LLA cements Cranfield University partnership

London Luton Airport (LLA) and Cranfield University have strengthened their long-standing association with a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). 

The signing of the MoU coincides with the 60th anniversary of Air Transport teaching and research at Cranfield University celebrations that took place at the Cranfield University campus in Bedfordshire on Friday 13th September.

The partnership will provide a framework for environmental, operational and educational collaboration, joint project activities and combined research opportunities. 

Under the terms of the partnership, LLA and Cranfield will work together to identify opportunities in three key areas -

•    Net Zero collaboration – identifying opportunities for environmental innovation and efficiency in support of LLA’s journey to Net Zero, exploring new ground in areas such as energy efficiency, future fuel and power sources, smart local energy solutions and collaboration on net zero strategies and policies

•    Operational Innovation – collaborating on operations and the passenger experience including digitalisation and emerging aviation technology

•    Education - collaboration on a range of education and skills development initiatives. LLA will also work alongside Cranfield’s National Flying Laboratory Centre (NFLC), a facility virtually unique in the European academic sector and used to support teaching, research and consultancy. 

Alberto Martin, Chief Executive Officer at London Luton Airport commented: “This agreement is an exciting development that cements London Luton Airport’s long-standing partnership with our neighbours at Cranfield University. The MoU provides the platform to combine operational experience and expertise with world class academic research and thinking, applied to a live airport environment, and underlines our shared commitment in the three hugely important areas of sustainable aviation, operational innovation and the development of future skills.”

Professor Dame Karen Holford, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of Cranfield University said: "We are delighted to formalise our partnership with London Luton Airport and continue to build our connections. The collaboration gives us the opportunity to further address the industry's skills gap and provide individuals with promising career prospects, and it builds on our crucial research into decarbonising aviation.”

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Amsterdam's Schiphol takes a runway out of use......

From Monday 16 September to Tuesday 24 September, regular maintenance work will be taking place at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport on the Oostbaan Runway. 

This runway is usually only used for small, business and private aircraft, or for air ambulance, coast guard or government flights. During the period of maintenance, this traffic will use the Buitenveldertbaan Runway or one of the other runways at the airport. If all goes to plan, Schiphol-Oostbaan will be also be available on Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd of September.

Annual maintenance is carried out on all the runways so that they remain in good condition and the Schiphol-Oostbaan runway will be undergoing restorative works on the asphalt and markings. The cabling and electrics will be checked, the rainwater drainage system will be flushed out, the grass around the runway will be cut and the lights will be cleaned or repaired. These works are being carried out in collaboration with construction company Heijmans. 

 

During the maintenance, air traffic will be directed to other runways, such as the Buitenveldertbaan Runway. This means there will be more aircraft flying over the areas beneath these runways’ flight paths during this maintenance period.

From Monday 28 October to Wednesday 6 November, the Polderbaan Runway will not be available for its annual maintenance. Departing traffic will make more use of the Zwanenburgbaan and Buitenveldertbaan runways, landing traffic the Zwanenburgbaan, Buitenveldertbaan and Schiphol-Oostbaan runways.

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Development consent decision extension for London Luton Airport's new terminal

The application decision deadline is extended to 3 January 2025.

The UK's Department for Transport and Louise Haigh MP have extended the deadline for making a decision on further development at London Luton Airport to 3rd January 2025.

Under the 2008 Planning Act, a decision must be made within 3 months of receipt of the examining authority’s report unless authorities extend the deadline by making a statement to Parliament announcing the new deadline. The application was received on 10 May 2024, and the current deadline for a decision was 4 October 2024, after a written ministerial statement dated 24 May 2024. was issued. Now the new government has issued another statement extending it to early next year. 

The reason for the extension is to enable the applicant further time to provide the requested information, and for that information to be considered, including by interested parties, before the final determination of the application.

The proposed development by Luton London Airport was for a new passenger terminal and aircraft stands that would enable it to increase passenger capacity from 18 million to 32 million per year. It would also feature a new station, new open spaces and more parking.  

Consultation – Luton Rising

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London Gatwick offers 250 flights per week to popular ski destinations

London Gatwick is also offering flights to ski destinations in Italy, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Finland and Bulgaria this winter.

Passengers looking to hit the slopes this winter will have the choice of more than 250 flights to 15 skiing destinations from London Gatwick.

Alongside more than 50 weekly flights to popular French ski destinations Chambery, Lyon and Grenoble - all part of VINCI Airports' network - passengers across London and the South East will also enjoy easy and convenient access to the slopes in Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Finland and Bulgaria.
Stephanie Wear, VP Aviation Development, London Gatwick said: “Every winter we welcome more than a million passengers jetting off with their skis and snowboards, so we know how popular these destinations are with our passengers.
“We are delighted to be able to offer such a breadth of choice this winter, with fantastic connectivity to a number of the best ski resorts across Europe.”
Val d’Isere, often rated among Europe’s top ski destinations, is easy to access from each of Chambery, Lyon, Grenoble and Geneva airports, while Chamonix can also be reached in just over an hour by car from Geneva and Chambery.
Villars-sur-Ollon, a 90-minute drive from Geneva, alongside Arabba Marmolada in Italy’s Dolomites – served by Bolzano Airport - and Borovets, an hour from Sofia, have been named among Conde Nast’s top 10 underrated ski resorts in Europe.
Those seeking a magical Christmas skiing experience, meanwhile, can fly to one of Ivalo, Kuusamo, Kittila or Rovaniemi – all situated in Finland’s Lapland region.

Two million enjoy an effortless getaway from East Midlands Airport this summer

Summer 2024 has seen more than two million passengers use East Midlands Airport (EMA) for their holidays – almost 100,000 more than last year.

Last month alone, 545,000 people passed through the airport, adding to a total of 2,003,823 since the beginning of May. That’s up 97,097 on the same period in 2023, and around half of the total projected for the whole year.

The airport put in place a range of customer improvements ahead of the summer, including new and refurbished bars, a new shop, new toilets, baby changing facilities and multi faith room, extra seating, new trolleys and better wi-fi. This is part of a £120m five-year investment programme underway at the airport.

Some customers arriving at EMA in August have also experienced the new security arrangements which will come fully into effect next summer. One brand new security lane with state-of-the-art scanning equipment has been developed and opened ahead of similar improvements to the whole security hall in time for summer 2025. For the time-being, all customers still need to prepare for security in the usual way, but once all the new equipment is installed and ready next year, new rules will make getting through security at EMA even simpler.

London Gatwick celebrates supporting local green space

Gatwick Greenspace Partnership - GGP is celebrating its 30th anniversary, marking decades of collaboration with London Gatwick and local communities to enhance and protect the natural environment across Surrey and Sussex. 

Colleagues, volunteers and partners recently gathered at Tilgate Park in Crawley to celebrate the anniversary. Speeches were made by Sam Fulton, Director of Communications and External Affairs at London Gatwick, Pete Crawford, Parks and Countryside Manager at Horsham District Council, Mike George, Chair of GGP Steering Group and Horley Town Councillor, and Nikki Hills, Director of Communities at the Sussex Wildlife Trust.

Since 1994, GGP has promoted biodiversity and environmental education through its many conservation programmes, managed by Sussex Wildlife Trust.

With help from London Gatwick funding, Gatwick Greenspace Partnership (GGP) has engaged thousands of volunteers, local schools, and community groups in biodiversity enhancement activities. 

Supported by London Gatwick, which funds a full-time role dedicated to coordinating volunteer and educational activities within the airport grounds and surrounding areas, GGP has engaged thousands of volunteers, local schools, and community groups. 

Colleagues from across the airport have also participated in GGP’s volunteering initiatives, contributing their time and skills to projects such as installing dormouse boxes, constructing sustainable pathways, and removing litter. Their involvement has been vital to GGP’s ongoing success and demonstrates a shared commitment to wildlife conservation and community benefit. 

For details of the latest Gatwick Airport Community Trust awards. see below.

Nikki Hills, Director of Communities, Sussex Wildlife Trust said: "Reaching our 30th anniversary is a significant achievement, and it wouldn't have been possible without the support of London Gatwick, other funders and our incredible volunteers and community partners.  

"We are excited to continue the partnership with London Gatwick to advance our shared goals of community engagement and environmental stewardship." 

London Gatwick’s commitment to biodiversity has been recognised through receiving the Wildlife Trusts' Biodiversity Benchmark Award every year since 2014.  

International passenger numbers triple at City of Derry

One year on from the launch of international single-ticket fares from City of Derry Airport, as part of the take-off of the Loganair London Heathrow service offering the new hub connectivity, new passenger figures have unveiled that the number travelling through the ‘Gateway of the Northwest’ to connect to international destinations has tripled from Summer 2023 to Summer 2024. These figures indicate a new wave of global travellers using the Airport, with the top connecting destinations outlined as Dubai, Doha and Abu Dhabi, and the top connecting airlines shown as British Airways, Emirates and Etihad Airways.

Steve Frazer, Managing Director at City of Derry Airport, commented: “It’s wonderful to see travellers across the Northwest enjoying the benefits of flying local to an array of bucket-list destinations across Europe, the Middle East, North and South America, Africa, Asia and Australasia.

“Passengers can drop their baggage at City of Derry, breeze through London Heathrow, and collect their baggage at their final destination. There is also increased baggage allowance as the international airline’s baggage permissions apply throughout the journey.

“In terms of planning international travel, passengers can simply book single-ticket fares via the international airline website, or via a local travel agent. Full information on all destinations and the airline carriers available to book for each destination is shown on the City of Derry Airport website: www.cityofderryairport.com/destinations/international-connections.”

Wipro enlisted by JFK International Air Terminal to meet sustainability targets

Wipro Limited, a leading technology services and consulting company, has been enlisted* by JFK International Air Terminal (JFKIAT) - the operator of JFK’s Terminal 4 - to help meet its net zero targets.

Wipro Consulting’s sustainability practice was selected by JFKIAT to assess the Terminal’s greenhouse gas emissions, develop a carbon reduction roadmap, and create its 2023 sustainability report aligned with JFKIAT’s sustainability targets. JFKIAT’s target is to reduce their Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 50% prior to 2030 and by 100% prior to 2050. Wipro’s work centered across three main pillars:

Measure: The Wipro team measured JFKIAT’s Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions through a greenhouse gas inventory, aligned to industry standards (including the Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) standard). The team captured additional emissions sources from previous inventories (i.e., stationary combustion, fugitive emissions, and mobile combustion) to provide an accurate view of JFKIAT’s footprint and identify reduction opportunities. 

Reduce: The Wipro Consulting sustainability practice, Wipro Impact, produced a carbon reduction roadmap, including investment priorities in energy efficiency measures and a renewable energy sourcing strategy. The roadmap provided JFKIAT with the steps to meet its 2030 50% reduction target and set them up on a path to achieve their 100% reduction target by 2050. JFKIAT implemented the renewable energy sourcing strategy recommended by Wipro in late 2023, which allowed JFKIAT to reduce their baseline emissions by 16%.

Inauguration of the upgrade work at Belgrade airport

On 30 August 2024, the French President, Emmanuel Macron and his Serbian counterpart, Aleksandar Vučić, celebrated the official completion of the work to extend and upgrade Belgrade airport.

The project has furthered the airport’s transformation to become a major air hub in south-east Europe, where passenger numbers have risen 42% since 2018. Financed and designed by VINCI Airports (VINCI Concessions), the work began in 2019 and was conducted in partnership with VINCI Construction Grands Projets in order to increase capacity, improve the quality of service and enhance comfort at the airport. The work involved refurbishing and extending the terminal (40,000 m2), adding 12 boarding gates, installing 11 additional aircraft parking bays, as well as reconfiguring access routes to the city, parking facilities, the promenade and the retail offer. A second 3.5-km runway was also built to renovate the main runway. In addition, a new boiler room, photovoltaic production unit, wastewater treatment plant and solid waste separation centre were built.

Nine million summer travellers passing through Copenhagen Airport

Nine million passengers passed through Copenhagen Airport during the three summer months of June, July and August. That was one million more passengers than last year – or a year-on-year improvement of 13 per cent. Despite fewer flights, Copenhagen Airport saw a marked increase in the number of passengers on the European routes and in the number of transfer passengers travelling via Copenhagen to other destinations around the world.

Summer is the peak season at Copenhagen Airport with our terminals teeming with holiday-bound travellers. A total of 2.95 million passengers travelled through the airport in August, an increase of 360,000 on August 2023. That brings the total number of passengers for the three summer months of June, July and August to nine million.

“Despite a drop in the number of passenger flights to and from Copenhagen Airport, we had an excellent summer that was fully on a par with 2018 and 2019, our busiest summers to date. This is because more airlines now use more modern aircraft that accommodate more passengers and because the airlines are now better at filling the aircraft,” says Peter Krogsgaard, Chief Commercial Officer of Copenhagen Airports A/S.

A total of 22,153 passenger aircraft took off and landed at Copenhagen Airport in August, compared with 23,261 in August 2019. This corresponds to a five per cent reduction in the number of flights in August, while the number of passengers passing through the airport remained the same. The load factor, or the average number of seats filled from Copenhagen, was as much as 81.0 per cent in August compared with 79.0 per cent in 2019.

Summer in Europe

Norwich Airport rated one of the top three airports in the UK

Norwich Airport has been rated one of the top three airports in the UK for customer experience and has received ‘Recommended Provider’ status by consumer champion Which?

The prestigious recognition comes as part of Which?’s annual airport survey of its members, seeking their feedback on a variety of airport experiences.
A customer score is calculated based on a combination of overall satisfaction and likeliness to recommend to others.
Norwich Airport had a customer score of 78%, ranking it third in the UK overall. Norwich’s sister airport Exeter Airport was ranked fourth with 77%, with London City taking second place (80%) and Liverpool (John Lennon) Airport ranked number one with a score of 81%.
In April this year, Which? surveyed almost 5,000 members about their experiences at UK airports in the previous 12 months. Respondents were invited to rate the airports across 11 categories, including seating, staff, toilets and queues at check in, bag drop, passport control and security.
On the whole, the consumer champion found smaller airports once again performed better than their larger rivals this year – with respondents reporting shorter queues, and a generally less stressful experience. 

Exeter Airport rated as one of the best airports in the UK by Which?

Exeter Airport has been rated one of the best airports in the UK for customer experience and has received ‘Recommended Provider’ status by consumer champion Which?

The prestigious recognition comes as part of Which?’s annual airport survey of its members, seeking their feedback on a variety of airport experiences.

A customer score is calculated based on a combination of overall satisfaction and likeliness to recommend to others.

Exeter Airport had a customer score of 77%, putting it among the top five airports in the country and fourth overall. Exeter’s sister airport Norwich Airport was ranked third (78%), with London City taking second place (80%) and Liverpool (John Lennon) Airport ranked number one with a score of 81%.

In April this year, Which? surveyed almost 5,000 members about their experiences at UK airports in the previous 12 months. Respondents were invited to rate the airports across 11 categories, including seating, staff, toilets and queues at check in, bag drop, passport control and security.

On the whole, the consumer champion found smaller airports once again performed better than their larger rivals this year – with respondents reporting shorter queues, and a generally less stressful experience. 

Tampa International Airport shows plans for new airside area.....

Tampa International Airport has released new, full-colour concept renderings of the design for Airside D, the Airport's first new airside area in almost 20 years.

The new 16-gate area will be used for both international and domestic flights and will have two levels and include 2 airline lounges.  The airport says the new Airside D area will open in 2028. The images are courtesy of the design-build team for the project led by construction company Hensel Phelps, with engineering corporation HNTB and architecture firm Gensler.

Exterior images give a sense of place for the Airside, which will be northwest of TPA's Main Terminal and will feature ample natural light and views of the bay. The new renderings show the soaring ceilings, bright interiors, the International Arrivals corridor that wraps around the building and more. The design process is currently at 15%, so these images are subject to change as the design evolves.

Airside D has a preliminary cost estimate of $1.5 billion and is scheduled to open to the public in 2028. The Airside will help TPA, which currently serves an estimated 25 million passengers annually, accommodate the region’s growth and serve up to 35 million annual passengers by 2037.

Airside D’s design features include:

Two levels plus a mezzanine for 2 airline lounges with views of the airfield and the bay

International Passenger Arrival Processing Area on the first floor

Shopping and dining locations at the center of the Airside, offering 360-degree views of the gates

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Teesside Airport back in profit first the first time in a decade.....

Teesside International Airport has reported its first profit in more than a decade the company confirmed.  A growth in passenger numbers and successful Business Park developments helped the airport move out of the red and back into the black. 

Accounts for the year to March 2024 confirmed an EBITDA* of £308,555 on annual revenues of £14.5million. 

The return to profitability is well ahead of the airport’s financial plan and came after Teesside enjoyed its highest passenger numbers for more than a decade due to high demand for flights to Spain, Portugal and Turkey. 

The 2023 UK and Ireland Airport of the Year also made progress on developing its Business Park, including completing construction of the first unit on Business Park South, a new link road to the development, and a new Northside hangar, that will soon house aircraft painting company Airbourne Colours. 

The accounts show that the significant growth in property and estate development values has driven the airport’s investment portfolio by 173% over five years to almost £ 50 million. 

It is the first time the airport has reported a profit at any level since 2012. 

London Gatwick reports strong start to 2024

London Gatwick reports strong start to 2024

The continued collaboration with partners and the hard work of front-line colleagues has supported London Gatwick's continued recovery and delivered a successful start to the year, the airport said when publishing its interim financial results.

2024 interim results include:

• 19.9 million passengers travelled through the airport, an increase of 7.7% compared to the same period in 2023
• Revenue at £488 million, up 15.3% compared to 2023. Includes £239 million in aeronautical income and £249 million from non-aeronautical sources, such as retail and parking
• EBITDA at £268 million, up 13.9% compared to 2023, with net profit for the period at £106 million, up 33.8%

Stewart Wingate, Chief Executive Officer, London Gatwick, said: “With the growing demand for travel, we are experiencing one of our busiest summers yet. Thanks to robust planning and close collaboration with our partners we’ve had a strong start to 2024, ensuring a reliable and enjoyable experience for our passengers.

“I am delighted that we have once again achieved good service levels, as evidenced by meeting 100% of our service measures. At the same time, through our Northern Runway Project, we are demonstrating our commitment to growing sustainably, in line with our Decade of Change sustainability strategy and government policy.

“Our teams have worked incredibly hard to achieve these results. As we continue to grow our network and offer more choice for passengers, we are working towards our vision to be the airport for everyone, whatever your journey.”

Strong financial performance as traffic continues to grow 

Peak holiday times are continuing to attract more people to travel, representing a 90% recovery on 2019 levels.

A focus on developing new long-haul routes across the Middle East, Asia and North America is attracting a wider range of passengers and continues to build on the airport’s vision to be the airport for everyone. Recent new services include the June introduction of Singapore Airlines flights from London Gatwick plus new routes by flag carriers to key cities across China and India. 

Sustainable growth

MyFlight makes travelling smoother at Helsinki Airport

The free MyFlight service, developed by Finavia, provides passengers with personalised information about their upcoming flight at Helsinki Airport.

“Helsinki Airport has a lot of new services, shops and restaurants for different wishes and needs. The service provides personalised tips for enjoying your visit to the airport and ensures that your journey will be smooth and hassle-free,” says Anna Tuomi, Finavia’s Head of Marketing.

The service provides passengers with a wide range of information about departure and airport services at different stages of their journey.

To support its users’ journey planning, the service sends them an email containing, for example, a checklist for air passengers, an airport map and the latest information about the airport’s services along the way to the departure gate. Before the flight departs, the service will remind you of the start of boarding and any changes in the departure time or gate information.

“We want to offer passengers an unhurried experience at our airport. The MyFlight service makes it easier to plan your journey even before you arrive at the airport, and provides you with up-to-date information about your flight’s departure. This allows passengers to spend their time before arriving at the gate in the way they prefer.“

The MyFlight service is being further developed at Finavia.

“We see MyFlight as an interesting additional service for passengers at our airport. Our goal is to further develop the service on the basis of passengers’ needs.“

Order Myflight here. 

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Norwich Airport sees continued growth in passenger numbers

Norwich Airport has continued its recovery from the covid pandemic with passenger numbers increasing in the last financial year.

In the 12 months to the end of March 2024 the airport welcomed 353,000 passengers, up 2% on the previous year, cementing its role as a popular regional airport for leisure travel.

The airport, which employs 224 people, is also the gateway to the southern North Sea for the offshore energy industry and plays a key role in supporting the region’s wider aviation ecosystem with pilot training, military operations and the maintenance, repair and overhaul of aircraft.

The figures contributed to a 15% increase in passenger numbers for parent company Regional & City Airports (RCA), which saw more than 1.75m passengers use its airports during the year.

As well as Norwich, the group owns Bournemouth and Exeter Airports and holds a management contract for Solent Airport.

The Norwich figures do not reflect the start of Ryanair’s first ever flights from the airport in April as this was outside of year-end. Ryanair has added 60,000 seats this summer with new routes to Malta, Alicante and Faro, putting the airport on track to surpass pre-covid passenger numbers of half a million.

Ryanair has already confirmed that it will continue the Alicante route through the winter.

Bournemouth Airport has seen a 25% growth in passenger numbers and surpassed 2019 pre-pandemic levels for the first time.

Bournemouth Airport has seen a 25% growth in passenger numbers and surpassed 2019 pre-pandemic levels for the first time.

Latest figures show that in the 12 months to the end of March 2024 the airport welcomed 967,000 passengers, putting it on course to hit one million later this year.

That growth is set to continue with jet2 having announced 16 destinations for 2025, having chosen Bournemouth as its 12th UK base airport. And tour operator TUI added a second aircraft and 60,000 seats this summer.

Ryanair meanwhile recently celebrated carrying over 10 million passengers through Bournemouth Airport, growing from its first single route to Dublin in 1996 to a 20-route operation today connecting nine countries across Europe.

And the airport’s international cargo operation continues to grow, cementing Bournemouth as an established gateway for airfreight into the UK.

The airport employs some 288 people and plays a key role in supporting the region’s wider aviation ecosystem, with pilot training, military operations and the maintenance, repair and overhaul of aircraft.

Exeter Airport returns to profit as passenger numbers grow

Exeter Airport has returned to profit for the first time since the pandemic on the back of continued passenger growth, with numbers up 8% year-on-year.

In the 12 months to the end of March 2024 the airport recorded a profit of just over £1m, representing a £2m turnaround on the year before. Passenger numbers stood at 435,000, up 8% on the previous year’s 402,000.

Further growth is expected following the launch of a new Ryanair service to Palma in Majorca in May this year.

Meanwhile TUI, the airport’s biggest operator, has already confirmed that it will base a second aircraft at Exeter Airport next summer. This will provide an extra 80,000 seats including a new route to Ibiza and more flights to a range of popular sunshine destinations including the Canaries, Greek Islands and Turkey.

The figures contributed to a 15% increase in passenger numbers for parent company Regional & City Airports (RCA), which saw more than 1.75m passengers use its airports during the year.

The group also owns Bournemouth and Norwich Airports and holds a management contract for Solent Airport.

Rescued chimp finds new home via East Midlands Airport

East Midlands Airport (EMA) played a vital part in bringing a chimpanzee rescued from poachers to its long-term home in Dorset’s acclaimed Monkey World Ape Rescue Centre.

Chocolat the female chimp was flown to EMA by DHL Express from Nairobi via Bahrain in a custom-built crate and supported by a team of specialist keepers, aircraft engineers, cargo handlers, security personnel and pilots. Throughout the trip Chocolat snacked on fresh fruit, nuts and sweet potato. From the airport, she was transported by road to her new home at Monkey World.

Chocolat’s family was hunted and killed when she was an infant, as part of the illegal bushmeat trade in the Republic of Congo. She had injuries from shotgun pellets that have left her with a paralysed hand and foot. She was rescued and cared for in Kenya for twenty years before finding her new home at Monkey World, which provides specialist care for chimpanzees that have been smuggled from the wild or suffered abuse or neglect.

To accommodate her needs, her new enclosure has been treated to upgrades such as lower platforms, new nesting areas and cargo nets, all designed to make Chocolat’s new home as accessible as possible. The 65-acre sanctuary is home to over 230 primates of 25 different species, with Chocolat joining 52 other chimpanzees.