December 12, 2009
The North East’s biggest airport has been boosted by two major accolades in the space of 24 hours.
Newcastle International was named the most punctual in the UK for arriving and departing flights by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). It came on the back of the airport being crowned the best in the country at a travel industry awards ceremony in London.
The British Air Transport Association (BATA), whose members include some of the world’s leading airlines and tour operators, voted Newcastle International the UK’s best airport with up to six million passengers per year.
It beat off competition from East Midlands and Cardiff to win the award.
BATA general secretary Roger Wiltshire explained what gave the Tyneside entrant the edge. He said: “Airlines, like most customers, are a demanding bunch. They like their airports to be responsive, commercially-minded and, of course, cost-effective.
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“All three airports on the shortlist were seen this way by UK airlines. In the end, Newcastle took the prize for being, in the words of one airline ‘a really good partnership airport’.”
Chief executive Dave Laws said the triumph was particularly rewarding on the back of a tough year for the aviation industry, with the recession driving down passenger numbers.
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