Qantas lease 6 gates from SACL

[Wirraway]

from Sydney Airport Message board:

As usual, it would appear that "The Age" managed to get things completely wrong. Both Qantas and SACL have released media statements announcing that Qantas / QantasLink will be using 6 gates in the old Ansett Pier B.

SACL Statement:

Sydney Airports Corporation Limited (SACL) and Qantas Airways Limited
today announced they had reached an agreement on the long-term use by
Qantas and QantasLink of the former Ansett domestic terminal.

Qantas will use six of the 18 gates of the terminal on a first right
basis in accordance with Sydney Airport's common use gate allocation
criteria.

Sydney Airport Corporation CEO, Tony Stuart, said: "This is an
excellent result for both parties, providing Sydney Airport with a
core terminal partner, flexibility of terminal use as a whole and
Qantas with certainty and growth potential."

"Above all, it is a win for travellers and our tourism industry
partners. The recommissioned terminal will be 'on line' from next
month and can handle up to 10 million passengers a year in comfort."

Qantas Link will base the majority of its Boeing 717 fleet in the
former Ansett Terminal and will have the ability to use the terminal
for other aircraft as required. Qantas estimates an annual throughput
in excess of two million passengers.

The terms of the agreement remain confidential to the parties.

The terminal will be operational as planned from 2 September and
Qantas expect to commence operations by mid September.

Since taking ownership on 1 July, 2002, Sydney Airport has upgraded
key IT security systems, building safety systems and aircraft aprons
to manage the operational requirements of multiple airline users.

The agreement acknowledges Qantas' need for additional gate capacity
at the same time as it recognises Sydney Airport's requirement that
the terminal operates on common use principles which will allow
access by other parties such as Virgin Blue, Regional Express, or a
new domestic entrant.

"We take this opportunity once again to invite Virgin Blue to re-open
negotiations and to discuss access to the terminal," Tony Stuart
said.

Issued by Sydney Airports Corporation Limited Public Affairs
Further information: SACL, Peter Gibbs 02 9667 6470, 0418 451 357

[engage left autopilot]

Information from the qantas website is that the gates will be located in the 'pier b' section and that an access beam will join the two terminals.

Does anyone have any idea as to what is pier b? It would appear that if qf has the front section then that will almost be a advertisement in itself.

It would also solve many of the problems with the lack of access to the back gates 1-8 at the qf termianl

[1A_Please]

Engage Left Autopilot, Maybe it's just me and I knows it's Friday arvo but I can't make head nor tail out of your post.

Pier B is the old AN "B" concourse which is the western concourse. QF plan to build a link so pax can trf between the AN pier and the main QF domestic terminal without leaving the secure area.

As for the back of gates 1-8, I can't comment...I can't even understand!!

[Wirraway]

AAP

Virgin rejects terminal talks
August 23, 2002

BUDGET airline Virgin Blue has said no thanks to Sydney Airports Corp Ltd's (SACL) invitation back to the negotiating table over access to the former Ansett terminal.

SACL today struck a deal with carrier Qantas Airways Ltd over access to the Sydney domestic terminal, with the dominant Australian airline to use six of the 18 gates.

SACL chief executive Tony Stuart also invited Virgin to re-open talks.

But Virgin Blue head of commercial David Huttner rejected the offer.

"We see no reason to engage in negotiations for a facility that we believe we already have a deal upon," Mr Huttner told AAP.

"We will be taking legal action, that legal action will be filed in the near future, probably next week."

However, the airline had sent a letter to SACL hoping to open discussions over its planned expansion of its existing facilities.

Last week, Virgin said it would rather spend $15 million upgrading its existing facilities than pay "exorbitant rents" at the former Ansett site.

"The only discussions we will be engaging in with Sydney Airports will be in regards to the expansion of the Domestic Express Terminal while our legal case is ongoing," Mr Huttner said.

"Hopefully those discussions will continue in good faith and with all due diligence, we do not see them as conflicting with any legal discussion with regards to the Ansett terminal.

"We are happy to finance it, the expansion, completely out of our own pocket so it will have no impact on Sydney Airport's bottom line."

Mr Huttner expected Virgin would file legal action in the NSW Supreme Court within weeks.

Virgin Blue believes it has already struck a deal with SACL over access to an initial seven gates, with up to nine in future, which SACL disputes.

"If we win the legal action we will look at what options are available at that time," Mr Huttner said.

"But we expect the legal action could take a year or two in the courts, we dont know how long it is going to take.

"It is fair to say that Macquarie and SACL have formidable resources to possibly tie this up in the courts for quite some time."

AAP

[Wirraway]

Extracts from Weekend "Australian Financial Review" 24/8/02

Qantas: boarding now in Ansett terminal

"Qantas will base its regional jet operations in the former
Ansett domestic terminal at Sydney Airport from September
in a $13 million a year deal that puts pressure on
Virgin Blue to resolve its bitter dispute over access to the
facility."

"The Qantas deal would appear to make it more difficult for
Virgin Blue to get the terms it wants. Qantas has accepted
a deal for more than 15 years that involves a "passenger
facilitation charge" , understood to be $6.50 per traveller.
A Qantas spokesman said it was still considering whether to
pass on the charge to passengers."

"Qantas has also agreed to use Ansett's so-called CUTE (common
user terminal emulation) information system, which Virgin has
rejected."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Interesting to note that VB are being asked for $18m for 4
gates ($4.5m each] whereas QF get 6 gates for $13m
($2.16m each).

Wirraway

[shakespeare]

Yes it is interesting that QF can get it cheaper than VB. However this farcical state of affairs is impacting very negatively on VB pax and I just wonder how much more Cr@p they are prepared to put up with.

VB could quite easily pass the $6.50 (or whatever) charge onto the pax and still be significanlty cheaper than QF. Maybe a bit of pride is starting to get in the way of common sense in this issue!

The VB terminal in Sy is an absolute joke and no amount of money is going to fix that. Not now or in the future. All this talking tough and under dog garbage is starting to wear a bit thin.

Please let some common sense prevail and get into the lager (PROFESSIONAL ) terminal NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!

[digi2]

VB to spend 15 mil of their own money I'D LIKE TO SEE THAT

[OZBUSDRIVER]

Would not be hard to imagine. I believe Sir Dick's seed money was repaid pretty quickly. 15mill would not be a big ask, compared to $18mill rent per year.

I seem to rem something about DJ's cost per head out of the express terminal was only a couple of bucks. So $6.50 per head would rep a pretty big jump in costs.

[Buster Hyman]

I don't think it's an easy comparison to try & understand the differing prices quoted. Who knows what QF will do in the terminal for SACL (ie; pax link) They've also made a 15 year commitment too.

Then again, maybe SACL have had enough of DJ's negotiation strategies. I'd love to be in the meetings regarding the Express terminal expansion!! I'd pay money to see that!:D

[sprucegoose]

Yeah, really. Might make some good video clips for the 2nd birthday party bash!