Qatar Airways files $600 mln claim over new airport

Qatar Airways new Boeing 787 Dreamliner taxis after arriving on it's inaugural flight to Heathrow Airport, west London December 13, 2012.

Credit: Reuters/Andrew Winning

DUBAI | Mon Dec 31, 2012 6:02am EST

DUBAI (Reuters) - Qatar Airways said it was filing a $600 million legal claim against a contractor for a delay in opening a new international airport in Doha.

Lindner Depa Interiors, a German-Dubai joint venture DEPA.DI, holds a $250 million contract to build 19 airport lounges by the middle of 2012, Qatar Airways said in a statement on Saturday.

In a statement later in the day, LDI said it had not received a legal claim from Qatar Airways and described the carrier's allegations as "false and misleading".

It said it was not able to meet its original completion deadline because it was denied full access to the project site for the first nine months of a 16-month contract.

LDI also said it had no contractual relationship with Qatar Airways and that it was in arbitration with its client on the project, New Doha International Airport. Qatar Airways will run the airport when it becomes operational.

The $15.5 billion airport in the Qatari capital will be the hub for the airline, which has grown to a fleet of 116 aircraft since its launch 15 years ago. The new airport was scheduled to open this month but is now expected to start operating in late 2013, Qatar Airways said.

It said Doha's existing airport had reached capacity and the delay in moving to a new facility was hindering the company's expansion plans.

LDI is a joint venture between Lindner Group and Depa United Group DEPA.DI. (Reporting By Praveen Menon; Writing by Angus McDowall; Editing by Robert Birsel and Jane Baird)

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Gatwick Airport profit boosted by traffic growth

Passengers queue to go through security checks at the departure gate at Gatwick Airport, in southern England December 28, 2009.

Credit: Reuters/Luke MacGregor

LONDON | Tue Nov 29, 2011 3:47am EST

LONDON (Reuters) - London's Gatwick Airport reported a 43 percent rise in first-half profit, helped by strong growth in passenger traffic, which it expects to continue in final six months of the year.

Gatwick airport, owned by U.S. investment fund Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), on Tuesday said its operating profit rose to 118.6 million pounds in the six months to the end of September on turnover 15 percent higher at 314.5 million pounds.

The airport, London's second largest behind BAA's Heathrow, said 19.7 million passengers travelled through Gatwick during the period, 8.5 percent up on the first-half a year ago.

The same period last year was hit by disruption caused by the eruption of an Icelandic volcano, which led to the closure of much of Europe's airspace for around a week.

Gatwick Airport said it still expects a total of 33.6 million passengers to travel through the airport in the year to the end of March 2012.

"While passenger numbers are ahead of expectations for the six months ended 30 September 2011, the expectation for the full year outturn remains unchanged," the company said in a statement.

It said retail income rose 5 percent during the period, down on the 8.5 percent growth in passenger numbers.

(Reporting by Rhys Jones; editing by Adveith Nair)

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Vending machine offers DIY banners at Dutch airport

Two-year-old Luna (L) and her aunt hold a banner at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol November 24, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/Paul Vreeker/United Photos

By Roberta Cowan

AMSTERDAM | Fri Nov 25, 2011 4:35am EST

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Ever wanted to meet and greet your loved ones at the airport to be sure they don't miss you in the crowds?

Then try Amsterdam's Schiphol airport, which now has the world's first vending machine capable of printing out personalised giant canvas banners in just a few minutes.

You can pick your message, whether that is "Missed you Mummy", "I love you", "Will you marry me?", or anything else that makes you stand out from the crowd, choose the font and background design, pay between four and 15 eurosdepending on the length of the banner, and hit the button.

"We came up with the idea because when we were at the airport we'd see all these people welcoming their friends and family with their own banners made of bed sheets and we thought what a hassle using sheets, wouldn't it just be easier to make the banner at the airport," BannerXpress's co-founder Thibaud Bruna told Reuters on Thursday.

Bruna's first machine, which was three years in the making, made its debut at Schiphol on Thursday. If the waterproof banners prove popular, he hopes to install the vending machines in other locations.

"We hope have them in other airports, but also in stadiums for sporting and music events," Bruna said.

(Reporting By Roberta B. Cowan, editing by Paul Casciato)

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