BAA reports return to growth at Heathrow
BAA, the airport operator, today reported further evidence of stabilising passenger numbers in July as Heathrow delivered the first increase in three years.
The group, which is owned by Ferrovial, the Spanish infrastructure group, handled a total of 14.5 million passengers during the month, a fall of 2.4 per cent compared with July 2008.
The July fall represents a slowing of the rate of decline. In June, passenger numbers were down by 5.9 per cent year-on-year while in May the fall was 7.3 per cent.
The performance reinforces comments made by Colin Matthews, BAA's chief executive, at its results at the end of last month when he claimed it could meet its debt obligations without the sale of Gatwick.
BAA is seeking about £1.5 billion for Gatwick, which is being sold on the orders of the Competition Commission, and claims it does not need to accept a cut-price sale to meet a £1 billion debt repayment due in March.
Heathrow handled 6.5 million passengers in July, an increase of 0.9 per cent, reducing the decline at the airport for the year to 3 per cent. This came despite a 3 per cent cut in the number of flights.
The figures come in the wake of a 1 per cent fall in traffic in July reported by British Airways, Heathrow's biggest airline.
Across the group there was a return to growth of 1.2 per cent in European scheduled traffic and 4.8 per cent in long haul traffic, excluding the North Atlantic.
UK domestic traffic was 4.8 per cent lower and European charters fell by 18. per cent. North Atlantic traffic was 8 per cent lower overall, with Heathrow down by 2.1 per cent.
The fall in Gatwick passenger numbers slowed to 4.8 per cent in July, compared with 7.6 per cent the previous month, as European scheduled traffic rose by 5.8 per cent.
Stansted's rate of improvement was even higher, as the decline narrowed from 11.5 per cent in June to 5.7 per cent in July.
Edinburgh was up 5.6 per cent, its fourth consecutive month of growth, though Glasgow and Aberdeen were down by 11.9 per cent and 9 per cent respectively.
Southampton's decline slowed sharply from 7.9 per cent in June to just 0.9 per cent in July.
The number of flights into BAA's seven airports was down 3 per cent.
Separately, Aer Lingus, the Irish airline, reported total passenger numbers in July up 8.2 per cent to almost 1.2 million. Short- haul passengers were up 11.2 per cent while long-haul passengers were down 12.4 per cent.
dal timesonline.com - http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/leisure/article6789636.ece
BAA, the airport operator, today reported further evidence of stabilising passenger numbers in July as Heathrow delivered the first increase in three years.
The group, which is owned by Ferrovial, the Spanish infrastructure group, handled a total of 14.5 million passengers during the month, a fall of 2.4 per cent compared with July 2008.
The July fall represents a slowing of the rate of decline. In June, passenger numbers were down by 5.9 per cent year-on-year while in May the fall was 7.3 per cent.
The performance reinforces comments made by Colin Matthews, BAA's chief executive, at its results at the end of last month when he claimed it could meet its debt obligations without the sale of Gatwick.
BAA is seeking about £1.5 billion for Gatwick, which is being sold on the orders of the Competition Commission, and claims it does not need to accept a cut-price sale to meet a £1 billion debt repayment due in March.
Heathrow handled 6.5 million passengers in July, an increase of 0.9 per cent, reducing the decline at the airport for the year to 3 per cent. This came despite a 3 per cent cut in the number of flights.
The figures come in the wake of a 1 per cent fall in traffic in July reported by British Airways, Heathrow's biggest airline.
Across the group there was a return to growth of 1.2 per cent in European scheduled traffic and 4.8 per cent in long haul traffic, excluding the North Atlantic.
UK domestic traffic was 4.8 per cent lower and European charters fell by 18. per cent. North Atlantic traffic was 8 per cent lower overall, with Heathrow down by 2.1 per cent.
The fall in Gatwick passenger numbers slowed to 4.8 per cent in July, compared with 7.6 per cent the previous month, as European scheduled traffic rose by 5.8 per cent.
Stansted's rate of improvement was even higher, as the decline narrowed from 11.5 per cent in June to 5.7 per cent in July.
Edinburgh was up 5.6 per cent, its fourth consecutive month of growth, though Glasgow and Aberdeen were down by 11.9 per cent and 9 per cent respectively.
Southampton's decline slowed sharply from 7.9 per cent in June to just 0.9 per cent in July.
The number of flights into BAA's seven airports was down 3 per cent.
Separately, Aer Lingus, the Irish airline, reported total passenger numbers in July up 8.2 per cent to almost 1.2 million. Short- haul passengers were up 11.2 per cent while long-haul passengers were down 12.4 per cent.
dal timesonline.com - http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/leisure/article6789636.ece
