Reykjavik Keflavik International Airport (KEF) said it recorded a 3.2% higher-than-expected number of passengers for the first half of 2012. Arriving passengers increased 14.4% compared to the first half of 2011 and departures increased 12.2%.
Honduras will invest $711,000 to upgrade Puerto Lempira Airport (PEU), theDirector General of Civil Aviation Manuel Enrique Cáceres told local media. Construction is estimated to start by year end The Central American Air Navigation Services organization and the European Aviation Safety Agency are expected to provide grant funding to the State of Honduras.
Chinese sovereign wealth fund China Investment Corp. (CIC) has purchased a 10% stake in Heathrow Airport Holdings (formerly BAA) through its wholly owned subsidiary Stable Investment Corp. Stable bought a 5.72% stake of FGP Topco, the holding company that owns Heathrow Airport Holdings, from the company’s largest shareholder Ferrovial for £257.4 million ($414.4 million). As part of the same transaction and at the same share price, Stable purchased a further 4.28% from other FGP Topco shareholders for £192.6 million.
Just nine months after opening its new passenger terminal, London Southend (SEN) starts work this month on a major expansion. The first section of the £10 million ($15 million), 90-metre long extension to the terminal building to be completed will be a new arrivals area, which has a target completion date of May 2013. Other improved facilities will follow, including enlarged check-in, security and departure areas, plus new retail and catering outlets. The project is due to be completed by Christmas 2013.
A combination of active reduction measures and a milder winter saw Swedish airport owner-operator Swedavia attained carbon-neutral status in 2011. The state-owned organization, which oversees 11 airports in the Scandinavian nation, has a target of zero CO2 emissions by 2020. Last year’s output of 4,600 tonnes of CO2 was a drop of 44% over 2010, achieved by substituting renewable fuel sources for fuel oil for heating, the organization said. A relatively mild winter also saw lower use of snow removal and ice-clearing airport vehicles.
US Dept. of Transportation (DOT) inspector general Calvin Scovel has issued a harshly critical report on the organization managing Washington National (DCA) and Dulles (IAD) airports, citing “weaknesses … related to contracting, financial disclosure, travel, ethics and transparency.”
Finavia has become the first airport operator in Northern Europe to adopt collaborative decision making (CDM) in a bid to reduce delays, optimize resources and boost cost-efficiency at Helsinki Airport (HEL). Airport CDM (A-CDM) improves the exchange of information between key partners at an airport, facilitating better decision making, based on more accurate and timely information. It can improve operational efficiency by cutting delays, improving predictability and optimizing the use of resources.
Budapest Airport (BUD) is hoping to attract new long-haul routes after completely restoring its point-to-point traffic following the demise of national carrier Malev Hungarian Airlines (MA) earlier this year ( ATW Daily News, Feb. 6).
The Turkish government is moving forward with plans for a third airport in Istanbul, joining Istanbul Ataturk (IST) and Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen (SAW). The proposed new airport, which would include five runways, would handle about 100 million passengers annually. The first phase should be completed by 2016; the second phase should open by 2023, expanding capacity to 150 million passengers.
Qatar Airways today announced its fifth new route of 2013 to the Sultanate of Oman's second largest city – the popular tourist destination of Salalah – effective 22 May 2013.
FedEx Express - a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. and the world's largest express transportation company - is further increasing its presence in the UAE and expanding its commercial footprint in Dubai.
Marking its 16 years of operations in Yemen, Emirates has introduced an additional weekly flight to Sana'a, effective 28th October, to now provide a daily service from Dubai to the Yemeni capital.
