AVIANCE UK ENVIRONMENTAL & SOCIAL REPORT 2007

Transcription

1 AVIANCE UK ENVIRONMENTAL & SOCIAL REPORT 2007

2 OUR RESPONSIBILITY A message from the Managing Director aviance UK provides a range of services to airlines that include passenger baggage handling, check-in services and the loading and unloading of cargo from freight flights. Our primary responsibility is to our airline clients.we help these clients to keep their promises to customers, whether those customers are businesses waiting for an urgent delivery or families going on or returning from summer holidays. We face many challenges, particularly with the acute concerns over security, and the fact that many airports are operating close to capacity. In addition, ours is a highly competitive industry with a huge focus on costs by our airline clients. To meet these challenges, we must ensure not only that operations run smoothly and efficiently, but also that we form a successful partnership with our airline clients, airport operators and other airport-based businesses.we have continued to invest in new equipment to improve our efficiency, and this investment helps us to reduce our environmental impact. Our responsibility programme is focused in large part on our people, whom we ultimately depend on to deliver success. For example, we invest in on-site physiotherapy and state-of-the-art occupational health support for our staff. Our aim is to work closely with all our stakeholders to improve the way we run our business. We hope you find this report of interest and welcome comments, views or ideas on what we should include in the future. Arthur Dodgson Managing Director Contents 2 The Marketplace 4 The Workplace 6 The Environment 8 The Community IBC Independent Assurance Statement Cover photo:the new air passenger bridge at Gatwick Airport.

3 aviance UK Environmental & Social Report WHO WE ARE PLANE HANDLING AND AVIANCE UK PROVIDE A RANGE OF GROUND HANDLING SERVICES AT AIRPORTS ACROSS THE UK AND IRELAND. BELFAST CITY BELFAST INTERNATIONAL DUBLIN ABERDEEN GLASGOW CARDIFF EDINBURGH SOUTHAMPTON TEESSIDE LEEDS/BRADFORD MANCHESTER BIRMINGHAM LONDON LONDON STANSTED LUTON LONDON HEATHROW LONDON GATWICK JERSEY We provide ground handling services at airports across the UK and Ireland. About aviance UK We load and unload commercial cargo from freight flights, provide baggage handling and check-in services for passenger airlines, operate executive lounges and information desks, and manage aircraft slots and customs clearance. Reed Aviation delivers UK national newspapers and mail contracts to more than 40 countries worldwide. aviance UK is a member of the first ever alliance of airport services providers in the world.the alliance was created in 1999 under the aviance brand to provide airlines with a co-operative alternative to existing global handlers. In May of this year, aviance UK agreed to take over the ground handling operations of British Airways at Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Manchester under a five-year contract. About The Go-Ahead Group plc We are part of The Go-Ahead Group plc. Go-Ahead is a major provider of transport services across the UK employing over 25,000 people and carrying over 875 million passengers. Its operations span bus, rail, parking and aviation support services.the Go-Ahead Group believes that local people make the best decisions about local services.this ethos runs throughout the Group. Go-Ahead has also developed a common framework for managing companies impact on local communities and the environment, and we measure our performance against this framework. About this report This report describes the performance of aviance UK, Plane Handling and Reed Aviation for the 12 months to 30 June It is divided into four main sections as shown below, which describe the impacts of our activities in different areas, and our efforts to manage these responsibly. As part of our annual business planning, we have set targets and goals to improve our social and environmental performance for 2007/08. To keep this report short, we have placed a lot more information on the web.you can find this at MARKETPLACE How we run our services WORKPLACE Issues that affect the people who work for us ENVIRONMENT How we manage and reduce our impact on the environment COMMUNITY Making the communities where we operate better places to live and work

4 2 aviance UK Environmental & Social Report 2007 THE MARKETPLACE OUR RESPONSIBILITIES WE SUPPORT THE TIME-CRITICAL TRANSPORTATION OF LARGE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE AND DO THIS PROFESSIONALLY, SAFELY AND TO A HIGH STANDARD OF CUSTOMER SERVICE. Ground handling covers a range of services. We provide direct customer-facing services including passenger check-in, information desks and management of executive lounges. Behind the scenes services include cargo loading and unloading, international newspaper and mail delivery, customs clearance, security screening and aircraft co-ordination. Our clients include British Airways, BMI, KLM, Lufthansa and Virgin Atlantic. Aviation continues to be a tough market. Passenger airlines continue to face pressures from spiralling fuel costs alongside threats from health pandemics to international terrorism. At the same time, the industry structure has shifted to reflect the continued rise of the no-frills, low cost airlines.together, these factors combine to make ground handling a competitive and price-conscious industry. Consultations with our customers and employees have confirmed our most important marketplace issues are: Reliability and punctuality Accessibility for all Safety and security. We report on our performance in each of these key areas. Last year, we reviewed and changed the method we use for collecting and calculating our performance, and adopted new baselines. Our responsibility: to provide a reliable and punctual service for passenger airlines Delayed flights have a significant impact on our airline customers, passengers and the smooth running of an airport. Reducing delays is an absolute priority for us and we significantly reduced the number attributable to aviance UK this year.this was achieved through a range of strategies including weekly performance reporting by airline and site, weekly performance review meetings, training, safety weeks and financial incentives. Delays can occur at passenger check-in and baggage handling. One initiative to reduce delays has been our passenger presentation service.this provides regular check-in progress updates so extra resources can be deployed if needed, and gives early warnings about any likely delays.this initiative forms part of wider work being carried out by aviance UK to explore passenger check-in psychology. Flight delays can occur due to bunching of passengers arriving at the same time to check-in, for example; so by studying the behaviour of passengers at different times of the day, we can plan our resources better. The most important factor in ensuring successful baggage handling is having adequate staffing levels in place to load and unload the aeroplane.this requires regular reviews of rosters to ensure staff are deployed to maximise operational efficiency. Our responsibility: to provide a reliable and punctual service for freight flights Once again, average cargo unload and load times are significantly ahead of our overall Plane Handling targets. Last year we experienced periods of high demand, particularly early in the morning. We have worked with our customers to significantly reduce average waiting times. Our responsibility: to ensure the accessibility of air travel for all, particularly those with disabilities In some airports, aviance UK assists passengers with mobility problems to board and disembark from their flights and connect with the terminal building. Our priority is delivering this service in a dignified and timely manner. aviance UK at Luton Airport has developed a specially designed chair, which has been endorsed by the Health & Safety Executive, to help disabled passengers transfer to their seats in a constrained area.this has since been adopted by all aviance UK airports, where we provide this service.

5 aviance UK The Marketplace 3 To avoid potential delays at check-in, we provide regular updates so additional resources can be deployed. A review of the service we offer this year resulted in a significant investment in three new Ambulifts a lift device on a van that allows passengers to board without using the stairs and two new modified minibuses at Luton Airport.We plan to add a similarly modified minibus at Southampton Airport. Our responsibility: safety and security In the current climate of heightened awareness of terrorist threats, all transport companies must be extra vigilant with regards to security. At aviance UK, we screen all applicants for security purposes, work closely with the police and airport authorities to ensure consistent procedures are in place, and will raise any issues of concern if necessary. We also carry out passenger security checks at some airports. Flight delays can occur due to bunching of passengers arriving at the same time to check-in, for example; so by studying the behaviour of passengers at different times of the day, we can plan our resources better. Delays due to aviance UK 1.3% On time turnarounds 98.7% 456,004 Total aircraft movements 44m Passengers handled Delays on aircraft turnaround Truck waiting times for plane handling (mins) Imports Exports Through a range of initiatives we significantly reduced flight delays attributable to aviance UK

6 4 aviance UK Environmental & Social Report 2007 THE WORKPLACE OUR RESPONSIBILITIES SUCCESSFUL GROUND HANDLING DEPENDS ON PEOPLE. MOST OF OUR EMPLOYEES DRIVE, LOAD AND UNLOAD PASSENGER BAGGAGE AND CARGO, MUCH OF WHICH IS CARRIED OUT MANUALLY. We invested 1.6 million in training and development for our employees during the year. Our ability to meet airline expectations is dependent on having enough people at work to meet our operational schedules. At the same time, we operate in airports where competition for employees can be intense. As such, absence from work is a critical issue for us. We are committed to being a good employer.this means providing a safe working environment and a range of benefits that help us recruit, retain and motivate our employees. Our responsibilities: health and safety We are proud of our record on health and safety management.this is a major priority for us, as we have a responsibility for the safety and wellbeing of our staff, and it also determines how operationally efficient we are. Our objective is to create a safety aware culture in which individual employees raise issues and concerns. We work closely with our unions to do this and regularly audit our performance, as well as use external consultants to review our work.two days of training is provided for existing frontline employees, while new staff receive five days of training.we also run an annual award scheme to promote good practice amongst our workforce. Our main performance indicator is accident reduction. Following a reduction two years ago, we have maintained accident rates at last year s level. This year, we further developed our programme with IPRS, a provider of employee health services.this gives employees at aviance UK and Plane Handling s

7 aviance UK The Workplace 5 Number of employees 04/05 4,842 5,062 5,397 Our objective is to create a safety aware culture in which individual employees raise issues and concerns. operations at Heathrow access to specialist physiotherapy for musculoskeletal injuries.this year, the service was extended further to airports at Southampton, Cardiff and Birmingham. Our responsibilities: employee retention Competition for people in the airline sector is intense. Last year, we recruited over 1,350 people to maintain and improve the service we provide. We also carried out a major review of staff turnover at London Heathrow and Southampton.The project reviewed exit interview returns and surveyed existing staff on the factors that influenced them to stay with aviance UK. Our research found that most of our employees enjoy working for the company, but it also highlighted opportunities for improvement in the way we communicate with staff and changes to our exit interview procedures. We have now changed the way communication is managed between frontline staff, management and HR; introduced staff surveys; reviewed various HR policies; made changes to how we manage exit interviews; and set up a staff forum. Our responsibilities: training and development Staff development and career progression is an important issue. Plane Handling has developed a personal development course called Up the Ladder, which introduces potential candidates for supervisory positions with a scenario-based introduction to the requirements of the post.this forms part of a 1.6 million commitment to training and development at aviance UK and Plane Handling last year. 04/05 Male 04/05 Female 04/05 Employee turnover rate (%) Diversity by gender 1,295 1,109 1,451 3, ,953 3,946 Training spend per employee ( ) : 240 Over 3-day absences due to injury (per 1,000 employees) 04/

8 6 aviance UK Environmental & Social Report 2007 THE ENVIRONMENT OUR RESPONSIBILITIES ALL COMPANIES HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO WORK TO ALLEVIATE CLIMATE CHANGE. DEMONSTRATING ENVIRONMENTAL IMPROVEMENT IS A PARTICULAR CHALLENGE FOR GROUND HANDLING COMPANIES. We identified significant opportunities for energy savings and we estimate energy usage has been reduced by around 20%, based on last year s limited figures. We aim to reduce energy usage by a further 5% this year. We invested more than 8 million in new, greener equipment. As an integral part of the airport, we are dependent on the infrastructure around us to deliver our services, so in many situations it is not possible to isolate our environmental impact. Nevertheless, we take environmental responsibility very seriously and invest in new equipment, maintenance and driver training to reduce our impact. Our responsibility: reducing emissions from our vehicles Our most significant source of emissions comes from our fleet of more than 1,500 vehicles. We operate cars, vans, buses, aircraft tugs, de-icing rigs, towing buggies and conveyor belts.they are powered by diesel and electricity. Last year, we invested over 8 million in new, more fuel-efficient equipment.

9 aviance UK The Environment 7 Air pollution: CO 2 (kg) per aircraft movements * Increase in due to wider scope of data reported * This year, our operations at London Gatwick piloted a monthly fuel usage monitoring scheme.this has helped reduce the fuel we use and we plan to extend the scheme across the company in At London Heathrow, we are currently reviewing vehicle idling, and testing how idle times might be reduced, for example through a poster campaign. Our responsibility: reducing emissions from our buildings This has been a major area of focus for us. We have improved data capture to cover over 90% of the buildings we use. As part of this process, we identified significant opportunities for energy savings and we estimate energy usage has been reduced by around 20%, based on last year s limited figures. We aim to reduce energy usage by a further 5% this year. Our responsibility: measuring our performance For the third year, the Go-Ahead Group came top of the public transport companies that participated in the Business in the Community (BITC) Corporate Responsibility Index.We scored 91% (89% in 2005), a significant improvement, and were ranked in the Gold Band by BITC. In the Environment Index we did even better, improving our score to 93.11% (from 91.62% in 2005) which included maximum marks for the Group s performance on emissions management. We introduced a monthly monitoring scheme at London Gatwick that helped reduce the amount of fuel used.

10 8 aviance UK Environmental & Social Report 2007 THE COMMUNITY OUR RESPONSIBILITIES AVIANCE UK AND PLANE HANDLING ARE PART OF THE FABRIC OF THE AIRPORTS. WE EMPLOY OVER 5,000 PEOPLE AND HAVE RESPONSIBILITIES TO THEM AND THEIR FAMILIES. Vibrant and successful communities are in everybody s interest. We contribute through cash and in-kind donations and by encouraging employee involvement. The Go-Ahead Group also provides cash donations on behalf of its operating companies. Our responsibility: employee involvement Our employees get involved in a range of community causes. We visit local further education colleges and invite students to see our operations at our airports. Our employees also raise funds for charities: for example, employees at London Gatwick raised funds for the Marie Curie Cancer Care and Breast Cancer Care. Community spend 20, % of total Group spend ( 329,987) At a local operating company level community investment is driven through support in kind activities, while the Group Head Office handles direct financial donations.the figures above include an element of both these community investment streams. The Go-Ahead Group also provides cash donations on behalf of its operating companies. Some of our employees dressed-up in pink to raise funds for cancer research.

11 SUMMARY INDEPENDENT ASSURANCE STATEMENT The SMART Company was commissioned by The Go-Ahead Group plc to provide independent assurance of the environment and social information within the Environmental and Social Reports for the period July 2006 to June The assuror conducting the verification did not participate in any part of the data gathering and report writing process.this statement represents an independent opinion.the verification was undertaken with reference to the underlying principles of the assurance standard AA1000, namely materiality, completeness and responsiveness. This is the sixth consecutive year that The SMART Company has provided assurance for Go-Ahead as part of a rolling programme of audits, ensuring all operating companies are audited at least once every three years. In 2007, the assurance process included five sample operating companies (incorporating site visits), comprising Meteor, Solent Blue Line, Southern Vectis, Go West Midlands and Southeastern. Interviews were conducted with managers responsible for the internal reporting and validation of data and sample checks of consolidated data were undertaken. On the basis of the assurance method and scope of the work undertaken we are satisfied that this report is a reliable and accurate reflection of the performance of the company. A full verification report, containing a more detailed analysis together with recommendations for developing the processes for measuring, managing and reporting Go-Ahead plc s environmental and social impacts, can be found at The SMART Company, August 2007 Go-Ahead aviance UK, Plane Handling and Reed Aviation are part of The Go-Ahead Group plc. Members of the group run bus services (in the south of England, London, the West Midlands and the north east of England), commuter train networks, aviation ground handling and parking services. Other companies within the group are: Brighton & Hove Bus Company Go North East Go West Midlands London Central, London General and Docklands Minibuses Meteor Metrobus Oxford Bus Company Solent Blue Line Southeastern Southern Southern Vectis Wilts & Dorset

12 More information on how aviance UK manages its responsibilities can be found at If you have any comments, views or ideas on how we might improve, or have any thoughts on other issues that we should address in this report, please use the enclosed form or write to: Arthur Dodgson Managing Director aviance UK First Point 3rd Floor Buckingham Gate Gatwick Airport, RH6 0NT Or contact Eric Gainey Telephone: This report was put together by The Go-Ahead Group with help from The SMART Company, and designed and produced by Rare Corporate Design, London. Printed by Beacon Press using their environmental print technology which minimises any negative environmental impacts resulting from the printing of this document. includes the use of vegetable based inks, recycling of 90% of dry waste and 95% of cleaning solvents for future use. Beacon Press holds the Queen s Award for Sustainable Development together with ISO14001 and EMAS accreditations. Beacon is a CarbonNeutral company and uses 100% renewable energy, saving 0.38 tonnes of CO 2 on the production of Go-Ahead s 2007 corporate responsibility reports. Printed on Revive 75 Matt which contains 75% recovered fibres, is FSC certified and is CarbonNeutral.