Future Airport International : All Issues

This is a crucial time for aviation in the UK, as the coalition government seeks to develop its air transport strategy. As part of this process, it is asking the question ‘does the UK need a hub airport?’ My answer is a clear ‘yes’. A hub airport connects the UK to long-haul destinations around the world. This is more important than ever as the locus of the global economy shifts around us with significant growth in emerging economies such as Brazil, India and China. If UK businesses cannot access these markets with good global connections, our competitors will.

In this issue, Phin Foster speaks to two of the world's best-known airport architects, Curtis Fentress and Santiago Calatrava, to discuss their take on the evolution of airport design.

In our Future ATC supplement, the Met Office's head of transport, Doug Johnson, discusses the need for accurate forecasting to give air traffic controllers the best possible information on weather patterns. EUROCONTROL's Bo Redehorn also explains the new technologies under development to boost the performance of European air traffic management.

Elsewhere, we speak to Alitalia's network director, Andrea Stolfa, to discuss how the carrier is improving its route offering to compete on the world stage, rising from its collapse two years ago. Following thwarted plans for expansion at London airports, Southend Airport discusses how its development plan will bring it in line with the city's other major hubs.

In this issue of Future Airport, we speak with Andy Baxter at FERA to discuss the methods being used by airport operators to mitigate against the risk of bird strikes. Brett Patterson also explains the latest technology being used at Vancouver International to remove the hazard of foreign object debris.

We speak Dr Temel Kotil, CEO of Turkish Airlines to find out how it bucked the trend of consolidation during the downturn to become the world’s second most profitable airline. Dubai Airports’ Head of Strategic Planning, James Robinson discusses the emirate’s plans to become the world’s foremost aviation.

On the ground, Tolmachevo Airport and Miami International both discuss successful strategies for smooth ground operations, whatever the weather. Plus, we look at how service levels can be improved, whether that is self-service in the case of Ryanair, baggage handling in the case of IATA or passenger service at Auckland.

On my recent trip to India to see the development of Delhi and Hyderabad airports, I was struck by the overwhelming feeling of optimism and pride in India’s resurgence into the category of ‘emerging economy’. In Delhi and Hyderabad’s infrastructure projects, there is an undeniable feeling of achievement through group effort. Every project they have undertaken has been completed under budget and ahead of schedule, a tribute to their project management and delivery
skills.

In this issue, we speak with PS Nair, CEO of Indira Gandhi International Airport, and discover his plans for Delhi to become a major new hub in Asia. Elsewhere, we look at the latest in passenger handling technologies with Jos Nijhuis, Schiphol Group CEO, Ernst Hirsch-Balin, Netherlands Minister of Justice, and John Wagner, director of the US Customs and Border Protection’s Trusted Traveler Programs.

The aviation industry has often been commended for its ability to bounce back from economic downturns and, if history is anything to go by, it's only a matter of time before we see and surpass the record breaking traffic figures of former years. For BAA, recovery hasn't only been about finances, but also its place in the popularity stakes. Chairman Sir Nigel Rudd speaks frankly with us on how he changed BAA's management strategy, his views on the Competition Commission's decision and his hopes for the future.

In our Future Routes section, we look at the best ways to increase prospects with airlines. John Grant looks at how to successfully market airports to the industry and Julien Stelder looks at how KLM have had to change their short-term strategies to deal with a reduction in traffic.

The aviation industry is in crisis. Passenger numbers are declining, causing capacity to be cut and revenue to plummet. It is at times like this that the industry must cooperate to survive. With alliances and collaborations, from share-swapping contractual agreements to integrating software, the industry is pulling together. Like bees, they are working hard to make life sweeter for all concerned.

We speak to Schiphol's Ad Rutten and François Rubichon of Aéroports de Paris to look at their agreement signed at the end of last year. Lorne Cass of Northwest Airlines and Mike Sammartino of the FAA tell us about the perks of collaborative decision making, and why it is taking the industry by storm. We also assess an alliance that has stood the test of time: Munich Airport's COO Thomas Weyer gives his first interview in his new position with Steffen Harbarth, VP at Lufthansa, on the successes of Terminal 2 and the development of their new satellite terminal.

The aviation industry is experiencing a double-whammy of economic challenges. Increasing costs and a decreasing level of demand is affecting everyone from airlines and airports to passengers. Future Airport investigates what is being done to help reduce the pressure and reveals a light at the end of the runway.

David Behrens of IATA argues that now is the time to confront environmental issues head-on. He explains how 'treading lightly' can create cost-effective solutions to aid the environment and have a beneficial effect on an operator's bottom line. Olivier Jankovec, director general of ACI Europe looks at the current deceleration of demand, and suggests that this is only a cyclical downturn due for an upturn in the not too distant future.

Daniel Calleja explains the developments and benefits of the Single European Sky ATM Research Programme (SESAR), the initiative set to change the infrastructure of European aviation operations with its launch in 2009.

Heathrow's terminal 5 has dominated the headlines these last few months. Future Airport speaks to IATA's airline community representative at Heathrow, David Stewart, who divulges his thoughts on T5, and what is needed to make successful forward planning a working reality.

Also in this issue, attention turns to ATC Global 2008 as it stakes its claim as a major industry event. This edition of Future Airport includes a special supplement that covers the highlights, and also features in depth articles which put air traffic control and its dynamic issues firmly on the radar.

The level of investment in airport development in the UAE is breathtaking and in an exclusive interview with Dr Ghanem Al-Hajri, the director general for Sharjah International Airport, and Paul Griffiths, the new CEO of Dubai Airports, we discover where the enlightened approach to airport expansion lies and uncover why the growth of European airports is in danger of becoming stunted.

Virgin Atlantic may have been granted immunity over its part in the fuel surcharge price fixing, but it too will be hit by the liberalisation of trans-Atlantic routes. As part of our Future Routes supplement, Virgin's general manager of aviation planning outlines the airline's post-Open Skies strategy and his desire to see 'a fully liberal transatlantic aviation industry'.

Sitting alongside open skies at the top of the political agenda is security. Our cover story looks at the US Transportation Security Administration's work in developing more sophisticated and sustainable approaches to baggage screening and where the balance between customer service and security lies.

Other highlights include South Africa's efforts to increase passenger capacity in time for the 2012 World Cup, the world's largest single Wi-Fi installation at Las Vegas Airport and the unprecedented success of self-service check-in kiosks at Schiphol Airport.

In this edition of Future Airport, and in support of the ATC Maastricht conference, we focus on the ever-evolving ATM landscape. As the healthy levels of traffic experienced pre-security concerns return, so do the issues of capacity and airspace management.

Eurocontrol explain their vision of a seamless traffic management system, explaining the need for convergence between European and US architecture, with the single sky initiative. We also have an update on the SESAR project as the consortium provide us with details of the 'Air Transport Framework - The performance Target' report.

Elsewhere in this edition: We hear from BAA who outline the success of their IT integration into the new Terminal 5; Matthais Ruete, director general of DG TREN at the European Commission, outlines the need for effective yet unintrusive regulation within the aviation industry; and Nicholas Sabatini, associate administrator for aviation safety, FAA, explores the redesign of US airspace.

In this edition we focus on the area of route planning and what exactly airports can do to attract key airline clients. We hear from Henk Guitjens, chief marketing officer at JFK Terminal 4 who discusses the balance of power between airports and airlines and how this is shifting towards the airlines, he outlines what airports can do to redress the balance.

Giovanni Bisignani, director general of IATA, calls on the European Commission to regulate Europe's airports. We also chart Ryanair's attempts to create a European base in Marseille and how they are meeting with stiff opposition from Air France.

Elsewhere we look at airport development, with ADP's director of planning, Jean-Marie Chevallier detailing the growing pressure on transport systems and infrastructure in Europe. He outlines how ADP are looking toward an integrated transport network in the development of their airports.

In this edition we focus on the drive for efficiency within the industry as called for by IATA. George Paulson, Director of the air traffic management programme at Eurocontrol explains how as an organisation they are looking to meet ambitious targets for delay reduction while Olli Marius Turpeinen of ICAO examines how meteorological data can positively impact of air traffic control safety and efficiency.

Star Alliance look at how the implementation of a common IT platform can dramatically improve the competitiveness of airlines working together, and Giovanni Bisignani of IATA explains how the air transport industry must shake off its outdated thinking if it is to prosper in an increasingly challenging business environment.

In this edition we centre on capacity issues across the aviation industry. Cesare Bernabei of the European Commission explains measures being taken to expand European air capacity safely and in harmony with public opinion and IATA explain the need for efficiency targets when developing templates for expansion.

Fotis Karonis of Athens International traces how they redeveloped and expanded capacity in conjunction with countries hosting of the Olympic games. We also look at the development of new airport infrastructure in China and Asia, and Jean-Louis Blanchou charts security developments within Aéroports de Paris.