© Britain on view- Sheradon Dublin

AT THE dawn of 2012, the year of HM The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the London Olympics and Paralympics, airport and airline bosses across the UK will be hoping they can draw a line under the events of the past few
years, perhaps even benefit from the allure of these glittering events, writes Colin Ellson.

From the Icelandic ash cloud that grounded aircraft in 2010 to the economic crisis biting deep into load factors, the aviation industry has been battling against overwhelming odds.

Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) figures reveal that some 20 million passengers flew on domestic routes in 2010, compared to around
22 million the previous year, a drop of nine per cent, although that can partly be attributed to a switch to rail travel. A crumb of comfort is that in July last year the number of travellers had
risen to 23.5 million, a year-on-year increase of 1.7 per cent.

Nevertheless, Jim French, chairman and CEO of Flybe, which carries seven million passengers a year – 70 per cent of which is on domestic flights – has declared an end to the boom in domestic air travel.

Pointing out that flights around the UK and Ireland have dropped by 20 per cent over the past four years, he adds: “This is a combination of the economic and business cutbacks over
the period, but I truthfully think the market was over supplied.”

Not any more. Both Ryanair and easyJet have scaled down on domestic routes, and bmibaby is focusing on airports where it has a strong market presence with potential for growth, axing operations from Cardiff and Manchester at the end of last summer.

Another body blow for the industry was the closure of Air Southwest at the end of September 2011. This particularly hit Newquay, which lost key routes to Aberdeen, Bristol, Dublin and Leeds Bradford, its only connection this winter to London Gatwick with Flybe.

The issues facing Britain’s regional airports are part of a bigger picture, according to Mike Carrivick, CEO of the Board of Airline
Representatives in the UK (BAR UK), who pinpoints the lack of airport capacity in the South East as a major factor in their decline.

“The impact is being felt right now,” he says, “and nowhere more so than at Heathrow, where domestic routes are likely to continue to reduce as airlines are forced to use their precious slots to serve much needed new routes to emerging long-haul destinations.

“This compounds the problem, as reducing air connectivity from the rest of the UK to London not only impacts regional businesses
but diminishes Heathrow’s vital hub status".

Another issue facing the UK’s smaller gateways is the rise and rise of rail. The Association of Train Operating Companies reports intercity journeys have increased by 19 per cent since 2007, boosting rail’s market share versus that of the airlines on the Top 10 domestic air routes from 32 to 44 per cent.

So much for the negative. Now airports and airlines are pinning some of their hopes on increased passenger numbers in terms of
visitors travelling to join in the Diamond Jubilee celebrations and to watch the Olympics, both with events at regional venues.

The main beneficiary will be Heathrow, host airport for the Games. Some 10,500 athletes and 250,000 overseas visitors are expected to pass through the gateway between July 27 and
August 12; American TV network NBC alone plans to send some 4,000 producers, technicians and journalists to London.

They will be greeted and assisted by 1,000 Team Heathrow volunteers, who will have their work cut out the day after the Games’ closing ceremony. Forecast to be the busiest day in
Heathrow airport’s history, on August 13, it will have to handle an estimated 218,000 departing bags – compared to the previous record of 160,000 – some 15 per cent of which is oversized sports equipment such as canoes, vaulting poles and bikes.

If Heathrow is sure to win gold in the airports marathon, regional airports will be hoping to pick up silver and bronze as visitors opt for air travel to explore the UK.

Aberdeen
Aberdeen Dyce Airport
Location: Six miles northwest of the city centre
Airport code: ABZ
Owner: BAA
Destinations: Belfast City (Flybe), Birmingham (Flybe), Bristol (Eastern Airways), Dublin (Aer Lingus), East Midlands (Eastern Airways), Exeter (Flybe), Jersey (Flybe), Leeds Bradford (Eastern Airways, Flybe), Liverpool (Eastern Airways), London Gatwick (Flybe, easyJet), London Heathrow (bmi, British Airways), London Luton (easyJet), Manchester (bmi), Newcastle (Eastern Airways), Southampton (Eastern Airways, Flybe).
www.aberdeenairport.com

Belfast
George Best Belfast City Airport
Location: Two miles from Belfast city centre
Airport code: BHD
Owner: Eiser Global Infrastructure Fund
Destinations: Aberdeen (Flybe), Birmingham (Flybe, bmibaby), Bristol (Flybe), Cardiff (Flybe), East Midlands (bmibaby, Flybe), Edinburgh (Flybe), Exeter (Flybe), Glasgow (Flybe), Inverness (Flybe), Isle of Man (Manx2), Jersey (Flybe), Leeds Bradford (Flybe), London Gatwick (Flybe), London Heathrow (bmi), London Stansted (bmibaby), Manchester (Flybe), Newcastle (Flybe), Southampton (Flybe).
www.belfastcityairport.com

Belfast International Airport
Location: 13 miles northwest of Belfast
Airport code: BFS
Owner: Abertis/TBI
Destinations: Bristol (easyJet), Edinburgh (easyJet), Glasgow (easyJet), Leeds Bradford (Jet2), Liverpool (easyJet), London Gatwick (easyJet), London Heathrow (Aer Lingus), London Luton (easyJet), London Stansted (easyJet), Manchester (easyJet), Newcastle (easyJet).
www.belfastairport.com

Birmingham
Birmingham International Airport
Location: Six miles southeast of the city centre
Airport code: BHX
Owner: Seven West Midlands’ District Councils and Airport Group Investments Ltd (AGIL), a limited company owned by Ontario Teachers’Pension Plan and Victorian Funds Management Corporation
Destinations: Aberdeen (bmi, Flybe), Belfast City (Flybe), Belfast International (bmibaby), Dublin (Aer Lingus, Ryanair), Edinburgh (Flybe), Glasgow (Flybe), Inverness (Flybe),
Isle of Man (Flybe), Jersey (Flybe), Newcastle (Eastern Airways).
www.birminghamairport.co.uk

Bristol
Bristol International Airport
Location: Eight miles southwest of Bristol city centre
Airport code: BRS
Owner: Macquarie European Infrastructure Fund and Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan
Destinations: Aberdeen (Eastern Airways), Belfast City (Flybe), Belfast International (easyJet), Dublin (Aer Lingus, Ryanair), Edinburgh (easyJet), Glasgow (easyJet), Inverness (easyJet), Isle of Man (Flybe), Jersey (Blue Islands, Flybe), Leeds Bradford
(Eastern Airways), Newcastle (easyJet).
www.bristolairport.co.uk

Cardiff
Cardiff Airport
Location: 12 miles west of the city centre
Airport code: CWL
Owner: Abertis/TBI
Destinations: Aberdeen (Eastern Airways), Belfast City (Flybe), Dublin (Aer Lingus), Edinburgh (Flybe), Glasgow (Flybe), Jersey
(Flybe), Newcastle (Eastern Airways).
www.tbicardiffairport.com

Exeter
Exeter International Airport
Location: Six miles east of the city centre
Airport code: EXT
Owner: Regional & City Airports Ltd (Balfour Beatty and Galaxy Sarl)
Destinations: Aberdeen (Flybe), Belfast City (Flybe), Dublin (Flybe), Edinburgh (Flybe), Glasgow (Flybe), Jersey (Flybe), Leeds Bradford (Flybe), Manchester (Flybe), Newcastle (Flybe).
www.exeter-airport.co.uk

Glasgow
Glasgow International Airport
Location: Seven miles west of the city centre
Airport code: GLA
Owner: BAA
Destinations: Belfast City (Flybe), Belfast International (easyJet), Birmingham (Flybe), Bristol (easyJet), Cardiff (Flybe), Dublin (Aer Lingus, Aer Arann), East Midlands (bmibaby), Exeter (Flybe), Isle of Man (Loganair), Jersey (Flybe), Leeds Bradford (bmi), London City (BA City Flyer), London Gatwick (BA, easyJet), London Heathrow (BA), London Luton (easyJet), London Stansted (easyJet), Manchester (Flybe), Newquay (Loganair,
operated by Flybe, begins April 5, 2012), Southampton (Flybe).
www.glasgowairport.com

Inverness
Inverness Airport
Location: Eight miles northeast of city centre
Airport code: INV
Owner: Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (HIAL), a company wholly owned by the Scottish Ministers and sponsored by the Scottish Government Transport Directorate.
Destinations: Belfast City (Flybe), Birmingham (Flybe), Bristol (easyJet), London Gatwick (easyJet, Flybe), London Luton (easyJet), Manchester (Flybe), Southampton (Flybe).
www.hial.co.uk/inverness-airport.html

Isle of Man
Isle of Man Ronaldsway Airport
Location: Seven miles southwest of Douglas, the island’s capital.
Airport code: IOM
Owner: Isle of Man Department of Transport
Destinations: Belfast City (Manx2), Birmingham (Flybe), Bristol (Flybe), Dublin (Aer Arann), East Midlands (Manx2), Jersey
(Blue Islands, Flybe), Leeds Bradford (Manx2), Liverpool (easyJet, Flybe), London City (Aer Arann), London Gatwick (Flybe), London Luton (Flybe), Manchester (Flybe), Newcastle
(Manx2), Southampton (Flybe).
www.iom-airport.com

Jersey
Jersey Airport
Location: Five miles west of St Helier, the island’s capital
Airport code: JER
Owner: States of Jersey
Destinations: Birmingham (Flybe), Bristol (Blue Islands, Aurigny, Flybe), Cardiff (Flybe), East Midlands (bmibaby, Aurigny), Edinburgh (BA, Flybe), Exeter (Flybe), Glasgow (Flybe, BA, easyJet), Inverness (Flybe), Isle of Man (Blue Islands, Flybe), Liverpool (easyJet), London City (Blue Islands), London Gatwick (BA, Aurigny, Flybe), London Luton (Flybe), London Stansted (Aurigny), Manchester (Flybe, Blue Islands, Aurigny, BA), Newcastle (Flybe), Southampton (Blue Islands, Flybe).
www.jerseyairport.com

Leeds Bradford
Leeds Bradford International Airport
Location: Eight miles northwest of Leeds
Airport code: LBA
Owner: Bridgepoint Capital
Destinations: Aberdeen (Eastern Airways, Flybe), Belfast City (Flybe), Belfast International (Jet2), Bristol (Eastern Airways), Dublin (Ryanair), Edinburgh (bmi), Exeter (Flybe), Glasgow (bmi), Isle of Man (Manx2), Southampton (Flybe).
www.leedsbradfordairport.co.uk

Liverpool
Liverpool John Lennon Airport
Location: Seven miles southeast of the city centre
Airport code: LPL
Owner: Peel Airports Ltd
Destinations: Belfast City (Ryanair, Flybe), Belfast International (easyJet), Dublin (Ryanair), Isle of Man (easyJet, Flybe), Jersey (easyJet)
www.liverpoolairport.com

London
London City Airport
Location: Six miles east of the City of London
Airport code: LCY
Owner: Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP) and Highstar Capital
Destinations: Dublin (CityJet), Edinburgh (BA CityFlyer, CityJet), Glasgow (BA CityFlyer), Isle of Man (Aer Arann), Jersey (Blue Islands).
www.londoncityairport.com

London Gatwick Airport
Location: 28 miles south of central London
Airport code: LGW
Owner: Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP)
Destinations: Aberdeen (easyJet, Flybe), Belfast City (Flybe), Belfast International (easyJet), Dublin (Aer Lingus, Ryanair),
Edinburgh (British Airways, easyJet), Glasgow (British Airways, easyJet, Flybe), Inverness (easyJet, Flybe), Isle of Man (Flybe), Jersey (British Airways, Flybe), Manchester (British Airways), Newcastle (Flybe), Newquay (Flybe).
www.gatwickairport.com

London Heathrow Airport
Location: 14 miles west of central London
Airport code: LHR
Owner: BAA
Destinations: Aberdeen (bmi, BA), Belfast City (bmi), Belfast International (Aer Lingus), Dublin (Aer Lingus, bmi), Edinburgh (bmi, BA), Glasgow (BA), Manchester (bmi, BA), Newcastle (BA).
www.heathrowairport.com

London Luton Airport
Location: Two miles east of Luton, 35 miles north of central London
Airport code: LTN
Owner: Luton Borough Council
Destinations: Aberdeen (easyJet), Belfast International (easyJet), Dublin (Ryanair), Edinburgh (easyJet), Glasgow (easyJet), Inverness (easyJet), Isle of Man (Flybe), Jersey (Flybe).
www.london-luton.co.uk

London Stansted Airport
Location: 35 miles north of central London
Airport code: STN
Owner: BAA
Destinations: Belfast City (bmibaby), Belfast International (easyJet), Dublin (Ryanair), Edinburgh (easyJet), Glasgow (easyJet), Jersey (Aurigny).
www.stanstedairport.com

Manchester
Manchester Airport
Location: Nine miles southwest of the city
Airport code: MAN
Owner: Manchester Airports Group
Destinations: Aberdeen (bmi, Flybe), Belfast City (Flybe), Belfast International (easyJet), Dublin (Aer Lingus, Ryanair), Edinburgh (bmi, Flybe), Exeter (Flybe), Glasgow (Flybe), Inverness (Flybe), Isle of Man (Flybe), Jersey (Blue Islands, Flybe), London Heathrow (bmi, BA), London Gatwick (BA), Newquay (Flybe), Southampton (Flybe).
www.manchesterairport.co.uk

Newcastle
Newcastle International Airport
Location: Six miles northwest of the city centre
Airport code: NCL
Owner: Seven local authorities and Copenhagen Airports (CPH)
Destinations: Aberdeen (Eastern Airways), Belfast City (Flybe), Belfast International (easyJet), Birmingham (Eastern Airways),
Bristol (easyJet), Cardiff (Eastern Airways, Flybe), Dublin (Ryanair), Exeter (Flybe), Isle of Man (Manx2), Jersey (Flybe),
London Gatwick (Flybe), London Heathrow (BA), Southampton (Flybe).
www.newcastleairport.com

Newquay
Newquay Cornwall Airport
Location: Five miles northeast of the town of Newquay, Cornwall
Airport code: NQY
Owner: Cornwall County Council
Destinations: Winter schedule: London Gatwick (Flybe). Summer 2012 schedule, from April: East Midlands (bmibaby), Edinburgh (Flybe), Glasgow (Flybe), London Gatwick (Flybe), Manchester (Flybe).
www.newquaycornwallairport.com

Southampton
Southampton Airport
Location: Five miles north of the city centre
Airport code: SOU
Owner: BAA
Destinations: Aberdeen (Eastern Airways), Belfast City (Flybe), Dublin (Flybe), Edinburgh (Flybe), Glasgow (Flybe), Inverness (Flybe), Isle of Man (Flybe), Jersey (Blue Islands, Flybe), Leeds Bradford (Flybe), Manchester (Flybe), Newcastle (Flybe).
www.southamptonairport.com

The table below shows the distance covered by a return flight between two destinations on a number of selected domestic routes, along with the approximate carbon emissions and the cost of offsetting it with The CarbonNeutral Company. For more information, see: www.carbonneutral.com

1,414km
814km


644km
1,056km


484km
1,642km

0.2t
0.1t


0.1t
0.2t


0.1t
0.2t

£1.45
£0.73


£0.73
£1.45


£0.73
£1.45