Plans afoot for Leeds Bradford expansion

Ambitious plans to increase the number of services operating out of Leeds Bradford Airport have been put forward, The Telegraph & Argus reports.

Speaking on the day that Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) began its new service to Islamabad, airport spokesman Tony Hallwood pointed to further global expansion.

He said plans were being considered to add new connections to key destinations in the US and the Middle East - part of airport owner Bridgepoint Capital's £70 million expansion project.

Industrial action looms for Derry Airport

City of Derry Airport looks set to close on July 16 and 17 following a pay dispute with firefighters, The Belfast Telegraph reports.

Talks are underway to prevent a shutdown of the Northern Irish gateway, but officials have made no indication they expect to reach a breakthrough in time to avert the strike.

Unions representing firefighters, baggage handlers and cleaners at the airport are among those urging Derry City Council to exclude their members from the nationwide strike.

Stansted opens £50m terminal extension

London Stansted Airport has opened phase one of its new terminal extension as part of an ongoing focus on passenger facilities.

The extension covers nearly 6,000 square metres of space, providing additional waiting areas for passengers as well as a sixth baggage reclaim belt and extra facilities for immigration control.

Airport regulator BAA has said ongoing expansion work to the facility will be completed by December, when a raft of new shops and more comfortable waiting areas will also be unveiled.

Heathrow branded Europe's worst airport, again

London Heathrow has been branded the worst airport in Europe yet again - this time by the Association of European Airlines (AEA).

Collating data from the first quarter of 2007, the industry group found that almost half of all flights arriving at or departing from the global hub were at least 15 minutes late.

Its damming assessment follows a report from the Civil Aviation Authority last month which found that 44 per cent of all Heathrow flights are delayed - on average by 25 minutes.

New Spanish flights from Norwich Airport

Low-cost Spanish carrier LTE is to begin operating flights from Norwich Airport to three popular destinations in its home country.

The no-frills airline will begin flying to Barcelona, Alicante and Majorca this Saturday (July 5) - filling slots opened up by Flybe's cancellation of its services to Paris and Glasgow.

To mark the launch of the new connections, the first inbound flight from Barcelona will be carrying a host of Spanish VIPs who will seek to heighten Norwich's appeal as a tourist destination.

Delays for early morning Jersey flights

Runway work at Jersey Airport looks set to disrupt early morning flights to the channel island.

The airport's landing strip is to undergo seven months of resurfacing and strengthening as part of a £19.5 million upgrade, with work beginning on September 15, 2008 and scheduled to be completed by April 30, 2009.

The night-time work will be carried out between 9pm and 6am most days, resulting in a small delay for the first flights into the island - including postal and newspaper delivery services.

Roadworks near Manchester Airport

People driving to Manchester Airport are being warned that roadworks on a nearby motorway may cause delays and extend their journey time.

Bridge strengthening work is to take place at the junction of the M60 and the A5103, Princess Parkway, which feeds into the M56 motorway and Manchester Airport.

Exeter Airport outlines future plans

A draft master plan mapping out the future of Exeter International Airport has been produced, promising better facilities, more jobs and new links to overseas destinations.

The proposals have been drawn up by airport bosses and have been made available for public consultation. The final plans will be used as a framework for future planning applications that would still have to receive local authority approval.

The airport expects to receive around 3.4 million passengers by 2030, with air traffic movements predicted to stand at 38,000 a year, up from the current 14,000.

Planned stoppages at Scottish airports suspended

Strike action which would have grounded flights at a number of Scottish airports later this week has been suspended to allow talks to take place between the two sides.

Bosses from Highlands and Islands Airports Ltd (HIAL) will sit down with the Unite union, who represent the fire fighters involved in the dispute, with the result that a planned stoppage on Friday, July 4, has now been suspended.

Cardiff Airport mulls celebrity re-branding

Cardiff International Airport is considering a radical re-branding exercise which could see it named after one of the city's famous residents.

The proposal is styled on a similar move by Liverpool John Lennon Airport - formerly known as Speke - though airport officials have yet to draw up an official shortlist of potential candidates.

Tom Jones, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Dame Shirley Bassey are believed to be among the names being considered - prompting some observers to question the value of any such move.

Stansted to focus on customer service, expansion

Airport regulator BAA has set a priority of improving customer service and expanding runway capacity at London Stansted Airport.

Speaking at the airport's summer reception, BAA chief executive Colin Matthews acknowledged that the industry was facing difficult times at the moment, but insisted the downturn will not be indefinite.

He made his comments in the same week that the Information Commissioner's Office, a privacy watchdog, called for greater transparency about a planned second runway at the airport.

Liverpool Airport marks 75th anniversary

Liverpool John Lennon Airport marked its 75th anniversary over the weekend with a series of commemorative events.

The gateway was officially opened on July 1, 1933 by the Right Honourable the Marquis of Londonderry KG, Secretary of State for air.

Speke in south Liverpool was selected as the site for the facility because of its favourable topography and good year-round weather - something that continues to attract operators today.

Green light for Robin Hood Airport rail plans

Plans for a railway link to Robin Hood Airway have been approved by Doncaster Council, The Star reports.

Transport officials envisage the new station being added to the Doncaster to Lincoln line. Pending discussions with Network, work on the connection could begin as soon as 2012.

Original plans for a single-platform station have now been replaced with a double-platform scheme due to concerns over signalling costs.

New industry award for Manchester Airport

Manchester Airport has been awarded the Best Airport Award 2008 by the Airports Council International Europe (ACI).

The gateway was named the winner in the 10 to 25 million passenger category at the fourth annual awards, which were held this week in Paris.

It was praised for its "simple, innovative approach to attracting airlines," as well as its efforts to promote amiable community relations and to protect the environment by setting a target of becoming carbon neutral by 2015.

Bid to avoid more strikes at Scottish airports

Talks are to take place between airport bosses in Scotland and fire fighters to try and avert a second round of strike action.

The Highlands and Islands Airport Ltd (HIAL) has said it will sit down with Unite, the union representing the workers, after industrial action on Monday disrupted flights from Inverness to the isles

Unite said that it would support a second round of strike action next Friday (July 4) if an agreement was not reached over pay levels.

BAA revives debate about third Heathrow runway

Airport regulator BAA has reignited the debate about whether or not London Heathrow Airport should get a third runway.

Speaking at a transport conference in the capital, chief executive Colin Matthews said lack of runway space at the world's busiest airport was becoming a disadvantage, leaving it vulnerable to disruption.

His comments were endorsed by British Airways, but they came alongside a damning report from London First, which is calling for scaled-back services at Heathrow.

Stansted boosts reduced-mobility access

London Stansted Airport has rolled out a number of accessibility improvements for passengers with reduced-mobility.

The airport implemented the changes ahead of an EU legislation deadline which shifts the burden responsibility for disabled access at airports fully onto operators such as BAA.

In addition to re-furbishing waiting areas for passengers who need assistance, the airport has also purchased new wheelchairs and renovated help points from which flyers can request assistance.

Govt ordered to reveal Stansted plans

Whitehall has been ordered to go public about controversial plans for a second runway at London Stansted Airport, The Financial Times reports.

Privacy watchdog the Information Commissioner's Office urged greater transparency about the move, criticising the Department for Transport for "clear failures" in its record management.

Shake-up at Heathrow as carriers vie for slots

Abu-Dhabi based Etihad and Kingfisher of India have entered into negotiations to secure more take-off and landing slots at Heathrow Airport, The Financial Times reports.

The news reflects a growing trend which has seen numerous smaller carriers sell off slots at the UK's main hub as a cost-cutting measure to offset the burgeoning price of fuel.

According to the latest reports, Etihad has agreed on a five-year lease of Luxair's two Heathrow slots for a total cost of £9 million. Negotiations are ongoing about a possible purchase of the slots.

Birmingham Airport begins terminal overhaul

Birmingham International Airport has commenced work on a £45 million expansion project for Terminal 1.

Once completed, the bright and modern facility - dubbed the International Pier - will stand three storeys tall and 240 metres long.

It will provide air-bridged aircraft parking for seven separate wide-bodied aircraft as well as space for 13 smaller aircraft, and will also incorporate several new passenger lounges.

East Midlands Airport warns of traffic problems

Passengers heading to East Midlands Airport this weekend are being asked to allow plenty of extra time for their journey due to the British Motorcycle Grand Prix taking place at Donington Park, which is located close to the airport.

All roads leading to the venue are likely to be busy from Friday, June 20 to Sunday, June 22 as the three-day event is expected to attract 50,000 people with the majority of visitors travelling on Sunday for the main race day.

A traffic plan has been implemented to make it easier for spectators to get into Donington Park, and to reduce delays experienced by other road users in the area.

Credibility slowly returns to Terminal 5

Encouraging statistics out of London Heathrow's Terminal 5 suggest that the embattled facility is beginning to live up to expectations.

British Airways has revealed that 80 per cent of passengers passing through its new base enjoy waiting times of under five minutes during check-in, while baggage handling times have also improved.

The news comes alongside positive reports about the terminal's pioneering wireless network system, adding weight to claims that T5 will usher in a new, more efficient era for British air travel.

Airport regulator BAA came in for heavy criticism in March after the long-anticipated launch of the £4.3 billion facility was beset by teething problems.

'3,000 new flights' for Belfast City Airport

As many as 3,000 additional flights could be operating out of Belfast City Airport every year, it has been claimed.

A leaked letter from the airport shows that planning agreements currently being drafted up look set to boost the maximum number of annual flights from 45,000 to 48,000.

Although that figure includes private jets and charter aircraft which were not covered by the old measurement, it is still raising concerns among residents who fear heightened noise levels.

Nine Scottish airports set to be closed during strike

It is expected that nine Scottish airports will be closed to scheduled flights when fire fighters take strike action over pay levels on June 23.

The Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (HIAL) has announced the airports at Barra, Benbecula, Campbeltown, Islay, Kirkwall, Stornoway, Sumburgh, Tiree and Wick are all expected to be closed due to the unavailability of rescue and fire fighting staff.

Staff at Inverness are not taking part in the strike action and the airport will be operating as normal although flights to Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles from the airport are likely to be affected. Dundee Airport, also operated by HIAL via a subsidiary company, will operate as normal.

Norwich Airport 'competing with Stansted'

Norwich Airport offers a viable alternative to larger regional gateways such as Stansted, an independent travel agent has claimed.

Travel Norwich Airport (TNA) said that with the addition of new flights to Spain by low-cost carrier LTE, Norwich is now able to compete with larger airports in terms of convenience and price.

TNA general manager Sue Moore cited new research by her firm which showed in many cases airfares from Norwich actually undercut those of larger gateways such as Stansted.

Tory leader rules out Heathrow expansion

Conservative leader David Cameron has all but ruled out the prospect of Heathrow Airport expansion under a Tory government.

Siding with environmental campaigners who fear a third runway would lead to unsustainable pollution levels, Cameron said the economic justification for expansion appeared to be "flawed".

He accused prime minister Gordon Brown of seeking to appease business leaders by portraying opponents as "putting lightweight environmental concerns ahead of the economy".

Southampton Airport improves check-in facilities

Passengers passing through Southampton Airport will now benefit from improvements to its check-in and baggage handling facilities.

Following a £3 million revamp, the gateway has 13 brand new self-service kiosks - two of which are located in the short-stay car park and so allow travellers to print off their boarding pass en route to the terminal.

Debris detection system boosts Heathrow safety

A revolutionary new system has been deployed at London Heathrow Airport to bolster the safety of aircraft taking off and landing.

The airport's south runway has now been fitted with a dual radar utility, Tarsier, which scans the 3,658-metre track for foreign objects and debris (FOD) 24 hours a day.

As part of the agreement with developer QinetiQ, the new system also incorporates an advanced closed-circuit television facility which allows remote visual confirmation of potential hazards.

Leeds Bradford adds Islamabad service

Leeds Bradford Airport is to benefit from a new direct service to the Pakistani capital city of Islamabad.

Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) will operate the twice-weekly connection on Wednesday and Saturday, replacing an identical Shaheen Air International link which was axed in May.

24-hour strike at Scottish airports

Strike action over pay levels by fire fighters that will ground aircraft at airports in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland is set to go ahead.

Talks between the union representing workers, Unite, and managers at the Highlands and Islands Airports Limited (HIAL) have broken down, with industrial action planned to take place on June 23 and a further 24-hour stoppage set for July 4.

Inverness Airport will not be affected by the strike, although flights between Inverness and Stornoway, Kirkwall and Sumburgh airports may be disrupted due to strike action at the island airports.

Mixed picture of UK airport delays

New figures from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) have painted a mixed picture of punctuality at the UK's airports.

London City and Heathrow airports saw the lowest number of aircraft arriving and departing on-time in the first quarter of 2008, with 44 per cent of flights at the UK's busiest hub enduring delays.

But at the same time, the capital's other three main facilities - Luton, Gatwick and Stansted - all saw improved service reliability when compared with last year, as did Birmingham Airport.

International air traffic to Scotland surges

The number of international passengers flying to and from Scotland's airports has surged over the past year, new figures show.

BAA Scotland, which operates Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen airports, said numbers spiked by 6.7 per cent to reach 8.7 million in the year to May - even as domestic travel began to tail off.

All told, the country's main three airports handled some 21.1 million passengers during the last 12 months.

Passenger fee at Norwich Airport to be increased

The owners of Norwich Airport, Omniport, have announced an increase in the fee charged on passengers departing the airport, which will come into effect in September.

The BBC website reports that the current £3 fee will be increased to £5 on September 1, with the money going towards improvements at Norwich International, although the cost for children aged between two and 15 remains unchanged at £1.

Known as the airport development fee, the charge was initially introduced in April 2007 with the intention to raise £18 million to improve the runway, check-in areas, shops, parking and customer service. It was hoped the work would help improve aircraft turnaround times and enhance efficiency.

Passengers vote Gatwick best for queue times

London Gatwick Airport has been voted the best out of Europe's ten busiest airports in terms of queuing times.

Issuing the results of its latest passenger survey - widely considered the most reputable poll of its kind - the Airports Council International (ACI) crowned Gatwick the facility with the shortest waiting time.

The other ten facilities in the poll were Heathrow Airport, Schiphol Amsterdam, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Paris Orly, Copenhagen, Madrid, Frankfurt, Rome and Manchester Airport.

Gatwick celebrates 50 years of operations

Today marks 50 years of operations for London Gatwick Airport - originally opened by the Queen in 1958.

The capital's second-largest airport was brought into service following a mere £7.8 million development, but has expanded to become the sixth largest facility of its kind in the world.

It now handles some 33 million passengers each year - surpassing New York's JFK and Tokyo's Narita airports in terms of passenger numbers - and provides an estimated 25,000 jobs to the south-east region.

Glasgow Airport expansion 'on track'

A £30 million development project at Glasgow Airport has entered a new phase following the completion of the physical structure.

Dubbed skyhub, the 4,000 sq metre extension aims to transform passengers' experience at the Scottish airport when it opens to the public on October 21.

The expansion project is the biggest seen by the airport in a generation, introducing a new state-of-the-art security search area in addition to a range of bars, shops, restaurants and lounges.

BAA secures £7.65bn funding for airports

Airport operator BAA has secured funding for significant redevelopment work in London's Heathrow and Stansted airports.

The £7.65 billion cash injection will go towards renovating the design of both facilities, including the much-vaunted Heathrow East project which is slated to replace Terminals 1 and 2.

In April, a senior American Airlines executive described the UK's busiest airport as a "bit of a dump" in dire need of investment.

Heathrow Express joins e-ticketing age

Air passengers who use the Heathrow Express to get them to or from London's main airport no longer need to rely on paper tickets.

People using the service now have the option of being sent a unique barcode via email or SMS text, which can then be scanned by an inspector on board the train.

Heathrow Express spokesman George Fripp said that the new facility will be particularly appealing to business travellers as it removes any need for queuing.

New China link for Birmingham Airport

Passengers departing from Birmingham Airport will shortly be able to fly to one of China's key industrial centres with Emirates.

The airline is launching a new connecting service to the ancient city of Guangzhou - one of the most influential economic centres in Asia.

Strike threat lifted at Scottish airports

Industrial action which would have closed airports in the Scottish Highlands and Islands has been suspended.

A strike that was planned for June 9 will not go ahead, and talks will take place between representatives of the Unite union and bosses of the Highlands and Islands Airports Limited.

A spokesman for HIAL, which operates 10 airports including Stornoway and Sumburgh, said: "The union has agr eed to suspend the action planned for 9 June to allow further discussions to take place.

Roadwork disruption at Luton Airport

An important section of the A505 leading up to London Luton Airport has been closed for essential roadworks.

The maintenance work is intended to improve the condition of the stretch connecting Luton to the town of Hitchin - but it will significantly impede night-time travel to the airport.

Work on Beech Hill will be carried out under a convoy system that will allow traffic to bypass at a restricted ten mph speed limit.

Stansted recognised for green drive

London Stansted has received an international award for its efforts to encourage passengers to travel to and from the airport on public transport.

At present some 44 per cent of passengers leave their cars at home and use bus, coach or rail services when passing through the airport - the highest figure for any major UK airport.

More than 550 bus and coach departures operate out of BAA Stansted every day - connecting the airport to 60 UK destinations - in addition to a rail link to London Liverpool Street which runs every fifteen minutes.

Move to accelerate Robin Hood Airport expansion

Plans to expand Robin Hood Airport have been put at the forefront of a number of South Yorkshire councils' agendas, reports The Star.

Intervention by Doncaster council and a number of neighbouring local authorities has resulted in development work at the airport being placed higher up on the list of priorities for airport authorities.

Plans for the expansion - which also have the backing of regional development authority Yorkshire Forward - are to be presented to the government by Yorkshire and Humber Assembly.

Renewed fears over Edinburgh Airport congestion

Expansion of a park-and-ride facility on the outskirts of Scotland's capital city has raised concerns over congestion around Edinburgh Airport.

Following a £2.7 million extension, the Ingliston park-and-ride site just off Eastfield Road this week saw its capacity more than double to 1,085 spaces, The Scotsman reports.

But according to airport officials, the additional parking spaces will place additional strain on the already overburdened roads leading into Scotland's busiest airport.

Think tank predicts sale of Derry airport

City of Derry Airport will eventually be sold, a think tank has predicted.

According to the north-west public sector review group, the sale of the Northern Irish airport is "inevitable".

It is thought that the sale of the airport will be given confirmation in the next 18 months.

Shetland sees return of summer link to Stansted

The tourism industry in Shetland is hoping for a boost this summer as flights start between Sumburgh and Stansted.

A direct service operated by Atlantic Airways took off today (May 23) and will run until August 29, offering passengers the choice of two flights a week on Monday and Friday.

The 90 minute flight, which is now in its third year of operation, puts Shetland within easy reach of visitors from the south of England while offering added travel opportunities for island residents.

Cardiff prepares for launch of new Barcelona route

Cardiff International Airport is preparing for the launch of its new Barcelona route, which is due to take off for the first time tomorrow (May 24).

The route is being operated by bmibaby and during its first week it will carry more than 370 passengers to the Spanish city.

It will be a twice-weekly service until June 18, when bmibaby will increase it to three times a week thanks to an additional service on Wednesdays.

More police officers at Stansted Airport

An agreement between airport bosses and Essex Police has been made to station more police officers at Stansted Airport.

An additional 18 officers, one inspector and two new police vehicles will be based within the police station at Stansted, bringing the total number of officers serving at the airport to 109.

New check-in area for Manchester Airport

Details of the new procedures for ground-level check-in at Terminal 1 in Manchester Airport have been released.

As of May 28, eight airlines including Jet2.com and Aer Arran will be located in the new check-in facility in Terminal 1.

The new check-in facility is accessible via passenger lifts stopping at level 0.

In a statement on its website, the airport explained: "When entering Terminal 1 take one of the three main lifts to level 0 and follow the signs for Ground Level Check-In."

High Court to review Heathrow noise case

The High Court is to hear arguments by three councils that the government has ignored the damaging effects of aircraft noise at Heathrow Airport.

According to Richmond, Wandsworth and Windsor & Maidenhead councils, the Department for Transport (DfT) needs to re-evaluate which aircraft should be permitted to land at the hub during night-time hours.

At present about 16 flights arrive at London Heathrow each day between 4.30am and 6am.

Community outreach drive for Birmingham Airport

Staff members from Birmingham Airport will be touring the region in June as part of a community engagement scheme.

Representatives from the airport will be visiting a number of locations in order to raise awareness of its operations and strengthen relationships with neighbouring communities.

The meetings will also give local residents the chance to voice concerns over issues such as noise pollution and environmental issues.

Possible rail link for Leeds-Bradford Airport

Transport officials in Leeds are said to be considering a rail link connecting Leeds-Bradford Airport to the local area.

The Telegraph & Argus is reporting that a tram-train network could feasibly be rolled out across the Leeds City region for between £17 million and £25 million.

Consultants Arup have drawn up a report outlining the potential route of the line, which they presented to Metro's Rail Working Group yesterday.

Edinburgh Airport mulls M8 link

Scottish officials look set to rethink a previously-rejected plan to build a direct connection between Edinburgh Airport and the M8.

Under new proposals, ministers will be asked to consider authorising construction of a half-mile stretch of motorway linking the airport with the Hermiston junction on the M8.

In 2006, a similar proposal outlined in the West Edinburgh Planning Framework was rejected by the Scottish Executive on the grounds that it would do little to ease traffic volumes in the area.

Heathrow T5 chief quits post

The man who oversaw the launch of Terminal 5 at London Heathrow Airport is to quit his job.

Mark Bullock has "chosen to leave" his position as the chief executive of BAA Heathrow following a restructuring of management roles, the airport regulator said.

The launch of T5 was blighted by flight cancellations and a breakdown of the baggage handling system - problems which BAA chairman Sir Nigel Rudd described as a "huge embarrassment".

Just last week, the chief executive of the UK's largest airport regulator, Colin Matthews, told the Transport Select Committee that he had not been made aware of key failings in the terminal.

Lounge revamp at London City Airport

The revamp of the departure lounge at London City Airport is nearing completion, it has been confirmed.

Airport authorities have said the lounge should be open to the public at the beginning of June, providing 250 more seats for passengers in addition to enhanced terminal facilities.

The refurbishment work centres on a new "airport concept" which aims to modernise the terminal through free internet access points, self-service check-in kiosks and additional shopping facilities.

Popularity of regional airports set to rise

The UK's regional airports will increase in popularity as holidaymakers grow more accustomed to their convenience, it has been suggested.

Leeds Bradford Airport, one of the UK's leading regional airports, collated passenger statistics that show a 75 per cent increase in the number of travellers passing through its concourse.

Leeds Bradford Airport spies US routes

Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA) has confirmed its intention to expand its network of routes to the US.

LBA spokesman Tony Hallwood said passenger numbers have risen substantially as a result of new flights to Europe and that the regional airport is looking to expand into new markets.

Focusing on the States would mean people living in the LBA catchment area would now find transatlantic travel easier than ever before, he added.

Airport security confiscates 800 bottles a day

Newcastle Airport is warning passengers heading off to the sun this summer to remember that strict regulations covering the carriage of liquids in hand luggage are still in place.

The warning comes after the airport said it was having to confiscate 800 bottles of prohibited liquids from passengers every day, worth an estimated £1,000.

As the airport enters its busy summer period, security teams estimate it is now taking up to 10 man-hours a day to recycle and dispose of confiscated liquids found in passengers’ hand luggage in the security search area.

Edinburgh Airport faces summer disruption

People taking night flights into Edinburgh this summer face the real prospect of diversions, it has emerged.

Night-time work to resurface the airport's main runway means that inbound aircraft will be using Edinburgh's secondary runway, The Scotsman reported yesterday (May 1). However, as it lacks the instrument landing system that is used to guide aircraft to the ground during poor visibility, incoming flights may be diverted to nearby airports in the event of fog or heavy rain.

The first such diversion took place on Monday, when an early morning Flyglobespan plane from Lanzarote was re-routed to Glasgow Airport.

Heathrow Airport 'damaging UK economy'

Standards at London Heathrow are lagging so far behind other European airports that they risk doing harm to the UK economy, it has been claimed.

Willie Walsh, chief executive of British Airways, said that overuse at the world's busiest international airport was damaging the UK's image abroad.

"I believe it is in the interest of the country that the reputation of Heathrow is restored on a lasting basis as quickly as possible," he told the Institute of Directors conference in the British capital.

CAA slams Stansted operations

The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has become the latest body to criticise airport regulator BAA over its administration of London Stansted Airport.

BAA came under fire last week after an investigation by the Competition Commission deemed that its monopoly of airports in the south-east of England was facing stifling competition.

Stansted was one of the London airports that the commission singled out for criticism - sentiments the CAA has echoed in its latest report.

Heathrow 'worst airport in Europe'

Heathrow Airport has been labelled the "worst in Europe" by a senior executive at a major US airline.

Don Langford, head of customer services Europe for American Airlines, described Heathrow as a "bit of a dump" and said it was suffering from chronic under-investment.

Originally designed to handle 45 million passengers, the west London airport is presently used by some 65 million flyers each year.

Airports to trial facial-recognition technology

UK airports are to test new automated facial-recognition technology this summer, in a bid to improve security and ease congestion.

The government has revealed that holders of new UK and EU biometric passports will have their faces screened rather than being checked by passport officers.

If the trial is successful, the new technology could be extended to all major UK airports.

East Midlands Airport sees passenger increase

The number of passengers using East Midlands Airport has risen for the eighth successive quarter.

According to figures released by EMA, 1,195,747 people used the airport in the first three months of the year, a rise of 15.2 per cent compared to 2007's volume.

New airport not the answer, says Future Heathrow director

The campaign director of Future Heathrow has said that calls for a new airport in the Thames estuary have been rejected after careful consideration.

In a speech to the Royal Aeronautical Society in London yesterday (Aril 24), Lord Soley said that it was time for a "fresh approach" to the discussions on the future of Heathrow, but that a new airport was not the answer.

He said that those in favour of closing Heathrow "seriously underestimate" the cost and the environmental impact of creating a new airport elsewhere.

Edinburgh Airport runway closed due to 'hole'

Edinburgh Airport was forced to close one of its major runways yesterday (April 23) after the discovery of a hole.

The Scottish airport was closed to incoming flights for three hours, with planes diverted to Glasgow and Prestwick, after the discovery was made at 3pm.

CC report: BAA monopoly harmful to passengers

The long-awaited Competition Commission (CC) report has sharply criticised BAA for its monopoly of airports in Scotland and the south-east of England.

Though careful to avoid directly calling for the dissolution of the Spanish-owned regulator, the CC asserted that BAA's ownership of key airports is a direct hindrance to competition.

Department for Transport secretary Ruth Kelly responded by immediately announcing a review of the economic regulation of the UK's airport system.

BAA prepares for long-awaited CC report

Airport regulator BAA is bracing itself for the preliminary findings of a long-awaited report from the Competition Commission (CC).

The Commission will publish a document tomorrow (April 22) outlining the body's "emerging thinking" with regards to an investigation into Spanish-owned BAA's monopoly on British airports.

The document will not give specific details and a provisional report is expected in late summer, while a final report is likely to be revealed by the end of the year.

Birmingham reveals record-breaking numbers

New figures show that Birmingham Airport handled a record-breaking number of passengers last month.

A total of 730,307 people passed through the airport's gates in March, including 595,306 scheduled travellers and 135,001 charter passengers.

That figure amounts to an 8.4 per cent increase when compared with the same month in 2007 and comes on the heels of an equally successful February, when a record breaking 635,000 people used the airport.

Improvement in Birmingham flight departures

Birmingham International Airport had the highest percentage of on time scheduled flights in the last quarter of 2007 (October to December), than any other major UK airport.

Figures from the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) showed that 80 per cent of scheduled flights operating out of Birmingham left on time, which compares to the national average of 69 per cent, and three percentage points better than the airport's performance during the same period in 2006.

Isle of Man runway project gets go ahead

Plans to resurface and extend the runway at Ronaldsway Airport, in the Isle of Man, have been backed by the island's Tynwald government.

Part of the £44 million project will involve building a promontory into the sea to enable the runway to take aircraft which could fly greater distances, as well as bring it in to line with international best practice standards for safety.

Delays at Heathrow are 'thanks to' runway congestion, says BA

New figures from the Civil Aviation Authority have revealed that the average delay on a flight arriving into Heathrow has increased.

The data shows that the delay is now on average 20 minutes, an increase of 25 per cent since 2003.

Future Heathrow, which has members including British Airways, said that the average delays at Amsterdam and Paris Charles de Gaulle were less than 15 minutes, despite the airports having more flights than Heathrow.

West Sussex airport reopens after new sale

Flights from Shoreham Airport in West Sussex were able to commence as scheduled yesterday (April 15) after the airport was reopened.

Flights were grounded on Monday after the Erinaceous Group - which had owned the airport - went into administration, meaning the airport was not allowed to operate because of legal and insurance reasons.

However, Albemarle Shoreham Airport Limited, owners of the commercial buildings at Shoreham, bought the group's interest on Tuesday.

New traffic marshalling at Gatwick

A new traffic marshalling service will be starting at Gatwick Airport from April 21.

The service, which will be provided by Vinci Park, will help improve traffic flows and security around the airport, and will focus on perimeter roads and forecourts.

The new traffic marshals will provide assistance to the existing traffic wardens who enforce parking rules at Gatwick, helping to improve accessibility at terminals.

Fraser Brown, head of commercial transport at BAA Gatwick, said: "The safety and security of our passengers remains our number one priority.

Passenger numbers rise at Gatwick

The number of passengers travelling through Gatwick increased last month on the same period in 2007, according to new figures released by BAA.

The airport operator has revealed that passenger traffic reached 2.8 million in March, a rise of 8.1 per cent in the same month the previous year.

While traffic to and from Ireland saw the biggest rise of 44.8 per cent, the domestic market decreased by 3.4 per cent. The North Atlantic market also saw a decline of 0.3 per cent.

New coach service for Stansted Airport

Passengers travelling to Stansted Airport will be served with a new direct coach service, beginning on May 3.

Flyers will be able to use airdirect's new service, which runs coaches every two hours 24 hours a day, between Ipswich and the airport, as a result of a new partnership between BAA Stansted and Excel Coaches.

The coaches have Wi-Fi access, reclining leather seats and extra legroom. Airdirect also offers a service to alert passengers by text message when the coach is leaving the airport.

Glasgow Airport celebrates latest phase

Glasgow Airport has celebrated a significant new phase in the construction of its new £30 million terminal with a 'topping out' ceremony.

Balfour Beatty, the terminal's main contractors, joined representatives from BAA Glasgow and Renfrewshire Council to commemorate the completion of the physical structure of the project, a 400 square metre extension dubbed 'skyhub'.

A small branch was tied to the highest point of the building, while airport managing director Gordon Dewar used a silver trowel to smooth the last section of concrete, in commemoration of the event.

Snow grounds flights at Gatwick and Heathrow

Snowfall caused further chaos at Heathrow's Terminal 5 yesterday (April 6) when the airport authorities were forced to cancel more than 60 flights.

In all, British Airways was forced to cancel 126 flights from Heathrow, 12 of which were due to continuing problems with Terminal 5's baggage handling system.

Both runways at the airport were closed for 20 minutes while the tarmac was de-iced.

Manchester airport begins easyJet services

easyJet has begun services from Manchester, the low-cost carrier announced today (March 31).

The airline said that it would be operating six routes from the airport, including flights to Heraklion, Malaga, Malta, Paphos, and Tenerife - and in celebration of the launch it would be touring the city in an orange bus offering easyJet prices.

An estimated half a million passengers are expected to travel with easyJet from Manchester over the next 12 months, the airline added.

Cancellations continue at Terminal 5

Passengers travelling through Terminal 5 could face another week of flight cancellations.

British Airways has cancelled 54 of the 394 in and outbound services that were planned for operation today (March 31), as well as 52 of the 392 services scheduled for tomorrow.

A total of 208 flights in and out of Heathrow Airport were cancelled during the first three days of Terminal 5's opening on Thursday (March 27).

Passengers prepare for a second day of disruption at Terminal 5

Terminal 5 is bracing itself for yet another day of chaos at the newly opened £4.3 billion facility, after 34 flights were cancelled yesterday (March 27).

British Airways, the sole occupier of the new terminal, blamed the problems on a lack of staff to properly process luggage using the building's new baggage system.

This was the result of delays in the staff car park and at security and log in, which meant that the baggage handlers had difficulty reporting for duty, leading to the operational problems throughout the day associated with processing customers' baggage, said the airline.

Cabin baggage restrictions to be lifted at Gatwick

Gatwick Airport has announced that from March 31 passengers will be able to take more than one piece of hand luggage through security.

Airport operator BAA said Gatwick will now join its other airports, where restrictions were lifted in January, because new x-ray and archway technology has been installed in central search areas.

Terminal 5 flights cancelled amid baggage chaos

Terminal 5's first morning open to the public faced lengthy baggage delays and flight cancellations.

Passenge