Liverpool John Lennon Airport (vi)

[MR KITE]

http://www.ldpbusiness.co.uk/liverpo...6026-20973715/


City’s gateways for trade and travel
May 26 2008 by Alex Turner, Liverpool Daily Post


City’s gateways for trade and travel

After decades of stagnation or decline, Alex Turner reports on the resurgence of Merseyside’s docks and airport

LIVERPOOL is re-establishing itself as a major gateway for trade and travellers alike, with the growth and development of its two key infrastructure jewels, the Port of Liverpool and Liverpool John Lennon Airport (JLA).

The common thread that runs between the two hubs is property and transport firm Peel Holdings.

It purchased 76% of the airport in 1997, before taking complete control four years later. And four years later, in 2005, it purchased Mersey Docks and Harbour Company.

There are big plans for both operations, which have enjoyed a resurgence after decades of stagnation or decline.

When Peel took over the airport, airlines flew to just three scheduled destinations. That figure is now nearer 60, making it the third-largest regional airport for international scheduled flights, behind Birmingham and Manchester.

JLA is celebrating its 75th birthday this summer, and in the past decade it has become one of Europe's fastest-growing airports.

It has increased its annual passenger numbers from 875,000 in 1998 to 5.47m in 2007.

The growth rate in 2007 alone was 10.2% and, for the first time, more than 500,000 passengers were handled in one month, during May, 2007.

The airport is also expected to declare its maiden profit when it releases its figures for the year.

JLA aims to maintain this growth rate and handle 6m passengers in Capital of Culture year.

However, Neil Pakey, managing director of JLA, is not expecting the celebrations to have a distorting effect on the figures.

He said: “Some people expect a spike in 2008, but the build-up is over the last five years, when we have had double-digit growth.

“We can also expect a legacy effect.”

More than £100m has been invested by Peel Holdings over the last decade. The money has been used for improvements that include the £42.5m passenger terminal extension, which tripled the building’s size and passenger capacity when it was completed in 2002.

The investment cash has also been spent on a range of infrastructure works, including a control tower, hangars, apron extensions, runway refurbishment and upgrade and other ancillary projects.

Spring, 2009, will see the completion of a £25m development of a 157-room hotel and a multi-storey car park with 869 spaces.

However, Peel’s investments at the Port of Liverpool are even more dramatic.

A £100m post-Panamax in-river container terminal planned for Seaforth will, when it’s completed in 2011, nearly double the port’s capacity to 1.5m twenty-foot equivalent units (teus) – or containers, to you and me.

In 1990, the port handled 219,000 teus, but, 16 years later, the amount of cargo had nearly trebled, to 635,000 teus.

And, as with JLA, 2007 saw growth of more than 10%. More than 34m tonnes of cargo passed through last year, and it now handles more container trade with the USA and Canada than any other port in the UK.

The new terminal will enable volumes to grow considerably as Liverpool will be able to welcome post-Panamax ships, vessels which can hold up to twice as much cargo as traditional, Panamax, ships.

It will be able to hold two ships at a time, allowing the port to compete with Felixstowe and Southampton, the two UK ports that handle post-Panamax ships presently.

Frank Robotham, marketing director of Peel Ports Group, said: “The new terminal will be a further significant boost to industry in the north of England and beyond.

“To date, post-Panamax vessels have only had the option to berth in UK south coast ports.

“Once the new terminal is open in Liverpool, then industry throughout the North and Midlands can enjoy the dual benefits of being able to respond to the demands of international logistics through their own local port, utilising these larger vessels which bring their own economies of scale.”

Increased terminal capacity demands more quayside storage, and in April plans were approved for the second phase of a multi-modal logistics hub that will add more than 400,000 sq ft of warehousing.

Phase one of Liverpool Intermodal Freeport Terminal, which created 600,000 sq ft, is fully let, while completion of phase two will expand the Port’s logistics capacity to 4m sq ft.

In addition, the £6m Liverpool Produce Terminal (LPT) will provide a 90,000 sq ft cool store with a capacity for 5,000 tonnes of fruit and vegetables when it opens later this year.

Mr Robotham believes LPT provides benefits beyond simply increasing capacity.

He said: “The new terminal offers the food industry a way of reducing food miles and, at the same time, creates a unique opportunity for Peel Ports to provide both northern and southern gateways into the UK's fresh produce market through its ports at Liverpool, and Sheerness, in Kent.

“The development also further consolidates Liverpool's position as the most diverse cargo handling port in the UK.”

alex.turner

[T0M]

Re. Flyglobespan I'm glad to hear they're being prosecuted, they should have been shut down months ago. They're a hazard to airports and passengers, their service is a appaling and by the looks of things their safety record isn't much better either. I hope they go down for this, for good!

[sloyne]

My trip back to Liverpool next month will entail an Air Canada flight from Toronto to Madrid then an easyJet flight into Liverpool John Lennon Airport. I have yet to decide on the return flight but, I am thinking of taking the Dublin ferry fro Liverpool then flying home from Dublin. This way I am avoiding both Heathrow and Manchester. Anyone have any recent experience in taking the Liverpool-Dublin ferry?

[Awayo]

What ferry in particular? The Seacat is no longer in service on a Liverpool-Dublin route.

You've got P&O for cars at 8 hours and a similar time for the Norfolk line car ferry (that one takes walk on passengers at least) from Twelve Quays in Birkenhead. Gruelling.

[Babaloo]

I suppose the 10am sailing from Birkenhead might just about be bearable - gets you into Dublin at about 6pm.

[sloyne]

Originally Posted by Babaloo

I suppose the 10am sailing from Birkenhead might just about be bearable - gets you into Dublin at about 6pm.

Thanks Bab, your assessment of the sea journey as a pain in the arse is probably correct and I am not seized of the idea and will likely use Ryanair.

Do you, or anyone else, know what Ryanair charge, per kilo, for excess baggage? I tried looking at their web site but it only says that there is a charge for excess baggage. Thanks in advance.

[PhilG]

Originally Posted by sloyne

Thanks Bab, your assessment of the sea journey as a pain in the arse is probably correct and I am not seized of the idea and will likely use Ryanair.

Do you, or anyone else, know what Ryanair charge, per kilo, for excess baggage? I tried looking at their web site but it only says that there is a charge for excess baggage. Thanks in advance.

Hi Sloyne,

The excess baggage fee is currently at the rate of £12/€15 per kilo (or local currency equivalent).

[sloyne]

Originally Posted by PhilG

Hi Sloyne,

Thanks Phil. Wow! the flight is free and the fixed charges minimal but I guess they have to make their profit somehow.

[Awayo]

Don't mention it, Sloyney!

[Paul D]

Four more JLA flights for Ryanair
Jun 19 2008 by Vicki Kellaway, Liverpool Echo

BUDGET airline Ryanair today announced four new routes from Liverpool John Lennon Airport.

Europe’s largest low fares airline will fly from Liverpool to Gdansk and Szczecin in Poland, Knock in Ireland and Faro in Portugal from the end of October.

There will be daily flights to Knock, three times per week to Faro and Gdansk and flights twice a week to Szczecin. Tickets go on sale today from £31.

Spokeswoman Bridget Dowling said: “This latest route expansion means passengers in Liverpool will soon enjoy an even greater choice of low fare destinations.

“The four new routes will mean an extra 210,000 passengers travelling to and from Liverpool every year which will in turn sustain an additional 210 jobs.”

[buggedboy]

I was thinknig only yesterday that weve not had any new routes for ages. Good news, although they are all a bit random and not as prestigious as I'd like. Not sure I'd be visiting any of those but as long as they come over here and spend moolah then I'm happy.

[Martin S]

Who would have thought just ten years ago that Liverpool would have no less than ten separate services to Poland? Seven by Ryanair, one by Easyjet and three by WizzAir.

[Babaloo]

Originally Posted by Martin S

Who would have thought just ten years ago that Liverpool would have no less than ten separate services to Poland? Seven by Ryanair, one by Easyjet and three by WizzAir.

It's almost surreal to think that we have air links to 10 Polish cities but none (currently) to cities on the British mainland!

[Babaloo]

Originally Posted by buggedboy

I was thinknig only yesterday that weve not had any new routes for ages. Good news, although they are all a bit random and not as prestigious as I'd like. Not sure I'd be visiting any of those but as long as they come over here and spend moolah then I'm happy.

Knock is an experience never to be forgotten. Architecturally the shrine itself isn't anything special and Knock village is just a line of souvenir shops and cafés but there's a fervour in the air that is priceless, and if you hire a car Westport is not that far away. It's an attractive small town and an ideal place to use as a base to explore the surrounding area. Croagh-Patrick is just down the road.

http://www.sacred-destinations.com/i...gh-patrick.htm

It's a bit of a killer though.

[sloyne]

Originally Posted by Babaloo

It's almost surreal to think that we have air links to 10 Polish cities but none (currently) to cities on the British mainland!

Or a link to the nations premier international gateway, Heathrow.

[Medici]

Originally Posted by Martin S

Who would have thought just ten years ago that Liverpool would have no less than ten separate services to Poland? Seven by Ryanair, one by Easyjet and three by WizzAir.

In another ten years time I would like to see terminal 2 at JLA

[M€trolink]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/m...de/7540921.stm

[T0M]

Shame it's only £5000. Let's hope that the negative publicity helps to sink this ghastly airline before one of it's planes actually does. They've been nothing but trouble from the outset and I can't believe they're still legally flying. It just goes to show how much we're prepared to overlook for the sake of a cheap flight!

[Wirral]

Does anyone think JLA will have regular scheduled flights to North American cities before the London Olympics in 2012?

[M€trolink]

Originally Posted by Wirral

Does anyone think JLA will have regular scheduled flights to North American cities before the London Olympics in 2012?

Think the key to the regions having successful direct connections to the US and Canada is an airline that is flying into a North America hub, and then onwards.

A company that can only get you to NY, Chicago or wherever with no onward ticketing is always going to struggle.

In the days of $120 / barrel fuel I suspect airlines will be cutting back their services, and retreating to the major hubs (CDG, Schipol, Frankfurt and Heathrow) rather than expanding into new teritory.

Looking at Willie Walsh, and other people in the sectors comments lately, the industry is going to go through a tough time which will suffer major contraction - do not expect to many new routes, or much (if any) growth in passenger numbers over the next few years, practically all airports in the UK are now shrinking if you go by passenger numbers, Liverpool included.