SASIG 2012/13 Meeting Dates
Thursday 25 October
CANCELLED: Friday 9 November 2012
Friday 1 March 2013
28 July – 3 August 2012 Regional and Industry News
Regional News
Manchester Airports Group (MAG) could benefit from ruling on BAA Stansted appeal
MAG is keen to buy Stansted and local authority owners plan to secure funds for a bid.
Kent County Councillor criticises own council about Gatwick Airport expansion
Councillor Peter Lake said the council should be promoting Kent’s existing international airport, rather than Gatwick, which is on the Surrey-Sussex border.
Ryanair Seeking 25% Stake in London Stansted Airport Bid Group
Letter to The Times – Heathrow court ruling can’t be ignored – Westminster Council
Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) raises £4.7bn for Gatwick Airport’s second infrastructure fund
Redhill Aerodrome revises bid to replace three grass runways with a concrete one
If successful, the plan would give Redhill Aerodrome the potential to increase flights from 60,000 to 85,000 a year.
Southend becomes sixth ‘London’ airport
Southend airport is officially a London airport after the International Air Transport Association (IATA) included it in the classification of the Metropolitan Area of London.
Industry
British airports under threat from rise of Gulf hubs, says Etihad boss
James Hogan, chief executive of Etihad has claimed that a lack of long-term planning will damage British aviation as the Gulf hubs grow and passengers bypass Heathrow for long-haul trips. He also affirmed his airline “was in Manchester for the long haul”.
Etihad aims to take a seat on the board of Aer Lingus as it builds its own global alliance of airlines
Etihad, the Gulf airline, is eyeing a seat on the board of Aer Lingus as it builds ambitions for its own global network to rival the likes of British Airways’ oneworld alliance. The airline has been acquiring stakes in a number of carriers, including Air Berlin and Virgin Australia.
Business travel outperforming UK economy
NATS on track to hit environmental targets
NATS, the UK’s leading provider of air traffic services and solutions, has released the second quarter of performance data for its world-first environmental flight efficiency metric. Known as 3Di, the tool is designed to deliver 600,000 tonnes of CO2 savings over the next three years – the equivalent to 10,000 flights from London to New York.
Eastern Airways takes majority stake in Humberside airport
Manchester Airport Group (MAG) has sold its 87.2 per cent stake in Humberside airport to the Eastern Group, owners of the regional carrier Eastern Airways.
Press Releases
Ryanair welcomes Court of Appeal rejection of BAA Ltd’s 7th appeal against sale of Stansted – Ryanair
London City Airport: 25 Years of Deception – HACAN
Events
Short courses:
3 – 5 October 2012 – Introduction to Air Transport Economics and Planning
7 – 9 November 2012 – Demand Analysis and Capacity Management
3 – 5 December 2012 – Introduction to Air Transport Business and Management
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4-10 August 2012 Regional and Industry News
Regional News
Humberside Airport sold to Eastern Group
Despite the sale, North Lincolnshire Council will keep its 17.5 per cent minority stake.
Manchester Airport secures £1bn boost to buy Stansted
Manchester Airports Group (MAG) is currently jointly owned by Greater Manchester’s ten town halls. But under the deal, which is conditional on the Stansted takeover going ahead, largest shareholder Manchester council would reduce its share from 55 per cent to 35 per cent. The remaining nine councils would jointly have a 30 per cent stake, down from 45 per cent.
Carlisle Airport plans to redevelop approved, but legal and planning obstacles still remain
City councillors have approved in principle Stobart Air’s £25 million scheme for a 394,000sq ft freight-distribution centre and to resurface the runway for passenger flights and air freight. But there are still legal and planning obstacles to be overcome. And objectors could yet seek a judicial review of the council’s decision.
British International Helicopters (BIH) to close Penzance to Isles of Scilly service
BIH will discontinue its scheduled service between Penzance to the Isles of Scilly on 1 November. The company’s heliport at Penzance is also set to close. BIH says it remains committed to finding a suitable relocation site in west Cornwall.
Hong Kong Airlines suspends Gatwick route
Hong Kong Airlines has suspended all bookings for its Gatwick to Hong Kong route after 3 September, which has resulted in rumours the route may be dropped.
Airlines sceptical that Heathrow’s HS2 station will be built
Airlines fear plans to link the HS2 line with Heathrow will never happen, according to the director of Heathrow Hub Ltd, Steve Costello.
Industry News
Chief Executive of International Airlines Group (IAG), Willie Walsh confirms the demise of Bmibaby
British Airways owner IAG – the parent company of British Airways and Spain’s Iberia which was created by the merger of the two carriers in 2010 is to press ahead with plans to close no-frills airline Bmibaby next month.
Virgin Atlantic is among the airlines planning to apply for the short-haul slots made available as a result of BMIbaby’s closure. Two slots from Heathrow to Moscow have already been awarded to Russian carrier Transaero.
Press Releases
Stop Stansted Expansion Celebrates its Tenth Birthday
Events
27 September 2012 – A New Aviation Policy: What does the UK really need? – London
29 November 2012 – The EU Emissions Trading System: progress, global issues and Phase III – London
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11-17 August 2012 Regional and Industry News
Regional News
Airport chiefs dismiss Lord Foster’s estuary airport funding plan
Owners of British Airways and Heathrow criticised the funding plan for the architect’s Isle of Grain proposal. In July 2012, Lord Foster and his team devised a plan to raise funds to pay for the new airport. They proposed funding the airport partly through landing charges – around £8bn – paid by airlines operating at Heathrow between 2018 and 2028. A further £11bn, they claim, could come from landing charges at the new airport.
Luton airport row ends as council scales back expansion
Luton airport’s council owners have abandoned their long-term ambition to triple passenger numbers to 30m a year following a row with the airport’s operator, Spanish group Abertis. Luton Borough Council had been threatened with a £300m legal bill after it suggested earlier this year that it would ditch Abertis amid a disagreement over expansion.
Balfour writes off Exeter Airport
Balfour Beatty has written down its 60% equity investment in Exeter Airport to nil, down from £12m, due to adverse traffic conditions at UK regional airports.
Eastern Group buys sharehold in Humberside airport
Eastern Group, the parent company of Eastern Airways, has confirmed that it had bought the almost 83% shareholding that Manchester Airports Group had in Humberside Airport.
Industry News
Business travel slump hits Flybe
Flybe has blamed a downturn in the number of business passengers as it issued another profits warning. The regional airline saw passenger numbers fall by 3 per cent to 1.9 million for its UK division between April and June.
10,000 more emails needed for Fair Tax on Flying campaign
Less than 10,000 more emails are needed to reach the target set for the Fair Tax on Flying campaign. The campaign, launched by the travel industry, has been calling on members of the public to email their MP to complain about the high levels of Air Passenger Duty.
Media
Article: Why new runways are not the solution – New Statesman
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18-24 August 2012 Regional and Industry News
Regional News
Bristol Airport passenger numbers last month topped 650,000 making it the busiest July on record
Norwich Airport to expand maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) activity
The regional airport will lodge plans with local councils by the end of the year to develop the northeast corner of its site totaling roughly 100 acres as an aviation-related business park.
Monarch could create 150 East Midlands Airport jobs
Monarch Airlines’ bosses have said they hope 150 new jobs will be created when the group starts fully operating from East Midlands Airport (EMA) in 2013.
Gatwick calls for market deregulation following BAA’s decision to sell Stansted
London Gatwick has welcomed its former owner’s decision to sell off Stansted.
Manchester Airports Group (MAG) leads early Stansted Airport battle
Manchester Airport plans £100m ‘World Logistics Hub’
East Midlands and Bournemouth airports announce carbon neutral status
The two airports have achieved carbon neutral ground operations after committing to becoming carbon neutral in 2006 and having since invested more than €5 million in carbon-reducing projects.
Industry News
Qatar buys 20% stake in Heathrow operator BAA Ltd
Peel Airports losses soar to £11m after Durham sale
Virgin Atlantic to fly between Heathrow and Manchester
Virgin Atlantic is to begin a short-haul service between London Heathrow and Manchester from September. The airline says its first foray into the UK domestic market will provide competition for British Airways.
Ryanair Confirms Interest in Stansted Airport
Ryanair said it has held discussions with a number of parties that are interested in bidding for Stansted and has been asked to consider acquiring a minority stake of less than 25% as part of a consortium. The budget airline is the main user of the airport, which is situated to the northeast of London, and offers two-thirds of total seat capacity flying to and from the airport.
Consultations
Public views sought on Gatwick Airport P-RNAV implementation
Gatwick Airport is undertaking a three-month public consultation on its proposed implementation of Precision Area Navigation (P-RNAV). P-RNAV facilitates much more accurate track-keeping within terminal airspace and has been trialled on a limited basis at Gatwick for six years.
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25-31 August 2012 Regional and Industry News
Regional News
Oxford Airport boss has sights on European routes
Oxford Airport’s new managing director, Andi Pargeter says destinations including Edinburgh, Glasgow, Belfast, Dublin, Amsterdam, Paris, Munich, Frankfurt, Geneva and Zurich have been identified as places where there is sufficient demand, particularly from local business travellers.
Plymouth Airport supporters hand petition in to city council
The site closed in December after leaseholder Sutton Harbour Holdings said the Airports was no longer viable following the economic downturn. The petition, organised by the Viable Group, was given to council leader Tudor Evans at the city’s Civic Centre. The group said it had 37,000 signatures supporting the airport, which was vital for transport and business links.
East Midlands Airport’s low-cost focus boosts passenger figures
Bosses at East Midlands Airport said its long-term future was also looking promising thanks to other airlines filling the gaps left by the demise of bmibaby earlier this year.
Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership transport chief looks to airport and motorways
The man heading up transport policy for Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership has identified three key areas to get things moving in the West Midlands. Andrew Cleaves, the transport lead for the LEP, said Birmingham Airport was a major concern, along with improving key junctions of the M42 and M6.
Wandsworth councillors call for some rail services between central London and Gatwick Airport to stop at Balham Station
The move would enable passengers to avoid heavy congestion at Victoria, Clapham Junction and London Bridge, and would create a new link between Gatwick and the Northern Line.
EasyJet to create 120 jobs as it steps up its presence at Manchester Airport
The budget carrier will base a new aircraft at its Manchester hub, which will come into operation from March. That will bring the number of planes easyJet has at the gateway to seven and chief executive Ms McCall hinted more could be on their way.
Industry News
Deadline for Bmi slot bids looms
Carriers have until 18.00 on 23 August 2012 to apply for the 12 Heathrow slots being relinquished by British Airways as part of its deal with European regulators to allow the purchase of Bmi to be completed.
Ryanair shelves Aer Lingus bid as European Commission opens investigation
Ryanair has been forced to shelve its €694m (£549m) takeover bid for rival Irish airline Aer Lingus after the European Commission opened an investigation.
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June 2011-12 CAA Airport Traffic Stats (Reported in Aug. 2012)