News Category: Coordination

Flying to the Finals

19/07/21

The logistics of coordinating a major footballing championship.

By Rory Graham, Airport Slot Coordinator

At Airport Coordination Limited (ACL) we are well practiced coordinating a special event, having coordinated flights to the Commonwealth Games, Olympics, and previous footballing championships amongst others. The past 18-months, however, we have been left waiting; as large-scale events have been understandably quiet.

From a flying perspective, many might have thought that the delayed Euros tournament would have been a non-event. For the group stage at least, they might have been right. With the pandemic still dictating how the tournament played out, the group stages were comparatively quiet. From a planning perspective, however, there has been a lot bubbling away in the background. ACL have been heavily involved with Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and Eurocontrol since Euro 2020 (attempt #1).  With a lot of the groundwork successfully explored back in November 2019. Having ‘downed tools’ whilst UEFA considered their next steps, fast-forward 18-months and ACL were back to an all systems go approach, with scenarios involving 0 fans, 50% capacity fixtures and full stadiums.

At the 16-day knockout stage, things started to pick up. With a noticeable increase in General Aviation and Business Aviation (GABA) demand into some of the fully coordinated Level 3 London airports. London saw an uplift in GABA traffic from Austria, Denmark, Germany, Italy, and Spain, totalling approximately 471 movements. London Luton Airport (LTN) saw the majority of this with 347 GABA movements. London Stansted Airport came in second with 108 movements and the remainder was shared across London Gatwick (LGW), London City and London Heathrow Airports. It is difficult to know the exact percentage of flights affiliated to the Euros, but we can assume there was not an uplift in specific country destinations for no reason!

Comparatively, additional fan charter traffic in and out of the UK was almost non-existent. ACL’s focus was team and match affiliated charter permissions for the UK based fixtures. Forty-eight charters encompassing players, officiating referees, national press, dignitaries, VIPs (Royal Family), team family members and other Persons of National Associations had to get in and out of airports. This is not a huge amount of flying, but the logistical intricacies around accommodating these flights in the best possible way, and in the midst of a pandemic, takes a lot of forward planning.

Thanks goes to Luton Council who approved LTN’s request to dispense flights from their noise condition assessment. Had this not been granted, then the transportation of teams and affiliated traffic could have ended up considerably more complex.

LGW ended up with the most important task of the Euros, accommodating the 540 travelling Italy contingent for the Final. It involved probably the fastest whistle-stop tour of London an Italian has ever encountered. From an operational perspective, it was certainly no mean feat but was executed admirably.

We cannot help but feel a little saddened for UEFA and the footballing community that they were unable to fill all their European host nations stadiums to capacity. Considering Europe are not out of the woods with the virus; however, they did an impressive job getting to the capacities they did!

A final thanks goes to both UEFA and Eurocontrol for their continued support throughout the tournament and to helping cement working relationships for future special events and other projects.

If you would like to know more about how ACL can support special event coordination at your airport, please get in touch https://www.acl-uk.org/contact-us/ or visit our special event coordination page to find out more.

Airport Coordination Limited ‘Wellness Walk’ to Benefit Aviation Action

13/07/21

Aviation Action, a charity created to support the aviation industry, have been chosen as the designated fundraising beneficiary of Airport Coordination Limited (ACL) for 2021. ACL, the world’s leading airport slot coordinator, coordinate 46 airports worldwide and are the designated coordinator for UK airports. This year they celebrate thirty years in aviation and will be raising funds for Aviation Action through the fundraising walk ‘Wellness Walk’. On 26th August, ACL employees and members of the Aviation Action board will be walking from London Heathrow Airport to London City Airport, a total of 23 miles.

Supporters of ACL and Aviation Action will be encouraged to make donations through
https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/aviationactionwellnesswalk – all details can be found on the website.

Chris Wild, founder of Aviation Action said; “We are absolutely delighted that Airport Coordination Ltd (ACL) have chosen Aviation Action as their chosen charity. Our newly formed partnership with such a well-established and widely known aviation business highlights the progress we have made as a charity over the last 12 months. I would like to
thank Neil and the ACL team for their support which will allow us to continue to provide aviation colleagues with dedicated and personal support.”

Neil Garwood, CEO of ACL said, “ACL recognises the incredible work done by Aviation Action during an exceptionally difficult time for aviation, showcasing the dedication, commitment and resilience of our industry. ACL are committed to policies which support greater physical and mental wellbeing in the workplace. We are therefore proud to announce Aviation Action as our chosen charity for the year and are delighted to raise funds for their cause by walking the 23-mile route between two of our customers’ airports.”

Aviation Action relies on donations to provide help and support to people who have had their lives turned upside down through the COVID pandemic. They run peer support programmes as well as provide professional help with mental health, support for job seekers and online events on a variety of topics from finance advice to building up your resilience.

If you are able to make a donation, however big or small, you will be helping to ensure that the services that Aviation Action provide can be maintained into the future. If you would like to donate, please visit the JustGiving page at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/aviationactionwellnesswalk

For more information on Aviation Action, please visit www.aviationaction.org

Please follow ACL and Aviation Action’s social pages to keep track of the event

https://www.linkedin.com/company/airport-coordination-limited

www.facebook.com/aviationaction

https://www.linkedin.com/company/aviation-action

https://www.instagram.com/aviation_action/

https://twitter.com/aviation_action

https://www.linkedin.com/company/airport-coordination-limited

W21 SALs for ACL Airports

04/06/21

All W21 SALs for ACL airports have now been distributed. Please contact the coordinator if you have not received the message for a particular airport.

Atlantic Joint Business Agreement – Slot Release Procedure IATA Summer Season 2022

03/06/21

On 17 September 2020, the Competition and Markets Authority (“CMA”) issued interim measures directions under section 35(2) of the Competition Act 1998 to American Airlines Group Inc, British Airways plc, Iberia Lineas Aereas de Espana SA and International Consolidated Airlines Group SA (the “Parties”).

The CMA has directed the Parties to make available at London (either Heathrow or Gatwick) Slots to allow eligible airlines to operate up to seven (7) round-trips per week on each of the London-Boston, London-Dallas/Fort Worth and London-Miami city pairs for  up to four (4) consecutive IATA Seasons commencing with the Summer 2022 IATA Season.

Any airline wishing to apply for a Slot or Slots under the Directions, other than the airlines who entered into Slot Release Agreements (SRAs) pursuant to clause 1 of the Directions, on one or more of the London-Boston, London-Miami and London-Dallas/Fort Worth city pairs, shall inform the Trustee of the intention to apply for a Slot or Slots and request that the CMA considers its eligibility to do so by 6pm BST on Thursday 1 July 2021.

In the event that the CMA consider the applicants for Slots are eligible, the deadline for re-application by airlines who are a counterparty to any of the existing SRAs concluded under clause 1 of the Directions is 6pm BST on Thursday, 19 August 2021. Please see the link for further details on the process that must be followed by airlines wishing to apply for this slot pair.

http://www.mazars.co.uk/Home/Our-Services/Audit-assurance/Monitoring-trustee-services/British-Airways-American-Airlines-Iberia

 

Published: June 2021

The day aviation’s been waiting for: A first-look at Summer flying as the ban on international leisure travel is eased

17/05/21

After 19 weeks without international leisure travel, today marks the day international holidays can finally resume. Following the government announcement of a UK traffic light travel system, we look at how airlines have responded by adapting their summer plans. 

Ongoing travel restrictions have left the UK’s aviation market substantially reduced, with the first 6 weeks of the Summer 2021 (S21) season seeing an 84% decline in traffic versus 2019 (-42.9 million seats). Reductions in Covid-19 cases and the success of the UK’s vaccine programme have given the industry reasons to be optimistic, however international travel restrictions remain the key factor determining when widespread travel will return.

Airlines have been restricted in their ability to plan for the remainder of this summer, with some operators holding substantial volume for June onwards whilst awaiting decisions on which destinations will be feasible to operate. The 7th May announcement on the UK’s traffic light travel system has provided some clarity in the short-term, enabling airlines to identify which routes can operate with viable seat loads in the coming months. This has driven significant schedule change with seat volumes for June reduced by over 25% since the traffic light system announcement. Airlines have cut back flights based on the traffic light categories, providing a far more reliable schedule picture for May and June.

The impact of the government’s system is seen clearly in the changes to slot volume by country, with passenger demand for destinations directly driven by the traffic light system’s travel restrictions. Of the UK’s 20 busiest destinations for May – June, only Portugal has seen an increase in scheduled flights since the announcement, with the other 19 destinations seeing flights reduced or cancelled.

 

Figure 1 – Change in scheduled seats at ACL UK airports by origin / destination country following traffic light system announcement.

 

The influence of green-list inclusion on demand is clear; in the week following the announcement of the green-list countries, the number of scheduled flights operating to/from Portugal between May-June increased by over 20%, with over 200,000 additional seats available. Over 1,000 additional flights have been added operating to/from Portugal for May-June, with Faro (FAO), Lisbon (LIS) and Porto (OPO) appearing as the most in-demand destinations for the re-opening of international travel.

 

Figure 2 – UK-Portugal total flights by route scheduled for May-June 2021 at ACL UK airports.

 

Flights operating to/from Portugal increased to over 10% of all scheduled international travel for 17th-30th May. This represents a significant increase from 4% of all international flights in S19.

The traffic light system has also driven cancellations for red-listed countries, with the increased isolation period and testing required likely to reduce demand for these routes. Of the busiest UK destinations, the greatest reduction in volume has been for Turkey. Flights for May-June have been substantially cut back (-45%) with 470,000 seats removed from airline schedules. This sharp reduction in capacity demonstrates the impact of the red list requirements on passenger demand, with other operators also indicating they will not be operating flights to/from red-listed destinations.

Airline schedules will continue to develop as further bookings indicate passenger intentions, however ACL now has a far clearer picture of the UK aviation market for this summer. Further changes to the Government’s traffic light lists are likely to trigger more schedule amendments, with the increase in capacity for Portugal giving a clear demonstration of the pent-up passenger demand that exists for S21. Countries added to the green list will likely stimulate an increase in passenger demand, prompting increases in capacity from airlines. In contrast countries moving from green to amber, or amber to red, may see capacity shrink, as demand is reduced due to the additional testing and isolation requirements for passengers. These insights further demonstrate the influence that the UK’s travel restriction system will continue to have on international travel this summer.

By Chris Butler – Airport Capacity Analyst

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To access the data behind our reports, or to understand how ACL’s data could help your business make better decisions, please get in touch with us here

Further Summer 2021 Waiver Announcement

01/03/21

Following the further announcement on 26th February of the UK’s Secretary of State for Transport that legislation has been introduced (to come into force from 26 March 2021) to extend the waiver from the 80:20 slot usage rule to the Summer 2021 season but now without conditions, ACL has updated its guidance to carriers which you can read here.

Winter worries and the question of Summer survival

29/01/21

Analyst Chris Butler looks at the continued decline in the winter schedule and the challenges and uncertainty facing Summer 2021

The latest wave of coronavirus restrictions has hit hard this Winter, dealing another blow to the aviation industry. UK schedules have become more volatile than ever, with airlines forced to change and cancel planned operations causing flight volumes for Winter 2020 (W20) to fall sharply.

Collapse in W20 traffic

National lockdowns and travel restrictions have affected UK aviation throughout the pandemic, with the first wave contributing to a 77% decline in traffic overall for Summer 2020 (S20) versus S19 (-1.2 million movements). W20 saw similar decline until the beginning of December brought initial signs of recovery, with 32% of W19 volume operating in the week beginning 16th December. Any growth was halted however by increases in UK infection rates and the subsequent tightening of lockdown and travel restrictions. W20 volume has declined to -74% versus W19 as a result, with further cancellations expected.

Scheduled volume for the festive period fell by 21% immediately after the announcement of additional UK restrictions on 21st Dec, with over 27,000 slots cancelled. The introduction of a third national lockdown prompted further cancellations; the first two weeks of 2021 saw 80,000 slots cancelled and a subsequent 27% decline in schedule volume for January – March, with airlines forced to abandon any plans of growth for the new year.

Figure 1 – Increase in cancellations per week following tightened restrictions resulting in reduced volume for January.

Schedule volume is unlikely to see substantial growth before the end of W20. ACL’s latest forecast indicates that the overall W20 volume could fall beyond -80% versus W19 based on the current rate of cancellations, with further reductions expected for February and March.

The collapse in W20 traffic versus last year has been seen across Level 3 airports including LGW (-87%) and LCY (-92%), as well as at regional airports such as CWL (-90%), SOU (-85%) and EXT (-85%). Despite periods of recovery in late summer and over the festive period, scheduled movements for both domestic and international routes saw a 77% decline in 2020 versus 2019, indicating the widespread nature of the decline in traffic.

Figure 2 – Decline in both Domestic and International weekly movements versus previous year.

Outlook for Summer 2021 remains uncertain and volatile

Looking ahead to S21, the ongoing impact of travel restrictions across the world means airlines and airports face extreme uncertainty. The aviation industry in the UK and beyond faces several crucial questions when planning for S21.

Varying country-specific travel restrictions, vaccination programmes and testing procedures will mean that the pace at which different markets recover is likely to differ greatly. Reports indicate that over 7.1 million people have already received their first dose of the vaccination in the UK; the travel industry will hope that this could stimulate demand for certain markets this summer, however the extent of the impact of the UK’s vaccination programme on travel demand for S21 remains unknown.

ACL’s dynamic schedule data source covering 26 UK & ROI airports will capture the developments seen over the coming months. This provides a valuable source of information for those looking ahead and attempting to plan for an uncertain summer.

By Chris Butler

This article has been amended since original publication.

If you would like to know more about how your business could benefit from dynamic schedule data or ACL analysis, please contact denise.wakeford@acl-international.com

Summer Waiver Announcement

29/01/21

The UK’s Secretary of State for Transport has announced that the UK will extend the waiver from the 80:20 slot usage rule to the Summer 2021 season, subject to certain conditions. ACL has updated its guidance to carriers which you can read here

ACL announce new CEO

12/01/21

Airport Coordination Limited would like to inform you that, following a thorough search and rigorous selection process, the Board of Airport Coordination Limited is pleased to announce the appointment of Neil Garwood as our new Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Neil was formerly Managing Director of Southampton Airport, where he had been for ten years, having risen through the ranks after initially joining them as Terminal Operations Manager in 2010.

Neil will succeed Airport Coordination Limited’s departing CEO, Edmond Rose, who is moving on from his role at the end of February. The ACL Board thank Edmond for his outstanding contributions and leadership throughout his time with us and especially through the challenges of this last year.

The Chair of ACL, Lesley Cowley said “I am delighted to welcome Neil to ACL. Whilst our current CEO will be much missed, we are confident that Neil’s experience, drive and values make him an ideal successor to lead ACL as we emerge from the pandemic”.

The new CEO, Neil Garwood said “I am excited to be joining the world’s leading independent airport coordination organisation at a time of seismic change in the industry and very much look forward to continuing to deliver on ACL’s ambition of world class coordination excellence for our customers and stakeholders”.

Neil Garwood, new CEO of Airport Coordination Limited

8 of our Highlights from 2020

08/01/21

2020 wasn’t quite the year we all wanted, but at Airport Coordination Limited (ACL) we’ve chosen to start 2021 by focusing on the positives. We’ve rounded up some of our best bits from last year. Welcome to ACL’s highlights!

  1. Our Industry

    Although 2020 will be remembered as one of the biggest crises in recent aviation history, what last year did demonstrate was the strength and resolve of a passionate industry who can pull together. The support this year from businesses across our trade has been inspiring and we’ve enjoyed collaborating, supporting and working with everyone who has helped us to grow as an organisation over the last year.

  2. Adaptability

    Within a night ACL went from being a face-to-face, office-based organisation to going completely remote. We not only learnt to adjust our individual working styles, but we adapted and grew as a business. We took on a wave of slot cancellations, queries and policy changes which kept our coordinators busy during the pandemic. We saw the best out of our people in 2020 and are so proud how readily they rose to the challenge and adapted to the new norm.

  3. Innovation

    Whilst last year felt like a bit of a set-back, in reality it spurred us to be more innovative than ever. New processes become the norm at ACL. Changes led to major system developments and impressive Power BI achievements. We provided Covid Cancellation reports to our airport customers and industry forums providing them with the data they needed, and we launched our new interactive Start of Season reports, which provided important commercial information and allowed data to be filtered by operators, weeks and routes.

  4. Self-Improvement

    2020 taught us not only to be grateful for our own heath, and the health of our families, but the health of our organisation too. We looked inward and went about improving things within our own business. As a result, scores from our annual staff survey rose across the board. Our overall Engagement measure reached significantly higher than other benchmarked organisations (+15% ) and staff satisfaction improved significantly.

  5. Customer commitment

    2020 made us focus even more on our customers and make sure we were supporting them through some of their toughest times. We were devoted to making sure the service we delivered was as effective as possible, being proactive rather than reactive; responding to their needs; and working together to create new processes, reporting and insights. Each of us experienced, more than ever, the importance of good values, empathy and relationships which we built into the customer service commitments we launched in 2020 which you can view on our website – https://www.acl-uk.org/our-customer-service-charter/

  6. Welcoming new customers to the fold

    This year we welcomed six new airports in Oman to our portfolio; Muscat International Airport, Duqm Airport, Marmul Airport, Qarn Alam Airport, Salalah Airport and Suhur Airport. We also formally began our data collection service at Riga airport and expanded our airport schedule data sales to more ground handling and travel agencies. We look forward to working with each of these customers for years to come.

  7. Expanding our ACL family

    Last year we welcomed two new excellent members to our team, Richard Jones and Wade Chan. They slotted in (excuse the pun) seamlessly and successfully into ACL without ever meeting more than a handful of us in person. Both have brought strong experience with them and made a positive difference to the way we work and the service we provide to our customers.

  8. Some ‘Us’ time

    We pulled out the stops this year to make sure our forced separation didn’t threaten to pull us apart. Virtual Teams meetings, board meetings, even conferences became the norm. ACL pulled together in the background too with regular group games, after work quizzes, a vibrant social feed and even an eventful virtual Christmas gathering.

With 2020 behind us, we are looking forward to supporting our customers through the next year and many more years to come. Though the route may be bumpy, and the destination sometimes unclear, as an industry, we have proven our resolve to get through it together, and at ACL we are determined more than ever to continue delivering coordination excellence.

By Denise Wakeford- Sales and Marketing Lead