By January, all ICAO Council member states with aircraft operators doing a lot of international flights have to start compiling and transmitting their airlines’ CO2 emissions information. ICAO will gather this, to get ready for the start of its CORSIA "market based measure" plan (Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation). Its aim is to try to have (sic) "carbon neutral growth" from 2020. The pilot phase starts in 2021. From January 2019 all airlines producing annual CO2 emissions above 10,000 tonnes will need to measure their emissions on cross-border flights, so a calculation of a sectoral 2020 emission baseline can be made of the average of 2019 and 2020. There are two bits of jargon for CORSIA; the emissions monitoring plan (EMP) and the CO2 emissions reporting tool (CERT). Airlines will need to submit their EMP to their administering state, the country where their aircraft are registered, by February 28, 2019, or preferably earlier.  The CERT needs origin, destination, aircraft type, and number of flights for each airline for the year. There is more jargon - the SARP (standards and recommended practices) and the MRV (monitoring, reporting, and verification) requirements ... We may hear more of these in coming years ...

Tourists, going on holidays - including high-CO2 long-haul trips - are being encouraged to cut down on the amount of plastic they use etc. Great to be reducing the number of plastic straws, water bottles and other single-use plastics etc, but this really is barely touching the surface of the environmental problems caused by tourism. In a blog, Chris Haslam, of he Sunday Times, says that while the travel companies like Thomas Cook are "jumping on the sustainability bandwagon" - is this corporate responsibility or virtue-signalling? People can see bits of plastic. They, conveniently, cannot see the CO2 emissions they cause. Travel companies used to try to sell customers carbon offsets for their trips, but no longer seem to.  Air travel is a uniquely fast way to cause the emission of a huge proportion of an individual's annual carbon footprint.  “No other human activity pushes individual emission levels as fast and as high as air travel,” says Dr Roger Tyers, an environmental sociologist at Southampton University. "... [the aviation industry] tell us that engineers and inventors will come to the rescue, that politicians and passengers need do nothing. ... [but] Climate change will be a real problem unless we do something about our addiction to cheap and plentiful flying.”

Stop Stansted Expansion (SSE) has expressed dismay and disappointment that the vote on 14th November)by Uttlesford District Council (UDC) Planning Committee granted approval for Stansted’s planning application to grow - to an annual throughput of 43 million passengers per annum (from the 35 million cap now).  If this approval is allowed to stand, it would mean that Stansted could increase its flights by 44% and its passenger throughput by 66% compared, to last year’s levels.  The Planning Committee, comprising ten elected Uttlesford councillors, split right down the middle with 5 in favour of the application (including the Planning Committee Chairman) and 5 against.  Where there is a split vote, the Council rulebook gives the Chairman an additional (casting) vote - so he gets 2 votes.  Both BBC and ITV regional news teams filmed the session, which was attended by many local people.  UDC cannot issue a decision notice until the Sec of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government (James Brokenshire) has considered whether the application should be called in. This should have been done already, as the planned expansion is very near the threshold necessary - of an increase by 10 million annual passengers.  SSE will now submit further representations to the Secretary of State asking him (again) to call in the application. They are currently also legally challenging the decision.

Prepare to be bowled over at Brisbane Airport (BNE) as the airport hosts the first ever cricket match inside an airport terminal.The match, planned for November 22, will feature former Australian cricket players Brett Lee and Michael Kasprowicz and be streamed live on the former's own Facebook page to a global audience.The two will captain teams consisting of senior representatives from the India and Australia travel industries, in a twenty-over indoor exhibition style cricket match as part of Tourism Events Queensland’s 'Queensland on Stage India' event for 2018. Coinciding with the start of the Indian cricket team’s tour of Australia, the match will be held in the middle of BNE’s busy International Terminal for the enjoyment of departing passengers and the Indian media.Gert-Jan de Graaff, CEO of BNE operator, Brisbane Airport Corporation (BAC), explained that the match provides a unique opportunity to strengthen and celebrate tourism between the two nations. He said: “India and Australia share a love of family, travel and cricket, so we thought we’d take the opportunity to celebrate these shared values with a bit of fun, whilst also showcasing Brisbane as an aspirational travel destination offering a wide range of experiences for Indian visitors. “India is one of the world’s fastest growing outbound travel markets with more than 300,000 Indians visiting Australia last year and more than 33,000 of those visiting Brisbane, which was a 36% increase on the previous year. “India is also Australia’s third largest trading partner, with total merchandise exports trade more than $9 billion. This means Queensland has around 60% share of Australia’s total trade with India, including 13% share of Indian students in Australia.“Being able to showcase Brisbane Airport as the gateway to Queensland and Australia will allow existing and new airline partners to reinforce the importance of this growing market. With rising travel demand, and our business and trade relationship showing further growth, BAC is very interested in strengthening connections with the India market." Former Australian fast pacer Brett Lee, who shares a special relationship with India and its people, believes stronger connections would provide benefits to both nations. “India has always been a special place for me. I love the colour, the culture and most of all, the people. Indian travellers love Australia, and there’s a huge opportunity to showcase all the new tourism developments happening in Brisbane to the India market, because the city is transforming so quickly."I think Indians should see it for themselves that there’s just so much happening here."Australia - India Council Board member and non-executive board director of Cricket Australia, Michael Kasprowicz, said he is looking forward to competing against Brett and showcasing the city of Brisbane to the India market. “Having spent plenty of time in India, I know how much Indian travellers want to come to Australia for a holiday. Brisbane is a city that is quickly developing into a major tourism destination, and I’m excited to be a part of the effort to showcase all these new developments to the India market,” noted Kasprowicz. The exhibition cricket match, the first of its kind, is expected to generate strong interest from Indian media, coinciding with the commencement of India’s cricket tour of Australia, kicking off with a T20 match at The Gabba on November 21. The event can be viewed live via Brett Lee’s Facebook page which will carry a live stream of the game, commencing at 4pm Australian Eastern Standard Time (AEST), 12pm GMT time (New Delhi).

A long BuzzFeed article looks in detail at the problems of companies trying to bring back supersonic jets, like Concorde, just to cut a few hours off flights for those rich enough to afford them.  The interest in developing these planes was galvanised on October 5th, when President Donald Trump signed a FAA bill directing NASA to start consulting with the aviation industry to restart supersonic passenger travel. The problems remain the horrible sonic boom, that is a pressure wave, that hits anyone/anything on the ground, as the plane flies so fast nearby. Earlier studies indicated people really hated it, and it was dangerous. The shock of the bang could cause heart attacks, car accidents, "people to fall off ladders"etc.  Research earlier in the USA indicated that people did not become more tolerant of the bang, but less so. Supersonic flights by Concorde were banned over the USA. Now some US companies are looking at supersonic business flights again, but they are hugely wasteful in terms of fuel and high CO2 emissions. The ICCT said the jets would emit 40% more nitrogen oxides and 70% more CO2 than subsonic ones; they burn about 5-7 times as much fuel per passenger (not that Trump would care...)

Written by Marisa Garcia – Flightchic.com      The first thing you sense when talking with JetBlue President and COO Joanna Geraghty is that she is a sharp thinker and straight-shooter, with a clear vision ... Read More The post JetBlue’s President and COO Gets Candid On Innovation, Brand Identity, Long-Haul, and Putting People First appeared first on Total Blue Sky.

Passenger numbers continue to rise across Europe’s airports, growing 5% in Q3 2018, according to the latest traffic figures released today by ACI Europe.Passenger traffic growth in the EU market stood at +4.6% in Q3 – remaining consistently stable over the three month period. Airports in Finland, the Baltic States, Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia Hungary, Malta and Luxembourg registered double-digit growth. Conversely, airports in Sweden, the UK and the Netherlands posted the weakest results.  Among EU capital & larger airports, double-digit growth was achieved in Q3 by Athens (+12%), Vienna (+10%), Milan-Malpensa (+10.7%), Warsaw (+12%), Budapest (+13.6%), Malta (+11.4%), Luxembourg (+10%), Bratislava (+14.7%) and Tallinn (+10.5%).  While passenger traffic in the non-EU market stood at +6.5% in Q3, the growth pace slowed over the 3-months period from +6.8% in July to +5.6% in September. This was mainly due to Turkish airports decelerating and almost coming to a standstill in September (+0.4%) – as the country’s difficult economic situation is impacting demand for air travel. Airports in Russia, Ukraine, Montenegro, Albania, FYROM and Iceland posted double-digit growth.The following non-EU capital and larger airports achieved particularly dynamic growth in Q3: Moscow-SVO (14.3%), Moscow-Vnukovo (+17.5%), Tel Aviv (+10.5%), Kiev (+16.6%), Keflavik (+10.2%), Tbilisi (+10.7%), Tirana (+15%), Skopje (+12.9%) and Podgorica (+14.6%).     Smaller airports (below 5mppa) outperformed the European average in Q3, with their passenger traffic increasing by +6.7%. Meanwhile, growth at the Majors (top 5 European airports) capped at +3.3%. Frankfurt (+7.3% - N.3) led the league, followed by Paris-CDG (+4.5% - N.2). Istanbul-Ataturk (+1% - N.5) posted the weakest performance, followed by capacity constrained Amsterdam-Schiphol (+1.1% - N.4) and London-Heathrow (+2.4% - N.1). Freight traffic during Q3 was up +1.4%, while aircraft movements (an indicator of new airline capacity in the market) were up +3.4%. ACI Europe director general, Olivier Jankovec, says: “The peak summer months show that the momentum in traffic growth is robust, but diminishing. “Airport capacity issues, industrial unrest, rising oil prices and airline consolidation are putting the brakes on more gains. Aviation taxes and economic slowdowns have also come to take their toll, as evidenced by stalling air traffic growth in Sweden and Turkey.“Looking at the coming months, BREXIT risks have somewhat receded following yesterday’s EC announcement of its contingency measures in case negotiations with the UK fail. “The fact that the EC has formally clarified that it will propose measures to ensure undisrupted air connectivity between the EU27 and the UK after March 2019 is indeed a relief. “With the UK having already taken a similar position, this means that consumers can now have confidence over existing and future bookings for travel between the EU27 and the UK next year.” He added “However, the EC announcement makes it clear that these contingency measures would only apply until December 2019. That still leaves a big question mark as to what would happen beyond that date if the no-deal scenario materialises.” During Q3, airports welcoming more than 25mppa (Group 1), airports welcoming between 10 and 25mppa (Group 2), airports welcoming between 5 and 10mppa (Group 3) and airports welcoming less than 5mppa (Group 4) reported an average adjustment +4.2%, +5.7%, +4.9% and +6.7%. The airports that reported the highest increases in passenger traffic are as follows: GROUP 1: Moscow SVO (+14.3%), Madrid (+8.6%), London STN (+8.2%), Istanbul SAW (+7.5%) and Frankfurt (+7.3%) GROUP 2: Moscow VKO (+17.5%), Kiev (+16.6%), Budapest (13.6%), Warsaw & Athens (+12%) and Venice (+11%) GROUP 3: Seville (+23.3%), Palermo (+15.3%), Riga (+14.8%), Krakow (+13.5%), Sochi (+12.2%) GROUP 4:  Targu Mures (+9547%), Taranto (+155.2%), Vilnius (+107.9%), Sibiu (+58.9%) and Kutaisi (+53%)

The Committee on Climate Change (CCC) has launched a new Call for Evidence to support is forthcoming advice to the UK Government and the Devolved Administrations on long-term targets for greenhouse gas emissions and the UK’s transition to a net zero-carbon economy. In October the government asked the CCC when the UK should reach net zero emissions of CO2 and/or greenhouse gases as a contribution to global ambition under the Paris Agreement; if that target should be set now; the implications for emissions in 2050; how such reductions can be achieved; and the costs and benefits involved in comparison to existing targets.  The government asked for the advice by the end of March 2019. The current target is for cuts of at least 80% on the 1990 level by 2050. This includes international aviation and shipping. So far the 5-yearly carbon budgets are set up to 2032. The CCC advice will be looking at the latest climate science, including the IPCC Report on 1.5°C. Organisations and individuals are invited to send in responses, by 7th December, including thoughts on costs, risks and opportunities from setting a tighter long-term target - and actions needed to achieve the targets. Details of how to respond etc.

From digital displays, giant sculptures and famous paintings to weird and wonderful exhibitions, Joe Bates reviews some of the most innovative new airport art offerings of 2018.Sydney’s cultural experience Sydney Airport has unveiled a striking work of contemporary art by Kamilaroi artist, Archie Moore, which the gateway hopes will “contribute to a strengthened cultural experience for departing visitors and leave an enduring positive impression”. Moore’s United Neytions artwork consists of 28 large flags that hang dramatically from the 17-metre high ceiling of Sydney Airport’s T1 International Marketplace and are said to speak of the incredible diversity of aboriginal culture. Sydney Airport CEO, Geoff Culbert, says: “We’re committed to celebrating the very best of local and Australian talent and showcasing our city and nation’s rich and wonderful stories. “We’re very much focused on continually finding new ways to ensure both local and international travellers enjoy a dynamic and unique experience whenever they visit Sydney Airport.” The memorable, multi-coloured work was chosen for display as part of a landmark partnership between the airport and the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia (MCA). Moore, who is recognised as a leading contemporary Australian artist, says: “The opportunity has allowed this series of flags that celebrate issues of place and identity to adopt a scale and status that official international flags have. “[These flags] draw attention to the histories, voices and presence of local indigenous people on whose traditional lands the airport lies, but also the passages of cultures, pasts, territories, ages and cultural knowledges that airports foster.” Audio visual artwork in Charlotte Charlotte Douglas International Airport’s newly expanded Concourse A is now home to several huge new ‘data sculptures’ by digital artist, Refik Anadol. Dubbed ‘Interconnected’, the digital artwork is comprised three NanoLumens supplied hi-definition LED media walls, measuring over 2,000 square feet, that display constantly changing dynamic abstract visualisations derived from airport operations data (flight arrivals and departures, baggage handling and ground transportation). The centrepiece of the project, which is being described as one of the largest data sculpture visualisations in the world, is a 2.5mm NanoLumens ENGAGE Series LED display that is 140-feet long and 10-feet wide. “The largest display runs down a big part of the new Concourse A which has windows lining the other side so it can also be seen by people driving past as well as walking up to the airport from the outside,” enthuse Marcus Mitchell, programme director for the Arts & Science Council, which organised the project for the airport. “The fact that the displays provide such a high definition image viewed up close, as well as the brightness to be seen outside by people in cars whizzing by, provided us with the greatest possible impact.” Anadol says: “The artwork being displayed is constantly changing and evolving as it responds to the ever-changing flow of data, creating a living snapshot of the invisible patterns that surrounds us as we travel to, from, and within Charlotte Douglas International Airport.” Giant sculptures in Doha Airport artwork doesn’t get much bigger than at Doha’s Hamad International Airport, which now boasts another giant sculpture to sit alongside its larger than life teddy bear. The latest addition, SMALL LIE by American artist KAWS, towers above the ground and is a gift from the Qatar Museum as part of its commitment to making art available to all beyond the confines of a gallery. Airport CEO, Badr Mohammed Al Meer, enthuses: “HIA’s space for public art is truly redefining the passenger experience. It is a monumental art piece. Our operations team had to dismantle the airport façade at concourse D to handle the crates and we worked on the technical installation for several weeks.” Artworks on show at HIA comprise a mix of site-specific creations and pieces which have been carefully selected for the airport, something the Qatar gateway feels “transforms the transportation hub into a large-scale gallery filled with breathtaking pieces of art”. These include the iconic Lamp Bear by Swiss artist Urs Fischer, Oryx statues by Dutch artist Tom Claassen, and the Playground by American sculptor Tom Otterness. Al Meer adds: “The airport is thriving and is committed to giving transit travellers a memorable journey through arts and culture.” Munch artwork on display in Oslo Airport Original works of art from Norway’s most famous artist, Edvard Munch, will be on display at Oslo Airport for the next decade after operator, Avinor, persuaded the Munch Museum to temporarily share some of its masterpieces. A specially designed display case has been installed in the new international pier to allow passengers to enjoy his work. Airport director, Øyvind Hasaas, says: “We are very proud to be able to show travellers from all over the world one of Norway’s greatest artists. “We have many travellers who either have Oslo as their destination or who are just passing through, and now they will have the opportunity to see works by one of Norway’s finest, namely Edvard Munch.” The first work on display is the painting ‘Head by Head’ (1905) and it is accompanied by the stone used for the lithograph Separation (1896), in the case. Once a year, the artwork will be replaced with a new one. “The contract with Oslo Airport gives us a completely new and exciting arena for the Munch Museum,” says Stein Olav Henrichsen, director of the Munch Museum. “Thousands of people pass through this part of the terminal every day, and this will give us a unique opportunity to introduce Edvard Munch to a new audience.” Miami’s glass exhibition ‘Contemporary Glass: From Sand to Art, a diverse exhibition of glass objects created by contemporary artists is now on display at Miami International Airport. “Our airport serves as a prominent backdrop for the exchange of thoughts, people and cultures from around the world,” says Miami-Dade aviation director and CEO, Lester Sola. “Contemporary Glass: From Sand to Art, which is also a melting pot of people and cultures from around the globe in its own right, is just one example of how art imitates life – or vice versa – at Miami International Airport.” Located near Gate D29, the new exhibition has been curated by Linda Boone and features works by renowned glass artists Latchezar Boyadjiev, Marek Brincko, Dale Chihuly, Keke Cribbs, Dan Dailey, Bohumil Elias, Jon Kuhn, John Lewis, John Miller, Shelley Muzylowski Allen, Joel Philip Myers, Robert Palusky and Toots Zynsky. “In our ongoing effort to provide our passengers with unique art collections, we are proud to feature MIA’s first all-glass exhibition,” enthuses Gendry Sherer, MIA’s fine arts and cultural affairs director. “We’ve also been able to assemble an impressive combination of works by many of the top names in the medium.” All in a name A collaboration of impressive illustrations to celebrate the history of well-known Irish surnames is now on display at the South Gates boarding area at Dublin Airport. This unique exhibition, which is called ‘All in a name’, showcases seven real-life people and describes some of the history associated with their popular surnames dating back to the 15th and 16th centuries. The myths and legends linked to the O’Donnell’s of Donegal, the Byrne’s of Dublin, the O’Carroll’s in Tipperary, the Kelly’s in Galway, the McCarthy’s in Kerry, Burke’s of Mayo and Murphy’s in Wexford are presented on these beautiful canvases. “It is estimated that up to 80 million people around the world have Irish surnames, however, the myths and legends associated with them are not always known,” enthuses Dublin Airport’s managing director, Vincent Harrison. “This exhibition at the South Gates provides passengers with a unique opportunity to experience another dimension to our rich history and create a lasting impression of Ireland for departing passengers.” The exhibition is one of seven installations throughout both terminals which form part of Dublin Airport’s Sense of Place Visual Environment Project. Abstract art at LAX Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), in partnership with the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs (DCA), has introduced a new art exhibition at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) that features works by multi-media artist Martin Durazo. Durazo was born and raised in the Echo Park area of Los Angeles and his ‘Points of Entry’ exhibition in the Terminal 1 Arrivals area features 19 abstract paintings influenced by the physical and cultural landscape of Southern California. “We are excited to feature Martin Durazo’s artwork at LAX because, as an LA native, he has a unique understanding of what makes Los Angeles stand out from other cities,” said LAX’s art program director, Sarah Cifarelli. “Durazo’s energetic paintings create a memorable atmosphere for both locals and international visitors alike.” According to LAX, Durazo’s brightly coloured works draw upon the vibrant sounds, sights and subcultures of Los Angeles, creating a lively welcome for guests. His abstract paintings are suggestive of the topographies passengers might see as they fly over Southern California, or landmarks drivers might spot while traversing the Los Angeles basin. It notes: “The blue-green paint is reminiscent of the Pacific Ocean, just minutes away from the airport, while the neon colours evoke the dazzling lights of Hollywood club culture. Durazo’s paintings merge intense, vivid emotions and polished aesthetics, reflecting the intersection of high and low cultures that coexist in Los Angeles.” The artist himself comments: “I hope my work inspires LAX guests to discover different corners of Los Angeles. No matter how many times one visits or returns to LA, there is always something new to see and learn about this diverse city.” The exhibition’s location means that it is accessible to the general public as well as passengers and will be around until the spring of 2019.

As passenger traffic in the Latin America-Caribbean region continues to grow, ACI today called for a whole-of-industry response to the forecast growth in demand for air services in the region.This call was made as the ACI Latin America-Caribbean Annual Assembly and Conference got underway in Miami. To keep pace with the continued growth in passenger traffic growth in an increasingly commercial and competitive business environment, ACI asserts that airports must be able to collect sufficient revenues to finance investments in infrastructure and operations while also maintaining high levels of service for passengers. “Aviation is a vital industry in the Latin America-Caribbean region, supporting 7.2 million jobs and providing $156 billion in economic value,” said ACI World's director general, Angela Gittens.“Global demand for air services is growing and, the aviation industry must come together to respond to these challenges and help to ensure communities continue to reap the social and economic benefits of air service growth.“Policy at a national and global level should be focused on facilitating sustainable growth over the long term so airports have the flexibility and consistency in regulatory frameworks to better serve their communities, invest in infrastructure and service improvement, and meet future demand. "In many cases around the world, including in the Latin American-Caribbean region, private investment in airports has been successful in providing new or improved infrastructure, better facilities, and a positive influence on passenger experience.” Martin Eurnekian, CEO of Corporación América SA (CASA), and president of ACI Latin America-Caribbean, said that airports must prepare to meet the challenges of passenger traffic growth which is making a solid revival in the region following an economic downturn in the larger economies in Latin America. “It is heartening to see that passenger traffic growth in our region is showing strong signs of revival, but with this comes challenges that we must all work together to overcome,” he said. “With the expected growth of demand in our region, airports are experiencing capacity challenges similar to those faced in Europe and North America. “If airports, airlines, and our partners in government do not work together and prepare to meet this demand, we risk the prospect of increased congestion both in airspace and at airports. "Now is the time to work together to address these challenges, to develop new strategies, and to plan to better cope with traffic growth in the short-term. “Our co-operation with ACI LAC, the Latin American Civil Aviation Commission and aviation partners in the region has always been part of our agenda as we consider important the development of air transport in this emerging part of the world.” ACI has long advocated for appropriate levels of private investment in airports to help airports improve facilities, create new and resilient infrastructure, and maintain service levels, noting that:• Of the top 100 airports for passenger traffic, the number with private sector participation grew to 51 in 2017, five more than in 2016, and • Of the top 500 airports in 2017, 39% had private sector participation.Single airports, airport systems and airport networks provide significant value creation for airlines, passengers and the communities they serve, says ACI.Economies of scope and scale enable airport networks to generate significant efficiencies in terms of costs and charges to airlines, while providing customers with a high quality of service.This week's conference in Miami – which is widely regarded as the gateway to the Americas - is being hosted by the Miami-Dade Aviation Department, operators of the Miami International Airport (MIA).  

The Government will open the door for another new runway by 2050, in addition to the plans for expansion at Heathrow, in a consultation to be launched next month.  The DfT's "Aviation Strategy Green Paper" will consult on the decision-making process for delivering a further runway in the UK by 2050, according to Sarah Bishop, DfT's Deputy Head of Aviation Policy. This would be in addition to a 3rd Heathrow runway, and perhaps Gatwick making use of its emergency runway. Ms Bishop says there could be a "need" (sic) for more expansion, to meet air travel demand. Classic outdated "predict & provide" thinking.  [The DfT gives the impression it is entirely unaware of of global climate breakdown, or the UK's responsibilities on its carbon emissions]. It remains unclear how even ONE further runway (perhaps Heathrow) could be delivered within the UK's legally binding CO2 emission targets - which require the aviation sector to keep its CO2 emissions to their 2005 level by 2050. The Committee on Climate Change warned as recently as June 2018 that higher levels of aviation emissions in 2050 “must not be planned for” and raised a series of concerns about even ONE new runway (let alone two). The No 3rd Runway Coalition believes the possibility of yet another runway being approved by the DfT would cause concerns for investors in Heathrow.

A holistic, sense of place driven approach to airport development can have a hugely positive impact on retail and F&B revenues, writes John Matheson.At this year’s ACI World annual Assembly, Conference and Exhibition in Brussels, an airport leaders’ symposium shared a broad consensus that airport branding is a key weapon in the battle to differentiate the airport. “Each airport is a destination in its own right and each one is different,” commented Fred Lam, CEO of Hong Kong International Airport and second vice president of ACI Asia-Pacific’s Regional Board. Today’s travellers are increasingly demanding of the airport experience and are seeking not only a higher level of customer service but also a stronger experiential aspect across the whole airport journey – and they expect each airport to offer something uniquely different. Many airports are addressing this challenge by developing a stronger ‘sense of place’, using not only the design of the airport spaces but a broad portfolio of factors that help the airport to share its own unique personality with the traveller. Although to be fully effective the strategy needs to be holistic across the airport, an airport’s retail space offers the most powerful opportunity to not only deliver customer needs but also to help differentiate the airport and enhance its unique sense of place. In doing this there is also huge potential to boost retail and F&B’s contribution to an airport’s non-aeronautical revenues. Rio de Janiero’s Tom Jobim International Airport is among the best examples of this in Latin America-Caribbean, having adopted a range of elements that express the vibrant personality of Rio across the airport. “A genuine sense of place is integral to our terminal development programme and the quality of the passenger journey,” says Gabriel França, Riogaleão’s commercial and corporate director. “The revamped Terminal 2 and the new South Pier have a lot of the city’s ‘carioca’ way of life and references to Rio’s landscape. “For the interior design, the materials and colours selected represent the spirit of Rio de Janeiro. The use of green tones is inspired by the city’s mountain backdrop, the wood represents the forests, and the use of exposed concrete brings us back to the roots of Brazil’s strong history in Brutalism architecture, which is core to the airport’s original design. “The Carioca Street recreates the streetscape in Rio de Janeiro and many of the favourite places in the city and showcases some of the top brands from Brazil and Rio. “We want the traveller to experience a sense of place across the whole airport, so it needs to incorporate a mix of elements such as architecture and interior design to a stronger presentation of local brands so that we share a genuine flavour of Rio and Brazil. For example, our latest initiative has transformed the arrivals area into a corridor of Brazilian culture with works from artists from across Brazil. Right across the airport our passengers know exactly which city they are travelling through, it’s unmistakably Rio.” Designers of terminal interior space are using themes that reflect the location through aspects such as local culture, history, heritage and natural beauty to create unique locations. This is all done with a clear focus on the commercial return. In fact, the design is often combined with smarter terminal space planning, such as the repositioning of facilities like security and check-in to enhance passenger flows, and the adoption of walkthrough stores to draw more passengers to shop. Robbie Gill, managing director of airport retail design specialists The Design Solution, comments: “The key to successful design is to combine great looking spaces that share engaging local stories with highly effective planning of how the space works, especially regarding passenger flow. “It’s essential that the traveller encounters authentically expressed local themes and stories – which can be shared through factors such as the design of the space and the local products on display – but a stunningly beautiful store is pointless if footfall isn’t guided to it. “Whether it’s major hub or a small regional airport the design must draw passengers to the key retail spaces, driving non-aeronautical revenues for the airport and maximising its return on investment on terminal developments.” A key advantage of this strategy is that it can be adopted by airports of any size; which means that regional airports can aim to create a unique retail experience that not only expresses a persuasive sense of place but is also commercially effective. Major hubs such as Singapore Changi and Hong Kong International Airport have led the way in developing a holistic sense of place that reaches every aspect of the airport journey, but smaller airports are now able to adopt similar strategies with great effect. The trend is perhaps strongest across Europe, including recent new developments at Toulouse, Nice and Wroclaw airport. Nice Côte d’Azur Airport, for example, undertook a radical expansion of retail space that included a major emphasis on sense of place and the airport now expects to double its commercial turnover in the period from 2015 to 2019. The new walkthrough duty free store launched earlier this year at Tallinn International Airport provides another powerful example of the effectiveness of this approach for a relatively small airport (less than five million passengers). The Tallinn store design blends traditional elements of Estonian culture with leading edge technology and has an emphasis on local natural materials. Piret Mürk-Dubout, CEO of Tallinn Airport, emphasises the airport’s all ecompassing approach to the customer experience and its role in brand building, which she sees as increasingly vital for all airports: “Our whole airport is a concept, we really want to develop not only our brand building but also Tallinn as a destination. The design of the retail space is integral to the airport’s pledge to be ‘the world’s cosiest airport’; it’s cosy – with a commercial edge. “In a way we are even branding nature into the passenger journey by making Estonia’s natural heritage, especially the forests, as the central focus of our new store’s design. This resonates with our passengers; it catches their attention, drives footfall and conversion and brings them back to us.” In Mexico, Cancún International Airport has radically updated its retail and F&B spaces, integrating a powerful expression of the city, including design themes that reflect the city’s beachfront and its famous colourful beach sign and give visitors an engaging link between the city and the duty free store. Grupo Aeroportuario Del Pacífico (GAP) – operators of 12 airports across Mexico – are planning to inject strong sense of place elements in their development plans, including developments for Los Cabos International Airport and Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla Guadalajara International Airport. In the Caribbean, the next phase of development at Sangster International Airport will see a radical new expression of the airport’s sense of place, not only in the retail spaces, but across the whole airport, incorporating a series of local themes into its redevelopment plans for much of the terminal. This will include the natural beauty of the islands and cultural elements such as music and heritage. Elsewhere, the development plans at Bermuda LF Wade International Airport, currently handling around 860,000 passengers per annum, demonstrate that sense of place is an opportunity for airports of absolutely any size. The initial planning for the airport’s new terminal (dues to open in 2020) blends intensive commercial strategies with design elements that reference classical Bermudian architecture, walls styled to represent the island’s coral reefs and displays of local art. By sharing the unique personality of its location and expressing a true sense of place, every airport has the opportunity to create a stronger customer experience that not only delights the traveller but also strengthens an airport’s non-aeronautical revenue performance. Every airport is a destination in its own right, but the airports that share their stories are the ones that travellers will want to return to and spend more time and money at enjoying themselves.

Saudi Arabia has announced plans to fund the redevelopment of Marib Airport and other key infrastructure development projects in neighbouring Yemen.The airport project will be carried out under the umbrella of the Saudi Development and Reconstruction Program for Yemen (SDRPY) and will equip the airport to handle up to two million passengers per annum.The historic city of Marib is located east of the capital Sanaa.Once complete, the new-look airport is expected to provide a critical infrastructure hub for the country and region. It is also expected to create approximately 1,000 permanent jobs upon completion, 5,000 jobs during construction and some 10,000 indirect jobs in ancillary sectors. The work is to be carried out by the same company that built and designed a Chicago airport. Saudi Arabia's ambassador to Yemen, Mohammed Al Jaber, the director of SDRPY said: "This is an exciting project that gets to the heart of what Yemen needs right now in terms of employment and economic opportunities. "Its proximity to the capital means it could also revive the efforts to join the regions of al-Jawf, Shabwah and Hadramaut. "This essential work, and many projects like it, can't wait – the people of Yemen need it now, even as we tirelessly strive for a political solution to the conflict." Saudi Arabia provided $2 billion in monetary aid to Yemen's central bank to help bolster the country's currency only a few months ago.

Director and CEO, Lester Sola, tells Joe Bates more about Miami-Dade Aviation Department’s plans to improve, develop and grow Miami International Airport.At first glance, February’s appointment of Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department director, Lester Sola, to the position of director and CEO of the Miami-Dade Aviation Department (MDAD) seemed a strange one. There was certainly no doubting his management credentials as when he was director of the largest utility in the south eastern United States, Sola was responsible for providing high-quality drinking water and wastewater disposal services to more than 2.3 million residents, businesses and visitors daily. He managed more than 2,700 employees, had an annual operating budget of $796 million, and led a $13 billion capital investment programme, the largest in the history of Miami-Dade County. But, crucially, what did he know about airports and more specifically MDAD’s jewel in the crown, Miami International Airport (MIA)? Well, the answer may surprise you, as Sola is not only familiar with MIA having used it for most of his life and been an employee of airport operator, Miami-Dade County, for more than 26 years, but he has actually worked at it twice before on different projects. In fact, his background meant that he already knew most of MIA’s senior managers, and was aware of what needs to be done to make the airport even more successful, long before moving into the hot seat on February 16, 2018, making him the perfect man for the job. “Having achieved the goals in my previous assignment, the chance to come back to Miami International Airport as director was an experience and an opportunity I couldn’t pass up,” enthuses Sola. “Nobody had to bring me up to speed with Miami International Airport as I know it very well having spent my entire career with Miami-Dade County. My first job was at the airport and this is the third time I have worked here, so my perspective is a little different to previous directors who didn’t have my knowledge and experience of MIA and had to transition into the role. “Having previously worked alongside many people I now call my colleagues was also an advantage as we didn’t have to go through the normal process of getting to know each other, and I already knew their the strengths and abilities. “I also consider that being familiar with the style of government we operate under is a positive, particularly when it comes to building support from our board of directors, which for us is a board of county commissioners.” So how have the first nine months gone? “I am enjoying it and think that with traffic rising, a number of new route launches, and MIA celebrating its 90th birthday in September, it’s been a good 2018 for the airport,” he says. Leadership style An often overused expression in management is ‘my door is always open’, and invariably this doesn’t turn out to be the case. However, when Sola uses it, and in the same breath notes that he likes to be visible and can often be seen walking through the terminal talking to staff, you tend to believe him. He describes his management style as “very easy going for the most part, but objective driven and highly intent on achieving my goals.” “I tend to be approachable, walk a lot, and talk to everyone in the entire spectrum of the organisation to get a feel for different perspectives and learn how we’re doing and what areas we need to improve upon,” says Sola. “In my previous role with the Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department, for example, I would often go out on site to see for myself what was going on and whether there was anything I could do to make life easier for people. You tend to learn more by getting direct feedback from staff rather than receiving filtered, second-hand information. “Outside people may misinterpret this kindness and openness as a weakness, but for me it’s actually a significant strength that I use to drive information from different sources to basically establish a plan forward that will allow us to continue to improve this airport and maintain a competitive advantage.” He accepts that not everyone will like his refreshingly open and honest approach, as some people are naturally wary of change, but says that the reaction to it to date from MIA staff has been overwhelmingly positive, with some long-serving employees revealing that he is the first airport director they have talked to in 35 years. Biggest challenges and opportunities Sola believes that in many ways MIA’s biggest strength, its enviable route connections to Central and South America and the Caribbean, also presents the Florida gateway with its greatest challenge as economic downturn in any of these regions has a significant impact on traffic. To put this in perspective, today, 23 airlines operate non-stop routes to 81 destinations in Mexico, Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). The total ensures that MIA accounts for 79% of the US market with LAC. Indeed, MIA is North America’s undisputed hub for passengers travelling between the US and Latin America. During 2017 the airport handled 43% of the US-South American passenger market, 22% of the US-Central American market, and 23% of the US-Caribbean market. All ensure that MIA is the largest connecting point for flights between the Americas and for flights between the Americas and Europe. So, when economies across the LAC region are doing well, MIA invariably does well as more people tend to travel more often. However, it is exactly the reverse during recessions, with the airport inevitably feeling the pinch during the hard times, such as the recent economic downturn in Brazil. “While geographically, language, and the ease of conducting business in Miami really lends itself well towards the region where we are dominant, we are vigorously looking to expand our route network to the rest of the world to make us less exposed to economic downturns across Latin America and the Caribbean,” admits Sola. The recent addition of a new route to Milan (Air Italy), imminent arrival of Canadian low-cost carriers Flair (Edmonton, Winnipeg, Toronto) and Sunwing Airlines (Montréal, Quebec City, Toronto, Ottawa), increased frequency on the Copenhagen route (SAS), and announcements that LOT Polish Airlines and Royal Air Maroc intend launching new services to Warsaw and Casablanca respectively next year, would indicate that the plan is working. As a result of this strategy, Sola notes that MIA is currently served by over 100 airlines that between them offer non-stop services to 156 destinations in 60 countries across the globe, including 15 in Europe. “We are actively pursuing new opportunities in Asia as it is an important, yet relatively untapped market for us,” reveals Sola. “A few years ago, we had no direct flights at all, but now we have several cargo flights operating year-round services.” The all-cargo services operated by a combination of Asiana Airlines, Cathay Pacific, China Airlines, Korean Air, Polar Air and Southern Air, essentially import technology into MIA for onward distribution to LAC and export food and perishables such as seafood and flowers from the region back to Asia-Pacific. “The next step is the introduction of passenger services from Asia to MIA that will allow passengers to interconnect through our network to South America,” he says. “It hasn’t happened yet, but we are working on it.” On route development in general, he notes: “It is an ongoing endeavour to pursue the airlines to persuade them to launch new routes. We have a dedicated team whose mission is to make this happen, and one of the ways they do this is by putting business cases to the airlines and showing them that the choice of coming to MIA is a profitable one.” The range and variety of new routes, and the operators themselves, which include legacy carriers, low-cost carriers and cargo airlines, arguably provide the best endorsement of MIA’s route development success. Traffic mix MIA’s extensive route network to the LAC region and growing number of destinations elsewhere means that it more or less enjoys a 50/50 split between domestic and international traffic. São Paulo, London, Buenos Aires, Mexico City and Lima are among the most popular international destinations served from MIA, which handled nearly 60% of the international visitors to Florida last year. The bulk of passengers welcomed at MIA travel with hub carrier American Airlines, which accounted for around 67% of the 44 million passengers to pass through the gateway in 2018. After American and American Eagle, other big players at MIA in terms of market share include Delta, United, Frontier and LATAM Airlines. New York is the busiest domestic route served from MIA followed by Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles and Washington DC. American 100% occupies the North Terminal while the Central and South terminals are a mix of different airlines, with big US carriers Delta and United located more in the southern portion of the airport complex and many international carriers flying into the Central Terminal. “Our ability to provide as close to a 50/50 mix between domestic and international traffic as you are going to find, and range of destinations served, has proven very beneficial as it ensures quick and easy connections across the US or to LAC and beyond,” notes Sola. The upturn in passenger numbers has also been boosted by a booming local economy and rising population in Miami-Dade County, which now exceeds 2.7 million people, many of which regularly use domestic services out of MIA for business trips. In general, passenger numbers have been on the increase since 2004, although the annual total did dip slightly in 2017, due to the impact of Hurricane Irma. Sola explains that in addition to grounding flights when it hit Southern Florida in early September, it forced the airport to wind down operations three to four days before it struck and it then took the equivalent time for everything to return to normal after it passed. New infrastructure Sola is currently working with his management team on a new master plan for MIA, which he hopes to present to his board of county commissioners before the end of 2018. He reveals that it will involve investing more than $4.5 billion on infrastructure improvements over the next five to ten years to ensure that MIA is equipped to meet future demand. “We are not just looking at the terminals, we are looking at the entire footprint of MIA and our general aviation airports,” he tells Airport World. “We will be making significant investments in cargo operations and increasing the capacity of the terminals and their ability to handle new versions of aircraft.” This will involve expanding the North Terminal to allow for the addition of more gates and the modernisation of the Central Terminal and its Concourse F to make it more operationally efficient and customer friendly. He notes that MIA has the airfield capacity to accommodate around 80 million passengers per annum with its existing runways, so the airport is not looking to add any new ones for now. Away from MIA, Sola reveals it is likely that one of Miami-Dade’s four general aviation airports will be transformed into a cargo gateway. New technology Sola believes that new technology will also play a significant role in enhancing the passenger experience and raising MIA’s capacity, so the airport is determined to remain at the cutting edge when it comes to IT innovation. He reminds me that in February, MIA’s Concourse E became the first in the US to exclusively use biometric facial recognition technology to screen all passengers arriving on international flights, and that this has allowed US Customs and Border Protection to process up to 10 passengers per minute. The technology, says Sola, will soon be rolled out across the airport in collaboration with MIA’s federal partners. Its determination to be at the forefront of technological innovation also recently led the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to name MIA as one of only two US airports to be selected as test  sites for emerging perimeter intrusion detection and deterrence security technologies. All the technologies trialled at MIA have been developed and tested in other high-risk transportation and public area venues. The lessons gained from the pilot programme in the airport environment could be replicated by the TSA nationwide. “We look forward to being on the frontline of this cutting-edge security technology,” enthuses Sola. “Opportunities like this, which assist us in providing a safer and more efficient airport for passengers and business partners alike, will always be welcomed with open arms.” Cargo Boosted by a number of new freighter services and a rise in bellyhold shipments on scheduled passenger services, the US’s top airport for international cargo handled a record 2.24 million tons of freight in 2017. And the upturn is expected to continue this year with the 3% rise in volumes in the year to date perfectly in line with the expected annual increases of around 3% to 4% over the next few years. MIA benefited from three new international cargo carriers last year (Qatar Airways, TACA Peru and Aeronaves TSM) and they were recently joined by Ethiopian Airlines, which launched twice weekly B777-200 freighter services to Addis Ababa in August. Sola is confident that things can only get better for cargo and believes that the US Department of Commerce’s decision to designate Miami International Airport’s entire 3,230-acre site as a Foreign Trade Zone will make Miami-Dade County an even more attractive place to do business. The decision allows existing or prospective airport tenants to operate manufacturing, warehousing and/or distribution centres on airport property, and have their federal tariffs deferred, reduced or eliminated – providing time and cost savings for approved importers and exporters. As a result, companies handling high-traffic commodities at MIA such as pharmaceuticals, electronics, textiles, footwear, auto parts, aircraft parts, avionics, machinery equipment, consumer goods and perishables are expected to make up the bulk of the FTZ’s tenants. MIA boasts a total of 18 dedicated cargo buildings today and these will be added to in the near future as Sola admits that the airport is already having to turn away consignments because it simply doesn’t have the facilities to handle any more freight. Customer service MIA hasn’t yet joined ACI’s Airport Service Quality (ASQ) customer satisfaction benchmarking programme, but this certainly doesn’t mean that providing a good airport experience is a low priority for the airport. Indeed, Sola insists that it is a top priority for MIA and believes that everyone at the airport, and not just frontline staff, are an ambassador for the airport and have a role to play in ensuring that Miami International Airport is one of the most welcoming in the US. “We are often the first and last impression people get of Miami and therefore take customer service very seriously,” he says. “We work with JD Power and a number of other consultants to measure our performance today, and how we can improve our operations in the future. “If you are an aviation employee at the airport or report to me then you have a part to play in ensuring a good experience for passengers and visitors to MIA. It doesn’t matter if it’s not your job. If you see someone lost in the terminal, stop and help them out. If you notice that the toilets need cleaning, tell someone. We are all in this together.” Sounds like MIA is in good hands to me.

London City Airport is going to fine airlines £600 each for breaching noise limits, after a surge in complaints from residents (due to the concentrated flight paths that started in February 2016).  It has started a “penalty and incentive” scheme for planes breaching its rules, and will name and shame them online. The noise is now concentrated, as planes try to cut fuel use, to save money; therefore the same people get overflown all the time, creating highly unpleasant noise pollution. Many residents, from Leyton to Lewisham, have complained about the noise since the changes. This new charging emerged at a hearing at the London Assembly, when AMs questioned London City airport and Heathrow staff about the environmental impacts (noise, air pollution, carbon emissions) of their airports. Tessa Simpson, environment manager at City airport, told the Assembly yesterday: “We have set noise levels that are some of the most stringent in the country."  They have to, as the airport is located in, and surrounded by, densely populated areas.  The money will go into a "community fund" to be "shared amongst community projects.”

Someone flying from London to New York and back generates roughly the same level of emissions as the average person in the EU does by heating their home for a whole year, according to the European Commission (EC). The EC states that: “If global aviation was a country, it would rank in the top 10 emitters.” Looking at Ireland, it has agreed, under the EU’s Effort Sharing Decision targets, to deliver a 20% reduction in non-ETS (Emissions Trading System) greenhouse gas emissions, based on 2005 levels, by 2020; these include: agriculture; transport; residential; commercial; waste; and the non-energy intensive industry.  Earlier this year, Ireland also committed to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions level by 30% on 2005 levels by 2030. But according to the EC, by 2020, global international aviation emissions are projected to be around 70% higher than in 2005 and the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) forecasts that by 2050 they could grow by a further 300-700%.  Some of the carbon emissions from aviation within Europe (not planes flying to and from Europe, just internally) are covered under the EU's ETS. This is at risk if the global ICAO deal succeeds in forcing the EU to abandon this scheme.

Honey from Dublin Airport's bee hives is now on sale at the Marqette restaurant in Terminal 1.The 100% natural Irish honey called Nect-Air is harvested from four hives housing more than a quarter of a million Irish dark native honey bees on airport owned land. And it is now available in 340g jars to buy exclusively in Marqette restaurant in Terminal 1 at a cost of €9.95 each. Marqette is the first restaurant at the airport to stock Nect-Air, reveals Dublin Airport's managing director, Vincent Harrison. He enthues: “We are thrilled to work with Marqette to make our honey more widely available so that passengers have the opportunity to purchase Nect-Air. "Now that it is on sale directly to passengers, Dublin Airport honey will bring a sweet taste of Ireland to consumers all over the world.”The honey is already popular with customers, as it forms part of the menu in some of Dublin Airport’s own executive lounges. “We are very proud of this top-quality honey as it was produced on our own land and is testament to the fact that the air quality and surrounding vegetation at Dublin Airport is excellent for the bees to thrive,” adds Harrison.Marqette's general manager, Michael Thornton, says: "We pride ourselves on serving dishes made from locally grown fresh produce and Nect-Air is a perfect fit for us.“This partnership with Dublin Airport also helps us keep our promise to contribute to a more sustainable environment." Dublin Airport’s bee hives were installed on airport lands with the help and advice of the Fingal North Dublin Beekeepers’ Association and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. The hives are tended to by local beekeeper Colm Fogarty, who has 15 years’ experience in beekeeping.  “Honey bees are one of the most important species within our eco-system, they are crucial for the survival of most of our animal and plant population,” notes Fogarty.  Introducing native Irish bees to the local Dublin Airport environment helps biodiversity, as bees are essential pollinators. Colonies of bees can cover an area of up to twelve square kilometres, working intensively for their food. The 250,000 bees who live and work in the airport apiary feed on nearby wild plants such as clover, blackberry, bramble and hawthorn. “This blend of flora gives Nect-Air its pleasantly mild, gently sweet flavour, along with its rich texture, warming amber hue, delicate aroma and slightly nutty undertone,” says Fogarty.  Passengers travelling through Dublin Airport will find Nect-Air honey on sale at Marqette’s main outlet, which is located beyond the security screening area in Terminal 1.

Sydney Airport, in partnership with Conservation Volunteers Australia and Bayside Council, has launched a three-year project to revive a critically important habitat and key community space.This major partnership will involve engaging with the local community to drive environmental restoration activities throughout the Rockdale Wetlands Biodiversity Corridor.The Rockdale Wetlands runs from the Cooks River to Sans Souci and has been identified as a critically important habitat for the protection of declining flora and fauna species in the local area.The parklands and riparian areas attract birdwatchers and nature study groups while also supporting a range of other recreational activities, including extensive cycling tracks, sporting fields, tennis courts and playgrounds used by the community. Sydney Airport CEO, Geoff Culbert, said the airport was focused on supporting community and environmental assets in the Botany area. “Not only do the Rockdale Wetlands play an incredibly important role in supporting biodiversity in the area, but they also bring the community together,” he said. “We’re very pleased to partner with Conservation Volunteers Australia and Bayside Council to revive this critical habitat and nurture it for the benefit of the entire local community.“We’re committed to supporting our local communities and making a tangible contribution to protecting biodiversity and preserving Sydney’s world-renowned natural beauty.” Conservation Volunteers Australia CEO, Phil Harrison, enthused: “We’re excited to be partnering with Sydney Airport and Bayside Council to provide ongoing support to Rockdale Wetlands Biodiversity Corridor and we encourage all members of the community to come and join in.”

More evidence - now from Massachusetts General hospital - is showing that living near to a noisy road or a busy flight path significantly increases risk of a heart attack or stroke. The added risk is in addition to risks of smoking and diabetes. It is thought that exposure to environmental noise alters the amygdala - a brain region involved in stress regulation and emotional responses.  This then promotes blood vessel inflammation, which can lead to cardiovascular problems. Those exposed to chronic noise, such as near an airport, showed  and a greater than three-fold risk of suffering a heart attack or a stroke and other major cardiovascular event. People with the highest levels of noise exposure had higher levels of amygdala activity and more inflammation in their arteries. The study looked at 499 people, with an average age of 56 years old. None had cardiovascular illness or cancer. They all underwent simultaneous PET and CT scans of their brain and blood vessels. To gauge noise exposure, the researchers used participants' home addresses government noise maps. The researchers say more research is needed to determine whether reduction in noise exposure could meaningfully lower cardiovascular risk and reduce the number of cardiovascular events on a population-wide scale.   

Birmingham Airport has unveiled its draft Master Plan, with its hopes of expansion over the next 15 years. There is a consultation till 31st January. It wants to increase its capacity by 5 million passengers a year (mppa)  Much of the intended spending will be for a larger departure lounge with a mezzanine floor, new retail and restaurant units, more toilets and seating. Also more self-service desks (ie. fewer jobs...) and "the latest bag-drop technology and a new back-of-house baggage sorting area aimed at improving efficiency." (ie. fewer jobs). This has been seen by the airport's consultative committee on 5th November.  There is no plan for a 2nd runway, but the expansion will cause more environmental damage, more CO2 emissions etc. - of which, no mention is made. (The usual airport attitude is " the majority of emissions are from planes in the sky and that is nothing to do with us…"). In the 2006 Master Plan the forecasts were for 25mppa by 2030; now they have reduced that to 18mppa by 2033. There were 12.9 mppa in 2017. Local campaigners suspect this will not be encouraging shareholders to fund expansion plans till the runway situation in the south east is sorted out. The airport is claiming the increased number of passengers will boost the local economy by £xx billion, and increase jobs by yyy.  (These claims never materialise). 

ACI reports on the success of the inaugural Customer Excellence Global Summit and launch of a new policy brief which stresses the importance of resilience and encourages airports to develop climate change adaptation plans.This year, ACI, in collaboration with stakeholders and partners has made real progress in its priority areas and the global voice of airports is committed to continue on building partnerships and strong ties with aviation regulators and airports around the world. The transition to the 2018 northern fall and winter seasons was headlined by the successful organisation of the first ACI Customer Excellence Global Summit, superbly hosted by Halifax Stanfield International Airport. The event included an ASQ training session, the traditional ASQ Forum as well as the Summit, which was attended by more than 400 delegates from around the globe. One of the highlights was the Airport Service Quality (ASQ) Awards Ceremony sponsored by Aon Risk Solution. It was an appropriate setting for sharing ideas, celebrating successes and for recognising the top performers in customer service according to the passengers themselves. The awards honoured the achievements of airports in 2017 and included 15 first-time winner airports. The event was organised around the theme of ‘Delivering the best experience’, which was a timely subject for airports as they contend with an increase in air travel demand and customer expectations. We are already planning the next edition of the Summit that will allow our members to continue exploring solutions towards delivering the best experience. New policy brief For aviation as an industry, safety and security remain paramount. Avoiding, minimising and mitigating environmental impacts are increasingly being recognised as equally crucial and a fundamental pillar of the industry. As part of its commitment to maximising the contribution of airports to maintaining and developing a safe, secure, environmentally compatible and efficient air transport system, ACI has recently published a policy brief to encourage airports to conduct risk assessments, consider various adaptation measures, and develop mitigation measures for the potential impact of climate change on infrastructure and operations. The Airports’ Resilience and Adaptation to a Changing Climate policy brief was produced to help airport operators better understand the risks related to more adverse and more frequent adverse weather events. It provides guidance in conducting risk assessments to define their adaptation plans for operations and for existing and new infrastructure. The brief includes case studies from airports in Norway, Australia, Hong Kong, Istanbul, the Netherlands and Singapore. It also provides recommendations, and an extensive listing of potential climate stressors and their related potential impact on infrastructure and operations with a non-exhaustive list of airports that have already started to work on resilience and adaptation to climate change. “Improving operational resilience and adapting to the predicted effects of climate change has been a priority for airports around the world for quite some time but recent events have brought this into even sharper focus,” says ACI World director general, Angela Gittens. “It is well understood that climate change could have far-reaching effects and airports are certainly not immune to them. The aim of this policy brief is to provide airports with practical information, advice and real-life examples that they can use to examine their own practices. “Each airport can then make decisions on how they may introduce, improve, or adapt their own procedures and resilience plans that best suit their infrastructure and local conditions.” ACI members passed a resolution on resilience and adaptation to climate change at the World Annual General Assembly in Brussels in June 2018, recognising the potential impact of climate change on airport infrastructure and operations. This policy brief addresses many of the resolution’s intentions. The brief was launched at the Air Transport Action Group’s recent Global Sustainable Aviation Summit in Geneva, where ACI provided an update on its Airport Carbon Accreditation programme.

Written by Marisa Garcia – Flightchic.com      IATA’s New Distribution Capability (NDC) program is advancing, with 21 airlines on the leaderboard committed to processing 20% of their bookings volume through NDC by 2020. The ... Read More The post NDC Grows, But There Are Big Hurdles To Overcome appeared first on Total Blue Sky.

Written by Marisa Garcia – Flightchic.com      It’s too easy to dismiss technology as hype when it’s difficult to understand but it’s all anyone is talking about. Gartner’s own view of blockchain’s progression in ... Read More The post Airlines and Airports Work to Get Past the Hype and Down to the Business of Blockchain appeared first on Total Blue Sky.

The following article was published by Future Travel Experience FTE reports from the Official Grand Opening of the new Istanbul Airport, which was unveiled on 29 October 2018, Turkish National Day. By Paul Hogan onsite at the Grand Opening A version of this article first appeared on The New Airport Show Istanbul website. “This airport, the largest in the world, shall be known as Istanbul […] Article originally published here: The Presidential inauguration: “The largest airport in the world shall be known as Istanbul Airport”

The following article was published by Future Travel Experience Onboard Hospitality Forum – Asia sponsors and exhibitors include Global-C, SATS, Formia, Linstol, SkyLights, Nandan Group and Easun.  Future Travel Experience Asia EXPO 2018 (13-14 November, Singapore) will include the inaugural Onboard Hospitality Forum – Asia. This unique Forum, delivered by Onboard Hospitality with the official support of the International Flight Services Association (IFSA) and Asia […] Article originally published here: Don’t miss the free-to-attend Onboard Hospitality Forum Asia – co-located with FTE Asia EXPO 2018

Written by Marisa Garcia – Flightchic.com As discussed in-depth during the Airports track of this year’s Aviation Festival in London, biometric technology has the potential to significantly streamline the travel process and shorten lines, while ... Read More The post Biometric ID Gets Big Boost From WTTC and CBP Partnership appeared first on Total Blue Sky.

It is cheaper to retain your customers, than to attract new one’s – we all know that. This old business adage is at the heart of the thousands of loyalty programs that airlines offer. In ... Read More The post Interview with Johanna Jäkälä, CMO, Finnair appeared first on Total Blue Sky.

The following article was published by Future Travel Experience Utilising the latest biometric technology, Emirates passengers will be able to check-in, complete immigration, enter the lounge, and board their flight. Emirates is gearing up to launch a so-called “biometric path” which will offer its passengers a smooth and seamless airport journey at the airline’s hub at Dubai International Airport. Utilising the latest biometric technology, […] Article originally published here: Emirates to launch fully integrated “biometric path” in Dubai International

The following article was published by Future Travel Experience Brussels South Charleroi Airport has announced a new strategic partnership with Telenet to enable the development of solutions based on the Internet of Things (IoT). Brussels South Charleroi Airport (BSCA) has announced a new strategic partnership with Telenet to enable the development of solutions based on the Internet of Things (IoT). The five-year collaboration aims […] Article originally published here: Brussels-Charleroi Airport to adopt IoT in bid to become a true “digital dome”

The following article was published by Future Travel Experience Montevideo Carrasco International Airport is set to become a fully digital airport by offering travellers a curb-to-gate biometric journey. Carrasco International Airport has introduced self-service biometric boarding for LATAM Airlines, allowing passengers to board the plane without having to show their passport or boarding pass at the gate. Following the Easy Airport programme, launched in […] Article originally published here: Carrasco International Airport to become the first “fully digital airport” in Latin America

The following article was published by Future Travel Experience The partnership will support SAS’ digital transformation strategy with New Distribution Capability (NDC), merchandising and order management. Datalex has announced a new long-term agreement with Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) to support the carrier’s digital transformation strategy with New Distribution Capability (NDC), merchandising and order management of all products and services across sales channels.  The platform will […] Article originally published here: SAS partners with Datalex for digital retailing transformation programme

The following article was published by Future Travel Experience Using headsets provided by Inflight VR, guests can enjoy immersive virtual reality video content while waiting for their flight.  Guests in Star Alliance lounges at Paris-Charles de Gaulle (CDG) and Rome Fiumicino (FCO) airports can trial virtual reality (VR) entertainment up until the end of January 2019. Using headsets provided by Inflight VR, guests can […] Article originally published here: Star Alliance trials virtual reality entertainment in CDG and FCO lounges

The following article was published by Future Travel Experience The four startups will now exhibit in the Startup Showcase, hosted in partnership with JetBlue Technology Ventures, at FTE Asia EXPO in Singapore. Future Travel Experience (FTE) and JetBlue Technology Ventures (JTV) have announced the four finalists in the FTE Asia EXPO 2018 Startup Competition and Showcase. This global startup competition – the third of its […] Article originally published here: Bacarai, BorderPass, Inflighto and TrustaBit announced as FTE Asia EXPO Startup Competition finalists

The following article was published by Future Travel Experience Find out what you can expect to find in the free-to-attend FTE Asia EXPO 2018 exhibition – 13-14 November, Singapore. Future Travel Experience Asia EXPO 2018, which will take place at the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, 13-14 November, will include the biggest free-to-attend exhibition in the event’s history. Industry-leading suppliers from across Asia and further afield […] Article originally published here: Future Travel Experience Asia EXPO 2018 Exhibition Preview – from biometrics and IoT to IFE and connectivity

The following article was published by Future Travel Experience Customers can simply take a screengrab of a destination they have seen on Instagram and then upload the image to Look&Book in the easyJet app. easyJet has unveiled a new app feature that allows customers to search for and book flights using just a photo of a destination. To use the new feature, passengers can […] Article originally published here: easyJet taps into image recognition technology for a new form of flight search

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The airline industry has long discussed the capabilities needed to enable IATA’s New Distribution Capability (NDC). The NDC standard will allow airlines to take back control of how products are distributed and presented to the ... Read More The post The Journey to Offer Optimization, by PROS appeared first on Total Blue Sky.

Modern airlines are exploring new and innovative solutions to transform Revenue Management. This is driven by system inefficiencies that negatively impact ROI. One of the major gaps that need to be addressed, therefore, is BI ... Read More The post Immediacy, Efficacy, & All-around Awareness: Why Air Fare Intelligence and Analytics Need a Definitive Rethink? appeared first on Total Blue Sky.

Author: Ram Srinivasan, GM Travel Business, Mindtree Mindtree is a global technology consulting and services company, helping Global 2000 corporations marry scale with agility to achieve competitive advantage.   Data Exchange Across the Travel Value ... Read More The post Expanding Revenue Opportunities in Travel with APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) appeared first on Total Blue Sky.

Steve Collar, President and CEO of SES Being part of a global company, travel takes up almost a third of my working days as I shuttle between various cities and countries. In the past, once ... Read More The post Connecting Flights and Connecting People appeared first on Total Blue Sky.