Airport News Archive October 2008

New  “Skyhub” terminal at Glasgow Airport

Glasgow Airport has completed the main phase of its multi million pound “Skyhub” extension. The ground floor was officially opened to customers on 21st October 2008. This area constitutes the new arrivals meeting hall and departure security screening area.

New facilities include a J D Wetherspoon’s pub and restaurant , Starbucks coffee shop and a range of other shops and cafes, with more due to open in the future. Later this month “phase 2” will commence, when a new £12 million pounds security search area situated on the first floor of the building will be unveiled.

Commenting on the new facilities Amanda McMillan the Managing Director of Glasgow Airport stated “ Security is our number one priority and we have invested heavily to build one of the largest security search areas on the UK , using the latest x-ray technology to speed passengers safely through the airport”.

The project has so far created 250 new retail jobs, and is part of an ongoing £200 million pounds investment into Glasgow Airport’s facilities over the next 10 years

22.10.2008

Wizz Air Ukraine to fly to Poland

Wizz Air Ukraine  have announced that it will commence flights between Katowice and Kiev. The new route will be the first low cost flight between Poland and the Ukraine.

The new service starting 3rd January 2009 will run three times a week subject to approval.

This new service arrives hot on the heels of Wizz Air’s plans for Kiev to Dortmund and Cologne and from Lvov to Dortmund and Luton.

Flight information is available on wizzair.com and via the call centre.

The Director of the board of Wizz Air Ukraine Natasa Kazmer commented “ We are pleased that we can open the first low cost route between Poland and Ukraine, two countries that are linked in so many ways; historically, culturally economically and family-wise. Thanks to the new affordable, fast and comfortable travel opportunity between Kiev and Katowice these relationships will now tighten and further develop to the benefit of both countries.It is just the beginning of a strong growth of Wizz Air in Ukraine; you will soon see more aircraft, more new routes and more low fares”

Monarch annouces 12.000 extra seats for Christmas and the New Year.

Credit Crunch or not Monarch has added more than 12,000 seats to its scheduled flight programmes for Xmas and New Year after huge customer demand.

The flights which will operate between Saturday 20th December 2008 and 4th January 2009, operate from all four of Monarch’s  UK bases to some of Europe’s major winter destinations throughout Portugal Cyprus Spain and the Spanish Islands.

Additional flights include the following routes:

From Manchester Airport to Faro, Malaga, Lanzarote and Tenerife.

From Luton Airport to Malaga.

From GatwickAirport to Larnaca and Lanzarote.

From Birmingham airport to Tenerife, Malaga, and Lanzarote.

The managing director of Monarch’s scheduled operations commented” The additional flights are great news for Monarch customers looking to get away this Christmas. Early indicators show that our customers are considering the Christmas getaway as important as ever and are continuing to snap up Monarch’s low fares in their droves.

With 64 additional flights being added into the flying programme offering in excess of 12.000 further seats, getting away for Christmas has never been easier”

Monarch operates scheduled flights to Spain , Portugal, Gibraltar and Cyprus from Birmingham, London Luton ,London Gatwick and Manchester airports and for the first time will be operating scheduled flights on Christmas day.

Seats may be pre-booked in advance for a fee of £6 one way and extra leg room seats are available from £15. Regular passengers are rewarded with a range of benefits the the loyalty Vantage Club.

Online check in is also available for passengers greatly reducing the chance of lengthy queues at the airport. This service is available seven days and 4.5 hours prior to departure.

Ryanair shuts Valencia base

Credit Crunch starts to bite with more trimming of schedules. The decision by the low cost carrier will hit 10 routes used by 750,000 passengers a year including those flying to the city from Stansted airport, East Midlands airport and Liverpool airport.

Ryanair said the move, which comes into force on Nov 4 2008, was because the local authority had failed to come up with satisfactory plans to promote the airport.

As a result, the carrier added, Valencia had become untenable as a destination. Instead Ryanair will shift its operation to another of its existing bases.

The move comes as the downturn in the aviation industry shows no sign of abating.

Ryanair, EasyJet , British Airways and Virgin have all trimmed back winter schedules axeing unprofitable flights in recent months.

The airlines' cutbacks come as the latest industry figures show that aviation is suffering its worst crisis since the 2003 SARS outbreak.

Even though millions of seats have already been ditched by carriers, the reductions in capacity have been outstripped by a fall in demand.

Within Europe, September's passenger numbers were half a per cent down on the same period last year, according to industry's trade body, the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

"The industry crisis is deepening - along with the crisis in the global economy. Airlines, like all other businesses, are facing enormous challenges," said Giovanni Bisignni, IATA's secretary general.

"But unlike other companies, they are denied some basic commercial freedoms - access to markets and to global capital - that could help them manage their business in this difficult time."

If travelling with Ryanair don't forget to pre-book your East Midlands airport parking to guarantee a space but to also have more choice, especially if looking to park off airport.

26.10.2008

Christmas market destinations from Bristol Airport

Traditional European Christmas markets date back to the late middle ages.  Usually taking place in the town square, markets sell food, drinks and seasonal items, such as handmade toys and tree decorations from stalls, and often showcase traditional singing and dancing as well.

Below are just a few examples of Christmas Market destinations accessible from Bristol Airport this Winter:

Frankfurt (26 Nov 08 to 21 Dec 08)

Frankfurt Christmas Market is one of the most important Christmas markets in Germany. Located only 15 minutes away from the airport, visitors will be amazed by the elaborate and creative stall decorations, set amidst the beautiful and historical backdrop of the Römerberg market place.  Lufthansa flies three times daily to Frankfurt throughout the week, offering a great way to visit the city’s own Christmas market or catch connecting flights to destinations throughout Germany.

Berlin (26 Nov 08 to 31 Dec 08)

Kaiser Wilhelm Gedachtniskirche is perhaps the most popular market in Berlin with more than four million visitors a year. Musicians and artists offer a selection of traditional and modern gifts and entertainment, making it a perfect destination to experience Christmas shopping at ease and get into the festive spirit.

Prague (29 Nov 08 to 01 Jan 09)

Christmas is a special time of year in Prague and the Christmas markets are a key ingredient in the Czech festive magic. In a true 'winter wonderland' setting, the markets run daily from 9am to 7pm throughout the festive period. The main markets are at the Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square, with smaller ones at Namesti Republiky and Havelske Trziste

Bremen (27 Nov 08 to 23 Dec 08)

Bremen's atmospheric Christmas market is considered one of the most attractive in Germany. With the town hall and the Roland statue as its backdrop and over 170 festively decorated stalls, it is perfect for browsing.   The historical setting, the romantic Christmas lights and the lovingly adorned booths create a special Christmas atmosphere that enchants more and more visitors every year.

Hamburg (24 Nov 08 to 23 Dec 08)

During Advent, Hamburg’s Town Hall provides the grand setting for the city’s most charming Christmas market. One hundred merchants will set up their shops on Hamburg’s largest urban square.

Brussels (28 Nov 08 to 28 Dec 08)

Brussels will hold its annual Winter Wonderland on the Place Sainte Catherine offering an array of products in a warm and friendly atmosphere. This market with its cheerful lights, delicious aromas and a vast number of stalls promises a true holiday atmosphere. In addition to the Christmas Market the ice skating rink offers fun for all. 

Krakow (30 Nov 08 to 31 Dec 08)

The beautiful city of Krakow is usually draped in snow during the festive season, making Krakow Christmas Market an even prettier sight for visitors. The Rynek, which is the huge market square in the old town's centre, provides the setting for the Christmas Market and is largely filled with wooden stalls offering a variety of gifts.

Record numbers flying from Doncaster Robin Hood Airport

Doncaster Sheffield Airport has chalked up another impressive passenger milestone, bucking the trend of doom and gloom in the aviation industry.

Ryanair, which services Dublin, Barcelona (Girona) and Alicante, has greeted its half a millionth passenger from Robin Hood Airport. August was also the airline’s second busiest month ever, carrying 21,500 passengers to Spain and Ireland.

In the same month Wizz Air reported a record number of passengers (22,349) travelling to its five destinations in Poland.

The uptake follows the news earlier this year that more than three million passengers have passed through the airport since it opened for commercial business three years ago.

Nick Smillie, aviation sales director at Robin Hood Airport, said: “We are delighted with this news, particularly in the current climate. For such a young airport we are achieving passenger numbers that older, more established airports would be very pleased with.

“It shows that confidence in the airport and the airlines has not been affected by the current economic issues and we’re continuing to provide passengers with what they want

Manchester Airport - Visit the airport before hand to take the stress out of travelling

Many non tavelling members of the public visit Manchester airport to simply have a day out or to familiarise themselves with the airport layout. Airports can be quite intimidating and by vtravelling to the airport beforehand, they can visit the different terminals and see where short and long stay car parks are located.

If you are on an early flight, the chances are you will turn up at the airport in the dark when traffic is especiallybusy and a prior visit will give greater confidence to find the correct terminal and car park.

Manchester airport tours

are aware that the airport itself is an attraction in its own right and organise tours to the terminals and to sit in retired aircraft.

Monarch DC-10

has been converted to house a range of aviation videos, including audio visual units which give a real life feel and includes a cockpit visit. This is especially popular with school parties.

Concorde

The supersonic star of the skies is now retired but this icon of British Engineering is still a favourite with the public and sitting in the same seats previously occupied by film and rock stars is still a thrill.

Terminal Visits

a behind the scene look at how an airport works, with visits to terminal 1 and 3 which take around 2 hours.

All these vists have to be pre-booked and the contact details are tourcentre@tasmanchester.com   +44 (0)161 489 2442

BAA put Gatwick up for Sale

Only weeks after the Competition Commission intimated that they were unhappy with BAA market dominance, Colin Matthews BAA's Cheif Executive has took the bull by the horns and put up Gatwick airport for sale. Gatwick is the second largest UK airport and one of 3 airports they control in the South East.

The Commissions final findings are not due until next year whereby it is expected that they will be asked also to sell Edinburgh or Glasgow airport to lessen their dominance in Scotland and increase competition. Gatwick was the logical airport to sell because Heathrow is the jewel in the crown with 68 million passengers and Stansted has more growth potential with room for a second runway.

There is little doubt that BAA do not want to sell Gatwick, especially at this time, but with the veiled threat that they will have to give up 3 airports, many see this offer has a way to minimise the loss as echoed by Ryanair.   Ryanair said: "This morning's announcement... is just the latest attempt by the BAA monopoly to get itself off the hook of the Competition Commission's recommendations

The potential bidders for Gatwick are

Manchester Airport group

Australian company Macquarie

Germany's Frapor

Virgin Atlantic

A price tag of around £2 billion is being suggested, however, with the global financial melt down seen, since the annoucement, it could not have come at a worse time. Growth in travel over the forseeable future is at best uncertain with every prospect of a downturn.

All airline owners have strongly voiced there opposition to the BAA monopoly and the sale has been met with universal approval apart the Unions who see fragmentation of ownership weakenning their bargaining power and membership numbers.

BAA’ troubles continue- Tories say No Heathrow runway

Following the Competitions Commissions early deliberations for BAA market dominance to be reduced that has already led to the Gatwick being put up for sale the Tories have announced that they intend to scrap the third runway at Heathrow.

Support has however, come from Willie Walsh BA Chief Executive of BA who  has criticised Tory plans to build a 180 mph rail link to connect London St Pancras, with Birmingham, Leeds and Manchester and by doing so, scrap the third runway at Heathrow.

The Tories claim that the building of this high speed line to be built between 2015 and 2027 will cut 66000 internal flights a year and be far more environmentally friendly. Mr Walsh countered that these proposals “beggars belief “ with the numbers being quoted by the Tories having no basis with flights to Manchester and Leeds accounting for less than 3% of Heathrow’s current traffic.

Given the line would not be complete until 2027, by then any benefit would be minimal and in between time Heathrow’s position has the premier European hub will continue to be eroded with the airport unable to cope with natural growth. Delays are already a problem and this can only get worse, unless investment in a third runway is started sooner rather than later.

It was also suggested that this declaration, had more to do with winning an election with Tories looking to pick up the Green Vote. To this extent they seem to have been successful with Green peace welcoming this announcement.

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