EAST MIDLANDS AIRPORT

Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4
 

Less than two weeks after the name change to Nottingham East Midlands, BMI Baby, who instigated the change, issued boarding cards to passengers with Derby as the stated destination. A case of the left hand not knowing what the right's doing. And almost a month after the official name change, BMI Baby was still distributing Babyonboard brochures to passengers which refer to the airport by its old name.

BMI Baby was the first airline to use Nottingham to promote the airport when it began describing East Midlands Airport as Nottingham as part of an advertising campaign in Paris and Amsterdam. The magazine came under fire in July 2003 when it incorrectly printed the distances from the airport to Derby as 17 miles and the distance from Nottingham to the airport as 13 miles.

East Midlands Airport bosses promised to promote employment opportunities in a bid to calm a growing storm over their decision to add Nottingham to the airport's name. But, within 48 hours, talk at the airport was not of boosting employment, but of slashing 39 jobs in a shake-up of the way one of its long-stay car parks operates. Currently, Car Park Seven works under a valet parking system where drivers hand over their car keys so attendants can park their cars, but the airport is planning to change to a self-service system, where drivers park their own cars.

The airport's car parks are all operated by Manchester Airport Aviation Services Limited (MAAS), part of the Manchester Airport Group, which owns EMA, and says it has no plans for compulsory redundancies, and is trying to find alternative employment for the workers. Alternative jobs could be found at EMA or within the group, which also includes Manchester, Bournemouth and Humberside airports. Representatives have been elected from the workforce to serve on a consultation committee to discuss the redundancies. EMA said the valet-style parking system was always a temporary option.

The news follows hard on the heels of a meeting between Graham Keddie, EMA's managing director, the leader of Derby City Council, Maurice Burgess, and his counterpart in Leicester, Roger Blackmore. The meeting was set up following fierce opposition among Derby politicians, business leaders and residents to EMA's name change. It was agreed at the meeting that Derby, Leicester and the airport would work on employment opportunities for residents and discuss improving transport links and tourism opportunities. Car park attendant Stephen Brown, of Derby, among those facing redundancy said, "What made me mad was that Graham Keddie said he wants to encourage jobs at the airport, but on the other hand they are making people redundant."

A planning application to extend the international departure lounge at East Midlands Airport has been thrown out by councillors. The airport had expected its plans for a 1,800 sq m (19,375 sq ft) extension to be rubber-stamped by North West Leicestershire Council planning committee but councillors refused the application on the grounds of increased traffic and noise nuisance to local residents.

A statement issued by the council said, "It was felt by members of the planning group that an increased size in terminal building would mean increased numbers of passengers, therefore more flights and consequently more noise, which would be detrimental to lives of local people." EMA said the planned extension, which was about one-third the size of a football pitch and would have made the departure lounge about 40%, was "necessary" to accommodate increasing passenger numbers, forecast to reach five million annually by the end of 2004.

A spokeswoman for EMA said it was "obviously disappointed and a little surprised" by the decision and said, "We are seeking clarification as to the reason for the decision before deciding our next course of action." She added that the airport "is one of the fastest growing airports in the UK and is highly-committed to continuing to provide friendly and efficient service for all its customers, and takes its responsibility to serving its passengers and the community very seriously."

I would like to remind people that it was BMI that was instrumental in the ridiculous and unpopular renaming of East Midlands Airport to Nottingham East Midlands Airport. I am surprised that people are surprised by the treatment received from BMI, after all they instigated this name change and basically did not care about what anyone else felt.

In view of their current form and the disdain they obviously feel about Derbyshire and Leicestershire residents, why should they show any compassion and feelings towards what are only after all, fare-paying passengers. Years ago I did a CSE geography project on East Midlands Airport and, in those days, was proud to include what was British Midland Airlines in my report.

I later travelled many times with British Midland when they consistently won airline of the year awards in the UK. Now I certainly feel no pride about this new airline. And don't the authorities behind East Midlands Airport yet realise that the locals still refuse to recognise the ridiculous Nottingham prefix i.e. fare-paying passengers. David P Murphy