Chief Executive’s Introduction Hi there, and from all at AOA Towers welcome to autumn 2015. I’m told that as only the first paragraph of this column is visible in the new email Monthly Update format – and that you need to click in to a link to see the rest – then I need to make an impact to get you lot reading the rest. So here it is: Chelsea 1, Crystal Palace 2! There, that got you didn’t it. I realise I may have lost the Chelsea-supporting readership by now, so apologies to Chelsea fans everywhere – but the last time I, as a Palace season ticket holder of 35 years, would have been able to laud a victory at the Bridge was 1982, so forgive me the self-indulgence. It’s been a real mix of a summer this year, with all kinds of weather. I found myself in Cardiff in mid- August amongst both the sun and rain; and a special thank you goes out to Cardiff Airport MD Debra Barber for a tour of the facilities there – I’m now thinking of becoming an airport fireman, having learnt the job at CWL, and I think Debra’s quite keen on this career avenue too one day! Working here at AOA Towers, we’re quite adept at putting out fires so I think I would certainly have the necessary skills and experience. Talking of visits, airlines trade association BATA have brought out an interesting study, which shows that more people than ever before are visiting friends and relatives (VFR) by air. VFR traffic has apparently increased 23% since 2010, to 19.03m. This is great news for airports, though maybe not such great news if it’s the in-laws popping by unannounced. Airports surveyed include Aberdeen, Birmingham, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Gatwick, Glasgow, Heathrow, Inverness, London City, London Luton, Manchester, Newcastle and Stansted. More on this in the Update. Talking of families, congratulations go this month to Southampton Airport, the only airport to be nominated in the Family Traveller Magazine for the ‘Awesome for Families’ Award. Good luck! Another survey worth pointing out is one released recently by the CAA about airport security. Not for the first time a poll shows that – contrary to complaints about security processes at airports (usually made by MEPs in Brussels) – last year a staggering 93% of passengers were either very or fairly satisfied with security screening (the poll comprised a representative sample of airports, including Gatwick, Heathrow, London Luton, Manchester and Stansted). There is more on this elsewhere in the Update and in the report “Air Passenger Experience of Security Screening: 2014”, which can be seen on the DfT website at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/air-passenger-experience-of- security-screening-2014. The point, though, is next time someone says to you that people hate airport security, you might want to refer them to surveys like these. Some more positive news comes on the issue of the Regional Air Connectivity Fund (RACF), where the DfT has announced that 15 air routes have successfully made the funding shortlist. The fund is open to all airports with fewer than 5 million passengers per annum for a total of three years but can help increase routes to larger airports too, potentially providing benefit to many AOA airport members. Destinations whose connectivity could increase due to the RACF include: George Best Belfast City, Carlisle , City of Derry, Doncaster Sheffield, Dublin, Dundee, Durham Tees Valley, Edinburgh, Exeter, London Oxford, London Southend, Leeds Bradford, Newcastle, Newquay Cornwall, Norwich, and Southampton. The proviso on this is that funding for individual routes should not distort competition. Tim Alderslade, the AOA’s Public Affairs and PR Director, has been working diligently on behalf of members on this issue – see elsewhere in the Update for more. ============================================== AOA CONFERENCE, AWARDS & EXHIBITION – 23-24 November On other matters, you may have seen that since I last mentioned the AOA Conference to you, we have added His Excellency, Mr Akbar Al Baker, Group Chief Executive of Qatar Airways, to the list of fantastic speakers – for the first tranche announced, click here. Mr Al Baker really is a charismatic speaker with outspoken views on all things aviation – we look forward to hearing what he has to say at the conference. Partnered for the first time with BAR UK, BATA and the Royal Aeronautical Society, the conference is shaping up to be the biggest and best AOA Conference ever. The deadline for the reduced members’ rate is approaching at the end of this month, on 29 September. I urge you to book your places soon by clicking here. Also, we will be promoting the AOA Annual Awards shortly. The airport awards are judged by airlines, and all airport members will be eligible. For Corporate, Gold, Silver and Associate members, do enter these awards – it really important that all the great work you are doing gets showcased and that you secure recognition. Finally, I’m told that on the Exhibition we’re down to the last few stands. If you would like to reserve one, please let Events Director Roger Koukkoullis or Events & Member Relations Executive Sally Grimes know at [email protected], [email protected], and 020 7799 3171. ============================================== Finally, to end on a more poignant note, the AOA does not normally comment on accidents at member airports. Accidents do happen and usually involve people who are actively and voluntarily involved with aviation, whether crews, airport personnel or passengers. However, the fact that members of the public lost their lives at the Shoreham Airshow gives particular pause for reflection; and we sympathise deeply with the families and friends of those who lost loved ones. Our thoughts also go to colleagues at Brighton City Airport, dealing with this tragedy in such trying circumstances. We await the future CAA and Air Accidents & Investigations Branch report in to air shows such as these, reports in which I will take a keen personal interest as someone who attends such air displays every year. The AOA and its members will support measures which improve safety. Kind regards Darren Chief Executive Regional Air Connectivity Fund The AOA welcomed the announcement made by the Department for Transport that 15 air routes have successfully made the funding shortlist under the Regional Air Connectivity Fund. The Fund, which is open to all airports with fewer than 5 million passengers per annum, will provide economic support for approved routes for a total of three years, following which they will need to demonstrate that they can be commercially viable. Full details about the announcement can be viewed here and here. The AOA released a statement on the day which was shared with media and political contacts and which said the following: “The AOA has long supported the Regional Air Connectivity Fund and we’re pleased that this announcement has been made. We believe the policy has the potential to help many of our smaller members, boosting passenger numbers and enhancing connectivity to and between the regions of this country. The Government needs to be careful that in awarding funding for individual routes it is not doing anything to distort competition, but provided that this is not an issue we would urge Ministers to proceed quickly and ensure that the money is allocated as soon as possible.” Visas The AOA continues to campaign on the issue of visas, making the case that with respect to cost and process the UK visa system needs to experience further reform. The issue was included in the list of policy ‘asks’ that we included in the recent Tourism and Aviation report, as well as the submission that we made to the Government as part of the Comprehensive Spending review process. In addition, we are currently putting together a paper, alongside Virgin Atlantic and Tourism Alliance, setting out three reforms that the Government could consider that would improve matters. These relate to transit visas, the cost of long-term 5 and 10-year visit visas and reducing the economic risk to the applicant of long term visas. The paper will form the basis of a public affairs campaign that we will kick-off in September, with the hope of securing change either in the Autumn Statement in December or beforehand i.e. to tie in with individual events such as the forthcoming state visit to the UK by the Indian Prime Minister or visits made by senior Ministers to China. As set out above, the AOA put in a submission to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury with regards to the ongoing Comprehensive Spending Review process. The paper focussed on three areas that we believe should be prioritised from a funding point of view: Tourism Grant-in Aid, the resourcing of Border Force, and visa costs. The full letter is attached to this Update email. Air Passenger Duty A cut in Air Passenger Duty in one part of the country should be matched, immediately, by a cut everywhere, according to the Airport Operators Association (AOA), the trade body that represents over 50 UK airports. In November the Smith Commission published proposals – which were subsequently supported by the main UK political parties – to devolve responsibility for APD to the Scottish Government. Ahead of the UK Government setting out draft legislation on these plans by 25 January, airports have called upon the Treasury to ensure that no parts of the country are disadvantaged by any potential reduction in the tax in Scotland. Darren Caplan, Chief Executive of the AOA, said: “UK levels of Air Passenger Duty continue to be the highest in the world, and represent a growing barrier to trade, investment and tourism.