Bristol Airport - General Thread

[TheLocalYokel]

Thanks superking. This is the link. It seems that BRS was the most punctual of all world airports, not just small ones.

http://www.adsadvance.co.uk/oag-see-bri ... dwide.html

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Bullish statement on the BRS website in respect of 2015. As it's a press release I've reproduced it in full below.

[textarea]Strong prospects for 2015 following record year at Bristol Airport

New destinations and falling euro combine to drive continued growth

A total of 6.3 million passengers used Bristol Airport last year, surpassing the previous annual record set in 2008. This represents a 3.45 per cent increase year on year, and a fifth consecutive year of growth for the South West’s largest airport.

The landmark total included record passenger figures for a single day, set on 14 August when 25,390 arrived or departed during 24 hours. Growth was achieved without increasing the number of commercial flights, reflecting the introduction of larger aircraft on a number of established services, including KLM’s four-times daily service to Amsterdam.

Further growth is forecast in 2015, with flights to a raft of new destinations set to commence this spring, and at least one airline launching operations at Bristol Airport for the first time.

The Airport’s largest carrier, easyJet, has put new destinations on sale, including year-round services to Bilbao, Isle of Man, Gibraltar and Porto, while Thomson Airways will operate flights to Cape Verde for the first time, alongside new services to Hurghada in Egypt and Paphos, Cyprus. In addition, Wizz Air will enter the South West market for the first time, with twice weekly flights to Katowice in Poland from June.

Coupled with the fall in the value of the euro which could see travellers save up to 20 per cent on holiday expenses such as eating out, this increased programme of flights and holidays makes the offer from Bristol Airport more competitive than ever.

Development of passenger facilities to cater for this increased demand continues, with work underway on an eastern terminal extension and improvements to car parks. Beyond the Airport boundary, improvements to the transport system across the West of England, including the construction of a South Bristol Link, are in the pipeline and will enhance access from the north, east and west once completed.

Robert Sinclair, Chief Executive at Bristol Airport, said:
“Airports are useful barometers for the economy of the region they serve, so growth of passenger numbers at Bristol Airport is good news for the South West. This strong performance is set to continue throughout 2015, with leisure travel in particular being stimulated by the euro exchange rate and reductions in Air Passenger Duty for children.

“Work is already underway to ensure we maintain and enhance the customer experience as passenger numbers grow, and we continue to explore opportunities with existing and potential airline partners to strengthen and extend the route network available from Bristol. It is set to be an exciting year in which we will continue to work towards our goal to be a world class regional airport serving the South West of the UK.”

Earlier this week (6 January) Bristol Airport was named as the world’s most punctual Airport in a league table published by leading global aviation provider OAG, with an on-time performance rating of 94.4 per cent.[/textarea]
http://www.bristolairport.co.uk/media-c ... -year.aspx

 

[Marko1]

That's really good news . Are we likely to see any further route announcements or this likely to it for at least the summer. The Paris route certainly needs a look at. I was thinking maybe it be a good opportunity for flybe to return together with a few niche French routes such as Nantes Rennes etc . Bristol must the only major uk airport that has no flybe presence now plus given the wide spread of French routes from sou and bhx it may have success at brs

 

[forest1979]

Regards the Paris route, what were the reasons for Air France dropping... They seem to serve other regional routes well... If the flights are full with easy surly there is still demand? :s_dunno

I had hoped that there may have been some truth to the rumours of Turkish last year but nothing is seems.

I see BHX has picked up Norwegian.. picking up slack on some of the sunshine routes… good times for them.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

I had hoped that there may have been some truth to the rumours of Turkish last year but nothing is seems.

From what I understand this is not dead in the water, although I can't give any timeline (because I don't know) should negotiations prove positive.

Regards the Paris route, what were the reasons for Air France dropping... They seem to serve other regional routes well... If the flights are full with easy surly there is still demand?

Presumably down to the yield. It might even have been ok but there might have been better ones for the airline elsewhere.

That's really good news . Are we likely to see any further route announcements or this likely to it for at least the summer. The Paris route certainly needs a look at. I was thinking maybe it be a good opportunity for flybe to return together with a few niche French routes such as Nantes Rennes etc . Bristol must the only major uk airport that has no flybe presence now plus given the wide spread of French routes from sou and bhx it may have success at brs

If there are to be further route announcements from anyone for summer 2015 they'll have to be made within the next few weeks.

Paris does seem strange in that easyJet consistently sells out on the route but won't increase frequencies. Flybe managed an extra slot at CDG last year for their EXT route to run 2 x daily on weekdays so easyJet ought to be able to get one if they wished. Given that easyJet intends operating IOM 4 x weekly throughout the year it appears odd that a key route like CDG is underserved.

As for Flybe, the airline is still to be seen on winter Sundays operating for a tour operator to LLeida-Alguaire but whether it returns to BRS in its own right seems unlikely at this stage, although Flybe has been making what some consider peculiar decisions at some of its airports in recent times - almost a suck it and see approach at times.

 

[forest1979]

From what I understand this is not dead in the water, although I can't give any timeline (because I don't know) should negotiations prove positive

Interesting news, thanks for the update... i have to be honest i am always on the net hunting down news and rumours but failed to find anything on this one... if it is alive, its all tight lipped..

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Interesting news, thanks for the update... i have to be honest i am always on the net hunting down news and rumours but failed to find anything on this one... if it is alive, its all tight lipped..

It's what I've heard from a couple of sources that I would not dismiss lightly. That's not to say it will come about of course but it does seem that there is still hope.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Regional Air Connectivity Fund

£17.5 million is available this year with £56 million over the next three years for regional airports to bid for in order to help start new routes.

Unfortunately for BRS only airports with an annual throughput under five million passengers are eligible. It's especially galling as BRS will be the smallest regional airport in terms of passenger numbers outside the scope of this fund.

 

[Aviador]

To be honest I feel it's a bit gimmicky anyway. I don't see any regional airport seeing any real benefit from this so-called Air Connectivity Fund.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

[textarea]Aviation Minister visits Bristol Airport

Aviation Minister, Robert Goodwill MP, visited Bristol Airport today to view the latest developments to the terminal, including construction of an £8.6m eastern terminal extension set for completion this summer.

Mr Goodwill toured the terminal with the Airport’s Chief Executive Officer, Robert Sinclair, viewing existing facilities, including the new central walkway which opened last summer. He was also shown computer generated images of the Airport’s overall development plans which will enable it to handle up to 10 million passengers per annum in future.

Speaking during his visit Aviation Minister, Robert Goodwill, said:
“I was pleased to hear that Bristol Airport have seen their highest ever passenger numbers of over 6.3 million last year, breaking their own record from 2008. Supporting our airports is part of this government’s long term economic plan. This growth is driven by the significant investment the airport is making in new infrastructure that I have seen today.”

Bristol Airport’s Chief Executive Officer, Robert Sinclair, said:
“Regional airports have an important role to play in providing connectivity for the catchment areas they serve, making best use of the capacity that exists outside London and helping to rebalance the economy.

“We were delighted to show the Minister first-hand how Bristol Airport is making significant investment in new infrastructure which will enable us to grow the network of routes available, serve more passengers from South West England and South Wales, and enhance the customer experience in the process.”

A total of 6.3 million passengers used Bristol Airport last year, surpassing the previous annual record set in 2008. This represents a 3.45 per cent increase year on year, and a fifth consecutive year of growth for the South West’s largest airport. Further growth is forecast in 2015, with flights to a raft of new destinations set to commence this spring.

The Airport’s largest carrier, easyJet, has put new destinations on sale, including year-round services to Bilbao, Isle of Man, Gibraltar and Porto, while Thomson Airways will operate flights to Cape Verde for the first time, alongside new services to Hurghada in Egypt and Paphos, Cyprus. In addition, Wizz Air will enter the South West market for the first time, with twice weekly flights to Katowice in Poland from June.

Development of passenger facilities to cater for this increased demand continues, with work underway on an eastern terminal extension, improvements to car parks, and the construction of a 201 room Hampton by Hilton hotel. Beyond the Airport boundary, improvements to the transport system across the West of England, including the construction of a South Bristol Link, are underway and will enhance access from the north, east and west once completed.

Last month Bristol was named the world’s most punctual Airport in a league table measuring on-time performance compiled by leading global aviation provider OAG based on more than 43 million flight records.[/textarea]

Airport press release at http://www.bristolairport.co.uk/media-c ... ister.aspx

Maybe the government will abolish APD then. Hmm!

 

[kraktoa]

Are there plans afoot to restrict number of night flights at Bristol? The article on Bristol Post about A38 road changes mentions a ' permission' part of which is restriction of night flight numbers.

I dont recall local objections in any concerted way with regards to night flights. What brought this about?

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Are there plans afoot to restrict number of night flights at Bristol? The article on Bristol Post about A38 road changes mentions a ' permission' part of which is restriction of night flight numbers.

I dont recall local objections in any concerted way with regards to night flights. What brought this about?

BRS has long been subject to a night noise quota (CWL often makes the point that it is not so restricted) and so far as I know the situation remains as it was when the master plan was published a round a decade ago. Below is the relevant part of the master plan.

The night noise quota system implemented at BIA is based on the system that has been in use since 1993 at Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports. The restrictions specify a night period (23.00-07.00) during which time the noisiest types of aircraft may not be scheduled to land or take off. In addition, between 23.30 and 06.00, the night quota period, aircraft movements are restricted by a noise quota limit. Aircraft count against the noise quota according to their quota count (QC) classification. The quota count itself is related to the noise classification of aircraft as set out in a formal notice published by the CAA on a regular basis. The restrictions allow for dispensations to be given in certain circumstances and there are provisions for dealing with delayed departures and early arrivals. The quota limits are set on a seasonal basis, defined by the period of British Summer Time. The summer season is therefore about seven months long for which a current quota count limit of 1260 applies. The winter season is about five months long for which a current quota count limit of 900 applies. Up to 10% of the noise quota, if not used in the current season, is carried over to the following season. Similarly up to 10% of the next season's quota may be anticipated in the event of an overrun. Any excess overrun is penalised in the following season at double the amount of the excess.


BRS seems to have coped with the restriction and has never appeared to regard it as a major brake on progress.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

[textarea]Bristol Airport welcomes opportunity to make case against Air Passenger Duty being devolved to Wales

Bristol Airport has welcomed the opportunity to present further evidence on what it claims would be the “detrimental effects” of devolving Air Passenger Duty (APD) to Wales as part of a review of potential options to mitigate the impact on regional airports.

Today's publication outlining new powers for Wales from the UK Government says that the next Westminster government will consider the case and options for devolving APD to Wales.

It adds: “In advance of this, there will be a review of potential options to mitigate the impacts of APD devolution on regional airports. As part of this review, a discussion paper will be published by the summer examining the devolution and variation of APD rates within England, and the provision of aid for regional airports including Bristol Airport[/textarea]

Full article at http://www.walesonline.co.uk/business/b ... ke-8737580

It all sounds rather vague and, anyway, a change of government in May might well see a different approach.

There is no doubt about the importance of the issue. The Scottish government's intention to halve APD and ultimately abolish it when it gains APD powers has caused much concern at NCL and around the North east.

BRS would undoubtedly feel the draught if APD was devolved to Wales with England retaining the draconian current British version. The Wales Assembly has already made known its intentions to substantially reduce APD possibly to a zero rate if it gains the powers.

This week the Institute for Public Policy Research published a lengthy paper regarding the likely effects on Bristol and the West of England if Wales gained more tax raising and fiscal powers which seems certain will be the case.

Although the overall strength of the Bristol region economy (much stronger than that in Wales) would not suffer greatly the IPPR paper thought there was scope for BRS being disadvantaged if APD was devolved to Wales. It repeated a HMRC claim that BRS could lose 25% of its passenger numbers by 2020 if Wales had a zero rate APD.

 

[Aviador]

The case against a devolved APD in Wales is far greater than in Scotland because of the proximity of Bristol airport to Cardiff airport in South Wales. The big Scottish airports are a good 2 and a half hours drive away from the nearest airport in the North of England, whereas Cardiff airport is within an hours drive time from the Bristol conurbations.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

The case against a devolved APD in Wales is far greater than in Scotland because of the proximity of Bristol airport to Cardiff airport in South Wales. The big Scottish airports are a good 2 and a half hours drive away from the nearest airport in the North of England, whereas Cardiff airport is within an hours drive time from the Bristol conurbations.

I believe that if the general election results in a Labour government but one relying on the support of the SNP and Plaid Cymru to make up the numbers to a majority it's highly likely that Wales will get some form of devolved APD, perhaps on long haul flights to begin with as was recommended by the Silk Commission a year or two ago. Plaid Cymru would seek some reward for supporting Labour and the Wales Assembly is Labour-led anyway.

The Silk Commission was established by the Westminster government's Welsh Secretary to review the case for the devolution of fiscal powers to the Welsh Assembly and to consider the case for increasing the powers of the assembly. It was only concerned with what would be in Wales's interest. Some of its recommendations would clearly disadvantage parts of England, but England was given no vehicle to put its own case as is increasingly the situation in these crazy days of ever more devolution.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

[textarea]Drunken trio arrested and removed from plane at Bristol Airport

Two women in their 40s and a man in his 20s were arrested for being drunk and disorderly on plane heading out of Bristol for the Algarve.

The incident yesterday evening (9 April) shortly before 7pm. The trio were on board a plane heading for Faro on Portugal's Algarve coast and were described as drunk and disruptive.[/textarea]

Although not mentioned in the newspaper report (which can be read in full at the below link) it seems this was a Ryanair flight as both easyJet flights to Faro were cancelled owing to the French ATC industrial action. This flight was delayed according to the newspaper report.

http://www.bristolpost.co.uk/Drunken-tr ... story.html

 

[TheLocalYokel]

BRS and APD

Robert Sinclair, BRS CEO, has been active today on a number of local tv and radio channels expressing his concern about the possibility of APD powers being devolved to the Wales Assembly Government which he says would be likely to adversely affect BRS, with a substantial reduction in passenger numbers, job losses and not just at the airport. There would also be a negative effect on gross value added/gross domestic product in the region.

He made the points again that he's raised previously but the timing of today's initiative appears to be linked to the general election campaign with the likelihood that he wants to ensure that all potential local MPs are aware of the situation.

One of the interviews was a 20-minute slot on BBC Radio Bristol that went beyond APD and dealt with the CEO's private life interests and the history and future of the airport. The CEO is a New Zealander and he told the interviewer that he brought in a number of changes at BRS based on his experiences in his previous job at Auckland Airport. Unfortunately, he wasn't asked what they were.

He did say that since being at BRS he has learned to fly and now holds a PPL.

He also said that an announcement will be made soon allowing the short stay car park to be used as a drop-off in what is expected to be an extremely busy summer.

I don't know what he is like as a boss but he always impresses me favourably when giving media interviews.

 

[kraktoa]

Inaugural BMI flight from Paris landed today at BRS

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Inaugural BMI flight from Paris landed today at BRS

Did both CDG rotations operate? The later one is shown on the BRS arrivals page as arriving but the page currently only shows arriving flights after 1100 today and the early CDG would have returned before then.

The inaugural bmir Dusseldorf also operated today and is shown as returning this evening.

I wonder how the loads are faring in the early days.

 

[kraktoa]

The morning flight had 50 pax but included managers and directors on inaugural flight and photo op. Should be on some airport news soon. Was too busy to note the later flights.