recommendations within previous managers� proposal were sheer lunacy. Clearly stories like this are planted in newspapers to try and derail the negotiation process by people who have no interest in safeguarding jobs at Gate Gourmet�.
This was made clear to the Mirror who chose to ignore our explanation. "

Competitor Profiles of the Top UK Commercial General Insurers - Insurance Business Review

Competitor Profiles of the Top UK Commercial General Insurers - Insurance Business Review: "Competitor Profiles of the Top UK Commercial General Insurers
Published: 21 Jul 2005, Publisher: Datamonitor

Introduction
This report will profile in depth the top UK commercial insurers. Key market data on each player and their position within the principal lines of commercial business will be examined. The report will also analyse the strategies of these players in order to build an overall picture of the competitive direction of the commercial insurance market.
Scope
Key statistical data on each of the players profiled including GEP, market share and profitability ratios
Unique insight into their business and distribution strategies and intention for the future based on primary research
Benchmarking of the players along a number of key metrics enabling the reader to see which players are performing well and which are underperforming

Highlights
NIG's commercial property book has expanded very quickly between 1999 and 2003. It grew from �26.7 million in 1999 to �163.4 million in 2003, which represents a compound annual growth rate of 57.2 per cent.
AXA has reduced its exposure to large fleet business in favor of smaller commercial vehicle accounts in recent years. Large fleet business was thought to be less profitable than smaller accounts. As a result, its share of the commercial motor market has decreased from 6.6 per cent in 1999 to 4.2 per cent in 2003.
Norwich Union has acquired motoring services group, RAC for �1.1 billion. This will boost its general insurance business. Norwich Union will aim to sell additional products to RAC's membership base and change the current product holding of RAC customers from a rate of 13 per cent currently owning more than one product to over 50 per cent.
Why you should"

Bloomberg.com: U.K.

Bloomberg.com: U.K.: "Compass Group Plc, Gate Gourmet International AG, and Alpha Airports Group Plc may be considering bids for a 40 percent stake in the catering unit of Egypt's state- owned airline EgyptAir, said a spokesman for the Egyptian company.
The three in-flight catering companies, along with Servair of France, are the only potential bidders so far to have applied for the sale prospectus, Ahmed Ragheb, a spokesman for EgyptAir Inflight Services, said by telephone from Cairo.
EgyptAir Inflight Services, part of Egypt's state-owned EgyptAir Holding Co., is seeking to sell a 40 percent stake to raise capital for expansion, said Mahmoud El Bassiony, a spokesman for EgyptAir Airline.
``We want a partner to raise the company's capital so we can expand and upgrade the catering service,'' said El Bassiony. ``The money will be used to buy things like new machinery.'' Neither spokesman would estimate the value of the stake.
The successful bidder will be announced in mid-October, said the independent business newspaper Al-Alam Al-Yom today, citing the unit's outgoing chairman, Salah El Werdani.
Alpha Airports' external spokeswoman Amelia Ward said the company wouldn't immediately comment. Nobody immediately called back after a message was left seeking comment from Compass. Nobody picked up the phone at Gate Gourmet in Switzerland. "

Luchtzak Aviation - 40% of EgyptAir Inflight Services for sale - Whatever your aviation question is, we will answer it!!

Luchtzak Aviation - 40% of EgyptAir Inflight Services for sale - Whatever your aviation question is, we will answer it!!: "EgyptAir Inflight Services is a part of EgyptAir Holding Co. that wants to sell 40% of its catering division to raise its capital. Compass Group Plc, Gate Gourmet International AG, and Alpha Airports Group Plc are considering bids to acquire that 40%."

BBC NEWS | Business | Profile: Gate Gourmet

BBC NEWS | Business | Profile: Gate Gourmet: "Although enjoying a turnover of 2.4bn Swiss francs (�1.05bn; $1.9bn) in 2004, the company has not actually made a profit since 2000.
The whole of the airline supply chain has come under pressure

Graham Dunn, Air Transport Intelligence
Revenues have fallen 35% since then as the airlines have continued to tighten their belts post 11 September 2001.
Several of Gate Gourmet's main customers - including Delta Air Lines, American Airlines, United Airlines and Swiss International Air Lines - have been in severe financial difficulties in the past couple of years, putting severe pressure on their suppliers.
In a effort to save costs, many airlines have opted to scrap free meals on shorter flights or offer them on a pay-as-you-go basis.
Off the menu?
According to industry estimates, the in-flight catering market has shrunk in size by about 30% in the past four years.
The US - one of Gate Gourmet's biggest markets - has been worst affected with volumes down about 40%.
'The whole of the airline supply chain has come under pressure as carriers have strived to cut their costs in the face of a string of global challenges since 2001,' says Graham Dunn, European editor of aviation news service Air Transport Intelligence.
GATE GOURMET'S MAIN CLIENTS
British Airways
American Airlines
Continental Airlines
Iberia Airlines
Qantas Airlines
SAS
Thai Airways
United Airlines
An already-difficult situation has been made worse by soaring oil prices - which have pushed up airlines' fuel costs by 20% - and by fierce competition among suppliers.
Gate Gourmet lost a valuable contract with Virgin Atlantic earlier this year after the airline reorganised its in-flight services - including catering - and handed them to a single "

BBC NEWS | Business | Gate Gourmet at risk of collapse

BBC NEWS | Business | Gate Gourmet at risk of collapse: "Airline catering firm Gate Gourmet has warned it could collapse if it cannot solve its problems at Heathrow.
Talks resumed on Tuesday between the company and the Transport and General Workers Union, which wants all 670 sacked workers reinstated.
Gate Gourmet has ruled out re-employing all of the sacked staff, especially not the instigators of the strike which disrupted Heathrow last week.
A company spokeswoman said it needed to save �14m on labour Heathrow this year.
Both sides said the talks were proving tough, but stressed they still hoped to agreement.
Tough talks
'There's some very hard talking going on, and some very detailed work going on at the moment,' a TGWU spokesman said.
'Negotiations are extremely tough, however every effort is being made to reach a conclusion that will be satisfactory to the TGWU and save the jobs of Gate Gourmet's 1,400 staff at Heathrow,' a Gate Gourmet spokeswoman said.
However, the company said that if it was unable to reach an agreement with the union, 'the most likely outcome will be that the business will be forced into administration.' "

BBC NEWS | Business | How to build up a successful brand

BBC NEWS | Business | How to build up a successful brand: "But you don't need huge marketing budgets to start building an enduring brand. In fact you don't need any marketing budget at all.
Building an enduring brand starts long before you spend money on advertising and promotion - it starts with your product and or service - what can you offer customers that your competitors can't? What can you do operationally that will make your customers want to work with you?
Examine every point at which your company operates and try to find ways of doing it better. Look at all the competing products and make sure yours is outstanding. It is this collective aspect of your company that will establish its identity.
Giving your company a name is not branding. Giving your customers a reason to want to remember your name is."

NIG Network

NIG Network: "As part of NIG�s continuing support of your business we have been working with all software houses to deliver EDI solutions for standard motor business.
By 1st September 2005 we will be live with the following motor products on all major software houses:

Private Car
Commercial Vehicle (vans)
Motorcycle
Insurers are required as part of the Motor Insurance Database (MID) to submit data within prescribed timescales. This can only be achieved if EDI is being used. Therefore, from 1st September 2005, we will no longer accept MANUAL submissions of standard motor new business."

Datamonitor - Aviva cautious over UK competition - News

Datamonitor - Aviva cautious over UK competition - News: "Britain's largest insurer Aviva has beaten analyst expectations by reporting a 21% increase in H1 profits. Still the company raised doubts about prospects in the second half, warning that competition in its UK life and pensions market would affect margins.
For the first half of the financial year, Aviva's operating profit totaled GBP943 million, a 19% increase compared to the same period in the previous year. The consensus forecast had been for operating profits somewhere in the region of GBP903 million.

Aviva, the world's sixth largest insurance group, warned of tough competition in the UK domestic life and pensions market.

'The general insurance division showed a much, much better performance than we had been expecting. On the negative side, the life result was a little bit weaker than we had been expecting. I think people may also be disappointed by the statement on UK margins,' said analyst Johnny Vo in an interview with Reuters."

Datamonitor - Allianz posts 65% jump in Q2 earnings - News

Datamonitor - Allianz posts 65% jump in Q2 earnings - News: "Insurance giant Allianz has seen second quarter profits jump 65% on the back of high revenues from its life insurance unit.
The company said net income rose from E846 million in 2004 to E1.49 billion in Q2 2005, largely due to success in its life insurance and asset management operations. "

Datamonitor - Royal & Sun reaps benefits of restructure - News

Datamonitor - Royal & Sun reaps benefits of restructure - News: "Royal & Sun Alliance, the UK's second largest general insurer, has announced strong H1 results and robust returns in each of its core businesses, attributable in part to the company's ongoing restructuring program. The six-month period also saw the insurer expand its Scandinavian business and underwrite a higher number of premiums.
H1 net profit was GBP195 million, more than double the GBP82 million in the same period a year earlier. Operating profit for the half-year stood at GBP329, a 126% increase on GBP145 million from the same period in 2004.

'It has been a good first half of the year, with strong performance from our core businesses and further progress in the US,' said group chief executive Andy Haste."

Mirror.co.uk - News - Voice of the Mirror - CYNICISM OF GATE BULLIES

Mirror.co.uk - News - Voice of the Mirror - CYNICISM OF GATE BULLIES: "THOUSANDS have had their holidays ruined, and 670 Heathrow workers have been thrown on the scrapheap.
Today we reveal the entire disgraceful episode was planned by catering company Gate Gourmet a year ago - right down to the last letter.
How cynical. How cruel. How utterly contemptible.
Senior managers drew up a blueprint 12 months ago that has unfolded with devastating accuracy.
The ailing airline food company plotted to provoke strike action in order to sack its workers.
Then, it planned to bring in cheap foreign labour.
Greedy boss Eric Born even set up another company to provide lower-paid workers when the planned walk-outs occurred.


Gate Gourmet's American bosses have shown mind-blowing cynicism.


While the bully-boy millionaire chiefs live in luxury flanked by bodyguards, their former employees - fired by megaphone, email or while off sick - are left struggling to feed their families.


Gate Gourmet must now reinstate its sacked workers immediately.


And British Airways - a respectable airline which trades on public trust - must prove it knew nothing of the company's despicable plans.

"

Mirror.co.uk - News - EXCLUSIVE: ENOUGH TO MAKE YOU SICK

Mirror.co.uk - News - EXCLUSIVE: ENOUGH TO MAKE YOU SICK: "THE airline catering boss who crippled Heathrow by sacking 800 staff launched a new firm EIGHT MONTHS ago to hire cheap replacement labour.
Millionaire Eric Born, of Gate Gourmet UK, admitted yesterday that Versa Logistics was set up to counter the threat of wildcat strikes and that staff were recruited on lower wages than the fired workers.
Mr Born, 34, is the sole director of Versa Logistics. His spokesman Mark Lunn said: "Versa was set up early this year due to the imminent threat of strike action.


Advertisement

"It was important we had a contingency plan if something went wrong, and sensible to have a company in place that can bring in staff when necessary.


"Eastern European people are happy to work for less money. They are fully trained and fully capable. All temporary workers are paid less than permanent staff."


Sarijit Singh Sandu, a T&G shop steward at Gourmet, said: "Born set up this company months ago to recruit cheaper workers. This was all planned. They've just thrown us out and brought in cheap labour.


"It's outrageous. Gate Gourmet claimed they wanted to pay us redundancy, yet this happens." BA admitted it knew of the "contingency arrangements".


It was also claimed that Gate Gourmet brought in two management axemen with the goal of reducing working conditions.


Gate Gourmet General Manager Hans Boesch was the mastermind behind cutbacks at Frankfurt airport, persuading staff to work longer hours while taking pay cuts.


He was joined by Worldwide Chief Executive Officer David Segal who has fought unions in Texas.


The firm said: "This company is in dire straits and they have strong experience at saving money.


"But they are not here to sack people. We only sacked our staff because they refused to work. We were left with no alternative."


Gate Gourmet UK, part of a Swiss parent company owned by US investment giant Texas Pacific, lost £22million last year.


The caterers sacked up to 800 workers at the peak of the holiday season on Wednesday after an unofficial stoppage over the employment of 130 casual staff.


Yesterday as 500 staff staged an angry protest, TGWU officials were desperately trying to persuade the company to reinstate the sacked workers on their previous conditions.


The two parties met at a neutral venue at Heathrow Airport. Discussions were expected to go on for several hours.


The talks came as it emerged that hundreds of staff received letters from Gourmet warning them their final pay packets will be cut and announcing they could not appeal against their dismissal.


Part of the letter said: "You will not be paid for the day of the strike.


"We are currently reviewing whether we will make deductions from your final salary to pay for the penalties that the company has incurred as a result of disruption."


"

News | This is London

News | This is London: "The head of Gate Gourmet, the catering firm to British Airways which is at the centre of the dispute, was locked in discussions with Transport and General Workers Union (TGWU) general secretary Tony Woodley.

About 670 Gate Gourmet staff were sacked last week in a row over working practices.
'This is the fourth day of talks to try to resolve the issues. The stakes remain very high,' said a TGWU spokesman.
The talks are being overseen by conciliatory service Acas.
As discussions continued, BA, which had to cancel hundreds of flights at the end of last week after the dispute escalated, announced that its Heathrow operations were almost back to normal.
A leaked draft document obtained by the Daily Mirror has suggested that Gate Gourmet considered provoking strikes last year so it could replace staff with cheap labour.
Gate Gourmet has said this was a proposal by a former management team and was discarded by the present bosses."

More Information

More Information: "Flights will continue to have limited catering provisions onboard as our catering supplier, Gate Gourmet, is unable to offer the airline a full catering service."

TheMoodieReport.com

TheMoodieReport.com: "The Nuance Group reported total first-half revenues of CHF783.6 million, down from CHF809.3 million for the first six months of 2004. On a like-for-like basis, however, and excluding the impact of foreign exchange movements, revenues were in line with last year the company said. Sales increases in North America (+5.6%) and Asia (+19.9%) were offset by lower volumes in Europe (-6.8%).

Europe has been heavily impacted by the opening of the second terminal at Antalya airport, where Nuance does not operate the concession. Excluding Turkey, the European region�s revenues were flat when compared to 2004.

The Group recorded EBITDA of CHF10.6 million, falling from CHF12.0 million last year for the six-month period. However, on a like-for-like basis and, excluding the impact of foreign exchange movements, EBITDA improved by +43.3% versus the first half of 2004, �demonstrating the better underlying performance in the business, with the Group benefiting from operational improvements�.

The profitability of the Group, however, has been negatively impacted by Australia and Denmark, where per passenger guarantee contracts are in place with the respective airports, Nuance said.

In the second half of the year, the Group anticipates a continually challenging environment (especially in the above-mentioned countries). At the same time, Nuance expects operational improvements driven by major retail projects and refurbishments in various locations across the network. "

Pressure Mounts At Gate Gourmet

Pressure Mounts At Gate Gourmet: "US-owned airline catering firm Gate Gourmet may be squeezed between creditors and unions after a source familiar with debt talks said the banks were considering demanding immediate payment of all outstanding debt.
The loss-making firm's cost-cutting program triggered wildcat strikes at London's Heathrow Airport last Thursday when British Airways staff walked out in support of workers sacked by the supplier of in-flight meals.
Now senior creditors are considering demanding immediate repayment of a CHF400 million Swiss franc (USD$319.3 million) loan, after junior creditors called in a CHF270 million (USD$215.5 million) loan last week, piling pressure on the company while it is in embroiled in union talks.
'The senior lenders are considering calling in their loan. This would not necessarily lead to bankruptcy,' the source said. 'The company could either pay off or restructure the loan.'"

Gate Gourmet International -

Gate Gourmet International -: "Crisis talks between Gate Gourmet UK and the Transport and General Workers� Union (TGWU) have been further strained today due to un-balloted strike action and breach of contract by employees which led to the dismissal of approximately 350 workers at the company�s Heathrow South operation. The strike action puts the jobs of all 2,000 workers at Heathrow Airport under threat and the supply of 320 flights that rely on the airline caterer daily.
In response to the crisis, Managing Director Eric Born said: 'After months of trying to find a consensual deal with the TGWU and the staff to resolve the financial crisis and secure the future of the company, this un-balloted action is a devastating blow. These actions not only jeopardise the livelihoods of our entire workforce at Heathrow, but also the services of major airlines and their customers. The new management has formally met with the unions on more than 30 separate occasions and has made every effort to reach agreement on a consensual restructuring deal, including a recently agreed mediation process. The union has been fully briefed on the financial crisis at Gate Gourmet UK and acknowledged the need for change. The workers took industrial action in response to the arrival of 130 seasonal workers � who we employ every summer to meet high demand during peak season � as an excuse to incite strike action. The full extent of the union�s role is being investigated. If we don�t change, the company will not survive and there will be no future � we now have to take control of this situation swiftly which may lead to restructuring to avoid the total collapse of the company'."

Gate Gourmet International -

Gate Gourmet International -: "Gate Gourmet is the UK�s largest supplier of in-flight catering and the second largest provider in the world after LSG SkyChefs.
Gate Gourmet UK has been struggling since 2002; it lost �22m (CHF38.3m, US$31.9m) in the UK in 2004 and is expected to lose �25m (CHF49.6m, US$41.2m) this year, in the absence of business restructuring.
As mentioned above, the situation worsened recently with the loss in March of a key UK customer, Virgin Atlantic.
Globally, the company has seen declining profits for the past 5 years; at the end of 2004, we chose not to make certain debt payments in order to preserve our cash reserves while we commenced negotiations with our lenders. "

Gate Gourmet International -

Gate Gourmet International -: "The recent loss of the major Virgin Atlantic contract was due to workforce inflexibility and therefore an inability to deliver a cost-competitive product."

Gate Gourmet International -

Gate Gourmet International -: "Gate Gourmet is a market leader in the airline catering business. With approx. 22'000 employees globally we work through a variety of business functions to provide an outstanding product to more than 300 million passengers annually. We serve our customers in 109 kitchens, in 29 countries, on five continents."

Online Publishers Association: Press Releases

Online Publishers Association: Press Releases: "TOP USAGE DRIVERS
ExperienceRank
Entertains, absorbs me1
Looks out for people like me2
Regular part of my day3
My personal timeout4
A credible, safe place5
Connects me with others6
Touches me and expands my views7
Makes me smarter8
Turned on by ads9
Easy to use10
Helps and improves me11
Worth saving and sharing12"

Case Study - RBS Up Close

Case Study - RBS Up Close: "Background
Research undertaken by The Royal Bank Of Scotland had shown that its brand image amongst 16-24 year olds in Scotland was very traditional - a 'big bank' that was distant and somewhat conservative. For The Royal Bank to project a more modern personality and really reach Scotland's advertising savvy young people we knew that we had to find a differentiator, a new channel or singular media property that went far beyond the traditional 'CD voucher' promotions. Something that would genuinely bring to life the bank' s strategy, 'Make it Happen'.
How we made a difference
We teamed up with Scottish Radio Holdings (SRH) to help develop 'Up Close'; a series of secret, intimate (audiences of 250) gigs with top bands (e.g. Sugababes) at unusual venues throughout Scotland; from castles to ferries.
Tickets for Up Close weren't for sale. Each audience was made up exclusively of competition winners and invited guests, delivering to the youth audience something they truly wanted but could not buy.
Before each concert promotional material appeared in bars, clubs and cafes across the country backed with PR support. The gigs played out on all SRH's Scottish radio stations with four weeks of accreditation across all stations for each show reaching a poptastic 66% of 16-24 years olds across Scotland.
'Up Close' even allowed The Royal Bank to create its own dedicated website and the SRH 'Up Close' website was also designed to include elements of the bank's branding and a link to its own site.
Results
The gigs, the on-air promotion and the positive PR generated across the Scottish media resulted in a dramatic increase in spontaneous awareness of the Royal Bank's arts/sports/events sponsorship during the concentrated run of concerts. Amongst the core 16-24 year olds awareness rocketed 71"

TheMoodieReport.com

TheMoodieReport.com: "The International Air Transport Association (IATA) has announced an +8.8% year-on-year rise in international passenger traffic for the first six months of 2005. "

NIG Network

NIG Network: "NIG creates New Business Model
Like all successful organisations, NIG constantly reviews the infrastructure it has in place to ensure it is able to support continued growth of the business and the future needs of its customers.
As part of the latest review, we have identified that clear benefits and improved efficiency can be derived from creating a new business model for NIG which will see the integration of personal and commercial lines businesses. This will facilitate the development of centres of excellence for underwriting as well as enabling us to further improve our relationships with customers and brokers.
A period of planning is now in progress to drive this strategy forward and our staff and customers will be kept fully abreast of our plans as they emerge. As ever our aim will be to continue to deliver the high standards of service our customers have come to expect while keeping disruption to our employees, customers and business generally to an absolute minimum."

Datamonitor - RBS H1 profits up 14% - News

Datamonitor - RBS H1 profits up 14% - News: "RBS H1 profits up 14%
The Royal Bank of Scotland Group, the UK's second-largest banking firm, has announced H1 pre-tax profits of GBP3.7 billion, a 14% increase compared to GBP3.2 billion the previous year. The bank attributed the growth primarily to a strong performance in its Corporate Banking unit, which delivered high earnings across its domestic UK business as well as in Europe, the US and Asia-Pacific.
H1 revenues totaled GBP12.5 billion, a 15% increase compared to the same period in the previous year, while, in concordance with the widely documented reduction in UK consumer spending, the bank's Retail Markets division recorded a 2% fall in profit.

Nevertheless growth in the corporate sector as well as a strong performance in the group's Citizens Bank, Ulster Bank and RBS Insurance businesses helped to offset the drop in retail banking and still maintain the integration of their respective acquisitions on target.

'These results continue some consistent themes in the group's performance,' said group chief executive Sir Fred Goodwin, 'Increasing diversity ensures we can gain from strengthening market conditions in different geographies and consequently are not overly dependent on the performance of any single economy.'

Meanwhile, the group, which embarked on an acquisition spree recently, said integration costs had risen to GBP281 million from GBP178 million in the same period last year."

British Airways Q1 Profit Jumps

British Airways Q1 Profit Jumps: "British Airways reported a 36 percent rise in first-quarter profits on Friday, helped by growth in first and business class travel."

NIG Newsletter

NIG Newsletter: "What online service would you like to see implemented on NIG Network in the future? (select one option only)
Increased Online Quotes Product Range
Online Renewals
Mid Term Adjustments
Cover Notes
NIG Event Calendar (Hospitality & Product Launches)"

NIG Newsletter

NIG Newsletter: "In addition, NIG showcased its newly redesigned broker site www.nignetwork.com Giving brokers the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the latest products, and a Network Developer was on hand to provide training on applications and assist brokers to browse at their own speed. CD-ROMs were also available for brokers to take back to their offices for in-house training of frontline staff."

NIG Newsletter

NIG Newsletter: "Of the brokers we surveyed, over 51% use NIG�s online commercial quotes every day. The majority agreed that in the year since its launch, the service has become a very useful tool for their business."

NIG Newsletter

NIG Newsletter: "NIG is proud to work with RiskSTOP, a recent winner of The Queen�s Awards for Enterprise: Innovation 2005.
The award for RiskSTOP�s ASSIST risk management tool was given in recognition of their outstanding achievements in Innovation. The Queen�s Awards for Enterprise are the UK�s most prestigious awards for business performance.
RiskSTOP�s ASSIST helps policyholders implement risk improvements quickly and with ease, by identifying local suppliers and supporting completion. Risk improvement is often perceived by policyholders as a problem area, so NIG and RiskSTOP are working together, seeking new ways of turning this problem into a business service solution."

NIG Newsletter

NIG Newsletter: "Safety Network is currently being re-launched to include tiered service levels and a new website will be available soon. For further information please contact sara.lilly@nig-uk.com or contact your local NIG commercial representative."

NIG Newsletter

NIG Newsletter: "Congratulations to All Risk Management (ARM) who scooped first prize at the European Risk Management Awards for Safety Network. The product also reached the finals of the British Insurance Awards in July. Also short-listed was Nicola Cowan, a Risk Consultant working for ARM, who reached the final in the �Young Achiever of the Year� category. Congratulations to Nicola and the team for all their hard work over the last year."

Alpha Airports Group

Financial results for the Year Ending 31 January 2005


Alpha provides catering and retailing services
for airlines and airports. After 50 years of continuous
growth, Alpha now operates from over 150 catering
and retailing outlets at 74 airports in 13 countries
across 5 continents. In total, we are 5,500 fully
trained professionals at your service.

2004/2005 figures
Turnover (£m) 487.8*
Profit before taxation (£m) 11.7

LSG Sky Chefs - About us - Who we are

LSG Sky Chefs - About us - Who we are: "LSG Sky Chefs is the world's largest provider of integrated in-flight solutions, including catering, procurement, equipment, retail and In-flight Management. LSG Sky Chefs caters 270 airlines from more than 200 customer service centers in 48 countries. LSG Sky Chefs produces around 362 million airline meals a year. In 2004, the companies belonging to LSG Sky Chefs Group achieved consolidated revenues of � 2.3 billion. "

Gate Gourmet International -

Gate Gourmet International -: "Gate Gourmet is a leading global airline catering company. In 2004, it had revenue of $2.01 billion. Gate Gourmet produces an average of 195 million meals per year and employs a staff of about 22,000 in 114 flight kitchens, which serve many of the world�s leading airlines. The company is located in 30 countries on five continents."

More Information

More Information: "Visitors to ba.com are now able to purchase hotels, car-hire, resort transfers and sightseeing tours as well as flights in a single payment transaction.
A new shopping basket facility, launched today, allows customers to build their entire holiday on ba.com by displaying a broad range of tailored British Airways Holidays products alongside flights at the time of booking."

TheMoodieReport.com

TheMoodieReport.com: "Airport-focused souvenir retailer Glorious Britain has swept the board at this year�s 'The Greats Retailer Awards'. Walking away with the award for Best Souvenir Retailer and the highest accolade of the evening, Gift Retailer of the Year, Glorious Britain � owned by Alpha Airports Group � earned itself the coveted title of The Greatest of The Greats. "

TheMoodieReport.com

TheMoodieReport.com: "Retail sales, excluding acquisitions, are up nearly +10% and sales within the company�s Flight Services business are ahead by +6% compared to this time last year. "

TheMoodieReport.com

TheMoodieReport.com: "UK. Alpha Airports Group said today that group sales are nearly +8% ahead of last year for the first 17 weeks of the year. "

TheMoodieReport.com

TheMoodieReport.com: "Alpha Retail Catering is this month taking over as operator of the airside ground floor food court at Nottingham East Midlands Airport (NEMA). "

TheMoodieReport.com

TheMoodieReport.com: "UK. Alpha�s Glorious Britain brand has opened its largest outlet yet.

The new 1163sq ft store is located airside at London Gatwick Airport�s North Terminal, and opened last month.

2005 has been a busy year for the souvenir and destination merchandise retailer. Earlier this year, the store at Heathrow T1 was refitted to adopt the new store branding (first seen in Heathrow T3 just over two years ago) and to boost its appeal to the changing passenger profile seen over the past 12 months. As part of the store overhaul, the food offering has been enhanced and rebadged ‘Food Glorious Food’. "

ETRC Europe

ETRC Europe: "The purpose of the ETRC is to proactively represent the interests of the tax-free, duty-free and travel retail industry, thereby securing the most favourable operating environment."

TheMoodieReport.com

TheMoodieReport.com: "The foundation stones of the Travel Retail Village - a project designed to alleviate the suffering of 20 families dispossessed by last December's tsunami - have been laid by Paul Topping and Rakhita Jayawardena, the driving forces behind the Alpha Sri Lanka Tsunami Relief Fund.

Alpha Asia Managing Director Topping and Centaur Travel Retail President Jayawardena (also of King Power Traveler) set up the fund shortly after the disaster.

The fund has collected US$350,000 due to the generosity of donors worldwide - mainly from the travel retail industry (hence the village's name). Land was purchased with the funds in order to build houses for 20 families (approximately 100 people in total). "

TheMoodieReport.com

TheMoodieReport.com: "When the Indian Ocean tsunami struck Sri Lanka on 26 December, the devastation was rapid, brutal and tragic. With tens of thousands dead and countless injured, the island nation faced a catastrophe on a terrible scale.

Two of travel retail�s most well-known executives, Paul Topping and Rakhita Jayawardena, agreed instantly that they had to do something. And they wanted to involve the travel retail industry that they both knew so well. The Alpha Sri Lanka Tsunami Relief Fund was born.

Fast forward seven months and that urgent desire to help has taken shape in the most remarkable fashion. Last month, as reported earlier by The Moodie Report, the foundation stones of the Travel Retail Village were laid. "

TheMoodieReport.com

TheMoodieReport.com: "The Nuance Group co-parent Stefanel has poured cold water on Italian press speculation that it is considering an offer for UK retail-to-catering company Alpha Airports Group. "

After complaints, Midwest drops Sky Chefs meals - 2005-02-21

After complaints, Midwest drops Sky Chefs meals - 2005-02-21: "LSG Sky Chefs caters 270 airlines from more than 200 customer service centers in 48 countries. Sky Chefs produces around 313 million airline meals a year."

After complaints, Midwest drops Sky Chefs meals - 2005-02-21

After complaints, Midwest drops Sky Chefs meals - 2005-02-21: "Midwest Airlines is revamping its buy-onboard meal program and ending its longtime relationship with LSG Sky Chefs, the world's largest in-flight food service provider.

The move results mainly from inconsistent service provided by Germany-based LSG Sky Chefs, the airline's management said. Passengers have complained about shortages of meals on numerous flights since Midwest began its meal-purchase program in April 2003. "

NIG Newsletter

NIG Newsletter: "Of the brokers we surveyed, over 51% use NIG�s online commercial quotes every day. The majority agreed that in the year since its launch, the service has become a very useful tool for their business.
The respondents commented that the technology was easy to use, worked at an acceptable speed and compares well with other systems available from insurers; in fact NIG was ranked the best out of a poll of leading insurers. The recent introduction of PDF printing was also appreciated and many agreed that it has resolved any printing issues."

Webline - current providers

Webline - welcome to webline: "1st Policy Company Ltd
AAP
Axa Sun Life
Bright Grey
BUPA
Friends Provident
Health-On-line
Hitachi Capital
Legal & General
Liverpool Victoria
Norwich Union
PolicyPlus International
Prudential
Scottish Equitable
Scottish Provident
Scottish Widows
Skandia
Standard Life
Sterling
Synergy Financial Products
Unum Provident
WayMoss Online
Zurich "

Press releases - 2005 - AXA Protection Account goes live on Webline

Hmmm... looks like iMarket has some competition!

Press releases - 2005 - AXA Protection Account goes live on Webline: "Webline offer a range of web-based quotation and fulfilment services where advisers are able to obtain single or comparative quotes, fill in pre-populated application forms, and submit new business online."

Allianz Cornhill - Press Centre - Press Story

Allianz Cornhill - Press Centre - Press Story: "Allianz Cornhill predicts that broker membership of networks and alliances will grow over the next five years.

The insurer carried out extensive research amongst over 600 brokers in order to examine the current and future market segmentation. The results show that whilst 91% of brokers are currently independent, by 2010 17% of these are highly likely to have joined a network or alliance.

Only 40% of the independent brokers surveyed stated that there is no likelihood of them joining a network or alliance within the next five years.

John Warburton, Allianz Cornhill Commercial Sales and Distribution Manager, said:
��The market consolidation activity is not a �big bang� occurrence; it�s a natural evolution of the distribution market. At Allianz Cornhill we recognise that we need to respond to each of the market players actively and individually.

�We are committed to being an integral part of this evolution. An increased focus in this area will enable us to understand and assess where each player is going, assess whether it�s somewhere we want to go and, where it is, we will commit and support fully.� "