Prestwick Pax Increase Options

[FlySun]

from the scotsman:




31 May 2006
EUROPE: LOW-COST FARES LEAD TO ALL-TIME HIGH AT AYR PORT
COLIN CALDER
JAM-PACKED low-cost flights full of Scots jetting off on business and short breaks to Europe have seen passenger numbers at Prestwick International Airport in Ayrshire hit an all-time high.

A record 2.4 million passengers used Prestwick in the last financial year, up from 2.2m the year before, making it Scotland's fastest growing airport. Further growth of 10 per cent is expected in the current year as it is in talks with more budget airlines - promoting itself as Scotland's cut-price airport.

The airport, which is owned by New Zealand-based Infratil, says the booming demand comes from more Scots than ever wanting to jet off to European destinations after being tempted by low-cost airfares.

It currently boasts 23 year-round European routes - operated by Ryanair, Transavia and Wizz Air - which is more than Glasgow or Edinburgh airports. And with its low-cost ethos, the airport is an ideal choice for business travellers on a tight budget, with many employees of small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) making it their first choice for flights.

The Ayrshire site is now handling nearly five times the number of flyers it handled when it was Scotland's transatlantic gateway more than a decade ago, and recent figures show it boosts the local economy by £120 million a year.

Officials at Prestwick now predict that it will soon overtake Aberdeen to become Scotland's third-largest airport - and have pledged to increase the number of passengers using the terminal to four million by 2010.

Mark Rodwell, Prestwick's new chief executive - who moved from Australia to Ayrshire in January - says the airport is on a high growth curve: "The secret of our success has been that by maintaining a lower cost structure than our rivals, we tend to attract no-frills airlines as that is what they are looking for in order to offer their passengers low fares.

"We also provide passengers with excellent service as they pass through the airport. We have good weather here which means virtually no flight diversions, and we are less congested and highly efficient so we can offer the airlines a rapid turnaround so they get the aircraft back in the air quickly."

Rodwell says the rail link at Prestwick has been instrumental in its rapid growth, with 40 per cent of passengers using its dedicated railway station for arrivals and departures. The new M77 road link to Glasgow also means the airport is now easier than ever to get to. "More and more business travellers see the attraction of coming to Prestwick and getting a reliable service - with few delays - for an attractive price."

The passenger facilities at the airport have just undergone a radical revamp following an Infratil director infamously calling them "shambolic".

The shops and check-in area have been upgraded, with Starbucks opening a coffee shop and Peckham Fine Foods opening a new retail outlet. The security point is about to be redesigned, including the installation of a new X-ray machine to speed up passenger flow.

"The airport was certainly looking tired in a number of areas, so an upgrade was overdue," said Rodwell. "But when you've got low cost airlines operating into an airport it is all about finding the right balance between passenger expectations and what the operators are prepared to pay for - but I think we've achieved that with our programme of improvements."

Traditionally, low-cost airlines pay much lower landing charges, leaving the airports to get their money from additional expenditure made by passengers - such as retail and parking. Prestwick only makes half of its income from aviation fees, with the remainder coming from provision of services to passengers.

Prestwick's biggest customer remains Irish airline Ryanair, which has five aircraft based at the airport as well as engineering staff and flight crew. It operates to 20 destinations - London, Paris, Milan, Rome, Dublin, Brussels, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Gothenburg, Oslo, Stockholm, Barcelona, Bournemouth, Shannon, Hamburg, Murcia, Pisa, Marseille, Reus and Krakow.

The airport recently diversified, adding flights to Amsterdam from KLM-offshoot Transavia and services to Gdansk and Warsaw operated by Wizz Air, eastern Europe's largest no-frills airline.

Rodwell is keen to attract more new services to maintain Prestwick's growth record. "We're constantly talking to existing operators about expanding services and talking to new operators trying to attract them to Prestwick.

"Low-cost operators need a fast, friendly, and efficient airport with transport links serving all of Scotland - and that's exactly what we are able to offer. That should help us continue to grow and once we break the three-million passenger level we will implement plans to expand the terminal which will increase capacity up to five million."

Ryanair is a key supporter of Prestwick, which has encouraged it to rapidly expand its services since it operated its first flights to Dublin from the Ayrshire facility in 1994.

Karl Hogstadius, the airline's deputy UK sales and marketing manager, says: "During 2006 we will fly 2.3 million passengers in and out of the airport. We are delighted to work with Prestwick's management team because of their mindset and clear understanding of the low-cost airline model.

"Prestwick is also ideally situated just 30 minutes from Glasgow, it is well run, highly efficient and easily meets our demands for a tight 25-minute turnaround. For Ryanair, and its passengers, it's a win-win situation."
© The Scotsman

Source: The Scotsman

[red dug]

It is good news but i dont know how they talk of passing abz all the time they are reporting 3M pax now and under current growth pik is a long way from getting near that