End of season rush to the sun from East Midlands Airport

October half-term marks end of East Midlands Airport’s summer season

As winter approaches, East Midlands Airport (EMA) is expecting many people to leave these shores for sunnier climes during the October half-term weeks.

Jet away for the last of the summer sun. Photo EMA 

Just over 156,000 passengers are expected through EMA during the last two weeks of October, with the busiest day being Saturday 22 October. This coincides with schools across the region breaking up.

For those yearning for summer sun, temperatures in the mid-20s can be found in parts of Europe. While further south, the days are usually hot in the Canaries and it’s a particularly good time of year to swim in the sea, with water temperatures at around 24C.

Summer flight schedules from EMA continue until the end of October with airlines Ryanair, Jet2.com, TUI, Flybe, Blue Islands and Aurigny providing a choice of more than 50 destinations between them across much of Europe and North Africa.

Mainland Spain and the Spanish Islands continue to be the most popular destinations for travellers who choose EMA. The top 10 destinations passengers are flying to are:

Palma de Mallorca

Alicante (Spain)

Faro (Portugal) 

Malaga (Spain)

Tenerife (Spain)

Lanzarote (Spain)

Dublin (Rep. of Ireland)

Barcelona (Spain)

Dalaman (Turkey)

Menorca (Spain)

You can book flights from East Midlands Airport here at low prices.

April to October are the busiest months of the year for the EMA passenger operation. This year, the airport expects to have welcomed more than 2.5m passengers through its doors during this time.

The summer marked a significant step on the road to EMA’s recovery following two years of pandemic disruption which grounded passenger air travel. Last month (September) passenger numbers were up 425% compared with September 2021. The airport expects to close this financial year with passenger numbers reaching 75% of pre-Covid levels overall.

Clare James, East Midlands Airport’s Managing Director, said: “We are looking forward to welcoming passengers to EMA for the end of our summer season. For many, this will be their last chance to either top-up tans or grab some last-minute sun in readiness for the darker winter months. 

"It’s been fantastic to welcome back more than 2.5m passengers during our summer season this year. As airlines start their winter flying schedules next month, our attention turns to planning for 2023 by building on what has been a very successful summer for us.”

You can book flights from East Midlands Airport here at low prices.

Steve Griffiths named as East Midlands Airport’s new Managing Director, replacing Clare James.

Photo MAG

MAG (Manchester Airports Group), which owns and operates East Midlands Airport (EMA), has appointed Steve Griffiths as EMA’s new Managing Director, replacing Clare James.

Steve moves from London Stansted, where he led the business through the Covid-19 pandemic and drove it to become the UK’s fastest recovering UK airport.

Steve will take on an expanded Managing Director role, responsible for all financial, commercial and operational performance at the airport including overseeing the next phase of EMA’s cargo development strategy. He will also take the lead on MAG’s overall Operational Transformation across its three airports.

MAG CEO, Charlie Cornish, said: “Steve’s track record speaks for itself, having navigated Stansted successfully through the pandemic and overseen an impressive recovery. He will bring this considerable experience to East Midlands, as we look to maximise the contribution it makes both for passengers from across the Midlands and to driving global trade. I would like to thank Clare James for the excellent job she has done during her time at EMA since the start of the pandemic. Clare has led the airport as it handled record levels of cargo and managed the recovery of the passenger operation, all while improving customer service, strengthening staff engagement, and leading key activity in the region to become the only airport Freeport in the UK.”

East Midlands Airport welcomed 400,000 passengers in July

East Midlands Airport (EMA) has made a strong start to its peak summer season following two years of pandemic disruption.

Last month July passenger volumes returned to 73% of pre-Covid levels as the regional gateway welcomed 400,000 customers through its terminal. This is a 472 per cent increase on July last year, when travel restrictions and wider uncertainty about international travel curtailed demand. This summer, an average of 15,000 passengers are using the airport each day compared to approximately 4,000 daily passengers in July 2021.

With two-to-three weeks remaining of the school summer holidays, EMA will welcome similar numbers of passengers in August. Monday 29th is likely to be the airport’s busiest day of the summer, with 17,000 passengers expected. Summer flight schedules continue until the end of October with airlines Ryanair, Jet2.com, TUI, Flybe, Blue Islands and Aurigny providing a choice of more than 50 destinations between them across much of Europe and North Africa.

Mainland Spain and the Spanish Islands continue to be the most popular destinations for travellers who choose EMA. The top 10 destinations passengers are flying to are:

Palma de Mallorca

Alicante (Spain)

Faro (Portugal) 

Malaga (Spain)

Tenerife (Spain)

Lanzarote (Spain)

Dublin (Rep. of Ireland)

Barcelona (Spain)

Dalaman (Turkey)

Menorca (Spain)

In the months leading up to the peak summer season, the airport team, together with its airline partners, put plans in place to respond to increased passenger demand. Thanks to the progress made with recruitment, the addition of customer service ambassadors and student cadets, and the flexibility of colleagues to cover busy shifts, 99.25% of passengers continue to enjoy the convenience of clearing security within 15 minutes or less.

Flybe starts services between East Midlands and Belfast City airports

Flybe starts services between East Midlands and Belfast City airports

The new version of the UK regional airline Flybe has begun operations to and from East Midlands and  Belfast this month with a daily rotation linking the two cities in a little over 40 minutes.

Belfast and Northern Ireland are great places to explore with so much on offer to tourists and business people alike. For example, the city itself has the world’s largest Titanic visitor experience, is a must-see and is just one of the many cultural escapes, scientific exhibitions and literary-inspired attractions in the city. A short journey away from Belfast, the rugged Causeway Coastal Route - voted the Number 1 Region in the World to visit by Lonely Planet in 2018 - is a popular attraction for lovers of the outdoors and keen walkers.  Of course, for Game of Thrones fans, there is no better place to visit. The popular TV series was filmed in Belfast and across Northern Ireland. The area’s rugged coastlines, historic castles and breath-taking scenery provided the perfect backdrop. The Game of Thrones tour takes in famous filming locations.

Clare James, East Midlands Airport’s Managing Director, said: “We’re delighted that this popular route is being well-served by flybe. Direct connectivity to Belfast is a boost for this region and the new route provides frequent and easy access to Northern Ireland for people who are visiting for leisure or business. It’s also great news for tourism in the East Midlands and we offer a very warm welcome to visitors who want to explore everything this region has to offer.” 

Dave Pflieger, flybe’s CEO added: “We’re overjoyed to be starting flights from East Midlands Airport to Belfast. Our commitment will always be towards offering customers choice whilst providing the great value we’re known for, and we think this is a fantastic route to represent that.

“Connectivity is a priority for us, which is what makes us proud to play a role in tying together these two iconic locations. The new route will be essential to our mission of becoming the number one choice for both regional flights in the UK and between the UK and EU. We’re confident that our flights from East Midlands to Belfast are yet another step towards the future we envision for flybe.”

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East Midlands Airport offers Foodies-On-The-Go 24/7

Vending machine operator, Selecta has opened East Midlands Airport’s first Foodies-On-The Go; an unattended retail solution to provide snacks and drinks 24/7.

Situated in the check-in hall before security, the new facility is installed ahead of the airports’ busiest weeks of the year for passenger travel. Customers will be able to enjoy a great cup of Lavazza coffee, a refreshing cold drink, sandwich or snack at any time of the day or night.  They can also charge their mobile phone at the same time.

Richard Duckworth, East Midlands Airport’s Commercial Trading Manager, says: “Having a Foodies-On-The Go facility in our check-in hall is welcome investment and will improve the customer experience, especially as we enter our busiest weeks of the year. There has been no food or drink provision in the check-in hall for some time and this provides a great solution. I’m confident that it will be well-received by airport and airline colleagues too.”

And through our coffee partner Lavazza, Foodies-to-go can offer customers a barista-quality coffee experience using high-quality freshly-ground beans at a competitive price.

The opening follows a successful launch of Foodies-on-the-go at East Croydon Station, and now offers the same experience to airport staff and customers.

Massive loss of £320 million for Manchester Airports Group.....

Manchester Airports Group has just released details from its full-year results for the period 1 April 2021 – 31 March 2022 which show toe company served 20.5m passengers in 2021/22, up 225% year-on-year.

The Group – which owns and operates Manchester, London Stansted and East Midlands Airports also reported massive losses of  £320m for the year.

MAG is preparing for the aviation industry’s busiest period, as the peak summer season approaches. The Group expects passenger volumes over these months to increase to levels close to those seen in 2019, leading to a fuller recovery over the course of 2022/23.

MAG CEO Charlie Cornish said: “With travel restrictions in place for nearly all of the last 12 months, it was another uncertain and unpredictable year for MAG and the wider aviation industry.

“After tentative steps towards recovery last autumn, the emergence of the Omicron variant once again resulted in major barriers for people looking to travel internationally.

“MAG played an industry-leading role in highlighting the ineffectiveness of international travel testing, which helped pave the way for the removal of travel restrictions in spring this year.

“Free of those restrictions, we were confident that airlines and passengers would return quickly to our airports.

“The pace of that recovery has brought its own challenges, and recruitment has taken longer and been more difficult than we anticipated. We’ve now recruited more than 1,500 new staff across MAG since January so that we can give passengers the best possible experience this summer.

East Midlands Airport awards local hospices £60,000 for investment in renewable energy

East Midlands Airport (EMA) has awarded three local hospices an equal share of £60,000 to invest in green energy.

They are:

Rainbows Children’s Hospice (Loughborough) - fitted electric car charging points

Treetops (Derbyshire) - installing solar panels

Loros in Leicestershire – replacing light bulbs with new LED lighting.

The money has been made available from EMA’s Community Fund as part of a pilot project to support community, charity and voluntary sector organisations to make the transition to more sustainable energy use. This initial round of funding was ringfence specifically for local hospices.

The project is part of the airport’s long-standing commitment to placing environmental sustainability at the forefront of its operations. Back in 2002, EMA established an industry-leading Environmental Management System (EMS) and, in recognition of this, was the first UK airport to be assessed as ISO14001 compliant – an internationally recognised standard for environmental management. The airport has its own on-site wind turbines and supply agreements enabling power to be generated from renewable sources. 

Furthermore, the airport’s ground operations achieved carbon neutrality in 2012. In the summer of 2020 MAG, which owns and operates EMA, became a founding member of the Government’s Jet Zero Council, with CEO, Charlie Cornish, sitting as one of only two airport representatives.

Cllr Angus Sowter, a member of EMA’s Community Fund committee, said: “When the committee considered a sustainable energy fund, there was unanimous support for offering our local hospices funding in the first instance before we opened it up to the wider community. We’re delighted that this funding is already having an impact. Not only will it help the hospices reduce their carbon footprint but, at current energy prices, it will also help keep costs down so that more money can be spent on the care they provide.”

East Midlands Airport’s schools’ eco-garden project funding announced

East Midlands Airport (EMA) has announced over £120,000 of funding to schools across the region that entered an eco-garden competition.

Eco garden launch - 7

Earlier this year (in March) the airport launched a project to encourage schools to design and ultimately create eco-gardens. Participating schools were asked to submit designs for gardens or green spaces that substantially boost biodiversity and lead to improved wellbeing.

Twenty-six schools from across Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire submitted designs. The proposals have been evaluated by a panel of experts which included representatives of the airport’s corporate social responsibility team, Derbyshire Wildlife Trust and the parks, green spaces and environmental management team at South Derbyshire District Council.

The submissions were assessed against several criteria. The designs needed to demonstrate how the gardens would make existing space environmentally richer and more diverse, improve biodiversity, stimulate outdoor learning, and have wellbeing benefits.

A wide range of designs were submitted with proposals ranging from creating wetlands,  living classrooms, sensory gardens, vegetable patches and wheelchair accessible green spaces.

Such was the standard of entries that the judges decided to award funding to all schools that participated. Some will be awarded the exact amount of funding that they asked for while others will be given support to refine their designs to maximise biodiversity and wildlife benefits. The cost of these will then be re-evaluated and schools will be awarded the appropriate funding to deliver these schemes.

East Midlands Airport’s ‘one-stop’ cargo network connects businesses in the Midlands to 185 cities globally

East Midlands Airport’s (EMA) global cargo connectivity is powering businesses in the Midlands to a competitive advantage, according to newly commissioned research.

EMA’s position as the UK’s international centre for express air freight allows for high-value goods to be moved rapidly and to strict deadlines. These services are critical for the global supply chains of companies that are important to the Midlands economy, particularly advanced manufacturers, and the aerospace sector. In March this year alone, £1.4bn worth of goods were exported through the airport.

The impact of the UK’s largest dedicated air cargo operation benefits the whole of the UK, but businesses across the Midlands are the big winners thanks to the airport’s direct global connectivity. 

The research, conducted by York Aviation on behalf of EMA, highlights the importance of well-established freight integrators DHL, UPS, FedEx, Royal Mail and, increasingly, Amazon at EMA which, between them, provide direct connectivity to Europe and the US. Their ‘hub-and-spoke’ operation means that 185 of the world’s largest cities including ‘powerhouses’ such as New York, Singapore, Dubai, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Paris, Mumbai, Jakarta and Frankfurt (to name a few) and ‘second-tier’ cities such as Bogota, Tel Aviv, Cape Town, Seattle, Nairobi and Panama City can be reached from EMA with only one stop.

Further demonstrating the significance of the EMA operation, the research also reveals:

the value of the goods exported through the airport is twice that of imports. This shows a regional economy that is adding significant value to UK plc.

customs value of exports (per tonne) through EMA are £335,000, compared to £180,000 at some other UK airports. This is 1.9 times higher than the average for a tonne passing through other UK airports which strongly demonstrates that air cargo is used for high value goods that require speed and/or security of delivery. However, this does not wholly reflect the full economic value of, for example, just-in-time supply chains

the growth in cargo volumes at EMA reflects how the East Midlands as a whole has outperformed the rest of the UK for exports since 2017. This suggests a region that is becoming more internationally focussed. The proportion of foreign direct investment (FDI) in manufacturing in the East Midlands, at 36%, is around double that across the UK as a whole

The Midlands is already home to a cluster of advanced manufacturing firms, which typically rely on the import and export of time-sensitive commodities and are a source of high value jobs, creating significant value for the region. Its these strengths that have driven the Freeport proposition in the East Midlands, the final business case for which has now been submitted to government. 

While advanced manufacturers make up the majority of users of the air cargo services from EMA (54% of non-EU exports by value) other major beneficiaries include aerospace (27% by value), healthcare pharmaceuticals and automotive sectors. Fashion and household items equate to about 10% of both import and export volumes.

Aviation Minister, Robert Courts MP, says: “We know how critical quick access to the world’s most important economic powerhouses are to businesses, especially in sectors like advanced manufacturing, and so the links provided by East Midlands Airport will undoubtedly enhance not just the attractiveness of the Midlands, but the UK as a whole.”

Handling over 448,000 tonnes of goods per year, East Midlands Airport is second only to Heathrow in terms of the total volume of goods it handles but, by some way, has the UK’s largest share of the freight-only aircraft market. 

Since 2013, EMA has seen a steady growth in annual cargo volumes, but the Covid-19 pandemic supercharged this. In 2020, volumes were up 13% on the previous year which increased the airport’s share of the overall UK air cargo market. This growth reflected greater consumer use of e-commerce during lockdowns, but also a move by businesses to use more secure end-to-end supply chains. While the pandemic resulted in unprecedented growth, a proportion of this new business is expected to stay, as users make a permanent switch to dedicated air cargo specialists that operate out of EMA. In March 2022 alone, over £1.3bn of goods were exported through the airport.

Fuel leak causes Ryanair delay at East Midlands

Photo Ryanair

A Ryanair flight from East Midlands Airport had to be delayed for a number of hours today after a fuel leak during its turnaround this morning.   The 737 jet was operating flight FR9085 to Alicante in Spain, with a scheduled departure time of 7.05am. However, the leak saw fuel pouring out and all over the apron causing an emergency response and leading to a delay of a number of hours.  

A spokesperson for the airport said: "A technical issue during re-fuelling delayed the departure of a Ryanair flight to Alicante this morning. The flight is due to leave early afternoon. It has had no impact on other operations."

Air Models have a range of aircraft models, including some special 737 MAX models, including this one in the colours of flydubai.  

Other airlines featured include Air China,  Xiamen Air and China Southern 

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Manchester Airports Group continues to see business recovery despite mass passenger disruption.

Manchester Airports Group (MAG) served 80% of its pre-pandemic passenger volumes for the first time in April, underlining the pace of its recovery.

Figures published by the Group - which owns and operates Manchester, London Stansted and East Midlands Airports – saw 4.2 million passengers travel through its terminals across the month.

London Stansted continues to recover fastest of all major UK airports, welcoming more than two million passengers in the month, which included the Easter Bank Holiday weekend. That represented 85% of pre-pandemic traffic.

Manchester and East Midlands airports served 79% and 64% of April 2019 traffic respectively. Across the Group, in the space of three months (January to April) recovery in passenger numbers when compared to pre-pandemic levels has increased from 37% to 80%.

MAG CEO Charlie Cornish said: “Recovery across all three of our airports continues at pace, illustrating the huge pent-up demand for international travel we knew was in the market.

“We have worked positively with our airline partners to deliver a full flying schedule for our passengers, ensuring they get away on their trips as planned.  I am pleased with the significant progress we have made and continue to make with our recruitment efforts, which will equip our airports well for the summer.

In April, passenger numbers across the Group were 10% higher than in March, demonstrating the pace at which people are returning to travel. MAG, in partnership with its airlines, has continued its commitment to deliver a full flying schedule, so that travellers can go on their long-awaited trips without fear of last-minute cancellations.

Across the month, MAG has also made progress in its recruitment drive, with hundreds  new staff now deployed across the Group, with more expected to join over the coming weeks."

 

	Manchester	London Stansted	East Midlands	MAG
Rolling 12-month total to Apr 22	10,946,787	12,196,601	1,390,276	24,533,664
12-month total % change year on year	+277.5%	+288.4%	+236.4%	+280.2%
Rolling 12- month total to Apr 21	2,899,742	3,140,402	413,340	6,453,484
Apr 22 total	1,886,543	2,019,838	250,012	4,156,393
Apr 22 % change year on year	+2194.5%	+2288.8%	+320428.2%	2391.1%
Apr 22 % change on Apr 2019	-21.0%	-15.5%	-36.5%	-19.7%

 Hotel 101: Soho House Copenhagen set to open in July....

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Jet2 launches new Izmir route from East Midlands Airport

On Tuesday UK holiday airline Jet2 started a route from East Midlands Airport to Izmir in Turkey, just in time for the peak holiday season.

The new route is in response to strong demand from customers and independent travel agents for summer flights and holidays. The weekly Tuesday service to the Turkish city will operate until 1 November. 

As Turkey’s third-largest city, Izmir offers holidaymakers plenty of choices when it comes to popular family-friendly resorts on the west coast of Turkey such as Kusadasi, Cesme, Ozdere and Seferihisar. It is also ideal for those looking for exceptional weather, great value, and fabulous cuisine. On top of that, Izmir also benefits from having beautiful beaches, the ancient city of Ephesus, and the Dilek National Park within easy reach.

The services to Izmir means that Jet2 is operating to four Turkish destinations from EMA this summer – the others being:  

Antalya – up to three weekly services (Monday, Thursday and Friday) operating until 28 November, increasing to four weekly services (Monday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday) from 6 to 13 November.

Bodrum – weekly Sunday services operating until 30th October.

Dalaman – up to four weekly services (Monday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday) operating until 29 June, increasing to up to five weekly services (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday) from 2 June to 1 November.

Jet2 and its holiday operation Jet2holidays have 31 sun and city destinations on sale from across the Mediterranean, Canary Islands and Europe for Summer 22 from East Midlands Airport,  with 87 weekly flights available during peak times from East Midlands Airport. 

 

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East Midlands Airport launches £120,000 schools’ eco-garden fund

 

Participating schools encouraged to highlight how an eco-garden can improve biodiversity, as well as enhancing outdoor learning, recreational use and improving wellbeing.

Grants of up to £20,000 available for schools to turn designs into reality

Schools eligible to apply are those located within East Midlands Airport’s Community Fund ‘area of benefit’

East Midlands Airport (EMA) has launched a project to encourage schools to design and ultimately create eco-gardens.

Participating schools will be asked to submit designs for gardens or green space that substantially improve biodiversity. The submissions judged to have the most positive environmental impact will be awarded funds to turn designs into reality.

A share of £120,000 is up for grabs with the winning schools each eligible for grants of up to £20,000 depending on the scale of the project. The money has been made available from EMA’s Community Fund which was established in April 2002 to support initiatives in places which are most affected by the airport’s operation. To date, over £1.3m has been awarded to more than 1,500 community groups, supporting initiatives such as equipment for sports clubs and village halls to heritage restoration projects such as church clocks.

The eco-garden competition, which coincides with the 20th anniversary of the launch of the community fund, runs until 27 May. It is open to any school within the community fund ‘area of benefit’ which covers approximately a radius of 8-10 miles from the airport. These are the communities that are most overflown by aircraft approaching and departing EMA.

Designs submitted will be judged by a panel of experts including representatives of the airport’s corporate social responsibility team, Derbyshire Wildlife Trust and the parks, green spaces and environmental management teams at South Derbyshire District Council.

Judges will look for designs that incorporate innovative ways to make any space that schools have environmentally richer and more diverse, whether that’s transforming an area of concrete, improving the biodiversity of a playing field or growing food. Schools that have little outdoor space are urged to consider vertical gardens, making the most of walls and fences. Schools are also encouraged to highlight how an eco-garden could be used for outdoor learning, recreational use and to improve wellbeing.

More than 150 new job vacancies at East Midlands Airport

East Midlands Airport (EMA) is recruiting more than 150 customer-facing roles within its security, car parks and passenger services teams as the airport anticipates a strong recovery in 2022.

Following the easing of temporary travel restrictions, which were introduced in response to the Omicron variant, has delivered a boost to the travel sector, with consumer confidence rising and bookings surging according to airlines and travel firms.

The airport’s recruitment drive is in anticipation of what is expected to be a busy summer season for passenger travel. Filling vacant security officer roles is the airport’s immediate priority as new starters will need to undergo compliance training, while other vacancies will be advertised in the coming weeks.

The aviation sector was hard-hit by the pandemic. However, a strong and rapid recovery is expected, and East Midlands Airport is forecasting that passenger numbers this year will reach 75-80% of pre-pandemic levels. If achieved, 2022 will be the busiest year for passengers since pre-Covid.

The passenger airlines that serve EMA – Ryanair, JET2, TUI, easyJet, and Aurigny – connect holidaymakers to popular holiday-hotspots across mainland Europe, Eastern Europe and North Africa. The busiest months for passenger travel are April to October during which time two-thirds of annual travellers use the airport.

Customer-facing roles such as those being currently recruited to are critical not only to ensuring safety and compliance but also for making people’s experience of travel a positive one. These roles are ‘front-of-house’ and are ideal for those who enjoy interacting with customers and working as part of a team. The hours offered are also ideal for job seekers looking for a positive work-life balance from a shift pattern.

Ryanair announces 31 routes from East Midlands Airport for summer 22

Over 130 weekly flights to top European destinations

Ryanair will operate over 130 weekly flights from East Midlands Airport to 31 European destinations from April 2022, the airline and airport have confirmed. The massive route network will boost connectivity from the airport as well as creating more jobs in the local area. 

The summer holiday destinations include hotspots such as Alicante, Barcelona, Lanzarote, Malaga, Mallorca, Rhodes and Tenerife to name a few.

Ryanair’s Director of Commercial, Jason McGuinness, said: "As Europe’s No.1 airline, we are pleased to extend our partnership with East Midlands Airport and announce our Summer 2022 schedule, connecting UK families to a host of European hotspots for their much-deserved Summer 2022 holiday. Ryanair remains committed to re-building Europe’s aviation and tourism industries by restoring connectivity and growing our network of passengers to over 225 million per annum by 2026. We are delighted to have extended our long-term partnership with East Midlands Airport.  Our customers can now book a summer getaway to the likes of Alicante, Chania, Lanzarote, Malaga, Mallorca, Rome, Tenerife and many more on amazing low fares."

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UK’s largest airport group announces carbon offsetting scheme for passengers with CarbonClick

UK’s largest airport group announces carbon offsetting scheme for passengers with CarbonClick

Passengers at Manchester, London Stansted and East Midlands airports can now offset carbon emissions from flights they take to any destination, with any airline via an easy online process

Offsetting will fund the development of new woodland in the Lake District and carbon-reduction projects in Ghana and Nigeria

MAG has been ranked the number one airport operator in Europe in the GRESB Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) rating programme

The UK’s largest group of airports also publishes its annual CSR Report today, in which it details its commitment to a sustainable recovery from the pandemic

Manchester Airports Group (MAG) has announced it will provide passengers at all three of its airports the ability to offset the carbon emissions from their flights in a new partnership with CarbonClick.

CarbonClick’s voluntary offset tool allows passengers, regardless of their airline or destination, to quickly calculate the emissions from their flight and purchase carbon credits to compensate for them. Every purchase can be immediately linked directly to the high-quality climate projects that CarbonClick supports in the UK and abroad.

For example, a return flight to Amsterdam from Manchester Airport can be offset for £2.14 per passenger and a return flight to Dubai for £11.54 per passenger. Each offset will be split equally between two causes: the UK-based “Woodland Creation in the Lake District” on Lowther Estate, Cumbria, which promotes biodiversity and reduces carbon and the risk of flooding and “Promoting Improved Cooking Practices”, which makes and distributes efficient charcoal cookstoves. Use of the stoves reduces the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere and will improve the health of communities in Ghana and Nigeria.

Buying one carbon offset credit removes the equivalent of one tonne of CO2 from the atmosphere. This means that one passenger’s return flight to Amsterdam would require 0.145 of a carbon credit, which will remove approximately 145kg of CO2 from the atmosphere, while a return flight to Dubai would need the equivalent of 0.836 carbon credits to be offset, removing approximately 836kg of CO2.

Accredited, high-quality carbon offsetting is just one tool immediately available to the aviation sector as it moves towards a more sustainable future and works to support the reduction in overall CO2 levels from the atmosphere.

Airport security training is 'outstanding’ at East Midlands Airport

 

                                   The UK's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has rated East Midlands Airport’s (EMA) training provision for new and existing security staff as ‘outstanding’ in its latest quality assurance scheme.  

At East Midlands, a dedicated team of four delivers the training in-house to both new airport security officers (ASOs) and refresher training for existing security teams. Airport course providers are assessed annually but now that EMA has received two consecutive outstanding ratings, the next assessment won’t be until September 2023.

The CAA was particularly impressed with the quality of the training delivery, and the supporting information provided to each trainee, especially as the learning needs of participants varies from person to person.

Earlier this summer, EMA opened a new training facility in Pathfinder House, the airport’s administration HQ which was built above the expanded immigration hall. Airport security staff are required to be trained in several disciplines including body searches, identifying ‘threatening’ objects, x-ray, baggage screening and patrols. Also included is a module on modern slavery so staff are well-equipped to look out for behaviours that may indicate people smuggling.

Given EMA’s seasonal peaks in passenger volume (two-thirds of all passengers fly between the months of April and October), each year the airport increases the number of security staff it employs for the busiest months of the year. Training for these roles begins in January so that new recruits are qualified by the start of the peak season for international travel. In the autumn, a programme of refresher training starts for existing staff who need to be kept updated with changing rules and regulations.

Jessica Hosier, EMA’s Compliance Manager for Training and Terminal Operations, welcomed the recent assessment. She said, “I’m really pleased for the team here who work tirelessly to deliver quality training. This is a reflection of their dedication and commitment to ensuring the highest standards so that passengers can travel through our airport safe in the knowledge that security teams are highly trained. This is part of our wider commitment to the best possible customer experience.”

In anticipation of more passengers using the airport next summer, now that the UK government is committed to easing travel restrictions next month, the airport will begin recruiting more security staff towards the end of the year.

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UK travel system is holding back recovery, says East Midlands Airport

East Midlands Airport calls for an end to expensive PCR tests

Government data shows it has failed on its promise to sequence tests for variants, while passengers spend millions

Despite a recent increase in traffic, MAG, which owns and operates East Midlands, London Stansted and Manchester airports had 81.4% fewer passengers in July this year compared to 2019

East Midlands recorded passenger volumes 86.9% down on July 2019

The UK’s traffic light system and travel restrictions mean the country’s aviation sector is recovering at just half the rate of the rest of Europe, say East Midlands Airport (EMA) bosses.

The airport has today published passenger figures for July, which show that levels were down 86.9% on July 2019, when the airport served 571,000 passengers, compared to just 74,604 in the same month this year.

EMA said that since the review of the traffic light system on 4th August – which saw more countries added to the green and amber lists – volumes have picked up slightly but remain significantly below pre-pandemic levels.

With just three weeks of the peak summer season remaining, the airport is concerned that the requirement for passengers to pay for PCR tests, even when fully vaccinated and returning from low-risk destinations, is “out of step” with the rest of Europe and holding back the recovery of UK airports and airlines.

East Midlands’ latest traffic figures come as data from Airports Council International – Europe (ACI EUROPE) has laid bare the extent to which the UK is falling behind the rest of the continent when it comes to the revival of international travel. Figures show that Europe’s airports have already recovered to around 59% of pre-pandemic levels, compared to just 28% in the UK.

The UK’s blanket requirement for PCR testing and pre-departure testing differs dramatically to the approach taken by most European countries, which are allowing fully vaccinated passengers to travel between low-risk destinations without having to take any tests.

Over 50 destinations to fly to from East Midlands Airport this summer

Whether it’s a domestic break in Northern Ireland, a Mediterranean beach holiday or a visit to a European city, all are easily reachable with a short flight from East Midlands Airport.

The airport is hoping that it will see an increase in passenger demand over the coming weeks now that those who have received two vaccinations can avoid quarantine upon return from an ‘amber’ country, and as the region’s schools’ break-up for the summer holidays.

EMA is served by popular low-cost carriers Ryanair, JET2, TUI as well as easyJet who recently launched flights to Belfast, and Aurigny and Blue Islands who whisk people off to the Channel Islands.

Passengers can travel through the airport in the knowledge that measures are in place to help keep them safe. Everyone who travels overseas needs to test negative before boarding a plane, while face mask wearing in the terminals continues to be strongly advised, and deep cleaning and hand sanitisers remain in place.

The airport has also recently expanded its on-site testing capacity and offers a range of arrival and departure tests, including packages for amber/green list countries, plus Test to Release, which unlocks passengers from quarantine after a full five days.

Clare James, East Midlands Airport’s Managing Director, says: “While I appreciate that there is still anxiety about travelling abroad in the current climate, the recent reminder of what Mediterranean heat feels like may encourage holiday-makers to book for an overseas trip this summer if they haven’t done so already. While our passenger numbers remain below what they would have been pre-pandemic, this is a good time to travel if you want to avoid the usual crowds of the British exodus to sunnier climes.”