Prestwick Airport passengers up, freight down
09.11.05
Prestwick airport's strong 15% passenger growth in the 6 months to September was offset by a disappointing 12% slump in freight traffic, its New Zealand owners Infratil reported yesterday. Passengers increased to 1.4 million but freight handled was down to 15,072 tonnes, with the 'continuing soft performance' made worse by a strike by pilots at cargo airline Polar Air.
Infratil said the contrasting performances led to a flat earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of £2.1 million compared with £2.2m in the same period last year. A company statement said: 'High fuel costs has reduced air freight activity and Prestwick has found difficulties attracting services to / from Asia.' '
Already, terminal services income has shown marked improvements [concession income was up £600,000 to £5m]. Freight will take longer as relationships must be developed.' Infratil added that plans to double the size of Prestwick's departure lounge to 'improving facilities and services so as to encourage use and spend.'
The firm praised Steve Fitzgerald, the Prestwick-based chief executive of Infratil Airports Europe (IAE), for attracting 'a number of excellent executives to the freight and commercial-development areas'. These include commercial manager Kate Thripp, a former colleague from Sydney airport where Fitzgerald was operations chief, and freight development manager Paul Stonehouse, who was British Airways' east Africa cargo manager.
Infratil described Prestwick's controversial new Pure Dead Brilliant branding as 'very successful', illustrating its report with a photograph of President George Bush walking down aircraft steps emblazoned with the purple logo en route to the G8 summit in July.
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