Munich Airport’s (MUC) Terminal 2 expansion project officially started last month. When the terminal is complete in 2015, MUC will increase its handling capacity by 11 million passengers per year. The T2 expansion is a joint project between Flughafen Munchen (FMG) and Lufthansa (LH). The €650 million ($856.8 million) investment will be shared 60%-40% between FMG and LH. A new pier will be more than 600 m. long and have and 52 departure gates.
Singapore Changi Airport (SIN) moved 4.28 million passengers in March, setting a passenger record for the third month of the year, SIN said in a statement. “Passenger traffic for the month increased 15.3% year-on-year, in tandem with the increase in aircraft movements which grew 10.6% to 27,000. Airfreight movements decreased 1.8% to 163,000 tonnes during the month,” according to SIN. In the first three months of this year, SIN recorded 12.3 million passenger movements, an increase of 12.9% compared to the corresponding period in 2011.
A survey of more than 80 airlines in the UK shows that more than half plan to base services in other European countries because of congestion at London Heathrow (LHR), according to the Board of Airline Representatives in the UK (BAR UK). Also, 86% of the carriers surveyed said they would add more flights at LHR if more slots were available at the hub. BAR UK represents 84 scheduled domestic and international carriers operating into the UK. The survey results were announced by Colin Matthews, chief executive of BAA, which operates six UK airports including LHR.
IATA has said Thailand should expand Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport (SVB). “Thailand needs to urgently build new terminal and runway capacity at Suvarnabhumi to ensure it remains one of the region’s top hubs,” IATA said in a statement. IATA commissioned consultants Oxford Economics to carry out a study of 54 countries to better quantify the benefits they receive from aviation.
In response to a ruling by the UK Competition Commission (CC), airport operator BAA has agreed to the sale of Edinburgh Airport (EDI) to Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) for £807.2 million ($1.3 billion). The sale is expected to close by the end of May. GIP, an independent infrastructure fund manager, already owns a 75% interest in London City Airport (LCY) and a 42% controlling stake in London Gatwick Airport (LGW).
Germany’s North Rhine-Westphalia (NRW) state government last month implemented a night-flight ban for passenger aircraft at Cologne/Bonn Airport (CGN) between midnight and 5 a.m. local time. Cargo flights are excluded. The decision affects around 6,000 aircraft movements annually. CGN CEO Michael Garvens said in a statement that the ban is without a legal basis, will damage the aviation market in NRW and put jobs in danger. He added that the airport would appeal the ban to Germany’s transport ministry.
As a part of British Airways' investment of over £5 billion for customers, the airline's Lounge refresh in Dubai International Airport's Terminal 1 is now complete. The refurbishment allows premium customers and eligible Executive Club members to relax in even more comfort before their flight.
