Flights down for a second day, as LBF faces travel disruption

16.04.10 | Philip Jones in The Bookseller

The London Book Fair is now facing significant disruption ahead of what had been billed as the busiest fair in its 39-year history, with flights in and out of the United Kingdom downed for second day. The latest news is that the air traffic control body Nats has extended its unprecedented restrictions on most flights into and out of the UK until at least 1am tomorrow morning (17th April). A further update is expected at 2.30pm today (16th April).

The disruption now looks likely to hit those intending to fly to London over the weekend with schedules expected to be badly affected even after (or if) the ash cloud clears. LBF is expecting 1,672 visiting companies, up 7% on 2009, but about 54% of these are travelling from overseas. Behind the UK, the US (300), and Market Focus country South Africa (52) are sending the most companies.

Some are already reporting cancelled flights. Fred Withers, chief executive of Exclusive Books, South Africa's biggest book chain, said his flight, scheduled for Friday, had been cancelled. He told The Bookseller: "I am currently trying whatever means I can to get to London for the Book Fair. The current information is indicating that there are no flights available before say Tuesday or Wednesday." Clare Drysdale, UK manager at Australian firm Allen & Unwin, which is using the fair to launch a UK list with Atlantic, said: "I may be the only person from Allen & Unwin at the fair. Three people are supposed to be coming over from Australia but are still on the ground. Its not known whether they'll be able to make it."

But others have been luckier, with many attendees already in town or in transit ahead of the fair. Clare Alexander of Aitken Alexander Associates said the agency's New York head Anna Stein made it as far as Paris and then managed to get onto Eurostar, even though it had had no seats left. "She travelled the last part standing all the way. She finally arrived here just now after 24 hours of travel." But Alexander added that "lots of editors are stuck in New York and may not make it at all".

Agent Lesley Pollinger predicted that the fair could be 25% down as a result. "I had an agent from New York flying yesterday and they can't make it. None of my Americans can make it. There were supposed to be four major flights coming from New York tonight. It's not a disaster [but] all these two and three-way meetings are not happening."
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