Newcastle Airport - General Thread

[Aviador]

Newcastle Airport future under threat if Scottish taxes are slashed, transport minister admits

Surely it is more expensive for airlines to operate to the Scottish airports anyway with their more northerly position? Can any APD savings really make it worth while to travel by road or rail to fly from Edinburgh or Glasgow?

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Surely it is more expensive for airlines to operate to the Scottish airports anyway with their more northerly position? Can any APD savings really make it worth while to travel by road or rail to fly from Edinburgh or Glasgow?

I think the point that the transport minister is making is that low-cost airlines would find the prospect of lower APD rates extremely appealing and would locate more resources in Scotland with the likes of NCL seeing less. Initially, the Scottish leadership has said it will reduce APD rates by 50%. It would like to abolish APD entirely but cannot afford to do so yet.

Perhaps £6.50 per sector would not in itself cause passengers to abandon NCL but even this could tempt the likes of Ryanair. If they reduced average fares by £3 they would still make an extra £3.50 per passenger or around £600 on a typical sector.

Long haul would be a much bigger saving including flights via hubs such as AMS.

This week the Institute for Public Policy Research has published a lengthy paper on the likely effects to the Bristol region if Wales gained more devolved fiscal and taxation powers which seems almost guaranteed. At present APD is not amongst the tax raising powers being devolved but if Labour wins the election and relies on the support of SNP and Plaid Cymru to run the UK there seems not much doubt that APD will be included.

Part of the IPPR paper dealt with APD effects and feels that the West Country/South Wales areas are much more closely linked especially physically than Scotland and Northeast England, and that a nil rate in Wales which is what the Wales Assembly proposes would have a significant effect on BRS. It quotes HMRC estimating that BRS could lose 25% of its passenger numbers by 2020.

I don't understand the transport minister's point when he says that EU regulations prevent regional variations in England. Scotland and Wales, not to mention Northern Ireland, are all part of the UK and there will be variable rates in those countries once APD is devolved (there already are in part in Northern Ireland).

This just shows what a mess the politicians have got us into. They were so desperate to prevent Scotland voting for independence that all the parties promised the earth if the country stayed within the UK. They gave little if any thought to the consequences and in so many things following devolution/partial devolution it's England that is suffering, especially the regions.

 

[Brum X]

Very late gear retraction.

 

[Dobbo]

Utterly dogmatic in their misguided approach.

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/expanding-heathrow-could-bring-north-13557127

Do you hear the same noise about Amsterdam? Dubai? Charles De Gaulle?

 

[Jerry]

Utterly dogmatic in their misguided approach.

http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/expanding-heathrow-could-bring-north-13557127

Do you hear the same noise about Amsterdam? Dubai? Charles De Gaulle?

They aren't in the UK. Any major UK infrastructure project will have economic benefits for other parts of the UK.
As an example part of the new bridge in Scotland was made in Chepstow in Wales. The North East will gain an economic benefit from R3 even if its temporary.

 

[Dobbo]

They aren't in the UK. Any major UK infrastructure project will have economic benefits for other parts of the UK.
As an example part of the new bridge in Scotland was made in Chepstow in Wales. The North East will gain an economic benefit from R3 even if its temporary.

Hi Jerry - here are a couple of quotes from the article - construction is only part of the bigger puzzle, they are making the connectivity argument.

"Businesses need to connect through their local airport rather than travel for hours to an airport outside the region.
They need to get to destinations across the world, and flying from a local airport then connecting via a hub gives them the greatest choice."

"Unless Heathrow is expanded, there is a risk that the frequency of our services from Newcastle Airport could be reduced and eventually squeezed out."

This is the connectivity argument. The idea that NCL passengers must connect through LHR is laughable. They could just as easily connect through AMS, CDG, FRA, MUC, DUB. It would be cheaper for Mr and Mrs North East taxpayer to subsidise frequent flights to these hubs than expansion of LHR.

This also guarantees the connectivity benefits. Expanding LHR does not guarantee that BA will continue to fly to NCL. Particularly when the route become vulnerable to undercutting competition from KLM, AF, LH due to the NCL-LHR route having to cope with the burden of inevitable increased charges at LHR to pay for expansion.

It also ignores the fact that businesses really needing international connectivity locate close to hub airports. This would merely entrench the sough east imbalance further by further incentivising successful northern businesses to relocate to the M4 corridor.

The purported "regional" arguments in favour of LHR are a sham and should not be used to justify the scheme.

 

[Coathanger16]

This is the connectivity argument. The idea that NCL passengers must connect through LHR is laughable. They could just as easily connect through AMS, CDG, FRA, MUC, DUB. It would be cheaper for Mr and Mrs North East taxpayer to subsidise frequent flights to these hubs than expansion of LHR.

Yes they could connect through foreign hubs, but that would help those airports and the cities where they are located. At least by going through LHR, that will help LHR and London grow, which will in turn help the UK grow which includes the NE. Yes that growth may be small but it will be a damn site larger than the non existent growth that would not come from foreign hubs expanding.

The purported "regional" arguments in favour of LHR are a sham and should not be used to justify the scheme.

Perhaps not you personally, but I have seen the 'regional' argument be used to support the expansion of MAN. If it can be used there then it can certainly be used at LHR!

It also ignores the fact that businesses really needing international connectivity locate close to hub airports.

Generally yes, but does that mean the "Lake District Tours Company Ltd" that provides tours to foreign visitors should relocate from the Lake District to Heathrow?

 

[Dobbo]

Yes they could connect through foreign hubs, but that would help those airports and the cities where they are located. At least by going through LHR, that will help LHR and London grow, which will in turn help the UK grow which includes the NE. Yes that growth may be small but it will be a damn site larger than the non existent growth that would not come from foreign hubs expanding.

That's true, but they are asking the NE Taxpayer to underwrite a slice of the LHR project, and pay for anything between £5-25bn of transport improvements (depending on who you believe). There is a compelling argument that this share of the NE taxpayers money would be better used elsewhere.

Perhaps not you personally, but I have seen the 'regional' argument be used to support the expansion of MAN. If it can be used there then it can certainly be used at LHR!

Fair point in principle, but MAN isn't using this argument to justify its ambitions being underwritten by the UK taxpayer (its a way to unitize spare capacity). To justify the commitment at LHR this argument needs to be far stronger, which it isn't.

Generally yes, but does that mean the "Lake District Tours Company Ltd" that provides tours to foreign visitors should relocate from the Lake District to Heathrow?

I had in mind companies like Microsoft, Intel, GSK, Cisco. Companies like Sage in Newcastle are the exception to this rule.

 

[Coathanger16]

There is a compelling argument that this share of the NE taxpayers money would be better used elsewhere.

The issue is whether or not that money will be spent on the NE (or any other region) if it isn't spent on LHR. For some reason I'm not entirely convinced it will be.

 

[Dobbo]

The issue is whether or not that money will be spent on the NE (or any other region) if it isn't spent on LHR. For some reason I'm not entirely convinced it will be.

100% agree.

My view is unless there is a Barnett formula type system (where every part of the UK is entitled to a certain percentage of government spend in London) this will continue to become a bigger and bigger political issue.

 

[Aviador]

Newcastle International Airport named ‘Airport of the Year’ at transport awards
Newcastle International Airport is today (1st December) celebrating after being named ‘Airport of the Year’ at last night’s North of England Transport Awards.

The airport was presented the title at a glittering ceremony in Leeds by BBC presenter Steph McGovern, after beating tough competition from Doncaster Sheffield and Liverpool John Lennon airports.

Newcastle International has recently invested £20 million in upgrades across the airport, including a state-of-the-art radar system, gate area modernisation and new terminal flooring – all of which were key factors in securing the title. It’s also introduced digital signage, free premium wifi, self-service bag drop and a brand new World Duty Free Express store in a bid to ensure the highest standards of passenger experience.

The North East’s largest airport, which was also voted Britain’s best airport for a second successive year in the summer, also saw the five millionth passenger pass through the terminal for the first time since 2008, with passenger figures set to be the highest in a decade as 2017 comes to a close. The growth in passenger numbers has seen winter sun destinations in particular, such as the Canaries and Balearics, record their busiest 12 months on record.

Nick Jones, Chief Executive at Newcastle International Airport said: “I’m delighted that Newcastle has been named ‘Airport of the Year’. We’ve had a fantastic 2017, with multi-million pound investment in upgrades throughout the airport and more than five million passengers passing through the terminal for the first time in a decade - it’s really been a year to remember.

“I’m incredibly proud of each and every one of our team at the airport for their continued hard work and dedication that contributes to operating the best airport in the North of England.”

The North of England Transport Awards was launched last year by the Transport Times in a bid to bring the industry together to celebrate its achievements in providing efficient, high quality transport services across the region and reward and encourage innovation and excellence. Newcastle International has been shortlisted as ‘Airport of the Year’ at both years’ ceremonies.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

http://www.cityam.com/277547/four-worlds-eight-happiest-airports-uk-but-none-london

NCL is the world's fifth happiest airport.

 

[Jerry]

Superbreak will be offering a Montenegro, Croatia and Adriatic Coast 3 night break from Newcastle. It departs on 5th October and returns 8th October.
http://www.superbreak.com/flight-ho...publishers&utm_campaign=AW85386&stop_mobi=yes

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Master Plan

https://www.newcastleairport.com/masterplan-documents

NCL has produced a new master plan to take it to 2035. Its high end passenger projections are 7.6 million in 2025, 8.7 million in 2030 and 9.4 million in 2035.

 

[Jerry]

Hurtigruten will offer a Northern Lights fly cruise to Bergen from Newcastle on
30 March 2020

 

[Jerry]

Anyone care to guess who it is? Is the blue a hint?

https://twitter.com/x/status/1140552620840509440

 

[louis_walton]

I can't think of an airline that uses that light of a blue apart from TUI.

 

[Jerry]

I can't think of an airline that uses that light of a blue apart from TUI.

Neither can I. I thought maybe Blue Islands but theirs is darker. Blue Air maybe?

 

[Jerry]

I can't think of an airline that uses that light of a blue apart from TUI.

Suggested elsewhere but apparently it's the same colour as Air Transats new livery.

 

[Jarvo]

To me the bottom corner looks like it may be a cloud? So rather than being a clue, it just looks like the sky... maybe the final picture will be of a plane in the livery rather than a logo or anything