The airport industry briefing
The latest news, views and numbers you need to know this month
News in Numbers
€50m
Irish carrier Ryanair has invested €50m in a new aviation training centre in Santry, near Dublin Airport.
8
Eight injured in Houthi drone strikes on Saudi Arabia’s Abha International Airport.
$940m
Real estate companies Dexus and APN Industria REIT have joined forces to acquire Jandakot Airport in Western Australia for $940m (A$1.3bn).
670 million
Under a new ten-year agreement, SG Preston is estimated to deliver nearly 670 million gallons of blended sustainable aviation fuel to JetBlue.
$431m
The Federal Aviation Administration in the US has allocated more than $431m in grants to increase safety and reduce environmental impact at airports.
18
Spanish low-cost airline Vueling has received clearance from the European Commission to take over up to 18 daily slots at Paris-Orly Airport (ORY).
73,805
A total of 73,805 people travelled through Melbourne Airport (MEL) in August 2021, which is the lowest level since October 2020.
Projects
EWR reopens major runway after overhaul
The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey has reopened Runway 4R-22L at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) in the US following the completion of rehabilitation work.
With the reopening of this ‘major’ runway after a three-month closure, all airport runways are now operational during peak hours.
EasyJet starts construction of maintenance hangar at BER
Low-cost airline easyJet has started the construction of a maintenance hangar at Berlin Brandenburg Airport Willy Brandt (BER) in Germany.
The hanger is being developed on the construction site in the new maintenance area of the BER. The site will be designed for the accommodation of four aeroplanes up to the size of the Airbus A321neo at the same time and enable works on them simultaneously. It is expected to begin operations at the beginning of 2023.
HKIA expansion project nears completion
The expansion of Hosea Kutako International Airport (HKIA) in Namibia is set to complete at the end of this month.
Entailing an investment of $16.9m (NAD250m), the project aims to address congestion challenges, security issues and International Civil Aviation Organization compliance lapses at HKIA.
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 UK Government’s updated travel restrictions:
“The easing of travel restrictions is a good step forward. By reducing complexity and the cost of testing, this should encourage more people to travel this winter and allow airports to see a further uplift in passenger numbers.
“However, this last formal checkpoint of the Global Travel Taskforce should have been the time to return to restriction-free travel at a time when nearly all of the population has been vaccinated. instead, we continue to have a more onerous approach to travel than our European competitors.
“Ultimately, we need to return to a situation similar to prior to the pandemic, in which people can travel without further tests or forms to fill out. The UK and devolved Governments should aim for this as soon as is safely possible."
Kamil Al Awadhi, IATA’s regional vice president for Africa and Middle East, urges the South African government to step up its support for the air transport industry:
“South Africa’s air transport and tourism sector’s contribution to GDP all but evaporated with the Covid-19 crisis which coincided with the closure of one airline and the deep restructuring of two others.
"In 2019 aviation supported 364,000 jobs in South Africa. Because of Covid-19, about 298,000 of those jobs have been put at risk. It’s a significant impact for over 80% of jobs to be lost if connectivity is not restored.
"As South Africa’s foreign trade and tourist markets begin coming back online, it is crucial that steps are taken to ensure no more jobs or opportunities are lost,”