This is the time for chaos in the air transport industry. Or it ought to be. The clocks have gone forward one hour (at least in many parts of the world) and the airlines have introduced what is foolishly, in the UK at least, called the summer timetable. Some airports/airlines use the opportunity to introduce new terminals or move carriers. For whatever reasons Madrid, very successfully, opened up T4 four weeks ago although it could be argued that they and Iberia were rather late for last winter”s October changeover. In fact, just like the Spaniards, the airlines and the airports coped with it all rather well. No doubt ABTN will hear of some problem that occurred during the week. Singapore Changi, one of the world”s best airports, unlocked its ”Budget” terminal with the first client Tiger Airways changing over from the main complex. Royal Jordanian is moving somewhat further. From Paris Orly to Paris Charles de Gaulle T1, not Terminal 2B where its future partner British Airways is now situated.
As Britain”s largest airline we highlight BA's 26 March changes which include the first ever service to Ankara from Heathrow. Gatwick sees the largest proliferation of new destinations including (in country order) Tirana (Albania's capital) with three flights each week; Reykjavik (the capital of Iceland) with five flights each week; Varna (on Bulgaria's Black Sea coast) with two flights each week rising to four flights each week from June 2006; Izmir (Turkey's third largest city) with three flights each week rising to four flights each week from June 2006; Kiev (capital of the Ukraine) with three flights each week; and Athens with four flights each week. In addition, services to the Latvian capital Riga move from Heathrow. Also at the airport south of London, Bermuda goes daily. The airline has suspended Singapore ” Melbourne, Heathrow ” Cologne, Gatwick to Budapest, Hanover and Munich.
BA Connect is officially launched with new routes Birmingham ” Belfast City, Birmingham ” Berlin, London City ” Milan Malpensa. London City ” Geneva and Manchester ” Oslo are dropped.
Across on the continent, rather like Heathrow, a few services grow, some are introduced and others quietly dropped. Typically Amsterdam boasts of extra flights, comparing March 2006 with March 2005, but in fact is only adding two regional and two intercontinental destinations. As for the budget airlines they are a law unto themselves when it comes to new routes and even bases. Much depends on aircraft deliveries and availability.
The prize for the first brand new service in the summer half year goes to Jet2.com whose passengers, many from the Republic, have had to get up an hour earlier in order to make the 0600 departure from Belfast for Murcia. It would have been worth it. Clear skies and 80F (26C) is forecast for that part of Spain.
It”s been a cold winter for the scheduled carriers, in more than one way. We are now officially into what IATA calls summer. Prosperous airlines are good for everyone, rather like a prosperous country. Let us hope that at least spring has arrived!