With the US Thanksgiving long-weekend only days away, headlines about airports preparing frantically for a storm of passengers keep increasing on a daily basis. One particular airport caught our attention though: Los Angeles International (IATA: LAX). The Los Angeles Times wrote that shortages of customs and immigration agents have been causing significant delays for thousands of travelers, forcing them to wait on their planes or stand in line for up to three hours before being processed.

Over in Singapore, Changi Airport (IATA: SIN) makes it into the LateDeparture headlines for a second time this week. The first time was when we wrote about their noble efforts of teaming up with Singapore Polytech to provide a real-world experience for students through SPELL, a retail store wholly run by students (read the full story here). The second time isn’t quite so rosy. The Sydney Morning Herald wrote about a Hong Kong Airlines Airbus 330 flight carrying 159 passengers that had been delayed in Singapore for almost nine hours due to a technical fault and a fracas between two groups of passengers which left an old Chinese women with an injured hand. The story continued when the furious Chinese passengers refused to leave the same plane at Hong Kong airport (IATA: HKG) for several hours until they were paid compensation for flight delays. Accused with mishandling the situation in Singapore, Changi Airport responded with an official statement saying “while the passengers were awaiting updates from the airline on their flight arrangements, Changi Airport worked with the airline’s ground handling agent, SATS, to facilitate meal arrangements for the affected passengers. Customer service agents were also deployed to provide assistance such as distributing mineral water to passengers and assisting them in checking on alternative flights to Hong Kong. Airport police officers were also present to assist with crowd control.”

Over in Australia Boeing made some dream headlines this week when its new 787 Dreamliner visited Sydney and Melbourne for the very first time ever. LateDeparture was lucky enough to witness the landing in Melbourne – watch the video on YouTube.

Crossing back to the Northern Hemisphere, in the United Kingdom Passenger Terminal Today wrote that the new-look North Terminal at Gatwick Airport (IATA: LGW) was officially opened by former Prime Minister John Major following the completion of the £73 million (US$115.5 million) project to extend the building to accommodate 20 million passengers per year by 2020.

And finally we finish with a bit of technology news coming from Russia. According to the Wall Street Journal Moscow’s Sheremetyevo International Airport  (IATA: SVO) will launch a service it says will be the first in the world — video flight check-in via Skype. The airport forecasts that between 15% and 20% of all the passengers will be using the Internet-based video phone service.

Have a great week everyone and remember to follow us on Twitter for all the latest up-to-date stories during the week.

[Photo from Flickr - Some rights reserved by cobalt123]

Let’s talk about the elephant in the room first: the 10 year anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Coincidentally this day is today and with that, all our thoughts are with all those directly and indirectly affected by the worst terrorist attacks the United States have ever experienced. Those events 10 years ago cost nearly 3,000 people’s lives. They also had a profound effect on the travel industry in the US but also for the entire world. It’s therefore no surprise that the past week brought countless articles about exactly that subject. Two articles stood out for us: first the nicely done info-graphic from the TravelPod blog and the article from the Financial Times with the headline “Passenger checks: Airlines keen to get away from one-size-fits-all security“.

Moving on to another worry for airline officials this week. Some would say this was a rather small problem, others simply called it by its name: a mouse. According to GMA News Online, the mouse sneaked into the cockpit of the Kathmandu-bound Nepal Airlines aircraft parked at Hong Kong International Airport (IATA: HKG; LD reviewed), preventing it from taking off since Tuesday night. In a separate article the BBC wrote passengers were to stay a second night in a hotel as efforts to trap the mouse continue. Nepal Airlines General Manager Sita Gurung said the plane would have to remain in Hong Kong until the mouse is caught because it poses a potential safety risk.

Europe is on strike. At least you could get that impression by reading the various articles popping up on news sites and Twitter posts this week. On Thursday and Friday Taxi drivers in Greece held another strike in Athens and for the first time also in tourist destinations like Santorini. Two days earlier, on Tuesday, Union workers in Italy mounted a general strike against austerity measures affecting public transport and air traffic as reported in The Guardian.

And finally, the odd news of the week: According to Flyertalk’s ‘The Gate’ an aircraft operated by Continental Express landed at the wrong airport this week. Excuse me? Well, apparently the aircraft, which originated in Houston, was bound for Lake Charles Regional Airport (IATA: LCH) south of Lake Charles in Louisiana but instead landed approximately eight miles due west at Southland Field south of Sulfur, Louisiana instead. The article finishes with the sentence ‘the error caused the passengers to be delayed in reaching their final destination.’ No kidding.

Have a good, travel interruption (think mouse and strike) free week!

[Photo showing 2004 memorial; from Wikipedia by Derek Jensen - some rights reserved]

It was April fools day on Friday and Virgin Atlantic released a funny press release for the occasion: they announced that fresh herbs and vegetables will be grown on board Virgin Atlantic flights for Upper Class passengers from April 1st 2011. They really built up a proper story by specifying that in Upper Class, fresh herbs will be used to complement drinks and cocktails from the bar area including thyme for Bloody Mary’s and fresh mint for Mojitos, Pimms and tea. The vegetable offering will complement the in-flight meal with availability of vegetable depending on your destination. Carrots, baby new potatoes and spinach will be available on flights returning to the UK. Miniature pumpkins and sweet potatoes will be grown on transatlantic flights to the USA, while Tokyo routes will have the choice of okura (okra) or shiitake mushrooms. Virgin Atlantic even supplied pictures of the “new service”, see one above.

On Wednesday night Skytrax announced this years World Airport Awards. The most prestigious price, Airport of the Year, went to Hong Kong International (IATA: HKG), we wrote about it.

Outside of that it wasn’t all cheery when Miami’s airport (IATA: MIA) kept cancelling flights after the previous week’s fuel fire that destroyed their hydrant fuel pump system. The airport currently still has a flight delay caution note on their website.

And finally something from the “odd news” section: A man who was found smoking in Indianapolis International Airport (IATA: IND) was arrested after he ignored a request to put out a cigarette and walked into an unauthorized area, wrote the Indy Channel. It goes to show that smoking isn’t just bad for your health, it can also get you arrested;-)

Have a great week everyone!

Other category winners were Vancouver International Airport (IATA: YVR) for best North American airport, Peru’s Jorge Chávez International Airport (IATA: LIM) for best South American airport and Auckland International Airport (IATA: AKL) for best in the Australia/Pacific region. Unfortunately Europe was split up into 5 subcategories making almost every airport a winner (Munich, Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Barcelona and Moscow won). Overall, awards were given in 50 different categories including everything from the headline winner to categories like most improved airport (Shanghai Hongqiao International Airport, SHA), best worldwide airport hotel (Regal Airport Hotel, Hong Kong) or best airport for baggage delivery (Zurich Airport, ZRH).

The awards are based on the World Airport Survey which was established in 1999, and is held in high esteem for the clarity of process and rigorously applied rules of total independence. After the phenomenal success of the first ever live World Airport Awards ceremony held at the Passenger Terminal Expo 2010 in Brussels, Skytrax again hosted its awards live at the Passenger Terminal Expo 2011, which this year is taking place in Copenhagen, Denmark. The full list of winners can be seen at the organizer’s website.

[Photo edited from Wikipedia photo and Skytrax Award logo, some rights reserved)

Here’s the full press release from the airport’s website:

(HONG KONG, 25 January 2011) – Airport Authority Hong Kong (AA) today unveiled phase 1 of its midfield development project and celebrated the on-time, on-budget completion of a HK$4.5 billion facility enhancement project for Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA).

The $7 billion phase 1 development of the midfield includes the building of a new midfield concourse with 20 aircraft parking stands, a new cross-field taxiway and the extension of the existing automated people mover (APM) to the midfield concourse.

Construction will start in the third quarter of this year and the project is expected to generate 2,000 job opportunities. Phase 1 development is targeted for completion by the end of 2015.

The midfield area is located to the west of Terminal 1 and between the two existing runways. It is the last piece of land on the airport island available for large-scale development.

Officiating at the ceremony, the Secretary for Transport and Housing, Eva Cheng, said, “HKIA has always been providing world-class services for passengers and cargo, thanks to AA for making timely investments in improving facilities to enhance the handling capacity of the airport. On the software front, the government will continue to pursue a progressive liberalisation policy on air services, encouraging airlines to add more services so as to strengthen the international network and transit role of the airport.”

Ms Cheng also mentioned that AA would launch a public consultation exercise on the HKIA Master Plan 2030 in the first half of this year. She said that such consultation, the focus of work this year, was important to Hong Kong”s status as an aviation centre and Hong Kong’s long-term economic development. She called on members of the public and the aviation industry to provide valuable comments on the strategic developments of the airport in the next 20 years.

The Chairman of the AA, Dr Marvin Cheung Kin-tung, said, “Equipping HKIA with sufficient handling capacity is key to strengthening Hong Kong’s competitiveness as a leading regional and international aviation centre, and a preferred gateway to the Mainland. To meet future demand, the new midfield concourse with 20 aircraft parking stands will ultimately enable about 10 million passengers a year to embark and disembark aircraft using air bridges at this concourse.”

In phase 1 works, eleven of the 20 aircraft parking stands to be built at the midfield are bridge-served, inclusive of some stands equipped with three air bridges designed for superjumbo aircraft A380. The remaining nine stands are  operational stands not being connected to the midfield concourse with air bridges in phase 1 works.

“Moving ahead, the upcoming midfield development project, together with our long-term development blueprint, HKIA Master Plan 2030, will become the most important corporate projects of the AA. They will position HKIA for future challenges and opportunities,” Dr Cheung added.

As part of the AA’s continuing green efforts, a series of environmental initiatives are also being incorporated into the design of the midfield development project. The floor-to-ceiling façade in the new passenger concourse will use high-performance glazing that will reflect over 40% of solar heat, thereby reducing the use of air conditioning; north-facing skylights will maximise natural lighting in the centre of the building; low-energy lighting with daylight sensors will reduce energy consumption; and low-polluting recycled water-cooled chillers for air conditioning will also be adopted to reduce power consumption. Furthermore, recycled asphalt from runway resurfacing will be used to construct the apron of the midfield.

Commenting on the adoption of these green features, Chief Executive Officer of the AA Stanley Hui Hon-chung said, “Sustainable development has always been an integral aspect of the airport’s operations and development. The design of the midfield concourse will follow HK BEAM PLUS, a recognised method for assessing the environmental performance of buildings.”

Since the fiscal year of 2003/2004, the AA has been investing an average of $2 billion a year to enhance and expand HKIA’s facilities. Started in 2006, the $4.5 billion facility enhancement project covered expansion and improvements at Terminal 1 and the airfield. Major upgrades at Terminal 1 included merging the original two arrivals immigration halls into one, reconfiguring the departures immigration halls, doubling the baggage handling system capacity to 16,000 bags per hour, and increasing the number of facilities such as airline transfer desks, immigration counters and security channels.

On the airfield, the North Satellite Concourse commenced operations last year with two storeys and ten bridge-served stands for small aircraft. Ten additional freighter stands and an associated taxi lane were also constructed.

I hope you enjoy it – merry Christmas everyone and save travels!

It has definitely been a while since my last post. Don’t worry, I didn’t run out of interesting airport stories, but l did run out of time.. As a little treat, you’ll get a whopper of an airport reviewed now: Hong Kong.

I guess everyone has heard of the dangerous, yet spectacular approach at the old Hong Kong International airport (commonly known as Kai Tak Airport). I personally experienced two landings there back in 1991 where my window seat proved to be the best allocation ever. It was simply spectacular!

So, the first time I flew into the then known, newly built airport, Chek Lap Kok (赤鱲角機場), I was quite disappointed as l didn’t get any of that great view l remembered. However, on a recent trip to Hong Kong we flew over this magnificent city with a perfect view of the spectacular Victoria Harbour and all of Kowloon! My tip is – try to sit on the right hand side of the aircraft and chances are good you’ll get the “wow factor” on your next approach to Hong Kong International Airport (as it is known today).

On the ground, terminal 1 is the flagship building and home of Cathay Pacific and it’s code share partners including British Airways. Overall, the airport is very spacious and the check-in hall reminded me of Kuala Lumpur, which is similarly generous in terms of space.

Before you pass security you have a good selection of stores (Wing Wah, Newslink, Canton Market, Kee Wah Bakery, Toys & Games, Okashi land, Ying King tea house, etc.) and restaurants (Popeyes, Fairfood and Maxim’s upstairs).

After security the airport is split into 2 levels, upstairs you’ll find a food court, a few shops and a multimedia lounge with free internet plus more stores downstairs.

My must-check-out- things are:

• Aji Ichiban on the North side of the terminal. Go crazy and buy from their funny, sometimes strange selection of Asian and Western sweet and savoury snacks. A perfect surprise for a co-worker or friend
• Check out the big spenders in the posh shops (Tiffany’s, Chanel, Hermes,, etc.) on the lower level
• Indulge on one of the seasonal Latte’s at Starbucks opposite Gate 20
• Stock up your travel care gear at the “Travel Care Express” store after gate 27
• Go on a hunt for the Airbus A380. Yes, you should be able to see one as Singapore Airlines flies them between Hong Kong and Singapore. (For a video of the first A380 I spotted a while back in Hong Kong, click here).
• Lastly, send a few emails from your iPhone through the free WiFi connection throughout the airport

Airport Name	Hong Kong International Airport
Website	http://www.hongkongairport.com
IATA Code	HKG
Design
Shopping
Toilets
Overall
	HKD 950 (£73.40)
	HKD 450 (£34.75)

[Picture from Hong Kong International Airport's official website]

10. London Stansted blockade

Early December environmental activists have stopped flights at London’s Stansted airport (IATA: STN) after breaking through to the runway, raising security concerns at Britain’s third-busiest airport. The protests against a further expansion of the airport caused a serious knock-on effect on the airport’s flight operations causing over 50 flights to be cancelled.

9. Opening of Beijing airport Terminal 3

On March 26, Beijing airport (IATA: PEK) opened its new Terminal 3, designed by Sir Norman Foster, after four years of construction. It is the world’s largest airport building, covering more than a million square meters, designed to accommodate an estimated 50 million passengers a year by 2020.

8. Closure of Berlin’s iconic Tempelhof airport

Open one, close one; on the October 30, Berlin’s iconic Tempelhof airport closed down for good. Originally opened in 1923, the later built airport halls and neighbouring buildings, intended to become the gateway to Europe and a symbol of Hitler’s “world capital” Germania. Read our full coverage here.

7. Kalitta Air crash at Brussels airport

On Sunday, 25 May a Boeing 747 cargo plane overshot the runway at Brussels Zaventem airport (IATA: BRU) and crashed resulting the aircraft to break into 2 parts. The spectacular picture made the news everywhere.

6. Frightening landing at Hamburg’s airport

A low pressure system named “Emma” nearly caused a disaster at Hamburg airport (IATA: HAM) in March. The Lufthansa A320 plane struggled to make the runway through 90 kilometre-per-hour crosswinds resulting in the 39 year old pilots last minute go-around procedure and a safe second attempt. The frightening approach was caught on camera and is an extraordinary piece which will now probably be used all over the world in pilot training classrooms.

5. Hong Kong wins ‘Airport of the Year’ award

In July Hong Kong International airport (IATA: HKG) was named best Airport in the world, in the passenger survey results released by Skytrax. Despite being “only” rated in 5th place in the most-timely airport survey, Hong Kong received the prestigious award after Skytrax collected 8.2 million questionnaires completed by passengers over a 10-month time period. Read our congratulating article here.

4. Spanair crash at Madrid airport

A combination of basic pilot error and an electrical failure was the possible cause of the crash of a Spanair plane at Madrid’s Barajas airport (IATA: MAD) on 20 August that killed 154 people. The airport was closed for several hours after the accident.

3. Radar malfunction at Dublin airport

In the midst of the summer holiday season, Dublin airport (IATA: DUB) made the news with its malfunctioning radar system which meant that controllers lost some functionality on their screens meaning they were unable to see the labels attached to ‘blips’ that signify individual aircraft. The problem resulted in massive delays and many cancellations over several days.

2. Bangkok blockade

Protesters supporting the People’s Alliance for Democracy stormed Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport (IATA: BKK) in late November, occupying the departure lounge and blocking all exits. With that 3,000 people were stranded within the airport and another 350,000 were stranded within Thailand. Read our interview with an affected traveller.

1. Chaos at London Heathrow’s new Terminal 5

In March BAA, the company that owns Heathrow airport, opened its newest addition of what should have been a proud event for London’s most criticised airport. Instead, the opening resulted in a PR disaster with BAA losing thousands of bags over several months. The event then became one of the triggers leading to the demands of breaking up BAA’s monopolistic ownership of airports in the UK.

[Pictures from Flickr - some rights are reserved: London Stansted, Beijing, Berlin Tempelhof, Brussels airport, Hong Kong, Madrid, Dublin, Bangkok, London Heathrow