TREND-News.com

What BAA sale of airports may mean for TR

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 13:30:59 +0200

By Doug Newhouse
The UK Competition Commission's announcement that it may require BAA to sell two of its London airports and one Scottish airport will doubtless interest many airport infrastructure investment funds, but what will it mean for the travel retail industry?

Croatia LAGs are cleared

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 13:29:16 +0200

By Doug Newhouse
Croatia's six main airports began operating their security in compliance with Regulation (EC) 915/2007 today, effectively protecting passengers arriving from Croatian airports from confiscation of their duty free liquid-based purchases when transferring to other flights in the EU, Norway, Iceland and Switzerland.

Macquarie to sell assets

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 13:28:28 +0200

By Doug Newhouse
Macquarie Airports (MAP) announced today that it is to ask shareholders for approval to sell a 27% shareholding in Copenhagen Airports and a further 26% of Brussels Airport to Macquarie European Infrastructure Fund 3 to help finance a A$1bn ($869.1m) share buy back and significantly reduce its debt.

Confidence on the downside – Half-year Review

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 10:50:39 +0200

By Generation Research
Over the past six months, the rapid surge in energy and commodity prices and the general deterioration in the global economic environment – including the massive defaults in sub-prime mortgages – has badly affected confidence and the global duty free and travel retail industry is not immune, as the Getrix 100 Confidence Indicator clearly shows.

Confectionery sales continue to boom

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 10:49:53 +0200

By Generation Research
According to the latest TRIQ Confectionery Index figure, global duty free and travel retail confectionery sales continue to hold up very well. The TRIQ Confectionery Index measures the evolution of markets based on shipments made by the suppliers.

Tobacco – more challenges

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 10:48:56 +0200

By Generation Research
Tobacco was, for many years, one of the cornerstones in any duty free shop assortment. But market shares at the close of 2007 now reveal that Confectionery & Fine Food has an 8.8% share of the global duty free and travel retail market. This moves this product group ahead of Tobacco with a market share of 8.5%.

Liquor: Top 5 progress well

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 10:48:01 +0200

By Generation Research
In the first half of 2008 the TREND Beverage Index suggests that global duty free and travel retail sales of liquor advanced +7.5% on average as compared to the same period in 2007.

Sweets will soon be more popular than smokes

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 10:46:20 +0200

By Generation Research
A milestone was reached in 2007, when the market share of Confectionery & Fine Food exceeded that of Tobacco for the first time. The market shares at the close of 2007 show that Confectionery & Fine Food now has 8.8% of the global duty free and travel retail market, whilst the market share of Tobacco – including cigarettes, cigars and cut tobacco – stands at 8.5%.

Estée Lauder makes it No. 2

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 10:45:17 +0200

By Generation Research
Retailer results for the first half of 2008 confirms beauty’s continuing strength and growing importance in global duty free and travel retail trade. Global duty free and travel retail sales of beauty products advanced on average by +10.5% in the first half of 2008, as compared to the same period in 2007.

BAA answers Commission

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 10:08:24 +0200

By Doug Newhouse
In its initial response to the UK Competition Commission's provisional findings this morning BAA's CEO Colin Matthews says this fight is not over and BAA will be asking how the Commission's findings can be reconciled with the Government's air transport policy - along with its current review of economic regulation.

Commission gives its reasons for BAA sale

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 09:50:16 +0200

By Doug Newhouse
As reported today, the UK Competition Commission has announced that it may require BAA to sell two of its London airports and/or Glasgow or Edinburgh airports to remedy two scenarios where it feels there are adverse effects on competition (AEC).

Commission may order BAA to sell three airports

Wed, 20 Aug 2008 08:19:27 +0200

By Doug Newhouse
The UK Competition Commission has announced this morning that it may require BAA to sell three airports - two of its three London-based airports (basically meaning Gatwick and Stansted), plus Edinburgh or Glasgow airport in Scotland.

KPIG offer may finally end dispute with AoT

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 09:31:00 +0200

By Doug Newhouse
According to reports in the Thai national press today King Power International Group (KPIG) has agreed to pay an additional Bht.700m ($20.6m) a year to Airports of Thailand (AOT). At the same time an unnamed AoT source is quoted as saying that this should effectively end the legal dispute between the two parties.

Ferrovial refinances airports

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 09:28:38 +0200

By Doug Newhouse
BAA's lead consortium owner Ferrovial confirmed yesterday that it has successfully secured £13.3bn ($24.7bn) in refinancing for its seven UK airports, including £3bn ($5.5bn) to cover new investment in the business.

CAA reports 'air rage' rises

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 09:27:43 +0200

By Doug Newhouse
The UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) says that serious or significant incidents of 'air rage' increased by 32% to 601 in the first three months of this year compared with 458 over the same period in 2007 - with the number of reported incidents trebling in the space of five years.

BDFS records 'exceptional' half-year

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 09:26:36 +0200

By Doug Newhouse
Bahrain Duty Free Shops (BDFS) has announced a consolidated half-year calendar sales increase of 19% to BD.18m ($48.3m) with consolidated gross profits up 25% and operating profit before royalties rising by 38%.

Los Angeles feels international downturn

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 09:25:31 +0200

By Doug Newhouse
Traffic declines at leading airports in California are beginning to worry officials now that international services are set to fall in the same way that domestic traffic has suffered in recent months and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) - which handles a third of the State's air traffic - is right in the firing line.

Retail broadband browsing

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 09:24:51 +0200

By Doug Newhouse
British Telecom (BT) is claiming that a survey of 1,000 users of its new smart phone over the last three months has shown that UK consumers are increasingly using broadband-enabled mobile devices to compare prices and look up product reviews while they are shopping.

BAA expects sell-off order

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 09:05:04 +0200

By Doug Newhouse
Sir Nigel Rudd, the Chairman of BAA has acknowledged that the UK airports’ company is expecting the Competition Commission to order the break-up of the company, with a likely recommendation that it sells off one of its three London airports - most probably Gatwick.

Airport traffic concerns in Spain

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 09:04:04 +0200

By Doug Newhouse
Passenger throughput at all of Spain’s airports controlled by state controlled airport authority Aeropuertos Españoles y Navegación Aérea (AENA) was down 3.7% to 21,499,843 in July, as compared to the same month last year.

Nicholas Forbes joins Aer Rianta International

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 09:02:32 +0200

By Doug Newhouse
Aer Rianta International (ARI) has announced the appointment of Nicholas Forbes to the newly-created position of Group Retail Operations Director with full responsibility for all ARI operations in Europe, Middle East and North America - including Canada.