Air travel woes, Bewley’s return and Indeed’s ‘You Days’

Ryanair executive Eddie Wilson gave politicians a stark warning this week: if the Republic does not act now to attract back air traffic "we are going to lose it and we are going to lose it forever". In our Agenda feature, Barry O'Halloran explores the ramifications of the pandemic for the aviation sector and beyond.

Bewley's Grafton Street cafe is to re-open for coffee and baked goods by August 27th at the latest, with a wider offering to follow, employees were told on Thursday night. The cafe decided to shut down permanently in May – partly blaming its €1.5 million annual rent – but has since reversed course.

The Government has been criticised as being "no better than the banks" after a local authority-administered mortgage scheme for first-time buyers pulled loan offers to borrowers whose wages are being partially met by the temporary wage susbidy scheme. Joe Brennan reports.

Irish housebuilder Lioncor Developments received approval from An Bord Pleanála to build 63 apartments on the site formerly occupied by Gowan Motors on the Merrion Road in Dublin 4. Peter Hamilton reports

Green light for 63 homes on former Gowan Motors site, Merrion Road

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State mortgage scheme criticised for pausing offers amid Covid-19

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Ryanair owes Boeing more than €5bn for delayed 737 Max planes

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Travel company TUI to shut 166 stores in UK and Ireland

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Ryanair owes US aircraft maker Boeing ¤5.1 billion for new 737 Max planes, the delivery of which has been delayed since last year, according to its annual return to the US market watchdog. Barry O'Halloran reports.

Notwithstanding the return of domestic tourism, occupancy rates at Irish hotels were down by over half in July compared to the same month in 2019, new figures from the Irish Hotels Federation show. Charlie Taylor reports.

In our Wild Geese feature, Irish designer Don O'Neill tells Barbara McCarthy how he went from Ballyheigue, Co Kerry, to London, Paris and finally New York, where he became the toast of the fashion scene. Alas, "people don't need haute couture in a pandemic".

And in World of Work, recruitment company Indeed tells Olive Keogh about its policy of unlimited paid leave and a new Covid-19 time off initiative it calls "You Days".

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