WORLDAIRPORTS F E A T U R E NEWSBRIEFS


STARTING 31 March, Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok will be the recip- ient of a fifth daily Emirates flight from the carrier’s Dubai Internation- al Airport hub, elevating the weekly freight capacity between Thailand and Dubai by 105 tonnes.


AMSTERDAM Airport Schiphol han- dled 1.5 million tonnes of cargo in 2012, a three-percent, year-on-year, decline. Even so, the number of air transport movements at Schiphol airport grew slightly last year, in- creasing 0.8 percent, year-on-year, to 423,407 movements. Jos Nijhuis, Schiphol Group’s president and CEO, said these numbers are reassuring, considering the global economic situation.


Atlanta eyes cargo growth H


artsfield-Jackson Atlanta Interna- tional Airport is moving ahead with plans for a fourth cargo building, according to Steve Luben, the air- port’s director of new business development. He cites the support of Atlanta mayor Kasim Reed as the impetus behind the new 30,480 square-metre (100,000-square- foot) facility.


“The support of mayor Reed for our air cargo programmes has been immeasurable,” Luben commented. “Mayor Reed has stated from the beginning of his term that a major goal of his administration is to grow air cargo in Atlanta and the region, as it creates jobs and develops new domestic and international trade opportunities.” Reed expressed his industry support to a worldwide audience in October, when Atlanta played host to TIACA’s Air Cargo Forum. Atlan- ta’s host duties also “demonstrated on a global scale that we’re more than just the world’s num- ber-one passenger hub,” Luben said. Currently, Hartsfield-Jackson ranks 33rd in terms of freight traffic, but Luben believes this status could soon change. “We are very serious about air cargo and we want to grow the business,” he said. Luben concedes that Hartsfield-Jackson’s 2012 volumes weren’t record-breaking — a testament to the sluggish global economy, he said — but he points to several notable achieve- ments. In February, for instance, Air France-KLM Cargo recommenced services to Atlanta and Southwest Airlines began moving freight to the


city. Air Cargo Germany also launched flights to Atlanta in 2012, with a twice-weekly 747F ser- vice commencing in October. Luben said such events fulfilled Hartsfield-Jackson’s goal for 2012: to maintain the airport’s incumbent air- lines and entice cargo carriers to Atlanta. Fortunately, he said, the Southeastern US’s booming automotive sector is propelling demand for services out of Atlanta. Luben revealed that since the early 2000s, several auto plants have been built within a four-hour radius of Atlanta, and airfreight is often the preferred mode to haul parts from the area. From a geographic standpoint, Luben said, Hartsfield-Jackson has a leg up on other US gateways. “With 40 percent of US manufactur- ing an overnight truck drive to and from Atlanta, and with Chicago, New York, Dallas, Houston and Miami an overnight truck drive or a day away, carriers are recognising that shipping into and out of the Atlanta market can save them money and precious time,” Luben commented.


REED


A major goal for the mayor is to grow air cargo in Atlanta


Faulty pipes delay Berlin opening


OPENING of Berlin’s al- ready-delayed new Willy Brandt airport has been postponed yet again be- cause of technical problems with the fire safety system. The latest delay, the fourth since the project was an- nounced, pushes back opening from 27 October 2013 to December or later. The new airport was meant to replace existing hubs at Tegel and Schoen-


feld, which are outdated and operating close to capacity.


The latest delay was due to faulty in- sulation in 60km (37.2 miles) of cooling pipes, some of which have already been built into walls, so will now have to be broken up and rebuilt, according to press reports. The project’s total cost has now


surged beyond the €4 billion (US$5.2 bil- lion) mark, more than double the original estimate.


Chairman of the supervisory board, Klaus Wowereit, who is also the city mayor, has resigned from his airport post. Brandenburg governor Matthias Platzeck has taken over as chairman.


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ACW 21 JANUARY 2013


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