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 | MESSAGE FROM THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE The first quarter of 2008 has been a busy one at Bristol International Airport. Lufthansa launched a new three-times daily service to Frankfurt, directly linking our region’s businesses to Germany’s financial capital and over 400 onward connections worldwide. Other new routes include Oslo, Beziers, Biarritz, Sardinia and Split.
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Work has continued on the addition to our security search area, and a range of improvements to the choice and quality of our catering offer will be launched next month (see below). We are also working hard on the background studies needed to inform and support the planning application we intend to submit to North Somerset Council later this year. The application will detail the developments we believe are necessary for Bristol International to continue to meet demand for air travel to and from the South West in the years to come and we will, of course, be consulting you for your views on our plans in due course.
You may also be aware of the walkway we have proposed to reduce the use of coaches to transport passengers between aircraft and the terminal building. This will bring a number of operational benefits to the airport and our airline partners and, we believe, passengers. Indeed, more than 80 per cent of the passengers we polled told us it would improve the airport experience. As I write, we are awaiting guidance from North Somerset Council before beginning construction, but we are hopeful that we can begin work on the walkway soon.
Finally, a reminder that requests for support from our community fund can be submitted via a simple form on our web site. We are keen to support projects in our local community, so please do let us know if you think we can help.
Paul Kehoe,
Chief Executive
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| A TIMELY MESSAGE FROM MIKE
After hearing the stories of lost baggage at Heathrow’s Terminal 5, passengers could be forgiven for being cynical about the chances of seeing any items lost at an airport again. However, as Community Liaison Manager, Mike Littleton, explains, Bristol International does take time to track down the owners of valuable items mislaid at the airport…
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Many people know that I have a passion for all matters horological, and am fortunate enough to posses a modest collection of vintage timepieces. So, when a watch case went unclaimed in lost property for some months, I decided to investigate. The case contained a number of spare parts for a Breitling watch, and a receipt for several hundred Euros from a prominent Spanish jeweller. Further research revealed the parts to be for a Breitling Chronomat, an iconic watch with a starting price of £3,000! Following an exchange of e-mails with the jewellers, the case was despatched back to Spain and reunited with its grateful owner.
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| NEW TECHNOLOGY FOR EXTENDED SECURITY AREA
Work continues apace to extend the security search area to accommodate an initial two new x-ray machines – both of which will use the fastest available new technology . The work is part of a £7.5m project to improve facilities at Bristol International, and will help to speed the journey of passengers through the airport. Completion is expected by the end of June.
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| EVERY SECOND COUNTS FOR ‘QUEUE BUSTERS’
Meanwhile, staff from across the airport – including the Chief Executive - have been lending a hand as ‘queue busters’ to ensure that customer service levels are maintained in the interim. Simply by asking passengers to prepare before reaching the search point (for example, by taking laptops out of bags and removing coats and jackets), vital seconds can be saved – which, when multiplied across thousands of passengers at peak times, can drastically reduce queues.
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| CATERING FOR ALL TASTES
The choice of refreshments at Bristol International will be much wider from May, as a range of new catering outlets are set to open. Caviar House will add a little glamour to the flying experience, with its combination of seafood and champagne, while Dexters will provide a much-requested table-service option for those wanting |
something more substantial than a coffee or a snack.
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| CRACKING CHARITY PARTNERSHIP TAKES OFF
Bristol International staff have chosen to support the Grand Appeal, which raises funds for Bristol Children’s Hospital, as their charity of the year for 2008. Fundraising activities will be given a helping hand by regular appearances from plasticine legends, Wallace & Gromit, who spearhead the appeal.
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| PAUL STEPS OUT FOR DIABETES CHARITY
Airport Chief Executive, Paul Kehoe, has been chosen by the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) as Chairman of its Ninth Annual Bristol Walk to Cure Diabetes. The five mile walk will take place on Sunday 7th September at Oldbury Court Estate, and will raise money to fund vital research into type one diabetes. Companies and individuals wanting more information about the Walk should contact JDRF on 0117 945 2491.
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| AIRPORT HELPS WESTON SCHOOL STAND OUT FROM THE CROWD
Airport workers know all about the safety benefits of high visibility clothing, so Bristol International was more than happy to help Mead Vale Primary School provide luminous jackets to children for use on school trips and other off-site activities. The jackets have already been used several times, including on a trip to the House of Parliament!
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| KEEPING TRACK OF ‘TRACKER’
The installation of equipment which will enable the tracks flown by aircraft to be monitored and reviewed has moved a step closer with the granting of planning permission from North Somerset Council for the installation of a new noise monitor on Littleton Hill. The new monitor will run off renewable energy sources, and will record the noise of departing aircraft from runway 09. ‘Tracker’ is expected to go live this summer.
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| AIRPORT TARGETS INBOUND TOUR OPERATORS
Bristol International has teamed up with local tourist organisations Bath Tourism Plus and Destination Bristol to join UKInbound, an organisation representing tour operators and attractions focused on bringing overseas visitors to Britain. The joint membership will provide a platform for the airport to promote the benefits of flying direct to the South West.
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| BRISTOL INTERNATIONAL HOSTS ENGINEERS OF THE FUTURE
Ten budding aircraft engineers from the University of Bath visited Bristol International recently in order to see first hand how aircraft design can influence the way a busy regional airport operates. The Aerospace Engineering students discussed subjects including air traffic
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control, baggage handling and aircraft turnaround with the airport experts, and were then given an airside tour to see how aircraft design influences day-to-day operation such as stand configuration.
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| INTRODUCING…RICHARD STOKES
In this new feature, we introduce you to one of the thousands of people across the airport site who come together to ensure Bristol International runs smoothly. Richard Stokes works in Airside Operations as part of a team overseeing important safety and regulatory requirements across the airfield, and his family have been involved with the airport for over 50
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years…
“My family have been associated with the airport since the mid 1950s. My father Keith worked at Whitchurch before transferring to the current airport site in 1957. My uncle Vernon then joined the airport before retiring in 1984, and still lives locally in Wrington. My father retired in the early 1990s and sadly passed away in 2000.
“I was brought up in the village of Felton, and my earliest memories of the airport were the Aer Lingus Carvair car transporters, and Air France Breguet aircraft which flew Concorde parts between Toulouse and Bristol in the late 1960s. I also remember Court Line with their pastel coloured aircraft, followed by the Dan Air Comets.
“I started work at the airport in 1985 in the Apron Services Section, transferring to Airside Operations in 2000.”
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