Latest news with #Jandu
The Herald Scotland
10-05-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Glasgow Airport chief reveals major flights update
The transformation of the main terminal building at Glasgow Airport would deliver 'best-in-class operational and retail facilities for passengers'. AviAlliance's plans for Glasgow Airport also include direct investment into airfield infrastructure and energy-efficiency initiatives. And AviAlliance revealed Aberdeen Airport, Europe's largest heliport, would see 'similar investment in its airfield infrastructure'. I was able to catch a word with Kam Jandu, who was installed by AviAlliance as the new chief executive of AGS Airports immediately after completion of the AGS acquisition, as the huge investment by the new owner was unveiled at Glasgow Airport. And it was interesting to hear his priorities for new routes and building passenger numbers generally, as well as his views on the rise of Edinburgh Airport. Mr Jandu revealed the airport is in talks with Emirates about the airline increasing its daily service to Dubai to double-daily. He voiced hopes this could happen in the next two to three years, with Emirates operating a daily narrow-body aeroplane flight on the Glasgow to Dubai route in addition to the existing daily service on the Airbus A380, which is the world's largest passenger aircraft. Mr Jandu declared Emirates' current daily Glasgow to Dubai service on the A380 was 'a huge deal' for the airport and a 'feather in our cap'. He told me: 'We are talking about them expanding that to a double-daily.' Asked if this was likely to happen, he quipped he was not a betting man but added: 'The double-daily – with the A380 and a narrow body [plane] – yes, I can see that happening in the next two to three years. And to have the second daily as a wide body – probably in five to six years.' Mr Jandu named Copenhagen, Madrid, Berlin and Milan as four examples of priorities for new direct flights from Glasgow and highlighted his view there was a need for 'more connectivity' with three key European hubs with which Glasgow already has connections: Amsterdam, Paris and Frankfurt. Mr Jandu meanwhile described the prospects of winning direct flights to North America as 'good' and highlighted talks with US airlines. My column in The Herald on the interview with Glasgow Airport's new chief observed: 'The priorities laid out by Mr Jandu on building connectivity and increasing passenger numbers generally were eminently sensible. 'The proof of the pudding will be in the execution of the plans, but it was good to see he was in confident form and that much effort is being made on various key fronts.' Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes attended Glasgow Airport for the unveiling of the major investment plans by AviAlliance, a wholly owned subsidiary of PSP Investments which has stakes in Athens, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, and San Juan (Puerto Rico) airports. Read more This provided the opportunity to ask a couple of questions about the future of Prestwick Airport. Ms Forbes highlighted the Scottish Government's 'very clear lines' that it wants Prestwick Airport to continue to operate as an airport after any sale. The Deputy First Minister said the Scottish Government continued to 'make progress' in terms of its aspirations to return Prestwick Airport, which it rescued in 2013 by buying the airport from Infratil of New Zealand for £1, to the private sector. However, Ms Forbes said she was unable to provide an update on an 'active bid' for Prestwick Airport, which was confirmed in late March by First Minister John Swinney, declaring the matter was 'so commercially sensitive' Asked in late March by Scottish Parliament economy and fair work committee convener and South Scotland Labour MSP Colin Smyth if he was aware of an active bid for Prestwick Airport, Mr Swinney replied: 'I am. That's a matter that's currently under very active consideration.' Ms Forbes, who highlighted Prestwick Airport's cargo operations, said: 'We have set out very clear lines that we want Prestwick to continue to operate as an airport. 'My view is Scotland is small enough to be able to support multiple airports but for those airports to be complementary to one another.' Prestwick Airport forecast in February its direct workforce would rise from 354 to around 400 with its expansion plans for its cargo operations. The airport puts the number of jobs that it supports in the aerospace cluster in and around it at about 4,000. In a column for The Herald on Sunday, I observed: 'Prestwick Airport is certainly of great strategic importance. 'So it is reassuring to hear Ms Forbes emphasise the Scottish Government's 'very clear lines' about wanting it to continue as an airport after any sale.' Donald Trump's trade tariff war has, not surprisingly, never been far from the spotlight in the past month and has provided much about which to write. The US President's 'Liberation Day' announcement of the US's tariffs on imports from various countries around the world, on April 2, sent stock markets gyrating wildly. It always looked like this was going to be the first rather than last chapter of the manoeuvrings, notably by Mr Trump but also by other world leaders, and so it has proved, with the greatest friction perhaps predictably coming in the US-China relationship. The only thing that seems certain is that this soap opera has a long way to run. Senior Scottish economist Jeremy Peat told The Herald on April 7: 'The dramatic response of global stock markets to Donald Trump's mad cap scheme to raise tariffs across the board was simply inevitable and wholly predictable. 'The immediate impact across all economies and all companies in the traded goods sectors was clearly going to be adverse. 'To me this implies a much weaker global economy for at least a year or two.' As I observed on the Trump tariff moves in a column for The Herald on Sunday: 'While the plot twists might be fascinating to watch, we must hope we move from all this drama and financial market turbulence to a calmer situation as quickly as possible. However, to say that remains to be seen would certainly be an understatement. 'We must also hope that, when the dust settles, what we are left with in terms of the global trade position and the broader fall-out from all of this does not do too much damage to the real economy, in the UK, the US and globally. 'From a UK perspective, the last thing businesses and households need is even tougher times than those they have been enduring.' This article was first published in Business HQ Monthly
The Herald Scotland
28-04-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Glasgow Airport chief's flights news as transformation looms
Also encouraging was the determination and confidence of new Glasgow Airport chief Kam Jandu around building connectivity, as he highlighted key priorities on this front. Mr Jandu took over as chief executive of Glasgow, Aberdeen and Southampton airports owner AGS earlier this year following AviAlliance's acquisition of AGS. The degree to which Edinburgh Airport has outperformed Glasgow Airport since around the turn of the millennium has been striking. Glasgow Airport's lack of direct North American flights contrasts starkly with the days when it had several flag carriers which operated services to the US and to Canada. And the days when Glasgow was Scotland's biggest airport, while also not really that long ago, seem like a distant memory in terms of its current passenger numbers relative to Edinburgh. Glasgow Airport, which it must be recognised has seen a strong rebound in its passenger numbers in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, had around 8.2 million passengers last year. In 2024, Edinburgh became the first Scottish airport to ever exceed 15 million passengers in a year. AviAlliance, the wholly owned airports platform of one of Canada's largest pension investors, revealed its plans for the transformation of the main terminal building at Glasgow on Wednesday as it unveiled an overall £350 million investment in the growth and decarbonisation of its three UK airports over five years. And it seemed at pains, not surprisingly given the extent of the capital expenditure and its determination to drive passenger traffic growth, to highlight the scale of what it is planning at Glasgow Airport. AviAlliance declared its plans constituted the 'single largest capital investment programme in AGS since it was formed in 2014'. Read more It talked about creating 'best-in-class' operational and retail facilities at Glasgow Airport, and Mr Jandu also highlighted a drive to enhance dining options as the stops are pulled out to optimise the passenger experience. The project is expected to increase the space in Glasgow Airport's main terminal building by about 20%. Mr Jandu described the prospects of winning direct flights to North America as 'good' and highlighted talks taking place with US airlines. He also spoke about a need for 'more connectivity' with three key European hubs with which Glasgow already has connections: Amsterdam, Paris and Frankfurt. This seems eminently sensible, given that these options may well be preferable to London Heathrow to many people when they are embarking on long-haul trips. Greater connectivity with the three key European hubs identified by Mr Jandu would certainly provide far more choice for travellers thinking about flying from Glasgow Airport to a raft of different destinations around the world. Mr Jandu meanwhile flagged Copenhagen, Madrid, Berlin and Milan as four examples of priorities for new direct flights from Glasgow. It would undoubtedly be good to have direct connections between Glasgow and these cities, and the aspiration of securing such links seems like a perfectly realistic one. Mr Jandu also revealed Glasgow Airport is in talks with Emirates about the airline increasing its daily service to Dubai to double-daily. Emirates currently operates a daily Airbus A380 service between Glasgow and Dubai. Read more Asked if a move to a double-daily service was likely to happen, Mr Jandu replied: 'The double-daily - with the A380 and a narrow body [plane] - yes, I can see that happening in the next two to three years. And to have the second daily as a wide body - probably five to six years' time.' It will be fascinating to watch the physical evolution of Glasgow Airport and how its endeavours in seeking new routes and increasing passenger numbers more generally work out. Bearing in mind the importance of airports to the economies and labour markets around them, the airport will hopefully enjoy a resurgence under its new ownership. Prestwick Airport has also been in the spotlight this week. Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes highlighted the Scottish Government's 'very clear lines' that it wants Prestwick Airport to continue to operate as an airport after any sale. Ms Forbes said the Scottish Government continued to 'make progress' in terms of its aspirations to return Prestwick Airport, which it rescued in 2013 by buying the airport from Infratil of New Zealand for £1, to the private sector. She made these comments when asked about Prestwick during a visit to Glasgow Airport for the major investment announcement by AviAlliance. However, Ms Forbes said she was unable to provide an update on an 'active bid' for Prestwick Airport which was confirmed late last month by First Minister John Swinney - declaring that the matter was 'so commercially sensitive'. Asked about the importance of the jobs at Prestwick Airport and the employment supported by the airport, in the context of any potential sale, Ms Forbes replied: 'We have obviously saved Prestwick Airport more than a decade ago, precisely because of its strategic importance to the Scottish economy.' Prestwick Airport is certainly of great strategic importance. So it is reassuring to hear Ms Forbes emphasise the Scottish Government's 'very clear lines' about wanting it to continue as an airport after any sale.
Scottish Sun
25-04-2025
- Business
- Scottish Sun
Scots airport ‘in talks' to double daily service to popular destination
Other direct flights from Glasgow have been suggested GLASGOW airport is reportedly in talks with Emirates about doubling its daily service to Dubai. It's hoped the increase in flights could happen over the next two to three years. Advertisement 2 Glasgow Airport boss Kam Jandu hopes to increase flights to Dubai Credit: News Group Newspapers Ltd Glasgow Airport boss Kam Jandu said the current Dubai flight was 'a huge deal' for the airport and a 'feather in our cap', according to The Herald. The travel hub chief has also revealed his ambitions for other direct flights from Glasgow. Mr Jandu prioritised Copenhagen, Madrid, Berlin and Milan as four examples. Elsewhere a major airline has launched thousands of flights to and from Scotland next year. Advertisement Budget carrier easyJet unveiled more than 8,000 trips across its network, including 107 destinations in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. Millions of seats across more than 138,000 flights between March 23 and June 14, 2026, including for next year's Easter holidays, are now available to book. Over 75,000 flights to and from the UK and over 8,000 flights and 1.5 million seats are now on sale to and from Scotland. Tour operator easyJet holidays is also offering thousands of package holidays for spring 2026 to over 100 beach and city destinations across Europe and North Africa. Advertisement Destinations include beach destinations such as Palma de Mallorca, Antalya, Tenerife and Rhodes, and popular city escapes such as Amsterdam, Barcelona and Paris. All packages include flights and hotel, with 23kg luggage and transfers on all beach getaways. Stomach-churning moment plane is forced to abort landing at Glasgow Airport during Storm Ashley Holidaymakers looking for inspiration can use easyJet's Low Fare Finder. Ali Gayward, easyJet's UK Country Manager, said: "We are very pleased to be putting our spring 2026 schedule on sale today, so that customers from Scotland can book early and enjoy low fares on thousands of flights and brilliant value package holidays for a spring break or Easter getaway. Advertisement "We are fully focused on providing low fares and with seats available from just £21.99 across thousands of flights on hundreds of routes to fantastic beach, ski and city destinations across Europe and North Africa, now is a great time to book with easyJet and easyJet holidays." It comes months after easyJet announced the launch of flights from Edinburgh Airport to the historic city of Bordeaux, France.
The Herald Scotland
23-04-2025
- Business
- The Herald Scotland
Emirates flights talks revealed by Glasgow Airport chief
He said Emirates' current daily Glasgow to Dubai service on the A380 was 'a huge deal' for the airport and a 'feather in our cap'. And Mr Jandu, who was speaking immediately after a huge investment in the airport was announced today, revealed: 'We are talking about them expanding that to a double-daily.' Asked if this was likely to happen, Mr Jandu quipped that he was not a betting man but added: 'The double-daily - with the A380 and a narrow body [plane] - yes, I can see that happening in the next two to three years. And to have the second daily as a wide body - probably five to six years' time.' Mr Jandu also revealed his priorities for new routes, as he highlighted loss of market share in recent years and hopes that a huge investment can drive passenger growth. He declared: 'Maybe about 14% of the people who could be flying from here are making the trip to Edinburgh.' Mr Jandu, who took over as chief executive of Glasgow, Aberdeen and Southampton airports owner AGS earlier this year following AviAlliance's acquisition of AGS, also described the prospects of winning direct flights to North America as 'good' and highlighted talks with US airlines. He named Copenhagen, Madrid, Berlin and Milan as four examples of priorities for new direct flights from Glasgow. Mr Jandu also hammered home his view that there was a need for 'more connectivity' with three key European hubs with which Glasgow already has connections: Amsterdam, Paris and Frankfurt. He flagged the importance of these hubs to people looking to fly from Glasgow Airport to many different destinations around the world. Read more Since around the turn of the millennium, Edinburgh Airport has enjoyed significantly better fortunes in driving passenger traffic up than Glasgow Airport. Last year, Edinburgh became the first Scottish airport to ever exceed 15 million passengers in a year. Glasgow Airport, which has seen a strong rebound in its passenger numbers in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, had around 8.2 million passengers last year. AviAlliance, the wholly owned airports platform of one of Canada's largest pension investors, today revealed plans for a 'comprehensive transformation' of the main terminal building at Glasgow as part of a £350 million investment in the growth and decarbonisation of its three UK airports over five years. It declared its plans constituted the 'single largest capital investment programme in AGS since it was formed in 2014'. The 'concept designs' are aimed at showing 'the art of the possible' as the 'comprehensive transformation' of the main terminal building at Glasgow Airport moves ahead (Image: AGS Airports) Asked if he believed the investment would help Glasgow Airport close the gap with Edinburgh Airport in terms of passenger numbers, Mr Jandu replied: 'Yes and no. I think [yes] in the sense [of] the more flights we get to come to Glasgow. 'They (airlines) will come here because they see an opportunity and because we are the biggest city in Scotland, and that is an opportunity for them to come back. 'Our conversations with the airline - it is not an either or [between Glasgow and Edinburgh].' Mr Jandu highlighted the fact that the likes of Jet2 and easyJet fly from both Glasgow and Edinburgh airports. He declared: 'Edinburgh are going to face challenges with capacity at some point.' However, he added: 'This isn't us against Edinburgh. We want to get our market share back.' Mr Jandu observed: 'The reality in modern aviation is we don't just compete with Edinburgh…The goal is not to steal anything that wasn't naturally ours back from Edinburgh. Our natural market share has shrunk over the last decade and that is not right.' Asked what had caused the drop in market share at Glasgow Airport, Mr Jandu replied: 'The main reason is because there are more airlines that took the decision to fly from Edinburgh, whatever the reason.' He added: 'Slowly but surely, we are optimistic about regaining some of that share.' 'Concept design' for planned transformation of Glasgow Airport's main terminal building (Image: AGS Airports) Glasgow Chamber of Commerce chief executive Stuart Patrick has been among those to highlight Glasgow's lack of direct flights to North America in recent times as a key issue for the airport and the regional economy. In decades past, Glasgow Airport had several North American flag carriers operating out of it. Asked about the prospects of Glasgow winning North American routes, Mr Jandu replied: 'The prospects are good. There is a whole macro, political discussion going on in America [with] trans-regional traffic going down. All four of the major US airlines are saying, 'We might have some extra capacity'.' Read more He expressed hopes that Glasgow could win some of this extra capacity, highlighting these airlines' extra-long-range, narrow-body aircraft, and declared this was 'potentially on the radar' for 2026 or 2027. Mr Jandu also emphasised the importance of ensuring quick turnaround times for airlines for which this was a key priority, and the part which the planned investment could play in this for Glasgow Airport. He said: 'Airlines are saying to us, 'We want to go where we can operate punctually'.' Mr Jandu highlighted the importance of the major investment being embarked upon at Glasgow Airport in the decision-making of airlines when they were considering 'growth and expandability'. Another of the 'concept designs' for the planned transformation of Glasgow Airport's main terminal building (Image: AGS Airports) He said the 'vast majority' of the £350m investment would be in Scotland, and the 'vast majority' of that would be at Glasgow. AGS Airports noted that the 'transformation' of the main terminal building at Glasgow Airport was likely to increase the space by around 20%. Mr Jandu highlighted plans to invest in the retail and dining offerings for passengers. AviAlliance, a wholly owned subsidiary of PSP Investments which has stakes in Athens, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, and San Juan (Puerto Rico) airports, also plans direct investment into airfield infrastructure and energy-efficiency initiatives. Scottish Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes joined Mr Jandu at Glasgow Airport at the announcement of the investment, with what an AGS Airports spokesman described as 'concept designs' around 'the art of the possible' on display in the check-in area. Ms Forbes said of the planned investment: 'This is huge. It is transformational.' She added: 'This significant investment in Scotland by AGS will bring incredible benefits through improved infrastructure at both Glasgow and Aberdeen airports, and to our wider economy. 'Good international connectivity is key to economic growth in Scotland. It enables flow of trade, investment, labour and tourism, which will contribute to our prosperity. Additionally, the commitment to sustainability is welcome as we progress towards a net zero future.'
BBC News
04-03-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Southampton: Loganair opens base a creates job opportunities
A regional airline says it will create local job opportunities as it announces its 10th regional will create the facility at Southampton Airport, generating new jobs for pilots, cabin crew and airline also plans to launch two new routes as well as increasing capacity for one of its existing executive officer Luke Farajallah said: "We are delighted to be announcing a new base which is a logical and important strategic step for the UK's largest regional airline." From the 26 October new routes from Southampton to Manchester and Manchester to Exeter have been added to the airline's has also increased from 49 to 72 passengers on the Southampton to Edinburgh routes via Manchester to Inverness and Aberdeen will also become Jandu, chief executive of AGS Airports that operates Southampton, said: "Manchester is the most sought-after route by businesses across the region and was previously used by more than 200,000 passengers per year. "The re-introduction of this route will further strengthen the economic ties between the two cities."Mr Farajallah said: "Southampton offers a unique location and we believe the markets, local people and businesses will respond well to our presence in this thriving part of the UK."We are also looking forward to welcoming our new team members who will be recruited from the local areas." You can follow BBC Hampshire & Isle of Wight on Facebook, X, or Instagram.
