THE AIRPORT OPERATOR THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE AIRPORT OPERATORS ASSOCIATION THE AOA ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2019 FULL PROGRAMME INSIDE Features FUTURE AIRPORTS CARLISLE LAKE Technology to create smarter DISTRICT AIRPORT airports reopens after a 26-year gap NEW AOA CHAIR BIRMINGHAM AIRPORT Baroness McGregor-Smith commits to net zero carbon WINTER 2019 sets out her priorities target by 2033 2 THE AOA IS PLEASED TO WORK WITH ITS CORPORATE PARTNERS, AND GOLD AND SILVER MEMBERS Corporate Partners Gold Members Silver Members WWW.AOA.ORG.UK 3 KAREN DEE Introduction to the Airport Operator THE AIRPORT gives me to visit airports around the I am very country to see their operations at OPERATOR first-hand. A good recent example THE OFFICIAL MAGAZINE OF THE AIRPORT OPERATORS ASSOCIATION pleased was a flying visit to Jersey Airport, which helped me to really appreciate AIRPORT OPERATORS ASSOCIATION to extend the essential role that airport provides a warm in linking the island to the outside The Baroness Ruby world. You can find out more about McGregor-Smith CBE welcome to the airport in this edition, where Chair we interview Airport Director, Inez Karen Dee this edition Bartolo. Chief Executive of The Airport Operator, Another airport that plays a central Henk van Klaveren role in the economy of its region is Head of Public Affairs & PR published to coincide with Newcastle International Airport and Jeff Bevan our 2019 AOA Conference. we have an update on developments Policy & Public Affairs Officer This year’s conference theme, there, including a ground-breaking Patricia Page “Airports for a Changing World”, initiative to take the lead in promoting Executive Assistant reflects the reality that UK airports inbound tourism to North East & Office Manager have rarely faced a more challenging England. Across the Pennines, we report on the successful reopening operating environment and that Richard Atkin for commercial flights, after a 26-year Finance Executive their continuing success will depend on recognising and adapting to the gap, of Carlisle Lake District Airport. Robert Adderley changes that lie ahead. Events & Member Relations Officer Airports around the UK come in all Of course, economic and political shapes and sizes and the AOA has Tania Roca uncertainties have always presented long appreciated the crucial part that Operations, Safety General Aviation plays in the wider & Commercial Director airports with opportunities and threats, but today a combination of ecology of the aviation sector. We trade tensions and Brexit have made therefore welcome the statement AIRPORT OPERATORS ASSOCIATION them more important than ever. from the Aviation Minister, Paul 3 Birdcage Walk Another vital challenge to which we Maynard, that the Government is London SW1H 9JJ must respond with imagination and “committed to championing aviation, United Kingdom verve is the much greater focus on including General Aviation”. A feature on General Aviation in this issue T: +44 (0)20 7799 3171 aviation-related carbon emissions and helps to remind us that commercial, E: [email protected] on what is expected from our sector, business and general aviation are W: www.aoa.org.uk as the UK becomes the first major economy to legislate for a target of all essential to a vibrant UK aviation net zero carbon emissions by 2050. system. Michael Burrell One of the distinctive features of As airports face change, the AOA is Editor the Airport Operators Association is changing too. We have said goodbye that it brings together the country’s to our Chairman, Ed Anderson, who, leading airports with some of its most over more than a decade in the role, innovative suppliers. I believe that this played a central part in establishing THE AIRPORT OPERATOR can help our airport members as they the AOA as a trusted and respected MAGAZINE IS PRODUCED BY plan for the future and look for new trade association in both Westminster solutions to tomorrow’s challenges. and Whitehall. This issue of our magazine exemplifies Ed’s successor in the Chair, Baroness that, with contributions from our McGregor-Smith, has already begun Shimon Speigel newest corporate partner, Willis working with the Board to map out a Creative Director Towers Watson, the global risk new strategy for the AOA designed to Natalia Lacerda management company who created further enhance its role as the voice Graphic Designer the Airport Risk Community, and of UK airports. Expect to hear more from our conference sponsor, CHS about that next year. Meanwhile, GENIUM Engineering Services, whose Chief enjoy the conference and I look Studio 27 Executive Officer writes about the Quadrant Business Centre forward to seeing many of you during implications for the future of core 135 Salusbury Road the next two days. airport functions of the growing London NW6 6RJ list of challenges facing airports Karen Dee, Chief Executive everywhere. T: +44 (0)20 7089 2622 E: [email protected] A privilege of my role as AOA Chief W: www.geniumcreative.com Executive is the opportunity that it 4 NEW AOA CHAIR SETS OUT HER PRIORITIES Baroness McGregor-Smith CBE, who took over as AOA Chair on 1 September, has set out her priorities for the organisation, including the Department for Transport’s Aviation Strategy, sustainable aviation, Air Passenger Duty and diversity in the aviation sector. he life peer, who succeeds Ed Anderson as Chair, said she was T“really excited” to be taking over the role and had quickly discovered that the AOA was “a well-respected trade body” with a vital role to play in ensuring that the voice of the industry is heard at a time of rapid political change. McGregor-Smith said she would seek to ensure that the AOA Board adopts a strategic approach to dealing with the most important issues facing airports and that a top priority would be to help to shape an aviation strategy that works for the whole of Baroness Ruby McGregor-Smith the sector. She singled out targets for CBE, AOA Chair a zero-carbon economy and aviation passenger taxes as key issues for the AOA. Born in India, Ruby Ahmad moved at the issues faced by businesses in to the UK at the age of two with her developing black and minority ethnic She said it was “fantastic” to be mother to join her father who was talent. Her 2017 report, ‘Race in the working with a female Chief Executive training as an accountant in London. Workplace: The McGregor-Smith at the AOA and noted that she and She married Graham McGregor- Review” led to a step change in action Karen Dee both share a commitment Smith and has two children. As by the Department for Business in this to encouraging the recruitment, Chief Executive of the UK facilities area. training and promotion of talented management company, MITIE Group women to the aviation sector and to a plc, from 2007 to 2016, she was at In July this year the then Prime diverse workforce more generally. the time the only Asian female chief Minister, Theresa May, announced executive of a FTSE 250 company. the creation of the Office for Tackling McGregor-Smith will be the opening Injustices, a UK Government body that speaker at the AOA’s Annual She was appointed a life peer in works independently to encourage Conference, “Airports for a Changing 2015 and the following year the future governments to focus on World” at County Hall, London, on 28 then Business Secretary, Sajid Javid, addressing inequalities in society, with November. asked her to lead a review looking McGregor-Smith as its Chair. WWW.AOA.ORG.UK 5 NEW CORNWALL SPACEPORT COULD BE READY AS EARLY AS NEXT YEAR Cornwall Airport Newquay could be ready for satellite launches by the end of next year, according to the airport’s Managing Director, Al Titterington. itterington said that, provided Titterington said that, if everything this year will exceed its 2018 total the spaceport project was goes to plan, groundworks will of 461,000, thanks both to the Tapproved by Cornwall Council begin in Q1 2020 and, while the UK new SAS route to Copenhagen this month, as he hoped, the airport Government has pencilled in a 2021 and the highly popular Flybe would go ahead with the preparation start date, he believed that there was route to Heathrow, due to be of the licence application to the a good chance that the necessary rebranded as Virgin Connect next Civil Aviation Authority and with approvals and building work could be year. However, he cautioned that consideration of the designers and completed by the end of 2020. airlines are currently deferring contractors who would be required decisions about possible new routes, for work to widen and strengthen the Meanwhile, Cornwall Airport Newquay partly because of Brexit-related airport’s taxiway and apron. The work is celebrating the launch by Loganair economic uncertainty and partly is needed to accommodate a modified of four routes from the airport to because in some cases their fleets Boeing 747 which will carry a rocket Aberdeen, Newcastle, Norwich and are constrained by the continued under its wing. The project will also Glasgow. For the first time it will grounding of Boeing 737-max involve replacement of the airport’s give the airport year-round routes planes. existing aerodrome ground lighting to Aberdeen and Newcastle, while with state-of-the-art LED lighting. Glasgow and Norwich will be summer- seasonal routes. The Norwich service For the first time Virgin Orbit’s 747 will drop its rocket will see East Anglia reconnected to high over the Atlantic and the rocket Cornwall for the first time since 2013, it will give the will then fly into space, where its offering a much-faster journey than satellite payload will be deployed into existing rail and road links.