YSW: you mean to STAVANGER surely...
High time we had an hourly shuttle! (Actually to be serious Air UK
used to fly something like 6x F50 flights to SVG, v 2x SAS DC9s - doubt we'll see those days again!)
Stands: Many airports have remote stands, pax bussed to/from terminal. I thought there was talk of 3 new remote stands where they park a/c on the C apron? Albeit it's not ADDING to the available parking areas. Seems the gas pipe problem is insurmountable as far as stands to the south are concerned. Peak times it is certainly pretty crowded - if routes are always going to be targetting the business community then more stands are sorely needed, & if ABZ is truly looking internationally as it claims, more INTERNATIONAL stands are sorely needed. BAA has certainly invested in the last few years, but nothing to the levels that many people think they should.
Where I think they miss a trick is freight. With the oil industry on our doorstep, & more & more companies seem to be exporting, most oil freight is either shipped out of the harbour or airfreighted out of PIK. Wouldn't enhanced freight facilities (there you are, a reason for longer runway) bring in more income for ABZ? Or am I being too simplistic? Probably!
Inbound tourism is another potential growth area. There have been more tourists in the area in general recently, but is the area being marketed properly or as aggresively as it should by those who run the city/shire, tourist bodies etc? (I seem to think BAA ABZ is a partner in the recent promotion campaign as recently carried on the T3 Saab - I'm not sure if the promotion is ongoing, the contract for the wrap-around livery on the T3 came to an end last month.) May be more difficult currently with the fuel costs & "credit crunch" but all things are cyclical, & things will get better again. That is why I am strongly in favour of all the golf resorts being touted for the area - OK, they are not the answer ON THEIR OWN post-oil, but they can act as a catalyst to draw tourists in. Surely that is win/win for the area & airport, since most will likely fly up on schedule & private charters.
Maybe it is proving hard to attract airlines/routes & if they do, keep them. But they must persevere. If BAA EDI can attract RYR to the airport & EZY expand their ops there too, it must be (for me) because BAA EDI were given licence to give them deals to do so. Whilst I'm not saying we have the catchment area to attract the same level of flights, the right deal could bring in one or two more? Or don't BAA ABZ want to "meddle with their charges at ABZ" as I seem to remember they said once, as it would "play games with the NE economy". What I suspect they REALLY meant was that it would mean less income for THEM, to be distributed elsewhere.
