Airport reveals ‘new look’ as it modernises for the future

Ambitious proposals which will see Durham Tees Valley Airport move to a unique ‘twin terminal’ operation have been revealed by the Peel Airports Group today.

The plans—which will see the terminal building divided in a ‘premium’ area targeted at scheduled services and business travellers and another area which will handle holiday charter and ‘low cost’ services—are part of a wholesale business review designed to ensure that the airport is able to respond to the current economic situation and be in a position to secure its long-term future.

Today Airport Director Kerry Quinn stressed that the new-look airport had been developed following detailed discussions with airlines and was already delivering results—highlighted by Eastern Airways’ recently-introduced service to Southampton. The good news is expected to continue in the near future, with talks ongoing with other airlines about new business opportunities at the airport.

Airport chiefs believe that the changes will help deliver a significant increase in passenger numbers in the coming year...as well as the new scheduled services it has already been announced that next summer will see new flights to Jersey and additional flights to Turkey.

Said Kerry Quinn “All the feedback we have received on the plans from our airline partners and customers has been resoundingly positive. There is a clear need for a local, convenient and passenger-friendly airport serving the Tees Valley, Durham and North Yorkshire. That has always been the philosophy at Durham Tees Valley—and it will be strengthened by the changes we are making as a result of this major business review.

“We will be able to offer a year-round service in our ‘premium’ area, providing the quality of service which scheduled service passengers—especially business travellers—now expect, such as dedicated lounge facilities, speedy security lanes and wi-fi internet access.

“The other ‘leisure’ area will be brought into operation to meet the peak holiday periods, again with the right range of services for that market, aimed at making people’s experience as stress-free and relaxed as possible.

“We have also decided that it makes economic and operational sense to reduce our normal operating hours from 4.00am to 10.00pm, whilst retaining the flexibility to handle aircraft outside those hours if required.”

The proposals announced today also involves changes in workforce levels, working arrangements and terms and conditions—and the airport has begun consultations with staff and trade unions.

Explained Kerry Quinn “Every aspect of air travel has been hit by the economic crisis and we have to look at how best we can respond to the greatly changed world in which we are now operating, at the same time as ensuring that we are in a position to exploit all possible opportunities for the future.

“We cannot escape the fact that, in order to make this concept viable, we need to do things better and smarter—and inevitably that has to mean changes for our workforce. Regrettably, creating financial stability in the current economic situation does mean reducing our overall staff numbers and modernising all aspects of the operation, including looking at those services we can best deliver ‘in house’ and those which are best outsourced, together with the introduction of greater flexibility through multi-skilling.

“We do appreciate that this will be a difficult period for our staff and we are fully committed to full consultation with them and their representative trade unions in order to ensure that the measures we feel we have to take are dealt with as fairly and sensitively as possible.

“Implementing change is never easy, but we firmly believe the proposals we have announced today provide the best way forward to ensure that the airport has a sound future and can continue to make a valuable contribution to our local economy.”

The proposals involve potentially up to 32 job losses—meaning future staffing at the airport would total 143—and the introduction of ‘multi skilling’ in a number of areas. In addition cleaning services and services for passengers with reduced mobility—currently provided by outside contractors—potentially will be undertaken by the airport’s staff, whilst fire and engineering operations could be potentially outsourced.

Managers from the airport have met with full time trade union officials from the GMB, who have agreed to work in partnership with the business to secure a sustainable future for the airport.