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Finavia has built an underground wetland at Helsinki Airport to improve water management. The project is the first of its kind in the Nordic countries.“Water management is an important part of our environmental work, and we do our best to ensure good conditions for flora and fauna alike in nearby streams. The new underground wetland will improve the condition of the streams by improving the quality and oxygen balance of the water flowing to them,” says Mikko Viinikainen, Vice President, Sustainability & Environment at Finavia.
The underground wetland is a basin filled with gravel and sealed at the bottom, where the storm water that drains onto its surface is cleaned when it passes through the gravel layer. The cleaning is enhanced by the compressed air supplied from the bottom of the basin through the aeration system.
This is an exceptional structure and first of its kind at a Nordic airport.
“Quantitative and qualitative water management reduces the load on bodies of water and the erosion of streams caused by aircraft deicing and runway anti-skid agents,” says Finavia’s Environmental Expert Tuija Hänninen.
“Storm water passes through the gravel into underdrains, and air bubbles from the aeration pipes below the underdrains oxidise the water. Aeration also prevents the wetland from freezing in winter. The layer growing on the treatment layer, in turn, acts as insulation in cold weather.ADVERTISEMENTThe surface area of the wetland is 3,200 square metres. The basin is built from 7,000 cubic metres of gravel. The aeration system of the wetland has a total of 150 metres of steel pipes, through which a fan feeds compressed air into the area at a rate of thousands of cubic metres per hour. In addition, there are hundreds of metres of sewer pipes and cables.Similar wetlands have been tested at other airports around the world, such as Buffalo Niagara Airport and London Heathrow Airport.
“The activity of the wetland is monitored both continuously and with water samples analysed in a laboratory. Sensors continuously provide information on the wetland’s flow and oxygen concentrations, and this information is used to control the aeration of the wetland and water circulation speed,” Hänninen says.
The completion of the underground wetland at Helsinki Airport is a significant investment in improving the quality of bodies of water in the surrounding areas and in managing the quality of stormwater.

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Following two years impacted by the COVID pandemic, 2022 heralded a return to growth with 3 million passengers choosing to fly to and from the central London hub.Amsterdam, with up to 13 daily rotations per day with KLM and British Airways, was the busiest route, with 392,000 passengers flying between the two European capitals.
Domestically, Edinburgh remained the busiest LCY route, reaching over 302,000 passengers for the year.
2022 also saw new summer sun routes like San Sebastian, Barcelona and Thessaloniki added to the departure board as well as increased summer rotations to the Balearics and Greek Islands.
The airport, which avoided the queues and disruption seen at many other airports over the summer, saw its growth in leisure travel reflected in the top 5 busiest days being split across June and July, peaking on June 6th with 14,418 passengers.
LCY also continued to be the airport of choice for corporate travellers, with the latest CAA passenger statistics showing that the majority of passengers in September, October and November were flying on business.ADVERTISEMENTThe airport also scooped two Best UK airport honours last year, as well as being recognised by Which? as providing the quickest airport security experience.And in 2023, LCY will look to further improve its market leading passenger proposition with every security lane being upgraded with the latest, state of the art, CT scanners by April. This will mean passengers no longer need to take their laptops or liquids out of their hand luggage.
In addition, ahead of what promises to be a busy summer, reaching close to 2019 levels, the airport will look to complete a £12 million transformation of its departure area, bringing new restaurants, an expanded Duty Free, more seats and new toilets, for passengers.
Looking ahead, the airport’s CEO, Robert Sinclair said:
“2022 proved how resilient we are as a business and just how much our passengers value the speed, convenience and consistently high levels of customer service which we offer at London City.
“In 2023, as people plan holidays or business trips, I believe the airport experience will be play an even bigger factor, and the good news for returning and first-time passengers is that we will be making flying through LCY even easier in the year ahead, with significant investments in security and in our departures area underway.
“LCY is an incredibly important strategic asset for London and in the year ahead we will be working closely with airlines to increase volumes, develop new, exciting routes and welcome more of the latest new generation aircraft, which operate to the highest of environmental standards.”
LCY’s first new route of 2023 will be Antwerp with Luxair which will commence from Monday, operating three times a week, upping to four from April.

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Abu Dhabi Airports announced the appointment of Maureen Bannerman as the company’s new Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) effective from January 2, 2023.A highly accomplished leader and seasoned professional with over 20 years’ experience primarily within the aviation industry, Bannerman has joined Abu Dhabi Airports following a successful tenure as Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of APM Terminal at the Khalifa Bin Salman Port in Bahrain. In addition to her invaluable aviation experience, she also brings extensive expertise in the logistics and transport fields, having held positions at renowned organisations such as Serco and Network Rail in the UK.
H.E. Eng. Jamal Salem Al Dhaheri, Managing Director & CEO of Abu Dhabi Airports, said: “We are delighted to welcome Maureen to Abu Dhabi Airports as part of our Executive Team. We are confident her exemplary track record will help realise our growth strategies and commercial plans as an enabler and a catalyst for tourism, trade, logistics and business in the emirate and the UAE.”
In her new position, Maureen has assumed roles and responsibilities including developing and implementing commercial plans that align with Abu Dhabi Airports’ business strategy and financial objectives, as well as identifying and pursuing viable new commercial opportunities.As CCO, she will also play a pivotal role in the company’s long-term strategic growth plans in line with Abu Dhabi Economic Vision 2030. Her efforts here will be centered around innovating to deliver product and service excellence, within safe, secure and sustainable airport operations as per industry best practices and promoting tourism and trade via world-class connectivity.
Bannerman holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration and Higher National Diploma in Business and Finance.

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Heathrow Airport Sees 90% Passenger Growth in December as Transatlantic Travel Fueled Reunions Over the Holidays
Christmas and New Year reunions fuelled passenger growth during December, with more than 5.9 million passengers travelling in the month – up 90% compared with the same time last yearTransatlantic travel was a key driver behind last month’s high passenger volumes, with JFK clinching the top spot as the airport’s busiest routeForward planning and close collaboration with airport partners ensured we provided a smooth and efficient service to travellers throughout the festive period.  92% of passengers passed through security in under 10 minutes during the Christmas peak, service for passengers with reduced mobility improved, and arriving travellers reported a friendly and efficient journey through immigration in spite of industrial actionIn total, Heathrow welcomed 61.6 million passengers (76% of 2019 levels) during 2022 – 42.2 million higher than in 2021. This is the highest passenger increase of any airport in EuropeProviding excellent service remains our key priority for 2023, as the aviation industry rebuilds capacity and resilience. We are concerned that the recovery of the aviation sector, which is critical to the economy, could be set back by the reintroduction of testing for travellers in the UK and elsewhere in response to increasing COVID levels in China, even though governments acknowledge there is no scientific basis for doing so
Heathrow CEO John Holland-Kaye said:
“2022 ended on a high with our busiest Christmas in three years and a smooth and efficient service for passengers, thanks to the hard work of our colleagues and close planning with airlines, their ground handlers and Border Force.”

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Southern California’s Ontario International Airport finished 2022 with its highest annual passenger volume since 2008.
Ontario International Airport (ONT) welcomed more than 5.7 million airline travelers in 2022, outpacing pre-pandemic 2019 by 2.8% as the popular Southern California gateway recorded its highest passenger volume since 2008.At the same time, shipments of air cargo outpaced 2019 volume by nearly 9%, maintaining ONT’s position as a major commerce and logistics hub.
We experienced great demand for air travel through Ontario International in 2022 with passenger levels exceeding pre-pandemic levels for the entire calendar year,” said Atif Elkadi, chief executive officer, Ontario International Airport Authority (OIAA). “Our airline partners restored air services suspended because of the pandemic while adding new routes and increased flight frequencies to popular destinations, and passengers showed their preference for our hallmark customer-friendly experience.”
Ontario’s 2022 passenger volume was 27.6% greater than the 2021 total of 4.5 million and was the highest since 2008, when 6.2 million passenger flew into or out of the airport. Since ONT’s return to local control in 2016, passenger volumes are up nearly 36%.
Ontario also ranks among the fastest recovering airports in the U.S. after the severe disruption in global air travel during the early months of the pandemic.
That growth is expected to continue into the new year. Based on current airline schedules, ONT will have 6.7% more flights and 12.3% more available seats in the first quarter compared with the same period last year.ADVERTISEMENTMeanwhile, Ontario International has fortified its role as a global air cargo center. For the year, freight and mail that moved through ONT totaled more than 850,000 tons, 8.9% higher than 2019 when the airport handled almost 782,000 tons of cargo.
Ontario ranks among the 10 largest cargo airports in North America, and according to a recent analysis by Oxford Economics, serves as the hub of a global supply chain network that generates $17.8 billion in economic activity.

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A busy summer has gifted Munich Airport massive growth in all traffic figures in 2022: Passenger numbers rose by 19 million year on year to a total of 31.6 million.The airport has thus regained two-thirds of its record-breaking pre-pandemic result from 2019. The number of aircraft movements nearly doubled compared with 2021 to more than 285,000 take-offs and landings. The seat load factor of the aircraft in Munich equaled the record figure of 77.5 percent from 2018. With a total of 210 destinations in 63 countries, Bavaria’s aviation hub now has excellent links with the global route network once again.
Jost Lammers, CEO of Munich Airport, says: “The gradual lifting of travel restrictions has re-awakened people’s desire to travel. This has prompted airlines to significantly expand their flight capacity. The bookings received by the airlines indicate that traffic growth at Munich Airport will continue in 2023.”
After a weak first quarter, which was still influenced by the pandemic, demand for flights increased enormously. While only four million passengers were counted at Munich Airport over the first three months, the busiest third quarter saw traffic of more than ten million travelers. The pent-up demand has been particularly noticeable in long-haul travel: Since July, traffic between Munich and destinations in the US has already been higher than the 2019 level. Since the flight schedule for winter 2022/2023 came into effect, this has also been true of traffic to destinations in India, South Korea, Singapore and Thailand.Air freight has also benefited from the boom in traffic at Munich Airport. In 2022, freight volume increased by 55 percent to a total of around 259,000 metric tons.

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Since the maiden flight 75 years ago, Zurich Airport has developed into Switzerland’s most important transport hub. In the anniversary year 2023, Zurich Airport looks back on its long history and looks ahead to future projects. The festivities include a big airport festival from September 1-3, an anniversary exhibition and many other highlights.
On June 14, 1948, a Swissair Douglas DC-4 was the first aircraft to take off from Zurich Airport to London – on the airport’s only runway 10/28 at the time. Only about five months later, the second runway 16/34 was put into operation and the third runway 14/32 opened in 1976. Over the years, docks B, A and E have been built where there once was a marshland. In five construction phases, Zurich Airport developed into an international transport hub with numerous direct connections to the world’s metropolises. Zurich Airport is not only of great importance for travellers, but also for the local population: it is a business location, workplace, commercial centre, excursion destination and meeting place. Zurich Airport employs around 27,400 people at over 300 companies.
Numerous highlights in the anniversary year 2023
Various celebrations and events will take place at Zurich Airport in the anniversary year. On June 14 – the day of the maiden flight – an anniversary exhibition will start in the Airport Shopping area. On the weekend of September 1-3, a big public airport festival will take place. President of the Swiss Confederation, Alain Berset, will be one of the guests of honour at the official ceremony on Friday evening. As part of the anniversary year, the airport’s history will also be digitally processed and the spotter areas as well as the observation deck will be upgraded.Constantly updated information on the anniversary year:Zurich Airport of the future
Zurich Airport is and will remain on the move and wants to be a safe, modern and sustainable airport for future generations. Projects such as the runway extensions or the new dock A are important elements in ensuring safe and high-quality airport operations. The expansion of the landside passenger zones (ELP) will enhance Zurich Airport in the coming years with generous passageways, better logistics processes, new retail spaces and a food hall with outdoor terraces. The sustainable construction of future projects and the replacement of fossil fuels are key components of Flughafen Zürich AG’s ambition to reduce its CO2 emissions to net zero by 2040. As a result, Zurich Airport will continue to be Switzerland’s gateway to the world, connecting people and places.ADVERTISEMENTAnniversary year – Celebrations at a glance
May 2023: Launch of airport historyJune 14, 2023: Opening of the anniversary exhibition at Airport ShoppingSeptember 1-3, 2023: airport festival

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The International Air Transport Association (IATA) announced that the air travel recovery continued through November 2022.Total traffic in November 2022 (measured in revenue passenger kilometers or RPKs) rose 41.3% compared to November 2021. Globally, traffic is now at 75.3% of November 2019 levels.
International traffic rose 85.2% versus November 2021. The Asia-Pacific continued to report the strongest year-over-year results with all regions showing improvement compared to the prior year. November 2022 international RPKs reached 73.7% of November 2019 levels.
Domestic traffic for November 2022 was up 3.4% compared to November 2021 with travel restrictions in China continuing to dampen the global result. Total November 2022 domestic traffic was at 77.7% of the November 2019 level.
“Traffic results in November reinforce that consumers are thoroughly enjoying the freedom to travel. Unfortunately, the reactions to China’s reopening of international travel in January reminds us that many governments are still playing science politics when it comes to COVID-19 and travel. Epidemiologists, the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control and others have said that the reintroduction of testing for travelers from China can do little to contain a virus that is already present around the world. And China’s objections to these policy measures are compromised by their own pre-departure testing requirements for people traveling to China. Governments should focus on using available tools to manage COVID-19 effectively—including improved therapeutics and vaccinations—rather than repeating policies that have failed time and again over the last three years,” said Willie Walsh, IATA’s Director General.
International Passenger MarketsADVERTISEMENTAsia-Pacific airlines had a 373.9% rise in November traffic compared to November 2021, which was the strongest year-over-year rate among the regions. Capacity rose 159.2% and the load factor was up 35.9 percentage points to 79.2%.
European carriers’ November traffic climbed 45.3% versus November 2021. Capacity increased 25.1%, and load factor moved up 11.6 percentage points to 83.6%, highest among the regions.
Middle Eastern airlines saw an 84.6% traffic rise in November compared to November 2021. November capacity increased 45.4% versus the year-ago period, and load factor climbed 16.5 percentage points to 77.7%.
North American carriers experienced a 69.9% traffic rise in November versus the 2021 period. Capacity increased 45.5%, and load factor climbed 11.6 percentage points to 81.0%.
Latin American airlines’ November traffic rose 59.2% compared to the same month in 2021. November capacity climbed 55.6% and load factor increased 1.9 percentage points to 82.9%.
African airlines had an 83.5% rise in November RPKs versus a year ago. November 2022 capacity was up 48.4% and load factor climbed 14.2 percentage points to 74.3%, the lowest among regions.
Brazil’s domestic RPKs rose 5.1% in November compared to November 2021 and are now at 96.2% of 2019 levels.
US domestic traffic climbed 5.0% in November compared to November 2021, pushing it to 99% of the November 2019 level.

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