Int'l Airport News

[Isan]

Big plans for big plane

Giant Airbus needs city to back 30M in bonds

Daily News Exclusive


BY LORE CROGHAN
DAILY NEWS BUSINESS WRITER

The double-decker Airbus A380 unveiled last month to great fanfare near Toulouse, France.
It's coming. The world's biggest plane is on the way to Kennedy Airport.

And making it all possible will be a rebuilding job to be funded by $30 million in city-issued bonds.

The foreign airlines that operate Kennedy Airport's Terminal 1 will rebuild four passenger gates to receive the 1.2 million-pound, double-decker Airbus A380, which was just unveiled last month to great fanfare.

The carriers are eager to do what it takes to give their enormous planes a welcome to New York.

The city Industrial Development Agency's board is set to vote next month on a $402 million bond issue for Terminal 1 that includes the construction funding.

At a public hearing this week that's a prerequisite to the board vote, not a soul showed up to object to the project.

"We'll be ready with two gates well in advance of the first aircraft's arrival, and the third and fourth gates should be ready in time, too," said Ed Paquette, executive director of Terminal 1, which is controlled by Air France, Lufthansa, Korean Air and Japan Airlines.

The Port Authority is also doing its part to prepare Kennedy for the mega-planes. Construction's underway to widen runways and strengthen taxiway bridges, with a $179 million price tag.

If the terminal bonds are approved, the 18-month construction project will start in the fall - to avoid disruptions during JFK's peak travel season, which is summer.

Air France will be the first carrier to fly the super-bird into JFK, in early 2007. Korean Air will start landing its A380s here in the summer of 2007. Lufthansa's buying some for its fleet, too, but hasn't picked a date to inaugurate JFK service.

With room for 555 seats and an array of onboard restaurants, bars and shops if carriers follow the manufacturer's design suggestions - or more than 800 seats if they don't - the A380 will bring some glamor and excitement to the airline industry. Terminal 1's operators are eager for New York City to get a taste of that excitement.

"This will change the paradigm of air travel," said Arthur Molins, chief executive of Terminal One Group Association, as the foreign carriers' partnership is called.

The project will start with the rebuilding of Gate 1/2 - where the now-retired Concorde landed - and Gate 5. Once Lufthansa commits to a debut date for its A380s, Gate 7 and Gate 8 will be rebuilt.

New passenger loading bridges will be installed - which can be raised or lowered to reach the doors on the upper and lower decks of the two-deck aircraft. At Gate 1/2 and possibly Gate 8, an extension will be added to the building, because there are legal limits to how long passenger bridges can be.

The space where the planes stand while loading passengers will be rebuilt to accommodate the planes' huge size. New parking spaces will also be built for the planes when they need repairs or have crew layovers.

The project does not entail changes to waiting rooms or ticket counters - which can handle the additional passenger load.

Originally published on February 5, 2005

[Isan]

World's Busiest Airport Won't See Airbus A380

February 4, 2005

NEW YORK, Feb 4 (AFP) - Atlanta's Hartsfield International Airport, the world's busiest, will not be equipped anytime soon to handle the new Airbus A380 super-jumbo jet, a spokeswoman said Friday.

The airport, which is the world's busiest in terms of passengers serviced and behind only Chicago O'Hare in takeoffs and landings, would need to make improvements in its runways and other facilities for the A380, spokeswoman Felicia Browder said.

"In the short term, we will not make the changes in order to make the aircraft (the A380) part of our regular operations," she said.

Browder said a capital improvement program is underway at the airport that includes a fifth runway set to open in May 2006, but that the plans were not made with the A380 in mind.

The new aircraft is set to begin operation in mid-2006.

The Atlanta airport is the main hub for Delta Air Lines, a Sky Team partner of Air France, which is expected to be among the first airlines using the new aircraft capable of carrying up to 840 passengers.

[Isan]

Lagos Airport Named Highest Revenue Generating


This Day (Lagos)

February 3, 2005
Posted to the web February 4, 2005

Ndubuisi Francis
Lagos

As Chanchangi, Sosoliso, others bag FAAN awards

The Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos has lived up to its billing as the nation's foremost airport as it emerged the highest revenue generating airport in the country last year.
Subscribe to AllAfrica

Chanchangi and Sosoliso Airlines were among the domestic and international carriers which also bagged the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) Corporate Awards for 2004.

While Chanchangi Airlines emerged the 'Highest Revenue Generating Domestic Airline of the Year', Sosoliso bagged the "Best Domestic Airline of the Year" award.

The 'Best Cargo Airline of the Year' award also went to DAS Airline with Afrijet as first runner up while Middle East airline won the award of 'Best International Airline of the Year'.

The Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos emerged 'Highest Revenue Generating Airport of the Year' with the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja and Port Harcourt Airport as first and second runners up respectively.

The Sam Mbakwe Airport, Owerri bagged 'Best Airport of the Year' award just as the Kaduna Airport was adjudged 'Most Improved Airport'.

British flag carrier, British Airways also emerged 'Highest Revenue Generating International Airline of the Year' followed by KLM and Virgin Atlantic respectively.

Speaking at the colourful award ceremony in Lagos, FAAN's Managing Director, Engr. Mohammed Gambo Umar remarked that the airlines have been wonderful while commending the leadership of the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON).

"The airlines have been wonderful. We have to commend the efforts of the leadership of the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) for their guidance and support throughout last year. Our commitment towards the provision of customer-centric airport facilities at world class standards of quality is total

"In delivering these qualities, we need to shore up our revenue base to enable us provide the kind of facilities and services that would be the envy of all and transform some of our airports to regional hubs. Tthe success achieved so far is reflected in the number of airlines operating in the country in the last five years", he affirmed.

Gambo expressed hope that "this impressive growth" has had a positive effect on returns on investment by stakeholders in the aviation industry.

He also commended FAAN's concessionaires for being up and doing in the last year, adding that they "have proven to us that our strategic partnership is imperative if we are to actualise our vision of being among the best airport groups in the world".

He reassured the management and staff of the Authority that the human capital is the most important resource and noted that efforts targeted by his administration at staff welfare and training priorities were open for all to see.

"It is our hope that this gesture shall be reciprocated appropriately. We carried the two in-house unions along in our quest to move the organisation forward and fully appreciate their contributions towards the achievement of our laudable goals and objectives", he said.

Gambo observed that the corporate award was symbolic of the very high regard FAAN has for and a token of appreciation of the strategic role "that our esteemed customers play in ensuring that we remain viable".

He affirmed that FAAN relies on internally generated revenue for operations except for some strategic capital projects, hence the recent impetus given to the collection of accrued revenue and oustanding debts.

According to him, the individuals and corporate bodies being singled out for the awards had contributed immensely to the modest success of the Authority in 2004.

He noted that in line with FAAN's continued desire to provide world class service at the airports, it was relaunching its Passenger Support Service (PSS), adding that the service is available at the Lagos, Kano, Abuja, Port Harcourt and Akanu Ibiam (Enugu) airports.

Gambo who also spoke on the issue of service excellence, stated that FAAN has set for itself high goals to exceed the expectations of customers by focusing on quality service delivery.

"We will enhance your comfort by ensuring the standards and dramatically change. The second issue of quality service we will be addressing is the consistency of our service. Throughout my tenure, we have decided to have an open door policy with you, the customer as a permanent feature of steering FAAN in the right direction", he said.

He applauded the National Assembly for "all the efforts they have been putting in the passage of our budget for the year 2005" just as he lauded the Aviation Minister, Mallam Isa Yuguda for his leadership qualities.

[Isan]

Qantas and British Airways open revamped Airport Lounge at Changi

3 February 2005


The Qantas and British Airways Singapore Lounge was formally opened today, following a S$11.25 million expansion and upgrade.

Stephen Limbrick, Regional General Manager for Qantas and British Airways South East Asia, said the lounge had undergone a total transformation.

“One of the first things our customers will notice is the space, because the new lounge is around three times larger than the previous area, with seating for 400 customers.

“The other thing people will appreciate is the sheer beauty of the space,” he said. “The design is spectacular, with elegant furnishings and luxurious touches.”

The features of the new lounge include:

• a six metre long artwork, Verdant Veil 2004 – from the Green Space series by renowned Australian artist Janet Laurence – in the entrance foyer;
• dark timber accents and slatted timber dividing walls giving an Asian flavour, contrasting with a cool limestone floor;
• luxury bathroom facilities with 20 fully appointed shower suites, reached through a spa-like entrance way complete with water feature;
• a stylish, serviced bar set against a stunning marble wall, featuring a series of Italian-designed moooi Random Lights floating above the bar and offering a choice of seating – bar stools, lounge chairs or ottomons;
• an internet café style PC bench overlooking the terminal, offering a bank of flat screen computers with free internet access;
• new business facilities with six fully equipped private workstations, printing, photocopying, phone and fax services;
• power and data ports located throughout the lounge enabling customers to plug in their lap-tops or recharge their mobile phones in a variety of environments;
• new buffet area and self-serve bar areas offering complimentary beverages and light refreshments throughout the day; and
• a dedicated television/entertainment zone featuring large plasma television screens and oversized sofas and lounge chairs for maximum comfort.

“What we have tried to achieve with the new Qantas and British Airways Singapore Lounge is to offer customers a choice of environment, so there are areas for conducting business, there are entertainment zones, and there are quiet lounge areas for people who want to relax,” Mr Limbrick said.

[SkylineTurbo]

Subang Airport- Malaysia

SUBANG airport will be turned into a maintenance, repair and overhaul hub for aircraft in the region.
Among the services it will offer include general aviation, logistics, training of aviation-related personnel and a helicopter centre.

Transport Minister Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy said his ministry has come up with a development masterplan for Subang airport.

“We will submit the masterplan to the Cabinet for consideration by June this year,” he said.

[Isan]

Cathay Pacific opens New Airport Lounge in Vancouver

5 February 2005


Cathay Pacific Airways has opened its new double-sized First and Business Class lounge in Vancouver.

The newly designed lounge is one of the biggest passenger lounges at the airport, and at 500 square metres is twice the size of the airline’s previous lounge. Cathay Pacific operates twice daily from Hong Kong to Vancouver and daily from Vancouver to New York.

The design echoes themes from Cathay Pacific’s The Wing and The Pier lounges at its Hong Kong International Airport hub, with fine marble and wood finishes, a touch of Asian elegance and the signature “Long Table”. A wide variety of Western and Asian dishes including dim sum and sushi are also on offer from a constantly updated menu.

A unique feature of the new Vancouver lounge is the spectacular view from a 3-metre-high window running the entire length of the lounge that looks out directly onto the Cathay Pacific aircraft readying for departure and the airport runway beyond.

The lounge features seven “Personal Living Spaces,” private and comfortable areas with full broadband access for passengers to work or check email. The lounge is also equipped with ample laptop connections for broadband, modem and wireless Internet access. There are areas to read, relax, drink, dine and enjoy a great range of cable and digital channels on 42” plasma screens.

Cathay Pacific General Manager Airports Anna Thompson said: “Vancouver is one of our most valued markets in North America and this is definitely our flagship lounge in the region. Once again, we have raised the standard for airport lounges and I think our passengers will be delighted to experience another example of the kind of product that sets Cathay Pacific apart.”

With the addition of Vancouver, Cathay Pacific now has nine lounges in Bahrain, Bangkok, London, Paris, Seoul, and Taipei that follow The Wing and The Pier designs in Hong Kong.http://www.cathaypacific.com/cx/internet/cxinternet/image/en/header/topheader_home.jpg

[Isan]

Huge expansion plans to consolidate Guangzhou airport as rival to Hong Kong


Guangzhou's huge new airport in southern China, which has vowed to unseat Hong Kong as the region's air hub, will move further towards that goal with major construction work starting next month, state media said Monday.

The second phase construction project for Baiyun International Airport, which began operations in August, is expected to be completed by 2009 and come into operation the year after, the Xinhua news agency reported.

The report did not specify details of the building work but an airport official, who did not want to be named, told AFP that construction would focus mainly on enlarging the main terminal building,

Once the project is completed, the airport would be able to handle 80 million passengers a year, up from 27 million now, Xinhua said, citing an industry symposium held in Guangzhou, the capital of the southern province of Guangdong.

By the end of the decade, the airport is also expected to be capable of processing 2.5 million tonnes of cargo, up from one million tonnes now, it said.

The report would appear to confirm that Baiyun, built at a cost of 19 billion yuan (2.4 billion dollars), aims to become a major player in the regional aviation market.

It is particularly bad news for Hong Kong's Chek Lap Kok airport less than 100 kilometres (60 miles) away.

The Hong Kong airport, opened in 1998, currently handles 35 million passengers annually as well as three million tonnes of cargo, more freight than any other in the world.

Guangzhou's huge new airport in southern ChinaAnalysts have said Baiyun, in the center of China's manufacturing heartland, could rob it of vital trade.

Baiyun International Airport has so far opened 83 domestic and 28 international routes, according to Xinhua, adding that it planned to add another 15 international flights this year.http://sg.yimg.com/xp/afp/20050207/2938207205.jpg

[Isan]

Metro Airport's passenger totals hit near-record high

Web-posted Feb 7, 2005

By HANK SCHALLER
Of The Daily Oakland Press

ROMULUS - Detroit Metropolitan Airport experienced the second-best year in its history in 2004, with nearly as many passengers boarding and departing on flights there as during its record year of 2000.

Preliminary figures released today revealed that 35,187,517 passengers flew in and out of Metro Airport last year, up 7.5 percent from the 32,738,900 who used the airport in 2003.

The gain of 2,448,617 passengers over 2003 passenger totals meant that Metro Airport has closed to within 347,563 passengers of its record-breaking year of 2000, when 35,535,080 passengers used the airport.

"Our passengers are back," said Lester Robinson, chief executive officer of the Wayne County Airport Authority. "If we stay on our current pace, there is no question that 2005 will be Detroit's new record-breaking year."

The airport also experienced a 9.4 percent increase in thenumber of international passengers who boarded and departed on flights to other countries at the Edward H. McNamara and Berry International terminals.

There were 2,867,532 passengers on board international flights at Metro Airport in 2004, up from 2,621,356 passengers in 2003. Even so, that total remains 26 percent below the record 3,911,118 passengers who flew on international flights in 2000.

This was the first year since 2000 that the number of international passengers had increased.

Also showing growth was the number of aircraft landing and taking off at Metro Airport. There were 522,538 operations in 2004, up 6.4 percent from the 491,073 aircraft that landed and took off in 2003.

"This is not only good news for the Wayne County Airport Authority, but also for our local communities," Robinson said. "Activity at the airport generates an enormous number of jobs and stimulates the tourism sector of our economy."

Airport officials have said Metro provides jobs for more than 17,000 people on site and spins off more than 50,000 more jobs in the area.

Among the major airlines showing passenger gains at Metro Airport in 2004 were America West, American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Lufthansa Airlines, Northwest Airlines, Northwest Airlink flights operated by Pinnacle Airlines and Southwest Airlines.

Major airlines experiencing declines in the number of passengers were British Airways, Comair Airlines, Continental Express, Northwest Airlink flights operated by Mesaba Airlines, Spirit Airlines, United Airlines and US Airways.

Northwest Airlines continued to be far and away the dominant airline in Detroit, with 23,273,592 passengers boarding and departing flights at Metro Airport, the Eagan, Minn.-based airline's largest hub airport. The number is roughly 66 percent of all the passengers who flew in and out of Metro Airport.

That compares with the 21,595,576 passengers who flew Northwest at Metro Airport in 2003.

The Northwest dominance was also boosted by the 997,479 passengers who boarded Northwest Airlink flights offered by Mesaba Airlines and another 1,277,243 passengers who boarded Airlink flights offered by Pinnacle Airlines.

Ranking second behind Northwest among major air carriers at Metro Airport was Spirit Airlines. The low-fare air carrier had 1,704,974 passengers arrive and depart on its flights at Metro Airport in 2004. That was down slightly from the 1,709,752 passengers who flew on Spirit in 2003.

[SkylineTurbo]

Airline opens new lounge at Auckland Airport

Emirates Airlines has opened a lounge for first and business class passengers at Auckland Airport.

The $2 million facility consists of three areas, including a dining room, lounge area and business centre.

The lounge also offers shower facilities.

The facility is modelled on the airline's lounges in Dubai.

Minister for Communications David Cunliffe officially opened the lounge.

[Isan]

Further delays expected at CKS

BACKLOG: Airport officials said that they hope to restore some order to flight schedules today after about 200 passengers refused to leave their plane yesterday, demanding compensation

By Wang Hsiao-wen
STAFF REPORTER
Tuesday, Feb 08, 2005,Page 1


With the western part of the country still buried under a thick layer of fog which paralyzed air transportation on Sunday, officials at CKS International Airport said yesterday that, although further delays are expected, they hope to get schedules back to normal today.

"At 11:30am, 38 flights were delayed and two cancelled. We hope that the airport will be able to digest the backlog by today," the airport's deputy director Liu Chuang-sheng (劉創生] said.

The bank of fog disrupted domestic and international air travel on Sunday, affecting 150 flights and more than 20,000 passengers. Some passengers were forced to stay at the airport overnight after checking in.

Officials said the airport is now operating more smoothly. Passengers have started boarding and most flights are arriving on time.

A few international flights were still delayed or cancelled yesterday. Some flights to Tokyo, Phuket, Hong Kong and Macau were cancelled, while flights to Southeast-Asian cities like Manila, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Ho Chi Minh City and others like Delhi, Nagoya and Los Angeles have been rescheduled.

Passengers wait at Taipei's Sungshan Airport yesterday after their flights were delayed by heavy fog.
PHOTO: JIAN RONG-FENG, TAIPEI TIMES
As heavy fog is likely to affect air transportation for the next few days, Liu advised passengers to contact airlines to confirm flight times, or check the Web site www1.cksairport.gov.tw/english.

"At this festive time of the year, travelers wish to get to their destination as quickly as possible. We understand this and urge passengers to check with airlines first. We will rearrange flights to take passengers home before Lunar New Year's Eve on Tuesday," Liu said.

Downtown Taipei is shrouded in a haze yesterday as fog swept in from China.
PHOTO: GEORGE TSORNG, TAIPEI TIMES
Some passengers in Macau were furious when Eva Air's flight BR-806 was delayed for 12 hours because some passengers apparently refused to board. When they arrived in Taipei yesterday morning, more than 200 passengers refused to leave the plane and demanded to be compensated for the inconvenience.

After mediation by members of the aviation police, Eva Air agreed to give NT$2,500 back to each of the passengers. Most passengers were satisfied and left, although a few stayed behind in the departure lounge demanding an apology.

The airline said that the delay was caused by weather factors beyond its control.

"The airline is the biggest victim of the bad weather. We humbly ask our customers to understand and cooperate with us so that further delays can be averted," Eva Air said in its news release.

The Consumer's Foundation called on passengers and airlines to establish a negotiation mechanism about disputes.

"The delays were caused by the weather, but airlines' attitude plays a key role in resolving disputes with their costumers. We must have a constant negotiation mechanism so that both sides can argue their cases reasonably. Otherwise, both sides would only hastily wrap things up with whimpers," said Cheng Jen-hung (程仁宏), vice chairman of the Consumers' Foundation.

Meanwhile, the Central Weather Bureau extended its fog warning and forecast that fog and mist are likely to continue to blanket western areas throughout the Lunar New Year holiday.

Heavy fog, coming from the southeastern coast of China, will loom over western cities, resulting in reduced visibility.

"Motorists should heed weather reports and exercise more caution when they take to the highways," the forecast center's deputy director Daniel Wu (吳德榮] said.

[SkylineTurbo]

Fraport Signs Narita Cooperation Accord

Frankfurt airport operator Fraport has signed a cooperation agreement with Tokyo's Narita Airport to enable the airports to work more closely together, the company said on Thursday.

Under the accord, the two airports will swap information and research and may consider joint projects and worker exchanges, Fraport said.

Both airports are suffering from capacity shortages caused by the high demand for take-off and landing slots from airlines, Fraport said in a statement.

Narita, which handles international flights, has about 27 million passengers annually, compared with more than 50 million at Frankfurt.

Fraport has said its strategy includes looking for opportunities abroad to manage airports and airport-related projects.

[Isan]

American adds flights at DFW airport

Tuesday 8th February, 2005 (UPI)

American Airlines and American Eagle will add 119 daily fights at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport by this summer, officials said Monday.

Demand has increased 12 percent at the North Texas airport since Delta Air Lines began shutting down its hub operation at the airport and American announced its new fare structure, said Dan Garton, American's vice president for marketing.

American and its regional affiliate, American Eagle, will have 119 more daily flights at DFW by July than they did a year ago. Overall, American will have increased daily flight frequencies on 61 routes from the airport.

American will add additional flights to Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Boston and more than 50 other U.S. destinations, and increase frequency to such international points as London's Gatwick Airport and Tokyo.

American Eagle either has or soon will begin service to 11 new destinations: Peoria and Champaign, Ill.; Pensacola, Fla.; Torreon, San Luis Potosi, and Chihuahua, Mexico; Buffalo, N.Y.; Lexington, Ky.; and Savannah, Ga.

[SkylineTurbo]

HACTL Cargo Volume Up 20 Percent In January

Hong Kong's main cargo handler HACTL said on Monday it handled 20.1 percent more cargo in January than a year ago, helped by the fact cargo activity was slow in January last year due to the early Chinese New Year holiday.

Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals (HACTL), 25 percent-owned by Jardine Matheson and 20 percent by Swire Pacific, said in a statement it handled 174,772 tonnes of cargo in January.

The Chinese New Year fell in January last year, but this year will fall in February.

[SkylineTurbo]

Flights Resume As Nepali Airport Reopens

Flights between Nepal and the rest of the world were largely restored on Wednesday, a day after the airport in the capital, Kathmandu, was shut after King Gyanendra sacked the government and assumed power.

Airline officials in the Indian capital New Delhi, which has the highest number of flights to Kathmandu, said state-run Indian Airlines' daily Delhi-Kathmandu-Delhi flight was operating normally.

"Our flight is already there and should return to Delhi later this evening," an Indian Airlines official said.

Nepal's state-run Royal Nepal Airlines (RNA) and privately owned Cosmic Air also said their daily Kathmandu-Delhi-Kathmandu flights were operating on schedule.

The RNA flight was the only international flight to operate on Tuesday after Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport was shut and three Indian flights and a Thai Airways flight turned back without landing in the Himalayan city.

Thai Airways also resumed normal operations with two flights to Kathmandu on Wednesday, company officials in Bangkok said.

However, private Indian airlines Jet Airways and Air Sahara said their Delhi-Kathmandu flights were cancelled for a second day on Wednesday. Airline officials did not have details of when services would resume.

King Gyanendra sacked the government, declared a state of emergency and assumed charge of the country for the next three years saying the political leadership had failed to restore peace or hold national elections.

[leauparkenzoguy]

At London airports, two genial guys organized the following "incredible" joke: they wrote some fake names on a sheet of paper and asked the information desk if it was possible to call them over the loudspeaker.

To be more credible, they dressed like taxi chauffeurs and presented themselves to the counter 45 minutes upon landing of an international flight from Pakistan, India or Thailand, pretending that they didn't meet their clients.

At the same time, their accomplice was close to the loudspeakers to record the information desk employee’s pronunciation.

After the fifth message, police got wind of the joke and kicked them out of the airport. The last message below was recorded at Gatwick.

Arhevbin Fayed and Bybeiev Rhibodie = I hate this fucking job, and I will be fired

Arhevbin Fayed and Bybeiev Rhibodie = I‘ve been fired, and bye-bye everybody

Aynayda Pizaqvick and Malexa Kriest = I need a piss quick, and my legs are crossed

Awul Dasfilshabeda and Nowaynayda Zheet = Oo-ah, that feels better and now I need a shit

Makollig Jezvahted and Levdaroum DeBahzted = My colleague just farted, and left the room, the bastard

Steelaygot Maowenbach and Tuka Piziniztee = Still, I got my own bath and took a piss in his tea

[SkylineTurbo]

^ :hilarious, they are avaliable on mp3.

[Isan]

Nagoya's Komaki Airport – Still in Business

Although all JAL’s international flight and most JAL domestic flight operations now based at Nagoya’s Komaki Airport will move to Centrair when it opens, J-Air, a JAL Group commuter subsidiary operating CRJ-200 regional jets will serve Komaki in response to an expected

[Isan]

High fliers sit taller at Melbourne airport

Thursday, 10 February 2005

Airline passengers sitting in luxury lounges will have spectacular views of Mt Macedon under a major expansion of Melbourne airport.

A third level will be added to the international terminal and the seating area doubled for departing travellers.

The works are part of a $220 million development to prepare for huge traffic growth and the arrival of the new A380 super jumbo aircraft next year.

Two new gates with dual aerobridges will enable passengers to board and disembark from both levels of the double-deck Airbus A380 -- the world's biggest passenger plane.

The airport's north-south runway will be widened by 15m to accommodate the aircraft's 80m wingspan.

Qantas will start flying the 550-seat jet between Melbourne and Los Angeles from October 2006, with Singapore Airlines, Emirates, Malaysia Airlines and Thai Airways also expected to bring it here.

Airport acting CEO Kirby Clark yesterday said the works would include construction of a third level above the terminal extension to house three premium penthouse airline lounges.

[Isan]

Air Canada opens new Maple Leaf Lounge at the Infield Terminal at Toronto Pearson Airport

MONTREAL, Feb. 10 /CNW Telbec/ - Air Canada will officially open its newest Maple Leaf Lounge at the Infield Terminal at Toronto Pearson Airport on
February 10, 2005. The Infield lounge boasts 6,566 square feet, clean architectural lines, and wall-length windows providing customers with a bird's eye view of airfield activities, while they relax in comfortable, leather-backed chairs.

Air Canada's Maple Leaf Lounges are designed to make the time prior toboarding relaxing and to offer premium customers an unrivaled level of service in a quiet and comfortable setting away from busy airport common areas.

"The new Infield Lounge now offers our eligible overseas customers a relaxing environment conveniently co-located with international gates at the Infield Terminal. The design, services, view and amenities offer our premium passengers an environment that will meet all their expectations," said George Reeleder, Senior Director, Marketing for Air Canada.

Air Canada is proud to have partnered with a variety of high profile sponsors to provide customers with a unique and first class experience. The new lounge will feature:

- Over 100 seat capacity
- Xerox Business Centre with individual work areas enabling travellers
to maximize their productivity
- IBM flatscreen personal computers
- Xerox business equipment, including the latest model fax machine,
copier, and Phaser solid ink colour printer
- Bell high speed Internet
- Bell's Access Zone wireless Internet throughout the lounge
- Sony Entertainment, including a state-of-the-art large screen TV
- Magazines & newspapers
- Shower facilities
- Light snacks and beverages (including complimentary beer, wine &
spirits)
- Complimentary local phones & (credit card) long distance phones

The Toronto Infield Lounge becomes the third Maple Leaf Lounge at Toronto Pearson Airport complementing existing lounges at New Terminal One and the Transborder Lounge at Terminal 2. Air Canada features a total of 19 Maple
Leaf Lounges located at all major airports across Canada and key international stations as well as an arrivals lounge in London Heathrow. In co-operation with its Star Alliance partners, Air Canada offers customers access to over
500 airport lounges worldwide. More than two million customers visit Air Canada's award-winning lounges every year.http://www.newswire.ca/images/companies/aircanada.jpg

[Isan]

New Bangkok Airport On Schedule

September 21, 2004


Thailand's new international airport is on track to open in September next year as part of the country's plan to become a regional aviation hub, Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit said on Tuesday.

"Our aim is to make Thailand an air hub in Southeast Asia. And next year, we will have the Suvarnabhumi Airport, which is our new dream," Suriya told a news conference.

His comments came amid growing speculation that the airport on the outskirts of Bangkok might not open on schedule after the International Air Transport Association (IATA) said earlier this month delays of 12-18 months were likely.

The Suvarnabhumi Airport, which covers 3,200 hectares (7,900 acres), will be able to handle 45 million passengers per year and compete with Singapore's Changi Airport and Malaysia's Kuala Lumpur International Airport, government officials said.

It will be operated by state-run Airports of Thailand, which runs the capital's Don Muang Airport and four other international airports around the country.

(Reuters)

[Isan]

Airports shy away from Airbus

By ALLISON LINN
AP business writer Sunday, February 13, 2005

SEATTLE -- It's one thing to build a really, really big airplane. But, it turns out, it's quite another to find a place for it to land.

U.S. airports from Seattle to Atlanta say accommodating Airbus SAS's new superjumbo A380 in anything other than an emergency would require major construction. Runways would need widening and terminals would need upgrades to load and unload the double-decker plane easily.

Even with those improvements, airports might need to curtail other airport traffic to let the big jet lumber through the airfield. And some officials worry the weight of the A380 would collapse tunnels and buckle overpasses.

What's more, some airport officials say they just aren't seeing the demand for the A380 that would warrant such cost and inconvenience.

"Let's do a cost/benefit analysis: Are you really going to spend millions of dollars (when) you might have two of them a day fly in?" said aviation analyst Mike Boyd.

Stretching about three-quarters of the length of a football field, the A380 isn't much longer than Boeing Co.'s latest version of the 747, the largest commercial airplane in the skies until the A380 enters service next year.

But the A380's 261-foot wingspan is 50 feet wider than the 747, broader than many runways and taxiways were built to accommodate. The airplane also weighs in at a maximum of 1.2 million pounds, 30 percent more than the biggest 747.

The Federal Aviation Administration says just four U.S. airports -- John F. Kennedy in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Miami -- are formally working with regulators on plans to accept the new plane for passengers. Another two -- Anchorage and Memphis -- are working with the FAA to take the cargo version.

Airbus says it also has talked with many other airports and anticipates several more will be able to land the plane on a regular basis by 2011.

Dan Cohen-Nir, an Airbus North America program manager, said the company is initially targeting the world's busiest airports, major hubs that are most likely to need a plane designed to carry around 555 passengers on long international routes.

Still, Boyd and other analysts say the scant interest among U.S. airports could be trouble for Toulouse, France-based Airbus, which has 139 firm orders for the A380 so far.

"For the next decade this is a niche aircraft," said Richard Aboulafia, an analyst with the Teal Group.

Executives at Boeing's Seattle-based commercial airplanes division, which makes the competing 747, won't have to worry about the A380 literally darkening their doorstep. To take the A380 for anything other than an emergency, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport would have to spend tens of millions of dollars just on terminal upgrades. The airport also would have to curtail some other airplane traffic while the plane was on its airfield.

Mark Reis, managing director of SeaTac, said the geometry of the airport "just does not lend itself to operation of the aircraft of that size on a regular basis."

No airline has expressed a desire to fly the A380 to Seattle, Reis said.

Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is in the midst of a $6 billion airport expansion, but the major upgrade doesn't include plans to accommodate routine A380 flights. The airport is not willing to make the necessary changes without seeing more airline interest in the A380, spokeswoman Felicia Browder said.

"In the foreseeable future, we don't think it's worthwhile," Browder said.

Denver International Airport would only need minor improvements to land the A380 on more than just an emergency basis. But spokesman Chuck Cannon said there are no plans to make even the minor upgrades, because officials have not heard that any airlines are interested in bringing the plane to Denver, a busy domestic hub that doesn't see many of the long-haul international flights the A380 was designed for.

Decades ago, some airports also had to make changes to accommodate Boeing's 747 and other jumbo jets, which brought about a revolution in cheaper air travel. Since then, improvements in aircraft technology have created smaller planes that could fly farther.

Still, some of the nation's largest airports say the A380 is worth the hassle.

The runways at San Francisco International Airport are so close together that the airport will only be able to land one A380 at a time, and traffic restrictions will be required to let the plane maneuver around the airfield. But spokesman Mike McCarron said the airport plans to take up to six A380s a day, perhaps beginning in the fall of 2006. The airport already has spent just under $1 billion to build a new, 23-gate terminal that includes five gates to handle the A380.

"We have a huge Asian market, (and) we see the A380 as a growth area to the Asian market," McCarron said.

John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York is spending around $120 million for upgrades including widening one runway and reinforcing taxiway bridges that go over major area roadways. But spokesman Tony Ciavolella said any terminal improvements would have to be done by the airlines who lease those properties.

At Chicago's O'Hare, spokeswoman Annette Martinez said the airport is working on interim changes that will enable it to accommodate the plane by the end of 2007, while hoping for approval of a big expansion that would make it practical to take the A380 in the long term.

[Isan]

No wait now for bags to be screened at T2

By Karamjit Kaur
The Straits Times
Publication Date : 2005-02-12

Passengers checking in at Changi Airport's Terminal 2 can now skip the baggage-screening stop altogether and hand their suitcases over at the airline counter to collect their boarding passes.

Luggage checks are now being done behind closed doors by a new $80 million system, introduced to enhance security at the airport.

It was installed two weeks ago at Terminal 2, where there are 140 check-in counters. Terminal 1, which has 160, got it in August.

Passengers are pleased as it means they now queue just once - at the check-in counter - instead of twice.

The airport is less congested too, said civil servant Angeline Tan, 39.

'Aside from the convenience, the public area is clearer because the X-ray machines have gone. Before, there used to be long queues sometimes at the security stations, which made the whole place look very messy.'

A Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) spokesman told The Straits Times the system was running smoothly and feedback from the 69 airlines which fly here had been positive.

The new screening system comprises different types of equipment to inspect luggage. The X-ray machines can scrutinise baggage from various angles, while explosive-detection systems use computer tomography - similar to the technology used in the medical field - to do scans.

Highly suspicious bags are placed in a special capsule called the threat containment vessel for disposal.

Travellers and airlines welcomed the heightened vigilance of the new screening process, which normally takes a few minutes.

Singapore Airlines (SIA) spokesman Stephen Forshaw said the system had already helped the carrier detect 'a number of items' which are not permitted on a plane.

'In two particular and separate cases, two customers travelling to tsunami-affected areas, with all good intentions to help those affected, packed small kerosene-powered generators.'

The flammable items were spotted, and the passengers contacted and asked to remove them.

The CAAS spokesman said that so far, there had been only 'a handful of cases' where passengers had been contacted to open their bags for a physical search. But no passenger had missed a flight as a result, she added.

Still, the additional checks have prompted SIA, which uses Terminal 2, to stop checking in passengers 40 minutes before departure. It used to be 30 minutes.

Mr Forshaw said: 'We want to get our flights away on time. Extra screening requirements for baggage are in everyone's interests, but they mean customers need to plan their journeys to take account of a little extra time.'

[Isan]

Vegas airport a high-tech pioneer

By Jane Engle
Tribune Newspapers: Los Angeles Times
Published February 13, 2005

If you're looking for innovative airport services, it's a sure bet you'll find them in Las Vegas. And I'm not talking about on-site slot machines.

McCarran International Airport just finished installing free wireless access across 90 percent of its public areas--not the first but by far the biggest domestic airport to do this.

In the U.S., it pioneered multi-airline, self-service kiosks, and ticket counters and gate podiums that can be shared by different carriers throughout the airport. In the cards this year are tags that emit radio signals to direct your bags to the right plane, and remote check-in from hotels.

"They clearly are leaders," said Dick Marchi, senior vice president for technical and environmental affairs in Washington for Airports Council International, an industry association based in Switzerland.

McCarran has achieved these firsts while struggling to keep pace with Sin City's explosive expansion. Passenger traffic doubled in fewer than 15 years, reaching 41.44 million last year, more than 14 percent more than 2003. In April, the airport plans to add 10 gates.

"It's bursting at the seams," said Donn Walker, Los Angeles-based spokesman for the Federal Aviation Administration.

Congestion has contributed to late takeoffs and long security lines. (More on that later.)

It's the high-tech gizmos that interest me most. They didn't happen by chance, said Randall Walker (no relation to the FAA's Walker), director of aviation for Clark County, Nev., which oversees McCarran.

On a tour of Singapore in the early 1990s, Walker, then deputy aviation director, discovered that airlines at Changi Airport shared a computer system. That meant ticket counters and gate podiums sat idle for fewer hours throughout the day as busier carriers took over stations from less busy ones. The result: You could process more customers with fewer stations.

"That's how you should run an airport," Walker said he told his boss.

U.S. airlines, accustomed to using proprietary software, were not impressed. When McCarran officials pitched the Changi concept to them, Walker recalled, "we could have harvested ice from that room, the reception was so chilly."

Over time, the ice melted, and McCarran rewired its terminals with fiber-optic cable to handle communications. Common wiring makes the innovations possible. Besides shared terminal equipment, these include:

- SpeedCheck: McCarran in October 2003 became the first U.S. airport to install multi-airline check-in kiosks known as SpeedCheck.

These now connect customers to the computer systems of more than half the airport's 28 airlines, allowing them to check in, print boarding passes and--if they have no bags to check--bypass the ticket counter. (SpeedCheck stations at the America West and Delta ticket areas handle bags too.)

- WiFi: By tapping into its own fiber-optic network, McCarran was able to install high-speed wireless access for a little more than $70,000, considered inexpensive for such a wide-ranging system.

Passengers with wireless-enabled laptops or personal digital assistants can access the Internet from nearly any public area for free--for now. Walker indicated the airport might consider charging in the future.

- Remote check-in: Under this program, an extension of SpeedCheck, future McCarran International Airport users may be able to print out boarding passes and check in luggage from their Las Vegas hotels. A subcontractor would tag their bags on-site and haul them to the airport for screening.

"If checkout is at noon and your flight isn't until 7 p.m., you can get rid of your bags, and you're free for the next several hours," Walker said. "You can arrive at the airport an hour before your flight and float through security." Several airlines have signed up to test this program, he added; passengers would pay a fee for the service.

- RFID luggage tags: By April, Walker said, McCarran hopes to begin attaching radio frequency identification tags to checked bags to shepherd them through security and on to the correct flight. The system is undergoing tests now.

The tags, which broadcast a unique identification number to scanners along an automated belt, are more accurate than bar codes, Walker said.

Amid such innovations, fast-growing McCarran has been plagued by familiar problems.

In January 2004, Las Vegas visitors trying to return home on a Sunday endured three-hour waits to get through security. Airport officials blamed the debacle partly on the giant International Consumer Electronics Show, which attracts more than 100,000 attendees each year.

McCarran has since added seven security lanes, and this year's electronics-show exit went more smoothly. Still, wait times at security on Sunday afternoons have run longer at McCarran than at LAX in Los Angeles, Denver or JFK in New York, according to the Transportation Security Administration.

There are also many tardy flights. During the 11 months ending in November, only 78.5 percent of McCarran's' flights departed on time--the fifth worst record among 31 major U.S. airports tracked in federal statistics. (The worst was Chicago's O'Hare airport, at 73.3 percent.)

McCarran's Walker said many delays were caused by inadequate airspace allotments that thwarted the airport's ability to get departure slots. FAA officials said they solved this problem early last year by adding a controller and two air routes south of Las Vegas. They denied that airspace was a factor in recent delays.

Both McCarran and FAA officials agreed that planes arriving late from other airports, congested scheduling by airlines and other factors also contribute to late takeoffs.

"We're working with the airlines on this," Walker said. "It's a complicated issue."

Meanwhile, McCarran's wireless-enabled passengers can at least while away the wait times by surfing the Internet.

[Isan]

New Doha Airport focus of Key Presentation at Airport Build and Supply Exhibition & Conference in New Delhi


14 February 2005


The development in Qatar of the country’s $5.5bn New Doha International Airport (NDIA) will be the focus of a key presentation in India this week given by Chief Executive Officer Akbar Al Baker.

Al Baker will speak at the Airport Build and Supply Exhibition & Conference in New Delhi on 16 February 2005. He will highlight plans for the new state-of-the-art airport for which construction began only last month.

Key figures from the airport industry around the world will be at the two-day conference, taking place at the Ashok Convention Centre in the Indian capital. The conference will be opened by the Civil Aviation Minister of India, Mr. Praful Patel.

The blueprint for the New Doha International Airport has been widely acclaimed by industry observers because of its impressive architectural features. Al Baker will highlight the importance of building an airport, which finds the right balance between hi-tech facilities and the environment.

The chosen site is on an old rubbish dump on the coast, which is being recovered and placed in a landfill away from populated areas.

With aircraft landing and taking-off over the sea, the airport will greatly improve the noise and air quality allowing for 24-hour operations without disrupting the urban environment.

The airport will be environmentally friendly with a new artificial coral reef and marine habitat created around the new facility.

The new airport is scheduled to open in 2009 at a cost of $2.5bn in the first phase and will be capable of handling 12 million passengers a year, together with 750,000 tonnes of cargo. Once fully developed in 2015 at a cost of $5.5bn, the airport is expected to handle up to 50 million passengers and 2 million tonnes of cargo a year.

The 1,700-hectare site is approximately four kilometres east of the existing airport. One of the key features is that 40% of the area will be built on reclaimed land from the Persian Gulf.

The New Doha International Airport aims to develop Qatar as the gateway to the world and become the new expanded hub for the country’s national airline Qatar Airways as well as other carriers.

Qatar Airways will operate and manage the new airport, designed to help shape Doha as a key regional and global aviation hub at the crossroads of east and west.

The new airport will be the world’s first to be designed and built specifically for Airbus’s new A380-800 double-decker ‘super jumbo’ – the largest passenger aircraft ever built.

The A380 will be capable of carrying more than 550 passengers, with Qatar Airways, a launch customer, taking delivery of the first of its four A380s in 2009, the year the new airport opens.

Speaking ahead of his visit to New Delhi, Al Baker said: “The new airport will help support the economic boom currently taking place in Qatar and play a key role in the development of the aviation sector in the country. It will also be an ideal base for Qatar Airways and other international airlines to grow their business.”

“The new airport will simply be an engineering feat and promises to be a state-of-the-art facility in the region and, indeed around the world, when it opens in four years’ time.”

US engineering and construction giant Bechtel has been awarded the contract to build the new airport, which will initially have a 26-gate passenger terminal complex, two runways, maintenance hangar, cargo centre and extensive shopping facilities.

The state-of-the-art passenger terminal with a wavy roof structure will be accessed through a roadway network that passes through a man-made lagoon to complement the natural bay and water setting.

The Emiri complex will be an architectural marvel, with the exterior shape of the pavilion representing sailboats, which complement the water setting of the airport. The building is layered to provide a striking effect and will light up the night sky. The complex will also include a pavilion, ceremonial podium, apron, private roadways and parking, surrounded by lush landscaping.

The airport complex will comprise a 75-metre high control tower located between the parallel runways, multi-storey office building, parking and access roads. Triangular in shape with one angle cut by a crescent shape all along its height, the structure will be topped by a glazed cabin.

[Isan]

Japan to open third international airport in industrial heartland


NAGOYA, Japan : Japan's third major international airport is set to open outside Nagoya in a bid to connect the country's industrial heartland better to other parts of Asia and the outside world.

Centrair airport, built on an artificial island, was billed as ultra-modern in its use of technology and protection of the environment and was being opened a month ahead of the World Expo here, an international showcase of the high-tech.


The 24-hour airport will include its own amusement park and two hotels accessible from within the terminal and around 100 restaurants, with a terrace providing a wide view of the sea from which the island was reclaimed.

The new airport comes at a time that Japan's air traffic continues to grow, with more than 96 million passengers taking domestic flights each year and over 41 million on international routes.

Japan's heavy air traffic makes it the only country in the world where Boeing 747-400 planes, which have more than 400 seats, are used more than once a day for domestic flights. Centrair's runway stretches 3,500 meters (3,800 yards).

The airport administration believes Centrair, built at a cost of some 768 billion yen (7.3 billion dollars), will see some 12 million passengers each year up to 2012 and after that receive some 15 million annually.

It is still a long way off from Japan's busiest airport, Haneda outside Tokyo, which has 60 million passengers a year and is primarily for domestic routes.

Haneda had its own facelift late last year with a new terminal built by the creator of Malaysia's Petronas Towers in a bid to push even more air traffic through the biggest Tokyo airport.

Much of the reason behind Centrair is economic, as this is the center of some of Japan's biggest companies including the largest of all, Toyota Motor.

Other major automobile firms with a presence in the area include Honda and Suzuki, along with electronic companies including Sony, Sharp and Sanyo and industrial makers such as Mitsubishi Heavy and Fuji Heavy.

The two main international airports in Japan include Narita which serves Tokyo and has some of the world's highest landing taxes, which Centrair will try to compete with by offering lower rates.

The other international airport is Kansai, less than 200 kilometers (120 miles) away is the Kansai airport which serves the region that includes Osaka, Kobe and Kyoto.

The Centrair airport is also seen as friendly to people with disabilities, with moving sidewalks throughout and a compact size meaning no one will ever have to walk more than 300 meters (yards).

Most international flights to the Nagoya airport will be to other parts of Asia with carriers serving it from China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand.

US carriers American, Continental, Northwest and United will also service Nagoya along with Air Canada, Air New Zealand and Australian Airlines. The only European airline to fly to Centrair will be Lufthansa, according to the airport's website.

Centrair is promoting itself as ecologically friendly, with much of the energy supplied by natural gas along with water coming from the sea.

One facility the airport hopes will draw visitors is its connection to the Shinkansen, Japan's bullet train. A train ride from the Nagoya central station to the airport is 28 minutes.

- AFPhttp://www.channelnewsasia.com/imagegallery/store/AFP/SGE_KZQ69_160205030415_00_quicklook_245x189.jpg

[Isan]

Paris airport collapse blamed on design
By John Lichfield in Paris

16 February 2005

Detailed design weaknesses contributed to the collapse of a futuristic terminal at Charles de Gaulle airport, Paris, in May last year, an official investigation has concluded.

However, the report stopped short of pointing a finger of blame and refused to conclude there had been a "conceptual error" in the design of Terminal 2E, hailed as a masterpiece when it opened 11 months earlier.

The investigation identified four faults in design or construction that led to the partial collapse of the curving, concrete, glass and steel departure building, killing four people.

An investigating magistrate must now decide whether to recommend criminal proceedings for manslaughter against individuals involved in building or planning the terminal. The Paris airports authority will decide in April whether to demolish or repair the stricken building.

Terminal 2E was conceived by the award-winning French architect Paul Andreu, who is now working on a new opera house in Beijing. Earlier this week, M. Andreu's office put out a statement saying weaknesses in the metal reinforcing in the concrete were the principal cause of the building's collapse.

That was one of four contributory causes identified by the official report yesterday.

Jean Berthier, head of the investigation, told a press conference in Paris that the €750m (£515m) building had a "weak capacity" to resist stress and had weakened gradually in the 11 months after it was opened.

The immediate cause of the collapse was uncertain but may have been the unusually cold weather on 23 May.

M.Berthier's report listed four principal weaknesses: the metal reinforcing within the concrete was inadequate or badly positioned; stress could not transfer from one part of the structure to another; the main roof beam was weak and struts separating the outer glass and metal layer from an inner concrete layer were badly positioned.

It was not clear from the report who should be held responsible for these weaknesses in construction and design.

Just before 7am on 23 May a 30m by 20m section of the vaulted roof of the departure building - a curving, oval structure, supported by stilts - fell into the passenger lounge. The central section of the structure, known as the jétee or jetty, collapsed onto service vehicles parked below.

Four passengers, two Chinese, a Lebanese and a Czech, were killed and three people were injured. The collapse was a severe setback for the Paris Airports Authority and for the national flag-carrier Air France.

Terminal 2E was part of a projected new, four-terminal hub for Air France and its partner airlines, intended to lift Charles de Gaulle airport above Heathrow and Frankfurt as the premier airport in Europe.

The design of terminal 2E - supervised by the airports authority itself - was claimed as a showcase of ground-breaking, French engineering talent and panache.

Whether or not the collapsed terminal lounge is repaired, or torn down and rebuilt, terninal 2E will remain largely closed until 2007. M. Berthier said yesterday that it would be technically possible to repair the building. "Any building is saveable," he said. The real question would be one of expense, he said. "Would it be cheaper to tear down the whole of the departure building and start again?"

[Isan]

Canberra airport expansion given green light

The Federal Government has approved a 20-year master plan for Canberra's international airport.

Airport management says the approval will allow the airport to revolutionise itself.

It paves the way for a $300 million expansion of the facility, including an extended runway and a redeveloped terminal.

The airport is also confident of attracting international airlines into Canberra.

It hopes either Qantas or Air New Zealand will schedule direct flights between Canberra and New Zealand within 12 months.

The airport expects to handle more than 5 million passengers by 2025, and it says the expansion will allow it to meet this demand.

[Isan]

Air Canada unveils new Pearson lounge
Wednesday, February 16, 2005 - Page R10

Air Canada launched its newest Maple Leaf Lounge at Toronto Pearson International Airport last week. The 6,566-square-foot space in the Infield Terminal features wall-length windows, a business centre and wireless Internet access throughout. Other amenities include a large-screen TV and shower facilities, as well as light snacks and beverages including complimentary beer, wine and spirits.

[Isan]

Australia airport leak unsolved
Last Updated: Tuesday, 22 February, 2005, 10:45 GMT

Virgin Airline employee is wheeled from a terminal by paramedics in protective clothing Monday, Feb. 21, 2005.
The leak mainly affected flight and security staff
Investigators have not yet determined the cause of a suspected chemical leak which delayed thousands of passengers at Melbourne airport on Monday.

The incident is still creating a backlog at Virgin Blue domestic terminal, which closed for eight hours while the leak was investigated.

At least 50 people needed hospital treatment after suffering nausea, vomiting and respiratory problems.

A spokeswoman for Virgin Blue said 62 flights were cancelled by the closure.

This stranded or delayed more than 14,000 passengers across Australia.

Peter Holmes, a local fire official, said initial testing had detected a chemical element in the air but it quickly dissipated.

"We were not able to find what the substance was," he was quoted as saying by The Australian.

Mr Holmes said the substance could have been spread by air-conditioning ducts, contaminated baggage or even footwear.

The leak is still affecting passengers at the terminal, whose patience was tested by the last-minute cancellation of a further 15 flights on Tuesday.

"I've lost a day's work and the way things are going I'll probably lose mot of today as well and I'm out of pocket for accommodation," said one passenger hoping to fly home to Adelaide, Graham Hartlett.

Flight crews were being called in on their days off, because they had worked maximum permissible hours on Monday, Virgin Blue spokeswoman Amanda Bolger said.

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/40849000/jpg/_40849317_womanap203.jpg

[Isan]

Airport approves plans for new terminal


Web-posted Feb 24, 2005


By HANK SCHALLER
Of The Daily Oakland Press

ROMULUS - Detroit Metropolitan Airport officials have approved a design for a new $443 million passenger terminal to serve airlines, beginning in late 2008, that currently use the L.C. Smith and Berry International terminals.
Metro Airport spokesman Michael Conway said the Wayne County Airport Authority is moving ahead with a design of a two-story terminal prepared by Gensler Architecture, Design & Planning Worldwide, a San Francisco-based architectural and engineering firm.

The North Terminal Redevelopment Project calls for the construction of a 27-gate terminal where the now vacant Davey Terminal sits. A schematic design of the new terminal should be finished sometime in May, Conway said.

Northwest Airlines left the Davey Terminal in February 2002, when the dominant airline in Detroit moved to the new 97-gate Edward H. McNamara Terminal, which is currently undergoing a $175 million expansion to 122 gates.

"It will be a tale of two cities, as far as comparing the new terminal to the Smith Terminal," Wayne County Airport Authority CEO Lester Robinson said. "People should like it. It will be basically all new. We really couldn't do much to improve the Smith Terminal. It was like putting lipstick on a pig."

Airport officials have already spent about $25 million to demolish old Davey Terminal concourses and compensate Northwest Airlines for having to move a hangar.

Conway said the North Terminal will be built with a Federal Inspection Services facility so it can handle international charter flights now flying out the Berry Terminal.

"Lufthansa, British Airways and Royal Jordanian Airlines that now fly out the McNamara Terminal also will be moving into the new terminal when it is finished," Conway said.

The addition of the U.S. Customs facility increased the cost of the new terminal from $403 million to $443 million.

Plans call for the new terminal, scheduled to open in late 2008, to also serve such airlines as Air Canada, American, America West, Independence Air, Southwest, Spirit, US Airways, United and possibly others that now fly out of the Smith Terminal.

The new terminal will be linked to a parking structure across Rogell Drive by a climate-controlled bridge. Departing passengers will enter the building on the second floor, the same level as the gates and ticket counters. Arriving passengers will pick up their luggage on the first floor.

Conway said the terminal will include two security checkpoints, with several inspection lanes each.

Under a proposed construction schedule, design of the luggage handling system will begin sometime in March, a terminal design will be approved in May, demolition could begin in June, actual construction of the terminal will begin in the spring of 2006, and the terminal will open in late 2008.

Robinson has said the cost of the new terminal will be financed with bonds that will be repaid with the $4.50-per-person passenger facility charge each passenger pays when they depart or change planes at Metro Airport.

He said airport officials have some concerns about staying within their budget since the price of steel has nearly tripled since the McNamara Terminal was constructed. Construction of the North Terminal Complex would be the next phase in the redevelopment of Metro Airport.

That $2 billion redevelopment already includes construction of the $1.2 billion McNamara Terminal, a 11,500-space parking deck next to the McNamara Terminal, a fourth parallel runway and a second entrance into the airport from Interstate 275.

Airport officials will demolish both the Smith and Berry terminals. Conway said there are no plans to replace the Airport Marriott hotel that closed about two years ago.

[Isan]

Bangkok New Airport's opening delayed by six months

AMORNRAT MAHITTHIROOK

Airports of Thailand admitted for the first time yesterday that Suvarnabhumi Airport will open six months after its originally scheduled opening date of Sept 29.

AoT chairman Srisook Chandrangsu said the delay to March next year is aimed at ensuring the safety of airline passengers. The delay will be spent test-running systems being installed at the new Bangkok international airport, he said.

But he dismissed a notion that the delay was forced by construction problems, saying most construction was only slightly behind schedule and workers would be able to finish projects on time.

Mr Srisook spoke during a ceremony to accept bids for commercial space at the new airport.

There have been concerns raised by several sectors that Suvarnabhumi Airport would not be able to open this year.

The International Air Transport Association and construction experts were among those who cast doubts on the Sept 29 opening date, given the amount of work still incomplete.

In September, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra camped out at the site in Samut Prakan's Bang Phli district to boost workers' morale. At the same time, experts were warning about airport safety and quality amid government and AoT pressure on construction firms to meet the deadline.

Mr Srisook insisted planes will be able to touch down at the airport on Sept 29, but commercial operation will be impossible until the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) approves airport safety measures.

ICAO officials have visited the airport to inspect installed equipment, he said.

''Once it is open, it must not have any problems obstructing service,'' Mr Srisook said. Airlines have been informed about the new opening date and they will be allowed to enter the airport in April to prepare their work areas, he said.

Once complete, the 155-billion-baht Suvarnabhumi Airport will be the world's largest single-terminal airport capable of accommodating 45 million passengers in the first phase. It is five times bigger than Don Muang airport.

Five consortiums are vying for the right to develop the commercial areas covering 20,000 square metres at the new airport.

AoT accepted proposals from consortiums led by King Power International Co, Mastermind Consultant Co, Central Department Store Co, Uawatsakul Co and Imperial Plaza Co.

Mr Srisook said technical bids will be evaluated from Feb 28 and two contenders with the best technical scores based on marketing and commercial development plans will be selected for a price contest.

Retail prices in the commercial zone will be capped at 25% above market prices, he said, adding that a good marketing plan was a key to winning the contract.

The contractor will be required to guarantee a minimum return and a 15% share of its income for AoT.

Mr Srisook said most contenders were operators at Don Muang and the winning bid would be announced next month so that the contractor could finish commercial development in time for the opening.

[Isan]

Canadian Airports Council Offer to be Part of the Solution - "Airports Welcome Joint Statement on Security and Prosperity"

OTTAWA, March 24 /CNW Telbec/ - "In a letter to the Prime Minister, and
the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness, the Canadian
Airports Council has offered to participate in finding solutions to the goals
and objective set out in the Security and Prosperity Plan", said Jim Facette,
President and CEO of the Canadian Airports Council (CAC).
The announcement of a Security and Prosperity Partnership for North
America by Prime Minister Paul Martin and Presidents Bush and Fox is good news
for Canada's Airports. The announcement of common security programs promises
improved transborder air services to Canadians.
Mr. Facette also said, "cooperative and complementary security
arrangements are a precondition to restoring the freedom Canadians enjoyed in
traveling to the U.S. and Mexico before the tragic events of September 11th."
In the letter to the Hon. Anne McClellan, Minister of Public Safety and
Emergency Preparedness, the CAC has offered assistance to the Minister as she
works to find areas of common agreement with her U.S. and Mexican
counterparts. The CAC has long supported the need for better cooperation
amongst Canada, the United States and Mexico, this announcement and the tight
time frame gives Canadian airports hope that the partnership will be a
success.

Formed in 1992, the Canadian Airports Council represents Canada's non-
federal airports for industry policy and regulatory matters, facilitating
industry education and exchange, and promoting the industry in Canada and
globally. CAC members account for 100% of all international passenger and
cargo air transportation in Canada and 95% of domestic passenger traffic. With
43 members, operating more than 120 airports, the CAC includes all major
international airports and a number of regional airports across Canada.

[Isan]

Airport alert in Thailand after bombs
Monday 4th April, 2005 (UPI)

Airports in southern Thailand were on full alert Monday after bomb blasts at the region's main airport and two other sites killed at least two people.

Several foreigners were among the wounded in the blasts late Sunday at three locations in Songkhla province: the Hat Yai airport that serves as the main gateway to Thailand's far south, a department store and a hotel, The Nation reported Monday.

They were the first major attacks outside of Thailand's three southernmost provinces where an Islamic insurgency has raged since early last year, claiming almost 800 lives. Songkhla is just north of that region.

We have to check the security at all airports and railway stations in southern Thailand, the Deputy Minister of Transport and Communications Phumtham Wechayachai said.

The bomb blast left several injured including a British woman, a French woman, two people from Malaysia and two from Brunei.

[Isan]

New Airport opens in Poipet Cambodia
7 April 2005


President Airlines recently launched the inaugural charter flight between the new Poipet International Airport and Siem Reap in Cambodia.

While the main airport terminal is still under construction, passenger check-in processing is being conducted at the Holiday Palace Bistro building in Poipet. The Bistro building will serve as the Poipet Airport Passenger Terminal until construction is complete, which is expected by year end.

Poipet Airport is 15km from the Holiday Palace Bistro and traveling time by complimentary bus is 30 minutes. The bus departs 1 hour prior to flight departure. All security checks are done before boarding the bus.

Currently only President Airlines operates at the new airport with the airline concentrating on routes between Poipet - Sieam Reap - Rattanakiri, Sihanouville, and Phnom Phenh.

Airport tax at Poipet International Airport, code HPP, is US$4.00.

[Isan]

Major Indian Airport Project offered to Middle East Investors
13 April 2005


Middle East investors will be given a chance to participate in a public-private partnership project set to transform India’s oldest airport at Nagpur into an international passenger and cargo hub.

The Rs.10 billion project to upgrade the existing airport facilities at Nagpur and construct an adjacent Special Economic Zone will be unveiled at the fifth Airport Build & Supply Exhibition, taking place from 23-25 May at Airport Expo Dubai.

Featuring housing facilities for IT companies, finance and banking services providers, a jewellery park and textile zone as well as other export facilities, the Special Economic Zone will contribute to the growth of air traffic from the airport, which is expected to reach 14 million passengers per year by 2030.

“We chose to participate in the Airport Build & Supply Exhibition as it is an excellent platform to get in touch with investors who have the experience and financial and technical capabilities to handle the project,” said R.C. Sinha, Vice Chairman & Managing Director of Maharashtra Airport Development Company, a special-purpose government company responsible for the implementation of the project.

Sinha will be addressing an audience of airport suppliers at what has become a leading specialised event, designed to introduce the latest in airport technology and services to the Middle East’s airport decision-makers, engineers and planners.

Sinha and his team will also be using the event to source builders and consultants for the project as well as providers of goods such as conveyor belts, escalators and other goods needed to fit out passenger holding areas and cargo facilities.

Phase one of the project involves extending the existing airstrip and upgrading it to handle third-generation aircraft, expanding the terminal building and installing air bridges. Construction is expected to start within three months with completion scheduled for 2009. The second phase of the project will be completed by 2035 and will involve building a second airstrip as well as a new terminal building.

Earlier this month, Bechtel Aviation, which handles the engineering, project and construction management contract for Qatar’s New Doha International Airport, announced it will use the Airport Build & Supply Exhibition to source suppliers for the massive-scale project with tenders worth up to US$2 billion still to be announced.

“We have secured an impressive line-up of over 300 exhibitors at the event this year and this makes it the perfect meeting place for airport industry decision-makers to meet and do business,” said Nick Webb, director, Streamline Marketing, organisers of the three-day event.

All exhibitors will have pre-arranged meetings with the relevant project manager, engineer or architect on the Dubai Department of Civil Aviation’s expansion team, enabling them to discuss Dubai International Airport's expansion as well as the recently-announced Jebel Ali Airport.

[Isan]

BANGKOK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT: Don Muang could become hub for budget airlines

Published on April 16, 2005

Feasibility report expected before Suvarnabhumi opens

After Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi international airport opens next year, Don Muang airport may be transformed into a hub for budget airlines.

The Department of Aviation and Aeronautical Radio of Thailand Co Ltd is studying the current airport’s future and whether foreign low-cost carriers should also fly there along with Thai budget airlines.

Although there is no specific timeframe for the study, Deputy Transport Minister Phumtham Wechayachai said he expected the department to finish its report before the opening of Suvarnabhumi, scheduled for next March. “All the information from the study will be used to determine our policy on the future of Don Muang.”

Over the past few years, low-cost airlines - including Thai AirAsia, Nok Air and One-Two-Go - have sprouted wings, intensifying competition on domestic and international routes.

Regional budget carriers, such as Tiger and Jet Star, have also begun undercutting traditional carriers on international routes and in turn increasing the number of airlines plying the skies of the region.

The government has bandied about a number of different ideas for Don Muang once the new airport opens, including transforming it into new digs for Parliament, a notion that didn’t make the cut.

While in office, Suriya Jungrungreangkit, the former transport minister, indicated that he wouldn’t object to Don Muang becoming a base for low-cost carriers.

Phumtham said if it is decided that Don Muang should become a hub for low-cost airlines, the entire management of the airport, from flight control systems to scheduling of flights between Don Muang and Suvarnabhumi, as well as other facilities, would have to be reconsidered.

“If we allow regional low-cost airlines to come in there, then we must also establish customs and immigration procedures,” he said.

The study will also consider other ways to make the best use of Don Muang’s facilities.

It could become a centre for aircraft maintenance, an exhibition centre, a parking area for private aircraft, or a base for corporate jets and chartered flights, he said.

Watcharapong Thongrung

The Nation

[Isan]

Cathay Pacific tops the 2005 Airline Lounge Awards, ranked No 1 First Class lounge and No 1 Business Class lounge

The results for the 2005 Best Airline Lounges survey have been published by Skytrax Research, covering First and Business class airline lounges.

FIRST CLASS LOUNGE RANKING

1 Cathay Pacific - HKG

2 Thai Airways - BKK

3 South African Airways - JNB

4 Asiana Airlines - ICN

5 Malaysia Airlines (KUL)

6 Lufthansa (FRA)

7 Singapore Airlines (SIN)

8 Qatar Airways (DOH)

9 Gulf Air (BAH)

10 Swiss (ZRH)


BUSINESS CLASS LOUNGE RANKING

1 Cathay Pacific- HKG

2 Virgin Atlantic - LHR

3 Gulf Air - BAH

4 China Airlines - TPE

5 Swiss - ZRH

6 Singapore Airlines - SIN

7 SAS Scandinavian - CPH

8 Malaysia Airlines - KUL

9 China Airlines - TPE

10 Qantas Airways - SYD

Commenting on the lounge rankings, Peter Miller of Skytrax said "our lounge ratings are the result of an exacting analysis of standards. We are not interested in which airline has the largest lounges, or necessarily the most technologically advanced services - but the combined quality of product and service. A good airline lounge is somewhere you feel relaxed, genuinely welcome, and the expected product facilities are available."

"The airport experience is now a critical elements of today's air travel enjoyment in First and Business class, and passenger expectations are at their highest. Customers prepared to pay these fare levels expect the best quality of service - from start to finish of their journey" added Miller.

Lounge ranking assesses the national image and characteristics that an airline portrays throughout its lounge facilities. "Identity and branding is increasingly important for today's airlines, but we are not evaluating simply from the presence of corporate logos and branding" said Miller.

"The lounge is an opportunity to project the image and feeling of a country - creating a unique atmosphere, so that although you are actually passing time in a large concrete, utilitarian building, you feel as if you are closer to the real character of the country or culture. One of the best airlines in this respect, is South African Airways who have developed a striking and attractive African theme for all of their directly operated lounges - entering their lounge in London or Cape Town, and you enter into the wonderful world of Africa, with beautiful hand crafted furniture and decorations".

If you want to de-stress before or between flights, head for Thai Airways lounges in Bangkok where you can have a traditional Thai neck or foot massage.

In Hong Kong at the Cathay Pacific lounges you can indulge in a luxurious bath in the Cabanas, enjoy freshly cooked speciality noodle dishes, relax in a day-break room or surf the net anywhere in the lounges with wifi connectivity.

"There are a number of airlines claiming to offer high revenue passengers an exclusive or unique experience in the airport environment, although in some cases it is based on the re-working of an existing theme" said Miller. "Our Survey seeks out those airlines that offer something original, and above all, they offer in the best quality format"

The reality is that customers base their satisfaction levels on the actual experience. That experience is not going to be judged just on the "shopping list" of available lounge facilities, but the way in which they are delivered. As with all walks of life, it is the "feel-good" factor which determines satisfaction, and that is dependent on the quality and character of the service itself.

There is no shortage of "added-value" items that airlines have integrated into these lounges appealing to their highest revenue customers. Bedrooms with en-suite bathrooms - children's playrooms, games rooms, music rooms, dvd players, valet services, fitness centres, a la carte dining with lounge chefs … to name just a few.

Airlines want to satisfy their loyal and most highly valued customers says Miller, and in this respect the real winners tend to be Asian carriers - lounges with the most developed product facilities, and service that is unsurpassed in other regions of the world.

Germany's Lufthansa has set the benchmark in Europe for First Class passengers, with its recently opened First Class terminal in Frankfurt, where pampering and personal service is the new watchword for First class travel. In the US, airline lounges tend to be more functional say Skytrax, and budgetary constraints affecting all carriers there means that product innovation or competitiveness is lagging behind other regions. These lounges are suited for domestic travel, but still do not match intercontinental travel standards that passengers are used.

7th May 2005

[Isan]

http://tinypic.com/65su0w

http://tinypic.com/65su43

http://tinypic.com/65suc7

http://tinypic.com/6o21p5.jpg

http://tinypic.com/6o21xg.jpg

[Isan]

New Waterfront Business Lounge for Sydney Delegates
30 June 2005


The Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre has launched a new concept for Australian convention venues – a waterfront business lounge for visitors.

To open early next year, the Bayside Lounge will provide an ideal setting for delegates and visitors to Sydney’s Darling Harbour precinct to chat with colleagues, enjoy a light meal or simply catch up on the latest news.

The Lounge will feature a stylish, contemporary décor and will be built over two levels, on the site of the present Bayside Room, next to the Convention Centre North foyer.

Visitors will be able to read the day’s newspapers, take in some cable news, savour a barista-made coffee or enjoy a meal from the à la carte menu and a glass of wine with friends.

The Lounge’s upstairs level will be solely for delegate use and will feature a conference/online area, as well as a private dining room with its own lobby and pre-function area, perfect for small meetings and events. The entire lounge will feature wireless technology.

Centre Chief Executive Ton van Amerongen said the new facility would accommodate up to 250 guests and would have a light, open and relaxed atmosphere, creating an inviting link between the Centre and the city.

He described the Bayside Lounge as a key component of the ongoing refurbishment program of the Centre, which is located on the waterfront at Darling Harbour on the edge of Sydney’s central business district.

“Like the rest of our new design elements, the Bayside Lounge will embrace the vitality of Sydney and provide a reminder to our visitors that their event is being held in one of the world’s most exciting and beautiful cities.”

Mr van Amerongen said early feedback to the concept had been fantastic.

“Last year we installed a number of casual lounge settings in our foyer areas and these have been very popular with our delegates, so we expect visitors will love the opportunity to relax and take a break in a dedicated lounge area. We also think a lot of our clients and exhibitors will enjoy having a special area where they can host their guests.”

The Bayside Lounge will open early 2006 and will operate seven days a week.

[samsonyuen]

Airport about to be No. 1 overall
> Delays increase as traffic grows

> By KIRSTEN TAGAMI
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
> Published on: 07/02/05
Atlanta's airport, already the world's busiest in terms of people, is on the way toward becoming the busiest for flights as well, government numbers confirmed Friday.

But it's a dubious distinction. Another government report says Hartsfield-Jackson International had the worst delays of any U.S. airport for the first half of June, and it warned the rest of the summer could be as bad or worse.

A total of 35 percent of flights were delayed from June 1 to 15, according to the report by the Office of Inspector General in the U.S. Department of Transportation. The average delay was 58 minutes.

Other airports on the department's watch list for summer delays: Newark, N.J., Philadelphia, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Washington's Dulles and New York's LaGuardia.

Hartsfield-Jackson handled 497,019 flight operations in the first six months of the year, Federal Aviation Administration officials said. Its perennial competitor, Chicago's O'Hare International, handled 483,473.

Hartsfield-Jackson has been the busiest in people terms for several years, handling 83 million last year. But O'Hare had held the title for flights. One reason for the switch is that the FAA has told airlines to cut schedules at O'Hare to reduce peak-time delays there. Meanwhile, Delta Air Lines has added flights in Atlanta as part of a restructuring.

Airport officials forecast record traffic for the July 4 weekend, with 1.4 million people expected to fly between Thursday and next Tuesday.

"Traffic is back to pre-9/11 levels here in Atlanta and across the country," said Carolyn Blum, administrator of the FAA Southern region. "Travelers should know that they are likely to experience delays this summer.

[Isan]

Malaysia Airports selects Preston Gate Allocation System
7 July 2005


Preston Aviation Solutions, a Boeing wholly owned subsidiary, has been commissioned by Malaysia Airports to replace the existing gate-allocation system at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) with its dynamic airport resource management system – Airport Solutions.

Airport Solutions will be installed at Malaysia’s premier airport hub to assist the team at KLIA’s airport operations to better manage the forecasted growth and ongoing expansion of the airport. Preston’s integrated suite of decision support tools will provide KLIA with a sophisticated and reliable resource management system, which will meet the day-to-day operations and strategic planning requirements of its gate and remote parking resources, check-in desks and baggage carousels.

"Allocating the right resources at the right time is a challenging task for any major international airport hub, which is why a system like Airport Solutions will enable us to confidently handle KLIA’s current and future resource demands," said Dato’ Seri Bashir Ahmad, Managing Director of Malaysia Airports.

"Preston’s new resource management system will also assist us to evaluate past, current and future passenger processing operations at KL International Airport."

The implementation of Airport Solutions at KLIA commenced in February and is expected to be operational by September 2005.

Airport Solutions is currently in use by many of the world’s leading international airports including: Auckland International Airport, New Zealand; Bangkok International Airport, Thailand, Chek Lap Kok, Hong Kong; Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted International Airports, London; Narita Airport, Japan; Stockholm-Arlanda International Airport, Stockholm; and Vancouver International Airport; Canada.

[Isan]

go to details (http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=179372)

[Isan]

HK PRESS: HK Airport, Malaysia's AirAsia Resume Talks
Monday July 11, 2005, 10:57 am
DJ HK PRESS: HK Airport, Malaysia's AirAsia Resume Talks

HONG KONG (Dow Jones)--The Hong Kong Airport Authority, which operates Hong Kong's Chek Lap Kok international airport, has resumed talks with Malaysian budget carrier AirAsia Bhd. (5099.KU) about services to Hong Kong just a year after the last round of negotiations ended abruptly, the South China Morning Post reports.

The paper said that a delegation from AirAsia, the region's most profitable low-cost airline, met with airport officials on Thursday and Friday for talks, which it cited a senior executive as saying "were very good."

Earlier negotiations, held in May last year, ended after AirAsia Chief Executive Tony Fernandes picked a "hungrier" Macau, which has a cheaper airport. Hong Kong's airline user fees are among the highest in the region.

At present, AirAsia offers international flights to Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta, Bali, Senai and Phuket. The talks include the possibility of AirAsia flying to Hong Kong from all its current destinations, the paper said.

Newspaper Web site: http://www.scmp.com

-By Hong Kong Bureau, Dow Jones Newswires; 852-2802-7002; djnews.hongkong@dowjones.com

-Edited by David Riordan

[Isan]

Incheon International Airport prepares for LCCs, confirms IPO plans
28 July 2005


In his first interview since being appointed President & CEO of Incheon International Airport Corporation (IIAC), Mr Jae Hee Lee, stated that IIAC is considering preparing to attract LCCs by constructing an LCC terminal and providing incentive schemes, subject to LCC market demand.

In an exclusive interview in the July 2005 edition of The Centre for Asia Pacific’s flagship publication, Aviation Analyst-Asia Pacific, Mr Lee stated, “although the LCC market in Korea, China and Japan has not yet been developed, it has a huge potential for growth. Depending on the success of LCCs in this region, the LCC industry will achieve significant growth in the market”.

IIAC is also targeting after 2008 for privatisation, “when the environment for investment is ripe” and the second phase construction project has been completed, according to Mr Lee.

On the topic of liberalisation and aviation access, Mr Lee stated the situation of air traffic rights and liberalisation is a “complex issue”. “From the airport’s perspective, liberalisation of air services agreements is quite attractive. On the other hand, the airport also needs to work together with airlines serving the airport as a hub. Therefore IIAC is ready to collaborate with airlines for mutual growth and prosperity”.

“In addition, liberalisation in North Asia is a key topic of interest. I believe that it will stimulate supply and demand of the aviation industry by facilitating growth and development of the region”, said Mr Lee in the Aviation Analyst-Asia Pacific report.

[Isan]

Heavy rain forces closure of Mumbai airport

Press Trust of India
Mumbai, July 31, 2005


All international and domestic flights in and out of Mumbai airport have come to a halt since the wee hours due to poor visibility following heavy rain.

Flights have stopped operating from around 5 am after the arrival of an Aeroflot flight in Mumbai, an airport official said.

All out-bound flights have been kept on hold and all the parking bays have been occupied leading to jam-packed Santa Cruz (domestic) and Sahar (international) terminal buildings.

The in-bound flights are being diverted to other destinations, the official added.

[Isan]

Rats, rain plague airport
Swati Ali

Mumbai, July 31: Rats scurrying to and fro, piles of garbage everywhere, passengers sleeping on the floor and serpentine queues outside phone booths — Mumbai’s Santacruz airport has now started resembling a railway platform.

On Sunday, fresh clouds of uncertainty loomed over it as another spell of rains lashed the city. Poor visibility and the waterlogging forced authorities to suspended flights from 5 am to 11.30 am.

For airlines, trying to clear a 48-hour backlog resulting from the deluge earlier in the week, this was bad news: more schedules thrown haywire. After planes started taking off and landing again at 11.30 am, Airport Director Sudhir Kumar said: ‘‘If visibility goes down again, it (the airport) will be shut down again. The situation is unpredictable with the rains.’’

Meanwhile, passengers and relatives are angry about the lack of information. ‘‘The airport manager says he does not know anything and tells us to ask the airlines. First, the phones are not working. Secondly, the airlines also do not tell us anything,’’ said Qadar Khan (35) whose wife had checked in for a flight to Saudi Arabia scheduled for 10.30 am.

‘‘I don’t know whether the flight has been cancelled or delayed, I can’t see her anywhere. She is uneducated and will not be able to find her way.’’ The airport manager’s office displayed a notice saying all flights had been delayed or diverted. But when worried passengers thronged the office, another notice replaced this one saying: “passengers should contact airlines for information.”

On Sunday, when flights were suspended, several aircraft were stranded on the tarmac.

The Gulf Air Mumbai-Bahrain-Riyadh flight (GF 57-161), scheduled to take off at 5.30 am, was one of them. Passengers were made to board the plane at 5 am and then had to sit inside it till 10.30 am, when they were told that the flight had been cancelled and they could go home.

Balachandran B (48), one of the passengers on board said, ‘‘It was crazy. They served us breakfast inside the plane like it was nothing out of the ordinary. We were sitting like fools.’’

Another passenger, Mohammad Qazi (45), said, ‘‘They kept saying they would take off any moment, but nothing happened. We were at least hoping that they would take us to a hotel, like the usual routine.’’

Added Rakesh Bakshi, another passenger: ‘‘Forget a hotel, they didn’t even allow us to go to the terminal building saying that the flight would take off the minute visibility was a little better. We were just stuck inside a stuffy aircraft.’’

Saadiq Qureishi (25) had his own story. ‘‘The worst part was when after 5 hours they told us that the flight had been cancelled and led us out of the plane in the rain,’’ he said.

Balachandran has taken ten rounds of the airport since the cancellation.

‘‘The airlines has refused to tell me what time the next flight will be scheduled. I will have to remain here till I know for sure,’’ he said. ‘‘I don’t know anyone in the city.’’

He’s now one more addition to the thousands of passengers camping at the airport premises.

[Isan]

http://www.payloadasia.com/Magazine/archives/02_05/02_05_graphics/airport.jpg

Qatar has broken ground on the $5.5 billion, 1,700-hectare New Doha International Airport to handle 50 million passengers and 2 million tonnes of cargo by 2015. The $2.5 billion first phase of the project is scheduled to open in 2009 and will be able to handle 12 million passengers and 750,000 tonnes of cargo. The new airport is situated 4 km east of the existing airport

[Isan]

Plans are underway to improve Fiji's international ports of entry at Nadi and Nausori.

Transport Minister Simione Kaitani told parliament recently that major infra-structural works and upgrades would begin soon to ensure that efficient regular air services to Fiji's International airports are not disrupted.

Mr Kaitani says since a major profit increase, Airports Fiji Limited is now in a position to ensure that capital work upgrades on the Nausori and Nadi international airports are carried out.

He says the government is continuing to negotiate bilateral air service agreements with other countries, the latest signed with Niue and Japan, is expected to be finalised soon.

ABC Asia Pacific TV / Radio Australia

[Isan]

Boston Airport Unveils New Plan for Runways

BOSTON - Following a series of incidents on Logan International Airport's intersecting runways, including the near collision of two jets taking off, officials unveiled a safety plan involving new signs and closer supervision of planes.

Since last September, Logan has seen 12 so-called "incursions," in which planes have been cleared for takeoff only to find another aircraft blocking the runway. One of those was considered serious - two passenger jets that narrowly avoided a high-speed collision.

The new signs will better indicate where planes should stop. Also, airport officials will escort all planes being moved around the airport for maintenance.

The chief pilots from several airlines have been summoned to Logan next week to discuss the new procedures.

On Monday, a FedEx cargo plane crossed the path of a JetBlue passenger jet about to take off, but air traffic controllers were able to warn the JetBlue pilots before the plane started rolling down the runway.

A June 9 incident was scarier. A US Airways Jet traveling 167 miles per hour crossed paths with an Aer Lingus plane going 198 miles per hour. The two jets came within 60 yards of each another where two of Logan's runways intersect.

Federal Aviation Administration and local officials cite several possible reasons for Logan's higher number of incursions, including the airport's cramped layout, the disruption caused by the ongoing construction of a sixth runway, and the gradual change in the ratio of jet planes to propellor driven planes using the airport.

Source: Charleston Daily Mail

[Isan]

New Abu Dhabi International Airport terminals fully operational


Two new contemporary interim terminals at Abu Dhabi International Airport in the capital of the United Arab Emirates, are now fully operational after being delivered by SCADIA (Supervision Committee for the expansion of Abu Dhabi International Airport) to the Abu Dhabi Department of Civil Aviation in a record six months.

[Isan]

Chubu airport on track to meet business goals as regional hub
09/01/2005
The Asahi Shimbun

Even skeptics admit that Chubu Centrair International Airport has had a smooth takeoff.

Since opening on Feb. 17 off Tokoname, Aichi Prefecture, the nation's third largest international airport has attracted a steady stream of passengers and cargo. Earnings are also on an upward trajectory. By the end of June, about 1.94 million passengers had used Chubu airport for international flights, and about 2.66 million for domestic ones.

The figures surpass passenger numbers at the nearby Nagoya airport a year earlier by 29 percent and 12 percent, respectively.

Still, the airport operator has some work to do before the new air hub reaches cruising speed.

Priority No. 1: Better service for international business travelers.

One potentially crucial weakness is making itself felt: a dearth of direct flights to overseas destinations.

"Chubu still has a limited number of direct international services," says Shuji Ito, vice chairman of the Chubu Economic Federation and president of musical instruments manufacturer Yamaha Corp.

There are only four routes to North America.

American Airlines Inc. is flying to Chicago, United Air Lines Inc. to San Francisco, Northwest Airlines Corp. to Detroit, and Air Canada to Vancouver.

To reach such popular destinations as New York and Los Angeles, passengers from Chubu have to change flights at a U.S. airport.

As a result, many business travelers opt to fly to Narita International Airport to catch direct services from the nation's largest air hub.

Six flights are available daily from Chubu to Narita to connect to international flights operated by Japan Airlines Corp., All Nippon Airways Co. and Northwest Airlines.

"Despite the opening of Chubu airport, the number of business travelers departing from Narita via Chubu is almost unchanged," said Yukihisa Hirano, president of airport operator Central Japan International Airport Co.

Hirano, a former director of Toyota Motor Corp., knows this has to change.

The president has begun making the rounds of 50 major companies in the Tokai region, including Toyota, to ask them to use direct flights from Chubu for overseas business trips.

The airport company aims to report a profit on a single-year basis in five years.

Chubu's half-year results show the airport is on track to meet its target, but Hirano knows that business passengers hold the key to his company's bottom line.

Without solid business demand, airlines are not expected to add direct flights to the United States and Europe because business-class seats carry far fatter profit margins than economy-class seats.

Another, perhaps shorter-term problem ironically stems from the popularity of the 2005 World Exposition in Aichi Prefecture.

The event, which opened in March, is bringing in an additional 3,000 domestic passengers a day at Chubu.

Many flights are fully booked, making things hard for people from regional cities who want to connect with an international flight at Chubu.

A travel agent in Fukuoka said it is impossible to reserve seats on flights to Chubu and that there is little that can be done until the expo ends.

Attracting transit travelers is an important goal in Chubu's strategy to lift earnings.

Chubu operates as many as 665 domestic routes weekly, many taken over from Nagoya airport.

It is linked with 25 cities nationwide, more than Narita or Kansai International Airport.

Someone flying from Fukuoka or Sendai, for example, can connect with flights to U.S. and European destinations at Chubu on the day of departure.

One compact passenger terminal building serves both domestic and international flights, which helps cut the minimum connecting time to 75 minutes, about half that of Narita.

The airport company believes the word on Chubu's better connections is starting to spread in regional cities.

It estimates that the number of passengers who changed from domestic to international flights at Chubu has risen by about 500 a month since April, reaching 3,200 in June.

But the June figure represents only 0.5 percent of all domestic passengers that used the airport.

Kunikatsu Yamashita, senior executive vice president of the airport operator, said the company is preparing to launch a series of campaigns to attract both passengers and sightseers once the World Expo closes on Sept. 25.(IHT/Asahi: September 1,2005)

[Isan]

‘Top Deck at the Jumbo’ in Hong Kong to Open October 2005
12 September 2005


Top Deck at the Jumbo, a new 300-seat, 9,000 sq ft restaurant, bar and al fresco lounge is set to open on the rooftop of one of Hong Kong's most famous icons - the Jumbo Floating Restaurant in Aberdeen.

The restaurant, scheduled to open in October 2005, is the latest venture of the Cafe Deco Group, renowned for Cafe Deco at The Peak.

With indoor and outdoor seating, the new “lifestyle venue” will feature oyster and sushi bars with vibrant ‘show kitchens’ focusing on fresh seafood prepared in a variety of ways.

Top Deck at the Jumbo successfully combines the original Chinese fixtures and fittings with contemporary design elements to appeal to a broad cross section of the community.

Separate pagodas with fabulous harbour views provide intimate dining for up to 8 people, and the private dining room can accommodate up to 40 persons.

Top Deck at the Jumbo can accommodate up to 700 guests for cocktail receptions, or 300 guests for sit down dinners.

“Top Deck will lend a new lease of life to this unique space atop a superbly renovated, legendary Hong Kong landmark,” said Martin Allies, president of the Cafe Deco Group.

“The need for a casual yet fun and relaxing restaurant of some size and significance on the south side of Hong Kong Island is well known.

To be able to do this on one of Hong Kong’s few remaining icons, positioned with high visibility in Aberdeen Harbour is a remarkable opportunity. It will be a unique outdoor dining experience, either for relaxing drinks, intimate dinners or large scale functions as a major entertainment and events venue,” Allies continued.

Insisting the concept will “complement rather than compete” with the Chinese restaurants on decks below, he predicts Top Deck at the Jumbo will become the “talking point of Hong Kong”, a landmark restaurant on the “must visit” itinerary of tourists and locals.

With car parking (at Aberdeen Marina Club or Jumbo Court Parking) and valet parking right at the harbour side at Shum Wan Pier, and complimentary mooring for diners arriving by boat, guests arrive in Jumbo-style aboard a specially designed Jumbo ferry or traditional sampan.

[Isan]

Airport targets English passengers
Sep 28 2005
David Williamson, Western Mail


A NEW project aims to identify the obstacles which could be stopping English customers using Cardiff International Airport.

The Government-supported collaboration between the airport and the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff will study the travel habits of people from the West of England.

Oliver Jaycock, 27, from Torbay in Devon, will manage the project. He recently graduated with a First Class Honours degree in Business and Tourism Management from UWIC and will be based at the airport.

It is scheduled to run for two and a half years, with the first results in 2006. The ultimate objective of the project is to increase the number of passengers using the airport and the number of destinations it serves.

Approximately 1.9m passengers pass through the airport each year. Half the passengers are travelling on scheduled flights and half on charter flights.

Around 170,000 passengers fly to Amsterdam with KLM and 65% of these connect to destinations around the world.

Jon Horne, managing director, said, "This project is a great opportunity to identify and dispel misconceptions about travelling to Wales, and for the airport to develop a much wider catchment area beyond Wales. Almost 10% of the passengers already using the airport originate outside Wales, and there is evidence to support the fact that, while this number is growing, there is immense scope for reducing the number of West of England passengers still making the trek to Heathrow and South East airports.

"We are not suggesting that people living in Bristol should, or would choose Cardiff over Bristol Airport for the same destination. However, Cardiff now has a growing range of services, including long haul flights, which are unique in the southwest of the UK.

"More importantly, this is about the future. Planned improvements to the airport's road access and the recently opened rail link will make the airport easier to reach and more attractive to a new audience. Already we are working to establish direct rail services from a range of places such as Bath, Bristol, Gloucester and Swindon.

"Having the data from this research project will inform the messages we need to convey to that new audience about the opportunities presented by Cardiff International Airport, it will also be vital in our work to attract new routes and airlines."

Professor Eleri Jones, head of Uwic's Welsh School of Hospitality, Tourism and Leisure Management, praised the Knowledge Transfer Partnership programme, of which this is a part. Backing comes from both the Department for Trade and Industry and the Assembly Government.

She said, "The whole point of knowledge transfer is that each partner learns from the other and in so doing moves forward and breaks new ground.

"I am certain that this will be the case in our partnership and will allow Cardiff International Airport and Uwic to become leaders in their respective fields."

[kiretoce]

http://www.payloadasia.com/Magazine/archives/02_05/02_05_graphics/airport.jpg

Qatar has broken ground on the $5.5 billion, 1,700-hectare New Doha International Airport to handle 50 million passengers and 2 million tonnes of cargo by 2015. The $2.5 billion first phase of the project is scheduled to open in 2009 and will be able to handle 12 million passengers and 750,000 tonnes of cargo. The new airport is situated 4 km east of the existing airport

Looks like HKG's twin! :colgate:

[spyguy]

FAA approval seen Friday for O'Hare expansion plan

By Jon Hilkevitch
Published September 29, 2005

A decision will be issued Friday on Chicago's proposal to expand O'Hare International Airport, the Federal Aviation Administration said Wednesday.

Chicago officials had originally pressed for FAA approval by mid-2004 to allow construction on new runways to start. But the federal agency said the review process would take until this month.

The announcement has gone down to the wire, in part because approvals were still needed this week from the U.S. Department of the Interior and the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency to relocate about 1,300 graves at the 156-year-old St. Johannes Cemetery, which borders O'Hare. The cemetery is in the path of one new runway.

FAA approval of O'Hare expansion is expected. But the FAA said it will continue working to complete a financial analysis to determine whether the economic benefits of the expansion exceed the costs, which total $14.7 billion for the airfield realignment, construction of new terminals and other capital improvements. A decision is expected by the end of the year, said FAA spokesman Tony Molinaro.

Positive benefits-to-costs results are required by law for the city to receive $300 million in federal funding for the first phase of the project--and a total of $2 billion in federal grants and passenger ticket taxes that the city is counting on to help pay for the entire project.

Besides the funding uncertainties, there are questions about whether the airport plan is safe and how many years of better performance the expanded airport will provide before serious flight delays return.

Airport opponents vow to seek a court injunction barring the city from condemning the cemetery and other properties on more than 400 acres in Bensenville and Elk Grove Village for the expansion. The expansion foes want a judge to prevent the city from bulldozing properties at least until a determination is made on the benefit-cost test.

[Isan]

Airports retain security charge
Oct 6, 2005

Airlines want to know why regional international airports are retaining a $5 charge to travellers they no longer need to collect.

Since October 1, airlines - not airports - have the responsibility of collecting charges for aviation security measures.

The Board of Airline Representatives says Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch airports are putting the $5 per passenger towards terminal developments. But BARNZ says Dunedin, Queenstown, Palmerston North and Hamilton airports have not explained why they need to keep the extra revenue.

Regional airports are defending their decision not to drop departure charges to $20, saying they need money for expanding their facilities and to pay for new border security systems. But BARNZ says they need to explain in detail what their plans are and how much they will cost. Executive director Stewart Milne says airports are required by law to justify any increase in charges.

The chief executive of Dunedin International airport, John McCall, says airports have had to invest heavily to provide for the new border security systems. McCall says his airport informed Air New Zealand of its plans and didn't hear any complaints back.
Source: RNZ

[Isan]

Chubu airport profits get flying start

11/25/2005

The Asahi Shimbun

NAGOYA--Chubu Centrair International Airport saw profits take off four years ahead of schedule thanks to its unexpectedly strong attraction as a tourist destination and a world exposition in its backyard.

The airport, which opened in February in Tokoname, Aichi Prefecture, now expects a consolidated net profit of 900 million yen for the year ending March.

Initial projections saw losses through fiscal 2008, including a group net loss of 1.1 billion yen in the first year.

The strong earnings projection contrasts with the turbulence encountered by Kansai International Airport. Ten years after its opening, the airport eked out its first profit in the six months through September 2004.

Despite its strong opening, Chubu airport's long-term profitability is far from guaranteed.

To secure a stable earnings base, it will need more international flights, particularly to the United States and Europe.

The number of day-trippers that packed its restaurants, shops and other commercial facilities should decline in the coming months. The 2005 World Exposition in Aichi Prefecture ended its 6-month run in September.

For the six months through September, Chubu International Airport Co. had a group net profit of 1.8 billion yen on sales of 27.4 billion yen.

"We received a stronger-than-expected tailwind from a rush of sightseers to the airport itself, as well as the Aichi Expo," President Yukihisa Hirano said.

Those two factors pushed up the company's first-half revenues by 1.1 billion yen over estimates. About two-thirds of the 1.1 billion yen came from commercial facilities, according to the company.

More than 15 million people have visited the airport since its inauguration, including many sightseers to the airport itself and travelers to the Aichi Expo.

A hefty construction cost underrun also helped.

The airport operator demonstrated its efficiency early on by slashing construction costs by 170 billion yen from the initial estimate of 768 billion yen.

In the April-September period, non-aviation revenues, such as sales at duty-free shops and fees from parking lots, accounted for about 60 percent of income.

The remainder came from aviation operations, such as landing fees from airlines.

The percentages were in line with the airport operator's original forecasts.

The company intends to maximize non-aviation revenues to keep landing fees and other charges at competitive levels.

Still, windfalls from the airport's novelty appeal are expected to taper off.

In the six months through March, revenues are projected to fall 2 billion yen from the fiscal first half. The expected drop is due in part to fewer extended holidays during the period.

In the long term, adding international flights, particularly to Western countries, will be the top priority to increase the number of business travelers.

Of the 309 weekly international passenger flights, only 28 fly to U.S. and European destinations.

Worse still, some overseas airlines are scaling back their Chubu operations, citing weak demand and high fuel prices.

In October, American Airlines discontinued its Chicago-Chubu service, only six months after it opened the route.

Air Canada suspended its Vancouver-Chubu service in November. The suspension will continue at least until spring of 2007, although the company initially planned to reopen the route in April.

Deutsche Lufthansa will reduce its Frankfurt-Chubu flights in December and January from seven per week to five.

From late October to early November, executives from the airport operator and the Chubu Economic Federation visited Europe to woo more flights.

Hirano, after returning from the mission, said four companies, including Scandinavian Airlines and Austrian Airlines, are considering opening or adding flights to Chubu airport.

Still, the 20-member delegation failed to win concrete promises.

Currently, Paris and Frankfurt are the only European cities that have direct links with Chubu airport.

Industry officials say European airlines are reluctant to launch long-distance services in the face of competition with start-ups and high fuel prices.

"We have realized that it is not easy to persuade airlines," said Chubu Economic Federation Vice Chairman Nobuo Kamino, who headed the delegation. "We have to continue to lobby for more flights next year and the following year."(IHT/Asahi: November 25,2005)

[Isan]

http://tinypic.com/i1xmbs.jpg

[Isan]

http://tinypic.com/i5aupv.jpg

[Isan]

Koltsovo airport refuses Moscow-bound slots to Siberia Airlines
03.02.2006 12:58:59

Says Koltsovo airport spokesperson Yulia Fedotova: ‘Siberia Airlines applied for a permission to perform Yekaterinburg-Moscow flights via our airport in the end of 2005. Yet in mid-January 2006 Koltsovo decided to refuse them the slots they needed.’
Ms Fedotova explained that the arrival of one more carrier onto Moscow-bound market would hardly be expedient. Koltsovo airport specialists had estimated that 250,998 people traveled from Yekaterinburg to Moscow via 3,290 flights performed by Ural Airlines, Aeroflot, Transaero using TU-154, TU-134, IL-86, Airbus 320, and Boeing 737. 2, 921 flights were regular ones.
‘This gives us an average of 85 passengers per one Yekaterinburg-Moscow flight, or 65.6% of the aircraft passenger capacity. This is slightly less than the normal and satisfactory figure of 70%. Should 77% of the plane passenger capacity be filled up, there would certainly emerge a greater demand and we would have to introduce extra flights. Yet the statistics indicates that any new Moscow-bound flights would not be worthwhile,’ Ms Fedotova said.
It has been meanwhile reported that local booking offices are already selling the tickets for Siberia Airlines Yekaterinburg-Moscow flights in March. ‘Yet the company does not perform any flights whatsoever from Yekaterinburg,’ Ms Fedotova noted.

[Isan]

The Raleigh-Durham International Airport Authority plans to spend $125 million to raze and rebuild the south passenger concourse of Terminal C ?instead of renovating it to save money.
The decision will push the cost of replacing Terminal C to about $555 million.

The airport authority also agreed Thursday to make Archer Western Contractors of Atlanta the general contractor ?for a contract of up to $258 million that does not include replacing the south concourse. Some cost items are still being negotiated, and the actual sum might be lower, said John B. Brantley, RDU airport director.

RDU expects to invite Archer Western to bid next year on the south concourse replacement.

In 2003, with air travel down and the nation economy in a slump, RDU officials were not sure they could afford the full cost of replacing the red-roofed Terminal C, which opened in 1987.

They put a $350 million cap on the project. They decided to replace the northern half of the concourse, which was demolished last year, and renovate the southern half now in use. Inflation has increased this cost to about $430 million in 2006 dollars.

Because RDU economic picture has brightened in the past three years, the airport authority agreed Thursday to spend up to $125 million to replace the south concourse. The plans have not been completed.

Part of the new terminal will open in 2008. When completed in 2010, the new terminal will nearlly triple the size of Terminal C, with 890,000 square feet of space. Most of the growth will be in the front of the building, with expanded passenger and baggage halls.

http://test.newsobserver.com/media/2005/11/04/main-1069274-662040.embedded.jpg

[samsonyuen]

^Looks nice. Is RDU growing at such a pace that it's in need of a whole new terminal?

[HelloMoto163]

on Tuesday begin the negotiation for the new airport(BBI) in berlin
if the court agrees this then it would be build this year

http://www.blc.berlin.de/imperia/md/images/blc/partner/bbi_luftbild_700x500.jpg

http://www.airport-technology.com/projects/berlin/images/BERLIN4.jpg

[Desven]

^^doesn't it look like Munich?!

[HelloMoto163]

but this is not munich

http://www.gmp-architekten.de/2projects/bbi/bbi07max.jpg

http://www.gmp-architekten.de/2projects/bbi/bbi02max.jpg

http://www.gmp-architekten.de/2projects/bbi/bbi06max.jpg

http://www.gmp-architekten.de/2projects/bbi/bbi08max.jpg


Schönefeld, Tegel, Tempelhof 2004 14,9 Mio. Passengers

Schönefeld, Tegel, Tempelhof 2005 ~17 Mio.

BBI 2012 23 Mio.

BBI 2030 30 Mio.

[Isan]

LAX trailing in A380 facilities race

Might not be ready for super-jumboBy JENNIFER OLDHAMLos Angeles TimesSAN FRANCISCO - With ample seating in its spacious international terminal and six gates equipped for double-decker jets, not to mention a fine selection of restaurants, this city's airport is ready for the massive 555-seat A380 airliner.
Los Angeles International Airport, known as LAX, has none of the above.
While Southern California officials dickered during the last decade about how to modernize LAX, San Francisco built a gleaming $1 billion international terminal that was specifically designed to accommodate the new Airbus super-jumbo jet. The world's largest passenger plane is expected to start service to the West Coast in spring 2007.
Sixteen carriers have purchased 159 of the jets from Airbus, a European consortium based in Toulouse, France. Some airlines, including Qantas Airways, Singapore Airlines, Virgin Atlantic Airways, Lufthansa, Air France and Korean Air, have said they will fly the behemoth aircraft to the United States.
On the West Coast, only the Los Angeles and San Francisco (SFO) airports have plans to handle the plane.
The stark contrast between San Francisco International Airport and LAX -- which plans to modify two gates for the double-decker plane at the already cramped Tom Bradley International Terminal -- has led to speculation that San Francisco will woo A380 flights away from LAX.
''If airlines feel like they are not going to be able to be accommodated, then they'll start looking at other airports,'' said Allan McArtor, chairman of Airbus North America. McArtor met recently with Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and airport officials to urge them to move ahead with plans to modernize LAX so it will retain its status as the gateway to the Pacific Rim.
''It's no secret that San Francisco is delighted to entertain any of these carriers,'' McArtor said. ''Once they move there and get the maintenance and the ticket counters and ground handling, it's very difficult to get that route back.''
San Francisco formed a marketing division several years ago to sell its new terminal to carriers and has produced colorful promotional materials touting the airport's readiness for the super-jumbo jet.
Los Angeles City Council members were arguing, meanwhile, about whether the Bradley terminal needed new gates to handle the plane.
''We would love to be the first airport to accommodate the A380,'' said John Martin, San Francisco International's director. ''Physically, given the size of San Francisco versus the size of other cities in the U.S., we wouldn't necessarily be first on the list, but perhaps because of the readiness of our facility we can be.''
LAX is the nation's No. 1 gateway for Asian travelers and is likely to remain so, even if SFO steals some flights. The world's fifth-busiest airport, LAX served more than twice as many international passengers in the first nine months of 2005 as SFO.
The Los Angeles airport agency is confident that efforts under way to reconfigure gates for the A380 will be finished in time for the jet's arrival.
''LAX is ready today to accept the A380 -- there is no question about that,'' said Lydia Kennard, executive director of the agency, Los Angeles World Airports. ''We intend to have the improvements done. We think we will compete very, very well with San Francisco.''
But the Los Angeles economy could suffer, aviation officials warn, if the needed construction becomes snarled in delays or the airport is unable to handle the volume of A380 flights with its two retrofitted gates.
''We've seen a couple carriers already decide to move some early A380 routes to San Francisco because of lack of confidence that LAX can handle an A380,'' McArtor said.
''It's not our inherent right to get those aircraft,'' said Frank Clark, executive director of the nonprofit organization that represents airlines operating out of the Bradley terminal. ''The carriers have invested too much in that aircraft to have the perception of the aircraft be eroded by poor service because our airport isn't ready.''
Several other U.S. airports are updating their airfields and terminals to serve the A380, which will hold at least 140 more passengers than the Boeing 747. Besides LAX and SFO, they include New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport, Dallas-Fort Worth International and airports in Miami and Orlando. LAX expects to spend $65.5 million on A380 upgrades.
At these airports, taxiway and runway intersections need to be widened so the jet's 261-foot wingspan -- the length of three blue whales stretched out head to tail -- doesn't take out airfield lights when a pilot turns.
The jet also requires special gates with two loading bridges -- one to reach the upper deck and one for the lower.
After years of discussion about how it should accommodate the A380 at LAX, the city recently started a few improvements, including adding asphalt to airfield intersections and upgrading the two Bradley gates. One gate, where construction began recently, is expected to be completed by midsummer and the other by spring 2007.
At 1 million square feet, the 22-year-old Bradley is less than half the size of San Francisco's international terminal.
It is also infamous for its dingy interiors, winding lines and uninspired restaurants. Later this year, airport officials hope to begin a $400 million face-lift.
By contrast, San Francisco's cavernous 5-year-old international terminal has floor-to-ceiling windows, an aviation museum and cherrywood paneling and is easily able to seat 555 passengers as they wait to board. It has wireless Internet access, shower facilities, a direct connection to the Bay Area Rapid Transit system and satellites of Bay Area restaurants.
Several carriers have announced that they will fly the A380 into and out of LAX, which is eventually expected to handle more A380 operations than any other U.S. airport. McArtor expects LAX to host 10 A380 flights a day by 2010.
But one carrier, Virgin Atlantic, has postponed its A380 service to LAX until early 2008 in part because it is concerned that the airport won't be ready.
Airline representatives are also worried about the airport's plans to park the craft at remote gates on LAX's western edge if the two A380 gates at the Bradley terminal are occupied. From there, passengers would have to be bused about 1.5 miles to the terminal. The city is buying new buses with a capacity of about 150.
Several carriers said that if they had to park their A380s, with their first-class lounges and upper-crust amenities, at those sterile, distant gates after a long overseas flight, they would reconsider bringing the aircraft to LAX.
''That kind of operation would be completely inconsistent with the level of service that we strive to provide our customers,'' said James Boyd, a spokesman for Singapore Airlines, which has not said where it will land the A380 in the United States.
In the race to get the first A380 service in the United States, however, Los Angeles airport officials say LAX does have some advantages that SFO lacks.
''What we have over San Francisco is the market. We just have to push to get our facilities in place,'' said Michael DiGirolamo, a deputy executive director at the city airport agency.
In another advantage for Los Angeles, airlines pay about $6.50 for every passenger who boards a plane at LAX, compared with $15.75 in San Francisco -- a major consideration for the cash-strapped industry.
LAX also has generally good weather and fewer delays.
San Francisco has stubborn fog that can cause delays because the airport's closely spaced, parallel runways cannot be fully used in bad weather.
In addition, LAX has a complicated web of connecting flights that would be difficult to replicate at SFO.

[OREO]

Looks like HKG's twin! :colgate:
They copy HK's one..