Your airport www.bristolairport.co.uk Issue 9 > Winter 2014/2015 Records set as passenger numbers rise Passenger numbers hit an all time high earlier this year, with 25,390 people passing through the Terminal in 24 hours on See inside Thursday 14 August – not for Your Jobs far short of the annual pull-out guide to careers at Bristol throughput of the Airport Extension to terminal Airport when it opened on the shows eastern promise current site back in 1957! The record day contributed to Following the completion of a new central walkway, as reported in the a bumper summer, with nearly previous issue of Your Airport, work has begun on an eastern terminal three quarters of a million journeys made in August alone. extension – the first major expansion of the building since it opened in 2000. September’s traffic was swelled The £6.5m central walkway had only been open a matter of days when construction of the eastern by additional VIP arrivals for the terminal extension kicked off, with this latest development scheduled for completion by summer 2015. NATO Summit in South Wales (see page four), bringing the rolling 12 The eastern terminal extension comes with a price tag of £8.6m and is expected to attract exciting month total close to 6.3 million. new retail brands to Bristol Airport and create more space for existing retailers. But it’s not all about shopping – the facility will see the installation of hundreds of additional seats in the departure lounge, A number of factors contributed as well as a second executive lounge facility to complement the popular Aspire Lounge. to the record passenger numbers, including the introduction Behind the scenes the extension will deliver an improved baggage processing area, while the standout of larger aircraft by several feature is an outdoor terrace for passengers waiting to board their flights. Once finished, it is expected airlines and high load factors on to set a new benchmark for passenger facilities at Bristol Airport. charter and scheduled flights. The summer also saw new services such as a twice-weekly Teachers’ takes control Scandinavian Airlines link to Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (Teachers’) ownership interests in High Speed 1, Stockholm and a new Tunisia became the sole owner of Bristol Airport in Birmingham Airport and Scotia Gas Networks. flight from specialist tour operator, September following the purchase of the 50 Teachers’ also has a shareholding in Brussels Just Sunshine. per cent stake previously held by Macquarie Airport and Copenhagen Airport. The positive trend is forecast European Infrastructure Fund (MEIF). As a shareholder in Bristol Airport for over to continue into 2015 as an Teachers’ is the largest single profession a decade, Teachers’ is committed to Bristol enhanced route network and new pension plan in Canada, and is a long-term Airport’s business strategy, and the transfer and improved facilities persuade investor in infrastructure assets around the of ownership does not impact day-to-day more passengers in the South world. UK investments include significant operations or ongoing development. West and South Wales to fly from Bristol. 1 Sustainability New facilities for nocturnal commuters New team Bristol Airport has welcomed a wide variety of winged wonders over the member focused years, from the Red Arrows to the distinctive Airbus ‘Beluga’, but even the most enthusiastic plane spotter may not have spied some of the more on environmental unusual nocturnal fliers which frequent the surrounding area. That’s performance because the night-time movements in question are being made by several species of bat which use the hedgerows and woodland areas to Melanie King has joined the north and south of the Airport as commuting and foraging routes. Bristol Airport as Environment Manager. The appointment Species spotted include Leisler’s, Greater comes ahead of the Horseshoe and Lesser Horseshoe. And to imminent retirement of two make them feel at home, ‘bat hotels’ have been created, providing the ideal conditions long-standing members for them to hang around! In addition, the of the management team remains of structures dating back to World with responsibility for War Two – including an old air raid shelter environmental issues, and POW latrine block – have been adapted to provide the perfect roost, with doors and including noise management windows covered over to reduce light and (see page seven). keep them warm and dry. Qualified to MSc level in Environmental Bat activity will continue to be monitored in Quality Management, Melanie brings years to come, with the aim of maintaining direct knowledge of the aviation sector the population by making the Airport’s as a result of two years spent working darker areas even more inviting to these in a similar role at Birmingham Airport. flying visitors. She also has five years’ experience in environmental protection with local Clockwise from the top: the adapted air raid shelter; a greater horseshoe bat; a bat hotel. authorities in the West Midlands. Melanie’s focus will be on minimizing the Airport’s impacts and improving Report showcases Sustainable Airports environmental performance across a range of specialist areas, including Earlier this year the Airport Operators Association – of air quality, biodiversity and noise. which Bristol Airport is a member – published a report Communicating her work with local showing how airports are growing while reducing carbon stakeholders will also be central to emissions and managing noise. her role, so look out for Melanie in forums such as the Airport Consultative Sustainable Airports: Improving the environmental Committee and in the pages of future impact of the UK’s global gateways responds to calls for issues of Your Airport. the sector to demonstrate that growth can be delivered sustainably. It includes data on carbon emissions which shows a 3 per cent reduction in the carbon footprint of the UK’s 18 largest airports in the last two years – despite passenger numbers increasing by more than 5 per cent and air traffic by almost 2 per cent during the same period. At a launch event at the House of Commons the report was welcomed by politicians from across the political spectrum. The Aviation Minister, Robert Goodwill MP, said UK airports could be proud of the efforts they had made to improve their sustainability, while Labour Shadow Minister, Gordon Marsden MP, said the report would assist with evidence-driven policy making. Stephen Gilbert MP, the Liberal Democrat Chair of the Regional Aviation All Party Parliamentary Group, said the report was a useful reminder that the ‘enemy’ was not airports or airlines, but carbon and noise. 2 Passenger experience Random acts strike the right note For several years National Customer Service Week has served as a platform for initiatives to further enhance the passenger experience at Bristol Airport, but this October the team took a particularly creative approach. Airport staff were empowered to deliver ‘random acts of kindness’ to customers, ranging from free car washes in the Silver Zone car park to goody bags for children. The ‘random acts’ were well received by passengers, who were delighted to receive an extra special start to their holiday or business trip! Pictured, from left to right, are Georgina Williams and In addition, prizes were awarded to business partners across the Airport site for their own Alison Rix from security provider, ICTS, receiving gift Customer Service Week initiatives. vouchers for outstanding customer service. Swissport team Ellis seals the deal scoops airline award Have you ever forgotten to wind up your window before leaving your vehicle in the Airport car park? The result – while you are working on your tan for two weeks somewhere exotic, your car’s interior is exposed to the elements and at the mercy of the unpredictable South West weather! With up to 14,000 vehicles on site at any time, Bristol Airport’s Ground Transport (GT) Rachel Seward of easyJet (left) presents Mark Dallimore, Gareth Smart, Ali Govier and Kirsty team are very familiar with the problem. Until recently, they would tape up any open Duddridge of Swissport with the award. windows spotted, but this was time-consuming for staff and, although effective, it did not give a very professional impression to the customer. The Swissport team at Bristol Airport walked off with the top prize for customer That is why Ellis Mead, a Car Park Kiosk Attendant at the Airport, decided to research the satisfaction at easyJet’s annual customer alternatives and, in the process, came across Packexe® Glass and Glazing Film, a product service awards earlier this year. Swissport originally designed to protect the windows of houses during renovation. It seals gaps provides ground handling services for the more effectively than tape, without leaving any residue or damage after removal. airline at Bristol, and the award was based on feedback received from customers on After a brief trial, the Packexe® product, which is manufactured in Exeter, has been their experience of check-in, boarding and adopted by the GT team and is now used to ensure customers come back to a dry baggage arrival times. interior if they do leave their windows open. WorldHost helps provide warm welcome Major transport schemes on the move After becoming the first airport in Britain Planning permissions are now in place for the MetroBus network following approval of the to gain WorldHost Recognised Business North Fringe to Hengrove Package by Bristol City and South Gloucestershire councils at the status, Bristol Airport has reconfirmed its end of August and beginning of September. commitment to providing a world-class The MetroBus network will link key areas of the West of England through a modern public welcome to passengers. Airport staff across transport network that is faster, more reliable, and more comfortable than existing bus areas such as security, passenger assistance services.