Norwich Airport report increased passengers, lower losses
26.01.12
The volcanic ash crisis and severe winter weather contributed to a £618,000 pre-tax loss at Norwich Airport in the last financial year, despite rising passenger numbers, the EDP reports. The airport handled 440,054 passengers in 2010/11, a rise of 23,023 (5.5 percent), though passenger numbers on scheduled flights operated by KLM, bmi, Eastern Airways and Flybe fell by 2.6 percent.
The number of offshore helicopter passengers handled also fell by 15.4 percent, to 57,779, down by 10,505. However bosses are expecting an increase following the start of operations of Bond Helicopters. On the plus side new winter season flights to Alicante, Sharm El Sheikh and Tenerife fuelled a significant 58.1 percent growth in passengers, with 105,994 holiday-makers jetting out from Norwich, up by 38,942.
Andrew Bell, airport chief executive, said the volcanic ash eruption in Iceland during April 2010, which grounded flights across Europe, and the cold weather in November and December 2010, and January last year had an impact, but he said revenue growth and cost cutting within the business had also meant losses were down a third from the previous year. The airport has cut its cost base from £11.8m to £11.3m, but was left with a £179,000 redundancy bill after a management restructure that saw the departure of seven senior and middle managers.
He said that he expected this year’s passenger figures to be slightly weaker after cuts in some commercial services.
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