Following a highly successful Routes Europe 2015 in Aberdeen, Scotland, attended by around 1,200 delegates from the aviation and tourism industries, Aberdeen City and Aberdeenshire councils will later today officially hand over to Kraków Airport and its partners, the Małopolska Kraków Region and the City of Kraków for the 2016 event.
The oil and gas industries are synonymous with this part of the UK and important stakeholders in the industry highlighted this at a special Routes Europe Energy Brunch at the headquarters of the Wood Group in central Aberdeen on April 12, 2015.
UK low-fare regional carrier Flybe has recently re-opened its operational base at Aberdeen International Airport, host of this year’s Routes Europe. The airline is offering a strong summer 2015 schedule for the Granite City with up to 75 flights a week on five routes, one of which is also celebrating its 10th anniversary.
The networking event will allow open discussion surrounding the current challenges faced within the energy sector, and provide a broader understanding of Aberdeen’s role in its future. With key speakers at the heart of the Oil & Gas industry leading the discussions, delegates can garner what strategies are in place currently to ensure the harnessing of the industry to the region for the future.
A report commissioned by Edinburgh Airport has outlined the employment and economic benefits of the 50 percent reduction in Air Passenger Duty (APD) in Scotland.
This ‘start up aid’ will be made available from the Regional Air Connectivity Fund which was announced by the UK government in June 2013 and is open to airports with fewer than five million passengers per year. This fund has already been partly distributed to support strategic routes to London from Newquay and Dundee but is now being extended to bids for more routes.
The new route, which will launch on a twice weekly basis from June 19, 2015, is the latest in a series of moves by the budget airline to reinforce its position as the largest operator in Gdansk and will be the only direct flight between Aberdeen and Poland.
The Smith Commission examined the report put forward by bosses at Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh airports arguing abolition of the charge, and has recommended it will now gain control over the APD tax in Scotland.
UK low-fare regional carrier Flybe is to reopen its base at Aberdeen, begin base operations from Bournemouth and launch a new limited programme of domestic flights from London Stansted in summer 2015 as it continues to work to enhance connectivity within and from the UK.
Here is the first of our regular series of industry trivia questions where we ask readers to vote on a particular subject during the month before revealing the actual results at the end of the month.
Scotland’s largest airports made a joint submission yesterday (28th October 2014) to the Smith Commission calling for Air Passenger Duty (APD) to be devolved to the Scottish Parliament.
Virgin Atlantic will end the Little Red flights, operated on its behalf by Aer Lingus, during summer 2015. The London Heathrow – Manchester route will close at the end of March 2015 and the links from the UK capital to Aberdeen and Edinburgh at the end of September 2015.
The carrier will launch a twice daily operation between London City and Aberdeen from October 27, 2014 using a 78-seat Bombardier Dash 8-Q400 following British Airways’ recent announcement that it would be withdrawing from the route at the end of the summer season.
The independent Swiss regional carrier says the move to the "customer friendly” Southend Airport from October 26, 2014 at the start of the winter season will enable it to modify its schedule and provide better flight times for corporate travellers.
The move to introduce these routes is part of the UK’s largest tour operator’s strategy to ensure customers across the UK can fly from their local airport. There are also frequency increases enabling customers more choice and the ability to book a mix of seven, ten, eleven or 14 night holidays rather than the existing week and fortnight options.
At lunchtime today the forum will be officially handed over to Aberdeen City and Shire, the host of the 2015 event, at a ceremony that is due to be attended by Lord Provost of Aberdeen George Adam, Aberdeenshire Provost Jill Webster and Aberdeen International Airport managing director Carol Benzie.
More than 3.48 million people passed through Aberdeen International Airport in 2013, beating the previous record high of 3.43 million in 2007, before the economic downturn. But, the airport has no plans to rest on its laurels but use this as a platform for further development.
