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Airports Market Report 2010
Key Note Publications Ltd, May 2010, Pages: 154
This Market Report examines the UK airports market. The global economic downturn and its impact on air travel had a significant effect on the UK airports market in 2009, with terminal passenger numbers falling by 7.3% — the largest annual decline in 65 years. It was also the first time that terminal passenger numbers had fallen consecutively for 2 years, and the number of passengers was reduced to levels not seen since 2004.
In contrast to the falls recorded in the number of terminal passengers, the total revenue generated by the airports is estimated to have risen by 5.3% to £3.58bn in 2009, with the turnover increase for BAA Ltd — which accounts for around 70% of total turnover in an average year — being the major factor in the advance. The two main sources of income for airports are aviation revenue and commercial revenue and, in 2009, aviation revenue was by far the fastest growing of the two.
In March 2009, the Competition Commission confirmed the break-up of the airport operator BAA, and ordered the sale of Gatwick and Stansted airports, along with one of its Scottish airports (Glasgow or Edinburgh). In December 2009, BAA sold Gatwick Airport to Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), but successfully appealed to the Competition Appeal Tribunal regarding the sale of its other airports.
In response to the attempted attack on a Northwest Airlines flight to Detroit on Christmas Day 2009, the Government conducted an immediate review of aviation security measures. On 5th January 2010, the Secretary of State for Transport announced the findings, and outlined a package of additional measures to enhance aviation security. This included an increase in the use of explosive trace detection, plans for greater random searching of passengers and the introduction of Advanced Imaging Technology (AIT). AIT machines were first deployed at Heathrow and Manchester airports on 1st February 2010, and a nationwide rollout is now planned.
In April 2010, a cloud of ash was emitted during the eruption of the Eyjafjallajoekull volcano in Iceland, which grounded flights across Europe and provided a stark indication of the vulnerability of the air transportation industry to highly adverse weather conditions. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) estimates that the crisis cost airlines at least $200m a day in lost revenues, and the European economy in general has lost billions of dollars of business.
2010 is expected to be another challenging year for the airports market. The Eyjafjallajoekull volcano emissions have already had a serious impact on air travel in Europe in 2010, and the dangers of further emissions — thus the possibility of further flight bans — cannot be discounted. Notwithstanding this, terminal passenger numbers in 2009 were back to 2004 levels and, as the UK economy is still relatively weak, it could be a number of years before they reach their peak level again.
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