Glasgow Prestwick Airport wins top cargo award

By: Neil Richardson

AYRSHIRE’S Glasgow Prestwick Airport has won a top industry award for its cargo capability at a glittering ceremony in London.

The airport triumphed at the 25th annual Air Cargo News awards which took place in the Royal Lancaster Hotel.

More than 500 of the industry’s top executives from all over the world were in attendance to see Glasgow Prestwick named Best Cargo Airport (up to 100,000 tonnes per year).


[Pictured: Allan McQuarrie (left) and Nico Le Roux, who make up the airport’s Freight Development Team, with the trophy.]

Nico Le Roux and Allan Macquarie, who are in charge of Freight Development for Infratil Airports Europe, received the award on behalf of the airport.

The award winners have to meet a number of criteria related to volume growth and marketing activity, before the views of industry experts are taken into account when deciding the final results.

Nico Le Roux, Group Manager Freight Development, said: “It is a fantastic achievement for us to win this as it is right up there with the industry’s top awards, and shows just how highly Glasgow Prestwick is regarded by the people who matter.

“The last year has seen an improvement in volume after the market suffered a difficult couple of years.

“Cargo operators are attracted by the airport’s perfect geographical location, fast turnaround times and our team’s ability to easily handle large and unusual items.”

The recognition comes only days after Glasgow Prestwick announced a strong cargo performance for the year ending March 2008.

A strong emphasis upon freight development has paid off for Glasgow Prestwick, which currently handles around 20 Boeing 747 freighters during an average week.

The March total of 3,260 tonnes marks a 5% improvement on March 2007 and a 34% increase on February’s total.

Freight has also increased year on year with the 31,735 tonnes handled between April 2007 and March 2008 representing a 4% increase on the previous 12 months.

www.glasgowprestwick.com

www.aircargonews.net

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Glasgow Prestwick Airport chief executive
reports record festive season traffic


GLASGOW PRESTWICK AIRPORT chief executive Mark Rodwell (pictured above) reports that the Ayrshire airport will be seeing record passenger numbers over the festive period.

Between Friday 21 December and Wednesday 2 January, around 80,000 passengers will pass through the airport – 40,000 inbound and 40,000 outbound.

The total of 80,000 compares very favourably with the same 10-day period last year, when the airport handled approximately 64,000 passengers – an increase of 25%.

New routes introduced since then include Belfast, Budapest, Kaunas, Katowice and Cork. Poznan will start operating in January.

Most popular routes –

London Stansted – 13,500 in total with 7,000 inbound and 6,500 outbound;

Dublin – 7,500 in total with 4,000 inbound and 3,500 outbound;

Paris – 7,000 in total with 3,500 inbound and 3,500 outbound.

ALL flights are operating at an average of just over 80% capacity.

20,000 passengers (with a 50/50 inbound outbound split) will travel on Irish services to Dublin, Belfast, Shannon, Derry, Donegal and Cork.

THE report of these record passenger figures comes in the same week as Infratil, the company which owns Glasgow Prestwick Airport, has scooped two top business accolades at a prestigious award ceremony in its home country of New Zealand.

Infratil received the Deloitte/Management magazine Company of the Year award for 2007, while their chief executive Lloyd Morrison was named Executive of the Year despite strong competition from fellow captains of industry.

The company is well-known for creating shareholder wealth, with average returns of more than 20% per annum since its first investment in 1994.

Judges described Infratil as “one of the world’s most enlightened, best managed, focused and risk-wise investors in growth infrastructure. It is thoughtfully led, articulates its strategy and corporate objectives, and has performed consistently over time.”

They also recognised the organisation’s growing influence beyond its native shores: “Infratil has stepped beyond New Zealand with investments in Australia and Europe. It understands the importance and relevance of the world’s changing environment.”

Infratil Airports chief executive Steve Fitzgerald commented: “We are very confident that our European airport investment strategy will deliver strong returns in the longer term by exhibiting the characteristics the judges have recognised. 

“There are many opportunities to develop the excellent airports we currently own, and we remain on the lookout for new opportunities.”

The awards - in their 18th year and generally regarded as the most prestigious business awards in New Zealand - were a personal triumph for Lloyd Morrison, who is also chairman of Infratil Airports Europe in addition to his role as chief executive of Infratil.

The judges commented: “Lloyd Morrison is an astute and strategically brilliant chief executive. He questions, probes and challenges conventional wisdom.”

They added: “Morrison is an outstanding executive in tune with the market, economic issues and environmental realities. He is also in sync with the needs and aspirations of his employees.”

Morrison founded Infratil and remains the driving force behind the company, which is managed by Morrison & Co – his own firm which specialises in managing and investing in infrastructure assets.

In addition to Glasgow Prestwick, Infratil owns Kent International Airport, Lübeck Airport in Germany, two-thirds of Wellington Airport and a number of energy (mainly renewable) operations and public transport services.

www.glasgowprestwick.com

www.infratil.com

Prestwick Airport chief Mark Rodwell welcomes
Glasgow’s Commonwealth Games win

AYRSHIRE'S Glasgow Prestwick Airport, one of two airports serving the Greater Glasgow area, has welcomed the decision by the Commonwealth Games Federation to award the 2014 event to Glasgow.


Glasgow Prestwick Airport chief executive Mark Rodwell commented: “This is fantastic news for Glasgow and Scotland as it will result in a major feel-good factor as well as massive benefits in sport, tourism, regeneration, inward investment and prestige.

“We would like to congratulate all those who were involved in the bid for demonstrating that Glasgow has both the ability and the passion necessary to host large sporting and cultural events.

“Both the airports serving Glasgow - Glasgow Prestwick and Glasgow Abbotsinch - will have a major role to play, and we look forward to holding discussions with the organisers and the Scottish Government to ensure that the transportation into Scotland for this event is world class.

“This is also an opportunity to build on some of the excellent work that has been done in the past, like when Glasgow expertly welcomed thousands of football fans for the Champions League Final in 2002 and the UEFA Cup Final in 2007, when both airports played a major part.”

Glasow Prestwick Airport is privately owned by Infratil, a New Zealand investment company which also owns Wellington International Airport and Kent International Airport at Manston Ramsgate.

www.glasgowprestwick.com

www.infratil.com

“Elvis is in the Building” - as
"The King" returns to Prestwick Airport


The King of Rock n’ Roll, Elvis Presley, returned to Prestwick Airport in Ayrshire, Scotland last week – 47 years after the first and only time he set foot in the UK.


Stewart Stevenson MSP, Minister for Transport, Infrastructure & Climate Change, also visited and spoke to assembled guests and media as the airport celebrates two years of work on new retail units and infrastructure improvements.


[Picture shows Elvis being met on arrival by Prestwick Airport chief executive Mark Rodwell - or is it David Brent from "The Office?]

The Minister unveiled a plaque in the terminal building which celebrates Elvis’s last visit on 3 March 1960, when he had finished national service with the US Army and his aircraft made a brief refuelling stop as he flew home from Germany.


[Picture shows Elvis and Prestwick Airport chief executive Mark Rodwell at the plaque commemorating Elvis's visit to Prestwick Airport in 1960.]

Today’s Elvis, played by Gordon Hendricks, arrived on board a private jet and was welcomed by fans, airport staff, members of the media and Kilmarnock man Ian Ghee, who met the real Elvis and took photographs of him when he arrived in 1960.


[Picture shows Elvis meeting Kilmarnock man Ian Ghee.]

Ian, now 73, was working with the 67th US Air Rescue Squadron in the grounds of the airport on that now famous evening. He said: “I remember my boss telling me we had a VIP arriving, and at first he wouldn’t tell me who it was.

“My brother was a massive Elvis fan and I managed to get him in by giving him the spare camera and saying he was my assistant. Some of us followed him around as he was given a tour with the base commander for about three quarters of an hour.

“We managed to get some shots of him on the steps of the plane and while there were plenty of press people there, I was the only photographer.”

Infratil Airports Europe, the owner of Glasgow Prestwick, has introduced a number of exciting new retail brands including Starbucks, Yates’s bar and restaurant, and the quintessential Scottish retailer Peckham’s.

A new, contemporary Elvis tribute bar situated in the departure lounge has been designed exclusively for the airport and is part of a major upgrade by Select Service Partners of its food and beverage outlets.

The departures lounge also boasts a new Tax and Duty Free store operated by internationally renowned retailer Nuance, which offers all the top brands at great prices.

Glasgow Prestwick Airport chief executive Mark Rodwell said: “We’re delighted that Elvis and the Minister took time out of their schedules to be here today to help us mark all the changes that have taken place over the last two years or so.

“After the terminal building was refurbished and rebranded in 2005, our next task was to improve the retails units here at Glasgow Prestwick.

“Infratil wants to offer our customers the best choice possible by bringing in recognizable, good quality local and international brands in order to cater for different tastes.

“There has also been a big focus on improving our car parking facilities, while many other new developments of a subtle nature have taken place, designed to improve the passenger experience.

“We are very proud of the fact that we have managed to implement new security requirements while improving, rather than reducing, passenger service standards.

“Aside from the terminal changes, the last two years or so have also seen a number of new passenger routes introduced. These include Marseille, Warsaw, Gdansk, Riga, Grenoble and Derry. Coming soon we have Belfast, Budapest, Kaunas, Cork and Poznan.”

The Minister, Stewart Stevenson, added: “I am delighted to be at Glasgow Prestwick Airport today to mark the opening of the redeveloped terminal. This project further strengthens the airport’s position as a gateway for Scotland.

“The added space and facilities will be of real benefit to the growing number of passengers who use this airport. I wish the airport all the very best for the coming years and the Scottish Government looks forward to working with the airport in future.”

Gordon Hendricks recently appeared on the BBC’s ‘The World’s Greatest Elvis’ and a special celebrity version of ‘The Weakest Link’. He rose to prominence as the winner of ITV’s ‘Stars in their Eyes’ in 2005.