The airport industry briefing
The latest news, views and numbers you need to know this month
News in Numbers
2030
Sydney Airport has outlined initiatives to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2030.
76%
According to GlobalData’s Domestic Tourism Recovery report, outbound tourism fell by more than three quarters last year.
£70m
Stansted Airport has completed its £70m baggage system upgrade, after four years and Covid-19 delays.
750,000ft²
LAX has opened a new, $1.73bn wing in the Tom Bradley International Terminal, which spans 750,000ft² and contains up to 15 new gates.
8
Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport is the only civilian airport capable of quadruple takeoff/landing capabilities, thanks to eight runways.
Projects
Handling across America
WFS has secured ground handling contracts from 12 airlines across North America, as the aviation sector rebounds. The series of three-year contracts suggests that confidence in the burgeoning airline industry is growing, as the US Government vaccination scheme steps up. Among the contracts WFS has won is to provide complete handling services from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport for VivaAerobus.
Source: Airport-Technology
Yes we scan
Electronics company Rohde & Schwarz has announced a partnership to provide Quick Personal Security (QPS) scanners for Heathrow Airport. The new full body scanners are set to improve security checkpoints and minimise passengers’ waiting time, while spotting all kinds of potentially unsafe substances. R&S QPS201 scanners will be deployed across Heathrow Airport and will scan all travellers, staff and contractors moving towards airside locations on entry.
Source: Airport-Technology
Swissport Berlin easy win
Recovery after Covid-19 seems on track for ground service company Swissport, which has just won a five-year contract with easyJet. The lucrative contract, that begins on 1 October, is for all the budget carrier’s ground services at Berlin Brandenburg International Airport. easyJet has also renewed its contract with Swissport for ground handling in Basel and Geneva, where they serviced a combined 13m passengers in 2019.
Source: Airport-Technology
Quotes
International Air Transport Association (IATA) Director General Willie Walsh issued a withering statement after Ryanair flight FR 4978 from Athens to Vilnius was forced to make an unscheduled stop in Minsk so authorities could remove Belorussian dissident blogger Roman Protasevic:
“IATA strongly condemns any interference or requirement for landing of civil aviation operations that is inconsistent with the rules of international law. The details of the event with flight FR 4978 are not clear. A full investigation by competent international authorities is needed.”
Airbot Technology CEO Pierre Cuquemelle was delighted to announce a new AI-driven customer service technology that allows passengers to message a chatbot on WhatsApp to get flight information, sales offers and airport directions:
“Global airport spending on landside digital transformation is expected to reach $4.6bn by 2023, with many business leaders focusing on how they can leverage technology to improve customer service and passenger flow through the airport. WhatsApp chatbots should be considered a vital tool for doing exactly that.”
