There were 17 members of the Committee and NIA staff present and 3 apologies.
The minutes of the previous meeting were approved. There were no major matters arising. The Chairman welcomed 2 new members and the Terminal Duty Manager, who will be attending these meetings in future.
The Terminal Duty Manager, Trish Bromley, then outlined her previous experience in the airline business and her role at Newcastle Airport. This includes working with the handling agents and dealing with complaints. She has also been involved in setting up systems to implement the new legislation concerning Passengers with Reduced Mobility. Three new waiting areas for these passengers have been established – opposite the Information Desk, next to Café Ritazza in the Departure Lounge and at Gate 19. She then answered questions on water coolers, staff uniforms, staff recognition by passengers and disabled users of the drop off area.
The new website, including internet car booking, was demonstrated and Graeme Mason asked for feedback from members when it goes live.
As this was the Annual General Meeting, elections for Chairman and Deputy were held. Both were re-elected. It was also confirmed that the Airport company would continue to provide the Committee Secretariat for the coming year. The membership of the Committee was reviewed and in the light of Council reorganisations in Northumberland and Durham, changes were suggested. In addition it was suggested that 3 new members be invited to join and Graeme Mason and Helen Hughes agreed to follow this up.
The Chairman then covered items of Committee interest including a response to government consultation on PRM legislation (for disabled passengers), Sunderland air show, a customer complaint, a review of the Annual Meeting of Airport Consultative Committees and a response to DEFRA on the recent Civil Aviation Bill.
The Airport Company Report highlighted the difficulties faced by the whole industry as a result of the current financial conditions in the country. The collapse of airlines will result in reduced passenger movements. The recent Tornado incident is the subject of an investigation by the Accident Investigation Bureau. The Airport’s present position on wind turbines and their effect on airport radar was also covered. The Airport considers that the Air Passenger Duty tax will be introduced, following discussions with the Government. The handling of security queues was discussed and the target timings for passing through security checks was quoted as 12 minutes for the great majority of passengers. The Chairman asked for additional information on complaints relating to baggage reclaim, revolving door operations and overall cleanliness, to be available at the next meeting.
The date of the next meeting will be 2nd December 2008.