ISSUE SPONSORED BY ISSUE SPONSORED BY The official magazine of the Airport Operators Association WINTER 2012 BIRMINGHAM: INVESTING IN THE REGION'S GLOBAL GATEWAY Policy Features News Sustainable Aviation House of Birmingham: Runway extension, new ATC tower Leeds Bradford opens £11m terminal investment Commons Reception London City: £15m upgrade Real-Time Unified Communications The AOA at the Transport Select Committee New technology: Self-service bag drop Newcastle International’s new Operations Director Green Apple Awards for Environmental Best Practice Retail Champions and Champion of Champions 2012 for our work to develop energy modelling and sustainability assessment as applied to our development at Birmingham Airport. WDFG 301x251 GAA2012 ADVERT.indd 1 11/12/2012 10:35 p.3 WWW.AOA.ORG.UK THE Airport Operator WINTER 2012 Ed Anderson, Chairman, Airport Operators Association The official magazine of the Airport Operators Association CHAIRMAN’S INTRODUCTION Airport Operators’ Association 3 Birdcage Walk Welcome to this edition of declared its opposition to any London the Airport Operator. As we new runways at Heathrow, SW1H 9JJ reach the end of another busy Gatwick and Stansted. Tel: 020 7799 3171 year, it is a time to reflect on the Fax: 020 7340 0999 events of the past 12 months. We have continued to work www.aoa.org.uk closely with our partners The year has seen another in the Sustainable Aviation change of Secretary of State coalition and we welcomed the (the 6th since I became publication of their Roadmap Chairman in 2006) and a new on emissions in March, which Minister for Aviation, Simon demonstrated that the industry Burns MP, who we were pleased can grow substantially in the to welcome to our Annual coming years with no significant The Airport Operator is produced Conference in October. The increase in emissions. We look by PPS Publications Ltd. Government published its draft forward to the publication of Aviation Policy Framework, SA’s Roadmap on noise next Daniel Coleman which prompted AOA to prepare year. We also played a leading Publisher our own policy document role in the campaign on Air Ross Falconer outlining our proposals on the Passenger Duty mounted by Editor contents of a truly integrated the coalition, A Fair Tax on aviation policy. We presented Flying. This resulted in MPs Amy Hanna this document formally to the receiving some 200,000 emails Assistant Editor Minister for Aviation last month. from members of the public Instead of the call for evidence Richard Jende demanding a change of policy Head Designer on hub capacity, which had on APD. We are arguing for been expected, the Government HM Treasury to conduct a Victoria Wilkinson set up the Davies Commission study of the wider economic Designer to consider airport capacity impact of APD and, in the generally. It will produce an meantime, for there to be no James Nixon interim report next year with a PPS Publication & further increases in the tax. Exhibition Manager final report in mid-2015. AOA has Despite this public pressure welcomed the establishment of the Chancellor confirmed in Paul J. Hogan the Commission; urged that it the recent Autumn Statement Managing Director press on with its work with all that next April would see haste; and pressed the major further increases in the already political parties to commit to eye-wateringly high levels of PPS Publications Ltd 3a Gatwick Metro Centre acting upon its findings. Next APD, in line with inflation. We Balcombe Road year will also see the publication will continue to campaign Horley, Surrey of the final Aviation Policy strongly on this matter. RH6 9GA Framework, which will then United Kingdom form a backcloth for the work Despite all the delays in the Tel: 01293 783851 of the Davies Commission. formulation of government Fax: 01293 782959 Email: [email protected] The end result of all this is that policy on aviation, 2012 can be profile with policy makers; I wish all our airport we may finally have a position regarded a successful year for and the national debate has members and associates www.pps-publications.com on airport capacity for a new aviation and for the AOA. The moved on from questioning best wishes for the Government to take forward industry bodies have worked the benefits of aviation to Christmas season and the ©PPS Publications Ltd 2012 in 2015, more than five years more closely together than ever considering instead where hope that 2013 may be after the current Government before; the AOA has a higher growth should take place. successful for you all. Please ensure all press releases are sent to PPS Publications directly, not to AOA head office. Cover photo: Birmingham Airport Photo Blog p.4 THE Airport Operator WWW.AOA.ORG.UK WINTER 2012 Fitzpatrick MP, Shadow Minister SUSTAINABLE for Aviation, and Matt Gorman, Chair of Sustainable Aviation, the reception allowed delegates AVIATION HOUSE to come together to talk about the progress that has been made OF COMMONS over the past 12 months, and plan for the future in tackling the RECEPTION challenges of ensuring cleaner, quieter and smarter flying. Shadow Aviation More than 100 MPs, Peers Parliamentary reception. After Mark Field MP had Minister Jim and industry stakeholders welcomed the attendees to the Fitzpatrick MP addresses the packed onto the House of Sponsored by Mark Field, House of Commons and made reception. Commons Terrace in early Conservative MP for Cities a passionate argument in favour December for the latest of London and Westminster, of the reception being made an Sustainable Aviation (SA) and addressed by both Jim annual event, Matt Gorman spoke which is due to be published decision-makers and spread the about the recent activities of SA. in March 2013. This map will message that the airports sector This primarily focused on last address how the aviation sector is taking important and positive March’s launch of the SA CO2 can grow without massively steps to promoting “cleaner, Roadmap, an impressive piece of increasing noise contours around quieter and smarter” travelling. work which demonstrates that UK airports. The map will be He said that the industry has UK aviation can accommodate launched at a separate event in a tremendous story to tell in substantial growth to 2050 the House of Commons in March. terms of its coming together without a large increase in to address this increasingly absolute CO2 emissions (whilst Jim Fitzpatrick MP then took to important issue, and that it is also supporting the reduction the stage and gave a barnstorming the duty of everyone – from of net CO2 emissions to speech in which he paid tribute airlines to airports – to promote More than 100 50% of 2005 levels through to SA. He said that sustainability this achievement as loudly and parliamentarians and internationally agreed carbon is an issue around which the as passionately as possible. If it stakeholders attended the trading). Matt also touched upon whole aviation industry can failed to do so, he warned, its SA Reception in the House of Commons in December. the forthcoming publication unite, and urged delegates to get enemies would not hesitate to of a separate Noise Roadmap, behind its efforts to engage with take advantage in undermining it. THE AOA AT THE TRANSPORT SELECT COMMITTEE By Darren Caplan, Chief Executive of the AOA As many of you will know, Airport and Peel Airports and Peel, who all agreed that AOA Chief Executive the House of Commons respectively. APD was the number one Darren Caplan giving evidence to the Transport Transport Select Committee has obstacle to higher growth and Select Committee. been holding a number of The occasion gave me a great passenger numbers at their evidence sessions as part of its opportunity to place on the respective airports. This is a current inquiry into the parliamentary record our message which the Committee Government’s aviation policy. position on a range of issues heard time and time again The AOA was asked to provide related to current aviation from both airports and airlines evidence as part of this process. policy, from Air Passenger over the course of its evidence Never one to miss an Duty (APD) to point-to-point sessions, and it’s great to see opportunity to put across the and hub connectivity. the industry speaking with one views of our members to key voice on this issue. Let’s hope national decision makers, I On APD, I told the Committee that this unity is rewarded with dutifully went along to that putting an end to increases a favourable chapter on APD Westminster’s Portcullis House in the tax would represent the in the Committee’s report! on 10 December to give “single biggest thing” that the should be lobbying us to deliver opportunity to give evidence evidence, appearing alongside Government could do to help On overall policy, I suggested the connectivity that they need in front of the Committee, and Derek Provan, Graeme Mason UK airports. I was joined in this that rather than the aviation to create jobs and growth! I look forward to reading the and Craig Richmond from argument by the representatives sector lobbying politicians, the report when it is published in Aberdeen Airport, Newcastle from Aberdeen, Newcastle Government and policy makers Overall, I was grateful for the late February or early March. AOA IS PLEASED TO WORK WITH ITS CORPORATE AND SIlvER SPONSORS Corporate sponsors Silver sponsors p.6 THE Airport Operator WWW.AOA.ORG.UK WINTER 2012 AOA AOA CALENDAR ANNUAL OF EVENTS 2013 26 FEBRUARY ..................... Scotland Regional Roundtable, Edinburgh * DINNER 5 MARCH ................................................................... AOA Annual Dinner MID-APRIL (tbc) .............................................. Environment Conference 01 2013 13-14 MAY ................................................................. Security Conference 25-26 JUNE ...........................................Operations & Safety Conference The ‘black tie’ event Series ‘Not Going Out’, 4 JUNE .............................................Chairman’s Lunch (Corporates only) Next year’s is the largest annual will provide the after prestigious AOA aviation dinner in Europe.