Regulatory and Legal Affairs

✈️ Gatwick Airport's £2.2 billion second runway was confirmed by transport secretary Heidi Alexander. Focus Travel Partnership criticized this as "too little too late" for the £20 billion business travel sector, which supports 230,000 jobs. Despite an added 100,000 flights annually, UK flights could reach 3 million by 2030 from 1.9 million in 2023, pressuring NATS. Focus Travel's £1.3 billion annual business travel calls for more aggressive post-Brexit transport policies.

📊 European Employers’ Institute, September 2025: Labor productivity in the EU has grown by just 1% annually over 25 years, while the US saw 1.8% growth. In 2024, EU productivity was 20% below US levels. Key factors: low ICT investment, market fragmentation, business dynamism, skills mismatch, and regulatory burdens. Since 2019, EU productivity growth slowed to 0.6% compared to 1.9% in the US, especially in ICT and business services. This accentuates the need for digital investments and regulatory reform.

📑 Bipartisan members of Congress introduced the American Franchise Act to the U.S. House. The act aims to redefine "joint employer" to absolve franchisors from franchisee labor law liabilities unless they share control over employment terms. This follows a decade of fluctuating standards. Notable changes include the 2015 Browning-Ferris decision and 2020's revised rule. In March 2024, a federal judge blocked an expanded rule. Supported by industry groups, the act seeks stable regulations to boost entrepreneurship.

🍎 Robert F. Kennedy Jr. led the MAHA Commission's "Make Our Children Healthy Again" strategy, released Tuesday. This U.S. plan urges food additive reviews, revised nutrition labels, and clearer definitions of ultra-processed foods. Key initiatives include partnerships with the National Institutes of Health and FDA, updating dietary guidelines, and limiting unhealthy food marketing to children. Since 2003, fast-food chains like McDonald's have included healthier kids' meal options, such as fresh fruit. The Trump administration banned petroleum-based synthetic food dyes in April.

📑 On 3rd September 2025, the European Employers Institute published a study led by Erik Sinander from Stockholm University on the implications of EU-level subcontracting restrictions. The study warns of risks like legal complexity, competitiveness concerns, and sustainability threats. HOTREC, representing 2 million European hospitality businesses, argues against EU restrictions, advocating for existing national legislation enforcement to support over 10 million jobs. The study's detailed findings emphasize maintaining flexibility for SMEs.

✈️ VistaJet, based in Dubai, begins domestic operations in Saudi Arabia, becoming the first international private jet operator approved for flights within the kingdom. With a fleet of 270 jets, VistaJet capitalizes on Saudi Arabia's US$100 billion aviation boom, including projects like King Salman International Airport and giga-projects such as Neom. The Middle East's private jet market, valued at US$566 million in 2024, is projected to reach US$943 million by 2029. Saudi Arabia saw double-digit growth in business jet movements in 2024.