AIRPORT EXPANSION FLIGHT BOOKINGS
Heathrow: ‘No discussions yet’ with government on environmental issues
HEATHROW HAS NOT YET STARTED ANY DISCUSSIONS with the government in relation to environmental issues raised by Sir Howard Davies’s Airports Commission, the airport’s CEO has said.
Despite transport
secretary Patrick McLoughlin stating that he “very much hopes” a decision on expansion will be made by late July, John Holland-Kaye said “conversations have yet to take place” on issues such as noise, emissions and night flights. In December, the
government further delayed a decision on whether to build a third
AIRPORTS
Bristol airport: end devolution of APD to Wales
BRISTOL AIRPORT IS CALLING ON CHANCELLOR GEORGE OSBORNE to stop the devolution of Air Passenger Duty (APD) to the Welsh government. Speaking to Buying Business Travel,
Bristol Airport CEO Robert Sinclair said if Wales is allowed to reduce or scrap the controversial tax, then it will be at a “significant commercial disadvantage” to its rival Cardiff airport. “We are less than 60 miles away, we can see the airport from our tower,” said Sinclair. “Our catchment area overlaps, we serve the same market, same passengers and, in some cases, same airlines. Around 20 per cent of our traffic comes from Wales so there’s a very large market at stake.” Sinclair said the decision could not only influence passenger behaviour but also airline operations.
16 BBT MARCH/APRIL 2016 “Airlines such as Ryanair could
increase profits simply by relocating aircraft from Bristol to a new base in Cardiff,” he said. The Welsh devolution bill is currently being debated by MPs from all parties in England and Wales. Bristol airport claims if devolution happens it will suffer a 25 per cent drop in passengers by 2020, which will “seriously damage” a regional business that generates around £400 million in gross value added and supports 11,000 jobs. See Westminster Watch, p41
John Holland-Kaye
runway at Heathrow, causing anger among businesses and politicians.
Speaking in central London, where he gave his first speech since the Airports Commission recommended Heathrow over Gatwick for
expansion, Holland-Kaye said there were “no
environmental” reasons for the delay. He also didn’t rule out a ban on night flights despite it being one of the proposals in the commission’s report. “We want to discuss this with the government but haven’t started those conversations yet,” said Holland-Kaye.
US dominates UK long-haul travel
THE US CONTINUES TO BE THE MOST IMPORTANT BUSINESS TRAVEL MARKET for the UK, according to the GTMC. Data from GTMC members showed UK-US flight bookings outnumbered travel to the world’s fastest-growing economies by more than four times during 2015. The research also found that the number of business travel bookings to the world’s 13 fastest- growing countries was equivalent to only 1.5 per cent of those to the seven largest economies (US, China, Japan, Germany, France, India and Italy). Paul Wait, CEO of the GTMC,
said: “It isn’t surprising the flights taken by business travellers from the UK are focused on stable and established economies; but it is concerning that travel to emerging destinations is so comparatively low.” Business travel to emerging markets is dominated by destinations in Asia, despite World Bank figures showing that the majority (69 per cent) of the fastest-growing economies are in the Middle East and Africa.
AIR FARES
SAS LAUNCHES HAND LUGGAGE- ONLY FARE
Robert Sinclair
SCANDINAVIAN AIRLINE SAS HAS ANNOUNCED that passengers on routes throughout Europe travelling with only carry-on luggage will be offered cheaper fares. The airline has launched SAS Go Light, with fares around £10 cheaper than SAS Go. The new service includes the option to cancel with a full refund within 24 hours of departure and seat selection. SAS Go, which is included in the airlines’ loyalty programme, will not be available domestically within Scandinavia or outside Europe, but is offered on all SAS routes to and from the UK. “We’ve listened to our customers, who want a more scaled-down option and tickets in a lower price range for those travelling without check-in bags,” said Stephanie Smitt Lindberg, SAS vice- president, customer journey and loyalty.
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