EDINBURGH AIRPORT CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE.

Transcription

1 EDINBURGH AIRPORT CONSULTATIVE COMMITTEE. MINUTES OF THE ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY FIFTH MEETING HELD AT THE QUALITY HOTEL EDINBURGH AIRPORT ON MONDAY 21 st FEBRUARY PRESENT: Alastair O Neil (Chairman) Tom Wright (Secretary) Kevin Brown Managing Director EAL Gordon Robertson Communications Manager EAL Bryan Gall Passenger Interests Julie Matthews Airline Operators Committee Simon Van Heyningen The Consumers Association Jock Millican The Consumers Association Alan Dunlop Lothians & Borders Police Gary Reavely ABTA Bert Scott Edinburgh Airports Amenities Group Joe Henderson Kirkliston Community Council Andrew Mather Cramond Community Council Mike Harle Ratho & District Community Council Bill Macrae Special Needs Representative Sandy Smart STUC Paul Beat NATS Cllr Alastair Campbell Clackmannanshire Council Cllr Neil Rankin East Lothian Council Cllr Donald Moffat Scottish Borders Council. IN ATTENDANCE: Henryk Zukowski Kirklison Community Council. APOLOGIES: Graham Birse Edinburgh Chamber of Commerce Alan Russell Fife Chamber of Commerce WELCOME : Chairman Alastair O Neil welcomed Mike Harle to his first meeting of the Committee and Henryk Zukowski as an observer. MINUTES OF THE MEETING HELD ON 22 nd NOVEMBER 2010: The Minutes of the One Hundred and Fifty Fourth Meeting held on 22 nd November 2010 were approved. MATTERS ARISING; There were no matters arising which would not be covered later in the Meeting. MANAGING DIRECTORS REPORT: TRAFFIC FIGURES: Passenger Figures: A total of 1,948,855 passed through the airport for the three months September to December This represented a drop of 5% over the same period in These figures were affected by the very adverse weather conditions experienced during the quarter

2 Air Transport Movements: These totalled 21,921 during the quarter which is a reduction of 11% over the corresponding period in the previous year. Traffic Mix: The figures for September to December show scheduled 98% and charter 2%. Freight Figures: There has been a drop of 21% compared to the same period in CAPITAL INVESTMENT: Projects under Construction: H Taxiway Link: This project will increase the capacity of the taxiways on the South East ramp which can be used in case the main taxiway to the South East ramp is blocked or closed. This taxiway will help to reduce taxi times to and from the runway. Airport Operating System Replacement: This replaces the life expired airport operating system used by all the airlines, handling agents and other third parties to check-in and dispatch passengers. International Arrivals Reconfiguration: This will involve the removal of the disused staff security search area and the reconfiguration of the concourse to provide more capacity for internationally arriving passengers and those who meet them. Car Parking Capacity Phase 1: This project expands the short stay car park delivering 220 additional spaces. Projects Completed: Departure Lounge and Security Expansion: This project has delivered a significant expansion to the departure lounge to provide new retail and catering outlets and more seating and circulation space. A new security search area, opened in June 2010, has delivered increased security search capacity. Fast Track Drop Off: This project has proved to be very successful and has received some very positive feedback. Only 1% of customers are using the free drop off area and there has been a considerable reduction in traffic congestion at the airport. A good response had been received from passengers with reduced mobility who find the facility very user friendly. Projects being developed: Aircraft Stands Capacity: This project aims to provide additional aircraft stands to meet forecast passenger growth. Improved Stand Entry Guidance: The stand entry guidance systems are being upgraded with new technology that is now the international standard. The project will be completed by Passenger Segregation: Edinburgh Airport is the only UK airport to operate a common user lounge rather than a common departure lounge. This means that arriving passengers can mix with departing passengers which goes against UKBA policy. UKBA require Edinburgh Airport to move towards a common departure lounge. This project is investigating possible options to achieve this. Common Bag Drop: This project is looking into the possibility of installing new software to enable airlines to share check in desks and use them for bag drops. This would enable any passenger on any flight with any airline to use any desk. However there are problems to overcome primarily that each airline has its own system for handling baggage and they also have different weight criteria. COMMUNITY INVESTMENT: Edinburgh Airport has continued its involvement in projects through the airport community fund as well as using grants from the BAA Communities Trust. Some half a million pounds have been distributed.

3 SURFACE ACCESS: Bus Services: The 64 service, which connected to North West Edinburgh and the Western General Hospital, ceased to serve the airport in early December. The decision to omit the airport was a commercial one taken by the operator. Roads: Edinburgh Airport is continuing to work with other parties to identify future local road capacity improvements. Following completion of the West Edinburgh Transport Appraisal a number of road infrastructure improvements have been identified as necessary to support the growth of west Edinburgh. A more detailed phasing and costing plan for road interventions is now expected by mid February Surface Access Strategy: Public transport modal share is 28.9% of total airport passengers (Moving Annual Average ) at the end of December The Airport Surface Access Strategy 2007 set a target of 27% public transport mode share by NOISE COMPLAINT ANALYSIS: Edinburgh Airport Noise Insulation Scheme: Three residents have taken up the option to apply for funding under the scheme. General Update: For the period October to December complaints were received relating to aircraft noise from 4 different individuals. During the corresponding period in complaints were received. No aircraft have broken the noise thresholds set down by the UK Government during the time period. PASSENGER SERVICES: Route Development: 9 new routes have been opened up for the Winter season. Customer Complaint Analysis: For the period September December 2010 Edinburgh Airport received in Internal Feedback ie Security, Cleaning and Retail 187 complaints, 32 compliments and 14 suggestions. For External Feedback ie Handling Agents and Special Assistance 66 complaints were received together with 10 compliments and 4 suggestions. Edinburgh Airport was recently voted in the top 5 airports in Europe for Service Quality out of the140 airports which registered. WINTER WEATHER DISRUPTIONS: During the month of December 160cm of snow fell at the airport with 32cm falling on the worst day. This was the worst snow in the area for over 40 years. The staff had made great efforts to keep the airport open including some who had walked 7 miles to get into work. The airport had spent on hotel accommodation to ensure that staff were in place but despite all these efforts the airport had been closed for 5 days. The snow clearing equipment to which additions had been made during 2010 was perfectly adequate to deal with the normal amount of snow expected at that time of year but the snow fall during December had been exceptional. In order to be able to deal with such falls in future a further 1.5m has been spent on additional equipment which is capable of working at twice the speed of the present equipment. The Managing Director had visited Helsinki and Oslo airports to see how they dealt with snow clearance. The main differences were that the snow in Scandanavia is dry snow which is relatively easy to clear whilst the snow in Scotland is wet snow and is more difficult to clear. In addition both these airports have two runways which means that they can clear one whilst the other continues to operate. In Helsinki they have 27 personnel working in 3 shifts over a 24 hour period. Such an expense could not be justified at Edinburgh.

4 A major effort had been made to keep passengers and airlines fully aware and up to date regarding the situation by means of keeping the screens in the terminal up to date, through the media TV and radio and through twitter. Whilst it had been difficult to announce early in the morning that the airport would not open until 5pm it was felt that it was preferable rather than making hour to hour announcements. Members of the Committee expressed concern regarding the state of the roads to and from the airport which had resulted in severe disruption to bus and taxi services whereby passengers were unable to leave or get to the airport. Edinburgh Airport is fully cooperating with the City of Edinburgh Council who are carrying out a resilience revue of the disruption caused to the city by the heavy snowfall. AIR PASSENGER DUTY: APD had risen by 1 in November making the tax 12 on a flight to London from Edinburgh and rises of 30 on long haul routes. The 3 BAA airports in Scotland had commissioned a report by an independent industry analyst on the effects of APD over the next 3 years. The report had shown that Scotland could lose 1.2 million passengers over the period because of the rising costs of APD including international visitors to the country. Domestic traffic could fall by passengers over the next 3 years. Passengers flying from Scotland pay APD twice if they fly via another UK airport such as Heathrow. A further rise in APD is expected in the March Budget. Several members of the Committee expressed real concerns regarding the impact of APD on the travel industry and the Scottish economy in general. As part of the Calman Report it was recommended that APD be incorporated in the Scotland Bill but the UK Government had decided against this. Efforts are now being made within the Scottish Parliament to reverse this decision and the Managing Director asked that as many of the Committee as possible use their efforts to lobby for this change and also against any future rise in APD. It was agreed that the Chairman would write to the Scottish Secretary expressing the views of the Committee on the matter. COMPETITION COMMISSION: BAA had lost its appeal against the decision of the Commission to make them sell either Edinburgh or Glasgow airports. At the present time there is no indication when any sale will take place but clarification on the matter is expected by the end of the year. In the meantime nothing will change at Edinburgh. EDINBURGH AIRPORT AIRPORT S STRATEGY 2011: This strategy which was published in January and which has been issued to every member of staff sets out how the airport will grow, develop and improve in It contains a one year vision and a five year vision and it has been well received. MASTERPLAN: A special meeting had been held at which Committee members had received a presentation on the Edinburgh Airport Draft Masterplan which covers the years 2010 to 2020 and 2020 to To date the response to the Masterplan had been favourable and comments on the Web Site and Drop In Meetings had shown that the public were happy. The City of

5 Edinburgh Council have indicated that they will sign off the Masterplan as will the Scottish Government. The RHS had also indicated their support. During discussion points were raised regarding the funding of the Capital Projects outlined, the accuracy of the growth in passenger numbers and the provision of stands for large wide bodied aircraft. Both Kirkliston Community Council and Scottish Borders Council requested presentations to their members. AOCB: Bill Macrae requested that a meeting be set up for him to talk with the persons at the airport who were responsible for looking after special needs passengers. Edinburgh Airport will arrange a meeting. DATE OF NEXT MEETING: The next meeting will be held at The Quality Hotel Edinburgh Airport on Monday 9 th May 2011.