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Press Release from Newcastle Airport February 10 2010
Newcastle International Airport today launched a year of celebrations to mark its 75th anniversary with a flag-raising ceremony outside the front of the terminal and the unveiling of a special anniversary brand.
The flag, which bears the new anniversary logo, was raised by members of the airport’s board this morning.
Dave Laws, chief executive of Newcastle International said, “2010 will be a very special year for Newcastle International as we reflect on our incredible history and also look forward to an exciting future. The heritage of this airport, and the role it has played in the development of the North East region through the decades, is very important to all of us here.
“To celebrate this landmark, we have a wide range of events and activities planned. We will be releasing a commemorative book, which is being produced by the Newcastle Chronicle and Journal, and an exclusive exhibition of archive film, photography and memorabilia will be on display at Newcastle City Library, with the possibility of a touring exhibition around other libraries during the summer months.
“On the anniversary day itself, 26 July, a number of our airline partners will be marking the occasion by operating aircraft rarely seen at Newcastle, which we hope will appeal to aviation enthusiasts and the general public alike.
“The airport’s management team will also take part in a 75-mile walk in support of our nominated charity, the NSPCC. The walk will start from the original terminal building and take in some of the sights of the North East. There are many of us who will need to start training in earnest right now!”
To mark the anniversary in style, Newcastle International will be the official sponsor of the Sunderland Airshow in July. A special Gala Dinner will also be held in September.
Rasmus Christiansen, chief executive of Copenhagen International, said, “On behalf of Copenhagen Airports I would like to congratulate Newcastle Airport on the start of its 75th Anniversary year. Copenhagen Airports became a shareholder in Newcastle in May 2001, and since then our partnership with the other Local Authority shareholders has gone from strength to strength. We have been delighted with the investment we made and have seen, through working with the Airport management and our Local Authority partners, what the Airport means to the North East region. These are challenging times for aviation but we look forward to working with the team to deliver a bright future for Newcastle Airport.
Councillor Iain Malcolm, leader of South Tyneside Council, said, "Newcastle International Airport is one of our major transport links and plays a key role in the regeneration and reputation of our region. The 75th anniversary is a time to reflect on how successful the airport has been both as a business in its own right that has grown from very modest beginnings; and as a fantastic regional resource which supports our local communities, including regional businesses and commerce, by providing fast and efficient transport links to key airports in this country and internationally.
"The partnership between the seven local authorities in the region with Copenhagen Airport has contributed to the success of Newcastle International Airport and we are confident we can work together to ensure that Newcastle International's success and growing reputation as one of the most popular and successful airports in Europe is maintained and developed".
Cllr Simon Henig, leader of Durham County Council said, "I am delighted to join our partners in celebrating such a milestone. The airport continues to play a vital role in bringing passengers to the North East, helping to boost the economy and tourism whilst also helping to promote the region to travellers from other areas of the country and those from across the world.
“Durham County Council are proud to share in this tremendous achievement, as the airport continues to grow despite the current economic climate and the challenges faced by those in the aviation industry."
Newcastle Airport celebrates 75th Anniversary February 3 2010
Newcastle Airport is to adopt a new logo and will be holding a series of events to mark its 75th anniversary this year.
Chief executive David Laws saidf that 2010 would be a "massive year" for Newcastle Airport and that it is predicting to grow by two per cent during the next 12 months."I think this is an exceptionally proud year for everybody connected with the airport," he said."What we want to do is involve as many people in our celebrations as possible," continued Mr Laws.
He explained that Newcastle Airport is now able to process some 7.5 million passengers annually and it offers flights to some 80 different destinations across the world.
Earlier in January, Flybe announced that it would be offering new flights to the Channel Islands from Newcastle Airport. Two services per week will connect the travel hub to Guernsey during the summer.
Illegal drugs seized at Newcastle Airport January 12 2010
A large quantity of illegal tablets have been seized by UK Border Agency officers at Newcastle Airport.Around 80,000 Sildenafil tablets - which can be sold as Viagra - were seized at the end of last week by officers carrying out checks on cargo being transported by secure road freight to Newcastle, having initially been flown into London’s Heathrow from Mumbai, India.The load was described as food additives, but closer examination revealed the tablets to be Sildenafil.The confiscated tablets, which weighed about 107kg and were being transported in eight crates, will now be destroyed.
New Year snow hits Newcastle Airport January 3 2010
LARGE parts of the North East ground to a halt as heavy snow greeted the New Year - with warnings of more bad weather to come.
Scores of roads in rural Northumberland and County Durham were rendered impassible by heavy snow yesterday and highways officers are warning of huge problems when people return to work after the Christmas break on Monday.
Supplies of grit in hundreds of locations across Northumberland were running low last night as the long spell of cold weather stretched the county’s resources.
Yesterday’s snow also saw Newcastle Airport closed for more than seven hours, delaying several flights and causing others to be diverted.
People living in north Northumberland – where around eight inches of snow fell overnight – described the conditions as the worst in almost a decade.
One resident said: “It is not a pretty sight here. It is the worst we have had for a while, for a lot of years.
“The last time there would be as much snow as this would be 2001.”
Don Brownlow, who lives on a farm at Norham, near Berwick, drove home from the New Year celebrations at Allendale in the early hours of yesterday in blizzards and hazardous conditions on the A1.
He said: “It has been the worst I think since 2001 – the big freeze, in terms of the length and depth.”
In Northumberland, supplies in 800 grits bins placed at housing estates and important locations across the county started to run low as restocking them would take resources that were already stretched.
Northumberland County Council has worked for 16 consecutive days on snow and ice conditions and staff are expecting at least another 10 days on the roads.
Northern area highways manager Richard Hayes said: “In a normal winter we usually get a reprieve after six or seven days to recuperate.
“The worst part has been south of the Tyne Valley, around Allendale, with more drifting snow than the rest of the county. Up to Wednesday we got the north and east back to normal conditions, with grass verges reappearing, then suddenly on Thursday morning the showers put us back. It will be a very difficult morning on Monday and we will have difficult decisions on how to deal with emergencies.”
While the council worked on the main roads, farmers in rural locations volunteered to help with ploughing and gritting in more out-of-the-way places.
A search and rescue team was called out to the same road twice in only a few hours as motorists got trapped in treacherous wintry conditions.
At 1.30am Cumbria Police contacted the Teesdale and Weardale Search and Mountain Rescue Team and asked for assistance to reach stranded motorists on the B6276 Middleton-in-Teesdale to Brough road.
In Newcastle, environmental services manager Andrew Bowron described the conditions as some of the worst seen in his 20-year career.
Head of environmental services Rob Nichols said: “We’ve gritted roads now on 19 consecutive evenings. We would urge people to drive to conditions and plan any journey, and if they’re out on foot they dress appropriately with appropriate footwear which is particularly important.
“This has been building and building across the region.”
Newcastle Airport closed from 5.30am until 12.45pm. One flight set off from Dubai late because Newcastle airport was unable to let it land, and it had to circle for several minutes waiting for a space. Another due to leave Newcastle at 9.55am for Barcelona was delayed until 4.55pm.
Most major roads in the region remained open, though the A66 in County Durham was closed. Many minor roads were closed.
Flights Cancelled at Newcastle Airport December 22 2009
A NUMBER of flights to and from Newcastle Airport have been cancelled this morning because of the snowy conditions in Britain and Europe.
Four BA flights arriving and departing Heathrow Airport this morning and two KLM flights arriving and departing Amsterdam Airport have been cancelled.
A spokesperson for Newcastle Airport said: "Newcastle International Airport remains unaffected by snow, however a small number of the airports we serve across Europe are affected."
Councils seek assurances on Newcastle Airport December 16 2009
A SPECIAL meeting will be held on Tyneside as cash-hit councils seek assurances their investment in Newcastle Airport is safe.
Airport bosses will be asked for guarantees that taxpayers’ cash will not be used when a £300m debt is refinanced.
North Tyneside Council has agreed to hold a special cabinet meeting next month amid concerns they could be asked to hand over extra cash to Newcastle International Airport in a few years.
Tyneside councils are the majority shareholders behind the airport, and as such have benefited from multi-million pound pay-outs in previous years.
Controversial former airport boss John Parkin secured the last £80m dividend in 2006, three months before he was suspended.
Mr Parkin received a bonus worth nearly £6m, eventually reduced to £2m, for bringing about the bumper payday.
Just three years later the council is eyeing up a refinancing deal which is expected to be nowhere near as profitable, and could cost councils.
The airport has some £300m of debt, built around loans which are due to be refinanced within three years. Councillors are worried that when airport bosses sit down with bank managers to restructure the debt they may find bad news waiting for them.
If the banks do not offer good enough terms, councillors say, councils need to be told if they will then be asked to help recapitalise the airport.
One councillor told The Journal the meeting had been set up to seek reassurances that “the council will not have to bail out the airport” at a time when local authorities are cutting spending.
Changes in the value of the airport have also prompted concerns from the Audit Commission.
The Government’s council watchdog told Newcastle Council in its annual audit letter to adjust the documents which underpin its financial planning as a result of airport changes.
Last night Graeme Brett, chairman of North Tyneside’s finance sub-committee, said the meeting was needed to clear up issues regarding the airport’s debt.
“We need a much clearer idea of what will happen when it comes to refinancing the loan.
“As a shareholder it is important we know what is happening here, what the liabilities are for us and for Copenhagen Airports.”
A spokesman for South Tyneside Council, the lead authority on the airport, said: "When the original refinancing took place we knew that we would need to refinance at the end of 2013.
“The Board and airport management team have a strategy in place which will lead to a successful refinancing at the appropriate time."
A Newcastle Council spokesman said: “We are not reviewing our commitment. The airport is a vibrant international airport which is critically important to the city and to the economy of the region.
“We do expect the dividend to be lower than it has been in previous years because of the recession and we are taking this into account in our medium- term budget plans.''
Newcastle Airport becoming North East hub December 11 2009
Newcastle Airport is fast becoming a major force in airline travel. Newcastle Airport is the major hub for the area and is really taking a part in the rise in the areas credentials in the business and tourism sectors. With great connections the airport offers easy access to many global destinations via it’s own international flights or flights to other European hubs.
Also with great national connections to London, the airport provides the region with great business connections to the counties capital. With the country coming our of recession the North East is looking to play a key part in this with businesses expanding and using more airline travel. Also the tourism industry is being boosted as more and more holiday destinations become easily reachable.
It is reveling in the news it has one two major awards in the airline industry in the space of just 24 hours. The hub was named the most punctual airport in the UK by the Civil Aviation Authority.
This came after they were announced as the best airport in the country at a travel industry awards ceremony in London. The British Air Transport Association (BATA) voted Newcastle International Airport the UK’s best airport. The award is even more significant as BATA members include some of the world’s leading airlines and tour operators.
A flight from Spain to Newcastle Airport on Sunday was delayed taking off after it was revealed that a woman had dropped her mobile phone, which then fell down an air vent.
The plane was partially dismantled as they looked for the phone after bosses said that the flight could not take off with the phone on. This led to a 3-hour search on the plane, ripping up parts of the cockpit and the front row of seats.
It is thought that mobile phone frequencies could disrupt onboard systems, so it is now a rule on most planes that mobile phones should be switched off.
A Jet2 spokesperson said: “We always operate to the highest standards of safety and care”, adding that passengers are reminded that mobile phones should be switched off until within the airport terminal.
Air Passenger Duty (APD) is set to go up in November, with the increases added to flight tickets.
It is feared the extra cost could see demand plummet and key routes in and out of the region’s two major airports withdrawn.
That would hit businesses who rely on such services and there are concerns some firms could be forced to relocate as a result.
The Journal launched its A Tax Too Far campaign to call for a re-think on APD hikes, saying not enough consideration had been given to the impact on regions like ours.
Now, the heads of a string of key employers in the North East have given their backing and explained the importance of the airports to their work.
Sage chief executive Paul Walker said: “While our main base for UK business is in Newcastle, it is also our head office and therefore, there is a lot of travel involved in both functions.
“We also have a lot of visitors and executive directors from around the world travelling into Newcastle. Equally, those of us based in Newcastle travel a lot to Europe and beyond.
“As Newcastle Airport has developed over the last 10 years, the routes on offer have developed and that has made a huge difference to us as a business. It is also important in terms of attracting staff to the area because we are able to tell them there is a major airport here, which gives them a range of travel options.”
APD is levied based on how far the capital of the destination country is from London and there are four bands, all of which are rising.
APD on an economy short-haul flight to Europe or North Africa went up from £10 to £11 and will rise again next November to £12. Duty on flights to the USA, Russia and the Gulf increased from £40 to £45 and will rise to £60 in 12 months, while a Caribbean flight has seen its APD increase from £40 to £50 and will be £75 next year. Economy flights to Australia rose from £40 to £55 but will be £85 this time next year.
APD generates around £2bn for the Treasury every year and is said to be a green tax, but critics say there is no evidence the money it creates is spent on environmentally-friendly initiatives.During the course of our campaign, we have exposed the fact the Government did not consider the impact on regions and regional airports when framing the rises to APD.
Proposals drawn up by the European Commission are aimed at seeing the 100 ml limit being scrapped at major airports in April 2012 and completely two years later.
The first concession, under the Commission's blueprint, would come into force next April. It would mean transfer passengers from outside the EU would no longer have to surrender liquids they bought from duty free shops at the start of their journey if they were changing planes.
A complete ban on taking liquids and gels was imposed following a plot to down transatlantic aircraft in August 2006.
The ban was later modified with passengers being told that they could not put liquids in containers bigger than 100 ml into their hand luggage.
It has led to lengthy security queues at airports because of the need to screen passengers' hand luggage before allowing them on aircraft.
Some airports have even started charging passengers for the plastic bags they need to pass through security gates.
There has been mounting pressure for the restrictions to be eased as a number of companies – including Smiths Industries, Rapiscan Systems – claim to have developed sophisticated scanners capable of detecting dangerous materials.
Another company, Kromek, is running trials of its own equipment at Newcastle airport.
However the Department for Transport remains unconvinced. "We have always said that current restrictions must remain in place until technology solutions which provide robust detection performance and a better passenger experience become available," a spokesman said." We do not believe April 2010 is a realistic target for the introduction of technology to screen duty free liquids carried by transfer passengers.”Even if the EU did adopt the Commission's proposals, Britain could still enforce stricter standards at its own airports.The prospect of Britain being out of step with other countries alarmed British Airways."We believe that it is sensible for the rules on liquids to be reviewed, but it is crucial that consistency is maintained between UK and EU security regulators," a spokesman said."It would be unhelpful to maintain a liquid ban at some airports and not at others"
However Simon Evans, chief executive of the Air Transport Users Council, hoped that the restrictions would be eased."We would welcome the change as long as it follows a sound assessment of the risk," we would welcome such a change," he said.
"Some people are still being caught out by the restrictions and passengers are still getting frustrated at the time they spend negotiating security."
Rules on taking liquids on planes could be eased if trials of new scanners at Newcastle Airport prove successful.
The scanners, developed by Sedgefield firm Kromek, use an X-ray beam to shine through the liquid to detect its unique "spectral signature".
This can distinguish between harmless liquids such as water and potential explosives such as hydrogen peroxide.
Will Newcastle Airport help Sunderland? September 9 2009
Newcastle United and Sunderland are fierce rivals, but the bid by Sunderland to be a stadium host should England win the 2018 world cup bid will be assisted by the close by Newcastle Airport, as reported by the Sunderland Echo.
That's the message to the Football Association (FA) team visiting Sunderland today as the city bids to bring the 2018 World Cup to the region.
The delegation was being shown that Wearside – and the North East as a whole – can offer a stunning array of world-class venues and facilities.
Everybody – from fans and families to businesses and schools – has been showing their support for the bid, which is being spearheaded by Sunderland AFC and the city council.
SAFC chief executive Steve Walton said: "A tremendous amount of planning and preparation has gone into today's visit and there's a real desire from everyone involved to show the key decision makers just how much we want to be part England's 2018 bid.
"As a club, city and region I'm confident that we've got what it takes to play a significant role in England's World Cup plans and, by utilising the best facilities across the North East, Sunderland's bid really is bringing the whole of the region together.
"The prospect of seeing the best footballers in the world grace the Stadium of Light is certainly a tantalising one, and we'll be pulling out all the stops to make sure we deliver just that."
The support being shown across Wearside will be a key part of the campaign – the cities which go through to feature in the bid will be those which can prove they have the backing of the people.
City council leader, Councillor Paul Watson, added: "The chance to host the World Cup is immense for our city and our region.
"With the England 2018 visit comes the opportunity to show the key decision makers behind the country's bid just how equipped and prepared we are to welcome the world to the North East"
Black Cats fans are also backing the bid.George Forster, chairman of the supporters' association, told the Echo: "We're fully behind the club's bid, and we'll do whatever we can to help them bring the World Cup here.""I've signed the (bid) book, and I would encourage other fans to do the same."We've got a great chairman in Niall Quinn, and it's up to us all to get behind him."
Niall's message
"IN my opinion, the opportunity to bring the World Cup to Sunderland is an opportunity that the city, and the wider North East region in general, cannot afford to miss.
To the city of Sunderland and the North East as a whole, the benefits involved in hosting World Cup matches could be enormous.
Clearly, there is a sporting benefit, in terms of enabling people to watch the best footballers in the world on their doorstep, but bringing the World Cup to Sunderland and the North East would be about much more than that.
There would be massive financial benefits to the region as a whole, and obvious positive effects in terms of heritage, legacy, team work and planning.
But for me, the biggest incentive behind the World Cup bid is the opportunity to put this part of the world on the global map, and let a global audience know what the North East of England is all about.
This is our opportunity to show off our beautiful countryside and stunning architecture.
This is our chance to celebrate our culture, heritage and identity. And most importantly of all, this is a chance to showcase the best thing that the North East has to offer – its people.
Passionate people make for passionate places, and nowhere in the world is more passionate than the North East.
That is why I firmly believe that, not only would the World Cup be good for the region, but the region would also be good for the World Cup.
We want the whole of the region to feature in the World Cup experience, and we hope we're putting together a bid that the whole North East region can be proud of.
Now, we need to spread the message so that the rest of England, and the rest of the world, can hear. If the FA's bid document is like a football team, I want Sunderland to be the star centre forward who is scoring all the goals, or the first name on the team sheet when it comes to confirming the identity of the host cities." "
There will certainly be a boost to Newcastle Airport passenger numbers if the bid is successful.
New Jobs at Newcastle Airport August 26 2009
The budget airline Jet2.com is to create hundreds of north east jobs after it revealed new routes from Newcastle Airport.
Around 450 positions will be created after flights to Turkey, Gran Canaria, Cyprus, Greece and Egypt were announced – boosting seat numbers by 100,000 a year.
The move means that one aircraft will be permanently based at the hub, while 450 north east jobs will be created for check-in staff and air hostesses.
Graeme Mason, Newcastle Airport head of planning and corporate affairs, said: "In these times of economic downturn, this really does break the trend. We see it as a very positive sign for what the future holds here at the airport."
The new jobs will help to replace some positions which were lost at the hub after other airlines pulled out of the region.
Eastern Airlines cuts service from Newcastle Airport to Isle of Man August 7 2009
Eastern Airlines has confirmed that it will be withdrawing its two routes from the Island. Eastern will cease operating its flights to Birmingham Airport and Newcastle Airport at the end of August, with its last flights on the routes on August 23rd. The Isle of Man to Birmingham route will continue to be flown by Flybe, which will increase the number of flights it operates on the route in September. In addition, following the confirmation by Eastern of its termination of the Newcastle Airport service, the Airport has been in active discussion with other operators about the possibility of taking over the route.
Fall in value of shares in Newcastle Airport affects local Council August 5 2009
Although North Tyneside Council has not been caught up in the problems of investing in foreign banks, it has been badly affected by the economic downturn.
Figures in the annual statement of accounts for 2008/9 show the authority now has the pension fund deficit, a £160m drop in the value of its assets and a 90 per cent decrease in the value of its shares at Newcastle Airport, now standing at less than £1m.
Newcastle Airport Flights to Palma Majorca get back to normal July 31 2009
FLIGHTS to and from Majorca were getting back to normal today following the holiday island bomb atrocity.Hundreds of travellers were stranded at Palma airport following the bomb blast, which killed two policeman, yesterday afternoon.Police hoping to trap the fleeing bombers closed the airport on the island, a favourite with Tyneside sunseekers, following the car bomb, along with seaports and roadsBut the move caused travel chaos, grounding flights and leaving tourists trapped in the departure lounge. Some passengers heading back to Newcastle Airport were about to board their EasyJet flight when the pilot told them there had been a bomb attack.
Company director Tony Craggs, 23, from Newcastle, said: “We were in the boarding lounge and the pilot of our plane came to tell us there had been a bomb attack.“We didn't know if it affected our safety and people were panicking.”Palma is the most popular destination for Tyneside holidaymakers with two or three flights a day jetting out of Newcastle International Airport, at this time of year.Thomson and EasyJet flights bound for Newcastle Airport were delayed for several hours.
Passengers eventually made it back to the city late last night.
A Thomson spokesman said: “We appreciate that flight delays and diversions are frustrating and we are doing everything we can to support our customers at this time and to minimise any delays.
“We advised passengers to arrive at the airport as normal, but to be prepared for delays.”
Two Civil Guards, aged 27 and 28, were killed in the attack, which left several others injured.Police deactivated another bomb placed beneath a second car nearby.The car bomb was planted in the Palmanova beach resort area, south-west of the holiday island’s capital of Palma.The attack followed another blast in the northern city of Burgos in Spain on Wednesday. Around 60 people were injured at the police barracks.The government has blamed both on the Basque separatist group ETA.The group has been held responsible for more than 825 deaths during its campaign for an independent homeland in Spain's Basque region.The bombs came ahead of the 50th anniversary of ETA's founding today.Security forces believe ETA, weakened by arrests of top leaders, is putting on a show of force to prove it is still able to strike.
A spokeswoman for Newcastle International Airport said: “Only two flights into Newcastle were affected and were delayed last night. But the airport in Majorca opened sooner than we expected and there were no further problems after 5.30pm.”
Favourite destinations for passengers from Newcastle Airport. July 16 2009
Newcastle International Airport has revealed the top 10 destinations for people flying out of the airport and Spanish sun-traps are dominating the charts.
The top three destinations are all from the sun-soaked country which has six destinations in the top 10.
Palma, Malaga and Alicante make up the top three slots, but jetsetters are also opting to head to cheaper resorts in Turkey, or all-inclusive packages in Dubai.
Every week around 115,000 passengers travel to or from 80 destinations, accounting for 200 departures and arrivals every day.
Chris Sanders, head of airline development at Newcastle International, said: “Despite the economic gloom, an overseas holiday is still highly valued by the North East public.
“Newcastle Airport has been working harder than ever to ensure our passengers continue to enjoy a wide choice of destinations for their 2009 holiday.
“We are delighted to see some new flights on our departure boards. Holidaymakers can now take advantage of easyJet flights to the beautiful island of Malta or snap up the chance to soak up some sun in Croatia with Jet2.
“Thomas Cook Airlines have based a third aircraft at Newcastle International for the summer, offering hundreds more seats to North East passengers and even more destinations from Newcastle Airport. Two special Greek destinations – Santorini and Skiathos – are now available, while the Greek Island of Kefalonia has its own dedicated flight.
“This year has seen a trend towards more 10 and 11 night holidays being sold although the traditional fortnight long holiday remains very popular.
“There is still some capacity available in the summer holiday period with some bargains to be had for those who can be flexible.”
So there you have it, book your holiday, book your Newcastle Airport Car Parking, and get on those beaches.
Government downgrades North East England July 8 2009
A new Government report, titled Delivering a Sustainable Transport System, claims that large parts of the region are of no "strategic importance" in national transport terms.
The report appears to question the importance of the Port of Tyne in South Shields, Newcastle Airport and road links across the Pennines and to Scotland.
It has sparked an angry response from Port of Tyne chief executive Andrew Moffat.
He said: "This undermines our regional importance, and also restricts the port's development as a national asset.
"Failing to recognise the impact of north-east transport routes potentially damages both the regional and national economy.
"Transport and connectivity are linked to economic prosperity.
"The north east has the lowest economic growth in the country, and one way to help address this would be to recognise the A69 and A1 as strategic national corridors, important not only for the Port of Tyne, but to the entire north east and Scotland."
Large stretches of the A1 are also left out of plans for the development of national networks to boost the economy.
A spokesman for Newcastle Airport said it was disappointed at the report.
Regional minister Nick Brown has warned transport secretary Lord Adonis that he could be accused of damaging the national economy by appearing to downgrade the importance of north-east transport links.
Lord Adonis maintains that the Port of Tyne and Newcastle Airport are not big enough to be included in the strategic transport plans, but added: "We intend to keep our definitions under periodic review and, should these gateways grow, they will be reconsidered in the future."
Newcastle Airport control tower struck by lightening July 9 2009
AN air traffic controller had a lucky escape after being struck by lightning.
Vikki Cole was working at the top of the 130ft control tower at Newcastle International Airport when it was struck by a lightning bolt on Monday afternoon.
She had been updating the radar room on the stormy weather to help direct planes in to land when the tower was suddenly hit.
The 26-year-old, from Whickham, Gateshead, said: “There were quite a few storms around and there was a lot of electrical activity. We were watching lightning bolts earth around the airport. Six bolts must have struck the ground within about 90 seconds.
“We were looking out to see which end of the runway to direct a plane in to land. I was using a touch screen phone to advise the radar room when a bolt hit the tower. My finger was in contact with the screen when it hit, I heard a crackle and I felt a shock in my finger.
“I turned around to look at my colleagues as if to say ‘did that really happen’. They said they saw something shoot across the desk. The strike had popped a couple of machines and the clock, and the emergency alarm was going off.
“I was a bit shocked, it’s not something you expect to happen. It was a totally surreal experience.”
But despite being struck by lightning, Vikki was back at work within a couple of hours. She added: “I took a couple of hours to compose myself and I had a bit of a headache, but I went back to work a couple of hours later.
“It hasn’t put me off working up in the tower, you get such great views of the region. It was one of those weird phenomena, the chances of it happening must be millions to one.
Thanks to David Old of the Newcastle Journal for the story, July 8