British Airways chairman Martin Broughton’s views that security checks at airports need to be reassessed have been supported by aviation industry chiefs.

Mr Broughton told delegates at the UK Airport Operators Association conference in London that parts of the current security programme are ”completely redundant”.

He questioned why people are forced to take off their shoes and have their laptops checked separately in security lines, and said that the UK should not “kowtow” to the Americans every time they wanted something changed.

Chief executive of airport operator BAA, Colin Matthews, said that security procedures should be rationalised, while former security minister Lord West said that he thought airport checks had gone too far. 

And Mike Carrivick, chief executive of BAR UK, which represents more than 80 scheduled airlines in the UK, said airport security as a whole needed to be looked at.

Mr Matthews, whose company runs six UK airports including Heathrow and Stansted, added: “What we do in security in Heathrow and other airports is defined by the authorities and it’s really one requirement laid on top of another.

“We could certainly do a better job for customers if we can rationalise them.”

Copyright Press Association 2010

The owner of Heathrow and Stansted airports has revealed that record-breaking passenger numbers in July and August helped to narrow the overall losses for the year so far.

BAA saw revenues from the two airports rise by 4.4% to £1.5 billion for the nine months ending on September 30, while pre-tax losses fell by 75.5% to £192.6 million. 

Heathrow registered its busiest ever months in July and August, with July 18 being its most hectic day on record. 

Airport operator BAA has also pledged to dish out up to £325 million of bonds as it endeavours to repay loans that expire in 2011.

An increased demand from business travellers helped to propel the 4.4% increase in Heathrow passenger numbers to 19.5 million during the third quarter. 

Despite the strong growth in passenger numbers in the third quarter at Heathrow, overall passenger numbers at both airports for the year to date fell by 2.1% to 64 million, as a result of the ash cloud caused by the Icelandic volcano and industrial action by BA cabin crew.

BAA’s results also stress the need for an efficient airport transfer service, with the number of passengers passing through Heathrow in an acceptable time falling from 98% last year to 97.9%. Meanwhile, 98.3% of Stansted passengers arrived in good time compared to 99.6% in 2009. 

Copyright Press Association 2010

Gatwick gets Boeing Dreamliner simulator

London’s Gatwick Airport has acquired one of just eight Boeing Dreamliner simulators in the world.

The others can be found in Singapore, Tokyo and Shanghai, as Boeing prepares for the Dreamliner’s launch in 2011.

Alongside the simulators, more than 100 pilots and technicians have taken advantage of the B787 training programme, which accompanies the simulator.

Although newcomers will train to use the planes for 24 days, those who have previous 777 experience can be trained in just a week.

Thomson Airways will acquire the Dreamliner in 2012, with Monarch Airlines starting to use the planes from 2013.

The popularity of the new model also saw 55 airlines order 800 of the Boeing planes by September this year.

And with various airlines snapping up the Boeing planes it may not be long before Dreamliners will be seen at other popular UK airports such as Luton and Stansted as well.

The 787-8  models can carry up to 210  to 250 passengers on routes of 7,650 to 8,200 nautical miles, and the 787-9 Dreamliner will carry 250  to 290 passengers on routes of 8,000 to 8,500 nautical miles.

The new planes will also be more eco-friendly and fuel-efficient by using 20% less fuel than other planes of the same size. With the new airplanes ensuring that the passengers’ journeys are not only comfy but less damaging to the environment, all they have to worry about is airport transfers once the plane touches down.

Travellers may also soon be able to take advantage of a new 192-room hotel near Gatwick’s North Terminal after the announcement that the airport and Shiva hotels are trying to get planning permission approved for the new project.

Copyright Press Association 2010

A newspaper that serves the unique community at Heathrow Airport has been given a makeover and relaunched alongside a new website.

Heathrow airport newspaper website launched

Skyport Heathrow, which has been reporting on life at the airport for 34 years and has a circulation of 31,000, launched the interactive website aimed at all airport staff past and present covering their events and achievements.

The weekly free newspaper, which is published by Trinity Mirror Southern and has monthly editions for Gatwick and Stansted airports, has also been given a fresh new look along with a number of new editorial features, including a weekly big interview, new columns such as one about the airport’s Animal Reception Centre, and a higher story count.

Skyport editor Adrian Seal said: “This is an exciting new milestone in Skyport’s proud history serving the airport community. We now have a platform so our readers can get involved directly and tell us what they think about all the big issues.

“The new website also gives us the opportunity to reach out to a much larger audience and keep them up to date with all the latest news and events from in and around the Heathrow Airport community.”

Copyright Press Association 2010

A total of 10% of BAA, which owns Stansted Airport, has been put up for sale by its controlling stakeholder.

Spanish infrastructure group Ferrovial announced the move concerning BAA, which also operates Heathrow and Glasgow airports, in a bid to reduce its current debt.

The firm plans to sell to a single buyer – a deal which would allow it to remain the operator’s largest shareholder, dropping from its current 56% to 46%. 

With its share dropping below 50%, the deal would enable Ferrovial to de-consolidate BAA from its accounts – reducing debt relating to its six airports by £13.13 billion.

The Madrid-based group has debts of £22 billion – including £13 billion made up by BAA. It is thought that more of BAA could be sold in the future if the 10% deal is carried out successfully. 

Canada’s Caisse de depot et placement de Quebec controls 26.48% of BAA, while Singapore’s GIC has 17.65%, making the firms the other main shareholders. 

BAA was been forced to sell Gatwick by regulators, with the possibility of a further two airports also being put up for grabs – which could affect the number of people taking airport transfers to the operator’s sites.

Ínigo Meiras, Ferrovial’s Chief Executive, said: “Any sale will depend on the offers received. The process we have initiated is in line with our strategy to establish a market valuation of our assets.”

Copyright Press Association 2010

El Al Israel Airlines has announced it will start offering flights this autumn from Luton Airport to Ben Gurion Airport  in Israel.

Passengers will pay ₤275 for a return flight, called Star Choice, but only if they pay for their tickets before October 31 and use the flight between November 1 and December 15.

Uri Danon, El Al managing director for the UK, Ireland and northern Europe, said: “Due to the sheer popularity of our flights from London to Tel Aviv, we are delighted to offer customers this new ticket price.

“We hope Star Choice will enable passengers to spontaneously visit family and friends or just escape the UK this winter for the cultural climes of Israel.”

Luton Airport is 32 miles north-west of London city centre and is open 24 hours a day, so airport transfers should be simple to arrange. It is the fifth largest airport in the UK and a total of 9.2 million passengers arrived or departed from the site last year.

Of this total, 95% of passengers used scheduled flights and 5% went on chartered planes. Around nine in every 10 passengers (87%) were on international flights, while the rest travelled on domestic routes.

For people arriving from abroad, Luton Airport’s Onward Travel Centre provides a one-stop shop for any necessary further travel requirements.

Copyright Press Association 2010

A committee has called for a decision on scrapping the passenger number cap at Belfast City Airport to be put on hold.

The Stormont scrutiny committee urged environment minister Edwin Poots to delay the decision until a public inquiry on the airport’s controversial runway extension is completed.

If the two million passengers annual limit is scrapped it could lead to more flights to Belfast from Luton Airport.

The call came after the committee heard evidence from residents campaigning against the scrapping of the cap.

Members were also briefed by airport chief executive Brian Ambrose at the meeting in Parliament Buildings.

Mr Poots revealed he was considering ditching the cap back in the summer, when he launched a public consultation on the proposal. 

The move would equate to four million seats for sale – leading to a possible rise in airport transfers to Luton Airport for people flying to Belfast.  

Residents fear that removing the cap will lead to bigger and noisier planes being rolled out on more routes by many flight operators. 

However, the restriction preventing the annual number of flights from exceeding 48,000 will be upheld.

Campaigners have highlighted a link between the passenger cap and the runway plan. This is because planes with heavier loads will be able to use the airport under the plans for the 600 metres (1,968ft) runway extension. 

Copyright Press Association 2010

Leisure passengers flying out of Stansted airport have the lowest annual income compared with other users of major London airports, while Heathrow has the highest, a study has shown. 

The average income among Stansted passengers in 2009 was £44,923, while business passengers flying out of Heathrow had the highest average income at £79,335.

The Civil Aviation Authority compiled the results after questioning 200,000 departing passengers at four London airports as well as Newcastle, Manchester and five Scottish airports.

In the survey it emerged that Gatwick had the fewest number of London’s passengers travelling alone and the highest proportion of groups travelling with more than five members. 

Meanwhile, Heathrow had the largest amount of lonesome fliers in the country’s capital, with 64.7% of solo travellers.

Heathrow also emerged as the favoured airport for tourists taking long-lasting trips of more than four weeks, with 7.6% of these travellers, while Luton airport had the lowest with just 1.5%.

The study revealed that Luton was the least favoured airport among passenger who use public transport, with only 31%, while Stansted emerged as the most popular in this demographic, at 47.3%.

Elderly tourists were also shown to favour flying out of Luton in the results, as it hosted that largest proportion of passengers aged over 74.

Meanwhile, Gatwick said that it carried just over 3.20 million passengers last month – a 2.6% dip on the September 2009 figure.

While numbers to most areas were down, traffic to long-haul markets excluding North America rose 7.1% last month, with the Caribbean and Africa doing particularly well.

Copyright Press Association 2010

There could be more people taking airport transfers to London’s Gatwick Airport following news that it has been granted planning permission to operate the world’s largest passenger plane.

The airport has been given the go-ahead for the 555-seat Airbus A380 superjumbo to fly from its runways and has already spent £43 million preparing for it.

The aircraft has been ordered by British Airways and Virgin Atlantic – both of which could operate flights out of Gatwick, leading to a possible rush in airport transfers among people eager to try out the superjumbo. 

The move will see the airport follow in the footsteps of London-based Heathrow and Manchester – who both already accommodate the plane. 

The airport’s chief executive Stewart Wingate said: “The Airbus A380 represents the future of long-haul aviation. It’s modern, more efficient and uses less fuel per passenger, and we want Gatwick to be at the centre of this exciting new era of long-haul travel.

“We are pouring £1 billion into Gatwick to improve the infrastructure, modernise the airport facilities, improve customer service, bolster the rail links and drive competitive rates for airlines to encourage more passengers and airlines to the airport.

“If we can bring the A380 and other large aircraft to Gatwick, passengers will have even more reason to choose to fly to and from our airport and help us on our journey to becoming the London airport of choice.”

Copyright Press Association 2010

UK airports like Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted and Luton could be affected by a possible fuel shortage as French workers continue to strike over President Nicolas Sarkozy’s plans to raise the national retirement age from 60 to 62.  

Fuel shortages could occur after workers blockaded a dozen refineries and numerous oil depots in France last week in protest of the government’s plan.  

It could affect UK-bound flights departing from France’s main airports, and no resolution is thought to be in the offing as the government remained defiant despite the widespread disruption.

Prime minister Francois Fillon said: “I won’t let the French economy suffer from a supply blockage.

“The right to strike isn’t the right to stop access to a fuel depot. That’s an illegal action.”

Mr Fillon spoke hours after workers’ unions vowed to do all they could to get President Sarkozy to withdraw his plan or at least compromise before Wednesday’s Senate vote.

Rail unions called for new transport strikes to coincide with a sixth round of nationwide demonstrations after weekend unrest saw at least 825,000 people take to the streets.

Meanwhile, transport minister Dominique Bussereau told Europe-1 radio that he was not concerned about airport fuel supplies, indicating that Charles De Gaulle Paris International Airport was now “perfectly fed” after fuel began flowing again.

Copyright Press Association 2010