Airport boss targets new routes
20.03.09
The new boss at Norwich Airport said that the 90,000 fewer passengers that passed through the terminal this year have abandoned the hub because of a drop in available routes, and has vowed to attract more flights to boost passengers, the EDP reports.
Elliott Summers, who took over from former managing director Richard Jenner on January 1, said that passengers at the airport have fallen to 580,000 this year from 670,000 last year. While this reflects the falling passengers travelling through airports around the country, Mr Summers said that Norwich Airport's problems were also being caused by airlines cancelling routes to and from the hub.
Flybe has axed several routes, including Malaga and Alicante in July 2007, and Glasgow and Paris in April 2008, when it also reduced services to Guernsey. Last year Goldtrail Holidays axed flights from Norwich to Dalaman and Bodrum in Turkey and Thompson cut winter flights to Gran Canaria and Tenerife.
Spanish airline LTE, which started flights from Norwich to Barcelona, Alicante, and Palma in July last year, axed services indefinitely after falling into financial difficulties in the autumn.
Mr Summers said: ‘The issue is more local than the global economy. Flybe cancelling the sun routes has meant we have less flights to sell. We believe that is the main reason our numbers are down. We have a loyal customer base who would fly but we don't currently have enough routes.’
The airport boss said he was ‘working hard’ with airlines to address this. He told the newspaper: ‘We are meeting with airlines on a regular basis and targeting niche markets or routes. We are looking at airlines who specialise in destinations that fit with our business model and customer demographic. We are also targeting routes not served directly from Stansted.'
‘For the charter market we are targeting proven routes from Norwich and incentivising airlines to ensure that they are protected from any direct competition should they launch a new route. All of these activities are being conducted through a clear strategy and with full commercial and marketing support. We expect to stop the slide in passenger numbers this year and return to growth in 2010.’
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