Dear employer, said it'll weeks ago, when they were on the negotiating table of the Statute the powers of management of airports, air transport that has become a key activity for global competitiveness. Therefore it is important that airlines can influence governments to take advantage of competing in the market that may not be achieved, and this is probably what you are doing at the moment Iberia. While'm writing, Iberia has not specified anything first message has launched a general and tremendous strength, then said he wants a fifty percent increase to its presence in El Prat. In what remains? What come these contradictory discourses? What is to generate confusion?
I took the trouble to consult the destinations of Iberia flights from Barcelona. If I counted wrong, has 72, including those in that force traffic to Barajas. According to preliminary communications, the company would stop flying to thirty of these destinations, but what? How many passengers represent? How much employment does each want? What is the loss generated by each? This information, nowadays, is not public.
Using the law of the French economist Jean Baptiste Say nineteenth century, according to which long-term supply creates its own demand, and watching the evolution of the El Prat airport since 1992 (from 10 million passengers to 27 million in 2005) we can say that the NCBs of the world has already created its own demand. In this regard, plans Iberia, whatever, we should not worry too much because we are confident that other companies are willing to take over their slots. As stated in Josep Miquel Abad, president of the board of Vueling, "a flight can not be profitable for Iberia and it was for our company." If so, if BCN has the capacity to generate demand, the problem is neither will the airlines, the problem is and the AENA airport management.
The "Plan Barcelona" is the future plan of the management body of Spanish airports being developed by the El Prat airport and is based on a vision as follows: "The airport of Barcelona afianzarse trafficking as an airport spatial reference of Mediterranean and southern Europe through the consolidation of a hub, accommodating accommodate the elderly alianzas Aéreas of the Company. (...) The goal is that, amid deadline, a 30 per Cent of the total traffic of the airport terminal for sea traffic. Configure the airport of Barcelona as a platform for sewer connections is that Barcelona I can avail of a good network of intercontinental services, fundamental to the main capital económicas conectarla with the world and for that desarrolle aerial traffic load. "(Www. aena.es). If this is so real, not surprising decision of Iberia. As is understood that having a 35% share of passengers at the airport of El Prat and having a clear dominant position in relation to other companies at a time of transformation of the airport destinations decide to delete?
Dear employer, there is something wrong - say evil thought, if you want - and this is "Plan Barcelona". The AENA's website there is a very significant t'adjunto box. If you observe carefully, the heading says "Year 2000" and compared to forecasts - in spectacular numbers - just says "future", not specific. Depending on where the estimates of 40 million passengers in 2015 to make them, depends on where "prior to the 2020." Given the close historical relations between the airline company and the manager of airports every reason to believe that some officials and exfuncionaris active plan does not make much grace.
As is focusing on the role of NCBs in the global air transport I think it is urgent that from Catalonia and especially from their government - good time to call it - self drafted a "Plan Barcelona" and defines what destinations International are key to the future - perhaps clear that before economic role should know who wants to play. This topic is not about nationalism, identity, political rivalries, no! It is legitimate competition between regions in a global world and we want to compete if we have leadership and management capacity. Go back to being where we were: the airport of El Prat.
Joseph Albet
Director DIRECTORS ALBET BCN
