LJLA forecasting 10% increase in Easter passenger numbers as Summer season gets under way

LIVERPOOL John Lennon Airport (LJLA) is expecting the 1st Bank Holiday weekend of 2018 to be particularly busy with passenger numbers set to be around 10% higher than in 2017, as thousands of travellers from across the region jet off for Easter from Liverpool.

Easter this year coincides with the start of the summer schedules for many airlines, with new routes and increased frequencies and around 70,000 passengers are forecast to pass through the Airport, between Good Friday and Easter Monday. Over 6,000 more passengers are expected compared to last year, with many taking advantage of a range of new services and additional flights to popular destinations.

The Airport predicts that the top 5 most popular sunshine routes this Easter are likely to be:- Barcelona, Malaga, Alicante, Faro and Palma as passengers take advantage of the 1st Bank Holiday weekend of the year and travel to the Mediterranean in search of warmer weather. City breaks to:- Amsterdam, Dublin and Belfast are also expected to be popular.

Robin Tudor, Head of PR for Liverpool John Lennon Airport commented:- "The region's travellers look set to take advantage of the convenience and choice of destinations available from Liverpool over the Easter period. This is likely to be the busiest weekend of the year so far for the Airport and even busier than last Easter with passenger numbers expected to be around 10% higher. It's no surprise to see a number of Mediterranean destinations proving popular as travellers from across the region head off in search of some much needed sunshine and warmer weather from the region's faster, easier, friendlier Airport."

MARSM and Liverpool Arab Arts Festival (LAAF) present boundary breaking Lekhfa at the Invisible Wind Factory

LIVERPOOL Arab Arts Festival (LAAF) has partnered with events company MARSM to bring a boundary breaking concert by Lekhfa to the Invisible Wind Factory Substation, on Tuesday, 24 April 2018.

A captivating collaboration between three legendary and Egyptian indie artists Maryam Saleh, Maurice Louca and Tamer Abu Ghazaleh, the project is one of the most enticing to emerge from Egypt's burgeoning underground music scene.

Funded by Arts Council England (ACE) through the Grants for the Arts funding stream and presented by LAAF and MARSM, an events company that promotes the rich and diverse culture of the Arab world across the UK and beyond, the gig will feature bass heavy to stripped down Egyptian dance tracks intertwined around the dystopian poetry Mido Zoheir, 1 of the most celebrated Egyptian poets of their generation.

Coming of age in 90's Cairo and each having paved their own way through the alternative Arabic music scene, the trio have united to create a stunning new album that gives birth to an off kilter sound of beats, grit and resistance.

Teetering on the edges of Egyptian shaabi, electro-shaabi, pop and psychedelia, the trio are backed by anything from:- oud and buzuq lute to slide guitars, drums, beat loops and electronica, promising an evening of extraordinary musical talent and creativity.

The concert, which sees LAAF and MARSM unite in their shared mission to showcase the very best of Arab culture, will also mark the launch of LAAF's 20 Anniversary programme, which this year runs from 5 July to 15 July 2018.

The line up announcement will include details of its enhanced musical programme for 2018, facilitated by the provision of additional resources by Culture Liverpool as part of the City's 2018 celebrations.

Earlier this year LAAF was one of 14 festivals provided with extra funding to allow an even more ambitious musical programme as the City celebrates a decade since its year as European Capital of Culture.

The UK's biggest annual Arab arts festival has also revealed the date and headline acts for its ever popular finale event Family Day.  The event will return to Sefton Park Palm House, on Sunday, 15 July 2018, to showcase some of the hottest talent in Arab music, including:- boundary breaking Danish Palestinian percussionist Simona Abdallah, along with Simo Lagnawi and Gnawa London, who will bring Gnawa; the music of formerly enslaved black Africans who integrated into the Moroccan social and cultural landscape; to life, and The London Syrian Ensemble, a collective of some of Syria's finest musicians based in the UK.

Taher Qassim MBE, Chair of Liverpool Arab Arts Festival said:- "LAAF works on a model of partnership and collaboration and uniting with MARSM to bring Lekhfa to the Invisible Wind Factory is a perfect example of aligning with another organisation that is committed to promoting the very best of Arab culture to a diverse audience. Twenty years on from our inception it is only fitting that we continue to showcase the work of Arab artists who are pushing the boundaries of their genres and adding to the rich tapestry of contemporary and traditional Arab culture. We look forward to revealing our full line up next month and sharing a wealth of Arab talent with our diverse festival audiences, from newcomers to ardent enthusiasts of the scene."

Each year, LAAF attracts tens of thousands to Liverpool for a thrilling showcase of the richness of Arab culture, with a packed programme of:- visual art, music, dance, film, theatre, literature and special events taking place in venues across the City.

Confirmed partners for LAAF's 2018 edition include:- FACT, Invisible Wind Factory, Open Eye Gallery, Bluecoat and Savera UK, with more to be announced.

For more information or to book tickets for Lekhfa, at the Invisible Wind Factory visit:- Skiddle.com.

For more information and to book tickets visit:- ArabArtsFestival.com.

Milestone reached in CLA campaign for universal broadband

A watershed moment in the CLA's long running campaign to end the digital discrimination against rural homes and businesses has been reached after a law enacting a legal obligation to deliver universal broadband of at least 10 megabits per second (Mbps) by the end of 2020, was laid in Parliament, on 28 March 2018.

CLA President Tim Breitmeyer said:- "This commitment to universal broadband has been Government policy for some time, but it is still satisfying to see the enacting legislation laid. It means that the principle is now enshrined in law, that no home or business should be left behind in the modern economy. However, our campaign continues because although this commitment is right for now, technology advances at such a speed that is essential for this law to evolve with the times. Whilst a minimum 10 Mbps download speed is adequate for now, that will change in the relatively near future.  Fixed broadband connections are only 1 part of the connectivity challenge. We have a long way to go to establish universal access to mobile data coverage that is equally important for people living and working in our countryside."

The Universal Service Order (USO), setting out the technical specification for the USO and relevant guidance, has now been laid out in Parliament, on 28 March 2018. This now sets the scope of the USO, which Ofcom will be responsible for implementing. Ofcom will be responsible for finalising key issues on how a consumer can exercise their new rights, what the maximum connection cost thresholds will be and the rules on demand aggregation.

Mr Breitmeyer continued:- "There are still technical issues to be resolved between now and the end of 2020, but the fundamentals are clear. As our right to the delivery of a letter was enshrined in law many decades ago, our access to digital connectivity will follow suit.  The CLA will work with Ofcom, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport and the wider industry to make sure the USO delivers the step change in consumer accountability that is promised."