It has been one other busy month for Scotland’s airports.
The slew of excellent news has continued for Prestwick Airport, which has been owned by the Scottish Government since 2013. March noticed a few main items of news for the Ayrshire airport.
Meanwhile, there was an sudden second as American Airlines launched its flights between Edinburgh Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport on March 9.
I used to be alongside at the airport for the launch of those flights on the Airbus A321XLR, a current narrow-body addition to American Airlines’ fleet.
And it definitely got here as a shock to seek out out the dulcet tones entertaining passengers at the departure gate with a rendition of the “New York, New York” anthem made well-known by Frank Sinatra had been these of outgoing Edinburgh Airport chief govt Gordon Dewar.
Mr Dewar’s plans for his “semi-retiral” additionally grabbed the eye.
In an unique interview, he informed me he deliberate to open a music membership within the Scottish capital to showcase up-and-coming bands.
In this primary interview since his departure from the highest job at the airport later this 12 months was introduced on February 18, Mr Dewar much less surprisingly additionally highlighted potential for him to tackle “part-time” work within the aviation sector.
Mr Dewar, who turned 60 final month, returned to Edinburgh Airport as chief govt in 2012. Annual passenger numbers, which had been 9.19 million in 2012, final 12 months climbed to a recent file of 16.98 million.
Asked what had pushed his departure, he replied: “To be honest, 14 years drove that, so it’s a lot longer than I ever anticipated when I started, and I’ve been through a number of cycles.”
Flagging a serious capital expenditure programme to develop the airport, Mr Dewar added: “It simply feels, notably now, as we’re about to launch into this large new form of constructing…factor, which is actually thrilling, we’ve come out in a great place when it comes to the energy of the expansion, it simply feels, for me personally, it is like time to step again. So I’ll miss it vastly. It’s been a large a part of my life, definitely the most important a part of my profession.
“But I just think after 14 years I want to do a little bit more. I probably have had, as I turn 60, enough of having the phone on beside my bed every night for the last 14 years, and, you know, I hope to do some other interesting stuff both personally and professionally, but it won’t be a full‑time operational role going forward.”
Heart of Midlothian fan Mr Dewar revealed he would “certainly not” be relocating away from Edinburgh, his “home”, noting he was born just a few miles from the airport and declaring: “I love it as a city – I think it’s got huge potential.”
Revealing his need to open a music venue in Edinburgh to fill what he sees as a spot, he stated: “In my personal life it would be things like…I’ve got a real hankering to…open a music club in Edinburgh. I think we’ve lost a few brilliant venues in the city. It’s a passion of mine. I’ve got to first find a venue, but if I can find a way of making that happen, I would love to do that as part of my semi‑retiral going forward.”
He declared that he needed such a music membership to be “a not-for-profit organisation”.
Asked if he had a musical background, he replied: “No. I know enough about music to know I’m crap. I enjoy listening to other people. I’ve tried in vain many times to learn various instruments and, while I enjoy doing it, I would never expose anybody else to my performance. I don’t dislike humanity that much. I used to play viola at school and I was so bad they put soap on my bow instead of resin so they couldn’t hear me. Honestly true. My instruction from my tutor was ‘just make your bow go up and down in time’. So I think that probably summarises my musical career.”
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American Airlines vice-president for worldwide and inflight eating operations José A Freig confirmed me spherical the brand new A321XLR forward of the primary flight departing from Edinburgh Airport on March 9.
And, in an unique interview, he appeared to supply causes for each Edinburgh and Glasgow airports to be cheerful.
Mr Freig declared he was “really excited” about including American Airlines’ first Airbus A321XLR service from Edinburgh – to New York JFK – which is able to function till October 24.
Asked concerning the sights of Edinburgh for the airline, he stated: “When we started last year [with the] Philadelphia service, we saw a really good mix of customers going in both directions. It has really become a hot spot for us in Europe.”
Mr Freig highlighted the pliability the A321XLR offered when it comes to routes once I requested him about feedback in late January from Kam Jandu, chief govt of Glasgow Airport proprietor AGS Airports, about the potential for flights between Glasgow and Philadelphia.
The American Airlines govt stated: “Yeah, so look, we’re all the time trying at alternatives as we glance at our community and the truth that this 321XLR offers us the power to return to some places that we serviced earlier than once we had the [Boeing] 757s and the 767s that we retired.
“Certainly, you know, Glasgow is on our list. We don’t have an official date as we always evaluate our network but I would say that this aircraft gives us the ability to go back to some of those locations, with Glasgow being one of them of course. But nothing official yet.”
Mr Dewar in the meantime revealed his expectation that passenger numbers at Edinburgh Airport this 12 months shall be “well ahead” of the file 16.98 million determine for 2025 and flagged a number of recent route alternatives.
He stated the “only caveat” to this forecast for passenger numbers can be across the present battle within the Middle East, noting issues may very well be “potentially different” if this proved protracted.
Mr Dewar additionally flagged a slew of doable long-haul and short-haul locations for brand new routes from Edinburgh.
He highlighted potential alternatives for flights to Malaysia, Singapore, India, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, the Caribbean and the West Coast of America in addition to to the likes of components of France not presently served, together with ski resorts.
And, whereas apologising for the pun, he declared: “The sky’s the limit.”
Returning to Prestwick Airport, there was additional vital good news on flights final month.
The Ayrshire airport introduced that Air China Cargo had elevated its cargo service between Prestwick and Chengdu Shuangliu International Airport in China to a every day service from 4 instances per week.
Air China Cargo started the Chengdu flights in November final 12 months.
In a column in The Herald final month, I noticed: “The momentum of the airport…is eye-catching.
“And it is great to see a long-term plan, pursued patiently by the airport’s management team, coming together so well.”
The column concluded: “The rescue of Prestwick Airport by the Scottish Government in 2013 was all the time a no brainer, given the strategic significance of this very useful asset and in fact its key position in supporting the aerospace cluster in and round it.
“That didn’t, nonetheless, cease critics trying to make use of the airport as a political soccer.
“Thankfully, Prestwick Airport’s success in achieving its goals has rather quietened down this opposition crowd.”
Another main piece of excellent news for Prestwick Airport final month got here from Ryanair.
The funds airline is creating 450 engineering and mechanic jobs, together with 60 apprenticeships, at its upkeep website at Prestwick Airport in a £40 million enlargement.
Ryanair’s enlargement of its upkeep website will contain building of a brand new 11,938 square-metre, four-bay heavy upkeep hangar and further element workshops at the airport, which is understood formally as Glasgow Prestwick.
The airline famous the enlargement will develop its present Prestwick operation from six to 10 bays.
It declared this could make the ability its largest heavy upkeep hangar, “further strengthening Prestwick’s position as a key aircraft maintenance and training hub within Ryanair’s network”.
This article was first printed in The Herald’s Business HQ Monthly complement
