Archive for the ‘East Midlands airport’ CategoryFlairJet has announced it is to open two new bases at East Midlands and Dublin Airports where it will position two Embraer Phenom 100 aircraft. The new East Midlands location will enable FlairJet to operate its Phenom 24/7, opening up great potential for freight and aero medical charters. Newly acquired Phenom 100 G-NUDD will be positioned there from the first week of September, complementing FlairJet’s Phenom 100 operations from its home base at Oxford. A second Phenom 100 will be positioned at Dublin, which has consistently been a popular destination for FlairJet clients travelling on business and for leisure breaks from the UK and mainland Europe. The business aviation operator continues to work closely with Embraer assisting with new aircraft deliveries. In August it delivered a privately owned Phenom 300 to Zurich and a 100 to Odessa in Russia. Meanwhile, the company is progressing with its plans to establish a centre of training excellence to carry out base and line training for Phenom pilots. Its third party training department is currently staffed by three Phenom 100 and two 300 examiners. Backed by three London based QCs, FlairJet pioneered Embraer Phenom 100 and 300 operations in Europe, obtaining its UK AOC and commencing revenue charter flights in December 2009 with an two initial Embraer Phenom 100s. The Air Travel Advisory Bureau (ATAB) is teaming up with law firm Barker Gillette to launch a coordinated legal claim against UK airlines that have not refunded Air Passenger Duty (APD) to passengers who have booked flights and not flown. Since the tax was introduced in 1994, ATAB estimates that consumers have lost out on millions of pounds in un-refunded APD. In fact, Which? Estimated that in 2003 alone Ryanair retained more than £5 million in un-refunded taxes. ATAB Chairman, Tony White said, “It is a scandal that some airlines hang on to this money. It never belonged to them. It’s a tax collected on the behalf of the Government. With a couple of exceptions, most of the UK airlines make it as difficult as possible to get your money back. If you don’t actually fly, for whatever reason, you are entitled to get the APD refunded. The airlines already have your credit card details, they should refund your card immediately. They make it difficult or expensive in the hope that you’ll go away – and most people do just that”. “It is truly shocking, we’ve found some airlines that will charge an “administration fee” greater than the value of the refund. This is a complete rip-off and it’s our intention to put an end to it. If you have booked an airline ticket out of the UK anytime since 1994, and not flown, then we want to hear from you” said White. For more information in reclaiming APD on unused flights visit www.atab.org.uk/action-now/reclaim-your-taxes/ A campaign to persuade the Chancellor to drop planned hikes in the tax levied on all flights leaving the UK was launched last Monday at airports across the country as a new poll is released showing 3 out of 4 people think that Air Passenger Duty (APD) should not go up in the next Budget. Of those saying APD should not go up 49 per cent said APD should be reduced. Only 6 per cent said APD should be increased. The Chancellor announced in this year’s Budget that APD will rise by double inflation in 2012. The ‘Hands off our Holiday’ campaign, backed by the Airport Operators Association (AOA), Board of Airline Representatives in the UK (BAR-UK), and the British Air Transport Association (BATA) is urging people to email their MP via the website www.handsoffourholiday.com and to tweet their support for the hikes to be abandoned using the hashtag #handsoffourhols. The poll, carried out by Opinium Research for the Hands off our Holiday campaign also shows that nearly 4 out of 5 people were unaware of the plans to further increase the tax by double inflation. Commenting on the campaign, Darren Caplan, Chief Executive of the AOA, said: “Our message to the Chancellor is that enough is enough. Air Passenger Duty has already gone up by 325% on long haul flights and 140% on short haul flights in the last five years. Family finances are under great pressure at the moment and most people save hard all year for their holiday. Working families deserve a break.” Mike Carrivick, Chief Executive of BAR-UK, added: “The UK already has the highest rate of flight tax in the world. Why should families be discriminated against for wanting to fly off on a hard-earned break once a year?” Simon Buck, Chief Executive of BATA said: “The government already takes nearly £3bn in tax from passengers. This is more than the tax on the banking industry. Most people simply aren’t aware how much flight tax they pay. The government should come clean about this stealth tax and drop the hikes planned for next year.”
A planned strike by UK Border Agency staff is likely to affect passengers arriving at some of the UK airports. The 24-hour strike is scheduled to start this evening, Wednesday 29 June 2011 – start times vary at different airports due to shift patterns. The Border Agency has issued the following advice to passengers arriving in the UK: Around 70% of Border Agency staff are members of the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS).
From changing a light bulb on the runway to fixing solar panels onto a HIV clinic in rural Uganda, this could become reality for staff at Manchester Airport. Employee’s skills are being sought to help transform lives of children with life-threatening illnesses and disabilities as the airport’s parent company MAG has today announced its three-year support of Medcare, a UK charity that runs the Wellspring Children’s Medical Centre in rural Uganda. Staff with practical skills from electricians to architects will have the chance to provide on-the ground support in Uganda at Wellspring and apply their skills in building a HIV/AIDS unit and a centre for disabled children. MAG has never adopted a Group-wide charity before and a key reason it selected Medcare is because their support will transform the charity’s ability to help so many children. Charlie Cornish, MAG’s Chief Executive, said: “We do tremendous work in our local communities and support brilliant local charities. But we’ve never had something that colleagues and business partners can get behind together, by applying a combination of fundraising and first-World skills in the third World which can really change lives. I am confident that our work will make an unfathomable difference to people who need help. Medcare is a relatively new, successful charity but is keen to raise its game and increase its impact. The parallel with MAG’s evolution makes Medcare the perfect partner for us.” Russell Craig, MAG’s Head of External Communcations, is leading the project and the first major development that funds are needed for is to expand the Wellspring Children’s Medical Centre in Kamutuuza, Uganda. The first part opened in 2008 and provides general health care, vaccinations, and acute malaria care to some of the most vulnerable children in Africa, together with sponsorship of children with HIV/AIDS and those with disabilities. Since then it has successfully treated over 20,000 children. Pauline Hutchinson, Medcare Founder, said: “I am so delighted that MAG has agreed to help and support Medcare. I know that just a small contribution can go a long way and change lives. I am confident that having MAG involved for three years will mean a huge difference to the lives of the children we look after at Wellspring.”
Jet2.com has launched a scathing attack on the coalition’s recently proposed reform of Air Passenger Duty (APD) which could see the tax rise significantly in 2012. Following on from BAA’s calls for Scotland to devolve responsibility for its own aviation tax in order to promote regional business travel and tourism, Jet2.com has highlighted how hard regional airports and their passengers, particularly those in the north, will be hit, should these rises come to fruition. Ian Doubtfire, managing director of Jet2.com said, “The Government here already raises £2 billion a year from passengers and this is projected to rise to a staggering £3.6 billion in the future. Currently the UK is the only country in Europe to have such punitive taxes for air travel, with other countries either reducing or abolishing aviation taxes. We offer customers the opportunity to have a great flight experience at low fares from their local airport but the government seems hell bent on hitting people’s holidays in what is already a very tough time economically. We find it impossible to reconcile the coalition’s vision for an economic environment, in which the private sector can thrive, with its current proposals to increase APD again from 2012.” Jet2.com supports the case that Northern Ireland and Scotland, in particular, will be hit severely by these huge increases, with an estimated loss in passenger spend alone of over £130 million in Scotland. The airline is firmly of the opinion that the Scottish Government is best placed to determine the balance between APD and the economic benefits of aviation growth and therefore fully supports the devolution of the matter to the Scottish Government. Also devolving the APD issue in Northern Ireland would facilitate a level playing field between the airports of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Ian Doubtfire, concluded, “When the Government came into power, it announced that it wanted to develop regional airports. We support regional airports in calling for lower rates of APD to enable them to develop new business and make tourism more attractive – both outbound and inbound. We would strongly recommend that the Government takes a more considered and practical approach to this stated vision, given the current economic environment; one which doesn’t discourage development. In our industry flights can be made available for customers to book, as far in advance as eighteen months. This allows travellers to get the best prices and plan their trips accordingly. The current decision to inflict such outrageous taxes so imminently shows little understanding of how the airline industry operates and its planning pressures. In the very least, we believe any changes shouldn’t happen until November 2012. “In addition the Emissions Trading Scheme will kick in from 1 January 2012, therefore it is logical that APD, which is billed as ‘a green tax’, should be reduced on current rates and should definitely not be increased in the next budget.”
As the Treasury’s consultation on the reform of Air Passenger Duty (APD) enters its final week – ends on 17 June – ABTA is calling on the government to rethink the levels and structure of the tax which is the highest in the world. APD is based on distance travelled and at present a family of four flying to Europe will pay £48 in APD, to the USA the tax increases to £240, to Australia the tax increases to £340 – all based on the economy rate – however, the cost of the tax is set to rise again next April by twice the cost of inflation. Only five European countries impose some form of aviation tax with the UK’s level higher than anywhere else in the world. Denmark, Norway, Malta and Holland have all scrapped similar taxes as the revenue raised was outweighed by the damage caused to their economies. Ireland has pledged to follow suit shortly. ABTA is part of the Fair Tax on Flying www.facebook.com/afairtaxonflying alliance that has united the travel industry to raise awareness of the high levels and illogical structure of APD, which is damaging UK travel and tourism and adding an additional tax burden to holidaymakers and business travellers at a time when fuel prices are reaching record levels. Mark Tanzer, ABTA Chief Executive, said: “It is vital that the Government understands the damaging impact that APD is having on the tourism industry in the UK. We already pay the highest levels of aviation tax in the world, and if the Government goes ahead with its double-inflationary increase and levies an ETS tax on top of this in 2012, we will see another eye-watering increase in the tax burden on the industry and on holidaymakers and business travellers flying in and out of the UK. The industry is willing to pay its way, but this clearly puts us at a competitive disadvantage when compared with our European neighbours and punishes the travelling public unfairly.” ABTA encourages all of its Members and any others who feel strongly to make their own submissions to the treasury at http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/2011budget_airpassenger.htm Related stories: Manchester Airport launches ‘give us a break’ APD campaign UK Airport Consultative Committee: APD and European Emissions’ Trading Scheme = double taxation Double taxation on flights from 2012 A recent survey of 154 MPs has shown that more than two thirds did not know about the double taxation that airport passengers are facing in 2012. The survey, conducted by ComRes and Airport Operators Association (AOA), found that majority of the MPs were unfamiliar with the UK aviation industry’s planned entry into the EU Emissions Trading scheme (EU ETS) in 2012. This additional tax, coupled with a substantial increase in Air Passenger Duty (APD) next year, will mean that air passengers face double taxation on flights. Of those MPs who did know about the additional tax caused by the introduction of the EU ETS, 63% believe that APD should be reduced or abolished. Darren Caplan, Chief Executive of the Airport Operators Association, said: “The ComRes / AOA survey shows that the majority of MPs do not know that air passengers will face onerous double taxation on flights from 2012. It is shocking that our policy-makers are unaware that holidaymakers and business people will be paying a new cost on flying – the EU Emissions Trading Scheme – as well as even more APD, already the highest in the world. “Of those MPs who do actually know what is going on, more than 60% support the reduction or scrapping of APD to encourage economic growth by ensuring that passengers do not face a further tax rise in what are already tough economic times for everybody.” Andrew Hawkins, Chairman of ComRes added: “Fuel duty in one form or another has long proved a toxic issue politically and the impact of the ETS should not be ignored by politicians. It is notable that of MPs who are aware of it, the majority view is to ameliorate its impact by varying Air Passenger Duty. The ETS issue has all the hallmarks of a powerfully dangerous political mix.” The World Superbike Championship takes place this weekend (25 – 27 March 2011) at Donington Park and passengers travelling to East Midlands Airport should expect traffic delays. A traffic management system will be in place including: Saturday 26th March Sunday 27th March Passengers travelling to East Midlands airport should allow extra time for their journey. Low-cost airline, Ryanair, is to launch a new route from East Midlands Airport to Tallinn on 27th March, operating three times a week. The new route complements the already popular destination, which is already served by the airline out of Luton and Edinburgh. |
