New figures reveal that airports run by BAA, such as Heathrow, saw a rise in the number of travellers that passed through its gates in April.

Its six hubs handled nearly 9.09 million people overall last month, which is a 0.1% increase compared to the same month last year, according to the Spanish-owned operator.

Heathrow saw a slight jump in the volume of passengers in contrast with figures recorded in April 2011 – totalling 5.8 million travellers. But data found 2.7% fewer people travelled through Stansted Airport last month when compared with the same month last year, and Southampton also recorded a 3.1% decline.

Findings showed that European charter traffic, including North African charter flights, tumbled 6.5% in April, while the number of passengers who flew towards a North Atlantic destination decreased by 0.9%.

“These are encouraging figures for Heathrow and BAA’s other airports. However, the modest growth in passenger numbers at Heathrow, the UK’s only hub airport, comes from larger and fuller aircraft, not from more routes and frequencies to emerging markets. This lack of connectivity is damaging the UK economy,” said Colin Matthews, BAA chief executive.

Figures also dipped for Gatwick airport, which used to be owned by BAA, as it saw a total of 2.72 million travellers in April. The number is a 1.3% drop in comparison to 2011’s April figure. It is now run by Global Infrastructure Partnerships, which is expected to acquire BAA-owned Edinburgh airport.

Copyright Press Association 2012

Nearly six million passengers travelled through Heathrow last month in what was the busiest ever April for the West London airport, latest figures show.

More than 5.8 million people used the UK’s biggest airport throughout April – an increase of 31.5% compared with the same period last month – according to BAA, whose other British airports also had a good month.

The figures are in sharp contrast to the same month last year when the aviation industry was rocked by the Icelandic volcanic ash cloud crisis, which kept planes out of the sky for weeks. In addition to not having the ash cloud to contend with, airports were boosted this month by the Easter holidays falling solely in April and travellers looking to take advantage of the extra royal wedding bank holiday.

There was a 31% increase to 9.1 million passengers using BAA’s six UK airports last month compared with April 2010. Stansted saw passenger numbers rise by 26.2% and there was an 18.5% increase at Southampton.

Meanwhile, in Scotland it was also a record breaking month for Edinburgh Airport, which had an unprecedented number of travellers go through its doors. A surge in traveller numbers of 43.9% saw a total of 776,300 passengers use the airport.

Glasgow increased the number of passengers using its airport by 27.1% during the month and Aberdeen was up 33.2% with 247,100. In total, more than 1.5 million people used the BAA airports in Scotland during the month.

Copyright © Press Association 2011

Edinburgh Airport is to receive equipment worth £1.5 million to help keep it open during extreme winter weather, it has been revealed.  

David Lister, BAA Scotland’s airside and autonomy director, announced the move at the Scottish Parliament’s Transport Committee on Thursday.

Mr Lister said that BAA Scotland had carried out extensive studies at airports in various countries to discover successful methods used to keep airports open during extreme weather.

He said: “We are working on improving our processes.

“We have also, internally at the airport, reviewed our equipment and as a result we have on order additional equipment.

“We have invested in at least £1.5 million of new equipment for delivery at the end of this year for the next winter.”

Despite the hefty investment, Mr Listed warned that it would be impossible to assure holidaymakers that the airport and its airport bus transfer services will never close in future due to snow.

He added: “We only have one core runway, which means under extreme snow conditions, we will always be forced to close.

“Any airport which only has one runway is not able to guarantee it remain open under those conditions.

“What we will be able to do is increase the levels of snowfall which we can continue to operate under and reduce the amount of time it takes to get operational again.”

 Copyright © Press Association 2011

Budget airline easyJet will add an extra plane to its operation at Scottish airport and put on a new service to Athens, it has been revealed.

Industry chiefs and politicians have welcomed the move which will see a new Airbus A320 added to Edinburgh Airport, boosting its capacity by 300,000 seats a year and benefiting both business and leisure travellers in the process. The move is also expected to create an extra 60 jobs.

A new flight carrying travellers from Edinburgh to Athens will also be added to the airport’s schedules along with new services to Grenoble and Tenerife.

It was also disclosed that easyJet intends to bring in a 180-seat Airbus A320 plane to replace one of its four Glasgow aircraft. The new aircraft will carry an extra 40,000 passengers a year.

Edinburgh Airport managing director Kevin Brown said on Wednesday: “Today’s announcement is not only an investment in Edinburgh Airport, but in Edinburgh itself.

“It has consistently proven that it is a city in which people want to live, work and visit. We will continue to work with our airlines and the city to ensure that as many people as possible can do just that.”

First Minister Alex Salmond said: “The provision of a fifth plane for Edinburgh, a bigger aircraft in Glasgow and the opening up of these new routes will not only create 60 new jobs but will also contribute towards longer-term economic growth.”

Copyright Press Association 2011

The icy weather that has gripped Britain this week shows no sign of easing as fresh snow showers and sub-zero temperatures continue to blight the country and play havoc with flight schedules at Gatwick and Edinburgh airports.

Strong north-easterly winds of up to 30mph have made the temperature feel as cold as -7C in parts of the UK, while approximately 15cm of snow is expected on higher grounds.

Gatwick has been closed with all departures and arrivals suspended until further notice due to the adverse weather conditions.

Airport spokeswoman Sarah Baranowski confirmed the runway was closed at 10.30pm on Tuesday night and ground staff working throughout the night had not been able to clear the settling snow.

“It is vital that passengers do not make their way to the airport and check our website and with their airline for updates,” she said.

“We need to make sure the runway is safe before all flights can recommence but the snow has not stopped all night.”

A statement on Gatwick’s website added: “Due to the current weather conditions, departing and arriving flights at Gatwick will be severely disrupted. The runway is currently closed to allow snow clearance activities to be carried out. Passengers are advised not to set out for the airport and should check directly with their airline or visit our website.”

Meanwhile, Edinburgh Airport has also closed due to heavy snow showers overnight. A statement on its website said it was anticipated that the runway would be clear and open at 6pm on Wednesday evening.

Copyright Press Association 2010

The new head of Edinburgh airport has started work as calls are made for its controversial £1 “kiss and fly” charge to be abandoned. 

Kevin Brown is to spend the week shadowing his predecessor Gordon Dewar before formally taking the reins next Monday. 

Outgoing managing director Mr Dewar has been a key player in the plans for the proposed drop-off fee.

Mr Brown’s new role will see him overseeing the busiest airport in Scotland – where busy airport transfers services see waves of passengers flooding in every day.

The new head of Scotland's busiest airport arrives at the Edinburgh terminal today amid mounting pressure for its plans for a controversial £1 "kiss and fly" charge to be abandoned.

He takes up the role after dealing with unrest in his previous position as head of Aberdeen Airport, where a planned £1 charge for taxis to drop off passengers was binned two years ago amid a wave of protest. 

Politicians hope the move to bring in Mr Brown will lead to a similar u-turn over its £1 fee, which would see all drivers dropping off passengers beside the terminal from October having to pay up. 

The scheme has already met all-party opposition, with Scottish ministers refusing to support the plans.  

The Conservatives and Liberal Democrats have launched petitions for its withdrawal to which thousands of people have added their signature.

Labour transport spokesman Charlie Gordon said the arrival of Mr Brown offered an ideal opportunity for the plan to be reconsidered.

Copyright © Press Association 2010