Sector Focus
Business Travel Sector Focus The latest news from the sectors that matter to business
Airport aims for carbon neutrality
Birmingham Airport is aiming to become a net zero carbon airport by 2033. The Midlands airport has
already cut its carbon emissions by 33 per cent since 2013, and emissions per passenger by over 50 per cent, despite growing passenger numbers by 40 per cent. The airport believes its
biggest opportunity to reduce its carbon footprint is via on- site renewable energy generation – but adds that it doesn’t have all the answers yet.
Nick Barton, Birmingham
Airport’s CEO, said: “Technology is changing at some pace and the movement to a net-zero economy itself is driving innovation across the energy and transportation industry, and we are going to take advantage of this. “Over the next six to 12
months we will be working to revise our existing carbon management plan and develop a roadmap. This will allow us to set and prioritise genuine carbon reduction objectives rather than carbon off-setting schemes, as we see this as the least favourable option. “We don’t have all the
answers about how we will hit this target, but we are confident that through innovation and collaboratively working with industry, Government, manufacturers, on-site partners and employees, we can reach our target by 2033.” The airport acknowledges
what it calls ‘wider concerns about emissions from flights, which airports are an enabler of’.
It said that the aviation
industry had already recognised the challenges facing it, and the UK aerospace and aviation industries had invested £22bn in green technology since 2005. The airport said that this
had helped to reduce the carbon emissions from UK aviation, even as demand had soared, by 28 per cent.
Airline is jetting off to Budapest and Innsbruck
Leading leisure airline
Jet2.com has announced new flights from Birmingham to Budapest and Innsbruck. The flights to Innsbruck are a
new summer offering, but the twice-weekly service to Budapest started last month. Balázs Bogáts, head of airline
development, Budapest Airport, said: “The launch of
Jet2.com’s new link has been perfectly timed for passengers to enjoy excellent connections between cities renowned for their world-famous Christmas markets.
‘We are expecting this programme to be hugely popular with holidaymakers’
“Nearly 50,000 people flew
between Budapest and Birmingham last year, so we’re delighted our airline partner has made this commitment to provide additional services to one of our largest country markets.” The Innsbruck flights will start on
3 June next year, and will run through to September.
Jet2.com is this month launching its first ever programme of ski services to the Austrian city. Innsbruck is the fifth largest city in Austria and surrounded by
New service: Budapest Airport’s airline development manager, Sándor Saly (top left) welcomes the crew of
Jet2.com’s new link to Birmingham
mountains and lakes, making it attractive to the increasing number of holidaymakers who are enticed by the scenery, as well as the skiing. Steve Heapy, CEO of
Jet2.com
and Jet2holidays, said: “Innsbruck is the perfect fit for the growing number of people who are looking for adventure, scenery, and wellness on their holidays. With perfectly timed flights and our award-winning service, we are expecting this programme to be hugely popular with holidaymakers from Birmingham Airport.”
Tom Screen, aviation director at
Birmingham Airport, said: “It’s great that
Jet2.com will be offering flights to Innsbruck throughout the summer months as well as winter, recognising the many wonderful things that customers can experience in this city in the Alps all year round. Once again, we applaud
Jet2.com for growing the choice available for Midlands travellers.” Budapest is Hungary’s capital,
and is made of up the hilly Buda district on one side of the River Danube and the flat Pest area on the other.
Views sought on transport scheme
Residents and businesses who use Dudley town centre are being urged by Transport for West Midlands (TfWM) to take part in a travel survey ahead of a £210m investment in boosting local transport. The survey aims to raise awareness of the
improvements being made to Dudley, which include plans for a Metro extension from Brierley Hill to Dudley, and a new transport interchange. It will also find out how people travel in the area. TfWM, part of the West Midlands Combined
Authority (WMCA), will use the information to help people plan ahead and make changes to their journeys while the work takes place. Other projects due to be completed in the next four
years as part of Dudley’s regeneration programme include the construction of the Very Light Rail Innovation Centre, the Institute of Technology and an expansion at the Black Country Living Museum.
70 CHAMBERLINK December 2019/January 2020 Very Light Rail is a project which will be established
at the disused Dudley rail station, and will develop alternatives to today’s traditional or heavy rail vehicles. Survey responses will be used to identify the most
popular times and ways people travel around Dudley to develop journey planning solutions. Alan Lunt, deputy chief executive at Dudley Council,
said: “The next few years will see major change in the Dudley town centre area and we are excited that these major projects will soon start on site.” Anne Shaw, director of network resilience, TfWM
said: “We’re really keen to find out how people travel in and around Dudley town centre so we’re pleased to be able to support Dudley Council while the work takes place. There are many exciting things happening in the region and it’s important we understand people’s journeys to we can help them continue to get from A to B while essential work takes place.”
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