Airport International

UK Airport Ownership Review

Airfield Ground Lighting for Banjul International Airport

Fri, 02 May 2008 11:00:46 GMT

Systems Interface Returns To The Gambia To Install New Runway Lighting

Oxford Airport Maintenance Contract

Fri, 02 May 2008 10:50:26 GMT

Systems Interface Awarded New Maintenance Contract At Oxford Airport

Navigational and Meteorological Equipment Upgrades

Fri, 02 May 2008 10:32:22 GMT

Turnkey Upgrade Of Navigational & Meteorological Equipment For Oxford Airport: ILS, DME, NDB, AWOS

Systems Interface To Carry Out Major Upgrade In Liberia

Fri, 02 May 2008 10:07:43 GMT

Systems Interface supply and install upgraded airfield lighting, baggage and security scanners, as well as a weather observation system at Roberts International Airport in Liberia.

BAA Presses Ahead With Refinancing Plan

Thu, 01 May 2008 19:27:29 GMT

The British Airports Authority (BAA) has responded to last week's Competition Commission (CC) report by saying developments at UK airports would stagnate if it was broken up.

The airport operator last week criticised by the CC, which said BAA's ownership of seven major UK airports "may not be serving well the interests of either airlines or passengers".

However, BAA has defended itself by saying the situation at UK airports in terms of capacity and long-term investment in facilities would actually be worse if the group did not exist in its present form.

The company said its size brought many benefits for both airline and passenger users, and that it was "better placed" than others to bring about the necessary improvements to airports.

Business Weekly quotes a "BAA insider" as saying: "Whatever happened to the argument for sustainable growth?...No-one is better placed than BAA and Ferrovial [BAA's Spanish owners] to deliver the Government's aviation policy, to fund improvements without sapping UK taxpayers and deliver the most cost-effective options to the people who count - the passengers.

"If it can produce a solution to do what BAA intends to do - and find a miracle solution to do all that and still make flying cheaper then we would say good luck to them. To us it would appear quite a challenge".

BAA Defends Airport Ownership

The source said that if BAA were broken up, as it may well be depending upon the final outcome of the CC (due to be released in August), then it will not be able to finance the planned projects for growth at two of its London airports - Heathrow and Stansted.

The "BAA insider" also defended the company against the Competition Commission's inference in its interim report that its concentrated ownership of airports in particular geographical regions (the company runs the three major London airports at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted, and the three major Scottish airports at Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen), was bad for airlines.

For airlines, the source said, BAA's ownership of airports enables "airlines...[to] target certain flights at certain catchments and market types, and we would argue that freedom of choice is worth fighting for".
The company also said the reason why there was a perception of "no competition" in the London airports market was because they were operating at full capacity.

BAA Refinancing Plan

Meanwhile, it has been reported that Ferrovial is pressing ahead with the plans to refinance BAA in order to help the company fund its planned investments at Heathrow and Stansted, despite the uncertainty cast on BAA's future by the Competition Commission report.

The Royal Bank of Scotland and Citigroup are reportedly in talks "a consortium of eight banks" to develop a refinancing package for BAA.

City analysts say if the refinancing deal goes through, then it will most likely be completed in two stages - with the second expected to secure about £10 billion against the three London airports. These analysts say that the refinancing plan will be structured so as to expedite easy separation of an airport property in the event that BAA is forced to sell one or more of its airports.

Source - Airport International's Aviation Correspondent

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Campaigners Fight to Keep Berlin's Tempelhof Airport Open

Vote Fails to Save Berlin Tempelhof Airport

Thu, 01 May 2008 18:03:14 GMT

An attempt to save Berlin's Tempelhof Airport failed last weekend, with the airport now set for closure in October.

As reported last week by Airport International, a referendum was organised by supporters of the 80 year-old airport - located just 10 minutes from the centre of the German city - in a bid to rescue the historic site from being closed.

However, just 21.7% of the 2.4 million Berliners eligible to take part in the referendum bothered to cast a vote. In order for the referendum to have any effect, at least 25% of Berliners had to take part in the ballot.

This means that the ruling left-wing politicians in Berlin are able to proceed unopposed with their plans to close Tempelhof, first announced late last year, which is part of the wider effort to centralise Berlin air services on the Berlin-Brandenburg International (BBI) hub - set for opening in 2011 on the site of the existing Berlin-Schonefeld Airport in East Berlin.

Klaus Wowereit, Berlin's Social Democrat (SPD) Mayor, welcomed the result of the referendum and said Berliners should now focus on the development of BBI, and the benefits this would bring to the city.

The director of Berlin Airports, Rainer Schwarz, agreed. He said: "For us, our customers, and the banks financing us, this result gives a clear signal - one that provides security". Schwarz said Tempelhof's supporters were "stuck in the past" and that they should look ahead to the economic prospects BBI would bring.

Save Tempelhof Campaigners Fight On

The campaign to keep Tempelhof Airport had built up a critical mass in recent weeks, with business leaders, celebrities, preservation groups and conservative politicians - including the Gerrman Chancellor, Angela Merkel - all throwing their weight behind the campaign.

They argued that Tempelhof's crucial role during the Berlin Airlift of 1948-49, a massive humanitarian operation between British and American forces to keep the city of Berlin supplied in the face of the Soviet blockade; its unique architecture; and its perceived economic value (being so close to Berlin's business district) all mean Tempelhof should be kept open.

Clearly, the result of the referendum showed that the vast amount of Berliners did not agree with them.
However, supporters of Save Tempelhof campaign have refused to accept that their efforts should cease. Friedrich Pflüger, head of the conseravative Christian Democrats (CDU) party in Berlin, said: "The fight for Tempelhof lives on".

Wowereit called on the campaigners to concede defeat. He drew attention to the fact that more than three-quarters of Berliners had either voted 'no' to keep Tempelhof open, or not voted at all, and said: "I would therefore ask the supporters...to respect this majority".

As it stands, Tempelhof will close as scheduled in October.

Tempelhof Could Become Film Studio

Meanwhile, executives at a leading German film studio said they were interested in transforming Tempelhof into a "world-class film location" once it closes.

Carl Woebcken, from Babelsberg Studios based just outside Berlin, said that two of the hangars could be used for film set workshops while the listed terminal building - with its unique crescent shape and art deco architecture - could be put to use as period backdrops on film productions.

Source - Airport International's European Correspondent

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BA Boss - Heathrow Airport

Thu, 01 May 2008 17:12:41 GMT

British Airways' chief executive Willie Walsh has warned that the state of London Heathrow Airport could be damaging the UK's economy.

Mr Walsh said Heathrow's reputation for delays, long security queues and baggage problems - summed up by the media as "Heathrow Hassle" - could damage the UK's economy in the long term, since businesses would no longer wish to put up with the problems experienced at the UK's busiest flight hub.

In a speech to the Institute of Directors (IoD) conference in London, Mr Walsh said: "I believe it is in the interest of the country that the reputation of Heathrow as an effective global hub is restored on a lasting basis as quickly as possible. For the sake of the UK economy and London's place as a business capital, Heathrow has to catch up".

Mr Walsh said that Heathrow was losing competitive ground with other major European airports such as Frankfurt and Amsterdam because of the continuing problems, and that this could in the future lead to some major economic contributors in the City of London deciding to move operations elsewhere in search of greater efficiency and better facilities.

He said: "UK business will lose competitiveness and might be forced to consider relocating abroad".

The airline boss repeated his call, originally made in December, that the proposed third runway and sixth terminal should be given the go-ahead by the government in order to help UK economic competitiveness, in addition to easing congestion and improving punctuality.

Mr Walsh's comments came just hours after his counterpart at American Airlines, Don Langford, savaged Heathrow's standard of facilities, saying the airport was "a bit of a dump".

British Airways Apology For Heathrow T5 "Embarrassment"

Mr Walsh used the IoD speech to once again offer a profuse apology for the chaos experienced at Heathrow's Terminal 5's opening few weeks.

Admitting that the opening of the terminal had been an "acute embarrassment", Mr Walsh said the airline was "sorry" for the problems experienced by passengers. He admitted that BA had made mistakes during the opening few days of the airline's flagship terminal, and that the airline was "bitterly disappointed" with the problems experienced by the terminal's baggage system.

Mr Walsh noted that the baggage system was now "stable" and performing well. He said the airline was hoping passengers and industry would "not...rush to judgement [about T5] on the basis of the first few days". He said the terminal would eventually provide a "great era" for both the airline and Heathrow passengers.

Mr Walsh added that BA was "on course" to meet the target of centralising BA long-haul flights from across Heathrow onto T5 by the start of June, and that this process should be completed by October.

Source - Airport International's London Reporter

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Blast Mitigation Solutions

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 15:56:25 GMT

Aigis will be displaying blast containment solutions at the Dubai Airport Show

Environmentally Friendly Airlines

Wed, 30 Apr 2008 14:39:20 GMT

With an ever increasing demand for air travel, how can airports become more environmentally friendly? Per-Olaf Hammarlund MD of the Safegate Group shares his views.

London Heathrow Airport Criticised by US Airline Executive

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 12:45:17 GMT

A senior US airline executive has publically criticised London Heathrow Airport, referring to it as the “worst in Europe.”

American Airlines’ (AA's) Don Langford – the carrier’s head of Customer Services Europe – continued by calling Heathrow a “bit of a dump.”

Heathrow Terminal 5

Langford’s stark comments coincided with Heathrow’s reputation reconstruction efforts after the Terminal 5 fiasco that saw thousands of bags go missing, and large numbers of departures delayed.

In his opinion, Heathrow was at the bottom of the destinations in Europe served by American Airlines.

"Heathrow is not just bursting at the seams. I think the seams have burst", he advised the BBC.

“If you look at the fabric of the building, if you look at where customers check in - missing light bulbs, duck tape on the floor.

“I would have to say that Heathrow is in many ways the worst of all the airports that my company flies to in Europe", he concluded.

BAA Airport Network

Heathrow forms part of the seven-strong UK airport network operated by BAA.

According to the airport operating group, the scene at Heathrow was an improving one.

A £4 billion investment, it added, would be forthcoming.

Tom Kelly, Corporate Affairs Director, described Heathrow as “...an airport which was designed for something like 45 million passengers”, adding: “...we have now got 65 million.

"We are investing £4bn over the next five years.....you've got to realise that if you are going to invest that kind of money it takes time to put things right", he said.

CAA’s Call for BAA, BA T5 Report

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has called on both BAA and British Airways to produce reports on the issues that affected Terminal 5 as a matter of urgency, as the authority’s Harry Bush explained:

"We have said very clearly to both BAA and BA we want to see the lessons-learned exercise conducted very quickly because the next stage of modernisation at Heathrow is going to require a lot of different airline moves between the terminals at the east end of the airport”, he said.

"We want to make sure the same mess-up doesn't occur there."

Source – Airport International’s London Reporter

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UK Airport Ownership Review

New Body Scan Technology Rolled into US Airports

Face Scans for Airport Passengers

Mon, 28 Apr 2008 13:45:55 GMT

UK airport passengers are set to undergo facial scans for the first time from this summer.

The government has announced that airports will be undertaking a trial of biometric facial recognition scanning technology, with passengers' faces being scanned and the image being compared to their biometric passport.

Officials at the Home Office's UK Border Agency, which is responsible for border control and enforcement of customs and immigration, said they believed the new technology would help improve security by providing a more effective guard against identity fraud.

They also said the technology would improve passport screening, and help ease congestion - the security checkpoints using the new technology will be unmanned, using automatic gates, so theoretically saving passengers time as they pass through the airport.

There are some existing biometric schemes in operation, such as miSense, but these are targeted at business travellers. The summer trial will be the first time that the technology will applied to the mass UK air passenger market.

The trial is open to UK or EU passengers who hold the biometric passports.

It has yet to be decided what airports will host the pilot scheme, but Home Office officials said if the results proved successful, then the scheme would be rolled out to all major UK airports.

Project Semaphore

Knowledge about the trial taking place first emerged last week at an industry conference in London involving biometric industry representatives.

According to The Guardian, Gary Murphy - the head of operational design and development for the UK Border Agency - told a session in the conference: "We think a machine can do a better job [than manned passport inspections]. What will the public reaction be? Will they use it? We need to test and see how people react".

Officials say that the technology is likely to generate a small number of so-called "false negatives" - where innocent travellers are rejected by the system because the machine cannot match their face to the records.

These rejected passengers would be redirected to passport officers for additional checks.

The trial is part of the government's "e-borders" security programme, known as Project Semaphore, which is attempting to establish a comprehensive border surveillance programme for the entire UK. With regard to airports, the Project calls for the development of an airport passenger information (API) security system. The government wants the API system to eventually be able to check flight details and passenger identities to be checked against a security "watch list". The Home Office wants to have the API system monitoring 95% of all passenger and crew movements around airports by December 2010.

Gatwick Airport Anti Terror Training Programme

In related airport security news, it has been announced by the Home Office that London Gatwick Airport in Sussex is to become the first UK airport to use a new counter-terrorism training programme for its workforce.

The scheme, called Project Griffin, has been used by the City of London Police and the Metropolitan Police Service since 2004 for the city of London.

The scheme includes training to give recipients greater understanding of possible terrorist behaviour, in addition to putting a structure in place for staff and police regarding actions in the event of a major terrorist incident.

Andy Flower, the managing director of Gatwick Airport, said: "The people who work around the airport are best placed to notice anything unusual. Through this initiative staff can feel confident passing on information which might be helpful in countering terrorism."

Source - Airport International's Aviation Correspondent

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Awarded Contract for Hong Kong Airport Baggage System

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 11:30:34 GMT

FKI Logistex – a leading global supplier of automated baggage handling systems have been awarded a contract by Jardine Engineering Cooperation (JEC)

BAA Responds to Competition Commission Report

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 18:20:35 GMT

The UK government has said it is to review the regulation and ownership of UK airports.

Transport Secretary Ruth Kelly announced on Wednesday 23rd April that the review would examine levels of customer service, how investment in airport facilities could be improved and how environmental concerns could be dealt with more effectively.

The decision followed Tuesday's announcement by the Competition Commission, which said airport operator BAA - which runs seven major UK airports - "may not be serving well the interests of either airlines or passengers".

As reported by Airport International on Tuesday, the Commission revealed its "emerging thinking" in its inquiry which is investigating whether the British Airports Authority's ownership of the seven airports restricts competition in the UK airport industry.

Ruth Kelly said the government's wide-ranging review would include the Competition Commission's points, as well as taking into consideration the views of the wider commercial aviation and airport industry and key stakeholders including passengers and businesses.

She said: "It has been over 20 years since the Airports Act 1986 put in place the current regime of economic regulation and as such it is one of the oldest economic regulatory systems in the country. Much has changed since then, and there is an urgent need to consider how the framework needs to be updated to reflect today's realities".

BAA Competition Commission Investigation

Although the Competition Commission (CC)'s report did not make any explicit statements about its thinking, and whether in its final report (due for publication in August) it would recommend that BAA should sell one or more of its airports, the Commission did say they were "particularly concerned" by what they described as an "apparent lack of responsiveness [by BAA] to meet the needs of its airline customers, and hence passengers". It also said that "separate ownership would itself create a greater incentive to expand capacity".

These comments were welcomed by airlines and politicians alike, who have long been critical of BAA's ownership - which they argue distorts competition, and has left both airlines and passengers suffering from poor service.

BAA currently operates the three major London airports at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted, the three major Scottish airports (Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen) as well as growing regional hub Southampton.

Paul Charles from Virgin Atlantic said: "The Competition Commission has seen the light".

Low-cost operator Easyjet said that "this is a landmark day for British aviation".

BAA "To Fight Competition Commission"

BAA has come out strongly to defend itself from the views expressed by the CC. The company's chairman Colin Matthews said the case of breaking up the company was a weak one, and argued that BAA in its present form could deliver economies of scale and "timely delivery of investment" to increase capacity.

Matthews said: "We recognise many of the concerns that have been expressed by airlines, and reflected by the Commission, and we will be doing everything we can do address these".

According to reports in Business Week magazine, BAA plans "to fight the Competition Commission" - and is apparently planning a written response to the Commission asking them to prove that airport ownership is being distorted by BAA's ownership of seven airports.

Business Week quotes a "BAA insider" as saying that: "Whatever happened to the argument for sustainable growth?...Our stance will be that no-one is better placed than BAA and Ferrovial to deliver the Government's aviation policy, to fund improvements without sapping UK taxpayers and deliver the most cost-effective options to the people who count - the passengers".

Source - Airport International's London Reporter

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2008 Closure for Berlin's Tempelhof Airport Confirmed

Referendum on Berlin Tempelhof Airport

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 18:04:24 GMT

Campaigners in Berlin are fighting to keep the city's historic Tempelhof Airport open.

As reported in December by Airport International, authorities in Germany decided to close Tempelhof in October 2008 as part of the preparations to centralise air services to and from the city on the forthcoming Berlin-Brandenburg International (BBI), which is located at the existing Berlin-Schonefeld Airport.

But supporters of the grand old airport - which gained fame for its part in the Berlin Airlift during 1948-49 - have rallied in the months since then, and have persauded authorities to hold a referendum on Sunday 27th April at which Berliners will be able to vote whether they want Tempelhof to remain open.

The issue of whether to keep Tempelhof open has become a significant cause of division in German politics, with the Social Democrats (SPD) viewing Tempelhof as an "anachronism" that needs to be closed on environmental, safety and economic grounds, and - on the other side of the argument - the conservative Christian Democrats (CDU), led by Germany's chancellor Angela Merkel, who say the airport is a vital "symbol" of the city's and nation's history that should be preserved.

A poll in the populist German newspaper Bild revealed that 65% of Berliners want keep Tempelhof open - a finding that has spurred campaigners on.

Tempelhof Airport History

Berlin Tempelhof Airport has a rich history that began in 1927. The 1,200 metre-long airport building, shaped in a crescent, includes a unique caopy designed to allow aircraft to be pulled out of the rain, and the terminal's roof includes a viewing platform that is said to be able to hold 100,000 people. Renowned British architect Sir Norman Foster has in the past described the building as the "mother of airports".

During the Soviet Union's 11-month blockade of road, rail and river transport into Berlin from June 1948 to May 1949, Tempelhof became the only safe passage into the city. America and British aircraft famously flew 1.5 million metric tonnes of supplies into Tempelhof, with aircraft operating into the airport continously, taking off and landing at 90-second intervals.

In the Cold War years, Tempelhof became the only safe passage to West Berlin from the communist East.

Due to the increasing size of modern passenger airliners, which are unable to operate into Tempelhof, the famous airport has suffered, with the other two Berlin airports at Schonefeld and Tegel taking the lion's share of services into the capital. Passenger numbers declined to just 350,000 in 2007 (compared to 6.3 million at Schonefeld, and 13.4 million at Tegel).

Despite the airport becoming increasingly popular as a hub for private jet operators - due to the airport's proximity to the centre of Berlin - the declining traffic, together with the airport's age and rising operating costs, led authorities to make the closure decision.

"Save Tempelhof Airport" Campaign

The "Save Tempelhof Airport" campaign which was set up in response to December's closure decision has attracted great interest, with Berliners and business community alike supporting the CDU's efforts to keep the airport open.

Merkel, CDU leader and Germany's chancellor, said: "The continued operation of Tempelhof isn't just significant to the economy and to jobs. To many people and to me personally, this airport, with the airlift, is a symbol of the city's history".

These are sentiments echoed by local residents who remember the Berlin Airlift days. Mercedes Wild agreed with Merkel, saying: "It's quite emotional. The airport is a symbol of freedom". Peter Krzywkowski added: "I want Tempelhof to remain open as a memorial to the history of our connection in West Berlin to the Allied forces - that should always remain with us".

Such emotions and historical attachments are not shared by the SPD politicians, who were behind the decision to close Tempelhof.

Berlin's SPD mayor, Klaus Wowereit, has said that if Berlin wants to be able to compete economically with other German and European cities, then it simply needs the benefits which he says creating a major hub like BBI will bring. He said bluntly: "Our future is in BBI".

The SPD says that after closure it will transform Tempelhof into a multiple-use site, hosting public space and parks, apartments and business properties. The listed airport building is due to be used for cultural events and filming.

This economic argument has not been supported by campaigners, who say Tempelhof could easily complement BBI.

Berlin's IHK Chamber of Commerce says: "Air traffic is growing rapidly...Tempelhof will relieve BBI of smaller business aviation planes and allow the new airport to grow in an unhampered way".

Malte Pereira, from campaign group ICAT, compared Tempelhof to London City Airport and said: "Tempelhof is a great location. It's attractive to business travellers, with the government and business districts so nearby. Tempelhof can bring economic power and jobs to this city".

The SPD is unmoved, pointing to the fact that Sunday's referendum will not be binding for the government. It added that any reviews of Tempelhof's future would lead to lengthy legal and judicial processes, which would delay BBI.

Source - Airport International's European Correspondent

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New UK Aviation Duty Tax Criticised

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 17:50:23 GMT

The UK government's plans to introduce a new "plane tax" have been criticised by airport bosses.

Newcastle International Airport, one of the UK's leading regional hubs, says the proposed Aviation Duty "has the potential to tax UK aviation out of the sky".

The duty is proposed a new tax that will replace the existing Air Passenger Duty.

Instead of airlines paying tax per passenger, they will have to pay duty based on the aircraft's weight and distance flown.

However, Newcastle International officials described the Aviation Duty plan as effectively being "no more than a revenue-generating scheme imposed...on an aviation industry that has become a soft target for the Treasury".

They said it was a discriminatory tax that would mean the UK's airports would lose out, with the smaller regional hubs hit the hardest.

Graeme Mason, Newcastle International's head of planning and corporate affairs, said the airport had written to the government as part of the consultation process to voice its concerns about the plans.

Government Wants UK Aviation Duty By November 2009

Originally announced at the government's Pre-Budget Report in 2007, the reform was confirmed in the Budget last month. The government hopes it will be implemented on 1st November 2009.

The proposals involve airlines paying tax according to the weight of their aircraft and the distance of their flights, rather than per passenger as they do now.

In the Treasury's consultation document, the government says it hopes the reformed duty will deter airlines from flying half-full aircraft.

The duty would mean that all flights originating from the UK would need to pay tax, with the amount they paid depending where they were flying to.

Direct long-haul services from the UK would have to pay the most, with domestic air services paying the duty twice (once on the outbound leg, once on the return).

Long-haul flights via another hub (either UK or continental) would need to pay differing elements of duty based upon where their domestic and outbound legs originated from.

The three-month consultation period into the plans closed today, Thursday 24th April.

Aviation Duty Tax Would 'Damage UK Airports'

Commenting on the plans, Graeme Mason said the plans would mean UK airports and their passengers would lose out, initially because the airlines would have to pass on the duty in the form of higher ticket prices - but also because the tax would mean the UK's airports would become less attractive to airlines looking to expand.

Mason commented: "The government is discriminating against UK airlines and airports in favour of overseas airlines and airports...[it] is failing to act in the best interests of the country by introducing Aviation Duty in its current form, and by 'going it alone' on a national rather than a European basis".

He said the duty was effectively a tax against regional airports. Drawing attention to the fact that airports further away from London would be taxed more, he argued: "It's more difficult for an airport such as ours to accept these changes because first we have a lower average income here, so any extra flight taxes would have a bigger impact. Any extra flight taxes would have a bigger impact [at regional airports]...it's the same as being punished for having a poorer, geographically distant and smaller population".

Mason said the duty would have "a disproportional impact on the North East" in particular because of its inferior economic performance to other regions in the UK, especially the south-east. He explained: "North East England suffers enough from its poor connectivity to the rest of the world, and if government is serious about developing our regional economy, it should be looking for measures to support aviation in this part of the country, not actively helping to destroy it".

He said the airport had urged the government to reconsider the possible effects of the change.

A Treasury spokesperson said the consultation process meant any airport was free to air its opinions.

Source - Airport International's Aviation Correspondent

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Critical Conditions of Paint Markings on Runways

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Stansted Airport Visitor Centre Gets Go-Ahead

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 17:00:40 GMT

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Scarecrow Expands Its Management Team

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 14:28:36 GMT

Scarecrow Bio-acoustic Systems, the leading innovator in bird dispersal technology, has expanded its management team by appointing David Windebank as Head of Airside Applications.

Park Air Systems to Provide Air Traffic Control Communications Systems Upgrade for India

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 14:27:10 GMT

Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC), announced that its Europe-based subsidiary, Park Air Systems, has been awarded a multi- million dollar contract from Airports Authority of India to provide a range of ground-to-air communication equipment as part of their VHF upgrade programme.

Park Air Systems Celebrates 90th Year With Launch of NORMARC 6512 DVOR

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Park Air Systems Provides Digital Voice Communication Systems for UK Air Traffic Control Operations

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 11:29:28 GMT

Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC), announced that its European subsidiary, Park Air Systems, has successfully completed the first major installation of digital end-to-end communication equipment to modernise the ground-to-air communications system for UK air traffic services provider NATS (formerly National Air Traffic Services).

Park Air Systems Wins Air Traffic Control Industry Award for Satellite-Based Landing System

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 11:01:15 GMT

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CC Report: Airport Capacity Still Lacking

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 10:42:19 GMT

The Competition Commission has reported that airport operating group BAA's ownership of seven airports in the UK "may not be serving well the interests of either airlines or passengers."

This statement, it delivered in a keenly-anticipated "emerging thinking" report, issue on the 22nd April. BAA, said the CC, "dominates the airports markets in the south-east of England and in lowland Scotland".

BAA Airport Sales

A subsequent report is scheduled for release in four months time, at which point BAA may be told to put some of the seven airports in its charge up for sale.

The seven airports owned by BAA are London Heathrow, London Gatwick and London Stansted, and Southampton, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen.

The commission emphasised that no definitive conclusions had yet been reached, but said that it would lay out its solutions to issues arising from competition in the next report, "whether requiring the sale of one or more of BAA's airports or otherwise".

BAA airports inquiry chairman, Christopher Clarke, added: "We are particularly concerned by its (BAA's) apparent lack of responsiveness to the differing needs of its airline customers, and hence passengers."

Another concern for Mr Clarke was the fact that, with BAA owning seven airports, large developments were being undertaken on an individual basis.

Airport Capacity

When, 21 years ago, BAA gained ownership of the London airport triumvirate - Heathrow, Stansted and Gatwick - said Mr Clarke, it was intended that the south-east of Britain would have sufficient airport capacity. However, he stated, capacity was still lacking.

The CC pointed out that airport competition in the south-east was improbable in the near future, owing to this lack of capacity, but said, simultaneously, that growth potential could result with airports under different ownership.

Competition potential, it added, also existed between Southampton, and London Heathrow and Gatwick.

North of the border, said the CC, competition potential existed between Glasgow and Edinburgh, but not so much so in the case of Aberdeen.

Source - Airport International's London Reporter

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Park Air Systems Achieves Record Delivery for Air Traffic Control Navigation Equipment in 2007

Tue, 22 Apr 2008 10:07:39 GMT

Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE: NOC) announced that its Europe-based subsidiary, Park Air Systems, achieved significant successes in 2007 with the delivery of navigation equipment, including instrument landing systems (ILS) and satellite landing systems (SLS), to a total of 29 countries.

BAA Airports Break-Up

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 13:27:13 GMT

Airport operator BAA will this week get the first indication of whether it will be forced to sell off some of its airports.

The Competition Commission (CC) is due to publish a document on Tuesday describing its "emerging thinking" in the long-running inquiry into the British Airport Authority's ownership of seven UK airports, which include London's Heathrow and Gatwick Airports.

According to various reports in the UK media, the CC is likely to indicate that it believes BAA's ownership of these airports is restrictive for competition in the industry.

The document is only an interim report, with the Commission expected to deliver a provisional report in August and a final decision expected towards the year's end. The CC itself has stressed that it will not go into any detail about the actions it may or may not take when the inquiry has ended.

However, UK newspapers report that aviation sources believe the CC's thinking is that BAA's ownership of the seven airports is damaging competition in the UK airport industry.

The Times, for example, reported that "senior aviation industry sources" have told the newspaper that the CC is likely to recommend that BAA be forced to sell off one or more airports. Sources say Gatwick is likely to be the favourite candidate for a sell-off should the Commission recommend the group be broken up.

BAA owns the three major London airports (Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted), as well as the three main Scottish airports (Edinburgh, Glasgow, Aberdeen) and the growing regional hub at Southampton on the south coast.

BAA Competition Commission Investigation

The Competition Commission inquiry into BAA began 12 months ago. It began after the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) referred BAA to the Commission following its own inquiry. At the time, the OFT said it was asking the CC to investigate BAA because it believed that "BAA's high regional market shares in the south east of England and Lowland Scotland "restricts or distorts competition", resulting in lack of incentives for investment and "poor customer service".

Airlines operating into BAA airports have frequently criticised the group's ownership of the seven airports. Chief executives such as Ryanair's Michael O'Leary have said on several occasions that BAA holds a "monopoly" in the UK airport market.

An example of this came just last week, when O'Leary - whose airline is a major presence at Stansted - said the higher landing fees now being charged at the Essex airport were symptomatic of the effects of BAA owning several airports. He commented: "...the financial needs [of BAA] [are put] above the interests of airport users and customers...it's now time that the Competition Commission and the Government broke up this foreign-owned, failed, anti-consumer monopoly".

The shambolic opening of Terminal 5 at Heathrow and the delays this has caused for major international airlines restructuring where their flights operate from around Heathrow has also been used by airlines to attack BAA's ownership of several airports.

Last month, a leading committee of MPs in the Houses of Parliament also said they believed BAA's ownership was "bad for passengers and bad for the aviation industry", and that they thought it would be in the best interest that BAA was to be broken up.

The Competition Commission has refused to make comment on any of these protestations which have occurred whilst it's inquiry is taking place.

Airport Ownership Defended by BAA

Despite the Commission not making a final decision until later this year, some newspapers are reporting that investment banks "have held talks" with investors who may be interested in purchasing a BAA airport if the Commission recommends that the company sells one or more sites in its airport portfolio.

The Mail on Sunday said "interested parties" from the Middle East and Asia had staged preliminary talks with investment bankers with regard to a potential purchase should a break-up of BAA be recommended.
BAA, which has been owned by the Spanish construction and property firm Ferrovial since 2006, has defended its position of multiple ownership, saying it offers a "critical mass" which will be useful in the future development of airport capacity, especially in the south-east.

It refused to make a comment on the CC inquiry's interim report and the newspaper reports regarding foreign investors.

Source - Airport International's London Reporter

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Millimetre Wave Scanner Trial at JFK Airport

Fri, 18 Apr 2008 20:24:50 GMT

A new body scan system has been installed at JFK Airport, New York, which allows airport screeners to peer beneath passengers' clothing in search of secreted weapons.

According to the TSA (Transportation Security Administration) - which is rolling the machines into airports across the US - the scanner is not a compulsory security measure. In other words, travellers don't have to use it.

However, those passengers who are required to undergo additional screening have the choice of entering the machine, or opting for a body pat-down.

Millimetre Wave Scanners

The machines - known as millimetre wave scanners - produce a 3D image of the body, showing some degree of detail, but, according to a spokeswoman for the TSA, not some areas.

The images generated, said Lara Uselding, are too blurred to show the anatomy clearly.

Furthermore, she added, the images are only seen by a security worker in a secluded room, who has no contact with the person being examined.

Faces are obscured automatically, she said, and the images are not archived - even if they do show the presence of a hidden weapon.

JFK's scanner was put in at a checkpoint used by the US airlines American Eagle and American Airlines, as well as international carriers Malev (of Hungary), Jet Airways (of India) and Finnair (of Finland).

Introduction of the technology, Uselding commented, was delayed.

"We waited to roll this technology out to address some privacy concerns", she said.

Even so, some, such as the American Civil Liberties Union's Jay Stanley, are still concerned.

"These things often are introduced very gingerly with all the protections, but over the years they're stripped away", he stated.

"How long are they going to be voluntary? How much assurance can we really have that images are not going to end up on the Internet?"

Each scanner, according to Uselding, costs around $150,000. Thirty more are set to be installed in other hubs, although it is not yet known which ones.

15 Second Scans

Passengers using the scanners enter them and raise their arms. The scans themselves last around 15 seconds.

According to Uselding, the machines do not pose a risk to travellers' health, given that the energy emitted equates to 1/10,000^th of that of a mobile phone.

The scanners are effectively being piloted so that the TSA can establish how effective they are. As well as airports in the US, the same devices are also being trialled at hubs in seven overseas countries.

Source - Airport International's US Correspondent

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Insurance Cover For Lost Heathrow Terminal 5 Baggage

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 18:42:12 GMT

Two major insurance companies have said they are refusing to cover customers who have suffered lost or delayed baggage in the chaos at Heathrow Airport's Terminal 5.

Direct Line and Churchill have stopped offering cover for baggage loss and delays on new travel insurance policies for air passengers who are using Terminal 5.

Customers of these two companies are now being advised to check their policies to see where they stand with the policy they hold.

A spokesman for the Royal Bank of Scotland, which owns both Direct Line and Churchill, said that passengers who bought policies before the baggage problems began at T5 will not be affected and will still be able to make claims. However, for insurance purchased since then may not pay out for lost or delayed bags or cancelled and delayed flights. For example, a customer who has annual cover will still be entitled to a pay-out.

The RBS spokesman added that the decision was only temporary, and that the situation is under "constant review". He added that the normal cover would be restored as soon as baggage delays cease at T5.

A spokesman from Direct Line said: ""It is a general principle of all insurance that it only covers unforeseen chance events. Once something becomes widely known like this it is no longer unforeseen".

Despite opening four weeks ago, the new £4.3 billion terminal is still working to clear the baggage backlog that built up due to a wide range of problems at the facility.

Lost T5 Baggage Insurance Policies

Despite the decision affecting Direct Line and Churchill insurance, other major insurers are still issuing insurance policies which include cover for baggage lost at T5.

These companies include Norwich Union, Saga Insurance and Insure&Go.

Norwich Union said: "We are not making any changes to exclude claims from customers who travel from the terminal. We don't think it is fair to penalise customers for the problems at Heathrow as they often don't have the choice of which terminal they will fly from".

Saga Insurance commented: "The decision of some companies to introduce new exclusions for customers travelling from Terminal 5 is, in our view, an assault on common sense. Insurers that are introducing arbitrary exclusions of this nature will only encourage people to take out policies that are unlikely to meet their needs".

Whilst the airline should be the passenger's first port of call, if your suitcases or bags are lost, delayed or damaged, provided you have baggage cover on your policy, you should be able to claim. Just remember to report any loss to the airline immediately and get a Property Irregularity Report".

A spokeswoman for the Association of British Insurers said passengers should always contact their airline, rather than their insurer, for compensation if they suffer from lost or delayed baggage - because it was up to individual companies as to whether they continued to offer cover.

She said: "Insurance is there to pay for the unexpected, but some companies are taking the position that you can't help which terminal you fly out of and are still offering cover. Our advice is to check with your insurance provider".

Source - Airport International's London Reporter

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London Airport Landing Fees Unpopular With Airlines

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 16:49:24 GMT

A number of airlines have announced they could launch legal proceedings against airports operator BAA over the increased landing fees now in place at the London airports.

Last month the British Airports Authority was given permission by the UK's civil aviation regulator to increase its landing charges for airlines from April 1st 2008 using three BAA-operated London airports - Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted.

The low-cost airlines Ryanair and easyJet, usually locked in fierce competition, have both said they will launch judicial reviews to challenge the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) decision to let BAA increase its charges.

Both airlines are directly affected by the charges - Stansted is the major UK hub for Ryanair, while easyJet is a significant presence at Gatwick.

Ryanair, Easyjet Threat To Withhold Landing Fees

The airlines have threatened they would withhold landing fee payments to BAA while the juidicial review proceeds.

In a letter to BAA seen by The Times newpspaer, Andy Harrison, easyJet's chief executive, writes: "We are determined to address what we consider to be a regulatory decision that we consider to be unlawful and damaging for the airlines, our passengers and the industry as a whole".

The new landing fee charges mean airlines have to pay an increased amount to BAA per passenger over the next five years. At Heathrow, charges will increase by 86% from £10.36 to £19.31 per passenger by 2012, and at Gatwick they will rise by 49% from £5.61 to £8.36 per passenger.

Since the new charges came into effect at the start of the month, airlines using Gatwick have to pay a new total of £6.97 per passenger. Charges at Stansted have increased by 7% since April 1st.

Harrison has asked BAA to accept a deferral of some of the £6.97 fee at Gatwick until the judicial review has been completed.

He wrote: "We will hold back a proportion of the £6.97 you have been permitted to charge for each passenger at Gatwick. We will keep the money in a separate account. To the extent that our challenge fails, we will hand over the money withheld to you along with any interest accrued. If our challenge succeeds, and a lower charge is then set, we will implement a mechanism to return what we have saved to our customers".

Ryanair has written a similar letter to BAA regarding Stansted. A Ryanair statement read: "If BAA Stansted continues to abuse it's monopoly power by imposing these maximum allowed price increases, then Ryanair will launch judicial review proceedings and it will withhold these latest increases (putting them in an escrow account) until the outcome of its judicial review proceedings at Stansted".

BAA Break Up Demanded By Airlines

Both Ryanair and easyJet have repeated their call for BAA to be broken up. Last month, when the charges were announced, the two low-fare carriers joined forces with bmi and Virgin Atlantic to release a joint statement expressing their dispproval of the charges, and said that BAA should be broken up to improve competition and standards in the UK airport sector.

Ryanair's chief executive Michael O'Leary said: "These latest unjustified price hikes by the BAA airport monopoly prove that it is abusing its monopoly power over passengers and airlines at Stansted. They also prove that the CAA is an incompetent and incapable regulator which has yet again put the financial needs of the Spanish-owned BAA airport operator above the interests of airport users and consumers which it is obliged by law to protect".

O'Leary added: "...Stansted doesn't work, the BAA airport monopoly doesn't work in the interests of consumers, and it's now time that the Competition Commission and the Government broke up this foreign-owned, failed, anti-consumer monopoly".

BAA responded to the airlines' latest moves by saying that it would continue to charge the new fees, and that they did not believe the airlines were making a valid complaint.

Source - Airport International's London Reporter

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