AOA Conference Sparks Debate in the Aviation Industry

LONDON, October 22, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

ATTENTION: TRANSPORT EDITORS, TRANSPORT WEBSITES, TRANSPORT BLOGGERS

The UK aviation sector is in a better position than it was three years ago, when the Government came into power. Despite the challenges ahead, senior aviation players are more optimistic about the future, following the Government's Aviation Policy Framework published in March, and the setting up and progression of the Airports Commission. This was the overwhelming verdict of speakers and delegates who attended the Airport Operators Association (AOA) Annual Conference, which concluded today, in London.

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Aviation News from ITN Productions provides specialist debate and insight into the aviation sector. New programming is now available to view at http://transportnews.itn.co.uk/Aviation/All and, subject to approval, the video is available for you to use to enhance and compliment your own aviation content.

Available content:

Sir Howard Davies - "Am I wasting my time?"

Sir Howard Davies voices his concerns that if the Government doesn't follow his findings he'll feel the Davies Commission would have been completed in vain. Click to view

Exclusive interview: Aviation Minister: In his first ministerial interview, Robert Goodwill MP speaks to AOA TV about how he sees the industry and the challenges ahead. Click to view

Airport Operators CEO:Darren Caplan spoke to AOA TV about the way forward for airports in light of the Governments Aviation Policy Framework. Click to view

Expanding Ryanair: in his speech to the AOA conference, CEO of Ryan Air Michael O'Leary speaks about plans to expand into the long haul market. Click to view

Aviation Challenges: Speaking to AOA News about the challenges facing the industry, Michael O'Leary says taxes are too high and stronger cooperation between airlines and airports should be encouraged. Click to view

Transport Secretary:Patrick McLaughlin told ITN's Aviation News that the government is doing everything it can to support the aviation sector which will play a key part in rebuilding the UK economy - whether through investment in infrastructure, creating new jobs or as a catalyst for inward investment into UK Plc. Click to view

Political Action?Nigel Milton from Heathrow Airport questions whether the politicians will implement the findings from the government-backed airports commission. Click to view

Connectivity:Paul Kehoe from Birmingham Airport explains how keeping the country connected is the key to staying competitive in the international aviation market. Click to view

Risking the future?: Smaller airports losing passengers will lead to closure implies venture capitalist Jon Moulton. Click to view

Newcastle leading the way: Effective planning and working with the region helps increase the economic benefits says Graeme Mason, of Newcastle Airport. Click to view

Scrap the Tax: According to Robert Sinclair of Bristol Airport, Air Passenger Duty should be 'scrapped' in the UK to keep airlines flying through the airports. Click to view

Environmentally Friendly Flying: Sustainability expert Andy Jefferson explains how technology is revolutionising the way airplanes can operate with less impact on the environment. Click to view

Innovating for the Future: Being innovative is key for airports to attract passengers and stay competitive, according to Gordon Dewar, CEO of Edinburgh Airport. Click to view

Sparking Growth:Heathrow is one of the world's busiest airports, with multiple terminals, employing over 75 thousand people and with around 70 million travelling through every year. And its influence has spreads beyond the perimeter fencing, with local economies feeling the benefit of its growth. Click to view

Behind the Scenes: ARINC is one firm that claims to be at its best when unnoticed. The company provides special technologies to all airports, big or small, to ensure they can cope with ever increasing passenger numbers in a smooth and effective way. Click to view

Adapting to Change:  Airports have to constantly adapt to a changing economic, political and regulatory landscape and so do their partners. MITIE look beyond their role as a facilities manager to support airports across the UK in enhancing the passenger experience, going beyond the convention of typical airport practice. Click to view

Passenger Experience: UK airports are dealing with increasing numbers of flights and passengers - and they are also dealing with pressure on budgets as well. So any service provider who's going to drive efficiencies and provide innovative solutions is a welcome partner. That's how Babcock position themselves - not only a baggage handler but a company prepared to work with airports to ensure high quality passenger experiences at lower operating costs. Click to view

Capacity Challenge: The Airports Commission will publish its interim report by the end of 2013 and its final report by summer 2015. AoA Chief Executive Darren Caplan spoke to Aviation News about the challenges facing the industry over the coming years. Click to view

Vital Link: Point to point airports around the UK are vital to the communities which they serve; stimulating local businesses and trade while providing a vital link to the rest of the UK - and the world. We report on how Bristol Airport is leading the way Click to view

Aircraft Safety: Of all the critical safety issues surrounding air travel, none can be more critical than the safety of the aircraft itself. Standards have to be incredibly high and the people carrying out the inspections need to be trained to the highest possible standard. Cobham Aviation Services is the world's biggest flight inspection provider. Click to view

Rain or Snow: Airports realise they must increase their resilience to major weather events and the unwanted press attention that comes with cancelled flights. That is where Aebi Schmidt comes in. They provide state-of-the-art maintenance vehicles tailored to the needs of each airport they serve, so that come rain or snow, they are ready for whatever nature throws at them. Click to view

Passenger Communication: There's an ever increasing number of ways to book air travel, but there are few providers who think about the needs of the airports as well as the passengers. Airport Direct Travel not only provides booking services for passengers - but its sytem also allows airports to communicate with each passenger from the moment they enter the terminal. Click to view

Runway Safety: Out on the runway, nothing is more important than safety, with airport operators needing the peace of mind that the apron is going to be up to the job. Lafarge Tarmac is giving that peace of mind to airports across the country. Click to view

Sustainable Lighting: Runway lighting is essential for the operation of every airport and every flight - but reducing the amount of energy used in aviation is vital for sustainability. There's one company that's leading the way in its own research and development.  ATG Airports is about to launch IRIS - low profile runway lights. They use LEDs to reduce energy - but they also sit much lower on the runway surface, so they are less likely to be damaged. Click to view

Managing Infrastructure: For every airport, managing airspace infrastructure is a key, though often invisible, factor in ensuring safe yet efficient operations. World-class air traffic control provider NATS are experts at managing even the most congested airspace. Click to view

New Breed of Lounges: Airport lounges are usually the preserve of business class travellers, but now Servisair is seeking to bring a little slice of luxury to the mass market with its aptly named Aspire chain. These cutting-edge oases of relaxation offer such value for money that they are even being advertised in their own right, as an extra attraction to encourage more passengers to travel through a given airport. Click to view

Environmental Protection: Balancing commercial goals with protecting the environment isn't always easy for Airport Operators. But RPS Group, currently overseeing the Channel Islands' biggest civil reconstruction project in modern times. Click to view

Pre-flight Experience: Passengers now expect a full range of services from the moment they arrive at an airport to ensure that it's less of a journey, and more of an experience. SSP partner with some of the world's biggest brands to provide the customer with the best possible experience before they fly. Click to view

Baggage Handling: Airports are facing increasing demands to handle more passengers -- and therefore more luggage. So it's important the technology and infrastructure is capable of handling demand. This report on Vanderlande's baggage handling. Click to view

The Core of Redevelopment: The redevelopment of Heathrow Terminal 2 is one of the most significant airport projects taking place in the UK. The amount of planning and consultancy required to deliver such an overhaul is vast. At the core of this transformation is URS - the biggest global player in 'airport planning services.' Click to view

Well Grounded Operations: With a whole host of different specialist contractors, airports are complex places to operate. One organisation specialises in handling a variety of services effectively and efficiently. Worldwide Flight Services currently runs ground operations for some of the biggest airports in the world. Not only do they provide breadth of services - they are expert in them all too. Click to view

For embed codes for Aviation News by ITN Productions, or for embed codes for individual videos to enhance and drive debate in your websites, please contact: Derek Dyson, Executive Producer, ITN Productions: Derek.Dyson@itn.co.uk

About ITN Productions: ITN Productions is ITN's central production hub, producing content for broadcasters, global online platforms and high quality corporate news programming

About The Airport Operators Association: The AOA is the trade association that represents UK airports. Its mission is to see UK airports grow sustainably. It represents the views of UK airports to Government, Parliament and Regulators to secure policy outcomes that help deliver our mission. The AOA represents some 50+ UK airports and general aviation airfields in the UK. For more information, please visit http://www.aoa.org.uk.

Contact: T +44-207-430-4436