Bristol Airport - General Thread

[alphagolf]

Apron website

I've tried Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome and IE and still can't get the current apron.

Just tried Safari too, still doesn't work!

Have emailed IT for an update as to why not working, also asked about the two aircraft permanently on Stands 9 & 32 and when the Western Apron will be updated to show the current stand layout! Will let you know the outcome!

Also stuck I note that there are many of us who visit the site, and also put a hyperlink to Forums4airports on it too!

alphagolf

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Have emailed IT for an update as to why not working, also asked about the two aircraft permanently on Stands 9 & 32 and when the Western Apron will be updated to show the current stand layout! Will let you know the outcome!

Many thanks, alphagolf.

 

[alphagolf]

I have received a reply to my email reference the Apron/Stands website, thankfully its good news. Please see below!

Dear Sir,

Yes, you are quite right, this website has been temporarily suspended.

The apron stands have been re-designed and stands re-designated since the opening of the Western Walkway. The website is in the process of being updated to reflect the changes made.

Thank you for your interest, and hope it is not too long before we are back on line with this seemingly popular website.

Regards

Avril Walker

Enquiries
Customer Services
Bristol Airport
Bristol, BS48 3DY

alphagolf

 

[Aviador]

Great stuff

It will be good to see it back up and running and with the new apron plan with the walkway. :good:

 

[TheLocalYokel]

apron website

The good news is that this appears to be working again though the western apron layout doesn't seem to have been updated yet.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

[textarea]Fears tax change may drive flyers to Cardiff


Moves to hand control of air passenger duty to the Welsh government could have a devastating affect on business at Bristol Airport, bosses have claimed.

The Government is looking at new ways of handling the controversial "tax on flying" and one of the options on the table is handing control over to devolved government, including the Welsh regional assembly.

Bristol Airport, along with the rest of the aviation industry has campaigned against increases in duty.

Airports and airlines estimate that the cost of a family holiday for four could go up by £200 if proposed changes are introduced.

And bosses believe if control was handed over to the regional assembly in Cardiff the Welsh capital's airport would be given an unfair advantage.

Cardiff is Bristol's main rival but the Lulsgate airport has always been able to attract more of the airlines.

This year just under six million passengers travelled through the airport and the plan is to increase the total to ten million once the terminal is expanded as part of a £150-million development due to start next year.

Despite the recession and the slump in the holiday trade, Bristol is still the country's fastest growing airport and is now the ninth largest in the UK.

Alan Davies, planning and environment director said the airport was alarmed to hear that control of air passenger duty could be handed to the Cardiff authorities.

He said: "Airlines at regional airports operate in a very competitive market and are very sensitive to price. They will readily move their operations when the market conditions do not suit their business model.

"We are therefore very concerned about the potential for a distortion of the market between Bristol Airport and Cardiff Airport should air passenger duty be devolved to Wales.

"This could cause severe damage to Bristol Airport's business, and is likely to lead to a loss of services to the detriment of passengers from the South West of England and the local economy. At Bristol Airport we support the proposals for an airport congestion tax which would benefit both Bristol and Cardiff airports."

Devolution of air passenger duty was recommended by the Calman Commission on Scottish devolution, which formed the basis of the Scotland Bill currently going through Parliament.

Budget airline Ryanair has been one of the most outspoken critics of the tax along with easyJet sand the other major airlines.

The Irish airline has threatened to pull out of the UK as a result of the row. Earlier this year the airline turned its back on Belfast City Airport in a row over the level of charges.

Ryanair has closed down many of its routes but has stayed loyal to Bristol.

The UK Treasury is looking at options to change aviation tax. A plan to switch the burden from passengers to planes was recently scrapped.

A UK Treasury spokesman said: "No final decisions have been taken. We're looking at consultation responses and will publish our response in the autumn.

"Devolution could have potentially wide-ranging effects which is why it is important that we gain a full understanding of impacts before any final decisions are taken."[/textarea]
http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/Fears-ta ... story.html

This would certainly be a serious problem for English airports, especially those situated near airports in Wales and Scotland.

Without wanting to be political it illustrates yet again the unfairness of Scottish and Welsh MPs having a say on English affairs whilst there is no similar reciprocity.

Yet more uncertainty on the expansion of BRS - the judicial review of the planning permission; question marks on significant growth of low-cost airlines (across the board, not just at BRS) and their ability to substantially lift BRS's passenger figures toward 8-10 mppa, and now this.

BRS is not the country's fastest growing airport any more, as the report mistakenly asserts.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

[textarea]Bristol Airport up for top travel industry award

Bristol Airport has been nominated for one of the travel industry’s most prestigious awards for the second year running.

The Airport has been shortlisted for the ‘Best UK Airport’ prize in the TTG Travel Awards, run by the travel industry’s leading trade magazine, Travel Trade Gazette.

Judges for the awards include experts from leading travel companies and trade bodies such as Thomas Cook, Sandals and the Institute of Travel and Tourism, as well as leading figures from the worlds of commerce and retail.

This year’s winners will be announced at a spectacular ceremony at London’s Grosvenor House Hotel on 22 September.

TTG is the leading travel publication for the UK travel industry, with news and features read by frontline high street travel agents through to chief executives of FTSE-100 travel companies.[/textarea]
http://www.bristolairport.co.uk/news-an ... 8/ttg.aspx

There seem to be an awful lot of these awards and I can't help thinking it's often decided by Buggins' Turn.

It's a bit like the news journalist of the year or the news tv station of the year or the local radio broadcaster of the year - all done on some sort of rotation. There, that's cynical me again.

 

[Aviador]

Presumably each airport needs to be nominated by a member of the public but unless you have used every UK airport how can you tell which airport deserves the title of the "Best UK Airport"?

 

[Aviador]

During the period when we were changing the forum and moving it to a dedicated server I asked for people to come forward with ideas. One person suggested the return of the forum banners.

I've added a Easyjet banner to the top of the BRS forum. It can be altered whenever. If anybody would like to see their own banner on the top of the BRS forum send your 650 pixels X 90 pixels banner to me via the PM system or by e-mail to [email protected]

I'd like to know what people think of the new banner? Do you like the idea of having a forum banner or do you think it reduce the usability of the forum? Your feedback is most appreciated.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

It's a very neat banner, Aviador.

The airline chosen certainly epitomises BRS.

 

[Aviador]

Thanks LocalYokel, I need some wide angle images with lots of scenery to be able to get the full aircraft in the frame. I thought a picture emphasising Easyjet was the right theme for Bristol considering the airlines 'hold' on the airport. If anybody would either like to send me some pictures or make their own banner of the same size I'll be more than happy to use it.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

[textarea]90,000 Passengers Head Out Of Bristol Airport

Last minute rush for holidays abroad as the Bank Holiday gets underway.

Bristol Airport is expecting around 90,000 people to head through the departure gates over the Bank Holiday.

The numbers are very similar to last year with passengers heading to Europe for the sunshine and city breaks.

Airport spokeswoman, Jacqui Mills told us: "It's going to one of our busiest weekends. Spain and Portugal are popular once again and also the city breaks like Paris, Amsterdam and Prague.

The weather does play a vital part in helping boost late bookings."[/textarea]
http://www.jackbristol.com/news/bristol ... port-6653/

Assuming the bank holiday weekend is the four-day period Friday to Monday, I can't believe for a moment that 90,000 is the number of passengers who will depart the airport as the report states.

This time of the year BRS averages between 21,000 and 22,000 passengers per day - that's the total inbound and outbound. I suspect the 90,000 is the total figure for the four days.

 

[Aviador]

I'm pretty sure the figure quoted there is the total figure. It's a common mistake made by the PR boffins. Your figures of between 21,000 and 22,000 passengers per day sounds far more realistic and achievable.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Air Passenger Duty

I've been in correspondence with my MP over the past few weeks regarding the consequences of a significant rise in APD and also with the move to devolve it to Wales, Scotland and Northenr Ireland where Bristol Airport might be particularly affected.

I've now had a response via my MP from the Treasury Minister responsible for this area of government policy.

It's hedged in the usual political-speak but does include the following:

Several airports, airlines and individuals have raised concerns regarding the potential distortion arising from differential APD rates between Cardiff and Bristol, as well as between Newcastle and Scottish airports. The Government will consider the views and evidence submitted by interested parties and publish a response in the autumn.

Nothing of any dramatic proportions - such was never expected - but it does show that the government is having to wade through a raft of often conflicting responses before deciding on a policy.

Whatever they decide in terms of devolving APD to Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland will leave winners and losers.

 

[Aviador]

So if you live in the Midland southwards you'll potentially be flying from Cardiff this time next year and if you live in Manchester northwards you'll be heading off to Scotland to start your journey. It might sound far fetched but if you have a family of four the additional costs soon add up so it might make it worthwhile to do that.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Air Passenger Duty

Certainly with long haul charter (few of our regional airports have long haul scheduled) there is a strong argument to say that a family of four flying to, say, Florida would depart from a more distant airport if it meant saving £250 or more in APD, even taking into account the cost of travelling to the other airport.

But that has long been the case with charter flights from the South West and Wales. For the past twenty years and more people (especially family groups) have gone to Gatwick to fly to Spain and other holiday destinations because the cost of the same holiday with the same airline has often meant substantial savings compared with flying from BRS or CWL.

With the contraction of the charter market generally that practice is no longer so widespread though it still happens on occasions.

I think that airports especially vulnerable to Welsh and Scottish APD differentials are Bristol and Newcastle and this has been acknowledged by the Treasury Minister.

So far as BRS is concerned, the most likely 'victim' of a more passenger-friendly APD for Wales would be the TOM long haul charters to Florida and Mexico where TOM might decide to move them across the Severn to CWL.

It has to be remembered though that APD revenue would bring in many millions of pounds a year for Wales, even with CWL's current limited programme, and the UK government would certainly deduct the APD money from the grant the Wales Assembly Government receives each year.

So if the WAG did gain APD powers and drastically reduced APD for flights from Wales they would have to effectively fund this from other budgets- not an easy thing to contemplate especially in the present straitened economic climate.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Busy lunchtime

I was out walking today around the tracks and combes of North Somerset when I took the opportunity to divert for a lunchtime look at the BRS aprons from the western end of the airport.

When I arrived at my vantage point I counted 16 aircraft on the aprons:

3 easyJet A 319s and one A 320
4 Ryanair B 738s
2 Thomson B 757s
KLM Cityhopper F 70
bmiRegional (for Brussels Airlines) ERJ 145
Aer Lingus Regional (Aer Arann) ATR 72
Air France (Airlinair) ATR 72
Aurigny ATR 72
Flybe Dash 8-400

9 airlines and 8 different types of aircraft - who said BRS was just easyJet and Ryanair? :dunno:

I had seen a Thomas Cook A 320 take off a couple of minutes before I arrived so there may have been 17 at that stage.

I think one of the TOMs was delayed as was the KLM - another KLM F 70 later arrived from AMS whilst the other was still on stand.

Nevertheless, I can't remember the last time I saw so many operational aircraft on the apron at one time at lunchtime.

 

[Aviador]

Sounds like a busy day there!

At least they're all working too which is a good sign.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

[textarea]IoD calls for Government commitment to airport development


The Institute of Directors (IoD) in the South West today called for stronger backing for the UK’s airports to ensure they develop further, including introducing more flights to European and Middle East business destinations from Bristol and the return of its direct service to the US.

IoD regional chairman Gerry Jones made the call today in response to a UK-wide survey among IoD members which highlights the importance of aviation to the economy.

He said that more should be done to help Bristol Airport succeed at a time when London’s main airports are facing capacity restraints and the Coalition is opposing their further development, including a third runway at Heathrow.[/textarea]

Quite a long article and of interest to anyone who wants BRS to succeeed and who thinks that regional airports should take a larger share of the cake is at this link:

http://swindon-business.net/index.php/2 ... velopment/

The IoD chairman called for full service routes to Germany, Scandinavia and the Middle East. BRS has had the first two in the past four years and they may return as the economy improves. The Middle East may be a more difficult animal to capture in the next few years.

The chairman is fully supportive of BRS yet points to the impending closure of PLH and bmibaby leaving CWL as warnings that if services aren't used they will be lost.

He also calls for the return of a direct flight to the USA. His members might have secured the one the airport did have (Continental to Newark) for a bit longer if they had used it in greater numbers in the front cabin.

 

[Aviador]

It's nice to be seeing something positive for a change from the local media down there. It's an uphill struggle getting new routes and the support from both the government and the flying public to go with it.

It's a strange philosophy, the one where people seem to think it's easier flying from Birmingham and London airports when they have an airport only eight miles from the city centre. Bristol's adopted twin airport here at Leeds is in a similar predicament. Well over three million air journeys from the Leeds City Region are choosing to fly from alternative airports outside the region siting journey times to the airport and lack of public transport connections. Similarly to Bristol airport, Leeds Bradford airport is only nine miles from the centre of the city of Leeds.

We keep hearing calls from our airports to use local air services or loose them. People complain and moan that airports don't have flights to places like the US, yet when airports get them they don't use them. Many passengers just continue to use connecting flights or travel to airports further afield. It's desperately annoying especially when they could have flown from their 'doorstep'. One of the things I have come to realise over the years is people are like sheep. They do what they have always done each year and so it's always going to be hard to get people to change a lifetime of habits.