A number of the UK’s most prominent regional airports shared some of their high-level development proposals, the impact of the pandemic on their operation and their evaluation of the sector’s future during our recent Airports Development Conference. The event was sponsored by law firm BDB Pitmans who have a specialism within the sector – including at securing Development Consent Orders.

Birmingham Airport were one of those involved in the event, and they’re in the midst of a £500m expansion project when the pandemic began.

Nikki Bains, Head of Planning, Transport and Strategy at the airport described how they’d rose to deal with the channels of the past twelve months: “We’re diversifying – we’re utilising our existing facilities to support the local community in tackling Covid and the Government in delivering Brexit.” [emaillocker id=”71749″]

Their support included transforming car parks into an inland border facility and Covid-19 testing centre, turning Hanger 2 into a temporary mortuary and creating a new vaccination trial centre and vaccination centre in the North and South Terminals.

Despite delays to their expansion scheme, the airport is planning to continue development on the project after the UK comes out of the pandemic. Bains posited that the airport would likely face a significant recovery after the pandemic, likening it to the recovery of the airline industry after the post-9/11 hesitancy.

Brighter things are on the horizon for the airport including the fact that the city is set to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games: “We’re optimistic about our future and our strength. Birmingham Airport has a lot to look forward to and a lot to be proud of.”

Highlights she raised include the plans for land around the airport to be allocated as development land, the development of the new Sprint rapid transit scheme – a collaboration with Highways England to create a new junction off the M42, and the connection of HS2 making the airport the only in the country with a high-speed rail connection.

For Southampton Airport, survival was the watchword, with 85-90% of their flights being carried by FlyBe, who collapsed at the start of the pandemic.

Steve Thurston, Head of Planning and Development, described how they responded: “We had to do something to de-risk the airport, so we drew some plans for the runway to see if we could extend it sufficiently to allow the larger 737s and Airbus 320s to operate.”

With the second smallest runway of any major UK airport, the extension would significantly improve the airport’s range of potential destinations. Thurston explained how this would enable the airport to weather the impact of the pandemic: “It makes a huge difference, this enables aircraft operated by low-cost carriers to reach further destinations in Mediterranean and regional Europe.”

Plans for the 164m runway extension are due to be evaluated early this year and the airport has spared no expense in trying to work with the community. From their above standards offer of up to £5,000 in Sound Insulation Grants to anyone in the 60DB range, to strict environmental standards in procurement and offsetting all of their carbon footprint from May – the airport has made major strides in limiting its environmental impact.

There is also potential for 22-ha of development around the airport – which means a very bright future should they secure support for their plans.

Despite all of this disruption to airports, one new airport development is still planned at the closed Manston Airport. Owned by RiverOak Strategic Partners the firm is looking to position itself as the UK’s first air freight specialist airport having recently been granted a Development Consent Order to that effect with the support of the event sponsor BDB Pitmans.

RiverOak Strategic Partners’ Director Tony Freudmann said: “We’ll be spending over the coming years anything up to £500m of private investment to develop the site. The UK airfreight is totally undeveloped and in the new post-Brexit world where the UK will be depending more heavily on global trade, much of that value will be carried by air.”

Whereas most continental European countries and the US there is a 70-30 bias towards dedicated freight than cargo, the equation is flipped in the UK, limiting the potential of air freight.

The site is currently undergoing a judicial review launched by local residents, but Freudmann expressed confidence that it would be resolved by Q1 2021.  He also revealed that the airport would likely take on a small amount of passenger load from shortages at other London serving airports

The pandemic has had an undeniable effect on airports across the country, but the sector has shown the strength and creativity needed to find solutions to survive during this turbulent time and shown consistent ambition in their post-pandemic plans.

Whilst there is no certainty of how the industry will recover as the pandemic abates, the recent adoption of vaccines across a number of different nations is no doubt a positive indication for those leading in the sector that their ambitious plans may soon be able to be realised.

You can view the event video here: https://www.built-environment-networking.com/product/shop-conference-airports-development-conference/

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