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Passengers flying long-haul from UK airports may opt for other European airports
European airline executives voiced concern at a recent assembly of AEA
Dallas/Fort Worth International welcomed Yangtze River Express

ATW's Airports Today, June, 2009, p.7

Passengers flying long-haul from UK airports may opt for other European airports if the government fails to act on the Air Passenger Duty, according to a poll commissioned by the British Airline Pilots Assn. The government plans to more than double this tax on British airports over the next 18 months. The APD could add up to £85 to the price of a ticket at Heathrow, BALPA contends.

The poll found that 90% of adults between the ages of 16 and 64 would fly to Amsterdam to connect to their long-haul flights to avoid the APD. "At a time when the worldwide aviation industry is suffering, the UK Chancellor is going to suffocate his very own industry," said Jim McAuslan, general secretary of BALPA. The planned increase is to take effect Nov. 1 but BALPA hopes that by drawing attention to what it describes as a "stealth tax," the government may scrap the proposal.

European airline executives voiced concern at a recent assembly of AEA in Brussels that there is no indication of when an economic recovery will occur and that the downturn could have a "profound impact on the market" well past 2009. "What we do know is that it has severe repercussions on all airline business models," said President and CEO of Croatia Airlines and AEA Chairman Ivan Misetic. "Passenger volumes are in steep decline and the airfreight market has suffered what can only be described as collapse." Regulators continue to raise taxes at the same time the industry is dealing with severe financial challenges, executives agreed.

Dallas/Fort Worth International welcomed Yangtze River Express, which began four-times-weekly service May 22. The Shanghai-based cargo carrier is a joint venture between China Airlines and Hainan Airlines Group.

Development and Construction

Honeywell completed installation of its SmartPath Precision Landing System at Bremen Airport. The technology is a ground-based augmentation system that supports precision approach and landing using GPS satellite data and transmits digital guidance signals to aircraft systems.

Gate Gourmet purchased United Airlines' flight kitchen at Tokyo Narita, where it will take over catering and provisioning of UA flights under a long-term contract. This more than doubles the company's meal production capacity at NRT.

SkyTeam opened the first level of a co-branded alliance lounge in London Heathrow's Terminal 4. The two-level lounge with more than 1,600 sq. m. of floor space can accommodate 300 passengers. The second level is expected to be completed by November. The lounge will be managed by Performa, a gategroup company member.

British Airways' Galleries Club Lounge opened in Heathrow's Terminal 2. The lounge, which can accommodate up to 300 passengers, will be shared by oneworld alliance airlines Iberia, BA, Finnair and Qantas.

Transaero opened a third lounge for business class passengers at Moscow Domodedovo.

UFIS Airport Innovation completed its BRAINS project at Barcelona's Terminal 1 ahead of the official scheduled opening on June 17. The company worked with Vanderlande Industries and Dragados to install a high-level control software system as part of a new baggage handling system for the terminal.

Contracts

ARINC won a three-year extension of its passenger technology contract with Nuremberg Airport. Terms include an upgrade to the baggage information system and a reconfiguration of the core computer system to accommodate additional remote passenger check-in stations at Blue Danube Airport in Linz, Austria.

Logan KSEC won a contract for an integrated baggage handling system for the new passenger terminal in Lijiang in China. The system is expected to be completed by the end of 2009.

Pascall + Watkins Architects was appointed to design an upgrade at Heathrow Terminal 3. The project includes refurbishment of public areas and areas behind the scenes that will improve working conditions for the staff. It is scheduled for completion next summer.

ASIG was selected by El Al to provide ground handling services at New York JFK. El Al operates on average 14 weekly flights into JFK.

Siemens, the IT integrator for Malaga Airport, selected IER to supply new terminal check-in and boarding equipment for customer-assisted check-in counters and automated self-service kiosks.

Oslo Airport installed a digital signage network consisting of 17 screens and three channels to communicate information and provide security updates to passengers and employees. The screens are placed in front of the airport's main security checkpoints as well as at a separate employee checkpoint. Ferd Consulting coordinated the setup and installation of the screens, provided by Samsung.

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