The airport industry briefing
The latest news, views and numbers you need to know this month
News in Numbers
25
Global aerospace and technology company Vertical Aerospace has joined forces with Spanish construction firm Ferrovial to make air taxis a reality, with plans to launch 25 vertiports across the UK.
£6.50
The UK Government has made changes to air passenger duty, which will halve the tax paid on domestic flights to £6.50
£91
The UK Government has set economy rates at £91 for ultra-long-haul flights flying more than 5,500 miles.
€25m
Finnish airport operator Finavia has entered a €25m loan agreement with Nordic Investment Bank to fund Terminal 2 expansion at Helsinki Airport.
11.9%
French airport operator Groupe ADP has recorded consolidated revenue of €1.86bn during the first nine months of 2021, representing an increase of 11.9% compared to the same period in 2020.
€0
Frankfurt Hahn Airport (HHN), an international budget flights hub in Germany, has filed for bankruptcy at the Bad Kreuznach Administrative Court.
€4bn
A consortium headed by the Hungarian Government has reportedly made a bid of nearly €4bn to obtain the control of Budapest Airport (BUD) completely.
Projects
Heyday secures $100m contract for SWZ
Southern Cross Electrical Engineering’s (SCEE Group) subsidiary Heyday has secured a contract from Multiplex Constructions to design and provide electrical and communications services for the Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport (SWZ) in Australia.
Responsible for the construction of the airport’s main airport terminal, apron and facilities, Multiplex has awarded this contract worth more than $100m. Under the contract, Heyday will design and build all electrical and communications works within the area of the terminal.
MLB tops out terminal renovation and expansion project
Melbourne Orlando International Airport (MLB) in the US has marked a ‘major milestone’ by topping out its $72m terminal renovation and expansion project.
In the topping-out ceremony held by the airport, community and project stakeholders signed a structural beam that will be positioned in the ceiling structure of MLB’s new departure area.
Under the project, nearly 86,000ft² of new facilities will be added. Among these facilities are an expanded departure area with new gates, a new security checkpoint, and extended international baggage claim area.
Azerbaijan opens new international airport in Karabakh
Azerbaijan has completed the construction of a new airport, Fuzuli International Airport, in the region of Karabakh that was recently liberated from the Armenian occupation.
Completed in a span of eight months, this is the first airport to be constructed by Azerbaijan in the region of Karabakh and will function as Karabakh’s gateway to the world.
Fuzuli International Airport is located nearly 100km from Shusha and 300km from the capital Baku.
All wide-body aircraft, including large cargo aeroplanes, will be able to operate from this airport.
New PNQ terminal to be completed by August 2022
Airports Authority of India has announced that the construction work for the new integrated terminal building at Pune International Airport is scheduled to be finished by August 2022.
The total project is valued at around $65.07m (Rs4.75bn), with 60% of the work already concluded.
Quotes
AOA chief executive Karen Dee comments on the Organization's new report that shows airports have halved emissions in the last decade:
“Thanks to significant efforts, airports have achieved a major reduction in the greenhouse gas emissions they control since 2010 and this is testament to their commitment to sustainable aviation growth.
“Despite this record of achievement, more needs to be done to reach net zero.
"Our Decarbonisation Report shows that airports take that responsibility seriously and are setting out pathways to further emission reductions.
“Emissions from airport sources is, of course, not the whole picture. Aircraft emissions account for the majority of the aviation sector’s greenhouse gases. Here, too, airports are stepping up to the plate.
“As we come out of the pandemic, now is the time to consider how we build back better to achieve that net-zero future.”
Willie Walsh, IATA’s director general, responds to changes for the UK’s Air Passenger Duty:
"Masquerading this cash grab as a green tax the week before COP26 is the height of political hypocrisy that people are fed up with.
"Just two weeks ago the global airline sector committed to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The aim is to keep flying both affordable and make it sustainable. A tax hike does not help. We know that none of the billions of pounds collected will be directed to green investments.
"Moreover, placing an even larger APD financial barrier between the UK and the world makes a mockery of the Global Britain ambition by dealing yet another blow to the UK’s competitiveness.
"The reduction in domestic APD tells us that the government understands the economic destruction that APD causes. It should apply this wisdom to international connectivity and aim to boost UK competitiveness by eliminating APD completely.
"Frankly it is astounding that the UK Chancellor thinks now is the time to raise the cost of flying."