SASIG 2012/13 Meeting Dates
Thursday 14 June 2012 The Aviation Minister, Theresa Villiers, shall be attending.
Friday 9 November 2012
Friday 1 March 2013.
31 March – 6 April 2012 Regional and Industry News
Regional News
Welsh aerospace enterprise zone is launched
Business Minister Edwina Hart has formally launched five enterprise zones in Wales. They include the financial and professional services zones in Cardiff, manufacturing in Ebbw Vale and aerospace at St Athan in the Vale of Glamorgan, which as well as the aerospace park also includes Cardiff Airport.
Birmingham Airport boss opposes Heathrow expansion plans
Birmingham Airport’s Chief Executive, Paul Kehoe has rubbished calls for a “Heathrow solution” to the UK’s air problems calling for better use of the Midland complex. Mr Kehoe says existing plans for Birmingham Airport will make it able to accommodate 36 million passengers which would help free up capacity at Heathrow.
Greater Birmingham Local Enterprise Partnership chairman backs expansion at Heathrow Airport
The head of Birmingham’s enterprise partnership, which is backing bold expansion plans at the city’s airport, has called for a third runway to be built at London’s Heathrow. Andy Street, chairman of the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), helped draft a report with the London First Connectivity Commission which makes the case for a new runway in the south east.
Security blunder lets passengers in through Manchester Airport without passport checks
Bosses at Manchester Airport have confirmed that the security lapse affected three flights, carrying around 100 passengers, during the past fortnight.
Industry News
Airline operators of CityJet to cut 500 jobs by June 2012
Volunteer redundancies have already begun with forced redundancies to begin shortly. The group Stop City Airport Master Plan (SCAMP) has been advised that full staff cuts will be in effect by June 2012 with a total loss of 500 jobs.
British Airways expands fleet and route network at London City
British Airways (BA) is set to expand its route network from London City, where it is now the largest operator based on the number of services and passengers.
New scanners could end airline liquids ban
The ban on passengers taking liquids on planes could be lifted within a year after ministers approved a new generation of airport scanners. Devices should be installed at every airport in Britain and across the EU by the end April 2013, after the scanners were approved by the Department for Transport.
Consultations
Aberdeen Airport to undergo a £100m redevelopment
Plans have been unveiled for a £100 million redevelopment project for Aberdeen Airport that is estimated to create around 1,100 jobs in the UK.
Events
The Thames Hub Airport Debate – 6pm (for 6.30pm start), Monday 23 April 2012 – Institution of Civil Engineers, One Great George Street, Westminster, London SW1P 3AA.
——————————————————————————————————–
7 – 13 April 2012 Regional and Industry News
Regional News
British Airways (BA) plans to cut jobs at Gatwick Airport
Almost 600 BA employees at Gatwick Airport could lose their jobs or be transferred to another company as part of plans by the airline to cut costs after BA proposed shedding 170 customer service and management support jobs and outsource 400 ramp worker roles.
Heathrow airport passes 70 million passenger milestone
Britain’s biggest airport has hit a new milestone with more than 70 million passengers traveling through the Heathrow in 12 months. However, the owner of Heathrow Airport, BAA Ltd has acknowledged that the increase is largely down to an earlier Easter holiday in 2012, meaning the Easter bulge in traffic has occurred twice in the last 12 months, this March 2012 and in April 2011.
Ryanair announce further cuts at Edinburgh Airport
Ryanair will close eight routes and 60 weekly flights from October 2012. The operators of Ryanair have warned that deeper cuts to its winter schedule “may be inevitable” if BAA Ltd fail to agree an extension to a five-year base agreement, which expires in October 2012, on more competitive terms. The airline operators claim the latest cuts would see Edinburgh Airport traffic fall by 500,000 passengers a year and lead to the loss of up to 500 “on-site” jobs.
Proposed Thames Hub airport in “very worst spot” say air traffic controllers
NATS (formally National Air Traffic Services) chief Richard Deakin has said the architects drawing up plans for the Thames hub, Norman Foster and partners, had not contacted the air traffic control service about its feasibility. Deakin said the proposed site on the Isle of Grain, was directly under the convergence of major arrival and departure flight paths for four of London’s five airports and there were “serious challenges” to integrate an airport into that traffic pattern.
Industry News
Virgin Atlantic owners eye BMI slots for UK flights
The owners of Virgin Atlantic airlines are calling on the European Commission to ensure the 12 slots are auctioned as one complete package to provide the “most effective” competition to British Airways owner International Airlines Group (IAG).
IAG will dominate 51 percent of Heathrow slots after the bmi deal completes on April 20, even though it agreed to relinquish 14 pairs of take-off and landing slots to satisfy European competition authorities. Of the 14 pairs, two are already leased to Russian airline Transaero, meaning only 12 would be available for use by a new entrant.
British Airways owner interested in Portugal airline TAP take-over
British Airways’ parent firm, International Airlines Group (IAG) has reaffirmed its interest in Portugal’s TAP airline if the country’s government sells the airline.
NATS signs two year contract extension with Gatwick Airport
NATS, (formally National Air Traffic Services), has signed a contract to extend service provision at Gatwick Airport for a further two years.
London City Airport Consultative Committee publish Air Quality Report for 2011
Press Releases
Unite reaction to the integration of bmi and British Airways
Prospect – bmi airline jobs axe a body blow to local economies
——————————————————————————————————–
14 – 20 April 2012 Regional and Industry News
Regional News
bmi staff at Belfast City Airport consult over job loss fears
bmi workers at George Best Belfast city airport have gone into consultation with the company’s new owners, British Airways Ltd about possible job losses following the £172.5 million takeover deal earlier this month. The Belfast to Heathrow route is protected under the deal but around 100 staff employed by bmi in Belfast have been told that their jobs could be at risk.
Self tagging for British Airways passengers at London City Airport
Passengers flying with British Airways from London City Airport can now use a new self tagging system introduced by the airline.
Stansted calls for improved rail link
Stansted Airport’s managing director Nick Barton says the airport could attract more airlines and inbound business if journey times between London’s Liverpool Street station and the airport could be reduced from at least 45 minutes to half an hour.
Gatwick Airport Limited publishes March 2012 traffic release
In the year ended 31 March 2012, a total of 33.819 million (2011: 31.647 million) passengers travelled through Gatwick Airport, an increase of 2.172 million or 6.9%. Adjusting for prior year events as a result of which approximately 1,200,000 passengers did not travel, underlying traffic growth is estimated as 3.0%.
Virgin Atlantic has announced that it will appeal the decision by the European Commission (EC) to clear the purchase of bmi to International Airlines Group
The appeal does not prevent the deal from going through and Virgin Atlantic bosses will have two months to launch an appeal to the General Court of the European Union following the publication of the EC’s full report into the bmi sale to IAG, which is expected in the next two weeks. The appeal is likely to take at least a year but it could be up to two or three years because of the current backlog of cases at the court.
Industry News
Confederation of British Industry warns the UK will be a ‘branch-line destination’ without a clear aviation strategy
The UK risks becoming ‘a branch-line destination’, finding it increasingly hard to compete in global export markets, without a clear aviation strategy which deals with short, medium and longer-term needs, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has warned.
BAA Ltd claim new figures reveal airlines locating flights outside the UK
In a speech to transport industry leaders, BAA Ltd Chief Executive Colin Matthews has released research showing that foreign airlines are ready to vote with their feet and base new flights outside of the UK because of a lack of Government policy supporting aviation. A survey by the Board of Airline Representatives in the UK (BAR UK), which represents 84 scheduled airlines, shows that more than half (53%) either have located or are preparing to locate flights in other countries that they say would have come to the UK if there was spare capacity at Heathrow. 86% of airlines said that they would put on more flights to the UK if additional take-off and landing slots were available at Heathrow.
Air passengers given a stronger voice in regulation by appointment of Civil Aviation Authority Consumer Panel Chair
The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has announced the appointment of Keith Richards as the first Chair of the CAA Consumer Panel. The Panel will give the CAA a sharper focus on how its regulatory activity affects passengers, and on how it can best support the aviation industry to deliver choice and value for current and future aviation consumers.
——————————————————————————————————–
21 – 28 April 2012 Regional and Industry News
Regional News
Gatwick better under new owner, says ex-BAA Ltd chief
Former top executive at BAA Ltd, Paul Griffiths has conceded that the Competition Commission’s decision to break-up the airport operator’s South-east of England monopoly has already proven successful. The UK’s second biggest airport after Heathrow, Gatwick has seen security complaints fall by half and check-in times slashed since it changed hands.
Competition Commission approves Edinburgh Airport sale to Global Infrastructure Partners
This approval follows an extensive process in which the Competition Commission has reviewed potential buyers to ensure that they meet its criteria on appropriate expertise, financial resources, independence from BAA Ltd and absence of further competition concerns.
BAA Ltd agrees to £807.2 million Edinburgh Airport sale to Global Infrastructure Partners
London Heathrow airport owner BAA Ltd will sell its Edinburgh terminal to U.S. buyout firm Global Infrastructure Partners Ltd. for £807.2 million.
JPMorgan Chase & Co.’s was an unsuccessful bidder in the tender process for Edinburgh Airport.
Southend gets approval for terminal extension from Rochford Council
The new terminal officially opened in March, and the airport says construction of the extension is planned to get underway later this year, and will see the building expanded by 90 metres. The airport expects passenger numbers to “grow towards two million per year by 2020.”
BAA Ltd agrees to £807.2 million Edinburgh Airport sale to Global Infrastructure Partners
London Heathrow airport owner BAA Ltd will sell its Edinburgh terminal to U.S.
Industry News
Media
Telegraph interview with easyJet chief Carolyn McCall, urging Government to look at second runway at Gatwick or Stansted airports
Chief Executive of EasyJet, Carolyn McCall has noted “striking” differences between other European governments support for their airports while the UK is stuck in a “circular” debate about aviation capacity.
Events
The EU Emissions Trading System: moving towards phase 3 – Westminster Energy, Environment & Transport Forum Keynote Seminar – 29th November 2012 Central London
——————————————————————————————————–
February 2011-12 CAA Airport Traffic Stats (Reported in April 2012)