Bristol: (BRS) - General Thread

[TheLocalYokel]

Consultative Committee Meeting Minutes

The minutes for the 4 November meeting have now been published on the airport website. Nothing startling as most of the information about services is already in the public domain.

The airport CEO confirmed that August had been the busiest month on record and the airport had coped well under pressure, particularly having regard to the high passenger numbers during construction work. Passenger growth is expected to continue in 2016.

Some of the new routes were mentioned with the CEO stating that further activity was anticipated, 'driven in part by the anticipated commencement of construction work for Hinkley Point C'.

The West Terminal Extension construction would continue during 2016 with the first phase to open in the summer. I hadn't realised that it was to be phased in.

The third quarter Airport Service Quality (ASQ) results that came from an independent survey on the whole passenger experience had been exceptional with the airport rated third out of twelve UK airports overall and second for passenger satisfaction. It was the best overall satisfaction for this quarter ever. In nine sections of the report, the airport had achieved its best score, with a further seven areas being higher than the same period last year.

 

[Ornsack]

The West Terminal Extension construction would continue during 2016 with the first phase to open in the summer. I hadn't realised that it was to be phased in.

I did wonder. It's a complete overhaul of the security area but they would still need to let people through that way during the building work. It'll be split in to two sections so wonder if they'll open the standard area first whilst they remove the original security area, before opening the fast track down the line?

 

[TheLocalYokel]

First of all, we welcome your Forums4Airports first post, Ornsack and hope that this will be the first of many posts from you.

You may well be right in what you say. The press releases on the airport website still speak of it opening in summer 2016 which I take to mean fully open, or at last did until I read the consultative committee minutes.

You have probably seen these videos of a virtual reproduction of the extension and a time-lapse view of construction so far, but in case you haven't and for anyone else who might be interested here are the links. Incidentally, I think that the time-lapse video gives a foreshortened effect of the length of the extension. It also encapsulates the vagaries of the weather on Broadfield Down over 600 feet above the Bristol Channel.

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnUmO3fA06Q[/video]

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4WHmm150vMo[/video]

 

[Ornsack]

First of all, we welcome your Forums4Airports first post, Ornsack and hope that this will be the first of many posts from you.

Thank you! Long time browser from the shadows.

I have seen the timelapse footage. I'm looking forward to seeing it down the line when they make a dramatic difference. Summer 2016 seems far too soon for completion but they pulled it off on time last time didn't they?

I missed the last extension by a week earlier this year, and I'm there in June next year so likely to miss the new one too, haha!

 

[Aviador]

First of all, we welcome your Forums4Airports first post, Ornsack and hope that this will be the first of many posts from you.

Thank you! Long time browser from the shadows.

I have seen the timelapse footage. I'm looking forward to seeing it down the line when they make a dramatic difference. Summer 2016 seems far too soon for completion but they pulled it off on time last time didn't they?

I missed the last extension by a week earlier this year, and I'm there in June next year so likely to miss the new one too, haha!

I can't remember if I've already welcomed you, so welcome to Forums4airports Ornsack!

That's the first time I've seen those images or the new arrivals and security areas. They're really impressive!

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Thank you! Long time browser from the shadows.

I have seen the timelapse footage. I'm looking forward to seeing it down the line when they make a dramatic difference. Summer 2016 seems far too soon for completion but they pulled it off on time last time didn't they?

I missed the last extension by a week earlier this year, and I'm there in June next year so likely to miss the new one too, haha!

They usually manage to hit their completion date targets so, fingers crossed, that will happen again. My wife and I flew from BRS in September and sampled the eastern extension which is impressive including the outdoor deck - the weather was good on the day. We shall be flying out again very soon so looking forward to seeing it again not that the outdoor area will be such a draw at this time of the year.

The preparatory ground work for the hotel also seems to be coming along.

 

[forest1979]

Quite a bit on some of the other airport pages about possible routes in the pipeline and or route rumours... was wondering if anyone out there has any route info for BRS. Probably wasn't expecting to see anything more this side of xmas but maybe for the new year. Great to see the passenger numbers increasing again... credit must go to the team at BRS. Merry xmas to all!

 

[kraktoa]

Heard a rumour that the airport site is becoming beset with sink hole problems. That the silver zone car parks already has 2 sinkholes over the years and few cars disappeared. Also that one hole is still visible and just coned off.

This is the reason being given as to why the foundations for the extension and hotel is so deep and taking so long.

Any views

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Heard a rumour that the airport site is becoming beset with sink hole problems. That the silver zone car parks already has 2 sinkholes over the years and few cars disappeared. Also that one hole is still visible and just coned off.

This is the reason being given as to why the foundations for the extension and hotel is so deep and taking so long.

Any views

This is the first I've heard about this. I don't work at the airport or have any connection with it so there is no reason why I would hear.

I'm no geologist but a brief look at the Internet shows that sinkholes can occur in limestone areas (and with other types of rock it would seem) and nearby Goblin Combe was certainly cut through limestone all those years ago. I'm assuming (dangerous things, assumptions) that the limestone also extends under neighbouring areas including Broadfield Down.

Quite a bit on some of the other airport pages about possible routes in the pipeline and or route rumours... was wondering if anyone out there has any route info for BRS. Probably wasn't expecting to see anything more this side of xmas but maybe for the new year. Great to see the passenger numbers increasing again... credit must go to the team at BRS. Merry xmas to all!

Those who might have some information may not be in a position to make it public at present. I was encouraged by a post a few weeks ago that there is more good news to come with a number of things in the pipeline. I would not dismiss this post but perhaps we may need a bit of patience.

May I extend my best wishes for the Festive Season and New Year to all posters and members.

 

[kraktoa]

http://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/arc ... 2907_1.pdf

Found this survey conducted 2011. Mentions swallow holes and sink holes in the car parking sites.

 

[superking]

wish everyone on these forums a merry christmas and a healthy and happy new year.
hope for more good news from brs in 2016

 

[superking]

i would like to wish all members and lookers a happy,healthy and safe new year,on the brs and the other forums

 

[TheLocalYokel]

http://centreforaviation.com/analysis/b ... -it-257304

Interesting recent article (December 2015) about BRS published by CAPA (Centre for Aviation) that sets the airport in its context and looks to the future.

The article makes a few assertions that I believe are questionable and, further, it contains a number of factually incorrect statements, something that I rarely find with articles published by this organisation, which I will come to later.

First some incontrovertible facts set out by CAPA:

South West England has by a considerable margin more scheduled airports per capita of population than any other area of England.

Almost 80% of available seats are from low cost airlines; easyJet 60% and Ryanair 19%.

Percentage of low cost seats is much higher than at Manchester and Birmingham but lower than at Exeter, Cardiff and Southampton.

Serves a city region with high economic performance indicators.

There are a number of charts and graphs dealing with such matters as: global rankings of selected competitor airports by assorted metrics; network summary; connectivity versus selected competitor airports; airport charges; seat capacity and airline share; top 10 international routes; alliance penetration; traffic growth; stage lengths; seats per hour through day; cargo.

I question the assertion in the article that because the airport has no home based carrier unlike Exeter (Flybe) and Leeds-Bradford (Jet2) it could be at a disadvantage. It suggests that BRS might also be at a disadvantage because it has higher landing charges than such airports as Manchester, Birmingham and Edinburgh. The author must surely know that airlines, especially low cost airlines, don’t pay the published landing charges at most regional airports. The article also questions the long term intentions of the BRS owner (Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan) because it also has a 48% stake in BHX. I don’t see the link.

Surprisingly, the articles contains some factual inaccuracies. More than once it states that BRS is the eighth busiest UK airport (it’s the ninth busiest). When describing the government region of the South West it completely misses out Somerset in its list of constituent counties (it also fails to recognise that Bristol is a county - it’s not in Somerset or Gloucestershire even for ceremonial purposes - and one of the seven that make up the South West government region but I’ll forgive that as many Bristolians aren’t aware). It mentions that the eastern terminal extension opened in December 2015 when it actually opened in the summer of last year. It puts Exeter airport over 20 miles further from BRS than is the case.

I found some of the article a bit muddled and confusing. At times the article refers to competitor airports (those within 100 miles) and includes those outside the government South West region; at other times the six airports of the government South West region (presumably Bristol, Exeter, Bournemouth, Newquay, Gloucester and Lands End - Scilly Isles is expressly excluded in the article when it comes to airports total) are mentioned; and beyond that airports as far afield as Manchester and Edinburgh are used to illustrate points.

The airport is said to have a 'broad mix' of low cost, full service, regional and charter carriers which the article puts down to previous owners' intention not to 'put all eggs in one basket' then, in the next breath, there is said to be an' uncomfortably high exposure' to low cost carriers.

When speaking of alliance and hub connections the article states, “In the absence of Air France services to Paris and Lufthansa service to Frankfurt, Amsterdam is seemingly the preferred international transfer point for those passengers who do not wish to make the road journey to London Heathrow.” Yet later it highlights the Aer Lingus Dublin connection but neglects to mention Brussels. Furthermore, the author seems unaware that the bmi regional route to Frankfurt (and to Munich) is a Lufthansa code share with worldwide LH connections.

On its ’seats per hour typical day’ chart it uses Wednesday 9 December 2015. This is one of the quietest days of the year, and other weekly charts and graphs use the figures from the second week in December 2015, again not typical of the year as a whole at all.

The overall conclusions seem broadly positive but likely future challenges are highlighted. It’s a shame about the factual inaccuracies and I would like to have seen more evidence to support some of the conclusions. I have the clear impression that much of the article's content has been gleaned from publications in the press and elsewhere and I wonder whether it’s been sub edited in some way.

 

[Marko1]

Article in the travel weekly puts Brs as the most punctual uk airport - well done

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Article in the travel weekly puts Brs as the most punctual uk airport - well done

Good news and a continuation of last year when BRS topped the global punctuality league of over 4,000 airports worldwide according to OAG, the aviation data provider.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

[textarea]Man arrested after police helicopter targeted by laser while flying in Bristol

The police helicopter was put in danger when a green laser was pointed at the pilot while it was flying above Bristol.

The chopper, based at Filton, was over Barrow Gurney reservoir when the light was shone at it.

Despite the bright light, the quick-thinking pilot managed to control the aircraft and even keep track of the potential suspects.

A 24-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of endangering an aircraft following the incident at 8.30pm last night.[/textarea]
Full article at http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/Man-arrest ... story.html

I've put this item in the BRS General thread as the incident occurred very close to Bristol Airport.

I hope that the court deals severely with the man if he is convicted.

 

[Aviador]

Do you think it should be treated as attempted murder?

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Do you think it should be treated as attempted murder?

I doubt that the necessary intent could be shown in a case like this. I don't know the full facts of course.

If there was evidence that someone deliberately set out to bring down an aircraft it might be theoretically possible. In such a case If it was terrorism related rather than someone just being a bit of an idiot then the CPS would probably go as high as possible with charges.

However, if an aircraft was brought down and fatalities occurred then there is little doubt that manslaughter charges would be preferred at the very least, possibly murder depending on the evidence.

I'm not suggesting that this incident involved someone who deliberately tried to bring down an aircraft.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

There was quite a long report on BRS on the ITV local news this evening. The reporter visited the airport and the new west extension currently being built was filmed, with an interview with the airport project manager.

The reporter gave a general outline of the progress the airport had made in recent years which was contrasted with some monochrome images and a tv report from the 60s or 70s.

When he handed back to the studio one of the news anchors interviewed - guess who? - yes, who else? - Simon Calder - 'down the line'. He seemed a bit sniffy about BRS's prospects as he apparently was last week when interviewed on BBC Radio Bristol.

He believes that because the airport is so poorly situated it will be a brake on real progress. He suggested that well-off Bath residents can be half way to Heathrow in the time it takes them to reach Bristol Airport. He didn't seem to believe that WOW would add much to the BRS stable when it comes to long haul provision.

 

[Marko1]

mr Calder may be a travel "expert" but he's not always right. During the Easter holidays last year there was a hugely disruptive French air traffic control strike which resulted in myself wife and kids stranded in the lovely riviera. However we needed to get home for work so I had to return via LHR. Anyway, my wife was interviewed on good morning Britain and so was mr Calder. He told us we wouldn't get any money's back etc for the disruption, new flights etc. He was so wrong however we had it all back plus extra courteousy of ezy. Marko1 wife 1 - mr Calder 0