REVEALED: WORLD’S BUSIEST AIRPORTS

From Today's Gateways

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A FIRST
LOOK AT
SYDNEY’S
FUTURE
GLOBAL
HUB

ROOMS WITH A VIEW

Your ultimate spotters’ hotel guide
EUROHUB-AND-SPOKE
Why Birmingham is a terminal pioneer Jul/Aug
2021
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UK £5.99
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POWER PLAYERS HEART OF SEOUL CAPACITY CRUNCH

Airports eye hydrogen future Snapshot from Gimpo gateway Governments halt air expansion
 Lilium

5 News
Airports of the World’s comprehensive coverage
of global news, including a terminal overhaul in
Osaka, new cargo deals for Aussie gateways
and a familiar face returns to Belfast

18 Designed for the future

With so many airports at a standstill due to
COVID-19, it’s refreshing to see work continue
on a new hub: Western Sydney Airport

24 Getting to the Green Coast

Brazil’s Costa Verde is a popular holiday
hotspot, but two of its aerial gateways have
lacked scheduled air links. This all changed in
December 2020, as Daniel R Carneiro finds out

28 The heart of Seoul

Peter Apsey pays a spotting visit to Seoul’s
Gimpo International Airport, an important
second gateway to the South Korean capital

32 New beginning for Southend

Discover how London’s Southend Airport is
bouncing back after a tough 18 months

34 Rooms with a view

Your ultimate guide to the world’s best airport
hotels for aircraft-spotting

45 Heading for hydrogen?

As airports pursue ambitious net zero carbon
targets, Tara Craig looks into a potential
‘wonder fuel’ for the future: hydrogen

50 Warbirds in the Andes

Ron Mak takes us back to the mid-1970s with a
fascinating trip to Bolivia’s La Paz/El Alto Airport

56 Desperate measures
We examine how some airport operators are
taking drastic steps to generate new revenue
streams to counter the losses of 2020

64
60 World’s busiest airports
The results of ACI’s global rankings reveal the
impact of COVID-19 on our busiest gateways 60 28

64 Capacity crunch
We uncover the growing tension between
airports and governments when balancing
expansion with environmental concerns

70 UK visitors
A selection of the more interesting aircraft
recently seen visiting airports across the UK

74 Eurohub-and-spoke
As Birmingham’s former Eurohub would have
been 30 this year, we take a look at the history
of this revolutionary passenger terminal

2 airports of the world // July - August 2021

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34

www.key.aero 3
 H
ello and welcome to your July/August 2021 edition of
Airports of the World. Billy Ocean may have warned us
Gordon Smith that ’red lights spell danger’, but I’d be keen to get his
Group Editor take on the prospects for green and amber too.
Since the dark days of last February, May 17 had been
Martin Needham
flagged in the diaries of every airline and airport executive
across the UK and beyond as the earliest date that
Assistant Editor
non-essential international travel could resume. The possibility
of jetting off to sunnier – if not altogether safer – climes is
Thomas Haynes what had comforted many Brits (and the travel sector) through
Assistant Editor a hugely challenging winter. The tunnel was long, but there
was a green traffic light at the end of it.
Thomas Lee As the big day approached, feverish speculation began
Assistant Editor saturating the airwaves and social media channels courtesy
of ‘government sources’ and ’industry insiders’, who were
Carol Randall operating as shadowy middlemen in determining which
Associate Editor countries might make the coveted ‘green list’, allowing a
quarantine-free return trip with limited testing. In the end,
even the seemingly best-connected pundits proved to be way
Tracey Croft
off the mark with their apparently well-informed predictions,
Andy O'Neil proving not only the fluidity of the situation, but also raising
Lee Howson questions as to the weight to which we should give to
Carly Hurd unofficial reporting.
Debbie Walker Ultimately, just 12 countries or territories received the green
Designers light, with Gibraltar, the Faroe Islands, Iceland and Portugal
(later moved to amber) the only European destinations making
Susan Cook the cut. The majority of the remainder were either places
Sales Manager, that most Brits are currently barred entry (eg, Australia and
New Zealand) or slightly obscure relics of Britain’s colonial
B2B Aviation
past, such as South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands.
Cue frustration from beleaguered airport bosses who had
pinned their hopes – and flight schedules – on parts of
the Mediterranean, Caribbean and even the United States
opening up to more normal travel from mid-May.
With Whitehall due to review the rules for English travellers
every three weeks, there is plenty of theoretical scope
for some bigger and more accessible names to join the
list. Unfortunately, the airport business and the dozens of
sub-sectors who thrive in the wider travel ecosystem need
immediate and tangible detail to salvage even the crumbs of
their usual summer sandwich.
More than a year into this crisis, things are no easier for
aviation’s strategic planners – even the nimblest of operators
are unable to thrive amid such uncertainty. While no-one
is questioning the need for public health to be absolutely
paramount, there is growing frustration within the industry
that more could and should be done. For some airlines, if the
outlook doesn’t improve within the next couple of months, it
will be a question of simply surviving rather than thriving.
Before I go, the eagle-eyed among you may have noticed an
increase to our cover price. We have tried our upmost to keep
this to an absolute minimum, but with rising distribution and
raw material prices, we have reached a point where we can
no longer absorb the new costs ourselves. I’d like to
thank you in advance for your understanding and ongoing
loyalty during these challenging times. A reminder too that
there are big discounts available on the cover price when you
buy direct or take out a subscription. Turn to page 16-17 for all
the latest special offers.
Wherever you are in the world, I hope you enjoy your
July/August issue,
Gordon Smith
Group Editor

A retro-liveried TAP
Air Portugal Airbus
A321neo, CS-TJR (c/n
10105) in Madeira
AirTeamImages.com/
Rui Alves

Cover image:
A rendering of how
the new Sydney hub
is expected to look
Western Sydney
Airport

4 airports of the world // July - August 2021


Green light for red terminal
THE UK’S primary international
gateway has now opened a
dedicated passenger terminal
for high-risk arrivals. Over recent
months, pressure had been
mounting on London/Heathrow
to better segregate inbound
passengers amid concerns
about a mixing of travellers in
immigration halls and the resulting
threat of COVID-19 transmission.
The strategy was officially put
into practice from June 1, when
Heathrow’s Terminal 3 started
to be used for handling direct
flights from nations on the UK
government’s ‘red list’. As of early
June, there are 50 countries in
this category – the most severe
ranking of the three-tier traffic
light system. However, there are
only a handful of direct scheduled
passenger services currently
operating from these virus
hotspots into the London hub.
Moreover, with only a tiny number
of exceptions, only British and
Irish nationals or UK residents are
Heathrow's Terminal 3 will now be reserved for direct arrivals from countries on the British government's ‘red list’ Chris J Ratcliffe/Stringer/Getty Images
allowed to travel from countries
on the list.
Inbound passengers who have
visited a ‘red’ country in the
previous ten days – whether they
took a direct flight or came via
another nation – are required to
pay £1,750 per adult to quarantine
in a hotel for ten nights, following
their arrival at the west London
hub. Despite the introduction of
the new facility, concerns have
been raised that it will be of no
benefit for those flying on indirect
services via a third (amber)
country, as these will continue
to use Terminals 2 or 5. The
vast majority of destinations are
currently on the amber list. This
means travellers must isolate at
home and undergo private testing
on day two and eight.
A spokesperson for the UK
capital gateway explained: “Red
list routes will likely be a feature of
UK travel for the foreseeable
future, as countries vaccinate
their populations at different
rates. We're adapting Heathrow
to this longer-term reality by
initially opening a dedicated
arrivals facility.
“There are numerous measures
in place in Terminal 3 – as in
our other terminals – to keep
passengers and colleagues
safe, including requirements for
negative tests pre-departure for
international arrivals; enhanced
cleaning regimes; dedicated
COVID marshals to enforce
social distancing and mandatory
use of face coverings throughout
the airport.”
Heathrow officials have
confirmed to Airports of the
World that the red-list facility
will be moved to Terminal
4 “as soon as operationally
possible”, acknowledging that
the 1980s-built complex, situated
to the south of the central core,
would be better suited to the role.
With three of Heathrow’s four
passenger terminals operational
once again, airport management
Headline
News
are desperate to see a relaxation
of travel restrictions and a
resulting uplift in international
arrivals. Visits to the United
Kingdom last year were 73%
down on pre-pandemic levels,
according to figures published
by the UK’s Office for National
Statistics. Heathrow lost 6.2
million passengers in April 2021,
down 92.1%, compared to
pre-pandemic levels, following
more than a year of restrictions
on non-essential travel.
Bosses at Heathrow have
lobbied for “a significant
simplification of the traffic-light
system at the end of June,
including allowing fully vaccinated
people to travel without
restrictions”. With the news on
June 3 that no new countries
would be added to the green
list for the foreseeable future,
and holiday-favourite Portugal
downgraded to amber, the battle
in Britain’s airport sector looks
likely to rage on for some time yet.
www.key.aero 5
 News
Grabbing ‘Forty Winks’
BRITISH AIRWAYS has introduced
what it calls a ’Forty Winks’ nap
lounge at London/Heathrow.
The facility, created in partnership
with Restworks, features
much-requested sleep pods.
IATA advocates digital travel processes
IN A bid to avoid serious impacts
on the aviation industry, the
International Air Transport
Association (IATA) has advised
that governments worldwide
should implement a digital
platform to manage travel
health credentials.
According to the organisation,
current data indicates that
airport processing times have
doubled to three-hour waiting
periods during peak hours, while
operating at around 30% of
the capacity compared with
pre-COVID-19 levels.
IATA has indicated that if this
6 airports of the world // July - August 2021
Initially found at BA’s First Lounge
and to be later rolled out at T5’s
Concorde Room and New York/
JFK’s T7, customers will be able
to have a power nap in a
“dedicated EnergyPod”.
is not rectified then time spent
in the airport prior to departure
could increase to five-and-a-half
hours if 75% of normal passenger
traffic levels is restored. This also
has potential to reach up to eight
hours working at 100% capacity.
Willie Walsh, IATA’s director
general, said: “Without an
automated solution for COVID-19
checks, we can see the potential
for significant airport disruptions
on the horizon.
“Already, average passenger
processing and waiting times have
doubled from what they were
pre-crisis during peak time –
The traveller can either have a
pre-programmed 20-minute nap
or manually adjust the setting
for a customisable duration.
The seat, made of high-quality
synthetic leather upholstery,
reaching an unacceptable three
hours. And that is with many
airports deploying pre-crisis level
staffing for a small fraction of
pre-crisis volumes.”
With the introduction of
self-service processes at both
check-in and border control, the
journey through an airport is
significantly reduced. However,
the transport association
has stressed that if paper
documentation is used for
COVID-19 credentials then this
could force passengers to revert
back to manual services.
Walsh believes that governments
reclines to elevate the feet and
reduces pressure on the cardiac
system, has complimentary audio
(downloaded via Restworks’
mobile app) and features a
moveable privacy visor for added
comfort. According to the UK
flag carrier, the pods support
passenger wellbeing and help
combat the effects of jet lag.
Tom Stevens, British Airways’
director of brand and customer
experience, said: “In late 2019
we carried out a survey of [more
than] 100,000 lounge guests
asking what they would like to
see featured in our lounges.
Sleep pods were right at the top
of their list.
“Our ’Forty Winks’ nap lounges
will offer a dedicated rejuvenation
space for customers as they
return to the skies, all self-serviced
via the ‘Your Menu’ lounge app.
“Beating jet lag and catching a
snooze on the go has never
been easier.”
Up to seven pods are available at
the ‘Forty Winks’ First Lounge and
are offered on a complimentary,
self-service basis. Importantly,
each of the pod’s surfaces will be
cleaned after every use.
(Photo British Airways)
are “acting in isolation and
moving far too slowly”, which
he feels does not align with the
pent-up demand for travel and
continuous vaccination roll-out.
Digitising certificates presents
several advantages, according
to IATA. This includes avoiding
fraudulent documentation,
reducing queues, limiting
crowding, heightening
security through digital identity
management, and decreasing
the risk of infection through
paperless means.
(Photo Flickr Commons/
Eric Salard)
 Green credentials applauded
THANKS TO its strong
performance in reducing
greenhouse gas intensity,
Manchester Airports Group
(MAG) has been ranked as
the top performing ‘green’
company within the transport
industry for Europe. The
group ranked 23 out of 300
of Europe’s leading firms in
the Financial Times’ ‘Climate
Leaders for 2021’ list.
The greenhouse gas intensity
from MAG – which operates
Manchester (pictured), London/
Stansted and East Midlands
Airports – reduced by 32.7%
between 2014 and 2019.
Cargo contract wins for Menzies
MENZIES AVIATION has secured
new cargo contracts with United
Airlines at Sydney/Kingsford
Smith and Melbourne/Tullamarine.
This coincides with the renewal
of its existing ground handling
commitments with the US-based
firm at both Australian hubs.
In addition, the deal includes
“provision of services” for
Brisbane if United chooses to
resume rotations there.
Alistair Reid, executive
vice-president, Oceania and South
East Asia, commented: “We are
proud to see our relationship
with United Airlines go from
strength to strength – as a key
customer for Menzies not only in
Australia but globally.
“The Menzies teams at
Melbourne and Sydney have
provided a consistently excellent
service over the past 14 years,
which has laid the groundwork
for our new cargo agreements.
We’re looking forward to
commencing our cargo services
The group believes that its
innovations in energy efficiency
were the driving force that led to a
decrease in carbon emissions. This
includes linking lighting, heating
and ventilation systems to live flight
schedules, so only certain spaces
are being heated at a specific time.
Commenting on the accolade,
Neil Robinson, MAG’s CSR and
airspace change director, said:
“It is testament to the hard work
of people across MAG, whose
commitment to implementing new
ways to reduce our climate impacts
is the reason we are able to
celebrate this achievement today.
“We hope that by continuing to
for United and growing this
successful partnership.”
The new arrangement means
that the global aviation logistics
specialist now provides these
amenities to the airline across
its entire Australian network
– representing significant growth.
The contract started at the
end of May and is set to continue
be ambitious and innovative in
our approach to minimising our
environmental impact that we will
continue to be an industry leader
in aviation emissions reduction in
the future.”
Mike Wilson, the chair of
Manchester Climate Change
Partnership, added: “Through
its leadership position, MAG’s
contribution to the decarbonisation
of UK aviation will be particularly
important to ensure that the
city of Manchester remains at
the forefront of leadership in
tackling the critical issue of
aviation emissions.”
Prior to this achievement, MAG
over the next three years.
Menzies’ relationship with United
has now expanded across 40
airports worldwide.
In other Menzies Aviation
developments, the logistic
specialist reached a milestone
50th station within its global
cargo handling network in May.
This comes after it achieved
was the first operator in the UK
to be certified as carbon-neutral.
Additionally, the organisation is
also the founding member of the
government’s ‘Jet Zero Council’,
which launched last summer.
This scheme allows the aviation
sector to shape policies to meet
its net zero target by 2050.
In 2020, the group published
its five-year CSR strategy plan:
‘Working together for a brighter
future’. This outlines MAG’s
intentions to reach net zero
carbon by 2038 – 12 years ahead
of the industry’s goal.
(Photo Manchester
Airports Group)
“significant expansion” amid the
pandemic thanks to both cargo
contract wins and joint ventures,
bringing 17 new airports into its
portfolio within the last 12 months.
For example, it entered into new
markets such as Pakistan after
Menzies’ acquisition of Royal
Airport Services. This allowed its
services to begin at Islamabad,
Lahore, Karachi and Multan
this year.
Robert Fordree, executive
vice-president, Cargo at Menzies
Aviation, said: “Breaking through
the 50-station milestone is a
major achievement for Menzies.
The growth from 36 to 53
stations in our cargo handling
network alongside the continued
success of AMI [its cargo
wholesale subsidiary] clearly
represents our determination
to deliver on our strategy of
pursuing cargo services growth,
as we look to balance our
services portfolio.”
(Photo Menzies Aviation)
www.key.aero 7
 News
New construction begins at Oxford
A MAJOR new phase of
construction has begun at
London/Oxford Airport.
The project, due for completion
in the autumn, consists of a
63,000sq ft hangar (pictured) with
two bays, including rear offices,
stores and workshops which
are capable of housing up to six
Bombardier Global, Gulfstream or
Ryanair returns to Belfast/City
THE NORTHERN Ireland
gateway of Belfast/City has
welcomed back budget
behemoth Ryanair after an
11-year absence.
At the beginning of June,
Ryanair kicked off its initial
summer schedule to five
destinations using its fleet
of Boeing 737-800s. This
comprised connections to
Alicante, Barcelona, Malaga
8 airports of the world // July - August 2021
Dassault Falcon jets collectively.
With the demand for space
constantly rising, the airport says
it is committed to investing in
infrastructure to accommodate
more businesses.
The hub is also home to a
range of aviation support firms
that focus on maintenance,
engineering and design.
and Mallorca in Spain, plus
Faro in Portugal. The low-cost
carrier plans to add more holiday
hotspots from the Belfast site,
with Valencia and Ibiza (both
Spain) and Milan/Bergamo (Italy)
earmarked to come online from
July 1, 2,and 3 respectively.
Katy Best, commercial director
at Belfast/City Airport, said: “With
travel restrictions easing, we are
seeing an increase in demand
A new aircraft parking apron
has also recently been
constructed, alongside seven
new helipads that support Airbus
helicopters – Airbus Helicopters
UK’s headquarters is based
on the airport site – and “the
growing number of commercial
AOC [air operator certificates]
helicopter businesses”.
from passengers keen to return
to travelling internationally.
“[Ryanair’s resumption] is
significant as it marks the start of
a busy summer schedule from
Belfast/City Airport.”
Ryanair’s director of marketing,
Dara Brady, added: “The
successful rollout of the UK
vaccination programme,
coupled with the easing of travel
restrictions, has given a much-
Additionally, a new fire station
is to be built in the centre of the
base to enable a quicker response
in emergencies.
An order for three fire tenders
has already been placed.
Finally, a bigger fuel farm is to
be built which will provide much
needed space for sustainable
aviation fuel (SAF).
Will Curtis, managing director
of London/Oxford Airport,
commented: “Aerospace and
aviation are set to rebound, and
business aviation is leading the
charge, so timing is crucial.
”Now we have put in the
infrastructure for growth, we can
build further facilities with relative
ease and speed and further
bolster employment opportunities
– adding to the near 1,000
employees based on site.”
The airport resumed operations
on May 17 as Government
restrictions for international travel
began to ease.
As a result, London/Oxford
Airport recorded a “five-fold
increase” in the number of
flights during April 2021
compared to the same period
last year.
(Photo London Oxford Airport)
needed boost to consumer
confidence and we look forward
to welcoming our customers on
flights to Spain, Portugal and
Italy this summer.”
Belfast/City is connected to 26
destinations across Europe from
operators including Aer Lingus,
BA and Vueling. Routes and
dates are subject to late change
due to COVID-19 restrictions.
(Photo Belfast City Airport)
 Edinburgh heading for 5G
SCOTLAND’S EDINBURGH
Airport has signed a contract
with digital transformation firm,
Exchange Communications,
with the aim of becoming
5G enabled.
The connectivity technology is
set to be implemented later this
year and is expected to enhance
Amazon primed
for Kansas City
KANSAS CITY Airport received a
boost to its freight operations after
Amazon Air launched services to
the Missouri hub.
An Amazon Air Boeing
737-800BCF, N7919A (c/n 32607)
– equipped with CFM International
CFM56 engines and operated by
Sun Country Airlines – arrived on
the inaugural daily service from
Lakeland Linder International,
Central Florida in May.
Pat Klein, Kansas City director
of aviation, believes Amazon Air
“strengthens [the airport’s] impact
as a regional economic engine”.
The freight carrier is expected
to use 34,000sq ft of space at
the midwestern US complex. This
includes an onsite area for sorting
packages, which will be managed
by PrimeFlight Cargo, Amazon’s
logistics partner. More than 50
connection and download
speeds across the Scottish capital
gateway, allowing for intelligent
automation and improved security.
Danny Quinn, technical asset
director at Edinburgh Airport,
said: “Improving the passenger
experience is
an important
part of our
approach and
the installation
of 5G will deliver
jobs are expected to be created
for the site.
Kansas City’s operations coincide
with the growing presence of
Amazon in the region, highlighting
the company’s commitment to
growth within that area of the US.
Chris Preston, director of
Amazon gateway operations, said:
“Growing the network of sites
where Amazon Air flies is essential
to supporting fast, free shipping for
our customers. Today, with Kansas
City International Airport as part of
our network, we are closer to our
customers and can support fast
shipping for the items they rely on.
We are proud of the investments
Amazon has made in the Kansas
City region and look forward to
continued growth.”
(Photo Kansas City
Aviation Department)
faster internet connections to our
customers, as well as staff and
third parties.
“We rely on technology like
never before, so we want to
ensure we have ease of access
to make journeys through the
airport as easy as possible as we
look to recover.”
Tom Sime, CEO at Exchange
Communications, added: “Not
only will this work [to] enhance
connectivity today resulting
in faster connections, quicker
Salute to
Kyiv connection
GAZIPAŞA-ALANYA AIRPORT
in Turkey – located on
the Mediterranean coast
approximately 97 miles east of
Antalya – has welcomed a new
service from Kyiv/Boryspil.
On May 28, the Pegasus
Airlines-operated rotation
– Flight PC 1750 – touched
down at the Turkish gateway at
0530hrs local time and received
a traditional water cannon salute
(pictured). The 2016-built Airbus
A320neo, TC-NBG (c/n 7359),
carried 168 passengers on the
inaugural service. The route will
continue to be flown four-times a
week during the summer.
Ekrem Akgül, TAV Gazipaşa
general manager, said: “We
are happy to welcome the first
streaming and responsive
technology, it will future-proof
the site for the adoption
of further smart building
technologies in the years
to come.”
Before the onset of COVID-19,
Edinburgh was the sixth busiest
facility in the UK after recording
14.7 million travellers in 2019 to
more than 150 destinations from
40 airline partners.
(Photo Flickr Commons/
Jonathan Winton Photography)
Pegasus flight from Kyiv [and]
continue to provide services
to passengers taking all the
necessary precautions against
the pandemic, in collaborations
with all our stakeholders.
”Hopefully, with the easing
of the restrictions in the coming
period, we will be welcoming
our passengers from all over
the world.”
At the time of writing,
Gazipaşa-Alanya management
stated that 12 carriers are due
to serve 15 destinations in ten
countries this summer.
The facility is operated by TAV
Airports which, is a member of
Groupe ADP.
(Photo TAV Airports/
Gazipaşa-Alanya Airport)
www.key.aero 9
 News

Pioneering remote ATC at City Airport

LONDON/CITY AIRPORT
has become the first major
international facility in the world
to be fully controlled by a remote
digital air traffic control (ATC)
tower. The rollout comes after
intensive testing and live trials of
the technology during lockdown.
All flights are now guided
by controllers based 70 miles
away at air navigation service
provider NATS’ Swanwick facility
in Hampshire, from which they
are provided with an “enhanced
reality” view from a 164-foot digital
control tower (pictured).
Alison FitzGerald, chief operating
officer at London City Airport,
said: “This investment in smart
infrastructure will help us meet
future growth in passenger
demand, improve air traffic
management and give us
enhanced capability as aviation
bounces back from the pandemic. relayed through dedicated fibre with digital information to create us to safely manage aircraft from
“It is also a demonstration of the optic connections to a new control an enhanced view. Data such almost anywhere, while providing
commitment to innovation in the room at Swanwick. as call signs, speed, altitude our controllers with valuable new
UK aviation sector and to being at A team of controllers then and weather can be integrated, tools that would be impossible in a
the forefront of defining the future uses the live footage, an audio providing increased situational traditional control tower.”
of flight,” she added. feed from the airfield and radar awareness for the controllers. The 30-year-old existing ATC
On the top of the mast, 16 high- information to instruct aircraft Juliet Kennedy, operations tower, which was due a significant
definition cameras and sensors movements in and out of the site. director at NATS, added: “Digital upgrade, will now be redeveloped
have been mounted, which Inside the controller room, 14 HD tower technology tears up a as part of the airport’s
capture a 360-degree view of screens create a panoramic view blueprint that’s remained largely modernisation programme.
the gateway. The feeds are then of the airfield, which is overlaid unchanged for 100 years, allowing (Photo: London City Airport)

Goodbye Gate 35X hello concourse

THE METROPOLITAN Washington
Airports Authority and American
Airlines jointly launched the ‘soft
opening’ of a 14-gate, 225,000sq
ft concourse at Washington/
Reagan National.
Replacing the notorious Gate
35X, from which customers on
regional flights were bussed
out to remote stands, the new
facility features jetbridges,
spacious waiting areas and, when
construction is fully complete,
several shop and dining options.
According to the airport,
the concourse is designed to
“complement the architectural
features” of Reagan National
Terminal’s B and C, featuring
expansive glass walls, exposed
steel arches and skylights giving
panoramic views.
John E Potter, president and
chief executive officer of the
Airports Authority, said: “The
opening of the new concourse is
the culmination of years of work
by thousands of employees who
overcame numerous challenges
and the seismic changes of a
global pandemic to deliver a
world-class passenger experience
at [gateways of] Washington DC.
The airport’s US$1bn investment
to transform the traveller
experience inside the terminals at
the gates and along the roadways
will bring a new era of travel to
American Airlines’ customers,
who can now board regional
aircraft from jetbridges instead of
through Gate 35X.”
American Airlines plans to
operate 85 daily departures from
the concourse this summer.
Before the onset of COVID-19,
Gate 35X handled more than
6,000 customers daily and,
according to American Airlines,
served 16% and 30% of all traffic
and departures, respectively,
from Reagan National. The final
rotation to use Gate 35X was
on April 19 when Flight AA 5482
– operated by a Bombardier
CRJ700 – was waved off by staff
members on departure to Albany,
New York (pictured).
Due to the pandemic, Gate 35X
was closed for most of 2020,
allowing accelerated construction
of the replacement concourse.
(Photo: Flickr Commons/
airbus777)

10 airports of the world // July - August 2021

 New Gulf connection across Africa
THE MOST populous city in
the Côte d’Ivoire, Abidjan, has
a new connection from Doha,
Qatar, scheduled to be launched
from June 16. Qatar Airways
is deploying its inventory of
30-strong, 254-seat Boeing 787-8
Dreamliners on the new
thrice-weekly, 3,919-mile link,
which stops via neighbouring
Accra, Ghana.
Shortlived holiday surge for UK airports
FOLLOWING THE devastating
impact of COVID-19, airports
across the United Kingdom were
given a welcome boost from
May 17 when the 19-week ban on
international leisure travel was
partially lifted.
On the first day, airlines and
travellers disproportionately
favoured Portugal as their chosen
destination, with flights bound for
five gateways in the sun-soaked
nation. The country was one of a
handful on the UK government’s
‘green list’, removing the
Flight QR1423 leaves Doha at
0220hrs, arriving in Abidjan’s
Félix-Houphouët-Boigny
International at 0910hrs local
time. On the return leg, QR1424
leaves the West African nation at
1720hrs, landing back in the Gulf
at 0610hrs the following morning.
Akbar Al Baker, chief executive
of Qatar Airways Group,
said: “[This is] our fourth new
requirement for travellers to
quarantine on their return home.
On May 17, London/Stansted
had one of the highest numbers
of services to Portugal, with
seven flights – three to Faro and
two each to Porto and Lisbon.
London/Heathrow handled a
pair of rotations to Lisbon and
Faro and a single link to Funchal,
while London/Gatwick had two
Faro connections, plus one Porto,
Funchal and Porto Santo service.
The last of these, operated by
TUI, was one of the first to depart
destination in Africa since the
start of the pandemic. At Qatar
Airways, we remain committed to
the African market, expanding our
network across the continent and
offering seamless connectivity.
“We are thankful to the Côte
d’Ivoire government for their
support to launch these flights.
We look forward to working
closely with our partners in [the
at 0600hrs. Manchester had a
pair of Faro and Lisbon services
and matched the 0600hrs ‘green
list’ departure time with its TUI
sortie to Funchal. There were also
three easyJet Faro connections
at its London/Luton base and, at
Birmingham, one Funchal and two
Faro flights.
Faro appears to have been the
most popular destination as 54%
of its 31 arrivals were from the UK.
However, in a cruel twist for
airports and holidaymakers
alike, Portugal was dramatically
West African country] to steadily
grow this route and support the
recovery of tourism and trade.”
Qatar now operates 100
weekly rotations to 24 African
destinations. Emirates serves
Abidjan and also routes via Accra
using 777-300ERs connecting
from Dubai/International.
(Photo: Flickr Commons/
Florian Klebl)
downgraded by the UK
government to ‘amber’ in early
June, making travel more difficult
and forcing thousands to curtail,
cancel or postpone their trip.
In the run-up to the introduction
of the risk-based traffic light
approach, the Airport Operators
Association (AOA), a trade
association representing more
than 50 UK gateways, claimed too
few countries were on the ‘green
list’, putting at risk a “meaningful
restart for the country’s aviation
sector and the economy.”
Karen Dee, AOA’s chief
executive, voiced her frustration
by saying: “It is disappointing
that the number of nations on
the green list remains extremely
limited and that vaccinated people
are subject to restrictions when
travelling to low-risk nations. The
UK’s world-leading vaccination
programme combined with
advanced testing capabilities
should allow for a genuine green
light for international travel.
“After a devastating year for
UK airports, we cannot afford
another false dawn. It is vital for
the UK’s economic recovery
that we get this right.”
(Photo: London Luton Airport)
www.key.aero 11
 News
Canada calling JetBlue…
VANCOUVER/INTERNATIONAL
HAS been confirmed by JetBlue
Airways as its first Canadian
destination. Scheduled to launch
in summer 2022, Vancouver will
be linked with New York/JFK
and Boston on a year-round and
seasonal basis respectively.
Tamara Vrooman, president
and CEO, Vancouver Airport
Authority, said: “By selecting
[Vancouver/International], JetBlue
QANTASLINK IS to base five
Embraer E190s at Adelaide
Airport as part of a deal with
Alliance Airlines to meet
growing demand in leisure
and corporate travel. This has
enabled QantasLink to open
a new service connecting the
Southern Australian city with the
Gold Coast, Queensland, while
more E-jet routes from
Adelaide are to be
announced.
Mark Young,
managing
London logistics locked in to Big Apple
THE UK capital’s two biggest
airports, Heathrow and Gatwick,
are to gain new transatlantic
services by JetBlue Airways to
New York/JFK from August 11 and
September 29, respectively.
JetBlue’s Heathrow rotations will
operate daily with the inbound
12 airports of the world // July - August 2021
has signalled a vote of confidence
in our region as a premier
destination, and our airport as
a trusted partner, that together
will attract a mix of business and
leisure travellers when the time is
right to fly again.”
The move came after JetBlue
unveiled the latest phase of its
Northeast Alliance partnership
with American Airlines, which
includes bolstering operations
Embraer base at Adelaide
director of Adelaide Airport, said:
“These aircraft [E190s] are
perfectly suited for the economics
of emerging markets and off-peak
services. Basing them in
Adelaide gives us more
capacity and greater flexibility
including the option to work with
Qantas to open up new
short-to-medium-haul
destinations, which benefits all
South Australian travellers.”
The move will increase inbound
visitors to South Australia by
around 560,000 annually, and the
Flight B6 007 (a nod to James
Bond) arriving at the West London
gateway at 1010hrs, the return,
Flight B6 20, departing at 1810hrs.
Meanwhile, its Gatwick operation
is also set for a daily frequency
with B6 43 landing at 0755hrs
before B6 44 leaves for the ‘Big
out of JFK and Boston to new
destinations, such as Vancouver.
Scott Laurence, head of revenue
and planning at JetBlue, said:
“By connecting with American
Airlines’ large customer base and
international network, we can add
new markets that we have been
eyeing for many years.
”The [Northeast] Alliance quite
literally gives us room to grow, as
we get greater access to airports
base is expected to create up to
200 jobs.
Hon Stephen Patterson,
Australia’s Minister for Trade
and Investment, said: “We have
a number of significant tourism
investment projects under way
in South Australia and the news
that Qantas will establish an
aircraft base to increase direct
flights from Adelaide will support
that investment growth. Bringing
tourists into our state will further
build our economy, fill our hotels
at night, support our tourism
Apple’ at 1200hrs. JetBlue CEO
Robin Hayes said: “We’ve always
said that JetBlue would serve
multiple London airports and we’re
pleased to have secured a path
at Heathrow and for long-term
growth at Gatwick, which offers
speed, low costs and convenient
accessibility into Central London.”
Stewart Wingate, chief executive
officer, Gatwick Airport, added:
“We look forward to welcoming
travellers from the US who are
looking for easy, quick access to
London, the South of England
and beyond.
“We believe this is a start of an
important long-term partnership
for us and we look forward adding
JetBlue flights to and from Boston
next year.”
that we have been locked out of
for years.”
Vancouver is already a popular
destination for US rotations.
For example, before the
pandemic, Vancouver was linked
with 29 airports across the United
States in 2019 including Chicago/
O’Hare, Phoenix/Sky Harbor, Salt
Lake City and Washington/Dulles.
(Photo Flickr Commons/
Robert Linsdell)
businesses and drive further
investment into South Australia.”
The news came after the
Australian government
announced it was extending its
international travel ban through
much of 2022. Restrictions
were due to have been lifted
on June 17. However, in May
Australia’s finance minister, Simon
Birmingham, said that borders are
unlikely to reopen until the middle
or end of 2022.
(Photo v1images.com/
Brandon Ravelo)
The airline intends to disrupt the
highly competitive transatlantic
market with its 14 flights a week
to the UK with increased levels of
service for lower prices through
its ‘Core’ economy and premium
‘Mint’ experiences. The firm has
rostered new Airbus A321LRs with
24 redesigned Mint suites and 117
Core seats all contained within
the Airbus’ new Airspace cabin
interior. JetBlue is set to have
three of the Finkenwerder-built
jets this year, all operating on the
JFK routes.
It plans to expand its transatlantic
offering next year with a Boston/
Logan to London route, which
is scheduled to launch for the
summer season.
Photo: Gatwick Airport Limited
 Transatlantic Dakar dates revealed
AIR SENEGAL has confirmed
dates for new transatlantic
operations from its Dakar/Blaise
Diagne International home.
The flag carrier has scheduled
a twice-weekly service (Thursday
and Sunday) between Dakar and
Washington/Dulles via New York/
JFK from September 2. Flight
HC417 will depart the Senegalese
capital at 0130hrs before arriving
in JFK at 0600hrs local time.
Then, after two and-a-half
hours on the ground, it will fly
the short leg to Dulles, landing at
approximately 1000hrs. The return
sortie, Flight HC418, departs
Washington at 2025hrs, routing
back via the Big Apple before
arriving in Dakar at 1225hrs the
following day.
Flight timings have also been
specifically set for connections
in Dakar from a swathe of
Breeze sweeps into US markets
SEVERAL AIRPORTS in the
Southwest, Midwest, Southeast
and Eastern United States have
welcomed Breeze Airways.
The fledgling company, which
launched revenue operations on
May 27, is due to have a network
encompassing 39 non-stop
routes between 16 cities, with a
majority from four main bases:
Tampa, Florida; Charleston, South
West African destinations
including: Bamako (Mali), Douala
(Cameroon), Libreville (Gabon)
and Nouakchott in Mauritania.
Ibrahima Kane, CEO of Air
Senegal, said: “[This move] is
part of the strategy [for] our
Carolina; New Orleans, Louisiana;
and Norfolk, Virginia.
From the quartet of focus cities,
Breeze will add ten destinations
from Tampa (including Columbus,
Ohio; Huntsville, Alabama; and
Richmond, Virginia), 11 from
Charleston (including Norfolk,
Virginia; New Orleans, Louisiana;
and Tampa, Florida), ten from New
Orleans (including Akron/Canton,
intercontinental expansion. [The]
United States remains a high
priority market for our diaspora,
which is well represented in
the area. With this new service,
Air Senegal will make the US
even more accessible for the
Ohio; Louisville, Kentucky; and
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma), and
seven from Norfolk (including
Hartford, Connecticut; Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania; and Providence,
Rhode Island).
Speaking about the
announcement, Kevin C Dolliole,
director of aviation for the
Louis Armstrong New Orleans
International Airport, said: “We
West African Communities
and therefore strengthen the
economic and socio-cultural ties
between the US and Senegal.”
During the lodging of the
airline’s initial application to the
US Department of Transportation,
Air Senegal disclosed that all US
rotations will be flown by a “wet
lessor”. This likely means only one
of the firm’s pair of Rolls-Royce
Trent 7000-powered Airbus
A330-900s, 9H-SZN (c/n 1910)
Casamance, which is operated
by wet-lease specialist Hi Fly
Malta, will be used. The twinjet
is configured with 237 seats in
economy, complemented by 21 in
premium and 32 in business.
Currently, Delta Air Lines plies
the Dakar to JFK route – Flight DL
216/217 – using its 38-strong fleet
of Boeing 767-300s.
(Photo Airbus)
are extremely proud that Breeze
Airways has recognised the
vitality of the New Orleans market
by kicking off with a significant
presence at [the Louisiana hub]
and offering greater connectivity
to and from this region… I thank
Breeze for making this significant
investment in our local economy,
and I am confident this is just the
beginning of what will be a long
and fruitful partnership.”
The CEO of Charleston
International Airport, J Elliott
Summey, added: “The Breeze
Airways value proposition of
low-cost, non-stop service
connecting underserved mid-sized
cities will be quickly embraced by
those travelling to and from the
Charleston, South Carolina area.
And we are confident that Breeze
Airways will see other sustainable
opportunities for success in the
coming years.”
According to Breeze founder
David Neeleman (pictured), a
majority of the connections it has
chosen are “underserved” and
states that “95% of Breeze routes
currently have no airline serving
them non-stop”.
Breeze was granted an air
carrier certificate and operations
specification by the US Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA)
on May 14, permitting it to
“engage in interstate scheduled
air transportation of persons,
property and mail”.
(Photo Breeze Airways)
www.key.aero 13
 News
Schiphol schedule bounces back
THE BIGGEST operator at
Amsterdam/Schiphol, KLM, has
ramped up its network from the
Dutch gateway for the upcoming
summer and winter seasons.
For the summer schedule, a
new daily service to Belgrade
(Serbia) began on May 13 while
three further routes to Dubrovnik
Nigerian newcomer
to launch Lagos links
A SWATHE of new domestic
rotations was due to be added
from Lagos’ Murtala Muhammed
hub as start-up Green Africa
Airways geared up for a planned
launch on June 24 .
As Airports of the World went to
press, the carrier was scheduled
Osaka terminal overhaul takes shape
GLOBAL AIRPORT operator, VINCI,
and financial services group, Orix,
have launched Osaka/Kansai’s
Terminal 1 upgrade – the largest
works at the Japanese hub since
its opening in 1994.
The wider modernisation project
at the complex started in 2016,
with reconstruction taking place
14 airports of the world // July - August 2021
(Croatia), Palma de Mallorca
(Spain) and Verona (Italy) are all
due to come online by June 26 at
the same frequency.
Also from Schiphol, KLM has
revealed intentions to deploy
larger aircraft to more popular
destinations, in particular Porto
and Ibiza, in July and August.
to link Lagos with Abuja, Akure,
Ilorin, Enugu, Owerri, and
Port-Harcourt. The fledging firm
hinted at more cities being added
to its route network in due course.
In the months prior to its launch,
Green Africa had taken delivery of
its maiden aircraft after procuring
in line with Japan’s strategy of
expanding tourism and economic
development within the region.
Creating more capacity,
enhancing operational efficiency
and improving the passenger
experience without needing to
build an entirely new terminal are
the main aims of the ambitious
This comes as it aims to increase
capacity to Southern European
countries including Croatia,
Greece, Italy and Portugal and
Spain. Meanwhile, the
Amsterdam-based operator
aims to add destinations to its
intercontinental network at the
start of its winter roster (October
a pair of eight-year-old 70-seat
ATR 72-600 turboprops, 5N-GAE
(c/n 1076) and 5N-GAA (c/n 1057).
A third example, which is to be
registered as 5N-GAD, is due to
follow imminently.
The three Franco-Italian-built
airframes are on lease from ACIA
project. According to VINCI, this
will help optimise space while
meeting the company’s wider
environmental objectives.
The airport’s international zone
is set for a complete redesign,
including key areas such as
security, boarding, emigration,
commercial areas and arrivals.
31 to March 26) - Orlando (USA),
Cancún (Mexico) and Mombasa
(Kenya) flown at four, three and
two times a week, respectively,
using Boeing 787-9s.
Bridgetown (Barbados) and Port
of Spain (Trinidad and Tobago)
are set for thrice-weekly rotations
by Airbus A330-200/300s, while
a four times a week service
to Phuket (Thailand) would be
deployed by 777-300ERs.
Pieter Elbers, KLM CEO, said:
“For KLM, this represents the
next significant step towards
rebuilding its network for the
benefit of our customers.
”As many as 99 destinations
in Europe will be served during
summer and, with this latest
expansion, KLM’s intercontinental
network will also be significantly
strengthened for winter.”
(Photo Flickr Commons/
Jon Olav Eikenes)
Aero Leasing. According to
market intelligence firm CAPA,
Green Africa is earmarked to
introduce two or three new
bases in Nigeria by December
next year using a 15-strong
contingent of ATR 72-600s.
(Photo Green Africa Airways)
By implementing a new
passenger walkway, it is hoped
that the architecture of the
building, the brainchild of Italian
designer Renzi Piano, will be
further highlighted. The works,
supported by the Japanese
government, are predicted to take
around four years to complete.
 Cook Islands embraced by NZ bubble
RAROTONGA INTERNATIONAL
in the Cook Islands welcomed
back services from New Zealand
in mid-May after the introduction
of a new quarantine-free travel
bubble between both nations.
Consequently, Kiwi flag carrier
Air New Zealand (ANZ) flew the
1,872-mile link between Auckland
and Rarotonga, the largest and
most populous landmass of the
Second transatlantic link for Accra
GHANA’S ACCRA/KOTOKA Airport
has received a second link to
the USA thanks to the launch of
flights from Washington/Dulles by
United Airlines. The Star Alliance
carrier started the thrice-weekly
European links to Reykjavík in PLAY
ICELAND’S REYKJAVÍK/KEFLAVÍK
Airport is poised for a new local,
low-cost start-up called PLAY
which intends to link several
major European destinations with
the hub.
From June 24, PLAY was
scheduled to kick off revenue
services with an inaugural
four times a week connection
to London/Stansted, with an
eventual aim of going daily.
Cook Islands, using its 14-strong
fleet of Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners.
The maiden service on Flights
NZ940/941 was operated by the
2015-vintage example, ZK-NZH
(c/n 37964), which also carried
doses of the Pfizer vaccine for
the Cook Islands’ COVID-19
vaccination programme.
Initially, the frequency of flights
operated on a two to four times
connection on May 14 using
Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner, N27901
(c/n 34821). The route is operated
on Wednesdays, Fridays and
Sundays. Patrick Quayle, United's
vice-president of International
Complementing the UK route,
bosses at PLAY intend to add
Alicante, Barcelona, Berlin,
Copenhagen, Paris and Tenerife
to the network shortly afterwards,
according to its website.
In addition, the
Icelandic-based firm has
revealed plans to expand its route
network to North America from
early 2022, although more details
have yet to be released.
a week basis before gradually
increasing to up to five times
a week from June 7 with daily
rotations scheduled by July.
As the Cook Islands has no
recorded cases of coronavirus,
there are strict criteria that
travellers must adhere to before
boarding flights.
These include passengers
having a negative COVID-19 test,
Network and Alliances, said: “Now
is the right time to take a bold step
in evolving our global network
to help our customers reconnect
with friends, family and colleagues
around the world."
Offering competitive fares under
a low-cost business model, PLAY
will use a trio of Airbus A321neos.
At the time of writing, PLAY
received its maiden jet, TF-AEW
(c/n 8008), while two ex-Interjet
examples, XA-JOE (c/n 7939) and
XA-NEO(c/n 7945), are due to
join by July. The fledgling airline
obtained its air operator certificate
(AOC) in May and began selling
tickets shortly afterwards.
or awaiting results, and remaining
in New Zealand or the Cook
Islands 14 days before departure.
Air New Zealand CEO Greg
Foran said this route to the South
Pacific island chain was popular
before the pandemic – more than
111,000 New Zealanders flew to
Rarotonga in 2019.
(Photo Flickr Commons/
Masakatsu Ukon)
The service is the second such
link between the Ghanaian capital
and the United States, with Delta
Air Lines connecting the West
African city with New York/JFK
daily using Airbus A330-300s.
The start-up’s business model
of linking Iceland with Europe
echoes that of defunct carrier
WOW air which had its base at
Reykjavík/Keflavík.
Some of PLAY’s top executives
also held roles within the former
low-cost carrier, including CEO
Birgir Jónsson, who was chief
operating officer.
(Photo AirTeamImages.com/
Paul Buchroeder)
www.key.aero 15
 ns
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240 Airports World Subs DPS.indd 67 08/06/2021 12:20:13

FEATURE

SWZ

Designing for t
WESTERN SYDNEY
21
I9 60 70 08 AO W 20

The new site honours

pioneering Australian With so many airports at a COVID-19-driven standstill, it is refreshing
aviator Nancy Bird
Walton, founder to see work continue on a new hub. Western Sydney Airport CEO
of the Australian
Women Pilots'
Simon Hickey updates Tara Craig on progress
Association and often

W
referred to as ‘The ork began on Western
Angel of the Outback’ Sydney International
All images courtesy (Nancy Bird Walton)
of Western Sydney Airport in 2018.
International Airport Billed by the Australian government as
unless otherwise “a transformational infrastructure project
stated
that will generate economic activity,
provide employment opportunities and
meet Sydney's growing aviation needs”,
it is clearly an ambitious undertaking.
The authority is investing up to
AUD$5.3bn in equity to deliver the
site through the government-owned
company, Western Sydney Airport.
The result will be a full-service facility
operating curfew free, with international,
domestic and freight services.
Thousands of jobs and opportunities
for local businesses will be created – the
complex is expected to support almost
28,000 direct and indirect jobs by 2031.
According to CEO Simon Hickey, the
project remains on track to open for
international, domestic and air cargo
services in late 2026. However, for now,
the emphasis is on the 4,400-acre site,
in Badgerys Creek. Earthworks are more
than halfway through, with in excess of
459 million cubic feet of earth already
moved to ready the area for terminal
and runway construction.
“This involves flattening the greenfield
site, which had a 40m [131ft] difference
between the highest and lowest
points on site – the equivalent of a
12-storey building,” explained Hickey,
adding that work has continued on-site
throughout the pandemic, thanks to the
implementation of strict social distancing
and hygiene practices, designed “to
protect the workforce and ensure
our earthworks project as well as our
significant infrastructure and commercial
planning focus could continue”.
The COVID factor
The pandemic has affected almost every
area of the aviation world, including
airport design, due to the ongoing need
for social distancing, a reduction in touch
points and so on. Within this context, the
Western Sydney International project’s
timing is perfect.
As Hickey pointed out: “Building an
airport from the ground up means
there is no need to retrofit existing
infrastructure and enables the operator
to take advantage of global best
practice when it comes to technology,

18 airports of the world // July - August 2021

r the future
processes and design. Western Sydney
International is in the design phase and
is therefore well placed to consider and
incorporate any design changes that
may be required in light of the pandemic
and lessons learned from airports
around the world.”
The new airport will also play a role
in tackling the wider economic impact
of the virus. “It’s more important than
ever that nation-building projects like
Western Sydney International continue
to create jobs and drive local investment
while Australia is recovering from
COVID-19,” he stressed.
Thanks to an integrated airside and
landside access and 24-hour operations
– a first for the city – Western Sydney
International will play a major part
in the creation of jobs and business
opportunities for Western Sydney, New
South Wales and Australia more broadly.
The road to recovery
Vaccines are rolling out in many places
globally and a travel bubble has opened
between New Zealand and Australia
– the latter’s domestic airlines reporting
a return to 80-90% of pre-COVID
capacity by the end of the financial year,
Simon Hickey was
appointed CEO of
Western Sydney
with continued growth each month. Airport in July 2020.
While the Australian government He has more than
has prolonged its international travel 30 years’ experience
ban through much of 2022, there are in commercial,
forecasts from IATA that global air aviation and
traffic will resume to pre-COVID levels construction roles
by 2024, which, as Hickey said, is well
before Western Sydney International
opens at the end of 2026.
Stage one of the airport will have
capacity for ten million passengers
annually. By the 2060s, the new airport
is expected to be Australia’s largest
gateway, capable of serving 82 million
travellers a year.
From 2026, Western Sydney
International will process around
242,508 tons of cargo a year from both
passenger aircraft and freighters, with
the potential to grow, as global air
supply chains linking Australian
businesses to international markets
continue to rebuild post-COVID-19.
It was recently announced that,
following a competitive procurement
process, the airport had awarded the
www.key.aero 19
The airport covers contract to design, build and maintain
4,400 acres of its baggage handling system (BHS) to
undulating terrain. Vanderlande Industries Australia.
Major earthworks
were called for, as A standout BHS
was the relocation Hickey said: “Our baggage handling
of structures that system will be a significant leap ahead
included high-voltage compared to most older airports, which
powerlines and more
have systems based on technology that
hasn’t changed much in half a century.”
No other Australian airport will
have a full departure and arrival tote
baggage handling system, although
some use a tote process retrofitted
into traditional belt systems. According
to Hickey, most Australian baggage
Earthworks at the handling systems are reliant on manual
new airport’s site handling operations – with all the
are over halfway inefficiency and risk, including to worker
through, with more safety, that comes with them.
than 459 million “Our system will be faster and more
cubic feet of earth reliable with potential for us to consider
already moved customer service experiences such as
bag pick up and automated storage,
before you leave home, and the ability
to track your bag via an app to know
exactly when it’s going to be available
for pick up after you arrive,” he added.
Hickey considers this new baggage
handling system the first proof point that
Western Sydney International Airport
will offer its customers a very different
experience. It will support the fast and
easy customer experience that will
define catching a flight from Western
Sydney International, he stressed.
At the heart of the new approach,
which is based on a unique shuttle
technology, is Vanderlande’s Adapto
Passengers arriving Bagstore – providing maximum flexibility,
at the new airport scalability, redundancy and high storage It’s more important than ever that
will be greeted by density. It will enable the airport to ‘batch
landscaped gardens build’ baggage, ensuring efficient use of nation-building projects like this create
within a grand
public plaza
resources, and to deploy the emerging
service of ‘reclaim on demand’ due jobs and drive local investment

20 airports of the world // July - August 2021

 The tech
“Technology will be another important
enabler of the experience we will offer our
customers – passengers, airlines and air cargo
operators,” said CEO Simon Hickey.
According to Hickey, Western Sydney
International will be a digitally enabled airport.
The combination of technologies deployed,
and the use of information, will drive greater
efficiencies for the airport, its partner airlines
and partner air cargo operators. The same
technologies and information will also
deliver a simple, efficient and consistent
passenger experience.
Biometrics and other technologies will
support a touch-free customer journey. Hickey
said: “Biometrics are currently sitting in our
planning phase for review prior to a final
decision on the best types that can be used
the terminal design and construction determined by the country's Department The terminal design
and at what critical passenger journey points takes its inspiration
contract: Lendlease CPB Joint Venture of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional
they could be applied. (between Lendlease Building and CPB Development and Communication, from the local flora
“The challenge is to ensure that we launch a Contractors), Multiplex Construction and working with Airservices Australia, of Western Sydney
relevant technology-enabled airport in 2026, Watpac Construction. The winner will a government-owned business and the area’s unique
so we need to delay final decisions as long be announced shortly, with construction responsible for managing air traffic natural qualities,
beginning later this year, Hickey said. within Australian airspace. such as the Great
as possible to ensure that we have the latest
Australian Light
thinking and technology available to deploy in “Construction ramps up with each “Flight paths will be released for public
our modern facilities.” major contract that comes on-line. From consultation well before the airport
Considerations around privacy and regulation late 2022, both the terminal and airside opens in late 2026,” he said, adding that
pavements, including runway and civil the same government department will
will also influence Western Sydney Airport’s
works, will be under way, with both lead public consultation and community
decisions about the use of these technologies,
being significant job creators.   engagement regarding draft flight paths.
Hickey emphasised. “Peak construction will be reached
in 2023, when the final major works The VFR effect
to its ability to store inbound bags. contract, landside civil and building Western Sydney is one of the most
The digitally enabled system has works and technology implementation vibrant regions in the country and
advantages for all stakeholders, whether also come on-line,” he explained. is home to Australians from diverse
passengers, airlines or airports. cultures. According to the Destination
According to Hickey, it puts the Flight path concerns NSW Travel to Sydney Snapshot June
passenger first in its ability to track, Western Sydney International will be 2019, around a quarter of international The Zaha Hadid
notify and reduce the anxiety associated operating without a curfew and its visitors went to Sydney to visit friends Architects and Cox
with baggage handling systems.  relative proximity to the Blue Mountains, and relatives (VFR). Architecture terminal
Meanwhile, for airlines, the a World Heritage region known for its “From day one of operation, Western design features
cutting-edge tote system can potentially stunning natural beauty, has caused Sydney International will have the third extensive use of
reduce delays at the departure gate, some concern among local people and largest catchment of any Australian daylight, natural
lowering operating costs and helping conservationists. Asked about flight airport,” Hickey said. “When you ventilation and
the carrier get more value out of its paths, Hickey explained that they will be consider the cultural diversity of that water recycling
aircraft. “This is a modern and flexible
system that can be easily expanded
to meet capacity demands, increase
worker safety and keep up with
emerging technology as the airport
grows in the future,” said Hickey.  

Contracts on the cards

A number of major contracts are yet to
be awarded, Hickey confirmed. These
include the final design and construction
of the terminal precinct, airside
pavements and civil works, including
the 2.2-mile runway and taxiways, and
landside building and civil works, which
is a significant deal that covers internal
roads, car parks, utilities and more than
30 support buildings.
He added, “We will also go to market
on our technology package, which is
the design and management of the
more than 150 different systems we
need, which bring the airport to life.”
Three companies were shortlisted for

www.key.aero 21
Western Sydney
International will be
the first Australian
gateway to have a
full departure and
arrival tote baggage
handling system
Vanderlande
Industries Australia
catchment, the significance of Western
Sydney International to overseas airlines
in terms of the VFR market is enormous.”
With the opportunities for new routes
and services that the Western Sydney
International capacity injection will
represent for the city, as well as its 24/7
operation, Hickey is confident the new
airport will grow that VFR market to
Sydney further still.
When the airport opens in 2026,
Tourism Research Australia forecasts the
largest source markets of international
visitors to Australia will be from China
and New Zealand. “We also know
some markets like India have a 55%
VFR segment,” Hickey said. “Obviously,
the VFR will appeal to some carriers,
but one cannot deny the massive
leisure potential of Western Sydney
International, with a catchment of just
under three million people by 2026”.   The team behind the new hub
In addition to the airport’s Australian
airline memorandum of understanding
An artist’s impression
of the Airport
Terminal Station,
being delivered as
part of the Sydney
Metro – Western
Sydney Airport
project Sydney Metro
22 airports of the world // July - August 2021
(MoU) partners Qantas, Jetstar and
Virgin Australia, it has strong
connections with overseas carriers and
the team has met with dozens from
across the world. Hickey described
them as: “Very enthusiastic about
the possibilities that Western Sydney
International will create for them in
terms of access to this huge catchment
of potential passengers in Australia’s
‘global city’.” More than five years from
opening, it is too early to talk about
specific services, but he added: “What I
can say is engagement with Australian
and international airlines has been
strong and I feel very optimistic about
the domestic, regional and international
services that airlines will operate from
Western Sydney International.”
Non-aeronautical operations  a range of businesses that will benefit
understands that the strongest airport
businesses have a balance of aero and
Preserving the past
Ensuring Aboriginal cultural heritage is
recorded and managed is an important
part of the development of Western Sydney
International Airport.
More than 70 heritage sites have been
recorded at the airport complex, all of which
are considered to be culturally significant by
the Aboriginal stakeholders consulted through
the Environmental Impact Statement.
The statement has identified ways to preserve
the site’s Aboriginal heritage value. Some
examples, such as a grinding groove and a
scar tree, will be preserved entirely within
the environmental conservation zone in the
southeast of the airport. Where heritage cannot
be preserved in place, recording and artefact
salvaging will be undertaken. The site’s cultural
heritage will be commemorated in various ways
at the airport, according to the project team.
Twenty European heritage items were
recorded at the airport location, as well as
a further 22 from the surrounding area. The
identified heritage items will be removed and
ongoing management will ensure the cultural
heritage value of the site is respected.
non-aero revenue, so it is developing
a commercial model with this in mind.
Being built from the ground up also
puts the airport in an ideal position
to leverage technology and take
advantage of the latest trends in
areas such as retail, something Hickey
described as “obviously very exciting”.
Western Sydney International will also
feature an on-airport business park of
almost 495 acres. This will be home to
from being on the doorstep of Sydney’s
new airport, from airlines and hotels to
the technology and corporate sectors.
 Connectivity is a key element of the
business park, which will have its own
metro rail station, as well as offering
open space, walking and cycling paths
and quick, easy motorway access.
The airport will be just one metro stop
from Bradfield, an emerging city that
locals recently voted to name after John
Bradfield, an engineer who helped
shape the New South Wales capital,
playing a major role in the design and
construction of the Sydney Harbour
Bridge. The new city will be a key driver
of economic growth and is expected to
deliver up to 200,000 jobs across the
Western Parkland City, an area of 27,675
acres with the airport at its heart.
According to Hickey, proximity to this
modern metropolis will contribute to
Western Sydney International’s ability to
diversify its revenues as the airport grows.

A matter of pride
Hickey considers the airport a
once-in-a-generation, nation-building
project, driving regional economic
growth and opportunity, in the same way
Seoul/Incheon and Amsterdam/Schiphol
were the centrepieces of successful
city-building strategies. “Just as cities
of the past were created around ports,
‘global cities’ of the future will be created
around aviation,” he predicted.
“We are also proud of our workforce,
with more than 50% of the people
building Western Sydney International
living in the local area,” he added.
“We will continue to drive job
opportunities for people close to
where they live and raise their families,
throughout construction and into the
airport’s operation.”
“We’ve met all our milestones and
Western Sydney International is on track
to open to international and domestic
passenger and air cargo services in late
2026,” Hickey concluded.

Engagement with
Australian and Artist’s impression of
international airlines has Airport Business Park
Station, viewed from
been strong and I feel the southern side of
the station, looking
very optimistic north Sydney Metro

www.key.aero 23
FEATURE

GDR
T
he stunning stretch of Brazilian

Getting to the
coastline that runs along both Rio
BRAZIL de Janeiro and São Paulo states
21
I9 60 70 8A O W 20 is called the Costa Verde. The
beautiful beaches, turquoise waters
dotted with more than 300 islands and

Green Coast
lush vegetation and abundant wildlife
are complemented by a vibrant mix of
historic buildings along with a glut of
literary, music and gastronomy festivals.
Consequently, the area has always
been a major draw for international
tourists and wealthy Brazilian
Brazil’s Costa Verde is a popular holiday hotspot, holiday-homeowners alike.
However, despite its popularity, getting
thanks to its beautiful beaches and landscape. to the Costa Verde has traditionally been
fraught with difficulty. For example, the
However two of its aerial gateways, Angra dos municipalities of Angra dos Reis and
Paraty in Rio de Janeiro state each have a
Reis and Paraty, have often lacked scheduled air small airport serving the tropical paradise
but are only capable of handling types
Right: The author’s
aircraft is lined up
links. This all changed in December 2020, up to a Let L-410 Turbolet, Beechcraft
for Angra dos Reis’
short Runway 10/28.
as Daniel R Carneiro finds out King Air or Cessna Grand Caravan in size.
Additionally, those wishing to travel to the
Only types up to an Green Coast would have to rely on air
Let L-410 Turbolet, taxis, sporadic charter flights or, worse, a
Beechcraft King Air long road journey.
or Cessna Grand This all changed in December 2020
Caravan in size can with the introduction of scheduled
operate here air links from Azul Conecta, a newly
All images via author acquired regional subsidiary of Azul
Linhas Aéreas Brasileiras. But this was
not the first airline to attempt the launch
of such services.
Below: Azul Conecta
launched scheduled
flights to Angra dos Past ventures
Reis and Paraty in In 2004, a small regional carrier called
December 2020. TEAM Linhas Aéreas tried to gain
Here, the firm’s authorisation to connect Costa Verde
Cessna 208B Grand with the large Brazilian cities of Rio de
Caravan, PT-MED (c/n Janeiro and São Paulo – even flying a
208B0343), arrives series of test proving flights. The firm
at the former proposed to connect Jacarepaguá
Airport on the southwestern outskirts of

24 airports of the world // July - August 2021


Did you know?
The natural beauty of the Costa Verde region
was celebrated by British progressive rock
guitarist and songwriter Steve Hackett, a
former member of Genesis, in his solo album
Bay of Kings (the English translation of Angra
dos Reis), which was released in 1983. Hackett
and his wife at the time, the Brazilian artist
Kim Poor, had a home there.
Rio de Janeiro city with Campo de Marte
Airport in the metropolis of São Paulo
via Angra dos Reis and Paraty.
However, pressure from the Barra
da Tijuca residents' association (the
neighbourhood where Jacarepaguá
Airport is located) claimed that safety
concerns and increased noise levels
could be expected with the introduction
of commercial rotations. Additionally, the
crash of one of TEAM’s L-410s, PT-FSE
(c/n 912532), with the loss of all 19
occupants at Rio Bonito (approximately
35 miles east of Rio de Janeiro city)
in March 2006, and the firm later
suspending operations a few years later,
put a stop to any permanent Green
Coast connections. This was further
exacerbated by the lack of scheduled
airlines in southeast Brazil that used the
right aircraft types to fly into the small
Angra dos Reis and Paraty sites.
On the up?
Fast-forward to 2020, and while most
of the industry was on its knees due
to the arrival of COVID-19, there were
some positive developments for Angra
dos Reis Airport after Brazil’s Secretary
of State for Transport initiated a bidding
process during August for the extension Top: An artist’s
of its apron and sole Runway 10/28 impression of the
from 3,281ft to 4,265ft, as well as a new finished expansion
passenger terminal and the installation works at Angra dos
of night beaconing. Reis Airport including
Some headwinds have been an extended runway
encountered since the bidding process and new passenger
terminal which would
was announced, after it was postponed
allow for types up to
until the end of May 2021 at the time of
an ATR 72
writing. However, the airport manager
of Angra dos Reis stated the delay
happened after the facility “requested Above: The existing
that the total replacement of the aircraft terminal building at
ramp and runway tarmac be included in Angra dos Reis is
the project.” compact in size
According to the manager, as soon as
the bidding is complete, the first stage of
construction will consist of replacing the
tarmac. In addition, the new passenger
terminal has now been earmarked for
full completion by the end of 2022.
Importantly, the overall upgrades are
set to allow larger aircraft types up to an
ATR 72 turboprop in size to operate here
and increase passenger numbers.
Azul’s acquisition
Elsewhere, another ongoing
development that would positively affect
the Costa Verde gateways was Azul
www.key.aero 25
Right: The Green
Coast’s spectacular
scenery and sandy
beaches are a draw
for tourists
Linhas Aéreas Brasileiras’ acquisition
of the air taxi operator TwoFlex in May
2020 at a cost of US$21.5m. According
to Azul’s bosses, the buyout would help
the airline grow its domestic network
to more than 200 destinations and, by
inheriting TwoFlex’s 17-strong contingent
of Cessna Grand Caravans, would give
it access to smaller airfields, such as
those on the Green Coast, that were
previously inaccessible.
By last August, Azul officially launched
its Conecta subsidiary and, following
negotiations with local governments, a
swathe of new routes, including Angra
dos Reis and Paraty, for the upcoming
Southern Hemisphere summer season
were announced by November as part
of its expansion project dubbed Verão
Azul Conecta (Blue Summer Connect).
Below: Prior
to coronavirus Azul has used a marketing campaign
restrictions, Azul to encourage travellers to fly to the
Conecta linked Green Coast in as little as 45-55 minutes
Angra dos Reis and from the major metropolises. These
Paraty with São replace arduous road journeys as, for
Paulo/Congonhas example, from Rio de Janeiro it takes
and Rio de Janeiro/ approximately three hours to reach
Santos Dumont Angra dos Reis and nearly five to get
Daniel R Carneiro to Paraty. In addition, the integration
26 airports of the world // July - August 2021
of its Conecta subsidiary flights into
the vast Azul Linhas Aéreas domestic
network makes it easier for passengers
from any part of Brazil to reach Costa
Verde, and vice versa for the region’s
local inhabitants.
Scheduled links begin
The maiden scheduled flight into Angra
dos Reis by Azul Conecta commenced
on December 17 from São Paulo/
Congonhas and was operated by a
Cessna 208B Grand Caravan, PT-MED
(c/n 208B0343) Lady Azul – wearing
the pink breast cancer awareness
livery – with seven passengers on
board. This was followed two days later
by the inaugural service from Rio de
Janeiro/Santos Dumont and flown by
the Brazilian flag-adorned 208B Grand
Caravan, PT-MEJ (c/n 208B0359).
Meanwhile, the first scheduled
connections from São Paulo/Congonhas
and Rio de Janeiro/Santos Dumont
to Paraty kicked-off the same days as
those to Angra dos Reis using the
Grand Caravans.
The initial frequencies from São Paulo/
Congonhas to Angra dos Reis and
Paraty were daily. Elsewhere, services to
both Costa Verde facilities from Rio de
Janeiro/Santos Dumont were flown at
four-times weekly intervals. During
high-demand periods like the New Year,
extra flights were temporarily added.
Unfortunately, by March 2021, all links
were brought to a temporary halt after
cases of COVID-19 soared in Brazil.
As Airports of the World went to press,
rotations to both Angra dos Reis and
Paraty were still suspended as the
airline and local authorities negotiate a
date for resumption. While restart plans
are dictated by both COVID-19 and the
vaccination rollout, links to Angra dos
Reis are mooted to return possibly by
early July – although yet confirmed.
Looking ahead
The introduction of Azul Conecta has
been a success story for the Costa
Verde airports, especially on the Angra
dos Reis route, which recorded an
average of six passengers per flight on
the nine-seater Grand Caravans in the
time it was flying, providing a shining
light amid the wider industry turmoil.
And while the coronavirus pandemic has
caused temporary setbacks, there are a
plethora of benefits to be gained in the
mid- to-long term timeframe.
Once the pandemic has been
overcome, Costa Verde and its small
airports are primed for a resurgence in
tourism, helped by its new scheduled air
links. Additionally, with the expansion
plans for Angra dos Reis in motion, this
could pave the way for bigger
turboprops which, in turn, would bring in
more tourists and help boost the
regional economy of the area.
Acknowledgements
The author travelled between Rio de Janeiro/
Santos Dumont and Angra dos Reis on
December 24, 2020 and January 14, 2021.
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 Snapshot

Today, a majority
of Gimpo’s traffic is
domestic, although
this is complemented
by some international
links. Up until 2001, it
was the main airport
for the South Korean
capital until the opening
of neighbouring Incheon
All images Peter Apsey

heart
Seoul’s Gimpo International
Airport is the second gateway to
the South Korean capital after

The Incheon and home to a majority of

Seoul
domestic links, including the world’s

and busiest air route. We join Peter

Apsey for an October 2019 visit...

of South Korea
Below: Seoul’s Gimpo International Airport officially began passenger operations in 1958. However, the airfield
was initially constructed in 1939 for the Japanese Army and later became a base for the US Air Force

28 airports of the world // July - August 2021

Seoul/Gimpo-based
Eastar Jet is a budget
carrier with an
exclusive all-Boeing
737 fleet including
this 2010-built -800,
HL8374 (c/n 36547).
The firm is a member
of the first low-cost
airline partnership,
the U-Fly Alliance,
with China’s Lucky
Air and West Air

Korean Air operates

ten Pratt & Whitney
PW1500G-powered
Airbus A220-300s,
including 140-seat
HL8314 (c/n 55035).
The South Korean
flag carrier placed
a firm commitment
for ten of the then
Bombardier CS300
at the 2011 Paris Air
Show, taking its first
example in 2017

Before coronavirus,
Japan Airlines
deployed the
Boeing 777-200ER
on the thrice-daily
connection to Tokyo/
Haneda. Since the
author’s trip, this
‘Big Twin’, JA706J
(c/n 33394), received
oneworld alliance
markings and is
stored at Southern
California Logistics
Airport (Victorville)

This Disney-themed
livery, featuring
Mickey and Minnie
Mouse, has adorned
this Rolls-Royce Trent
700-equipped Airbus
A330-300, B-6507
(c/n 942), since 2017.
The airline continues
to promote the new
Shanghai Disney Resort,
which opened in 2016

When the author

visited, Asiana
Airlines operated
seven Boeing
767-300s – from 19
in its history. This
two-class, 250-seat
example, HL7528
(c/n 29129), is now
its youngest and
was delivered
factory-fresh in 1999

www.key.aero 29
 Snapshot

A low-cost subsidiary
of Korean Air, Jin
Air has a fleet of 20
Boeing 737-800s
and four two-class
393-seat Boeing
777-200ERs including
HL7733 (c/n 34206).
It uses both Incheon
(international) and
Gimpo (domestic)

This 13-year-old,
special-liveried
Korean Air Boeing
777-200ER, HL7766
(c/n 34213), deploys
reverse thrust upon
landing on one
of Seoul/Gimpo’s
two runways. The
widebody’s colourful
paint scheme (since
removed) promotes
the tenth edition of
the ‘Future Artist
Drawing Contest’

Air Busan is based in

its namesake city on
the southeast coast
of South Korea. As
well as its Busan/
Gimhae link, it offers
flights to Jeju Island
and Ulsan (about
30 miles from
mainland Busan)
from Seoul/Gimpo
using an all-Airbus
A320 Family
contingent, including
this former A321ceo,
HL7711 (c/n 1636)

Asiana Airlines has

been a Star Alliance
member since March
2003 and celebrated
this with aircraft
painting, including
this General Electric
CF6-powered Boeing
767-300, HL7516 (c/n
25759). The Asiana
Airlines brand could
disappear following
a merger with
Korean Air, one of the
founders of the rival
SkyTeam Alliance

During its history, Asiana Airlines has only used a small inventory of Airbus A320s, having favoured the larger A321.
During the author’s visit, only seven A320ceos were in service, including HL7738 (c/n 2459), which was the second
example of the type delivered new to Asiana in June 2005

30 airports of the world // July - August 2021

 Korean Air was one
of the four founding
members of the
SkyTeam Alliance
in June 2000. The
South Korean flag
carrier has four jets
in special alliance
colours: a pair of
Boeing 737-800s,
HL7560 (c/n 29981)
– pictured – and
HL7568 (c/n 29986);
a 777-300ER, HL7783
(c/n 37644); and an
Airbus A330-200,
HL8212 (c/n 1155)

Low-cost firm JEJU

air, based on its
namesake island in
the East China Sea,
uses a 42-strong fleet
of CFM International
CFM56-equipped
Boeing 737-800s,
such as 2018-vintage
HL8317 (c/n 64178).
It is one of several
carriers plying the
Jeju-Seoul/Gimpo
connection, ranked
by OAG as the world’s
busiest air route in
2019 (79,640
flights annually)

A 189-seat Boeing
737-800, HL8268
(c/n 30660), of
t’way air rockets
away on another
domestic departure
from Seoul/Gimpo.
The low-cost operator
complements the
South Korean
capital with
international
rotations from its
neighbour at Incheon
This two-class, 290-seat Airbus A330-300, HL7794 (c/n 1151), was the ninth example delivered from its current 15-strong inventory of the European-built twin-jet.
The type is deployed on popular services across the Asia-Pacific region

www.key.aero 31
New beginning
for Southend While no UK facility has been immune to the turbulence of the past
18 months, London Southend Airport has had it tougher than most.
Simon Murdoch enjoyed an exclusive tour of the site as the English
gateway prepares to reopen its doors to scheduled operations

L
London Southend ondon Southend Airport (LSA) is
Airport is celebrating one of its first scheduled
approximately 40 passenger services of the year.
miles east of Central In normal times this would barely
London, but is register as a footnote in early January.
well-served by However, these remain anything but
regular rail services normal times for commercial aviation.
into the capital Astonishingly, one of the maiden sorties
All photos via author of 2021 took off in May, with the Essex
facility hoping that the second half of the
year brings better fortunes.
Despite the challenges, the airport’s
owner – Esken, formerly known as the
Stobart Group – has raised £140 million to
fund major investments in the site. While
some of these are longer term projects,
others are already in place to boost
passenger confidence in
air travel.
Terminal tweaks
Unless exempt, all customers at the
airport must wear face coverings once
they enter the terminal building, with
large yellow signage providing a very
visual reminder of the rules. Once
the domain of soft drinks and sweet
treats, a vending machine for personal
protective equipment is now available for
passengers to buy face masks.
The check-in and bag drop desks have
also been modified with counters more
evenly spread out and fitted with Perspex
glass screens.
Additionally, a new queuing system has
been introduced with tape barriers and
social distancing floor markings.
Travellers are encouraged to check-in
online where possible and scan e-tickets
either via a home print-out or mobile
phone to avoid touching surfaces.
For those unavoidable
contact
points, hand sanitiser is available at 100
different locations around the terminal.
At the security area, thermal
temperature cameras have been installed
to check passenger temperatures.
Airport bosses have also invested in
the latest 3D CT x-ray scanners from
Smiths Detection which allow customers
to keep their laptops, electronics and
liquids inside their bags to minimise the
unnecessary touching of surfaces. LSA
is one of the first airports in the UK to
have this equipment installed following a
successful trial at London/Heathrow.
The Essex facility has acquired two of
these CT scanners, with one in the
main security area and the second at
the luggage check-in and loading
area in the departure hall. This
state-of-the-art machinery is still on trial
until fully licensed by the UK Department
for Transport but it is hoped that it will be
in full operation soon.

32 airports of the world // July - August 2021


Moving through to the departure
lounge, all restaurants remain closed
for the time being. When food outlets
do reopen, they are expected to be
takeaway only with orders placed by a
new ‘LSA grab app’ which also allows
passengers to pre-order retail items to
further reduce contact.
Elsewhere, the terminal seating has
been rearranged to enable social
distancing with signage assisting
customers in selecting a safer seat.
The overarching goal is focused on
maintaining a constant flow of travellers
and avoiding bottlenecks and human
touch points.
Flying high?
At the time of writing, enormous
uncertainty remains about how much
of the planned flight programme will
be realised for summer 2021. Ryanair
is hoping to operate flights to a dozen
destinations from LSA over the peak
holiday months to popular hotspots
including Alicante, Corfu, and Faro.
Two Boeing 737-800 aircraft are due
to be based at Southend to operate the
rotations. Meanwhile, fellow low-cost
giant Wizz Air is expected to be the
second airline based at LSA in the
post-lockdown era, with services to
Bucharest due to launch in July.
For those lucky enough to be jetting off
to sunnier climes, LSA has just opened its
own private COVID-19 testing station.
The new test facility is in partnership
with Prenetics and launched on May 30.
It is situated in the old terminal building
near the Stobart Jet Centre and is
equipped with pop-up test pod booths.
Passengers can book themselves in
for the PCR tests with up to 190 slots
available every day. These are priced at
£99 and are advertised as a discount on
the standard rate of £169. An on-site testing
The samples are sent to a laboratory centre has opened
and passengers receive their results in to help passengers
24 hours alongside the all-important ‘fit to adhere to the
fly’ travel certificate. necessary travel
Speaking to Airports of the World, requirements
LSA’s CEO Glyn Jones reflected on
the changes made and why he thinks
his facility stands out from the crowd:
“As London’s most modern airport, the
terminal design and space supports
social distancing. There are no transfer
buses, parking is a short walk and
queuing kept to a minimum, we are also
working to ensure passenger crossover
from flights is prevented.”
Jones acknowledged that it will take
time for the air transport industry to
recover from the effects of COVID and
for Southend to achieve the robust
passenger numbers it was seeing
(2.2 million in 2018-2019). Airport
management and wider stakeholders are
now working towards an ambitious target Management at the
of handling 12 million passengers per gateway made a raft
year by 2040. of changes ahead of
its reopening
The plans presented by Stobart Aviation
for scheduled
Services in a special report to Esken
passenger traffic
shareholders and Southend Council
also include building a new separate
arrivals terminal to complement the
existing building. It is proposed that this
will become a departures terminal with
a potential capacity of seven million
We have been voted passengers each year. A second airport
as best airport in the hotel, bolstering the existing Holiday Inn
property, is also in the pipeline.
London area for six Jones added: “We have been voted as
best airport in the London area for six
years in the Which? years in the Which? magazine consumer
survey. A key part of our mission is to
magazine consumer deliver a great passenger experience for
our guests.”
survey. A key part of Pre-pandemic the Essex gateway was
our mission is to deliver one of the fastest growing airports in
the UK. Figures by the country’s Civil
a great passenger Aviation Authority (CAA) show that in
the 2018-19 year overall passenger
experience for numbers increased by 37.5% versus the
previous period, with a total of 2,035,000
our guests customers passing through.
Jones and his team will be hoping that
LSA’s CEO Glyn Jones the various measures put in place and
the multi-million pound investments in the
site will enable the Southend facility to
rebound strongly and continue flying
higher than ever.
www.key.aero 33
Sometimes, the
greatest
is in plane sight
vie
For most guests, a hotel is a place for rest and relaxation. But for
many aviation enthusiasts, it’s the promise of a glimpse of airline
traffic at some of the world’s busiest airports that leaves them
eager to book a room. Tom Batchelor finds out more

34 airports of the world // July - August 2021

view
W
hen most people request
a hotel room with a view,
they don’t necessarily
envisage opening the
curtains to find an expanse of asphalt,
accompanied by the smell of jet fuel
and the roar of gas turbine engines.
However, for aviation fanatics, this just
may well sum up their idea of the perfect
hotel experience.
Airport hotels with views of the apron,
taxiway and runway are surprisingly
common, with dozens of notable
locations globally – most major hubs
have at least one worthwhile example.
Matt Falcus, an airport hotel expert who
has written several books on the subject,
revealed what he looks for in the perfect
plane-spotting hotel base: “The best
ones have great comfort and amenities
in the rooms, but most of all [they have]
a grandstand view of the action,” he told
Airports of the World. “You should be able
to take decent photographs and log all
movements. If the hotel has balconies
or a roof terrace with a good view, it's
even better.”
Speaking of his all-time favourite places
to stay, Falcus said: “In the UK, it's either
the Renaissance or Premier Inn T4
[Terminal 4] at Heathrow, as both have
excellent views [from the right rooms]
and plenty to see.
“Worldwide, the Renaissance Atlanta
[at Hartsfield-Jackson airport] is probably
the best and most famous, because
of the sheer volume of traffic.” He also
highlighted the TWA Hotel at New York/
John F Kennedy as one of his top-four
hotel destinations.
“Others like the Sonesta St Maarten [in
the Caribbean] have the benefit of the
weather and beach, while the Crowne
Plaza at Singapore/Changi has a great
variety of aircraft to see. There are, of Atlanta’s Hartsfield
course, many excellent spotting hotels -Jackson Airport
at smaller and quieter airports around was the world’s
the world that are worth trying, if you're busiest before the
visiting those places,” added Falcus. onset of coronavirus.
His website, AirportSpotting.com, Approximately
even lists exact room numbers, to 110.5m travellers
ensure enthusiasts are guaranteed passed through the
Georgia hub in 2019
the best views.
AirTeamImages.com/
Asked about the impact of COVID-19
Markus Mainka
on the viewing opportunities for guests
and visitors, he said: “I think [COVID]
has restricted the opportunities for
spotting at hotels. A lot [of] places like
Heathrow [Renaissance hotel] have
been used for quarantining travellers.
It really depends on the country and
local restrictions.
“I visited [the West London hub]
in October 2020 and stayed at the
Premier Inn T4, which was still great,
but the airport was so quiet with few
aircraft movements to see.”
After more than a year of quieter skies
and restricted travel, airport hotels can
expect a surge in interest when it is safe
to visit once more. Here is our round-up
of the highlights from a growing list of
excellent spotting options...
www.key.aero 35
Above: A British London/Heathrow, UK Like many hotels worldwide, viewing views of both T4’s remote parking
Airways Rolls-Royce The Renaissance London Heathrow opportunities have been curtailed stands and the threshold for Runway
Trent 900-powered Hotel is squeezed up against the somewhat by limited movements, 27L, with the top floors affording the
Airbus A380-800,
hub’s northern perimeter road and is thanks to the UK’s international travel best uninterrupted views.
G-XLEA (c/n 095)
positioned just a couple of hundred ban due to COVID-19. Unlucky guests
is moments from
touchdown at metres from the touchdown zone of might have been caught out by the Manchester Airport, UK
London/Heathrow Runway 27R. The hotel even promotes return of single runway operations at For those flying in or out of northern
Heathrow Airports itself to customers as having the Heathrow, which involved arrivals and England’s main hub, the Radisson
Limited winning combination of “stunning departures being temporarily limited to Blu Hotel Manchester Airport offers
views'' and soundproof windows, one half of the complex. Nonetheless, excellent views of the apron and
ensuring sleep is undisturbed even the views are still impressive, and runways from the full-width windows in
Top middle: The when airfield operations begin in the Renaissance remains a favourite any of the south-facing rooms.
Renaissance London
earnest in the morning. Though, of among seasoned spotters. Located between Terminal 1 and 2 but
Heathrow Hotel
course, you may want to set your alarm An alternative for the enthusiast at the connected via an elevated walkway,
sits on the northern
side of the airfield
to catch the trickle of early widebodies UK’s busiest gateway is the Premier this hotel is described by Falcus as
adjacent to arriving from Asia and the US. Inn Terminal 4. This hotel gives notable the northwest gateway’s best spotting
Runway 27R/09L
JUSTIN TALLIS/AFP
via Getty Images

36 airports of the world // July - August 2021

option. Rooms in the west wing of the
building are closer to the apron, while the
upper floors offer the best prospects of
seeing most of the arriving and departing
traffic from the airfield’s two airstrips,
Runway 23L/05R and 23R/05L.
Manchester Airport’s Runway Visitor
Park, covering 96,875sq ft, also gives
plane-spotters a superb close-up view of
aircraft on Taxiway Alpha, along with the
aviation action from both runways. The
visitor park reopened on April 12 and is
typically available between the hours of
0800hrs and 1600hrs.
There is also a selection of preserved
aircraft here, including a Aérospatiale/
BAC Concorde, G-BOAC (c/n 204), a Europe’s busiest gateways. Alternately, Above: Schiphol is
Hawker Siddeley Trident 3B, G-AWZK another good hotel for spotting is renowned for being
(c/n 2312) and a BAE Systems Avro the nearby CitizenM, which has a spotter-friendly. Here,
enthusiasts of all
RJX100, G-IRJX (c/n E3378). spectators’ area on its roof.
ages watch in awe
If the views from the hotel aren’t
at the departure of
Amsterdam/Schiphol, enough, Schiphol airport is also more a 2006-built KLM
Netherlands spotter-friendly than most, with several Airbus A330-200,
Rooms at the Hilton Amsterdam free, demarcated viewing zones. PH-AOH (c/n 811)
Airport Schiphol Hotel afford This includes the Panorama Terrace, AirTeamImages.com/
customers a decent view of the located on top of the terminal, which Olivier Corneloup
Dutch facility’s runways (18R/36L and gives views over Piers C, D and E,
18C/36C), through diamond-shaped, while a former KLM Cityhopper Fokker Below: The Hilton
floor-to-ceiling windows. The more 100, PH-OFE (c/n 11260) is on display Amsterdam Airport
expensive rooms on the upper floors and can be admired free of charge. Schiphol, with
have sweeping vistas across the Currently, the terrace is temporarily diamond-shaped,
aprons, taxiways and runways of one of closed due to COVID-19. floor-to-ceiling
windows, provides
decent views
Hufton+Crow/View
Pictures/Universal
Images Group via
Getty Images
www.key.aero 37
Above: When staying
at the hotel in New York/JFK, US
Singapore/Changi, Perhaps the most famous example
room packages on this list is the stunning TWA Hotel
include tickets to the located near New York/JFK’s Terminal 5.
Jewel Canopy Park Housed in the Eero Saarinen-designed,
Changi Airport Group 1962 TWA Flight Centre, it’s a reason
alone to visit the airport.
The 512-bedroom building – JFK’s
Top middle: Rio de
only on-site hotel – opened in 2019 after
Janeiro’s Santos standing vacant for almost 20 years. It
Dumont Airport is a has already established itself as a Mecca
busy hub, despite for plane lovers everywhere. Highlights
its compact size include a rooftop infinity ‘pool-cuzzi’
AviationImage and an observation deck overlooking
Network/BaoLuo Runway 04L/22R, with views all the
way to Jamaica Bay. However, the
real treasure is the restored Lockheed
Constellation L-1649A Starliner,
N8083H (c/n 1038), which features a
1960s-inspired cocktail bar inside.
Some rooms come with runway
views, but guests can also head to the
rooftop pool and bar to watch JFK’s
Below: The TWA Hotel wide array of aircraft take off and land.
at New York/JFK Prior to COVID-19, non-guests could pay
gives guests a unique a fee (US$25 weekdays and US$50
vantage point for weekends) to access the rooftop areas
plane-spotting without having to stay overnight.
Flickr Commons/ Downstairs, a museum documents
Christopher Michel the history of TWA – from its original
38 airports of the world // July - August 2021
Transcontinental and Western Air
inception to its Trans World Airlines
heyday, between 1930 and 2001.
Guests are also treated to a plethora of
TWA items on display, including flight
attendant uniforms, serving smocks,
pilot hats, inflight menu cards and
model aircraft.
Finally, travellers can experience
both the classic Solari split-flap
departures/arrivals board, and the iconic
Saarinen-designed flight tubes that
connect to JFK’s Terminal 5 – it was
notably featured in the 2002 Steven
Spielberg film, Catch Me If You Can, with
Leonardo DiCaprio playing teen pilot
impersonator, Frank William Abagnale Jr.
For an extensive trip report on the
TWA hotel, see the July/August 2020
edition of Airports of the World.
Atlanta/Hartsfield-Jackson, US
With six runways to choose from,
Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson gateway
is an ever-popular spotting destination
– it was the world’s busiest airport
before the onset of coronavirus. The
Renaissance Concourse Atlanta Airport
Hotel is, therefore, a big draw for
aviation enthusiasts.
Through the Aviator Enthusiast
Package, visitors can stay in a room
that has a balcony with a runway view,
receive tickets to the neighbouring Delta
Flight Museum, enjoy cocktails in the
Concorde Lounge and make use of an
airfield map and binoculars.
As such, this is considered one of the
best plane-spotting hotels in the United
States, with Falcus putting it in his top
four. His website states that, on a clear
day, the hotel balcony gives views of a
significant number of airliners passing
overhead at cruise. Falcus adds that
“many high-level airways intersect
over Atlanta, giving the opportunity to
log 300+ overflights in a day,” as an
additional bonus.
Dallas/Fort Worth, US
The Grand Hyatt DFW offers expansive
apron and runway field of vision, with
rooms looking out to either the east
or west side of Dallas/Fort Worth,
depending on your allocation.
With the hotel located inside Terminal
D, it has a superior viewing location
compared with several publicly
accessible spotting examples around
the facility. On the top of the building,
there is a rooftop pool that oversees the
west apron and can be accessed for a
fee by non-guests.
Arrivals and departures are dominated
by American Airlines and its regional
affiliates through American Eagle.
But Terminal D is also home to many
visiting international carriers, so guests
are given an impressive line-up of
widebodies heading to Europe or Asia.
In normal circumstances, Dallas/Fort
Worth is busy, and although traffic
has been down by 50% during the
pandemic, the Texas hub was still
temporarily crowned the world’s busiest
site in May 2020, with more aircraft
movements than traditionally busier
locations, such as Atlanta/Hartsfield
Jackson and London/Heathrow.
Vancouver/International,
Canada
Thanks to its prime location, the
Vancouver Fairmont Airport Hotel
has taken a unique step by publishing
its own plane-spotting guide – which
can be found in all 392 rooms – for
aviation lovers. According to the hotel,
the guide details every aircraft found
regularly at Vancouver/International,
along with airframe details (length,
speed, cruise ceiling), fun facts and
tips for newbies on how to distinguish
different aircraft models.
Regularly named the best airport
hotel in North America in the Skytrax
World Airport Awards – including in
the most recent 2020 judging round
– the Fairmont’s rooms and suites are
spacious with soundproofed
floor-to-ceiling windows and give clear
views of the runways, Pacific Ocean
and North Shore Mountains.
While Canada has been under
COVID-19 travel restrictions, the hotel
has offered a “vacation to nowhere”
package, to make locals feel as though
they are in Mexico, without leaving the
hotel. Themed accommodation and
private pool time are among the perks.
Sint Maarten,
The Leeward Islands
The dual Caribbean island of Sint Maarten/
Saint Martin – made up of the Dutch and
French side, respectively – is the ultimate
spot for aviation enthusiasts, thanks to
the famous take off and landings from
Princess Juliana International’s Runway
10/28 over Maho Beach.
Situated on the Dutch side of the Above: Locals and
island, Sonesta Ocean Point Resort is holidaymakers alike
just a couple hundred meters from the regularly crowd
beach and is an adult-only hotel that Maho Beach in St
recently underwent a multi-million-dollar Maarten to stand just
renovation project. feet under landing
aircraft, such as
To witness arrivals making some
this United Airlines
spectacular landings, guests can either
Airbus A320ceo,
head to their balconies, the gym, or N403UA (c/n 442)
just about anywhere with a view over Flickr Commons/
the bay and beach, which the runway Vince_Vega
presses up against.
Rio de Janeiro/Santos
Dumont, Brazil
Rio de Janeiro’s Santos Dumont hub
is positioned on land reclaimed from
the sea and just over a mile from the
bustling city centre of Brazil’s
second-busiest metropolis. The
Prodigy Hotel Santos Dumont
Airport – the complex’s newest
accommodation – makes the most of
its spectacular location, mixing apron Below: Vancouver/
and runway activity with a backdrop International offers
that includes Guanabara Bay, Sugarloaf the enthusiast an
added backdrop,
Mountain and the Christ the Redeemer
thanks to the natural
statue. While not all rooms possess
landscape’s beauty
such great views, the rooftop pool area v1images.com/
more than makes up for it. Peterson Poon
www.key.aero 39
 For the best views, it’s recommended to
request a room on a higher floor in the
north wing of the building.
Its sister hotel, the Regal Oriental, sits
about 20 miles away at the infamous,
and now-closed, Kai Tak Airport, which
became known for its stomach-churning
landings, as aircraft had to perform
a dramatic turn over the city for final
approach. The Regal Oriental, formerly
the Regal Meridien Hong Kong Airport
Hotel, is one of the few remaining
buildings that can be traced back to the
old international complex, which first
operated in 1925 and closed in 1998.

Port Moresby,
Papua New Guinea
Nestled in its own botanical gardens, the
Airways Hotel in Papua New Guinea’s
capital, Port Moresby, is a two-minute
drive from the airport. Apart from the
Above: Spotters at splendid views of the runway, another
Hong Kong/Chek draw for enthusiasts is an ex-Royal
Lap Kok are graced
Australian Air Force and Papua New
with a plethora of
Guinea Defence Force Douglas C-47,
freight operators and
P2-002 (c/n 32877), which is proudly on
cargo aircraft types
AirTeamImages.com/ display at the hotel for guests to enjoy. In
Colin Parker a nod to the ex-military transport aircraft,
several of the accommodation on offer
take the type’s name, including the
Right: Japan’s Tokyo/ Dakota suite and Dakota rooms.
Haneda is the busiest
facility in the country.
Here, a single
Tokyo/Haneda, Japan
example of a Boeing
The Haneda Excel Hotel Tokyu is one
737-800, JA62AN of Japan’s premier viewing spots. The
(c/n 33899) and rooms – which come with a Japanese
Airbus A321ceo, green tea set and air purifier – present
JA114A (c/n 7493) excellent vistas across Tokyo/Haneda
from ANA are for those on the top floors. From this
prepared ahead of lofty vantage point, it’s possible to see
their next missions the All Nippon Airways (ANA) aprons
Flickr Commons/ and one of the two parallel airstrips,
Alan Wilson Runway 16L/34R.
Undoubtedly, the star of the show
is the full-size Boeing 737-800 flight
Right: The hotel at
simulator in the aptly named ‘superior
Sydney/Kingsford
cockpit room’, which was installed in July
Smith provides
essential tips for
2019, to mark 15 years since the hotel
plane-spotting in first opened. Guests wishing to use it
the area, including must pay for a 90-minute lesson with a
at Lady Robinsons certified flight instructor.
Beach, adjacent to
Runway 34L/16R Sydney/Kingsford Smith,
AirTeamImages.com/ Australia
Elias Hadjari Panoramic views of Sydney/Kingsford
Smith can be found in the airfield-facing
Singapore/Changi, Singapore mazes, slides, a giant sculpture and rooms at the Rydges Sydney Airport
Crowne Plaza Changi Airport Hotel viewing platform, along with Foggy Hotel, which offer an added backdrop
is often described as one of the best Bowls, where children can play in of Port Botany and the central business
examples in the world for plane-spotting. magical bowls of mist (see Airports of district of Australia’s largest city.
Even rooms without a direct view of the the World, January/February 2020). Situated next to Terminal 1, the hotel
runway are afforded glimpses of landing overlooks Runway 16R/34L with the
and departing airliners. Hong Kong domestic terminal visible in the
The hotel was opened in 2008, before The Regal Airport Hotel is directly distance. Customers who book the
being refurbished and extended in 2016. connected to the passenger arrival hall plane-spotters package are guaranteed
In the 2020 World Airport Awards, it of Hong Kong’s Chek Lap Kok gateway a view of the runway, a pair of
was presented as Skytrax World's Best and is just a two-minute walk away. But binoculars, an AUS$50 food-and-drink
Airport Hotel for the sixth year in a row. the proximity for jet-lagged travellers is voucher per night, late checkout and a
With direct access to all of Changi’s not the only reason to stay. Rooms have plane-spotters’ fact sheet. The latter
terminals, the Crowne Plaza’s room magnificent sweeping views across the lists locations close to the Aussie hub
packages include tickets to the Jewel aprons to the runway, along with ships with walking directions to the end of the
Canopy Park – a 150,000sq ft enclosed anchored in the South China Sea, to runway and details about spotting on
space with attractions such as gardens, cater for your potential nautical needs. the nearby Lady Robinsons beach.

40 airports of the world // July - August 2021

 THE GLOBAL AIRLINE SCENE
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 JULY/AUGUST 2021

The distinctive buildings of the Las Vegas Strip are visible

from the airport concourse at McCarran International.
The facility is named after the late US Senator Pat
McCarran, who contributed to the development of
aviation in Las Vegas and across the USA.
Photo: Ronda Churchill

42 airports of the world // July - August 2021

www.key.aero 43
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Heading for
hydrogen?
As airports around the world continue to
showcase their ambitious net zero carbon
targets, Tara Craig looks into a potential
‘wonder fuel’ for the future: hydrogen
M
uch of the bad press that
the aviation industry faces
is down to its impact on the
environment. Enormous
effort is going into finding an acceptable
alternative fuel to cut down emissions.
Of course, jet fuel is not the only energy
source required by the aviation sector.
All sorts of on-airport vehicles require
fuel, and then there’s the heating of
terminals and other airport buildings.
This is where the concept of switching
energy sources from fossil fuels to
hydrogen comes in.
According to US non-profit
organisation the Hydrogen Energy
Center (HEC), in environmental terms
hydrogen has three principal benefits.
First, using it can significantly reduce
pollution. Combining hydrogen with
oxygen in a fuel cell produces energy
in the form of electricity. The advantage
of using hydrogen as an energy carrier
is that when it combines with oxygen
the only byproducts are water and
heat. No greenhouse gases or other
particulates are produced by the use of
hydrogen fuel cells.
Second, it can be produced locally.
Finally, making hydrogen from
water (green hydrogen) means the
production system is sustainable.
Water is separated into hydrogen
and water by electrolysis, after which
renewable energy sources such as
wind, hydro, solar and tidal can power
the electrolyser, further underscoring the
system’s sustainability.
There is plenty of scope for using
hydrogen in airports. Fuel Cell and
Hydrogen Energy Association president
Morry Markowitz has said: “Hydrogen
fuel cells can provide power to nearly
any application, from fuel cell-powered
shuttle buses taking passengers to and
from their hotels or rental car stops, the
rental cars themselves, and the whole
range of vehicles and equipment that
service the airport, such as baggage
tow tractors, tugs, loaders, forklifts
and other equipment.”
Gas specialist Air Liquide, for instance,
supplies 35-70 MPa hydrogen charging
stations suitable for utility fleets and the
specific requirements of the aerospace
industry. Integrated directly on site,
they can charge vehicles in less than
five minutes, the French firm claims.
Self-sufficiency
A handful of farsighted airport operators
have already begun to take the
hydrogen experiment to the next level.
Avinor-run Oslo/Gardermoen in
Norway unveiled its own hydrogen
refuelling station in 2015, while
Leeds-Bradford (LBA) recently
announced its intention to become
the first UK regional airport to produce
its own hydrogen. The West Yorkshire
gateway has partnered with ITM
Below: Copenhagen
Power, publishing proposals for a new
Airport will lead the
sustainable energy hub that will use
ALIGHT project,
hydrogen and rapid electric vehicle (EV) looking into potential
charging facilities to power the site's emission-free
fleet of vehicles, as well as enabling operations of airfields
LBA to fuel the next generation of Luftfoto/Copenhagen
hydrogen- and EV-powered ground Airports A/S
www.key.aero 45
Right: The ITM Power
electrolyser is a
modular structure,
designed for rapid
stack exchange in
the field ITM Power

Right: Electrolyser
stacks offer high
power density in their
performance class,
high efficiency and
low transformation handling vehicles.
costs ITM Power The initiative is part of LBA’s plan for a
replacement terminal. The application
was approved by Leeds City Council
on February 12. However, this has been
thrown into doubt – the decision was
referred to the UK government after
ongoing concerns were lodged by
climate change activists. As a result, the
final verdict – a date yet unconfirmed
– is set to be made by Robert Jenrick,
the UK Communities Secretary. Before
the latest developments, the original
Below: The 2G 100% approval work could have started on the
hydrogen CHP
energy hub as early as 2022.
system at Kirkwall
Duncan Yellen, ITM Power’s managing
Airport will be the
first of its kind
director, commented: “Green hydrogen
installed in the UK 2G provides the missing piece in the
transport jigsaw, freeing transport to
perform all the functionality currently
delivered by diesel, while emitting
nothing but clean water and helping us
power our way to a net zero future.”

Energy transition
Prompted by the French government’s
energy transition strategy, which has
called for the country to reduce its
consumption of fossil fuels by 30% by
2030, a group of aviation stakeholders
has called for expressions of interest
to explore the opportunities generated
by hydrogen in Paris airports. Paris
Region, Choose Paris Region, Groupe
ADP, Air France-KLM and Airbus want
to anticipate and support developments
that could help transform the Paris
gateways into true ’hydrogen hubs’.
This call for expressions of interest
focuses on three main themes.
The first is the storage, transport and
distribution of hydrogen (gaseous and
liquid) in an airport environment (taking
into account storage systems,

46 airports of the world // July - August 2021

 micro-liquefaction, aircraft fuelling, etc).
The second is the diversification of
hydrogen use cases in airports and
in aeronautics (for ground handling
vehicles and equipment, rail transport
at facilities, energy supply for buildings
or aircraft during ground operations,
and so on).
The third theme is the circular economy
around hydrogen (encompassing
recovery of hydrogen dissipated during
liquid hydrogen fuelling, recovery of a
byproduct from a reaction to produce
decarbonated hydrogen, etc).
Hydrogen heating
Kirkwall Airport in the UK’s Orkney
islands has installed a hydrogen
combustion engine that will be coupled
with the facility’s existing heating system
to meet the energy requirements of the
main airport buildings. Its installation
is part of a collaboration between the
European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC)
and Highlands and Islands Airports
Limited (HIAL) aimed at decarbonising
heat and power at the site through
green hydrogen technology.
An energy consumption study
delivered by the EMEC found that
space and water heating demand in
the airport terminal represented the
biggest source of greenhouse gas
emissions after aircraft operations.
As a result, the EMEC has contracted
Renfrew-based engineering firm
Doosan Babcock, together with its
combined heat and power (CHP)
manufacturer 2G, to provide the
hydrogen combustion technology.
Due to be deployed for an extended
trial period at the airport, the CHP plant
will use green hydrogen supplied by
the EMEC to generate electricity, as
well as recover and use byproduced
heat to deliver an efficient and
comprehensive energy solution. It is the
first 2G 100% hydrogen CHP system
installed in the UK.
HIAL’s managing director Inglis Lyon
said the company is ”committed to
making the Highlands and Islands a
net zero aviation region by 2040” and
added: ”This pioneering project at
Kirkwall Airport is an exciting next step
towards decarbonising our operations
and enabling greener air services.”
The ALIGHT project
While Kirkwall has focused on
something tailored very much to its
own requirements, a European
consortium has recently won a
grant of close to €12m to develop
and demonstrate specific solutions,
ultimately illustrating how an airport
can be designed to operate completely
without carbon emissions and provide
the infrastructure necessary to make
aircraft carbon-neutral.
Leading the group is Copenhagen/
Kastrup, working in collaboration with
the Danish Technological Institute and 14
other European partners, among them
airports in Lithuania and Italy, along with
the company that is building Poland’s
Centralny Port Komunikacyjny gateway,
set to open in 2027 between Warsaw
and Lodz.
The ALIGHT project aims to develop
solutions to two overall challenges.
First, the process and logistics of
handling sustainable aviation fuels
in an operational context, including
procurement, blending, fuelling, quality
controls and safety processes. Second,
the incorporation of smart energy
solutions for other airport operations,
including on-site production of Above: Airbus is
sustainable energy, as well as energy currently developing
storage and electrification. The project the ZEROe concept
is also focusing on developing the aircraft powered by
aircraft stand of the future, supporting hydrogen Airbus
sustainable aircraft fuels such as electric
power and hydrogen.
Copenhagen Airport CEO Thomas
Woldbye explained: "With this project,
we aim to develop specific solutions and
create a comprehensive concept for
designing the airport of the future. We
must be able to provide an infrastructure
for the aircraft of the future, which may
be electric or powered by hydrogen or
other sustainable fuels.
“At the same time, we will investigate
how we can integrate electrification
and solar panels into airport design,
so that we can power buildings,
vehicles and aircraft and thereby
eventually completely phase out
carbon emissions."
ALIGHT will run for four years and the
results and experience from the work
undertaken at Copenhagen will be
shared and replicated at other facilities.
Looking ahead
In late 2019, London/Heathrow
announced trials of a new technology
that would use renewable hydrogen to
turn unrecyclable passenger waste into
new-generation, low-carbon products
such as airport furniture, uniforms and
alternative fuels. Meanwhile, back in
2016, easyJet hit the headlines when
the airline suggested that passengers
could find themselves drinking the water
byproduct from the hydrogen fuel cells
powering the landing brake system.
However, for every seemingly
outlandish idea there will be several
that work and will end up making a
www.key.aero 47
Above: A Climeworks real difference to both the environment
direct air capture and the bottom line. As governments
plant in situ at continue to put pressure on airports
Hinwil, Switzerland
to slash carbon emissions, we can
Climeworks
expect to see hydrogen becoming
an increasingly commonplace part
of daily operations, and we can look
forward to an innovative approach to
the replacement of fossil fuels with less
harmful alternatives.
Fuel from air
Rotterdam The Hague Airport, SkyNRG
and Swiss direct air capture pioneers
Climeworks have revealed plans to
develop Zenid, a demonstration plant
producing fully circular sustainable
aviation fuel directly from air. Sustainable
aviation fuel made from air via direct air
Below: ZeroAvia
capture offers a carbon-neutral solution
has carried out test
flights in a Piper for aviation and contributes to the net
Malibu modified with zero targets in the aviation industry.
a 300kW battery The Zenid plant will be
electric power powered by regionally
system along with sourced renewable energy
a customised and combines several
cockpit display and innovative technologies,
computer ZeroAvia namely a direct air capture
48 airports of the world // July - August 2021
plant that provides CO2 to a highly
efficient co-electrolysis unit, then turns
the CO2 and added water into syngas.
The syngas is, in turn, transformed
into liquid hydrocarbons by a modular
Fischer-Tropsch reactor before being
refined into sustainable aviation fuel.
Airport director Ron Louwerse
commented: “Rotterdam The Hague
Airport is very proud to be one of the
kick-starters of this ground-breaking
project, together with Schiphol Group and
RHIA [Rotterdam The Hague Innovation
Airport]. It fits exceptionally well within
our strategy to facilitate and accelerate
sustainability and innovation in aviation,
to be at the cradle of sustainable aviation
fuel made of CO2 from air.”
Climeworks’s Christoph Gebald added:
“The launch of Zenid demonstrates
the commitment of the aerospace
industry towards fully circular
fuels from air and their role in
substantially reducing
aviation’s CO2 emissions.”
Commercial flight
In September 2020, aviation firm
ZeroAvia performed the world’s first
hydrogen fuel cell-powered flight of a
commercial-grade aircraft. A modified
Piper M-class six-seater took off from
Cranfield Airport in the UK, completing
taxiing, take-off, a full pattern circuit
and landing.
ZeroAvia described the flight as
marking a major step towards the use
of zero-emission hydrogen as the
primary energy source for commercial
aviation. The company believes that
hydrogen-powered aircraft will ultimately
match the flight distances and payloads
achieved by current fossil fuel types. The
hydrogen-electric powertrain developed
by ZeroAvia is projected to have lower
operating costs than its jet-fuelled
competition due to lower fuel and
maintenance expenses.
The flight was conducted as part of
the UK government HyFlyer project, a
collaborative effort involving ZeroAvia,
the European Marine Energy Centre and
fuel cell engineering business Intelligent
Energy. The project aims to showcase low

carbon powertrain technology that could
replace conventional engines in propeller
aircraft. It follows the UK’s first-ever
commercial-scale battery-electric flight,
conducted in the same aircraft in June.
By means of the project, Intelligent
Energy is optimising its high-power
fuel cell technology for application in
aviation, while EMEC is supplying green
hydrogen for the flight tests.
The next and final stage of the
programme will be a 250-mile zero
emission flight out of an airfield in
Orkney, due to take place before the
end of 2021. The demonstration of this
range is roughly equivalent to busy
major routes such as Los Angeles to
San Francisco or London to Edinburgh.
ZeroAvia and EMEC have also
developed a hydrogen airport refuelling
ecosystem (HARE) at Cranfield Airport.
All eyes on Kirkwall
Kirkwall Airport operator Highlands
and Islands Airports Limited (HIAL) has
embarked on a £3.7m project to develop
a sustainable aviation programme
that could transform short flight travel
between remote communities.
Part-funded by UK Research and
Innovation (UKRI) through the Industrial
Strategy Challenge Fund, the SATE
(Sustainable Aviation Test Environment)
project will create the UK’s first
operationally based, low-carbon aviation
test centre at Kirkwall Airport.
Launched as part of UKRI’s Future
Flight Challenge, which supports the
development of environmentally friendly
ways to fly, the project will operate for
an 18-month period initially. Different
types of low-carbon aircraft will be
tested to identify the next generation of
air services, as well as the operational
airport infrastructure necessary to
support sustainable aviation.
Addressing the challenge to improve
UK regional air connectivity and helping
to decarbonise the Highlands and
Islands region, the innovative project
will stimulate job creation and use local
renewable energy, supporting Orkney’s
net zero ambitions.
SATE’s technology partners – Ampaire,
ZeroAvia, Loganair, Windracers and
Flarebright – will trial a host of new
Middle: Kirkwall may
be a small airport,
but its location makes
it the perfect test
environment when
short routes are
required HIAL Group
Left: Orca,
Climeworks’ new
direct air capture
plant in Iceland,
combines direct air
capture technology
with the underground
storage of carbon
dioxide Climeworks
transport options. These will include
testing low-carbon aircraft using
electric, hydrogen or sustainable
aviation fuels to replace conventional
fossil fuels, as well as drone applications
for supplying on-demand medical
supplies to health centres.
Consortium members will also
be looking at how to implement
zero-carbon airport infrastructure
using green energy sources,
as well as digital networking
and the development of resilient
communications. The socio-economic
impact of new technologies and
services in the region, and the skills
and training needed to support them,
will be assessed.
As an early-adopter of a number of
low-carbon technologies, Orkney is the
ideal ‘living laboratory’ for testing new
types of aviation and aerospace
examples. Kirkwall Airport is well suited
as a test environment location due to
the variety of short routes it offers, acting
as a hub that connects Orkney’s
far-flung island communities through
its inter-island flight service.
www.key.aero 49
 Snapshot

This smart-looking,
late 1960s-built
terminal building
welcomed the author
on his arrival to the
Bolivian gateway. La
Paz/El Alto Airport
takes its name from
the country’s second
and third largest
cities, respectively

Warbird hunting i
Right: This Douglas
DC-3, CP-572
(c/n 1549), was an
early example of the
Regulator contributor Ron Mak takes us back to 1973-74 with a
fascinating trip to Bolivia’s La Paz/El Alto Airport, a facility nestled high
type. It was delivered
to American Airlines
in the uplands of the spectacular Andes Mountains and teeming with
as NC16007 ‘Flagship
California’ in August
ex-World War Two-vintage types
1936, configured
as a Douglas
Sleeper Transport
(designated as a
DST-144). Bolivia’s
Cooperativa Aérea
de Transportes
(CADET) procured
the airframe in
November 1969,
selling it six years
later – it was
scrapped in 1977

50 airports of the world // July - August 2021

 Built originally for
the Royal Canadian
Air Force (RCAF),
this converted North
American B-25J
Mitchell, CP-808
(c/n 108-35204), was
exported to the South
American country
and acquired by
Bolivariana in early
1967. That April, it
crashed in Itagua,
Bolivia, was repaired,
but crashed again
near La Paz in 1977

The 1941-built, ex-US

military Boeing B-17E,
CP-753 (c/n 2682),
was with Compania
Boliviana de Aviacion
from July 1964
and Bolivian cargo
operator Frigorificos
Reyes nine years
later. It was picked up
by the Flying Heritage
Collection in Bellevue,
Washington, in 1998

g in the Andes
This Curtiss C-46F
Commando, CP-990
(c/n 22490), was
constructed for the
US Army Air Force
with the serial
44-78667 at the
end of World War
Two. After stints
with US-based
operators including
Aaxico Airlines and
Northeast Airlines
during the 1950s
and 1960s, it arrived
in Bolivia in 1969
for Servicios Aéreos
Bolivianos. It crashed
in 1974

Below: Thanks to its

elevation of 13,325ft,
La Paz/El Alto is one
of the highest airports
in the world. As a
result of the thinner
air, runway 10R/28L
measures 13,123ft
in length to allow
larger, heavy aircraft
to operate here. The
specular natural
backdrop features the
snow-covered Mount
Illimani – the second
highest peak in
Bolivia at 21,122ft

www.key.aero 51
 Snapshot

Looking tired here,

Consolidated/Convair
B-24M Liberator,
CP-576 (c/n 5852),
first served the US
military – then,
around 1951,
Compania Boliviana
de Aviacon followed
by Bolivian Overseas
Airways, but from
1982 was restored
for display by Castle
Air Museum
in California

Bolivia’s Aerolineas
Comerciales
Nacionales (ALCON)
obtained this Douglas
DC-6B/F, CP-947 (c/n
44076), in August
1971. The aircraft
had been delivered
to KLM in July 1953
before serving with,
among others, Trans
America Airlines and
Zantop Air Transport
in the 1960s. This
DC-6 was written
off in 1974 when an
engine caught fire
departing San Juan

Initially handed over

to Brazilian firm
Serviços Aéreos
Cruzeiro do Sul in
February 1958, this
Convair CV-440,
CP-961 (c/n 467), was
bought by Bolivian-
based Frigorificos
Movima in February
1972. Just under
three years later,
the airliner’s
right powerplant
encountered a fuel
leak during a rotation
between San Borja
and La Paz/El Alto, Below: One of the more modern sights of the time in Bolivian aviation was the Fairchild F-27M – a US licence-built
resulting in a crash Fokker F-27 Friendship. One such operator of the Rolls-Royce Dart 532-powered type was Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano
landing and eventual (LAB), which acquired this factory fresh example, CP-863 (c/n 128), in July 1969. It returned to the US in 1983 before
write-off – thankfully operating for Horizon Air and Airlift International. Unfortunately, this F-27 was damaged beyond repair by the
with no fatalities Category 5 Hurricane Andrew in Florida during August 1992

52 airports of the world // July - August 2021

Above: A pair of Frigorificos Reyes Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress’ sit on the ramp under murky skies at La Paz/El Alto in November 1974. On the left is CP-753 (c/n 2682), a B-17E
equipped with Pratt & Whitney R-1820 engines, while on the right is CP-891 (c/n 22616), a Wright R-1820 Cyclone-powered B-17G
1944-built Boeing
B-17G Flying Fortress,
CP-891 (c/n 22616).
Delivered new to
the US Army Air
Force with the serial
44-6393, in 1956 it
served the Bolivian
government, then
Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano
(LAB) and Frigorificos
Reyes and from 1981
was put on display
by March Field Air
Museum, California

This stunning
1945-vintage Curtiss
C-46D Commando,
CP-910 (c/n 33234),
of Transaereos
Illimani was built
for the US Army Air
Force with the serial
44-77838. After
arriving in Bolivia in
1970, this example
was involved in a
crash landing near
Santa Ana, Bolivia
in December 1973,
shortly after this
picture was taken,
following an
inflight, left
engine fire and was
deemed

During his 1974 trip

to Bolivia, the author
flew a domestic
hop between La
Paz/El Alto and
Cochabamba’s Jorge
Wilstermann Airport
(pictured after arrival)
on a Lloyd Aéreo
Boliviano Boeing
727-100, CP-861 (c/n
20279) ’City of Sucre’.
The 1969-vintage
trijet was delivered
new and served for
the carrier for its
entire lifespan before
being phased out in
March 2007

www.key.aero 53
 Snapshot

This Long Beach,

California-built
Douglas DC-8-63 of
Iberia, EC-BSE (c/n
46155) Alonso Cano,
was the author’s
ride back to Europe
from La Paz/El Alto.
The Pratt & Whitney
JT3D-powered quad
jet had originated
from Santiago
(Chile) and stopped
further enroute at
Lima (Peru), Bogotá
(Colombia) and
Caracas (Venezuela)
before arriving in
the Spanish
capital, Madrid

Constructed in the
final year of World
War Two for the US
Army Air Force with
serial 45-1081 (c/n
17084), this Douglas
C-47B was acquired
by Lloyd Aéreo
Boliviano (LAB) as
CP-530 in 1953 and
later sold to Bolivian
Overseas Airways
(BOA) ten years later
– now registered
as CP-720. By 1972,
the Pratt & Whitney
R-1830 Twin Wasp-
powered aircraft
was withdrawn from
service and remained
derelict at La Paz/El
Alto Airport

The surrounding
region of La Paz/
El Alto is filled with
some of the most
stunning scenery
on Earth. Here,
mountains from the
Cordillera Real make
up the Bolivian Andes
while some friendly
South American
wildlife pose for
the camera

54 airports of the world // July - August 2021

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Airports of the World Key Aero fp.indd 59 08/06/2021 09:24:48

Desperate times,
desperate measures
L
Above: Most
During March and ondon/Gatwick’s vehicle charge Forecourt charging
drivers dropping announcement came hot on the Gatwick’s latest initiative, a drop-off
off passengers at
London/Gatwick’s April of this year, heels of the news that its passenger
numbers had fallen by 78.2% in
charge, will generate valuable revenue
and is expected to help reduce
South and North
Terminals will now
a £5 charge for 2020. VINCI Airports, which owns congestion and emissions. According
50.01% of the facility and is one of the to the West Sussex gateway, it will also
have to pay for the
privilege Gatwick
vehicles dropping off largest airport operators in the world, act as “a deterrent for a car-led recovery
saw overall passenger traffic drop by once more regular travel resumes post
Airport Limited passengers at both 70% in the same period, it reported. the COVID-19 national lockdown”.
of Gatwick’s North Drastic anti-COVID-19 travel restrictions
are largely to blame, and VINCI noted
The charge will be £5 for ten minutes
and £1 for each additional minute up
and South Terminals that within its network the airports that
fared best were those outside Europe
to 20 minutes. The maximum charge
will be £25 and the maximum length of
was introduced. Are and Asia, where measures were the stay 30 minutes. The charging system
least severe. and enforcement will utilise barrier-free
operators really this That said, no operators have escaped technology and automatic number plate
the destruction of 2020. What will recognition cameras. Passengers using
strapped for cash? set the winners apart, however, will the system will be able to pay online.
Tara Craig examines be how they tackled the sudden
disappearance of their main source
Jonathan Pollard, Gatwick chief
commercial officer, said: “It is no secret
how some gateways of revenue. Most have been swift
to respond to the fall in passenger
that the airport is going through the most
difficult period in its history, and we have
are recouping the numbers, with the mothballing of little choice but to explore new revenue
terminals now commonplace. Some streams that will us help us recover
dramatic losses enterprising operators have gone one from the COVID-19 crisis and continue
step further, coming up with a range of as an important provider of economic
of 2020 money-making schemes. prosperity and jobs across the region.”

56 airports of the world // July - August 2021


Exceptional circumstances
Had they looked at the breakdown of
their taxes, eagle-eyed passengers
flying from neighbouring London/
Heathrow recently would have spotted
the curiously named ‘United Kingdom
exceptional regulatory charge (R1)’.
According to Heathrow bosses, the
£8.90 fee was introduced at the request
of the airlines to help recover costs
related to other regulated charges
(ORCs), such as baggage, passengers
requiring support, fixed electrical ground
power and common use IT. The charge
covers Heathrow’s 2020 losses in this
area, and the projected losses in 2021.
It will be reviewed and is expected to
be axed as soon as passenger volumes
return to normal and the backlog of
underpayments has been cleared.
It is not just passengers having to
tighten their belts at the West London
hub, however. Staff parking costs have
gone up: a perimeter pass will cost
£1,614.36 per annum for the period
January 1-December 31, 2021. The
increase, according to the facility, was
driven by the financial impact of 2020
and the fact that fewer passes will be
required this year.
Management at Heathrow have also
taken what it describes as “the difficult
decision to temporarily suspend the
Heathrow Free Travel Zone [HFZ]
and end some other local transport
subsidies”. The airport, which typically
covers the cost of public transport within
the HFZ, stated that it would reinstate
“an improved programme of subsidised
and sustainable travel” once its financial
health has improved.
Making space pay
The nature of their business means that
many airports are sitting on huge plots of
land. When the financial chips are down,
operators often turn to their vacant
lot as a way to generate additional,
non-aeronautical revenue.
One such operator is Fraport, the
company behind Germany’s Frankfurt
Airport. It recently issued a request for
proposals (RFP) for a sports/
multi-functional hall on the airfield
campus. The space in question is
centrally located behind The Squaire
parking garage and comprises around
322,917sq ft. The project is part of a
larger urban development initiative.
The RFP’s aim is to identify potential
investors and operators to plan, build
and run the new facility in co-ordination
with Fraport and the City of Frankfurt as
well as government agencies, industry
associations and other businesses.
The goal is to create a versatile venue
suitable for hosting top-class domestic
and international sports competitions, as
well as concerts and cultural events.
Hopefully Fraport’s plans will be
better received than those unveiled by
Lilactame, part of MCR Property Group,
and the owner of Wolverhampton Above: Passengers
Halfpenny Green Airport in South flying out of London/
Staffordshire since 2015. Heathrow will have
to pay an additional
Outline planning permission is being
£8.90 each to cover
sought to create an 'airport village'.
losses related to
In addition to refurbishing the airfield other regulated
infrastructure, developing new retail charges Heathrow
space and building new hard standing Airports Limited
for aircraft and fuel tankers, Lilactame
has applied for planning permission to
build 112 homes.
According to Lilactame, this would
generate capital income to support and
enhance the airport business. The plan
has, however, been poorly received by
local residents on the grounds that it
could bring traffic challenges.
Gigafactory bid
Coventry is one airport that is really
thinking outside the box in terms of
new revenue streams. The Regional
City Airports-owned facility is keen to
capitalise on the UK automotive sector,
much of which is based locally in the
West Midlands, and is developing
proposals for an on-site ‘gigafactory’
(where batteries for electric vehicles can
by produced on a very large scale).
The proposal is part of a joint venture
with Coventry City Council and will
see the submission of an outline
planning application, alongside regional
discussions with battery suppliers and
automotive manufacturers to secure the
long-term investment needed.
Securing such a facility in the West
Midlands has been identified as vital
for the continued success of the
automotive industry, creating thousands
of green jobs, attracting up to £2bn of
investment and supporting the drive for
‘net zero’ emissions.
The UK Government is actively
pursuing investment in a gigafactory
www.key.aero 57
Above: If an and has made up to £500m funding
interested party is available, which the West Midlands will
found, spare land be bidding for in due course.
at Frankfurt Airport The West Midlands Combined
could soon find Authority, which is led by the West
itself home to sports Midlands Mayor and comprises the
facilities Fraport AG region’s seven urban councils, has
formally endorsed Coventry Airport as
the preferred site for a gigafactory. The
Below: Installing airport site could accommodate up to
5G will benefit 4.5m sq ft of commercial space, making
passengers and help use of the large areas of hard standing
transform IT into a and existing development.
new profit stream for
Belfast/City gateway IT as a profit centre
Belfast City Airport George Best Belfast City Airport is
set to become one of the most highly
connected transport hubs in the UK,
with the installation of 5G.
58 airports of the world // July - August 2021
Not only will the project provide a
huge advantage for passengers, staff
and airline partners, it will also set the
site on the road to becoming a ‘smart
airport’ and help establish its position
as an industry leader in the field of IT
infrastructure. It has the potential to
create a new revenue stream, according
to Brian Roche, director of IT at Belfast/
City. He is working on plans “to turn IT
from a cost centre to a profit centre for
the airport”, something that would not
have been possible without 5G. Roche
said: “Making use of digital technology
will enable us to identify opportunities
to upsell and enhance our offering,
providing even more choice to our
passengers. This is all part of a wider
data-led strategy to improve our digital
capabilities right across the airport at all
stages of the passenger journey.”
The project, which is set to be
delivered in the first quarter of 2021,
will see Scottish-based firm Exchange
Communications implement the next
generation in connectivity technology,
boosting connection and download
speeds across the Northern Ireland
gateway, and smart-enabling the
building to support everything from
intelligent automation to energy
efficiency and enhanced security.
Money for old equipment
Lithuanian Airports hasn’t let the
grass grow under its feet during the
COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition to runway resurfacing,
 A pop-up cargo airport?
A new low-cost cargo solution will enable
airports to create a sophisticated cargo facility
within months, say its developers, and will
provide a timely new revenue source for
facilities badly hit by the pandemic.
AutoLogic Airports’ iCargo system consists
of a prefabricated semi-permanent modular
building, cargo hardware and software that
can process from 44,000 to 3,306,933 tons
of cargo per annum.
The prefabricated module building takes
just weeks to erect, is not subject to the usual
planning requirements and has a lifespan of 15
years, says the manufacturer. The iCargo facility
can be fixed directly to a level ground slab,
removing the need for bespoke foundations
and a lengthy build process.
Hardware available includes cargo system
conveyors plus EU/TSA cargo X-ray and Above: An innovative
solution could
explosive trace detection (ETD) and customs
turn an underused
zones. There are also optional UV and fridge passenger airport
freezer solutions. into a cargo hub in
AI virtual design, performance simulation a matter of months
and digital twins replicate and test the facility AutoLogic Airports
before it is built, further shortening the
commissioning time. Airports that prefer to
Left: An old
manage the build themselves can opt for the Mercedes-Benz
design-only iCargo option, which includes a fire engine raised
full blueprint of the technical requirements, an unexpected
designs, specifications, recommended €70,000 at a recent
suppliers, tender process and schedules. online auction of
iCargo can also be sited in existing buildings. unused property
Lithuanian Airports
holding drive-in film screenings on of property sold in the history of Into their own hands
the airside apron at Vilnius Airport Lithuanian Airports – a used Mercedes- It’s no secret that airports worldwide are
and welcoming MAAS Aviation’s new Benz firefighting vehicle, which was unhappy with not only the ongoing travel
purpose-built paint shop to Kaunas purchased for more than €70,000, restrictions but with the alleged lack of
Airport, the operator has come up with double the suggested price,” explained government support. Both operators and
an unusual source of revenue – an Justė Valančiauskienė, head of real industry bodies have been vocal in their Below: Coventry
Airport could become
auction of its unused airport property. estate management. criticism and there is a real sense of ‘too
the location for a
The operator began running auctions “Meanwhile, the sale of a Ural little, too late’ where government
gigafactory; it is well
in 2018 but this year’s was forced online heavyweight snow removal vehicle measures are concerned. It is encouraging
positioned to help
by the pandemic, attracting ten times was likely aided by this winter’s heavy therefore to see operators take the matter the UK’s automotive
the usual number of buyers. snow. The prices of some vehicles into their own hands, particularly when sector Coventry
“The auction showcased rose fourfold during the auction,” their revenue-generating schemes also Airport/Regional &
several unique items. added Valančiauskienė. add value for the passenger. City Airports
One of them was the The auction raised more
most expensive piece than €124,000.

www.key.aero 59
Mega
hubs
take a hit

The results of ACI’s global airport rankings have revealed the

impact of coronavirus on the world’s busiest airports.
But, as Thomas Haynes discovers, the findings also show that
recovery has not been uniform in all regions...

A
irports Council International
(ACI) World – the voice of the
globe’s airports – published
its preliminary worldwide
airport rankings for 2020, covering
passenger traffic, cargo volumes and
aircraft movements. Results revealed
the dramatic impact of COVID-19 on the
world’s busiest facilities.
Passenger numbers at the top ten hubs
decreased by 46% during last year, but
the global figure fell by 65% overall.
Guangzhou/Baiyun According to ACI’s results, Guangzhou/
International, located Baiyun International in China recorded
in the southern the most passenger traffic in 2020,
Chinese province knocking Atlanta/Hartsfield-Jackson in
of Guangdong, was the United States off the top spot. The
the world’s busiest Chinese hub – which opened in August
airport in 2020 2004 – handled around 43.7 million
AirTeamImages.com/ travellers last year.
Markus Mainka The American facility saw 42.9 million
people during 2020, a 61% drop on the
previous year which topped 110 million.
In third place – rising 23 positions
in 2020 compared to 2019 – was
Chengdu/Shuangliu which handled
40.7 million customers.
Of the top ten, seven airports are in
China and three in the United States.
The disproportionate focus on these
two countries is a consequence of the
fact that, in most cases, domestic air
travel is beginning a modest rebound,
while international flying remains
depressed because of ongoing
travel restrictions.
For example, Hongqiao International
in China – which mainly serves internal
and regional flights – moved from
46th position in 2019 to ninth in 2020,
illustrating the uneven nature of the
effect of, and recovery from, the
pandemic across the world.
“The impact of COVID-19 on global
passenger traffic brought aviation
to a virtual standstill in 2020 and we
continue to face an existential threat,”
said Luis Felipe de Oliveira, ACI World
director general.
“The data [we have] published reveals
the challenge airports continue to
face and it remains imperative that the
industry is supported through direct
support and sensible policy decisions
from governments to ensure
that aviation can endure,
rebuild connectivity,
and fuel a global
economic recovery.”
Beijing/Capital
experienced the largest dip
in passenger traffic of all the
top ten with a drop of almost

60 airports of the world // July - August 2021

66% compared to the previous year. Of the top ten
The facility formerly held the ranked airports for
second-place position behind Atlanta, passenger traffic in
but now is in seventh after handling just 2020, only three are
34.5 million travellers. in the United States,
Air cargo was less impacted by the including Colorado’s
pandemic last year, with volumes Denver International
decreasing by only 9% to an estimated Denver International
109 million tonnes, which is equivalent to Airport
the same levels seen during 2016.
Frankfurt was the
The drop was largely caused by
only European
the loss of belly freight capacity on
facility to be in the
passenger airliners, many of which were top ten ranked for
grounded when travel restrictions came international cargo
into force. tonnes last year
Volumes at the top ten airports grew Fraport AG
by 3% during the year. These facilities
represented around 28% of the global Dubai/International
capacity. ACI attributed this growth retained its crown
to the increase in demand for online in 2020 for the
consumer goods, as well as the global most international
supply of pharmaceutical products and passengers handled
personal protective equipment (PPE). Dubai Airports

www.key.aero 61
Between 2019 and
2020, Chicago/
O’Hare dropped
from first to second
place for aircraft
movements after
losing out to Atlanta/
Hartsfield-Jackson
O'Hare Intl Airport/
Chicago Department
of Aviation

Alaska’s Anchorage/
Ted Stevens gateway
had the largest
growth of cargo
volumes in 2020
after recording an
impressive 15%
increase over 12
months earlier
v1images/
Eddy Cuperus

According to With the global “SuperHub” of freight of cargo volumes as it recorded a 15% movements last year, representing a
Luis Felipe de at Memphis, Tennessee thanks to locally increase from 2.7 million tonnes in 2019, drop of 43% from 2019. The top ten
Oliveira, ACI World based FedEx, the airport managed to to 3.1 million tonnes last year, placing it in airports represent 7% of global traffic,
director general, dethrone Hong Kong and take the top fourth overall. or around 4.2 million movements, and
the devastating spot in the cargo volume rankings. The Five out of the top ten are from North experienced a drop of 34% compared to
effect of COVID-19 US facility increased its throughput by America, reflecting the large influence the previous year.
on the aviation 6.7% to 4.6 million tonnes, while the of both UPS and FedEx and also the While Atlanta/Hartsfield-Jackson may
industry remains an Asian hub experienced a 7.1% drop to overall size of the market for consumer have failed to reach the top of the list for
“existential threat” put it in second place. goods, medical equipment and PPE. passenger traffic, it managed to surpass
Austrian Airlines_ Anchorage/Ted Stevens International in ACI World has estimated that Chicago/O’Hare and lead the aircraft
Markus Setznagel Alaska experienced the largest growth there were 58 million global aircraft movements rankings with just over

62 airports of the world // July - August 2021

 Memphis, the home
ACI statistics of freight giant FedEx,
took the top spot for
Total passengers total cargo tonnes
Ranking 2020 2019 Airport 2020 2019 % change handled worldwide
in 2020
1 11 Guangzhou/Baiyun 43,767,558 73,394,810 -40.4
Flickr Commons/
2 1 Atlanta/Hartsfield-Jackson 42,918,685 110,531,300 -61.2 kitmasterbloke
3 24 Chengdu/Shuangliu 40,741,509 55,858,552 -27.1
4 10 Dallas/Fort Worth 39,364,990 75,066,956 -47.6
5 26 Shenzhen/Bao'an 37,916,054 52,931,925 -28.4
6 48 Chongqing/Jiangbei 34,937,789 44,786,722 -22
7 2 Beijing/Capital 34,513,827 100,013,642 -65.5
8 16 Denver 33,741,129 69,015,703 -51.1
9 37 Kunming/Changshui 32,990,805 48,076,238 -31.4
10 46 Shanghai/Hongqiao 31,165,641 45,637,882 -31.7

International passengers
Ranking 2020 2019 Airport 2020 2019 % change
1 1 Dubai/International 25,831,363 86,328,896 -70.1
2 3 Amsterdam/Schiphol 20,880,990 71,679,691 -70.9
548,000 landings and take-offs during 3 2 London/Heathrow 20,650,473 76,043,973 -72.8
2020, a drop of around 40% on the 4 6 Paris/Charles de Gaulle 19,057,856 69,841,276 -72.7
previous year. 5 8 Frankfurt/Main 16,837,104 63,067,739 -73.3
The Illinois-based facility experienced a 6 14 Istambul/International 15,945,340 39,580,735 -59.7
slightly larger fall in movements of 42% 7 15 Doha/Hamad 12,522,288 38,786,566 -67.7
which meant it finished the year almost 8 5 Seoul/Incheon 11,955,756 70,578,050 -83.1
exactly 10,000 below the Atlanta site’s
9 7 Singapore/Changi 11,635,000 67,601,000 -82.8
total. Notably, the top seven airports
in the rankings are all based in the US. 10 11 Madrid/Barajas 11,052,157 44,919,124 -75.4
Guangzhou/Baiyun and Shanghai/Pudong
are the exception at eighth and ninth Total cargo (tonnes)
place, while Las Vegas continues the Ranking 2020 2019 Airport 2020 2019 % change
theme to round off the ten major hubs. 1 2 Memphis 4,613,431 4,322,740 6.7
At the same time as publishing 2 1 Hong Kong 4,468,089 4,809,485 -7.1
the rankings, ACI World used the 3 3 Shanghai/Pudong 3,686,627 3,634,230 1.4
opportunity to call on governments 4 6 Anchorage 3,157,682 2,745,348 15
around the globe to “provide the
5 4 Louisville 2,917,243 2,790,109 4.6
necessary financial alleviation and
assistance to suit local circumstances” to 6 5 Seoul/Incheon 2,822,370 2,764,369 2.1
support recovery of the industry. 7 9 Taiwan/Taoyuan 2,342,714 2,182,342 7.4
“There is no denying the current 8 13 Los Angeles 2,229,476 2,092,003 6.6
economic realities – and the financial 9 8 Doha/Hamad 2,175,292 2,215,804 -1.8
shortfall they create – that airports face,” 10 12 Miami/International 2,137,699 2,092,472 2.2
said the ACI World director general.
“Airports are economic generators, International cargo (tonnes)
bringing socio-economic benefits and Ranking 2020 2019 Airport 2020 2019 % change
jobs to the communities they serve…
1 1 Hong Kong 4,420,312 4,703,589 -6
Airport operators also continue to
2 2 Shanghai/Pudong 2,952,602 2,825,009 4.5
work closely with their airline partners
and other stakeholders balancing the 3 3 Seoul/Incheon 2,759,467 2,664,005 3.6
current market realities with the cost 4 6 Taiwan/Taoyuan 2,323,412 2,165,216 7.3
of providing the infrastructure as they 5 10 Anchorage 2,221,804 1,942,554 14.4
navigate the crisis together.” 6 5 Doha/Hamad 2,145,076 2,173,371 -1.3
ACI’s airport rankings clearly 7 7 Tokyo/Narita 1,958,505 2,039,905 -4
demonstrate the dramatic impact the 8 4 Dubai/International 1,932,022 2,514,918 -23.2
COVID-19 pandemic has had on the 9 9 Frankfurt/Main 1,818,748 1,961,460 -7.3
world’s biggest facilities.
10 12 Miami/International 1,730,859 1,706,064 1.5
But what is not shown, is the
existential crisis that some smaller sites
find themselves in after a year of very Aircraft movements
little action. Ranking 2020 2019 Airport 2020 2019 % change
While the industry’s larger players have 1 2 Atlanta/Hartsfield-Jackson 548,016 904,301 -39.4
greater resilience when it comes to 2 1 Chicago/O'Hare 538,211 919,704 -41.5
financial shocks, the smaller airports are 3 3 Dallas/Fort Worth 514,702 720,007 -28.5
certainly struggling to ride out the storm, 4 5 Denver 436,971 631,955 -30.9
which has now gone on for more than 5 20 Phoenix/Deer Valley 402,444 456,790 -11.9
a year.
6 7 Charlotte/Douglas 397,983 578,263 -31.2
With revenues tightly correlated to
7 4 Los Angeles 379,364 691,257 -45.1
traffic levels, many will cling to the
prospect of a rebound this summer, 8 12 Guangzhou/Baiyun 373,421 491,249 -24
supported by the vaccine rollout and 9 11 Shanghai/Pudong 325,678 511,846 -36.4
relaxation of travel restrictions. 10 8 Las Vegas/McCarran 323,422 552,962 -41.5

www.key.aero 63
Europe’s impending
capacity crunch
Airports across the UK and Europe are poised for a looming capacity crunch
as both COVID-19 and ongoing environmental concerns have halted most
expansion plans. Callum Tennant investigates what this could mean and
looks at how sustainable technologies could overcome such challenges
64 airports of the world // July - August 2021
W
hile the COVID-19
pandemic has temporarily
halted the historic growth
in air travel, airports
around the world continue to look to the
future. Many are keen to avoid a capacity
crunch that a recovery and increased
number of air passengers will bring.
In Hong Kong, a new section of
reclaimed land has recently emerged
from the sea. The site will eventually
host Hong Kong Chek Lap Kok’s
2 mile 528 yard third runway and new
concourse building, part of the airport’s
US$18bn expansion. Once the project is
completed – scheduled for 2024 – it will
push the hub’s capacity from around 72
million to more than 100 million.
Meanwhile, in the United States, Los
Angeles International is undergoing
a US$14bn enlargement plan that
will boost air capacity. Elsewhere, on
America’s east coast, New York/JFK has
just agreed to a US$1.5bn Terminal 4
expansion and modernisation plan.
Pause for thought
Yet, as major hub airports from Mexico
to Taiwan continue to extend, there
is one continent that is bucking this
trend. Both the pandemic and ongoing
environmental concerns across Europe
have resulted in multiple development
plans being either delayed, scaled down,
or scrapped entirely.
The French government ditched a
€7bn expansion of Paris/Charles de
Gaulle earlier this year. Speaking to the
Le Monde newspaper, the country’s
ecological transition minister, Barbara
Pompili, said that the government had The French
asked the airport’s operator to abandon government recently
the project. Instead, she asked them to scrapped a €7bn
“present a new [plan], more consistent expansion of Paris/
with its objectives of combating climate Charles de Gaulle
change and protecting the environment”. in favour of a new
Rome’s Fiumicino gateway, one of the environmentally
busiest in Europe, had hoped to gain friendly alternative
permission in 2019 to build a fourth AirTeamImages.com/
runway but this ambition was dashed Jonathan Zaninger
when the Italian government agreed that
“the construction of airport infrastructure
was incompatible with the natural
reserve zone” surrounding the airport.
Meanwhile, London/Heathrow,
Europe’s busiest facility prior to
the pandemic, has been trying,
unsuccessfully, to expand for decades.
In February 2020, the UK Court of
Appeal ruled that the airport’s
www.key.aero 65
London/Heathrow, expansion plans were illegal, as they
the UK and Europe’s failed to consider the UK’s 2016 Paris
busiest gateway Climate Agreement commitments. While
before the onset this ruling has been overturned, a third
of coronavirus, has runway at Heathrow is not a given.
faced numerous Environmentalists are set to launch
challenges in getting further legal injunctions, possibly taking
a third runway the case to the European Court of
Heathrow Airport
Human Rights.
Limited
With many European gateways unable
to expand and the International Air
Transport Association (IATA) stating that
passenger traffic will recover by around
the 2024 timeframe, Europe is heading
for a capacity crunch...

Europe hit hardest

Due to the fragmented nature of
European airspace and differing
individual national rules regarding
international travel, the continent’s
aviation sector has been the hardest
hit by coronavirus.
Sustainable aviation According to aviation and travel
fuel (SAF) could market intelligence provider, CAPA
provide a mid-term Centre for Aviation, when compared
solution that allows globally, European air capacity
an overall reduction continues to be the lowest when
in emissions. It can contrasted with pre-pandemic levels.
be made from a wide In the last week of April, European
range of kerosene
air capacity levels were down 72.5%
alternatives including
versus 2019. This is far greater than the
feedstock, used
cooking oils,
next weakest region, Africa, where seat
or rubbish capacity fell by 52%.
Airbus The drop in European passenger
numbers due to COVID-19 is already
influencing policy decisions regarding
possible airport expansion.
Reuters reported that questions
over current passenger numbers also
contributed to the French government’s
decision to overturn Charles de Gaulle’s
expansion proposals. In Germany,
plans to increase capacity at Frankfurt,
originally scheduled for 2021, have been
pushed back until 2026.
Before the pandemic, Europe’s top

66 airports of the world // July - August 2021


three busiest hubs – Heathrow,
Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam/
Schiphol – were all operating at, or near
to, capacity. Despite this, the trio had
expansion plans rejected, delayed, or
paused indefinitely due to COVID-19 and
environmental concerns.
EUROCONTROL – the pan-European,
civil-military organisation that supports
aviation in the region – has warned:
“The number of 'Heathrow-like' airports,
operating near capacity for much of the
day, [will] climb from six in summer 2016,
to 16 [by] 2040”. While these forecasts
were made before the pandemic, if
IATA’s predictions for recovery are
correct, then this would only delay this
congestion until 2044.
However, if facilities in Europe react
to the financial strains of the pandemic
in a similar way as they did to those of
the 2008 financial crisis, this congestion
might be realised sooner than the
original projection. This is because
EUROCONTROL’s forecasts assume
that average capacity expansion for
European facilities will be 16%, but after
the 2008 recession, airports scaled
down their expansion plans.
With Airports Council International
(ACI) warning that nearly 200 European
gateways are facing insolvency in
coming months, the continent could end
up permanently losing some of its air
capacity as a result of COVID-19.
Not only the hubs
Undoubtedly, while expansion at large
hub airports cause the most controversy,
there are signs that regional sites are
increasingly coming under scrutiny
from central government.
As European powers sign up to
ever-tougher emission reduction
targets, the aviation sector is facing
renewed pressure to reduce its climate
impact. Future summits, such as this
years’ United Nations’ Climate Change
Outside of Europe,
countries such as
the United States are
pressing ahead with
airport expansions
including a
US$14bn project
at Los Angeles
Flickr Commons/
motox810
Conference of the Parties COP26
event in Glasgow, will further increase
that pressure, as nations aim to limit
global warming to 1.5°C above
pre-industrial levels.
The growth of climate diplomacy in
Europe has shifted the responsibility,
for what would previously have been
local decisions to a national government
level. This can be seen in the UK with the
attempted expansion of Leeds-Bradford.
The West Yorkshire Airport’s plan for
a £150m redevelopment, which would
involve demolishing some buildings and
replacing them with a new terminal, was
According to the
approved by the local council. However,
International Air
after heavy criticism of the scheme by Transport Association
environmentalists, the UK government (IATA), passenger
‘called in’ the project. In April, the traffic is not expected
government said that its final decision to recover to
on the project would be delayed but pre-COVID-19 levels
it gave no indication of when a verdict until 2024
would be reached. Deutsche Lufthansa
The impact of the decision not AG
www.key.aero 67
Budget carrier to grant immediate approval for the
Ryanair has pledged project has national implications. If the
to use sustainable government is unsure about whether
aviation fuel to to allow expansion at one airport, then
operate 12.5% of how can it allow other airfields to
its flights by 2030 expand without being seen as having
Ryanair double standards?
Already, campaigners in Southampton,
who are fighting to stop the Hampshire
hub’s runway from being enlarged, have
written to the government asking them
to ‘call in’ this scheme as well.
However, if air travel returns to growth
but fewer airports are allowed to expand,
With many Europe, or at least certain countries
companies designing within it, are likely to face a future air
hydrogen and capacity crisis.
electric aircraft
concepts like that Higher fares threat
from German-based
So, what would this actually mean?
Lilium, speeding up
EUROCONTROL’s 2018 Challenges of
the development
Growth report paints an alarming picture.
of these next
generation types It predicts that by 2040 Europe will have
will help limit any a capacity gap of 8%. To put it another
capacity crunch way, that is 160 million passengers
and make who want to make a journey but will be
airfield expansion unable to do so.
more palatable High demand and limited capacity
Lilium will cause an increase in congestion at
European gateways and thus, in turn,
will cause delays to soar. The report
predicts that total delays per flight will
increase on average from 12 minutes
20 secs in summer 2016 to 20 minutes
6 seconds by summer 2040. Delays
result in wasted time and lost economic
output – and they also hinder European
air connectivity.
EUROCONTROL’s A result could also be higher prices for
2018 ‘Challenges European travellers. In a joint publication
of Growth’ report The impact of airport capacity constraints
predicts that by on air fares, SEO Amsterdam Economics
2040 Europe will and Cranfield University estimate that
have a capacity gap by 2035 European passengers will be
of 8%, equating paying €6.3bn in higher fares due to
to 160 million the capacity gap.
passengers who will At airports that are operating close
be unable to make to their limit, there is less opportunity
their desired journey for new players to enter the market
AirTeamImages.com/ with lower fares. This lack of competition
Gregoire Delatte and removal of downward pressure on
prices enables the airlines operating further economic growth, helping them flight in Europe used a 100% SAF blend
from those airports to charge increase their lead over Europe. that offered such savings, the number
passengers more. of rotations on the continent could triple
A wider impact is the damage to Carbon-neutral travel and carbon emissions would still fall.
the continent economically and As lawmakers within the European Although ideal, this situation is unlikely
geo-politically. A study by InterVISTAS Union and elsewhere in Europe seek to to be achieved anytime soon. SAF is
Consulting Group estimated that limit greenhouse gas emissions, airport usually blended with traditional fuel and
foregone annual macro-economic expansions could become significantly is much more expensive than kerosene.
benefits will be almost €97bn of GDP harder, and even illegal. To avoid a Currently, sustainable aviation fuel
until 2035. Unless capacity is increased, capacity crunch as well as the consumer accounts for just 6% of all global air
Europe will lose out on this growth just and economic harm that it would bring, fuel production. However, the demand
as it needs it most. the continent will need to support and and supply of SAF is increasing
Economic performance within the utilise emerging technologies. exponentially, and will continue to grow
Eurozone area has been sluggish Sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) could over the coming decade. Europe’s
for more than a decade and during provide a mid-term solution that allows aviation sector – comprising airlines,
the pandemic this has been more both growth and an overall reduction facilities, aerospace manufacturers and
pronounced than its rivals. While in emissions while carbon-neutral air navigation service providers – have
America and China have seen their technologies are being developed. helped lay out a “flagship sustainability
economies begin to rebound, the SAF, which can be made from a wide initiative” called ‘Destination 2050’.
Eurozone continued to shrink during range of kerosene alternatives, such as Designed as a pathway to net zero
the first quarter. At the same time, both feedstock, used cooking oils, or even carbon flights by 2050, it’s predicted
powers are seeing significant airport rubbish, can reduce carbon emissions by that if SAF is given “strong political
expansions, which will, in turn, fuel as much as 70%. In other words, if every support”, then this could account for 83%

68 airports of the world // July - August 2021

of all jet fuel by 2030. This support is
more crucial than ever, as the economic
impacts of coronavirus have made it
harder for airlines to pay for the cleaner,
but more expensive, sustainable fuel. If
governments help boost the supply of
SAF, prices will fall, and it would become
a more viable alternative to kerosene.
Even as Europe struggles to move past
the pandemic, there are encouraging
signs that the adoption of SAF is already
becoming mainstream. Both Ryanair
and International Consolidated Airlines
Group (IAG), have already pledged to
power 12.5% and 10% of their flights
respectively through SAF by 2030.
It is also believed that a new ReFuelEU
scheme that mandates a SAF blend
in jet fuel will soon be proposed for
EU countries. According to Regional
International, the mandate would begin
with a 2% blend in 2025, reaching 32%
by 2040 and 63% by 2050. In the future,
airports wishing to expand could work
with suppliers and carriers to introduce
their own SAF mandates to reduce any
increase in emissions.
If airports and the aviation sector are to
use SAF to boost their green credentials,
then ensuring that they do not
accidentally engage in ‘greenwashing’
will be vital. Agreeing what constitutes
sustainable fuel will provide much
needed clarity on the topic. A recent
article by the BBC ‘Climate change:
Growing doubts over chip fat biofuel’
highlighted that Europe cannot actually
prove that its imports of used cooking
oil are sustainable, along with the
challenges that an increase in SAF use
will bring.
In the longer term, Europe will need
to support and legislate to enable the
adoption of zero carbon flights. However,
by the time such technologies come
to the market and are scaled up, many
airports will likely already be suffering
from severe capacity gaps.
There are many companies designing
hydrogen and electric aircraft. Some
are established players, such as Airbus
and Boeing, while others are would-be
disrupters, such as Lilium, but in both
cases these models are still years away
from construction. Speeding up the
development of these next generation
aircraft will help limit any capacity
challenges and make airfield expansion
a more palatable concept. Hydrogen
and electric types also promise to be
quieter than their fossil fuel-burning
counterparts, reducing concerns around
the increased noise pollution that would
come from any development.
Crunch countdown
Without action, Europe faces an air
capacity crunch within the next two
decades. The cancellation and scaling
back of projects due to the financial
impacts of COVID-19 and environmental
concerns could shorten the time until
such the effects begin to be seen.
Combatting climate change will and
should come before expanding air
capacity, but soon the two will not have
More environmental
to be mutually exclusive. By investing
targets may be
in emerging technologies and next introduced for the
generation aircraft, Europe could gain aviation sector at
first mover advantage and enable this year’s upcoming
renewed airport expansion. United Nations’
At the very least, Europe should urge Climate Change
all regions to adopt the same level of Conference of the
environmental scrutiny as it has done Parties COP26
regarding expansion. If not, other event in Glasgow
regions will benefit at Europe’s and the AirTeamImages.com/
planet’s expense. Felix Gottwald
www.key.aero 69
We present a selection of images of visiting aircraft from airports around the UK. For the most part they’re commercial, but almost all are
unusual types, wearing new or unique liveries, or first visits by an airline or airliner to a particular airport. If you see something out of the
ordinary while on your travels, please send in your pictures. Photos can be sent by email to aow@keypublishing.com
Please ensure you provide details with the images, especially the date, location, airline names and aircraft identity.
This former Virgin Australia
ATR 72-600, VH-VPJ (c/n 1169),
Exeter
now reregistered as 2-KCBA,
completed a mammoth ferry
flight from Brisbane to Exeter,
where it was returned to its
lessor on May 12. The 68-seat
turboprop had called at
Darwin, Denpasar, Chennai,
Medan, Muscat, Heraklion
and Montpellier on the
five-day journey
Ian Simpson

London/Stansted A United States Air Force

Boeing E-4B made a rare visit
to the UK during April. One
of only four examples of the
advanced airborne command
post to be built, 73-1677
(c/n 20683), visited Stansted
with US Secretary of Defense
Lloyd Austin on board
Richard Vandervord

Canada's Summit Air continues

Southend to accept BAE Systems Avro
RJ85s and RJ100s to its
fleet. This example, C-FRJY
(c/n E3274), was repainted at
Southend and repositioned to
Cranfield on April 23 ahead
of its ferry flight to the Great
White North
Keith Burton

70 airports of the world // July - August 2021

Former Flybe de Havilland
Canada Dash 8-400, G-ECOK
Bristol
(c/n 4230), passed through
Bristol on its way to new
Italian start-up Sky Alps.
The Bolzano-based carrier is
due to begin operations later
this year, linking its hub with
destinations across Italy,
Spain and Germany
Simon Fewkes

SAUDIA has applied special

markings to the rear of this
London/Heathrow
Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner,
HZ-AR13 (c/n 40047), to mark
2021 being the year of
Arabic calligraphy
Richard Vandervord

Manchester Qatar Airways has used the

Airbus A350-900 sporadically
on its Manchester link for
around three years, but placed
the larger A350-1000 on its
northwest rotation for the first
time on April 15
Karl Nixon

LATAM Cargo's fleet of Boeing

London/Stansted 767-300ERFs are regular
visitors to Amsterdam/Schiphol
and Frankfurt, but rarely
frequent UK shores. N540LA,
(c/n 35229), called in at the
Essex facility on April 13 from
Santiago via Miami
Colin Cooke

www.key.aero 71
Las Vegas Sands is famous for
its fleet of widebody executive
London/Heathrow
jets, which has previously
included Boeing 747SPs and
Lockheed L-1011 TriStars. Its
sole Airbus A340-500, VP-BMS
(c/n 560), is a former Singapore
Airlines example that flew
the world's longest regularly
scheduled service, between
Singapore/Changi and Newark/
Liberty with the Southeast
Asian carrier
Clive Grant

A raft of widebodies were

drafted in to repatriate UK
Manchester
nationals visiting Pakistan
ahead of the country being
added to the UK's COVID-19
mandatory quarantine list. Two
Jordan Aviation Airbus A330s
were among those involved in
the air bridge, including
JY-JVB (c/n 834)
Nik French

This 43-year-old Dassault

Southend Falcon 20, ZS-KGS (c/n 385),
visited Southend on April 14.
The Guardian Air-operated
air ambulance jet returned to
South Africa two days later
Simon Murdoch

Ex-Atlantic Airways Airbus

Southend A319ceo, OY-RCG (c/n 5079),
was repainted at London/
Southend ahead of joining
Spanish start-up Canarian
Airways, which has since been
rebranded as Lattitude Hub
Keith Burton

72 airports of the world // July - August 2021

An Azur Air Boeing 777-300ER
visited London/Heathrow for
London/Heathrow
the first time on May 1. The
former Emirates widebody,
VQ-BZC (c/n 32729), visited
the capital from Xiamen via a
technical stop at Krasnoyarsk
Richard Vandervord

Alitalia Airbus A319ceo, EI-IMS

(c/n 4901), was dispatched
Manchester
to Manchester in late April
to transport AS Roma to the
northwest for the Europa
League tie against Manchester
United. The Serie A team
headed home on April 30 after
suffering a 6-2 defeat
Jonathan Palombo

This 1943-built Douglas

Southampton DC-3, since converted to
Basler BT-67 standard, has
previously served with the
US Army Air Force, French Air
Force and South Vietnamese
Air Force. Now operated by
ALCI Aviation, the propliner,
C-GEAJ (c/n 14675), visited the
UK during April to conduct an
airborne geophysical survey
in connection with a mine in
North Yorkshire
Richard Vandervord

Pakistan International Airlines

Manchester has been reliant on Hi Fly Malta
to maintain its connections to
the UK, wet leasing an Airbus
A330-900 from the Maltese
ACMI specialist while its own
aircraft are banned from
European airspace. This Air
Senegal liveried Rolls-Royce
Trent 7000-powered example
operated several rotations to
Manchester during April prior
to Pakistan being added to
the UK government's travel
restriction 'red list'
Martin Needham

www.key.aero 73
FEATURE

BHX

Eurohub- a
BIRMINGHAM, UK
21
I9 60 60 7A O W 20

The former Eurohub at Birmingham Airport would

have been 30 this year. To mark the occasion,
Lee Cross examines the history behind the
revolutionary passenger terminal

74 airports of the world // July - August 2021

- and-spoke
C
ome July, it will be three
decades since the opening of
Birmingham Airport’s (BHX)
innovative ‘Eurohub’ complex.
While the facility may no longer be a
An aerial view of the
Birmingham Airport
complex, with the
former Eurohub
terminal towards the
standalone terminal, its ground-breaking bottom right
design and operation became a David Goddard/
benchmark for future airport planning. Getty Images
To better understand the reason why
Eurohub came to being, it’s important
to put the development in the context
of the wider changes taking place at
BHX in the 1980s. Birmingham Airport
opened its new £29m ‘Main Terminal’
in April 1984. Capable of handling three
million passengers per year, the West
Midlands site presented itself as a viable
alternative to London/Heathrow for
airlines and passengers alike.
Situated to the northeast of the main
runway, across from the old Elmdon
terminal, the location had been chosen
not only because of its proximity to the
recently opened National Exhibition
Centre (NEC) and railway station (linking
both Birmingham and London via the
West Coast Main Line), but also because
of its ample room for expansion.
At the time, Birmingham was the
UK’s fifth busiest gateway and one
of the fastest growing in the country.
Passenger traffic in the immediate years
after the terminal’s opening grew much
more quickly than expected, rising by
114% from 1.63 million per year in 1985 to
3.49 million in 1990.
It wasn’t just traveller numbers
growing either. Airline operators also
increased, from eight in 1983 to 20 by
1989. Scheduled destinations served
also blossomed – from 24 in 1983, to
39 by the end of the decade. Arguably
a victim of its own success, a building
that had originally been set to cope
with demand well into the 1990s was
becoming overcrowded and a solution
was desperately needed.

Regional connections
Aviation in the UK was very different
in the 1980s to what it is today.
Point-to-point flights from the British
regions to Europe were almost
non-existent, as were the big-name,
low-cost airlines that would eventually
go on to operate them.
British Airways (BA) had been
struggling with its regional business
for many years. Following privatisation
in 1987, management were keen

www.key.aero 75
RIGHT: The Eurohub
concept tried to bring
hub-and-spoke traffic
to the West Midlands
Birmingham Airport
archive
RIGHT, CENTRE:
The original Elmdon
complex back in 1939
AirTeamImages/
ATI Collection
RIGHT: BA and to streamline its network and looked
partners were the across the pond to the United States
main occupants at and its ‘hub-and-spoke’ concept.
the Eurohub terminal Rather than introducing direct flights
Birmingham Airport from airports such as Edinburgh,
archive Glasgow and Belfast, BA saw the
possibility of seamlessly routing
domestic passengers through its
Birmingham and, later, Manchester
(MAN) bases and onwards to Europe.
Initial trials had proved successful
and the airline was keen to develop
the initiative further. At the time, BHX
was a key hub for British Airways
and had ample capacity compared
to slot-congested Heathrow. In real
terms, establishing a hub-and-spoke
system in Birmingham for its European
connections allowed BA to free up slots
in London that could be used for more
lucrative long-haul flights.
For BHX, the addition of transfer
passengers would mean that
destinations that previously may not
have been viable from local traffic alone
RIGHT: BA de
could now be added. This was on top of
Havilland Canada the potential for additional frequencies
Dash 7, G-BRYD (c/n on existing routes. It seemed like a
109) pictured in 1993 win-win for both the airline and the site.
AirTeamImages/
Keith Blincow Enter the Eurohub
Encouraged by recent growth, in
February 1988 an announcement
was made that a new hub facility
would be built at BHX to be used
exclusively by BA and its partner
airlines. While the top-line concept
sounded simple enough, designers had
to factor in the complexity of customs
and immigration requirements for
passengers transferring between the
UK and another European country.
Convention at the time suggested that
this would demand separate buildings.
But standalone terminals would have a
huge impact on the already severe time
constraints for transferring travellers,
going completely against BA’s plan for
speedy, seamless connections.
76 airports of the world // July - August 2021
Three potential sites were earmarked
including a satellite at the end of the
domestic pier; expansion of the existing
terminal by building out onto the apron;
or a brand-new structure located to the
south that would completely replace
the domestic facility. The latter site was
eventually selected and the initial ‘back
of the envelope’ sketches became
reality when construction began in
September 1989.
It wasn’t just the building itself that
broke the mould. A further innovation
was the way in which the development
was funded. A joint venture company
was established that comprised
Birmingham Airport, which owned
25% of the shares; BA and National Car
Parks (NCP) at 21.4% each; developer
John Laing Partners on 11.9%; the Forte
Group, who controlled the retail and
catering facilities in the terminal with
6%; and finally the seven West Midlands
District Councils were given the
remaining 14.3%.
Less than two years after construction
began, the £60m state-of-the-art
Eurohub opened its doors on July 22,
1991 ahead of schedule and under
budget. To mark the occasion, a
special ceremony was held with BA’s
flagship Concorde, G-BOAD, (c/n 210)
in attendance, along with the Duchess
of York, deputy chairman and CEO of
British Airways, Sir Colin Marshall, and
Birmingham Airport’s CEO, Sir Robert
(Bob) Taylor.
Speaking at the event Taylor said: “I’m
delighted to say British Airways and its
partners, Birmingham European Airways
and Brymon, have introduced this very
exciting hub-and-spoke venture. A new
venture for the UK, and indeed Europe.”
Eurohub wasn’t simply a milestone in
the history of BHX or British Airways,
it had truly global significance. The
ambition of its developers meant the
hub-and-spoke venture was taken a step
further and it became the first terminal

in the world to integrate domestic and
international arrivals. The three-storey
building had a split-level operation with
a series of external ramps that handled
both arriving and departing passengers,
as well as securing connecting traffic.
For added flexibility each gate was
capable of serving a domestic or
international arrival or departure.
Compactness was key, with maximum
transfer times of just 30 minutes
built into the airlines’ schedules. This
was aided by the use of the latest
technology, including automatic
ticketing and boarding passes.
There was also a centrally controlled
door operation system, creating what
was known as a ‘valving operation.’
A series of secure doors could be
opened and closed as required, moving
flows of passengers between aircraft
and terminal facilities, something now
commonplace in airports globally, but
completely pioneering at the time.
Serving ‘Boomingham’
Eurohub was capable of handling
2.5 million passengers per year and
provisions were made for a second
phase increasing capacity to four
million, should demand require it.
The proportion of transfer traffic was
also expected to increase from 26%
previously, to 35% within the first four
years. In reality, traffic grew much faster
than expected and more than 800,000
customers passed through the terminal
to 18 destinations in year one.
As expected, British Airways was able
to synergise its network at BHX. The
airline stopped its Amsterdam route
and entered a codeshare agreement
with Birmingham European Airways
(BEA), which immediately increased its
schedule. BA also reduced its flights
to Belfast, with BEA stepping in to fill
the gap by launching a new link to the
Northern Irish capital, also under a
codeshare agreement.
LEFT: Officially
opened in 1991, the
site allowed smooth
flight transfers
Birmingham Airport
archive
So successful was the new facility that
BA ran an advertising campaign using
the tagline ‘Boomingham’, highlighting
the extensive number of flights from
the UK’s second city. At its peak BA,
along with its then partner airlines
BEA, Brymon Airways and Caledonian
Airways, was carrying some 40% of the
airport’s scheduled traffic.
In March 1992, British Airways
announced the formation of ‘BA
Regional’ to improve the profitability of
services from Birmingham, Manchester,
Scotland and Northern Ireland.
Twenty-six Boeing 737-236s would be
transferred to BHX and MAN to replace
its ageing BAC One-Eleven fleet. Some
even had ‘Birmingham’ or ‘Manchester’
titles added to their fuselage to denote
their base.
Birmingham European went on to
become Maersk Air UK in August
1993, following a failed merger with
Brymon, with Maersk taking the BA/
BEA partnership a step further by
becoming a full British Airways franchise.
In 2003 Maersk UK was put up for sale
and through a management buyout
the airline became Duo Airways in
June that year. Operations continued
from Eurohub, but in November its
long-standing agreement with BA was
terminated. Sadly Duo was a short-lived
venture and ceased operations on
May 1, 2004.
In 1999, British Airways introduced the
first of its brand-new Airbus A319 fleet
at Birmingham. The arrival of the ninth
example in June 1999 meant that the
last of its 737-200s could then be retired
from the base.
A further reorganisation of BA’s
regional operations and the creation
of British Airways Citiexpress in March
2002 saw the A319s leave Birmingham
for Heathrow, where they were used to
replace the airline’s 737-400 examples.
This fleet was then transferred to
London/Gatwick, replacing the
www.key.aero 77
RIGHT: Brymon ex-CityFlyer Avro RJ100s, which were
European Airways in turn moved to BHX. The introduction
supported BA’s of the smaller RJ100s meant an
mainline operation immediate reduction in capacity by BA
at the hub at Eurohub of 9%.
AirTeamImages/
Keith Blincow Terminal upgrades
On March 3, 2000 the new £40m
‘Millennium Link’ was opened by Her
Majesty The Queen and the Duke of
Edinburgh. The redevelopment saw
a brand new frontage covering both
terminals and their interconnection, via
a two-storey arrivals concourse, for the
first time.
The following year, Eurohub celebrated
its tenth birthday. Since opening in
1991, the terminal had welcomed 178.5
million passengers and there had
been approximately 355,500 aircraft
movements. By 2001, 24 destinations
RIGHT: While the site were available and some 1.8 million
is best remembered passengers per year were being
for connecting traffic, handled, an increase of 125% from
it also handled a 1991. Rod Eddington, BA’s then chief
significant number executive, visited for a special ceremony
of point-to-point to mark the occasion, which included
passengers too a birthday cake in the form of a British
Birmingham Airport Airways A319.
archive Speaking at the time, Eddington
said: “There are more services to
more European destinations by
British Airways than by any other
carrier at Birmingham. In enhancing
and developing services for Midland
BELOW: Birmingham's travellers we and our partners have
strategic location invested more than £1bn and we remain
in the heart of the committed to the development of a
United Kingdom profitable network at Birmingham.”
proved popular Further investment was made by
for business and introducing electronic ticketing and
leisure passengers self-service check-in machines, as
Birmingham Airport well as opening a new and expanded
archive terraces lounge for premium travellers.

78 airports of the world // July - August 2021

 Despite Eddington’s positive spin LEFT: American
regarding operations from Birmingham, Airlines Boeing
the airline’s regional arm continued to 767-300, N351AA
be unprofitable. BA had sold its shares (c/n 24032) lifts off
in the terminal following restructuring in September 2002
in March 1997, which led to the airport AirTeamImages/
becoming a private company. Derek Pedley
In February 2006 British Airways
Citiexpress became BA Connect, the
flag-carrier’s attempt at competing with
the growing number of low-cost airlines.
Alas, just nine months later it was
announced that BA Connect would be
taken over by Flybe.
The BA Connect name disappeared on
March 25, 2007 and along with it, the BA
flight code from Birmingham’s departure
board after 68 illustrious years. The
Eurohub moniker was also quietly
dropped and the facility rebranded as
simply ‘Terminal 2’.
Flybe moved its operations across from
Terminal 1 and Birmingham went on to American dreams
become the firm’s largest base until its
On April 1, 1993 British Airways reinstated a transatlantic link from Birmingham to New York/JFK, last
undignified collapse on March 5, 2020.
served by BOAC in 1973. Initially operated by a Boeing 767-300ER, the service was later extended
At the time, Flybe flew to 24 destinations
and made up around 30% of BHX’s to Toronto. Following a drop in demand, the flight was downgraded to a narrowbody 757 in January
scheduled capacity. 1995, before being withdrawn completely in October 1998.
Over the past two decades, there have When American Airlines (AA) became one of the founding members of the oneworld alliance along
been other notable tenant airlines: with BA in 1999, they moved their daily Chicago/O’Hare service to Eurohub. The flight, then operated
• Air France and its Brit Air subsidiary by a 767-300ER, was sadly removed from the schedules in October 2002 following the September
returned to Terminal 2 on October 11 terror attacks. Optimism following AA’s return in May 2015 – with direct links to New York – was
31, 2010 following the launch of a short-lived, as the Dallas-based carrier pulled out of the Midlands gateway once again
codeshare agreement with Flybe for in January 2017.
services to Paris/Charles de Gaulle and
Lyon. The carrier was a former resident LEFT: Many features
until moving its operations along with we take for granted
KLM to Terminal 1 on March 11, 2009. in modern airports
• Ryanair announced its intention to today were first
open a two-aircraft base at Terminal 2 realised at the site
on January 15, 2008. The airline had Birmingham Airport
served BHX from Dublin since 1993 and archive
moved its operations from Terminal 1 on
June 4, 2008.
• Jet2.com became the facility's
latest resident when it commenced
operations there on March 30, 2017.
Pre-coronavirus, BHX had become the
firm’s second biggest base with ten
aircraft operating to 41 destinations.
• Other carriers that have used
Eurohub/Terminal 2 and handled high
numbers of passengers through the
years have include Loganair, Manx
Airlines, Eastern Airways, Sabena/
Brussels Airlines, CityJet, Aer Lingus,
Swiss, Deutsche BA and TUI.

The facility today

Eurohub is now completely
unrecognisable thanks to various
internal and external alterations. In
January 2010, Paul Kehoe, the airport’s
then CEO, announced a £13 million
‘One Terminal’ project to merge the two
terminals in order to “improve passenger
flows and operational efficiency”. Work
began in March that year and the huge
task was completed on May 13, 2011.
Considerable changes were made to
the internal layout, including a larger and
more streamlined centralised security
area. There were also updates to both
landslide and airside retail units and a

www.key.aero 79
RIGHT: A British spacious new 20,000sq ft World Duty
Airways Express BAe Free store that is 50% larger than the
146-200, G-MANS previous offering. The improvements
(c/n E2088) at increased BHX’s capacity to 18 million
Birmingham in 1997 passengers per year.
AirTeamImages/ Speaking at the time Kehoe said:
Carl Ford “Most airports under ten million
passengers do not need two terminals
with two security search areas, two
retail and catering offers and split site
operations. We therefore embarked on
RIGHT: An this project to make the operation more
impressive line-up efficient, to create a better passenger
of Birmingham experience and to offer a facility that is
European Airways easy to get through.
examples in 1992 “Combining the two terminals into
AirTeamImages/ one has been a very challenging
Carl Ford redevelopment, with many complicated
activities taking place in a 24-hour live
operation. A great deal of planning,
partnerships and hard work by everyone
involved has produced this first-class
facility, on programme, on time, and with
minimal passenger disruption.”
The work also coincided with the
dropping of ‘International’ from the West
Midland site’s title to become simply
‘Birmingham Airport.’

Future prospects
In 2018 BHX unveiled a new masterplan
to take the facility up to 2030. Proposed
RIGHT: This British developments include a £30m
Airways/Maersk Air expansion of the terminal building and
737-500 wears the close integration with the new High
distinctive waves Speed 2 (HS2) railway line.
of the City scheme For Eurohub, to be known as ‘South
Martyn Cartledge Terminal,’ this could mean further internal
changes, including a reconfiguration of
the check-in area to allow a new bussing
lounge facility to serve the re-configured
stands. Other notable highlights include
an enlarged arrivals area to improve the
customer experience for passengers
and provide an improved retail and food

RIGHT: A BA
Birmingham-liveried
Boeing 737-200 at
Manchester Airport
Martyn Cartledge

80 airports of the world // July - August 2021

offering. This is to be complemented by LEFT: This interior
a reconfigured domestic arrivals route. shot shows how the
A new international arrivals corridor terminal looked in
is planned to link the South Terminal April 2010
stands to the North Terminal’s UK Ben Stansall/
Border Force. It is suggested that this AFP via Getty Images
will increase operational flexibility and
provide the opportunity to consolidate
immigration operations in the North
Terminal in the future.
Building work was sadly suspended
in May 2020 owing to the pandemic. A
Birmingham spokesperson told Airports
of the World: "Due to the impact of
BELOW: The arrival of
COVID-19, all non-essential work has the Airbus A319 into
currently been delayed or deferred, the BA roster marked
including the terminal extension.” the start of a wider
With the recovery in the aviation homogenisation of
market taking far longer than initially its short-haul fleet
hoped, and many analysts projecting AirTeamImages/
that a return to pre-crisis passenger Carl Ford
levels won’t occur until at least 2023-24,
it is unclear when the next chapter in
Birmingham Airport’s fascinating history
will begin to take shape.
One thing, however, is much more
certain: the world’s first purpose-built
hub terminal broke the mould for
airport design and operations, with its
blueprint being reused at new facilities
around the world. Eurohub played a
pivotal role in the growth of Birmingham
Airport leading up to the new millennium
and since its opening has handled more
than 70 million passengers. For this
reason and many more besides, BHX
will always have a place in the history of
global aviation.

Acknowledgements
The author would like to thank Justine
Howl from the airport’s press office for her
assistance with this article

The Millennium Link

connected the two
terminals, allowing
easy access between
the buildings
Birmingham Airport
archive

www.key.aero 81
 The September/October issue of Airports of the World includes:
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 SOVIET-ERA AIRLINERS
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• SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS
• BAG REGIONS
• BAG PROMOTIONS
• COLLABORATION WITH DIT & STRATEGIC PARTNERS

If you would like to discuss membership in more detail, please contact Hannah Sallabanks, Senior Manager
( +44 (0) 20 7091 7847
 Hannah.sallabanks@britishaviationgroup.co.uk

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