Luton Airport snow flight info cancellations

[italy property]

Luton Airport this morning Thursday 5th February 2009 : 05/02/09 has been hit by bad weather and heavy snow over night. Arrivals and departures are been cancelled, rescheduled, delayed and there is mayhem. I am sat here in the airport bringing you a live update. So if you can’t get through to your airline or relatives then follow here to ….

It all started early this morning at about 3am when the snow started to fall. I was due to get a flight from Luton airport to Trapani in Sicily to meet some clients viewing italian villas near SCOPELLO on the sicilian seaside, where apparently the sun is shining and its a gorgeous day.

Well its a different story here in the UK. I was on an overnight bus coming in from the north of England to Luton (its tough at the top ; executive credit crunch travel), leaving Birmingham at 3am the snow started to fall. We made good ground until outside Milton Keynes. The snow had started to settle, the gritters were just starting to head out for the rush hour. The first lorries had jack knifed and the northern roads were coming to a grinding halt. We were running 30 minutes behind schedule. Due into Luton airport 5:15am my flight was scheduled to leave at 6:30am. I had already done the Ryanair on line checkin so i thought i had enough time. 5:40 and we approach Luton airport and thats were the trouble started. Traffice jams into the airport, the road had not been gritted nor cleared by the snow ploughs. The traffice was slowy moving 5:55am. I started to panic thinking i would miss my plane. A quick check on the internet to see for any information….non. Luton airport was due to update its “real time” information at 7am. Ryanair website latest update made reference to cancellations on Tuesday !!! CArs started to pull up on the side of the road and travellers abandoned their cars and started walking. The traffic had come to a grinding halt. People slipping and falling in the snow. Cars returning from the early drop offs blocked coming out of the airport. People with spades digging out cars, people everywhere, kids screaming as mums dragged them up the road. Everyone wanted to get to the airport but it was still 2 miles away. Courageously they set off on the walk overtaking the cars, the roads covered in snow, icy patches, some slush, luggage on shoulders and trolleys jammed with snow. If only i could post up some photos.

Radio Luton announced that Luton airport runways were closed and no planes were landing nor departing, so i chilled out and relaxed on the bus. But then a phone call from my secretary that the flights had not been cancelled but rescheduled to all starting from 8:30 so then i decided to join others and got off the bus (kindly the driver got out my luggage) and off i was at 7:15am racing to get to the airport. Slipping and sliding, wet shoes and slowy breaking into a sweat speed walking up the road to Luton airport. Overtaking cars jammed, lorries blocked, police redirecting traffic, no traffic allowed into the airport, no wonder there was a massive traffice jam !!. There was a happy spirit on the road as fellow travellers made their way to the airport.

Finally round a corner at the top of the hill the departures lounge glowed in the distance. We were nearly there. Finally by 7:55 i entered the departures lounge to find true some flights had been rescheduled but mine no…CANCELLED.

Queues 3 hours long people trying to rebook flights. Luckily i have my laptop so i rebooked for Saturday.

If you are travelling or picking people up from Luton airport here is the latest information.

Arrivals :

No airplanes have landed. Don’t panic if you are struggling to get to the airport to pick up loved ones. They aren’t here !!

Departures :

Security and boarding is currently closed, so noone is leaving.

No flights have left Luton airport this morning. The runway is still covered in snow….let me update flight info..come back in a minute.

OK

Travel Update 09.15

Due to weather conditions at London Luton Airport this morning, flights are subject to delay and cancellation. Check - in is currently suspended and flights are not anticipated to resume until 10.30. A further update will be posted on this website at 10.00. Anyone travelling to the airport should check public transport and road conditions.

The following flights have been cancelled

Cancellations:

Marrakech FR3506

Dublin FR331

Trapani FR3468

Biarritz FR3886

Rotterdam HV5096

Gdansk W6302

Poznan W6502

Budapest W6202

Katowice W6102

Arrecife ZB074

Malaga ZB012

ALicante ZB834 14:40

RESCHEDULED FLIGHTS ARE:

8:40 EZY015 Edinburgh Departure Estimated at 11:15

9:00 TOM555 NOW Boarding !!!

9:50 RE502 Departure Estimated at 11:15

OTHER FLIGHTS:

If your flight is not mentioned above then there is no update and you should assume it is running on time !!!

Airline Contact Numbers

Aer Arann - 0870 876 76 76

easyJet - 0905 821 0905

Flybe + 44 (0)1392 268529

Monarch +44 (0) 8700 405 040

Ryanair +44 (0) 8712 460 000

Sky Europe + 42 12 4850 4850

Thomson Airways +44 (0) 870 607 6757

transavia.com +44 (0) 906 6800065

Wizz Air + 48 22 351 9499

Salemi MIPC 1 Euro house Sicily : Newsletter

[italy property]
Salemi :
MIPC has just released a newsletter about the Salemi council ” 1 Euro house ” offer.

Quote from newsletter:
The Letter of Introduction is a means for the Salemi council to understand if you are still interested in their offer and to understand who you are. MIPC understand that the Salemi council wish to build a sustainable community. They are looking for 60% residential occupancy of the houses. MIPC understands that their target market is an artistic and culturally

Feel free to download the MIPC Newsletter in .pdf Adobe format at:
www.mipc.co.uk/salemi/salemi-sicily-newsletter.pdf
or view on line at
www.mipc.co.uk/salemi/salemi-sicily-newsletter.htm

In the newsletter there is also information about buying a house in Italy, Sicilian property and Property in the Egadi Islands including Favignana and Marettimo.

Happy New Year.

Rome, Tiber, floods Italy, Venice.

[italy property]
Rome’s mayor has declared a state of emergency due to the risk that the river Tiber may burst it’s banks.
Following 2 weeks of intensive rain in Italy, Friday saw the whole of Rome’s forecasted rain for the month of December fall in 1 day !!
The river Tiber is currently 5 metres or 15 feet above its normal level, this is the highest the Italian river has been over the last 40 years of Italian history.
The Milvio bridge built 200BC an ancient bridge in Rome has been closed due to risk of collapse as has the Angel’s bridge (Ponte s. Angelo). The Tiber island is also under risk.
The Italian military, the red cross and the civil protection teams are on alert and distributing sand bags.
All of Italy during the last 2 weeks has suffered from a low depression. Rain has fallen from the north to the south.
Venice St Mark’s square is currently under water.
Access to the Sicilian islands around the island of Sicily, the Egadi Islands, Favignana, Marettimo is blocked.
People accessing their Italian property in the Island of Elba are also reporting ferry problems.
All this has brought very early snow in the Italian ski resorts of the Alps and the Dolomites. Early skiing and a good skiing season is forecasted.
If you are looking for Italian ski property, MIPC currently has 2 bedroom apartments for sale in Val Gardenia.

Putin Medvedev Russian property in Italy

[italy property]

Putin continued to hold his annual TV live questions and answers, many asked why him and not the current president. Probably because Russian President Dmitry Medvedev is to pay a working visit to Italy at the invitation of his Italian counterpart Giorgio Napolitano on Saturday, the Kremlin press service said. Medvedev will visit the southern Italian city of Bari, where a Russian Orthodox Church is located. The St. Nicholas Orthodox church was built in the early 20th century to welcome Russian pilgrims coming to worship St. Nicholas, one of the most revered Orthodox saints. It became the property of the city of Bari in 1937. The Italian government decided to return the ownership of the Russian Orthodox Church as a friendly gesture when Russia's then president Vladimir Putin visited the country in March 2007. A document was signed in Rome last month to confirm the handover.
Moss Italian Property Consultants can help you buy a house in Italy, Bari.

Italian Social Card : Robin Hood Tax

[italy property]

The new Italian social card launches in January 2009. Blue, no holder’s name and aimed at the Italian families and elderly. The latest idea of Italian economic minister Giulio Tremonti. Like a pre paid card the state will top up with 40 euros a month. Early birds whom get their card before the end of the year will get the last 3 months of the year added for a total of 120 euros.

Available to :

60-69 year olds with annual earnings not above 6,000 euro

Over 70’s with annual earnings upto 8,000 euros

Families with kids under 3 years old and annual earnings upto 6,000 euros.

Can be used to buy food, pay electricity bills and some shops even give a 5% discount to users.

If you want to apply for one go to your local post office with your modello ISEE ( “in need” document : you get this from either your local INPS, council or CAF offices.)

Salemi “1 euro houses” project

[italy property]

Latest news from Salemi regarding the 1 Euro house regeneration project in Salemi, Sicily, Italy.

So are you still keen to buy a house in Italy ???

The offer is finally starting to materialise after a few months of doubting belief.!!!!

If you haven’t applied yet or doubted the offer ACT QUICKLY before you miss out. Upgrade to MIPC Salemi premium service and we will personally process your letter of intent, so you too can be considered for a 1 Euro house in Salemi, Sicily.

MIPC is now an official partner of the Salemi council.

For those of you who used the MIPC Salemi 1 euro house free service to submit a letter of intent for the 1 euro house in Salemi you should have, by now, recieved an email copy of your letter in .pdf format from MIPC, with a registration number on the letter, that is assuming you submitted a correct email address at the time. [Latest applicants will be recieving their copies over the weekend].

On wednesday the council of Salemi sent to all the registered interested parties an invite to participate in a UK TV documentary been produced by www.reef.tv If you are intreseted in been one of the protaganists of this documentary then i hope you have forwarded your interest to them. If you need further details email MIPC or go directly to www.reef.tv the contact there is Owen O’Shea.

This morning the Salemi council emailed all the registered interested parties an invite to reply to them with a “letter of introduction” about yourself. If you are an MIPC free user, as explained at the time, your relationship is now directly with the council. (unless you want MIPC to act on your behalf) Good luck I’d advise you to send your letter of introduction asap.

For MIPC free users who now may feel a little lost on what now to do then either relate directly with the council or if you wish MIPC to act on your behalf then upgrade to an MIPC Salemi Premium member and take advantage of MIPC’s official partner relationship with the council. I have spoke to the council this morning and have a good indication of the information they are seeking from you.

Of course all existing MIPC Premium users and those of you who have already upgraded will be receiving an email with further details on the next step to guarantee your participation in the offer of a 1 Euro house in Salemi.

Here is a copy of the email sent to interested parties with directions to follow to proceed to the next step in acquiring a 1 Euro house in Salemi.

Dear friends, The Mayor, the Aldermen and the entire administration of Salemi thank you for the interest in our project “case a 1 euro” (1 euro houses) Thousands of people contacted us for information about the project and soon we will be able to describe the application process. We would like to know you better, so please send us a letter of introduction to this mail address: case@cittadisalemi.it. The rebuilding of Salemi does not end in restructuring the Old Town. We want to give new life to the city starting with who will be its new inhabitants. Tell us about yourself, your business, your family, we would like to know why you want to come to Salemi and how you intend to bring life to the city. We hope to share with you our passion in creating a new Salemi. We wait for you.
L’Assessore alla Creatività	Il Sindaco
Oliviero Toscani	Vittorio Sgarbi

Mafia Inc. 7% of Italian GDP. Business in Italy

[italy property]
Announced by the Italian national retail services association, Confesercenti, in a report “Crimes hold on business” the 4 main mafia organisations turnover 130 billion euros. Mafia Inc. has net profits of 70 B Euros, and turns over more than the Italian company Eni.
Ex mafia boss, Riina’s house, near Corleone in Sicily was recently sequestered by the Italian anti-racket federation and has been turned into an agriturismo.
In the current economic climate as banks squeeze on credit, businesses are turning to loan sharks. Italian Finance Minister, Tramonti, recently announced that though Italian banks have not suffered from the subprime crisis the Italian government will be pumping financial support into the economy prior to Christmas. The Italian bank Unicredit today announced profits of 551M euros, 150M more than financial analysts expected.

As the Beckhams start their search to buy a property in Italy, the market is expected to hold strong, as international investors follow the celebrities.
Visit Italian property for investment opportunities in Italy.