Bristol Airport - General Thread

[Aviador]

It's good to see the airport thriving through what is still a very difficult economic period. As you say, the winter period is a concern with traffic tapering off quickly at the end of the summer season.

I am looking forward to seeing how the new Copenhagen route performs with Easyjet from Bristol airport. We (Leeds Bradford Airport) had a daily Bmi Embraer service to Copenhagen a few years back but the route failed to provide sufficient numbers of passengers to support it. I do feel Easyjet will do far better on the route from Bristol using the low cost model as opposed to the full service model we had with Bmi which just didn't attract enough business passengers to make it work.

This article was it the papers a few days ago. What's the feeling on the matter in the West Country?

[textarea]Westcountry airports should take Heathrow strain – MP

Regional airports should take the strain from Heathrow rather than building a controversial third runway, a Westcountry MP has said.

Sarah Wollaston, Conservative MP for Totnes, has warned against the Party breaking its "unequivocal" election pledge by expanding Britain's busiest airport to maintain London's global economic status.

Regional airports like Exeter should be used more to reduce the strain on Heathrow, says Totnes MP Sarah Wollaston

Her comments, advocating the expansion of Bristol, Exeter and Newquay airports, came as a senior Conservative questioned whether the Prime Minister had the character to U-turn on the manifesto promise, which explicitly rules out a third runway.[/textarea]

I love Sarah Wollaston's enthusiasm for airports in the South West but Bristol, Exeter and Newquay are not really in a position to take the long haul traffic the airlines are calling for. In any case, even if Bristol airport was in a position to handle long haul wide bodied traffic doesn't guarantee flights would come. If you compare London Heathrow with London Gatwick, the latter it primarily a charter airport, not for the want of trying. The airport has tried to entice long haul traffic away from Heathrow for years pretty much unsuccessfully.

On a final note, it's shame to see Thomas Cook reducing to one based unit for next summer. Hopefully the airport can find an alternative carrier to operate any lost routes.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

easyJet operated a Copenhagen route from BRS in 2003-2004. It was daily so far as I recall and the passenger numbers suggest that (CAA stats). By the summer of 2004 it was handling over 7,600 passengers a month, average load 123, load factor over 82% on the B 737s operated then.

I used the route myself in early 2004 and was surprised how full the flights were at that time of year.

It was axed, along with NCL-CPH (Gatwick was reduced in schedule), because the Danish government put in place a £7 per passenger tax (shades of APD!).

I wasn't aware of the MP's comment - she represents a Devon constituency and Devon /Cornwall have little in common with Bristol/Gloucestershire/North Somerset/Wiltshire so she would be unlikely to be reported in the Bristol press - but I always treat what MPs say with a dose of suspicion. Most of their comments are politics first and the general good second.

The South West as a whole loses about five million journeys a year to the London airports, mainly Heathrow, and the BRS management has consistently pointed this out in the local press over a number of years.

I agree with you that the airports in the greater South West (this government region is the biggest in the country in area with Cheltenham in the north nearly as close to the Scottish border as it is to West Cornwall, so it's easy to see the disparate sub-regions within it) are incapable of replacing Heathrow in many services though that's not to say that some of the five million displaced journeys couldn't be captured.

It is a shame about Thomas Cook but the company has reduced its based aircraft numbers at most UK airports next summer. I believe it won't fly its own aircraft at all from LBA and there were strong rumours for several months that its CWL-based 320 was under threat, though this hasn't turned out to be the case.

In summer 2012 Ryanair was going to fly to a number of new destinations from BRS - several being sun routes, most though not all already operated by competitors - with flight numbers and timings put into 'the system'. It would have demanded a sixth based aircraft.

After talks with the airport I understand that it was decided that summer 2012 was not quite ready for this increased presence. Maybe the reduction in Thomas Cook's network will lead to a rethink for summer 2013.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Further to my previous post, the BRS management has issued a statement on its website today in connection with the independent commission looking at aviation capacity.

As it's a press release, I've reproduced it in full below.

[textarea]Bristol Airport response to the announcement of an independent commission to review aviation capacity

Commenting on the creation of an independent commission to review aviation capacity, Robert Sinclair, Chief Executive Officer of Bristol Airport, said:

“It is important that the independent commission looks beyond London when considering how to make best use of existing runway capacity. The UK’s regional airports handled 86 million passengers in 2011 and Department for Transport forecasts predict this number will grow to 150 million by 2030, by which point all London airports will be at full capacity. Even if consensus can be reached on a solution to capacity constraints in the South East, it will be many years before new runways or airports in London are operational.

“A strong London airport system is of national importance, but regional airports should not play second fiddle to those in the South East. By taking a fresh view of the UK airports sector and resisting emotive arguments about hub capacity there is an opportunity to make best use of existing capacity and rebalance the economy at the same time.”

Notes

The CAA Passenger Survey indicates that, in 2011, 6.1 million passengers with an origin or destination in the South West and South Wales flew from the London airports, primarily Heathrow and Gatwick, over half of which were travelling to short haul destinations.

Plans for the development of Bristol Airport to handle up to 10 million passengers per annum were approved by North Somerset Council in February 2011. The development commenced in November 2011 and the first of more than 30 separate projects – the construction of three new aircraft stands – was completed in spring 2012.[/textarea]

http://www.bristolairport.co.uk/media-c ... ssion.aspx

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Little support for airport expansion by would-be mayors

Bristol's first mayoral elections will take place in November. This week the nominees from the three main political parties together with a prominent independent candidate took part in a debate, with the airport one of the topics.

The Lib-Dem and independent spoke against airport expansion with the Lib-Dem seeming to say that Bristol doesn't need an airport at all. He said there are other ways of achieving good international links. The Conservative was only grudgingly in favour of some sort of controlled expansion, leaving the Labour man as the only one who thought the airport should push forward but even he didn't appear to be ecstatic about the idea.

It's a good thing for the airport that it's located in the North Somerset unitary authority area though the city council and future mayor of Bristol will have an influence over transport links and general support (or otherwise) in the city region.

Those who follow BRS's fortunes will remember that the city council formally objected to the airport expansion application when it was determined (in the airport's favour) by North Somerset Planning Committee in May 2010.

Jointly posted by my alter ego (elsewhere) and me, should anyone think I've gone in for a bit of plagiarism. :shok:

 

[Aviador]

Lib-Dem seeming to say that Bristol doesn't need an airport at all.

That is simply laughable. You really have some 'numpties' running local government in Bristol. To suggest that Bristol doesn't need an airport when the airport is handling over 5 million passengers annually is ridiculous. I'm not even convinced that will be a vote winner for the Lib-Dems with so many air journeys each year there.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

That is simply laughable. You really have some 'numpties' running local government in Bristol. To suggest that Bristol doesn't need an airport when the airport is handling over 5 million passengers annually is ridiculous. I'm not even convinced that will be a vote winner for the Lib-Dems with so many air journeys each year there.

Probably why Bristol was the only city to vote to have an elected mayor earlier this year, albeit on a tiny majority and on a miniscule turn-out. Some cities have had an elected mayor for a long time with it seems mixed fortunes.

I always believe that voters get the council/mayor/government they deserve. I speak to people who don't understand why Bristol needs a mayor when it already has a lord mayor.

All the main political parties have been inept in recent decades in the city so I suppose that those who did vote thought an elected mayor couldn't be any worse.

Having seen the list of candidates who've so far shown their hand I'm not at all sure that a mayor will be any better.

The Lib-Dem nominee who doesn't want an airport is a retired general practitioner who likes to cycle everywhere. Maybe he'll put wings on his bike and head off at 2,000 feet to Paris. He likes green spaces too so he could use the Bristol Downs for his take-off run. Would be a shame if he came down in the Channel.

 

[Aviador]

"He said there are other ways of achieving good international links."

Cruise ships going up the Avon? That would be a first. Perhaps this guy has invented a teleportation system he's yet to tell people about? Virtual reality holidays and business meetings, maybe hmm! Maybe not. Whatever floats his boat but I think he'll have to find room for airports because they're here to stay.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Cruise ships going up the Avon?

Funny you should say that because Avonmouth does see some occasional cruise ship visits and next year there's meant to be a full programme of them.

What the good councillor means I think is that with the proposed rail link into LHR the need for an airport serving Bristol becomes less. He also advocates more use of the rail system for domestic travel.

I can see his point to an extent with domestic travel.

Bristol is too close to London, Wales and the further South West for air links to be viable and there aren't any. Manchester is no longer served by air as the three-hour train journey city to city compares favourably with having to get to and from airports at either end, as well as having a much greater frequency (at least every hour) and less hassle with security and having to get to airports some time before the flight.

Leeds is right on the borderline between rail and air. It's four hours by rail but the frequency is much greater than air again - every hour with this one too from memory.

It's only with destinations such as Newcastle and Scotland that air is superior to rail in terms of convenience. If there was no Bristol airport - this won't arise because no Bristol mayor would have any direct responsibility for it [it's outside Bristol] and the wider business community wouldn't stand for it - getting to Scotland or the North East would entail either long rail journeys or surface travel to LHR and then by air from there.

This man is gambling on getting the 'Green Vote'. It's a high risk strategy for him especially as there is an official Green Party candidate who, I have little doubt, would not be pro-airport.

 

[News Guru]

[textarea]Aviation policy recommendations

Bristol Airport has responded to the Government’s consultation on its Draft Aviation Policy Framework with five recommendations which would deliver real benefits for airports in the regions, the wider economy and passengers across the country.

The Draft Framework was published by the Department for Transport (DfT) in July 2012 and outlines the Government’s high level aviation strategy. Bristol Airport has submitted a formal response to the DfT consultation on the Draft Framework, alongside a position paper containing policy proposals which would help rebalance the economy.

‘Giving wings to airports across the UK’ sets out five recommendations for Government policy which would enable airports outside London to more effectively serve their local markets by making best use of existing capacity, easing congestion in the South East as a result.

http://www.bristolairport.co.uk/about-u ... he-UK.ashx[/textarea]

 

[TheLocalYokel]

BRS CEO - interview on local radio

Robert Sinclair, BRS CEO, was an interview guest today on the BBC Radio Bristol mid-morning magazine programme.

The programme is intended as general interest and the host is clearly no expert in aviation matters. I hasten to add that I'm not a regular listener of this programme but the Sinclair visit had been mentioned when I was listening to the local news at breakfast time.

The CEO made the point that BRS has proved itself one of the most successful regional airports in the recession and for many years before.

He again emphasised the point that the South West loses more passengers to the London airports (mainly LHR) than any other region in the country. He said this amounts to 6 million passengers a year (or should it really be journeys? - my italics) and whilst it was not possible to capture all of them there was no reason why three million or so could not be.

Robert Sinclair made the point that after a near 10% fall in passenger numbers in 2009 (the first annual decline for many years) small annual gains had subsequently been made and he was optimistic that 2013 would see the best ever year of 2008 repeated when over 6.2 million passengers used the airport.

The CEO told his interviewer that the airport has planning permission to expand facilities to cater for up to 10 mppa. It would be done incrementally which has always been the plan, but the timescale seems to have slipped again with 10-15 years mentioned today, though I presume that's based on current predictions which might turn out to be pessimistic, or heaven forbid optimistic.

He explained how the airport goes about interacting with airlines. He mentioned the recent routes conference in Abu Dhabi and described the networking programme there.

He's always hopeful of new routes but wouldn't be drawn on specifics though did say the Middle East was a target and such airlines as Emirates, Etihad, Qatar and Turkish were in the airport's sights, though he is not expecting any positive outcome for some time.

Nothing earth-shattering learned by those who follow the fortunes of local aviation but it was intended for general public consumption and maybe one or two people in the area who still don't know how busy an airport Bristol has may have learned something.

 

[News Guru]

[textarea]Bristol Airport secures £279m refinancing deal

Bristol Airport has refinanced its previous debt with a £279m funding package from a consortium of five banks. The finance deal comes as the airport's latest accounts have revealed a slight increase in its turnover and growing passenger numbers.
The airport, which is owned by Macquarie European Infrastructure Fund and Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan, has secured the funding from a group comprising of Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Credit Agricole CIB, HSH Nordbank, RBS and Export Development Canada.

Full Story: http://www.insidermedia.com/insider/sou ... cing-deal/[/textarea]

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Debt refinancing

Earlier this year Reuters and others reported that £515 million of debt was due for refinancing by late 2013. The current report mentions agreement on a refinancing package of £279 million so it's unclear whether more work remains to be done.

At least three of the banks currently involved were part of the previous refinancing in 2005.

 

[Aviador]

It sounds like an awful lot of debt, is that normal?

 

[TheLocalYokel]

It sounds like an awful lot of debt, is that normal?

I'm not an accountant so have no professional expertise but I know that manageable debt can be healthy for a company if it allows a company to generate more earnings, especially if it allows it to generate more earnings than the cost of servicing the debt.

It may be that the new refinancing will be on less favourable terms to the airport than the last refinancing in 2005 when banks and other lenders were far readier to lend money.

Bristol Airport is owned by South West Airports Limited which has three shareholders: Macquarie European Infrastructure Fund (50% holding) which is part of Macquarie Capital Funds with around £70 billion of assets; Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan (49% holding) with around £50 billion in net assets; Sydney Airport (1% holding).

There is no suggestion that any of the shareholders is looking to get out though some years ago Macquarie did alter the way it owned the airport and sold some shares to the Ontario Teacher's Plan which thus increased its own holding. At that time some of the Macquaire funds were looking to increase liquidity so divested themselves of some assets to raise cash.

Prior to this the airport had been jointly owned by Ferrovial through its Sintra subsidiary and Macquarie. When Ferrovial acquired BAA it gave up its part ownership of BRS fearing that competition issues might feature.

 

[alphagolf]

Bristol Airport Apron Website - Update

I sent an email to Alan Davies at Bristol Airport with reference to the continued errors with the Apron Layout functionality as there are now more errors appearing as time goes by.

Today I have recieved a reply from Alan:-

Andrew,

I’m afraid this is proving a bit troublesome so we are going to take the apron pages down for now and review what we can do with them over the coming weeks.

Regards,

Alan Davies
Planning & Environment Director
Bristol Airport
Bristol, BS48 3DY

This news is unfortunate, but the continued error's have really rendered the apron layouts useless. However I do hope that an IT solution can be found for this unique resource that to date no other UK airport has provided.

In my reply to Alan, I will assure him that we at Forums4Airports will continue to support Bristol Airport.

alphagolf

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Thanks for that alphagolf. It's certainly proved useful and interesting in the past but if it's now not accurate it's of little use.

If the LHR mark 2 'planned' for CWL comes to fruition we won't need an apron at BRS. :s_mad

Mind you, I suspect Bristol City might win the European Champions League before then.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

[textarea]Bristol Flying Centre expects passenger numbers to rise 1,700%

The Bristol Flying Centre is set to double passenger numbers in 2013 and "significantly increase" movements at the Bristol airport base following the award of two "large" handling contracts.

To accommodate the growth, BFC is doubling the size of its fixed-base operation at the southwest UK site. The upgraded facility is scheduled to open at the end of December.

BFC, which includes Bristol-based charter operator Centrelineair in its portfolio, has been appointed by BMI Regional to handle passengers on the Airbus corporate shuttle service from Bristol to Toulouse. BFC says it is in the process of "agreeing terms [for similar passenger handling arrangement] with another global aviation brand".

The new handling contracts are set to begin in January and are set to boost business aircraft movements at the site from 3,000 to 6,000. Annual passenger numbers will rise 1,700% to 84,000,

Full report at http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articl ... 00-379557/

Bristol Flying Centre set for huge growth in 2013

The Bristol Flying Centre (BFC) Group has been awarded two large handling contracts and will double the size of its fixed base operation (FBO) to accommodate a massive upturn in passenger numbers in 2013.

The FBO will be increased to 6,500ft² and will be able to accommodate 50 passengers at a time. The building will include two passenger lounges, a separate crew lounge, full security screening facilities and redesigned reception areas.

BFC CEO Phil Brockwell said, “Our business aviation facility here at Bristol Airport has always been one of the best equipped in the country for aircraft handling and by the end of the year our expanded passenger facilities will complete the first class offering we can give to our customers.

“The bmi regional contract alone will see an additional 40 Embraer 145 movements a week here, however, with our significant dedicated ramp space, the 16,500 aircraft engineering and parking hangar and new passenger and crew areas, we are more than ready for this surge in demand.”

Full report at http://www.businessairportinternational ... wsID=44802[/textarea]

The Airbus operation is the result of the service being moved from Filton when the runway closes there later this month.

Still waiting for the identity of the 'global aviation brand' in the second contract to be made public but this is excellent news for the Bristol Flying Centre and for the airport.

The BFC complex is situated on the southern side of the airfield within the general aviation area.

The expansion of the facilities seems to have escaped any press or opposition focus. I don't think it was covered within the major expansion planning application approved a year or two ago.

In its master plan the airport suggests that if a figure of 12 mppa is reached it would then be necessary to consider a second terminal and an airline apron to the south of the runway - currently all airline operations and facilities are on the north side - but that this would lead to operational complexities.

This is purely hpothetical at the moment as planning constraints restrict passenger numbers to a maximum of 10 mppa.

However, nothing is forever and if the need arose for a second terminal on the south side the BFC operation would be good for operational practice and would set down a small marker.

 

[tpm]

I don't suppose the Airbus shuttle services will be open to / bookable by the public?

 

[TheLocalYokel]

I don't suppose the Airbus shuttle services will be open to / bookable by the public?

To the best of my knowledge you are correct.

Some years ago there was also a shuttle from Filton to Hamburg/Bremen for the aviation industry operated by the German airline OLT. However, it was switched to BRS in the hope of picking up passengers from the general public to help defray the costs.

After a while the Hamburg leg was discontinued leaving just Bremen but OLT axed the entire route last year.

It may well be that Toulouse is a busier route for the industry than Hamburg/Bremen and will have no need for additional support. In any case, easyJet operates to Toulouse year-round.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Looking at 2013

So how might BRS fare in 2013?

2010 and 2011 both saw small percentage annual passenger rises and 2012 seems on track to be around 3% up on 2011 with over 5.9 mppa which would be the second best year ever after 2008's 6.2 mppa.

In recent years BRS has enjoyed passenger growth on the back of larger and generally better filled aircraft as air transport movements have declined in number each year.

In 2013 the two main charter carriers (Thomson and Thomas Cook) appear to have roughly the same sort of programme in summer as last year - that's two B757s and two A320s respectively.

easyJet also hasn't altered much from summer 2012 so far as I can see in total flights so we can expect ten based aircraft with an additional one in the peak summer months.

Ryanair at present is an enigma. Their timetable - never a reliable guide in its early forms - points to broadly the same sort of programme as summer 2012 but the majority of the flights appear to be operated by non-based aircraft suggesting, as things stand, the need for only two based-aircraft as opposed to last summer's five.

Chania has been announced as a new route and there may yet be others.

Aer Lingus Regional is advertising 3 x daily for three days a week and 2 x daily on the others to Dublin. In summer 2012 they went 2 x daily all week. Against this is Ryanair's reduction from 21 x weekly to 16 x weekly though in early summer 2012 the afternoon rotations were often cancelled.

Aer Lingus to Shannon, axed for this winter, shows no sign of return next summer.

KLM is 4 x daily as last summer but this time one daily rotation will be E190-operated as it is this winter (though a different rotation).

AF (the last time I looked) drops from up to 3 x daily on ATR 42s with Airlinair to 6 x weekly with AF Regional using the larger E 190.

Blue Islands announced an upgrade on its Jersey services to ATR 42 from Jetstream 32 though when I tried a booking over the weekend for May the website still showed the Jetstream.

Brussels Airlines is now using Flybe Q400s in SN livery at 3 x daily instead of bmi regional E145s.

Perhaps the most exciting initiative is the now independent bmi regional. The airline already operates 2 x daily to Aberdeen and anecdotal evidence suggests it's having an adverse effect on Eastern's route via Leeds-Bradford.

Just before Christmas it was announced that bmi regional would operate to Frankfurt and Hamburg in 2013 with a strong hint from the airline's CEO that more routes are in the offing.

bmi regional also has the Airbus contract to operate industry shuttle flights to Toulouse, previously operated from Filton whose runway was closed at the end of last month.

Aurigny, Flybe and Air Malta seem as last summer as does Balkan. Have I left anyone out?

Looking at the programme as a whole and assuming no violent shocks to the economy or to any of the main airlines serving the airport, there seems good reason to think that 6 mppa might be breached again, especially if the bmi regional Airbus shuttle flights are included in the annual figures.

Since the drop in 2009 to 5.6 mppa from 6.2 mppa (when the recession began to bite everywhere) the airport has made steady but unspectacular progress - in contrast to its stellar growth of the previous six years - something I believe that illustrates the underlying strength of its market when many airports, including all the others in South-West Britain, experienced severe falls in passenger numbers.

BRS was one of a few regional airports that withstood the recession relatively well; very well compared with many others.