An abandoned Spanish airport which cost nearly € 1.1 billion to build has been sold for € 10,000 in a bankruptcy auction. Ciudad Real Central Airport, located about 235km south of the capital Madrid, became a symbol of the country’s wasteful spending during a construction boom that ended with the financial crisis of 2008, the year the airport opened. The operator of the airport went bankrupt in 2012 after it failed to draw enough traffic. Chinese consortium, Tzaneen International, tabled the … [Read more...] about Spanish ‘ghost airport’ sold for 10,000 euros
Airports & Ground Handling
Hong Kong sees flat cargo traffic in first half
Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) handled 2.1 million tonnes of cargo for the first half of 2015, up 0.6 per cent from the same period last year. Throughput for the first half of the year was affected by a drop in exports but is expected to consolidate for the rest of the year, the Hong Kong Airport Authority said. On a rolling 12-month basis, the airport handled 4.4 million tonnes of cargo, up 3.2 per cent from the previous 12 months. The airport handled 349,000 tonnes of cargo from … [Read more...] about Hong Kong sees flat cargo traffic in first half
Expansion of Cambodia’s main airports by 2016
The staggering growth of passenger and cargo air traffic will require more capacity building and human resource development in specialised areas, Deputy Prime Minister Sok An told a regional joint civil aviation committee from Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam on Monday, according to the Khmer Times. “Air transport has played a critically important role in the world’s economic activities, and it remains one of the fastest growing industries of our time,” he said. “All countries increasingly depend … [Read more...] about Expansion of Cambodia’s main airports by 2016
Heathrow cargo volumes up 2.1% in first half
Heathrow Airport saw a 2.1 per cent year-on-year rise in cargo volumes to 741,847 tonnes in the first half of the year, driven by increases in cargo from emerging markets. Since July 2014, Heathrow has processed 1.5 million tonnes, a year-on-year uplift of 4.3 per cent. Over the past year volumes rose by 44 per cent to Mexico, 24.4 per cent to Turkey, 19.7 per cent to Brazil, 11.5 per cent to India, 6.9 per cent to North America and 2.8 per cent to China. … [Read more...] about Heathrow cargo volumes up 2.1% in first half
NZ$1 million ‘lost’ at HKIA under Cathay’s care
Cathay Pacific’s procedures at Hong Kong International Airport have come under scrutiny after after one of 13 bags containing NZ$1 million (US$660,235) went missing during transfer from an aircraft to the cargo terminal. The incident happened on Friday night when a luggage box labeled ‘G4S International’ – a UK security firm – carrying 13 cash bags with about NZ$10 million was bound for the Bank of China. The money was reportedly transferred to the Cathay Pacific Cargo Terminal from the … [Read more...] about NZ$1 million ‘lost’ at HKIA under Cathay’s care
WFS is set for biggest EU expansion
Worldwide Flight Services (WFS) is set for the biggest expansion of its ground handling activities in Europe in over 40 years after being awarded full ground handling licenses to operate at Spain’s Madrid, Seville, Santiago, Oviedo and Vitoria airports. WFS won the new seven-year licenses following a public tender conducted by Aena, operator of the Spanish airports. A total of 10 ground handlers took part in the bidding process. WFS expects to commence full passenger and ramp services in … [Read more...] about WFS is set for biggest EU expansion