Airport News
Decision on London Heathrow Airport runway delayed
Fri, 05 Dec, 2008
The decision on whether to approve a new runway for London Heahtrow Airport has been delayed by the transport secretary.
Geoff Hoon had been expected to announce if the third runway, as well as a sixth terminal, would go ahead this week, but he has now said that the decision will not be made until 2009.
"I will ensure that I give proper consideration to the evidence and will therefore take more time before making an announcement," he commented.
Those who oppose the additional runway argue that the economic benefits would not be enough to justify the three million tonnes of carbon dioxide that could be produced yearly by the increase in traffic.
However, supporters maintain that the third runway is essential if London Heathrow is to maintain its competitive status on a global level.
In 2006, Heathrow was the busiest airport in Europe in terms of total passenger traffic and it is currently the third busiest airport in the world.
Joe Evans
CAA publishes figures for UK domestic travel
Tue, 11 Nov, 2008
The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has published the findings of a survey entitled Connecting Passengers at UK Airports, which show the importance of different hubs in terms of redirecting passengers.
Its poll found that 90 per cent of connecting air passengers in the UK use the three main London airports; London Heathrow Airport, London Gatwick Airport and Stansted Airport.
In fact, Heathrow was found to account for 70 per cent of all connections.
Meanwhile, in contrast, only three per cent of passengers at Manchester Airport were there to catch connecting flights, perhaps because it runs more charter services.
The CAA says its survey "suggests that connecting passengers at Heathrow help to maintain a wider range of flights to different destinations and help to ensure more frequent flights to popular, often business, destinations".
As the UK's specialist aviation regulator, the CAA is responsible for air safety, consumer protection, economic regulation and environmental research, among other things.
Joe Evans
British Airways accused of London bias
Tue, 28 Oct, 2008
British Airways (BA) has been accused of neglecting its regional customers in favour of hubs such as London Heathrow Airport and London Gatwick Airport.
Simon Calder, travel editor for the Independent, said that the carrier has effectively become 'London Airways' after cutting the last route from Manchester Airport to a foreign destination, New York.
This means that although regional customers can get BA flights from their own hubs, they will all go to London where passengers must then get connections.
Mr Calder said this is unfair, but a BA spokesperson denied that it was acting in a biased manner.
"We are fully committed to Manchester, giving customers in the north of England access to our worldwide networks at Heathrow and Gatwick with around 200 connecting flights a week," the unnamed source said.
Manchester Airport is one of the UK's biggest regional hubs, dealing with over 22.7 million passengers a year flying to 225 destinations.
Officials predict that this will rise to 50 million over the next 20 years
Joe Evans
Manchester Airport to get new retail centre
Wed, 22 Oct, 2008
Manchester Airport has announced plans to continue its redevelopment of Terminal 1 with some exciting new shops.
According to a statement released by the northern hub, a number of new stores will open this winter, including Biza for tax and duty free products and Attitude for designer clothing at lower prices than on the high street.
"This autumn, a chic collection of new shopping names are set to take the airport by storm, with the best of high street fashion and designer names all in one place," said the statement.
The redevelopment of Terminal 1 is expected to cost some £35 million and should be finished by summer 2009.
Recent research from JCDecaux Airport reports that 83 per cent of people spend between £50 and £199 at the airport before they jet off on their holidays.
Analyst at Verdict Research Nick Gladding said that people may cut back on their spending in other areas - for example the weekly shop - before they go on holiday so that they can afford to buy more at the airport.
Joe Evans
CAA figures show UK airport trends
Tue, 14 Oct, 2008
New figures released by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) have provided an interesting insight into how passengers are using UK airports.
The 2007 Air Passenger Survey questioned over 200,000 people at London Heathrow Airport, Gatwick, Stansted and Luton, as well as at Doncaster Sheffield, Humberside, Liverpool airport and Manchester Airport.
It was found that business passengers accounted for 36 per cent of all travellers using London Heathrow Airport, the largest proportion in the survey. This hub also saw the highest number of people travelling alone, probably due to the large percentage of business travel.
Meanwhile, Doncaster Sheffield Airport attracted the most leisure passengers, at 94 per cent and London Stansted Airport saw the most people departing to see friends and family at 46 per cent.
Finally, it was discovered that Humberside Airport catered for the most people going on all-inclusive package holidays, with 59 per cent.
The CAA is the UK's independent specialist aviation regulator. Its activities include economic regulation, airspace policy, safety regulation and consumer protection.
Joe Evans
Diners Club opens 18 new lounges in UK airports
Wed, 08 Oct, 2008
Diners Club International has announced the opening of 18 new lounges in airports across the country.
This includes facilities at Birmingham Airport, London Heathrow Airport, Manchester Airport and Edinburgh Airport, among others.
All of the new lounges will feature telephone and fax services, internet access and business desks, which may make them particularly suitable for club members travelling for work.
There will also be complimentary snacks, television and hot drinks.
Joe Hurley, deputy president of Diners Club International, said: "The opening of these additional lounges provides us with a tremendous opportunity to offer our Diners Club cardholders even more convenience and value when they travel throughout the UK."
The Diners Club Card was the first ever charge card and was established in 1950.
Today, it is a globally recognised brand and is widely used among corporations and small business owners.
The card is accepted in some 185 countries, giving users access to over one million cashpoints.
Joe Evans
Airports poll aims to improve services
Thu, 28 Aug, 2008
A poll is to be carried out in some of the UK's busiest airports in a bid to discover where the hubs are performing highly and where services could be improved.
According to Travel Mole, views will be taken from passengers at London Heathrow Airport, Manchester Airport, Stansted and Gatwick by teams commissioned by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
Travellers will be quizzed on buying air tickets, their in-flight experience, their passage through the airport and other services, potentially including the convenience of airport parking.
Richard Jackson, CAA group director of consumer protection, said he encourages all those who are approached to share their experiences.
"We are keen to ensure that all key stages of the air passenger experience are covered in the survey," he commented.
London Heathrow Airport is the world's third busiest airport for passenger traffic and handles more international passenger traffic than any other airport in the world.
Joe Evans
BAA could be forced to sell
Thu, 21 Aug, 2008
The Competition Commission (CC) has called on BAA to loosen its grip on the aviation industry in the UK.
According to the organisation, the airport operator's dominance of the sector is having "adverse consequences" for both passengers and airlines.
Therefore, it has suggested that BAA considers selling some of its transport hubs, including London Heathrow Airport and London Stansted Airport.
In addition, the CC has advised the organisation to sell its facilities in either Glasgow or Edinburgh.
Christopher Clarke, chairman of the CC's inquiry group, commented: "There are significant competition problems arising from BAA's common ownership of seven UK airports."
He said this has been demonstrated by its "lack of responsiveness" to the needs of its customers.
The report has been met with a positive response by the Manchester Airports Group, which said the findings are "good news" for both airlines and passengers.
Joe Evans
XL 'to cut Gatwick-Knock route'
Wed, 06 Aug, 2008
UK airline XL Airways will stop flights between London Gatwick and Ireland West Airport Knock, according to reports.
The Herald newspaper said the service will cease on September 2nd because of what it describes as changing market conditions.
XL Airways is part of AX Leisure Group, which is Britain's third-biggest tour operator. It currently flies between Gatwick and Ireland six times a week.
Phil Aird-Mash, the company's chief executive officer, said XL frequently reviews it routes in order to meet the core needs of customers.
Robert Grealis, chief executive of the airport in County Mayo, told the Belfast Telegraph that the news was "disappointing" but was a sign that the aviation industry has entered a difficult period.
The carrier began flights from Gatwick to West Airport Knock last autumn and was the only airline operating the route.
XL Airways flies to dozens of destinations in Europe and Africa, and operates long-haul services to the US, Canada and the Caribbean.
Joe Evans
Provisional airport traffic data released
Mon, 04 Aug, 2008
Passenger traffic at UK airports increased in May but fell in both April and June, according to new statistics from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
Provisional figures show a 1.6 per cent decrease in passenger flow in April, followed by a 0.9 per cent increase in May and a one per cent fall in June.
Growth at Glasgow Airport has been stagnant for ten months, while Newcastle and London Stansted have seen passenger traffic decline for eight months in a row.
However, London City has enjoyed double figures growth since the start of 2007. With the exception of Luton, it is the only London airport to record growth in each month of this year.
Last month, the CAA released figures that show the number of passengers using UK airports was two per cent higher in the first quarter of 2008 when compared with the corresponding period last year.
Joe Evans
Car parking helps airports boost profits
Wed, 30 Jul, 2008
Manchester Airports Group (MAG) has attributed strong full-year figures to the success of its new car parking business.
The company, which is owned by the ten councils that comprise Manchester city-region, reported a 16.4 per cent rise in pre-tax profits to £96.5 million in the 12 months to March 31st.
As well as its new car parking service, the group's retail offerings and a clampdown on costs helped the company drive up annual revenues from £385.5 million to £395.7 million.
Chief executive Geoff Muirhead told the Manchester Evening News that there is good reason to be optimistic about the group's prospects despite the credit crunch.
"We have made real progress in the past year, which reflects the hard work that has gone on in recent years," he remarked.
Manchester Airport Group owns Bournemouth, Humberside, Manchester and East Midlands airports.
Yesterday, it was revealed that 563,159 passengers walked through East Midlands Airport's gateway in June, a five per cent increase on a year ago.
Joe Evans
560,000-plus used East Midlands in June
Tue, 29 Jul, 2008
East Midlands Airport (EMA) has revealed that 563,159 passengers used the hub in June, a five per cent increase on a year ago.
Destinations outside the eurozone saw the biggest hike in passengers. This has been attributed to the fact that holidaymakers are opting for cheaper destinations like Turkey.
In recent weeks, the strength of the euro against the pound has led to a decline in the number of passengers heading to traditional European hotspots like Spain.
Penny Coates, EMA managing director, said she is delighted to the airport has exceeded half a million passengers.
In May, EMA handled 534,690 travellers, which is the first month ever that more than half a million passengers came through the gateway.
At the end of October, Ryanair will launch three new flights from EMA to Faro, Fuerteventura and Prague.
"We are certain that the additional three Ryanair routes will prove very popular," Ms Coates added.
Joe Evans
High-speed Heathrow rail connection mooted
Thu, 24 Jul, 2008
A proposal to build a high-speed rail link between the Channel Tunnel and London Heathrow Airport has been put before the government.
The £4.5 billion plan was unveiled by engineering company Arup, which said the existing line from the Channel Tunnel to St Pancras could be extended to Heathrow by 2019.
If given the go-ahead, it would link the airport with regional rail services on the Great Western Main Line and provide a direct rail connection to mainland Europe.
The Conservatives have come out in support of the plan, saying it would help reduce congestion and pollution around Heathrow.
Meanwhile, a £16 billion railway link joining Canary Wharf with Heathrow has been approved by the House of Lords.
Transport secretary Ruth Kelly said the new east London infrastructure would mean "major improvements" for the travelling public.
Joe Evans
New train station for Robin Hood Airport
Thu, 03 Jul, 2008
Doncaster council has given the green light to a new train station platform on the Lincoln line that runs close to Robin Hood Airport.
The plans were submitted by the Peel Airports Group and are part of a long-term project to improve commuter links with the airport.
Doncaster council and Yorkshire Forward hope to develop the airport and plans include a 250-space car park and a rail link to the new airport terminal.
Robin Hood Airport's environment manager Clare Wilson said that seven per cent of passengers use public transport to access the airport.
"We are confident that future enhancement will increase that usage further and improve access across the region," she added.
Robin Hood Airport has handled 2.9 million passengers since it opened three years ago. In the past year, it has seen a 13 per cent increase in passenger numbers.
Joe Evans
BA, Virgin class action is unique, says lawyer
Wed, 02 Jul, 2008
Anthony Maton, from US-based law firm Cohen Milstein, has said that a class action against British Airways and Virgin Atlantic is the first of its kind.
He told Channel 4's News at Noon that there has never been a settlement of this type in the UK.
The firm is inviting UK passengers to take part in a class action against BA and Virgin Atlantic after the two companies allegedly colluded over fuel surcharges.
"There's never been a settlement of this type. There's never been anything like this that allows victims of cartels [to claim] when there's been a price fix by companies," he said.
"There's never been anything that allows those consumers and businesses to claim in this way."
Mr Maton confirmed that 1,200 businesses had already registered to claim.
The eight million BA and Virgin passengers who flew between August 11th 2004 and March 23rd 2006 could claim back up to £20 per ticket, according to Cohen Milstein.
Joe Evans
Virgin launches check-in incentive
Tue, 01 Jul, 2008
Passengers flying from three of the UK's biggest airports are being encouraged to check in online.
Virgin Atlantic has launched a promotion at London Heathrow Airport, Manchester Airport and London Gatwick Airport.
Passengers who check in online for their flights between today (July 1st) and August 31st will be offered £10 reductions on selected fragrances from Virgin's inflight retail offerings.
Paul Dickinson, Virgin Atlantic's marketing director, remarked that the incentive is part of an effort to increase the number of people checking in online, which he says is much quicker.
"Online check-in is currently used by nearly a quarter of our passengers - we predict that this number will continue to increase over the coming months," he added.
Virgin operates dozens of long haul services from London and Manchester to destinations that include New York, LA, San Francisco, Cape Town, Cuba, Barbados and St Lucia.
Joe Evans
Millionaire wants to buy defunct Sheffield Airport
Thu, 05 Jun, 2008
Industrial steel magnate Andrew Cook has expressed an interest in buying Sheffield Airport as a going concern.
This is despite the fact that it is to be turned into a business park under current plans.
He told the BBC that it is disgraceful that Sheffield no longer has an airport given the city's size and importance.
"So somebody had to step in and do something, nobody else wanted to, so I made an offer simply to keep it there," he said.
"I was prepared ... to give it a go. I'm a wealthy man. I can afford to buy it without having a developed business plan profit."
He said the airport should offer commercial aviation services on a scheduled basis to "important" business destinations.
Peel Group recently took over the airport's lease for a symbolic £1, although it really cost the property and transport company £20 million.
Joe Evans
Airport expansion 'should be suspended'
Fri, 23 May, 2008
The Sustainable Development Commission (SDC) has argued that UK airport expansion be put on hold for the time being.
Hugh Raven, who authored a report for the SDC, said questions still remain over the economic and environmental arguments for airport expansion.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, he said plans for expansion at London Heathrow Airport and London Stansted Airport, among others, should be delayed until an independent review is carried out.
He said the data on the positive economic impact of aviation is "heavily contested".
"The environmental data is also very heavily disputed ... both with respect to noise and localised air pollution and crucially climate change," Mr Raven added.
As such, the government should not base its decision on airport expansion on "such shaky foundations".
Foreign secretary David Miliband recently told BBC Two's Newsnight that reducing carbon emissions cannot be achieved by just focusing on aviation.
Joe Evans
Budget travellers warned of hidden costs
Wed, 21 May, 2008
Travellers flying with budget airlines this summer are being warned to brace themselves for hidden charges.
Aviation consultancy Ascend warned that airlines have passed the rising fuel costs onto their customers.
As such, passengers now face additional charges for baggage, booking online, check-in, using credit cards and enjoying in-flight refreshments.
Peter Morris, chief economist at Ascend, said: "The thing that matters for the customer ... is the final price that someone is going to pay."
"The comparison [with larger airlines] is really not just the original ticket price but the final fare that they pay including all the charges for baggage or handling or whatever the airline dreams up to put on there."
Ryanair announced in April that it was increasing check-in charges per passenger from £3 to £4 and per bag from £6 to £8.
The budget airline also aims to increase check-in volumes by ten per cent.
Joe Evans
BA profits up by 45%
Mon, 19 May, 2008
British Airways (BA) has announced full-year gross profits of £883 million, an increase of 45 per cent on the previous year.
BA shareholders will receive their first dividend in seven years following the positive results.
But aviation analyst John Strickland believes that airlines may struggle to remain successful as the cost of oil rises and customer demand is affected by wider economic problems.
He told the BBC: "The whole industry is faced with the rising cost of fuel. British Airways has indicated that could put its costs up by upwards of a billion pounds in the year ahead.
"And there's also increasing competition for British Airways, particularly on its routes to North America," he concluded.
In related news, BA's subsidiary OpenSkies has just received approval from the US department of transport to commence transatlantic operations.
Joe Evans
New owners at Blackpool International Airport
Tue, 06 May, 2008
Construction group Balfour Beatty is to by a 95 per cent stake in Blackpool Airport - a move described by Blackpool council leader Peter Callow as "great news" for the town.
The company's airport investment and development group Regional and City Airports (RCA) will run the north-west hub following a £14 million deal.
According to Mr Callow, the new owner will be able to take the airport to even higher levels than it has achieved in recent years.
Over the last few years, the gateway to the north-west has seen various developments, including changes to car parking space in the early months of 2006.
"I know [Balfour Beatty has] very exciting plans for the future which will see expansion of both flights and facilities," said Mr Callow.
In January 2007, RCA bought Exeter International Airport for a fee of £60 million. The deal with Blackpool involves the local council maintaining a five per cent stake.
Joe Evans
Business travellers 'turning to low-cost carriers'
Fri, 11 Apr, 2008
Budget airlines are becoming increasingly popular with British business travellers, a new study has found.
The 12th annual Barclaycard Business travel survey discovered that British Airways remains the airline most frequently used for business travel, accounting for 28 per cent of the UK market.
However, other carriers that have traditionally performed well in the business sector were found to have lost out to low-cost carriers.
Ryanair climbed to third in the rankings after their market share increased from three per cent to eight per cent in the past 12 months.
Rival cut-price carrier easyJet performed even better, with its 15 per cent share making it the second most commonly used airline by UK business travellers.
Denise Leleux of Barclaycard Business predicted that more companies would switch to low-cost airlines in the coming months, explaining: "They are becoming even more cost conscious - perhaps more so this year than before."
Meanwhile, British Airways has revealed it carried 2,718,000 passengers during March - 2.8 per cent fewer than in the corresponding period in 2007.
Joe Evans
UK airports 'handled 241m'
Thu, 13 Mar, 2008
A full 241 million passengers passed through UK airports last year, research by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has revealed.
Although this represents a 2.4 per cent growth over the year, the organisation notes that this is the slowest rate in a decade.
The majority of UK passengers were handled by London airports (58 per cent), with an increase of 2.8 million passengers on the previous year.
London Gatwick Airport recorded the biggest growth rate, serving one million more travellers in 2007 than in 2006.
The majority of people passing through UK airports were travelling to and from European destinations (139 million), with Poland, Italy and Spain recording the biggest passenger increases.
Around 22.4 million people flew between the UK and North America and 30.6 million others flew to the remaining international destinations such as the Middle East and Australasia.
Robin Broke of the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions has stated that the UK has a developed package tour to meet the demands of the British population who like to go abroad on holiday.
Joe Evans
Flights cancelled nationwide due to stormy weather
Wed, 12 Mar, 2008
The UK's stormy weather has caused disappointment for many holidaymakers, reports the Times.
According to the newspaper, 22 flights have been cancelled from London Heathrow Airport this morning because of the storms.
Five flights have been called off from both Birmingham Airport and Leeds-Bradford Airport and one service had been abandoned from Manchester Airport.
However, travellers using London Gatwick Airport, London Stansted Airport, Liverpool Airport and East Midlands Airport were lucky to have had no cancellations.
The newspaper adds that although seven flights were called off from a number of Scottish airports, there were varying reasons, not all down to the severe weather conditions.
Both ferry firms and rail networks have also reported delays to their usual services.
The Highways Agency has reminded drivers to keep a close eye on weather conditions, after a number of vehicles have overturned in the strong winds.
Joe Evans
Heathrow expansion 'would help regions'
Fri, 30 Nov, 2007
Regional airports have nothing to fear from London Heathrow Airport's expansion plans, according to an industry body.
A consultation is currently underway about plans to build a third runway and sixth terminal at London Heathrow Airport.
That would enable Britain's busiest airport to handle even more traffic, but Neil Pakey of the Airport Operators Association said the move would not take business away from its regional counterparts.
In fact, Mr Pakey believes the expansion would actually help the country's smaller airports because there are not currently enough slots available for domestic services at London Heathrow Airport.
As a result many passengers are unable to fly from their local airport to link up with long-haul services and London Heathrow Airport is not effective in its role as the UK's hub, he continued.
"Really we need to have slots into the regions through Heathrow … So Heathrow getting more slots, more capacity, that's actually going to benefit the regions far more," said Mr Pakey.
Joe Evans
East Midlands Airport scoops top industry prize
Tue, 20 Nov, 2007
East Midlands Airport has been named the Airport of the Year in the 2007 British Travel Awards.
The hub, which has scooped five travel awards so far this year, received the accolade at an event in London last week.
Independent experts voted for East Midlands Airport based on its interaction with the travel industry, how it handles passengers at its terminal, environmental credentials and how it supports and encourages the growth of charter operators.
East Midlands Airport managing director Penny Coates said this year has been "incredible" for the airport.
She added that this latest prize "an amazing example" of how well the airport is perceived by its trade peers.
"We are very proud of the titles we have been awarded this year which recognise the hard work and dedication of our great team," Ms Coates concluded.
In the destinations category of the awards, Australia was named the dream travel location, while Cornwall was named the favourite UK destination.
Joe Evans
Air traffic demand increases
Tue, 02 Oct, 2007
Air traffic demand increased in August, according to the latest set of figures, which could mean airport car parks are somewhat busier.
Conducted by the International Air Transport Association (IATA), a new report shows that year-on-year international passenger demand increased by 8.6 per cent, the fastest growth rate in 16 months.
IATA’s director general and chief executive Giovanni Bisignani commented that despite financial turmoil aviation demand had remained strong.
"While the credit crunch clearly shook both business and consumer confidence in August, demand for air travel remained solid with record high load factors for August," he said.
He added that the demand could weaken in coming months however and value sectors must increase efficiency to combat this.
The IATA is an international trade body and has been representing the airline industry for 60 years.
One of its priorities is to introduce 100 per cent e-ticketing facilities and to support industry positions on climate change.
Joe Evans
Queues at Heathrow Airport to be shortened
Fri, 28 Sep, 2007
Long queues at Heathrow Airport are soon to be a thing of the past, a representative from BAA has said.
New baggage screening technology due to be implemented at Terminal 5 should reduce the amount of time that passengers will have to queue, the chief executive of BAA Stephen Nelson has commented.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Nelson remarked that the technology will scan baggage more quickly and gives "a very accurate read".
"I think it's very important that we do everything we can to reduce queues. We have been doing that over the summer and in fact over the past 12 months we've now recruited over 22 per cent more security staff at Heathrow alone," he commented to the news source.
Security staff will have been increased by a further 50 per cent by December with 20 per cent more lanes added, Mr Nelson noted.
For those in a hurry to jet off, an added convenience could be to pre-book airport parking online before arriving at Heathrow Airport.
Terminal 5 is due to open in March next year.
Joe Evans
BAA passenger number increase
Tue, 18 Sep, 2007
Britain's airports are booming in popularity, new figures suggest.
BAA has announced that August was the company's busiest month so far in 2007 with its airports handling a total of 15.2 million passengers.
The company runs several airports around the country, including London Heathrow Airport, London Gatwick Airport, London Stansted Airport, Edinburgh Airport and Glasgow Airport.
Edinburgh and London Stansted saw the biggest increases in air traffic, recording a rise of ten per cent and seven per cent respectively.
North Atlantic traffic rose by 10.2 per cent and long-haul flights increased by 6.2 per cent.
With the number of Brits jetting off out of the country increasing, passengers may find it prudent to pre book their airport parking online before they embark on their journey.
Earlier this year, BAA announced that it would invest £9.3 billion into helping ease congestion at its airports and increase passenger enjoyment of the experience.
Joe Evans
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