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Gatwick airport news - December, 2007 |
With the opportunity to provide airport staff with 98% accurate, thorough forecasts to warn them when planes require anti-icing treatment before the weather arrives, UK airlines are all wanting to get their hands on the new ice forecasting technology.
The Met Office Airline De-icing Forecast Service wants to make cold weather delays due to planes being de-iced a thing of the past. The new system, which will notify staff by email, web, fax and text should also save airlines money, but only British Airways and bmi are the ones using the system at present, dropping their de-icing costs by 30%.
Steve Crawley, bmi’s De-icing and Fuel Co-ordinator said: “bmi appreciates that punctuality is essential for our customers, and with the Met Office's aircraft de-icing service we have proven that winter icing delays can be reduced by 84%. Every airline knows that by reducing delays you reduce costs, keep customer satisfaction, and reduce human-factor elements associated to stress and pressure.”
The service provides weather warnings up to five days in advance and also offers a guide to holdover times.
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clickair, the Spanish budget airline, provides an online check in service allowing UK and European passengers to choose their own seat and print a boarding pass once a booking is confirmed, up to 6 months in advance.
The service is already available on most clickair routes from Spain, however they have now launched ‘click&fly’ at Heathrow airport and will soon launch at Gatwick airport.
The service allows the passenger to turn up at the airport only 45 minutes before the flight departs, rather than the usual 2-3 hours, and will help to reduce the number of queues at normal check in.
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The Mayor of Crawley, Councillor Sally Blake, helped to launch Gatwick Airport’s 33rd Christmas Appeal this week (Mon 3rd Dec), along with Radio Mercury and the Ifield Community College choristers.
At last year’s appeal, £8000 was raised for three local charities, thanks to the generosity of passengers and staff. The three local charities who will benefit this year from the collection boxes around the airport are Travel-Care, providing passengers in need with help and support; St Catherine’s Hospice, and Macmillan Cancer Support.
Every year Gatwick Airport erects a 7.2 metre high Christmas tree in the South Terminal Arrivals Hall. Mayor Blake, Mercury FM breakfast presenter Chris Oxlade, and the Ifield College students all gather around the tree to sing carols and Christmas songs as part of the launch.
Chris Oxlade commented, “Mercury FM has a great partnership with BAA Gatwick and I was delighted to get involved with the Gatwick Christmas Appeal this year. I’ve been lucky enough to be involved with some of the charities and the work they do is incredible. It’s great that Gatwick gets behind the local community and helps those who need assistance at this time of year.”
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Gatwick Airport had cause for celebration after winning Favourite British Airport, beating both Manchester and Birmingham, after receiving 30,000 votes by readers of the Daily and Sunday Telegraph newspapers. The award was presented to Gatwick’s Airline Account Manager, Simon Edwards, at the ABTA Convention in Tenerife.
It is Gatwick’s 3rd award this year, having also won Best UK Airport at the Travel Bulletin Awards and Favourite UK Leisure Airport at the British Travel Awards.
Managing Director of BAA Gatwick, Andy Flower, commented, “I am delighted that Gatwick has won an award voted for by its passengers. It’s always an enormous pleasure to receive any accolade, but when it’s been chosen by the people who use our terminals, it is all the more rewarding.”
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Passengers travelling by road to Gatwick Airport’s North Terminal will be greeted by a new arch, following the welcoming success of the South Terminal arch, erected in 2004.
Having been moved from Terminal 3 at Heathrow Airport, the arch is part of BAA’s aim to recycle construction materials. Not quite complete, lighting is yet to be installed, with the area to be landscaped over the coming month, and the arch will eventually carry advertising.
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Zoom, the low-fare, long-haul airline, added a new route to their schedule this winter, Belfast to Vancouver.
Expected to be popular with skiers and snowboarders, Zoom have also added an extra weekly flight from London Gatwick to Vancouver, resulting in the airline travelling to the Canadian Rockies 3 times a week.
The Gatwick to Montreal flight will also double to 2 flights a week, with the Glasgow and Manchester flights to Vancouver and Calgary continuing to depart weekly.
A spokesperson for Zoom Airlines commented, “The new routes have been launched because of the huge success of its ski routes last year”.
You can book these flights from £249 return, including taxes.
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WPC Barbara Lynford has won her sex discrimination claim after incessantly being jibed by her male colleagues at Gatwick Airport about her breasts, and consequently being forced from her job. The male officers plastered the walls of their station with photos of topless women, and called WPC Lynford a ‘daisy’, ‘whoopsy’ and a ‘lipstick’, while drawing attention to her breasts.
A Brighton Employment Tribunal, who upheld her claim against Sussex Police, also heard that the female officer looked on while her colleagues watched X-rated television whilst on duty, slept on the job, faked patrol reports, and ran childish forfeit systems. Being the only woman out of 18 men at Gatwick airport, Barbara was so upset at the abuse she received she felt she had to leave her job. In the past she had taken just 1 day off sick in 4 years, however was off with stress for 2 years.
She is expected to win up to £100,000, which will be fixed by the Brighton tribunal at a later date.
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Throw your passport in the bin and get some Optrex.
UK immigration control has now extended its Iris recognition system to both Gatwick North and South Terminals.
The system is designed to allow automated clearance through customs or immigration areas. You will of course have to register to be allowed to use the service, but so far its free ( very unlike UK Govt. ) However we are told that as with fingerprints we all have a unique iris print.
We guess that the 5 to 10 minute registration time may well be worth while if it means you can beat the queue on the way home.
Gatwick Airport management said that they were pleased with results so far and believe that the system will help improve matters greatly.
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