Mr. Robert Sinclair is the Chief Executive of Bristol Airport.
"It is important that the role of major regional airports is not underestimated following the UK government's decision to give the green light to a third runway at Heathrow".
Bristol Airport has recently opened a new security screening area as part of a £24 million expansion, and they are always improving the passenger experience. You are always improving the passenger experience, what can you tell us about this latest addition?
The west terminal extension adds up to a total investment at Bristol Airport of more than £150 million since 2010. The 9,000 square metre extension houses a state-of-the-art security screening area with twelve checkpoints, including a dedicated fast track checkpoint. In the new pre-boarding anteroom, passengers can prepare their belongings for screening, and the automated tray return system with larger conveyor belts streamlines the process of passing through metal detectors, x-rays and security scanners, if necessary. All this takes place in front of a 14-metre long digital wall backdrop on which information about flights to overseas destinations and short film clips about inspirational journeys made by local people are alternately projected. The extension also includes a larger baggage reclaim area, customs facilities and a meet and greet point, making the passenger experience on arrival that much better.
In fact, it's no coincidence that our customer satisfaction ratings have soared since the new security zone went live. In the third quarter of 2016, Bristol Airport was named the best airport in the UK for passenger satisfaction in the ASQ global benchmarking programme. By actively using ASQ data to identify the most influential factors for both leisure and business passengers, we have been able to raise the bar on user satisfaction at our new facilities. In addition to streamlining core processes, such as security, we have also taken the opportunity to imbue a sense of regional identity throughout the design, which has helped bring the new facilities to life.
The implementation of the latest technology at airports is helping to raise customer expectations. What challenges does Bristol Airport face in this respect?
What airlines and users are increasingly looking for is process automation, so our challenge is to enable this change without losing the human touch, which is what can positively differentiate a regional airport like Bristol. Through technology, we are also able to better understand how passengers move through our terminal and identify potential possibilities and opportunities for new products and services. It can also encourage innovation in processes and working practices: for example, by enabling security checks to be carried out from a remote location, where distractions for officers are reduced. And beyond the airport, there is also a huge opportunity to improve efficiency in airspace, which, in the UK, still operates under a system designed in the 1960s.
Bristol International Airport's master plan 2006-2030 is geared towards future growth. What is the current status of the plan?
The 2006 plan provided the framework from which we secured permission to build and upgrade the facilities needed to serve up to 10 million passengers per year. This comprehensive plan includes 30 separate component extensions to the terminal, additional airline counters and an on-site hotel. These elements have been in the design phase since 2011, in line with growing customer demand, and most of the major infrastructure is already in place. If the airport is to accommodate the growing demand for air travellers that we anticipate in the future, there needs to be a focus on transport infrastructure beyond our boundaries, in particular that of the local road network. We support plans for the construction of a multi-modal corridor between the city of Bristol and the airport, but we need the help of the UK government to make this possible.
One of the objectives is to become the most sustainable airport in the UK. What kind of measures have been taken to reduce the impact on the environment?
The airport expansion has been accompanied by a comprehensive package of controls, monitoring and measures to mitigate a wide range of environmental impacts such as noise, air quality and biodiversity. We also have Airport Carbon Accreditation, awarded by the European scheme of the Airports Council International (ACI), which recognises our commitment to controlling the carbon emissions of our operations and our commitment to reducing their impact. The next step is to become carbon neutral.
Charter companies at Bristol Airport influence the most popular destinations. These destinations are mainly located in mainland Spain and the Canary Islands. Is this segment expected to grow strongly?
Many predicted the demise of the charter sector as a result of the low-cost revolution. Although there have been some casualties, the major operators are still going strong and offering an attractive proposition to their target markets. In Bristol we are fortunate to be the home base for two of the UK's "big two": Thomson and Thomas Cook. The former will start operating long-haul flights from May 2017, after a hiatus of several years. The 787 Dreamliner will mark a turning point for us as it opens the door to more exotic far-flung destinations, alongside traditional favourites such as mainland Spain and the Canary Islands.
Bristol Airport has undergone rapid change in recent years - where do you see future growth coming from?
Bristol is the only one of the UK's top ten airports to record year-on-year growth since 2009. Around 7.5 million passengers transited through our terminal in 2016 and we expect to reach the 8 million mark in 2017. However, analysis shows that a further 7 million passengers from our catchment area are flying from other London airports each year, meaning there is still much more to do. That said, the UK aviation sector is incredibly competitive, with more than 50 airports vying for market share. Better transport links would effectively extend our reach, which is why we are so keen to improve surface access to Bristol Airport.
Bristol Airport requires improvements to rail and road links as the main airport, serving the South West and South Wales. Once these are achieved, are they in a position to play a key role in solving the UK's airport capacity problem?
It is important not to underestimate the role of major regional airports, such as Bristol, following the UK government's decision to give the green light to a third runway at Heathrow. The majority of passengers flying to and from the UK use airports other than Heathrow. The benefits of greater connectivity, inbound tourism and increased employment should be spread across the country and not just concentrated in London.
Addressing London's capacity constraints has dominated the UK aviation agenda for decades, yet even with government support, a third runway at Heathrow is many years away. More efficient use of existing capacity must, in the meantime, be the priority. Channelling passengers from all over the UK through Heathrow is neither a sustainable nor a complete transport strategy. Much more needs to be done to improve surface access to regional airports, which have the capacity to respond to needs closer to where they arise; reducing journey times for passengers, and encouraging the use of public transport in the process.
