Gordon Dewar, Chief Executive, Edinburgh Airport: “We look very closely and aim to understand where people travel to and from when they pass through Edinburgh Airport, so there is a lot of data analysis. This work is spearheaded by the aviation team, who in effect are the engine room of the growth business.”
Edinburgh Airport is marking its 100th anniversary this year with a major investment in enhancing the passenger experience, record traffic growth, and enhanced connectivity. Gordon Dewar, Chief Executive, Edinburgh Airport, outlined a progressive strategy to Ross Falconer.
Edinburgh Airport and its international connectivity are both the lifeblood of Scotland’s tourism industry and vital for Scots businesses. Since its acquisition by Global Infrastructure Partners in 2012, the airport has been competing energetically on the international stage. Indeed, it has experienced greater levels of growth in the past three years than in the 10 years prior.
“Our commitment to offering a greater choice of routes and destinations has seen passenger numbers rise to over 11.1 million in 2016, showing that Edinburgh Airport truly is ‘Where Scotland meets the World’,” says Gordon Dewar, Chief Executive, Edinburgh Airport.
The latest impressive traffic figures for April show 8.7% growth year-on-year to over one million passengers, while the “moving annual total” in the year to April rose by 10.9% to over 11 million.
A proactive route development strategy has seen the airport attract several major new airlines over the last 36 months, including Turkish Airlines to Istanbul, Etihad Airways to Abu Dhabi, and Qatar Airways to Doha.
Recently, connectivity into new markets in the east has been added with Finnair directly serving Helsinki, providing Scots travellers with onward connectivity to Asia. Meanwhile, connectivity to New York has never been greater; in April, Delta Airlines began direct services to New York JFK, adding to American Airlines’ existing service and United Airlines route to New York Newark.
“We’ll never be complacent, and continue to focus on delivering growth through choice – and already 2016 is on track to be another record breaking year,” Dewar adds.
This all reinforces the social and economic importance of the airport, which extends beyond Edinburgh. An independently prepared study published in March indicates that Edinburgh Airport contributes nearly £1 billion (€1.3bn) to the Scottish economy every year, and supports over 23,000 jobs across the country. The study forecasts that by 2020 this contribution will rise to between £1.1 billion (€1.4bn) and £1.6 billion (€2.1bn) per year, and the level of economic activity could support up to 40,300 Scottish jobs. “As much as half of those benefits will be felt outside the Scottish capital city,” Dewar notes.
And this competitiveness could be further enhanced when the Scottish Government gains control over Air Passenger Duty (APD) in April 2018. It is currently consulting on a proposed cut to APD. “We understand and back the Scottish Government’s plans to reduce APD by 50% and to abolish the tax as soon as resources allow – but the sooner the better,” Dewar comments. “Recent calculations by the Scottish Tourism Alliance show that confirmation of a 50% cut in one move will mean an additional 18 million passengers using Scotland’s airports between the cut being confirmed and the end of 2021. This translates to the creation of over 10,000 new jobs in tourism.”
A commitment to enhancing the passenger experience is also front and centre of the Edinburgh Airport strategy. This year, the ongoing investment includes new check-in and baggage systems, and an upgraded retail offering. “The enhanced retail development is a key contributor to our success,” Dewar explains. “We have increased retail space by 45% over the past 12 months. New brands include Michael Kors, Brora, Fat Face, JD Sports, Superdrug, Max Mara, Next, and All Bar One. The income we generate from retail allows us to be competitive and attract airlines, which in turn increases passenger numbers. It is part of the virtuous circle that allows us to continue reinvesting.”
The airport’s priorities right now, as it approaches peak season, are “to get all the basics working like clockwork”, and this focus has included an investment in enhancing the security process, with a redesigned security hall, more personnel and staff training. “Consistency is key here and we need our system and processes to be consistent through the very busy times, the busy times and the occasional slightly less busy times!” Dewar comments.
And, of course, another priority will be commemorating Edinburgh Airport’s 100th anniversary. “We’re really proud to be marking this special birthday with a range of exciting events,” says Dewar. “It’s very much ‘watch this space’ but I can confirm that we’re planning one of the biggest parties in Edinburgh this summer, and there are plans to reach out to local schools with an educational competition and there will be limited edition giveaways and other goodies… oh yes, and I’m not long off the phone to the Red Arrows!”
