British Airways Move More Flights To Terminal 5

One thing is for sure and that’s the fact that Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport has caused a lot of controversy and attracted a lot of attention from the very first day its plans were unveiled. From environmentalists protesting against the extra damage it would cause to the skies and local residents worried about even more noise pollution, to Naomi Campbell getting arrested at the terminal and long flight delays and cancellations. Everyone has been affected by the commotion from those on corporate travel to those who were looking forward to a nice relaxing holiday.

 

However, things finally seem to be calming down at Terminal 5 and British Airways appear to be regaining control of the situation. In fact, as of today, June 5^th 2008, the airline are intending to move more flights to that terminal as it is functioning a lot better now the original hiccups have been solved. This is especially good news for those who go on a lot of corporate travel because no doubt they have been seriously affected by all the problems Terminal 5 has suffered if they have been travelling a lot.

 

Some of the new destinations that flights from Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport will fly to include New York, Beijing and South Africa. These are some of the key destinations for the airport so the move is likely to benefit many passengers and make the operation of the airport a lot smoother for the staff. Regardless of whether people are on corporate travel or are going off on holiday, they are likely to be affected by this if they are flying to any of the destinations currently operating from Terminal 5.

 

BAA and British Airways are currently working very hard to complete the transfer of the remaining long haul flights to operate from the new terminal building. However, they don’t want to do this until it is practical so they can ensure that the change over goes smoothly and without any problems. They are well aware of the fact that they can’t afford anymore bad publicity and negativity about the extension of Heathrow Airport as they have had so much already.

 

It is more than likely that those who embark on a lot of corporate travel are going to be affected the most by the change – over. This is predominantly due to the fact that they travel a lot more frequently than someone who only goes on holiday once a year. However, now that most of the problems have been resolved at Terminal 5 it is hoped that these changes will be for the best.

Business Travel Made Easy With E – Tickets

As of June 1^st 2008 business travel could not be easier for passengers as they no longer have to worry about losing their tickets before their flight. From now on all airlines who are members of the International Air Transport Association (IATA) will only use electronic tickets for passengers checking in. This group makes up 94 percent of all airlines so therefore traditional paper tickets being used is going to become a rarity.

 

The use of e – tickets is no doubt going to make life a lot easier for many people, especially those who do a lot of business travel. Normally when your tickets come through you put them in a safe place but sometimes this is done so far in advance that by the time is comes to your travel date you have forgotten where you put your tickets. Whether you eventually find them or not it is a very stressful experience because there is absolutely no chance of getting on any flight without a ticket.

 

The majority of people who go on business travel don’t even book their own tickets as there is normally somebody else within the company who organises this. This can make it very difficult for the person who is actually flying to get the tickets if they are not in the office before they leave for their journey. However, with e – tickets this does not matter because all the information that is needed will be stored on the computer when you go to check in.

 

There are various other reasons why many airlines have decided to use e – tickets now rather than traditional paper tickets. As there is now more pressure than ever before for companies to be more environmentally friendly, not needing paper tickets anymore is going to be very beneficial to the environment. It is estimated that 50,000 trees can be saved every year simply by not needing to print tickets. As flying is constantly criticised for its contributions towards global warming environmentalists should be happy that so many airlines are doing whatever they can to help protect the environment now.

 

Regardless of whether people are going on business travel or holiday it is highly likely that everyone is going to benefit from the benefits of using e – tickets. However, it’s not just the passengers who are likely to benefit from these advantages because airlines are going to save billions of pounds worth of money when this new system has been introduced.

Nottingham East Midlands Airport Faces Protests

Nottingham East Midlands Airport faced major disruption as activists took over their Alpha Taxiway. 24 protestors, including a Reverend and a Baptist Minister, broke through security fences with wire cutters and managed to delay five flights and cause disruption to over 1,000 passengers.

The group causing the disturbance are called Plane Stupid and was started by two students concerned about climate change. Like many environmentalist groups at the moment, they are concerned about the number of flights increasing and airports expanding. In order to try and combat this problem they decided to focus their attention on the flying industry and now have 150 committed members.

Standing their ground for four hours, the campaigners were determined to get the government and airport bosses to take notice and listen to them. It seems like they were successful in their mission as it took Emergency Fire and Rescue teams and police from four different counties to remove them. The whole group have been charged with aggravated trespass and criminal damage. However, they remain positive and feel the day was a success having made the national news.

Plane Stupid claim that over 166,000 people die from climate change every year and feel that they have to take direct action themselves in order to get results. The group are concerned about the fact that aeroplanes are possibly the worst source for CO2 yet the government is supporting the increase of flights no matter how much the skies are being polluted.

Believing that air travel poses the single greatest threat to our climate, their aim is to bring the aviation industry down to earth. They plan to do this by seeking an end to short-haul flights, a tax on aviation fuel and abandonment on airport expansion.

This isn’t the first protest that has been held at various airports around the UK and at Nottingham East Midlands Airport by some of the many groups around. As the media is filled with stories about the massive damage airlines are causing to the environment, airline companies are preparing for many more demonstrations. A survey conducted has revealed that 47 percent of people in Britain have already cut down on short-haul flying as a result of climate change. Thus suggesting that these airlines are set to face a rapid decline in passenger numbers.

Newcastle Airport Fight for Development

Plans to build a new business park at Newcastle Airport have created debate between residents, councillors and MPs in the local area. The scheme, which will cost £20 million to implement, includes six three-storey buildings and 465 car parking spaces being built.  

The proposal has divided the community and business leaders over whether it would be a good idea or not and is due to go before councillors this week.

People in favour of the buildings and car park being built have argued that the scheme has plenty of economic benefits and will create 1,600 jobs. The North East Chamber of Commerce, local MPs and the executive mayor of neighbouring North Tyneside feel that the extensions are crucial to the future success of the airport. They also point out that a similar scheme at Durham Tess Valley Airport was granted planning permission so there’s no reason why Newcastle Airport shouldn’t be given the same privilege. Another major advantage of the scheme would be that extra, much needed parking at Newcastle Airport would be made available. 

However, others are objecting the development and Newcastle City Council has received over 100 objections regarding the scheme.  Residents are concerned about traffic, noise, pollution, loss of green space and the impact it’s going to have on wildlife.

A similar application was turned down by the council a year ago because it breached planning guidelines stipulating that only airport-related businesses should be allowed on the land. However, developers have assured the council that all businesses will be airport-related. They also claim that local roads can cope with the traffic and the scheme will not have a significant impact on other office developments and will complement other schemes in the area.

Image belongs to: Felipe Barrientos. Taken from: www.flickr.com

Humberside Airport Blog

Humberside Airport, which is part of the Manchester Airport Group, has seen profits fall over the last year. The group which consists of Manchester, East Midlands, Bournemouth and Humberside Airports has suffered due to people being more conscientious about the environment. The number of people changing their method of transport from planes to trains where possible has led to a £700,000 decline in profits in the last 12 months.

Another factor affecting Humberside airport, part of the second largest airport operator in the UK, is the terror alerts of the last few years. Obviously this has put people off flying as has the fact that airports have to increase security levels. This means taking longer to check in, queuing for long periods of time and people becoming increasingly frustrated. Along with higher utility costs and the number of low-cost flights declining, the future is not looking bright for many airports across the UK.

Although passenger numbers across the group rose from 27.6 million to 28.6 million, revenues stayed the same, suggesting that people are paying less for their tickets. No doubt this is a result of people being more reluctant to fly.

As a result of this, bosses at MAG say that they are stepping up their efforts in order to improve their customer service proposition. They are looking into ways of making the passenger experience even more enjoyable including improving services in the terminals, retail areas and car parks at Humberside Airport.

With regards to passengers being concerned about the environment, the Manchester Airport Group has reduced its carbon emissions by using renewable sources of electricity and water. It is hoped that growth can be expected this year along with costs being cut and income being boosted.