AIRPORT NEWS

BAA plans to speed up security checks

BAA claims new technology and increased numbers of security staff will cut security delays at its seven UK airports

BAA claims improvements at its seven UK airports will ensure that only 5% of passengers will take more than five minutes to pass through security next year. The airport operator claims that only 1% of passengers will be delayed for more than 15 minutes queuing for security.

The announcement comes a day after the Association of European Airlines released figures showing that Heathrow and Gatwick were the two major European airports with the worst security delays last summer. More than 41% of Gatwick flights were delayed by more than 15 minutes, while Heathrow fared little better with 38.9% of flights delayed more than 15 minutes. Both airports are operated by BAA.

Mike Forster, strategy director for BAA, says that a combination of extra investment and staffing, new technology and the opening of Terminal 5 would enable BAA to meet the new targets.

BAA has appointed 2,000 additional security staff so far this year and invested heavily in new security systems. “Unlike the current systems, the new technology, which is called ATIX, can automatically detect explosives and liquids and it offers the security staff multiple viewing angles, so the margin for error or unnecessary hold-ups is even smaller,” adds Forster.

The airport operator claims that 95% of passengers last month passed through Heathrow security within 10 minutes.

Japan introduces biometric checks for foreigners

This week Japan introduces a new law requiring all foreigners to provide fingerprints and photographs when entering the country

Japan’s Immigration Bureau has introduced a new fingerprinting and photographing device at Narita International Airport in time for a new law that comes into force this week in Japan under which foreigners must provide fingerprints and photographs when entering the country.

Over the past few days, Ministry of Justice officials at airports across Japan have been staging promotional events, showing off the new hardware that will be used to collect the fingerprints and scan the faces of the estimated five to six million foreigners who enter the country each year.

The devices, from NEC, consist of a monitor, two fingerprint readers (one for each hand) and a camera that captures headshots. The devices are being installed at immigration counters nationwide so that passengers can be fingerprinted and photographed while they are questioned by immigration officials about the purpose of their visit and their intended length of stay. The biometric data will then be stored in a database, which law enforcement officials claim will help to deter terrorist attacks.

Officials say the fingerprints and other biometric data will also be checked against foreigners who have been deported from Japan and those wanted by the Japanese police.

Those excluded from the law include ethnic Koreans, permanent residents with special status, anyone aged under 16, diplomats and official state guests.

Passenger numbers boom at UK regional airports

The number of passengers passing through regional UK airports annually has reached 100 million for the first time. The figures, which were released late last week by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), revealed that the number of passengers over the past year totalled nearly three times more than in 1990. The CAA also documented that the strongest growth amongst passengers was for those travelling to international destinations.

A total of eight regional airports in the UK now offer daily flights to twelve or more international destinations, while in 1990 this was limited to only Birmingham International Airport and Manchester Airport, and since flights to the US now depart from regional airports, passengers are being spared transfers to London airports.

Highlighting the popularity of regional airports over busy, congested London airports, CAA representative Harry Bush says, “Regional airports have continued to develop new services rapidly and have put themselves firmly on the map as gateways for travel to and from the regions they serve. There are connections to business, as well as leisure, destinations in Europe and further afield, including services to hub airports in Europe, the US and the Middle East, which allow numerous onward connections.”

SkyTeam gains access to Chinese airports

China Southern Airlines has become the 11th full member of the SkyTeam alliance, and the first from mainland China. The deal allows SkyTeam’s members to provide its customers with access to the most extensive airline route network in China. It also boosts the Sky Team alliance's global hub network with the addition of Baiyun International Airport, a well-positioned, modern hub in Guangzhou, and Beijing Capital International Airport.

China Southern operates the largest airline fleet in the country to 162 destinations around the world, and is the first carrier in China to operate its own terminal at Beijing Capital International Airport, China's busiest hub.

"SkyTeam is known for its unrivalled global connectivity and as a member, we can better serve our customers, particularly as the 2008 Beijing Olympics approach," says Liu Shao Yong, chairman of China Southern Airlines. "Our extensive intra-Asia network serves as a powerful link in SkyTeam's robust global network."

China Southern Airlines first signed a memorandum of understanding with the SkyTeam alliance back in August 2004, and has become a full member of the alliance after reaching agreements with each of the alliance member carriers, including bilateral code sharing, frequent flyer and lounge agreements.

China Southern has guaranteed to improve 80% of the 27 Chinese airports that manage China Southern's flights (including Beijing, Guangzhou and Shanghai) to meet SkyTeam standards within a year, and 100% in two years.

Toulouse mishap will not affect Etihad's orders

Abu Dhabi: Etihad Airways chief executive officer James Hogan said on Monday the UAE national airline will not cancel its order for two A340-600s because of an accident on November 15 involving an aircraft at Airbus headquarters in Toulouse, southern France.

An A340-600, which was set for delivery to Etihad, ploughed into a wall during ground testing, injuring 10 people.

It sustained significant airframe damage. The plane would have been used on long-haul flights to destinations including New York and Sydney.

"The accident is under investigation by French authorities. We operate both Boeing and Airbus products and we will continue to work with both these manufacturers," Hogan told Gulf News on the sidelines of the ongoing MEED conference here. He said Airbus' track record as an aircraft manufacturer is world class.

Separately, asked if the airline has plans for an initial public offering of its shares, Hogan said: "We are a new airline. It's premature to talk about it at this stage."

Hogan said the strategy of the airline is to develop Abu Dhabi as a gateway to the rest of the world. "Our operating model is a mixture of short-haul and long-haul," he said.

A spokesman for Etihad said the airline has placed orders for four A380s with Airbus.

"The first of these will join our fleet in 2013," said Iain Burns, vice-president for corporate communications. He said the airline has not placed any orders for Boeing 787 Dreamliners.

Etihad currently flies to 45 destinations and by next spring it will add either Beijing or Shanghai as its 46th, said Burns.

Burns said if the Indian government gives permission, Etihad would like to include Bangalore, Kolkata and Chennai to its network in addition to several other Indian cities.

Etihad currently has a fleet of 33 aircraft. Of these, one aircraft is a Boeing 767 and seven are Boeing 777s. There are 25 Airbus aircraft in its fleet, two of which are A340-600s, the type which was involved in the Toulouse mishap. There are two A340-600s which are on Etihad's order book.

Doha International Airport announces purchase of a QinetiQ Tarsier system

Doha-Doha International Airport in the State of Qatar announced plans to install Tarsier, a runway debris detection system developed by defence and security technology company, QinetiQ. The announcement was made at the Dubai Air Show following a contract signing by Akbar Al Baker, CEO of Doha International Airport and Phil McLachlan, Managing Director of QinetiQ Airport Technologies.

Tarsier will detect foreign object debris on the single runway at Doha International, which at 4,572 m is one of the longest in the world. Three radars will scan the runway area 24 hours a day and in all weathers, locating objects that could be drawn into engines or damage aircraft systems.

Al Baker, who is also CEO of Qatar Airways said: "Safety is an absolute priority for us and Doha International Airport has an excellent safety record. We see Tarsier as an integral part of our safety management system because it inspects the runway continuously with no disruption to aircraft movements. This will bring us both cost and operational benefits, but more importantly, is a commitment to have an airport operation which is fully safety driven."

The number of passengers using Doha International Airport has rocketed from two million to ten million over the last ten years. As a result the New Doha International Airport is expected to open in 2009 with a capacity of 50 million passengers a year once fully completed. QinetiQ and Qatar Airways are currently in negotiations about the potential installation of a Tarsier system to cover the two runways at the New Doha International Airport when they go operational.

Phil McLachlan added: "Qatar is experiencing strong growth in airport traffic and its ambitious plans for a new, state of the art airport are well on the way to being realised. This agreement marks an important step in the development of the QinetiQ Airport Technologies business and I am delighted that Tarsier will now play an important part in the growth of Doha International Airport."

GoAir takes delivery of second A320

GoAir has received its new A320 aircraft from Airbus. This aircraft is part of the USD1.2 billion order that GoAir had placed with Airbus last year.

The fleet comprise of Airbus A320 aircrafts with a maximum speed of 0.82 Mach (approx 870 km/h, 541 mph or 470 kts). Each of these aircraft can accommodate a maximum of 180 passengers and has a single class seating configuration. The in-flight service crew comprises of 1 captain, 1 co-pilot and 4 flight attendants

Commenting on the new delivery Mr Jeh Wadia, Managing Director, GoAir said: “The new aircraft we have received is the second delivery of our USD1.2 billion order we placed with Airbus last year. Following the induction of the new aircraft, we shall be operating 561 commercial flights per week under the new winter schedule. We plan to have 41 aircraft by March 2012.”

GoAir has been consistently recording highest load factors in the industry. The average flown load factors of GoAir during the first half of this financial year was 81%. The airline recorded 108% growth in passenger traffic at the close of the First Half of the current fiscal. “We have been recording escalating growth in passenger traffic flown on a quarter-on-quarter basis. At the close of the second quarter of the current fiscal, GoAir’s passenger traffic volume increased by 123%. In the first quarter, we had recorded 95% growth in passenger traffic,” affirmed Mr Wadia. With the onset of the festive and tourist season in India, GoAir is poised to maintain this trend of escalation in growth rate of its passenger traffic during the third quarter too.

GoAir will complete its expansion programme of doubling its flight operations by November-end. According to this expansion programme, GoAir is doubling the overall frequency within its network by increasing commercial flight operations from 259 flights to 561 commercial flights per week. This expansion programme is being rolled out despite the fact that GoAir has no plans to add new destinations to its current network during this fiscal. The airline will completely focus on the 11 destinations it is currently operating in.

SriLankan Airlines reports good commercial performance

SriLankan Airlines has recorded a good commercial performance in the last three months, and its route network has expanded to 54 destinations in 28 countries with the launch of services to the southern Indian city of Coimbatore.

Manoj Gunawardena, Head of Worldwide Passenger Sales, exhorted the global sales team to use the experience of successfully overcoming adverse market conditions in the past several years, to good use in the coming year.

Mr. Gunawardena states, “This airline has weathered quite a storm in recent years and has emerged stronger than ever. It is now time to turn SriLankan Airlines from a good airline to a truly great one,” said Mr. Gunawardena. “Our product is strong, and our team is even stronger. We believe that turning Colombo into a hub is the way to go for the future. The Bandaranaike International Airport is the finest in the South Asian region and we intend to leverage it to the country’s advantage.”

Members of the airline’s senior management briefed the sales team on innovations and developments throughout the company that would support their efforts. These include new frontiers in E-business and Corporate Communications; new products and services in the areas of Service Delivery, SriLankan Holidays, SriLankan Cargo, and SriLankan Engineering; and a renewed focus on motivating its employees to greater heights.

Sharjah and Air BP open jet fuel facility

Dubai: The Government of Sharjah and Air BP, a leading global marketer of aviation fuels and related support services, have inaugurated a $32-million jet fuel facility designed to boost Sharjah International Airport's operational capabilities and increase its potential refuelling capacity in line with the northern emirate's projected aviation industry growth.

The 50,000-metric tonne facility is located in the Hamriyah Free Zone and comprises a 45,000-square metre jet fuel storage terminal and a 45-kilometre pipeline linked directly to the airport.

The new development coincides with the rapid growth of Sharjah's aviation industry spearheaded partly by Air Arabia's successful operations following its launch a few years ago as the region's first low-cost carrier. The flow of cargo traffic has also reached record highs in recent years with Sharjah Airport now being considered one of the region's largest cargo hubs.

Shaikh Sultan Bin Ahmad Bin Sultan Al Qasimi of Sharjah Petroleum Company said: "This is a major milestone in Sharjah's bid to cement its credentials as a forward planning regional aviation hub for both passenger and cargo traffic and is in line with our urban planning policies aimed at reducing road congestion and CO2 emissions.

"The new facility is a highly strategic asset and it will provide a solid growth platform for Sharjah's aviation sector and its flagship airline Air Arabia, whilst introducing internationally accepted safety and environmental standards for the emirate's people, today and for the future."

The facility will be managed by Anabeeb, a joint venture set up between the Government of Sharjah and Air BP, which was instrumental in the design and implementation of the project.

Air BP is currently the largest fuel supplier to Air Arabia and is a 49 per cent partner in Sharjah Aviation Services (Sasco) which manages the fuel systems and Into-Plane services at the airport.