OPINION Airport World
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Lean and green T
Sustainable growth holds the key to the long-term future of the aviation industry, writes Airport World editor, Joe Bates.
he gone but not forgotten names of Trans World Airlines (TWA), Pan American World Airways (Pan Am), Eastern Air Lines, Swissair, Sabena and
many others over the years just goes to show how brutal and unforgiving the aviation industry can be for airlines. In fact, so many have come and gone
that nowadays when I hear that an airline is in fi nancial diffi culty, or even on the verge of bankruptcy, I am not really surprised. It is a boom and bust industry after all. Airlines disappear whereas airports are here to stay, aren’t they? Well, that certainly used to be the case,
but the bankruptcy of two European airports has changed the picture. Spain’s only privately-owned international
airport, Ciudad Real Central – formerly Don Quijote – has fi led for bankruptcy with debts of nearly €300 million just two years after opening. The airport’s future now depends on it being saved by new investors. While Coventry Airport in the UK has
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effectively been reduced to a general aviation gateway, after closing on December 8 last year amid rumours of mounting debts. Now under new ownership, the airport’s fate
as a commercial airport was effectively ended in October 2008 when the High Court refused to overrule a UK government decision to deny it planning permission for a new 2mppa terminal. The government cited the impact of noise on the local community, the potential competition to nearby Birmingham International Airport and ‘sustainability’ issues as key reasons for the decision. Low-cost carrier Thomsonfl y quit Coventry Airport days after the decision. It could be argued that neither gateway
had the fi nancial backing, business model or support of the airlines to make them sustainable, although it still might not be too late to turn their fortunes around. Airports simply have to be run and
operated in a sustainable manner or they will suffer the consequences like any other business. This could mean losing the confi dence of airlines or being forced to put
desperately needed expansion plans on hold or scrap them altogether. As ACI director general, Angela Gittens,
tells us inside this ‘sustainability’ themed issue, just about every aspect of the airport business needs the stamp of sustainability. It is all encompassing and covers
everything from sound fi nancial management, good environmental stewardship and being a good neighbour to local communities to setting fees and tariffs at the right level to entice new customers. And you cannot talk about sustainability
without mentioning the ‘human factor’, as the people employed at a gateway have a massive part to play in its success or failure. For while CEOs and senior management
may set an airport’s agenda, the quality of the service provided by frontline staff and others behind the scenes could, ultimately, determine whether customers (passengers and airlines) continue to use the gateway or take their business elsewhere. Everything and everybody counts when it
comes to sustainability and the goal of ensuring the long-term future of airports. Airports must be lean and green and failure is not an option.
AIRPORT WORLD/AUGUST-SEPTEMBER 2010
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