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Aviation History
1968
1968 - 0524.PDF
506 FLIGHT International II April 1968 On lease to KLM is this One-Eleven of British Eagle. Two other of the airline's One-Elevens have been serving under foreign colours, with Swissair and SAS AIR TRANSPORT... UK AIRPORTS: 1967 TRAFFIC THE number of passengers at United Kingdom airports exceeded 24 million in 1967, according to figures released by the Board of Trade. This was 6 per cent more than the number in 1966. In the four years since 1963, the number of passengers has increased by more than half, with an average growth rate of 11 per cent per year. A smaller increase than usual in passenger traffic last year was due, says the Board of Trade, to a decline in the middle of the year, although there was some recovery in the closing months. This mid-year decline is ascribed mainly to poor figures in the holiday market. This has been reflected in the operating statistics of British airlines, particularly in the inclusive tour sector. At the London airports the recovery at the end of the year was stronger than elsewhere, and the figures for the last quarter were 12 per cent up on 1966. In 1967 there were large increases in passenger traffic at Aberdeen (19 per cent), East Midlands 39 per cent), Edinburgh (13 per cent), Luton (16 per cent), Newcastle (25 per cent) and Southend (15 per cent). Manohester passenger traffic showed little change; this may have been due in part to a fall of passengers on the Manchester-London route following electri- fication of rail services between the two towns. Although total cargo passing through UK airports in 1967 was 6 per cent less than in 1966, it was 17 per cent higher than in 1965. At the London area airports, cargo increased by 8 per cent, and has doubled since 1963. There have been large increases in cargo at most major airports outside London except at those such as Lydd, where accompanied cars form a large part of the cargo traffic. The largest increases since 1963 have been at Belfast (147 per cent), Edinburgh (133 per cent), and Prestwick (112 per cent). The average rate of increase in cargo traffic in the London area airports has been about 20 per cent per year. One major airport which appears to be caught up in a declining trend of passenger traffic is Prestwick. PRESTWICK IN TROUBLE PRESTWICK suffered a 13.9 per cent drop in air transport movements and 19.8 per cent in total movements in 1967, compared with 1966. Total passengers handled fell by 10 per cent. The relevant figures for Prestwick over the last four years are as follows: — Year 1965 1966 1967 Total • • movements '•"-.:• •"'" 24,918 :•:•-—". 24,479 ..-•-• 19,625 , Air transport movements 9,742 12,872 11,084 Passengers handled 451,908 502,819 452,555 This recent decline at Prestwick has been accompanied by increases at Glasgow (Abbotsinch). This, coupled with the developments now about to start at Abbotsinch, begins to raise question-marks over the future of Prestwick. Preparations are now being made to extend the main runway at Glasgow to a length of between 9,000ft and 9,500ft. An application will be made shortly to the county council for permission to prepare the necessary land for the extension, which involves filling and consolidating an area of waste land to the south-west of the airport. An initial runway extension, from its former 6,700ft to 7,000ft, is now being completed, and is expected to be in use by May. In what is described as a "last-ditch stand," a demand for drastic Government action to safeguard the future of Prestwick has been circulated among Scottish MPs by the independent Prestwick Airport Development Association. This follows the decision of SAS to transfer their European services from Prestwick to Glasgow. The association wants the Government to force BEA to put some at least of its services through Prestwick, and to encourage independent airlines to use the airport. It complains that the Government has discriminated against SAS, KLM, and other foreign airlines. The association condemns what it describes as the "myth" that the roles of Glasgow and Prestwick are complementary rather than competitive. It proposes that the British Airports Authority, which owns Prestwick', should either set the costs of developing Prestwick against its profits from the London air- ports, or should receive a Government subsidy. Airport* Heathrow Gatwick Manchester . Glasgow Southend Belfast Lydd ... Liverpool Birmingham . Isle of Man . • (0 • (2)• (3) • (*). (6) - (5).(19) • C)• (8) (12) Aircraft movements Air transport 221,004 36,887 35.503 34,414 27,360 23,287 18,459 17,639 14,207 12,950 Total 236,449 70,552 50,912 42,271 35,355 27,087 19,458 40,112 51,704 15,614 % change over I966f + 5.5 + 8.1 + 2.1 + 13.5 - 0.6 - 6.3 - 17.3 + 15.5 + 13.0 - 3.3 Passengers handled Total 12,633,309 1,962,785 1.464,265 1,548,117 483,283 985.265 129,608 476,822 564,275 416,663 %change over 1966 + 5.6 + 20.4 nil + B.7 + 14.9 - 2.3 -23.5 - 0.6 + 5.6 - 2.4 Cargo handled Total (tonnes) 249,913.5 17,275.1 30,517.5 11,497.3 49,904.9 20,413.4 50,526.7 14,521.1 4,175.8 3,723.2 % change over 1966 + 8.1+ 1.6 + 1.8+ 4.2 -20.3-22.6 -27.6- 12.9 + 2.8 - 13.5 Channel Islands Jersey Guernsey 30,451 16.936 n.a.n.a. - 2.4?+ 8.7* Total, UK airports (excluding Channel Islands) 19631964 19651966 1967 457,742 480,191 507,515 556,236 565,803 817,601 884,211 956,572 1,093,258 1,213,270 Total, Channel Islands airports 1966 1967 49.808 50,274 1,138.591 449,098 16,170,463 18,324,628 20,642,236 23,356,260 24,743,985 1,568,682 1,616,558 2.9 4.1 11,171.2 I -1305,588.5 - \S2 360,044.4 399,089 5 418 199 5 5I7J95 3 488,425.8 19,753.9 Board of Trade 1967 traffic figures for the first ten British airports in order of number of air transport movements. The two mam Channel Islands airports are shown separately •Airports are shown in order of n"mb*[ °'ssen- transport movements. Racings by number oi P gers handled are given in brackets. , |sjan<Js t Refers to total movements, except Channel (see next footnote), j Refers to air transport movements.
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