Rosenbauer's 1000th Panther vehicle will be delivered to London Stansted in June. (KEY-Tom Allett)

Austrian fire service specialist Rosenbauer has handed over its 1000^th Panther vehicle at a ceremony held at Linz Airport. 

The landmark 1000^th Panther vehicle is due to be delivered to Stansted Airport, UK, in June.  It will be the UK first airport fire truck to have rear-wheel steering amongst its specifications. 

Stansted’s Airport Fire Manager, Darren Barthram, ceremoniously accepted the vehicle from Rosenbauer’s CEO, Dr Dieter Siegel and stated that the arrival of the Panther was a milestone for all BAA’s airports. 

Mr Barthram told Airports International that the vehicle was due to undertake its final pre-delivery checks on May 15 and have some minor cosmetic changes carried out before being delivered to Stansted by June 11.  The vehicle is expected to enter service at the London airport by the end of June, after its fire crews have completed their local training on the vehicle.

The LEED Silver-certified Rental Car Facility is due to start operations on May 17. (Sea-Tac)

On May 9, Port of Seattle, community and industry officials watched a brand new shuttle bus cut through the inaugural ribbon for the Rental Car Facility (RCF) at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.

The five-storey, 2.1 million sq ft (195,096m²) building is due to open for business on May 17.  The LEED Silver-certified development is on track to complete at around $20 million under budget.

Port of Seattle Commission President Gael Tarleton commented:  “Building this facility created 3,900 construction jobs and generated $25 million in local taxes.”

The project, which cost $419 million, includes the RCF, a 22,000sq ft (2,044m²) bus maintenance facility, off-site road improvements, main terminal improvements and the initial purchase of compressed natural gas shuttle buses.

Up to 40,000 passengers will see the futuristic livery, which will be in place for one month to mark the pod system’s first anniversary. (Heathrow)

London Heathrow has marked the first anniversary of its pod transport system by giving the gadget magazine Stuff the opportunity to customise the livery of one of its vehicles.

This is the first time Heathrow has worked with a partner to customise a pod’s livery, and it is hoped that more brands will follow.  The pods transport up to 500,000 passengers per year between the Terminal 5 Business Car Park and the main terminal.  This means that Stuff will communicate with up to 40,000 passengers during the month that its livery will be in place.

Fraser Brown, MD of Ultra, the company that developed the pod system, commented:  “Working with Stuff has been a really exciting process.  Their bespoke design is inspired by the world of science fiction and space travel, and is perfectly suited to the pods and their environment.”

Atlas Air will provide Etihad Cargo with its first Boeing 747-400 Freighter in June. (Atlas)

Etihad Airways has signed a contract with Atlas Air, Inc to attain its first Boeing 747-400 Freighter.

The aircraft, which can carry a payload of 124 tons, will be used by Etihad Cargo to transport goods on routes to and from Africa, Europe, India and China via its Abu Dhabi hub.  Delivery and commencement of operations are scheduled for June 2012.

The contract is for one aircraft under a multi-year Aircraft, Crew, Maintenance and Insurance agreement.  The new freighter will bring Etihad Cargo’s fleet to six.

James Hogan, Etihad Airways’ President and CEO, commented:  “In Atlas Air, we have found a first-rate partner focused on operational excellence, security and outstanding customer service.”

William J Flynn, President and CEO of Atlas Air Worldwide, added:  “We look forward to welcoming not only a new customer for Atlas Air, but also future opportunities to strategic expansion for both companies.”

From left to right: Tony Farmer, London Oxford Airport Head of Sales and Route Development; and representing Manx2.com, Anne Hartley, Business Development Executive; Judith Musgrave, Senior Manager; and David Buck, Managing Director. (London Oxford Airport)

The first scheduled daily flights by air travel provider Manx2.com from London Oxford Airport to Jersey and the Isle of Man began yesterday (May 8).  The carrier says that to date, the Oxford route is selling four times as many seats as its Leeds-Isle of Man counterpart, with a total of 2,000 bookings so far.

Year-round services have been pledged by Manx2.com, with fares starting at £49.95 one-way to the Isle of Man, and £54.95 one-way to Jersey.

The airport’s MD, Chris Orphanou, commented:  “We are delighted that Manx2.com has recognised the benefits of London Oxford Airport and we’ve recently recruited five new terminal staff as a consequence of the new flights being established.”

Berlin-Brandenburg Airport will not be completed on schedule, due to technical issues concerning fire protection installations. (BER)

The opening of the new Berlin-Brandenburg Airport, Germany, will be delayed until after the summer, according to a statement released today (May 8 ) by the airport operator.

After stipulating “safety is our number one priority,” the statement explained that, “technical issues concerning fire protection installations” had made deferral of the airport’s opening necessary.  As a result of these issues, air traffic from Schönefeld and Tegel airports will not be moving over to the new international gateway until further notice.

The airport was due to open on June 3 and currently has 7,000 construction workers on site.  Open days on May 12 and 13 – during which vistors will be able to explore the facility and its grounds – will take place as scheduled despite the delay.

The framework agreement will allow airports to incorporate Boon Edam’s Airport Swinglane (pictured) within SITA’s communications and IT solutions. (Boon Edam)

Security access solutions provider Royal Boon Edam BV and air transport IT provider SITA have signed a framework agreement for the supply and purchase of Boon Edam’s self-service airport boarding gate, the Airport Swinglane.

The non-exclusive agreement will allow SITA – a common-use terminal equipment provider for around 85% of the world’s airports – to incorporate the gate within its communications and IT solutions.  This will ensure that airports and airlines will receive not just the mechanical product, but also “first line service and plug-and-play installation.”

Bart van der Steen, Business Development Manager of Boon Edam, stated that the airport sector would now be provided with, “the best self-service initiatives, of which automated boarding is expected to be adopted and accepted by the worldwide market in the near future.”

The Airport Swinglane has already been certified with SITA on its AirportConnectOpen platform for more than a year.  It is the latest addition to Boon Edam’s airport-specific product range.

Under new ownership, DTVA has launched a new marketing campaign to attract passengers. (DTVA)

A new marketing campaign from Durham Tees Valley Airport (DTVA) and major partner airline KLM Royal Dutch Airlines is aimed at highlighting global links from the airport, by telling passengers: “The World’s On Your Doorstep.”

The campaign is one of the first initiatives to be implemented since the February announcement that Peel Investments, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Peel Group, had acquired a majority shareholding in the airport.

Recently-appointed Chairman Robert Hough explained the launch of the marketing campaign:  “We always knew there was tremendous local pride in the airport and since February we have built on that, establishing close links with many different partners and interests, including our local authorities and Tees Valley Limited.”

Passengers are being reminded of the extensive flight network available to them from KLM’s hub in Amsterdam Schiphol, to which there are three daily flights from DTVA.  The carrier’s latest destination is Lusaka, Zambia, which will be offered through Schiphol from May 15.

The campaign aims to engage with the local business community, incorporate a range of promotional activities as well as using radio and newspaper advertising.

H E Mohammed Ahli, Director General of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority (DCAA), said:  “No matter how sleek and contemporary its architecture and design, an airport is always going to be judged by its security, service standards and the capability to handle peak periods and irregular operations.  For the airport operators, it’s crucial to alleviate these concerns by adopting innovative technology.  Airports are seeking to improve security, find new ways of streamlining efficiencies, creating new loyalty solutions and offering enhanced services.”

More than 178 exhibitors and thousands of visitors from more than 60 countries are expected at the show.  Security service companies from more than 28 countries, including Germany, the UK and the US, will display a wide range of innovative products.