p28 Air May 8 5/5/09 17:17 Page 28
Air
Chris Gray
020 7921 8003
cgray@ttglive.com
For the latest news about flights, airlines and airports, visit ttglive.com/air
Durham loses
Interview Tony Hallwood, Leeds/Bradford
£12m claim
DURHAM Tees Valley airport is appealing against
a High Court decision that could add to the
insecurity facing regional airports.
It will lodge an appeal against a decision to
throw out a £12 million claim against BMI for
scrapping its subsidiary Bmibaby’s base at the
airport in 2006.
The airport claimed BMI should pay damages
because it was in breach of contract when
Bmibaby withdrew from Durham Tees Valley, as
the contract stated it should operate two aircraft
until 2014.
A judge dismissed the claim last week and
ruled the airport should pay most of the costs,
Leeds/Bradford
but gave it leave to appeal.
Airports fear the ruling could make it easier
for airlines to quickly ditch unprofitable routes,
even if contracts commit them to fly for a set
eyes Atlantic link
period of time.
They say this could make it harder for airports
Airport’s expansion application may have been blocked but
to survive during an economic downturn.
that will not stall its plans to gain services to Canada and the
Hugh Lang is group director for Peel Airports,
US, commercial boss Tony Hallwood tells Chris Gray
which owns Durham Tees Valley. He said: “We
believe that this decision can be overturned LEEDS/BRADFORD airport will have a direct The Leeds/Bradford boss added that he
through the Court of Appeal.” scheduled transatlantic service by the end of believed the region had great potential for a
BMI’s deputy chief executive and legal next year, its commercial director has claimed. regular transatlantic service.
director, Tim Bye, said the airline hoped the Tony Hallwood said the airport was talking to “We have a large catchment area and our
ruling would be the end of the matter. one North American carrier and one UK carrier aim is to stop the leakage of traffic across the
So far this year Durham Tees Valley has lost a about operating a regular Toronto service Pennines to Manchester,” he said.
BMI link to Heathrow, a Ryanair link to Dublin starting next year. “We have 2.8 million passengers now and we
and Flyglobespan flights to Spain and Tenerife. He said the airport was also in talks with US are confident it will be five million by 2012.”
carriers about operating a New York service. This summer the airport is gaining new
Hallwood was talking after Leeds/Bradford’s services or increased frequencies to Dalaman,
Luton gains link to
application to expand its terminal with a bigger Rhodes, Newquay and Islamabad.
security area, more general floor space and a Longer-term short-haul expansion would
northern Romania
new departure lounge was unexpectedly concentrate on new services to Germany, Italy,
turned down by the local council because of Spain, France and Scandinavia, and the airport
fears it would create more traffic congestion. was talking to “a number” of no-frills carriers
ROMANIAN no-frills airline Blue Air is to start a The airport was putting a package together about Frankfurt, Hamburg and Copenhagen
service between Luton airport and Bacau next to improve its bus service links, said Hallwood, services, said Hallwood.
month. who believed the application would be Next month will also see the start of a thrice-
The service to Bacau, which is in northern approved when it was resubmitted next month. daily Gatwick service operated by Flybe, which
Romania at the foothills of the Carpathian The expanded terminal will be key in the will replace a link to London dropped by BMI.
mountains, is the second UK route for Blue Air, airport’s plans to expand its short-haul routes Hallwood said 125,000 people a year used
which already flies between Stansted and the and secure a scheduled transatlantic service. the BMI link to London, and claimed service on
capital Bucharest. Jet2.com ran some one-off Christmas the rail link between Leeds and the capital was
The Bacau flight will will operate twice a week, shopping flights to New York last year but so poor that business travellers preferred to
departing Luton at 23.30 on Mondays and 00.55 Hallwood said the airport could support a fly, especially those who were not going for
on Fridays. scheduled operation. meetings in central London.
28 08.05.2009
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76