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At Calder Conference we take your privacy seriously and will only use your personal information to provide the services you have requested from us. However, from time to time we would like to contact you with details of other services we provide and/or information which we believe may be of interest to you.

At Calder Conference we take your privacy seriously and will only use your personal information to provide the services you have requested from us. However, from time to time we would like to contact you with details of other services we provide and/or information which we believe may be of interest to you.

ROUND-UP OF RECENT AIRPORT AND AIRLINE HEADLINE TRAFFIC

Written by: Sue - 28th September 2018

Recent months have seen much headline traffic within the business travel and travel management sector press concerning airline and airport developments; major milestones not just in the UK but particularly in China. Greater connectivity between the UK and China continues to develop and UK exploration of growth economies is high on the agenda.

Recent Developments In The UK

Manchester Airport celebrates a new milestone in its transformation - one year in to the construction programme which reflects the biggest investment in its history. An impressive £1billion is being ploughed into work which will see Terminal 2 become 150% bigger. The terminal extension is on course to open in 2020, with the first new pier scheduled for opening in April 2019. Apron extensions and a new taxi way are also in progress.

Doncaster Sheffield Airport has been named the best in the UK by Which? magazine for the second year in a row. The survey was based on over 11,000 passenger visits to UK airports and considered everything from queues at bag drop and security to customer service. High scores were particularly achieved in queue times, passport control and passenger facilities.

Leeds Bradford, Yorkshire's Airport has announced work on a new extension to transform the experience for both departing and arriving passengers. The multi-million pound, three-storey extension to the terminal building promises to enhance immigration, baggage reclaim and the customs process. New, larger departure gates, seating areas and new retail, food & beverage outlets are in planning. Completion of first phase of works is scheduled for the end of 2019.

Heathrow Airport bids to become 'destination of choice' for China with a new Chongqing route, marking the launch of its tenth route to the eastern superpower. The route will have capacity for 81,000 passengers a year, travelling to what is China's most populous municipality - part of the country's West Triangle economic zone, which is completed by Changdu and Xi'an and accounts for nearly 45% of western China's GDP.

Recent Developments in China and Overseas

Manchester Airport to Beijing air route has grown faster than any other UK to China service that has been in operation for more than 12 months, according to new research. The study reflects a 38% rise in the number of Chinese visitors to The North since 2016 - a growth rate higher than both London and the UK average of 30%. Benefits to the region in growth of trade, tourism and knowledge exchange between the Far East is outstripping national averages due to this boost in connectivity.

Beijing is also planning to begin operations on a new international airport in October 2019. Terminal capacity will increase by up to 700, 000 square metres and an estimated 620,000 flights per year will be accommodated.

Shanghai Pudong Airport is expected to open its fifth runway this year, becoming the only Chinese airport to have five runways.

Shanghai Airport Authority recently signed a partnership agreement with Glasgow Airport to exchange best practices in airport operations and to jointly implement initiatives to grow visitor numbers between Glasgow and Shanghai.

Qantas is said to be preparing another ultra long-haul route from London, this time to Sydney. Discussions have been conducted with Airbus and Boeing to ascertain if an aircraft can be produced to withstand the 20-hour flight. If so, such a service could be launched by 2022. The Australian airline already operates a 17-hour direct flight between London and Perth, which it claims is, on average, 92% full.

American Airlines will expand its European network next summer with nine new routes added to meet customer demand. The carrier will add three new destinations to its network with the introduction of services between Philadelphia International Airport, Bologna, Dubrovnik and Berlin.