“CPH Go” opened at Copenhagen Airport

CPH Go is designed for growth, and the low-cost pier will help Copenhagen Airport to continue to benefit from the growth in European low-cost traffic. The first route to be operated from CPH Go will open already on Monday, 1 November.

The Lord Mayor of Copenhagen, Frank Jensen, today opened Copenhagen Airport's new low-cost facility, "CPH Go". On the opening day, the first customer at CPH Go, British-based low-cost carrier easyJet, operated a total of seven flights from the low-cost pier, and already on Monday, CPH Go will generate new growth at Copenhagen Airport and new flight options for passengers when easyJet opens its new service to Basel, Switzerland.

"Continuing expansion and strengthening of Copenhagen is an important prerequisite for attracting more tourists and more business investments to our region. A strong international airport helps ensure a high level of accessibility to Denmark, which is important to us in the international competition between cities and regions," said the mayor of Copenhagen, Frank Jensen, in his inauguration speech for CPH Go, the new low-cost pier at Copenhagen Airport.

An integrated part of the airport

CPH Go is a dedicated low-cost facility built as an integrated part of the existing airport, which means that passengers travelling to and from CPH Go will have access to the same services and facilities as all other airline passengers, including easy access to public transport and short walking distances everywhere at the airport.

Moreover, CPH Go means that pure low-cost carriers, such as easyJet, will benefit from optimal operational conditions and low airport charges, which is a prerequisite for low-cost growth.

Copenhagen Airport has been one of the fastest growing major European airports this year. Passenger numbers have increased by 8.2% to date, not least due to the massive growth that low-cost carriers have continued to generate," said Henrik Peter Jørgensen, VP, Communications, at Copenhagen Airports.

60% growth

One of the low-cost carriers that has generated the highest growth over the past couple of years is easyJet, which in 2009 grew by 60% at Copenhagen alone, and which will carry 30% more passengers in 2010 than last year. Copenhagen Airport's decision to build a dedicated low-cost pier has been a key factor in this growth performance.

"CPH Go helps ensure competitive fares on routes to Copenhagen as compared with other European airports and cities. This is good news to European consumers who we can reach through our well-developed network with destinations in 29 countries. CPH Go helps enhance Copenhagen's rating among preferred European leisure and business destinations," said Thomas Haagensen, easyJet's Regional General Manager for Northern Europe and Scandinavia.

In 2000, low-cost carriers had a market share of 1.5% of traffic at Copenhagen Airport. After constant growth every year since, this rate is now at about 18%. CPH Go strengthens Copenhagen Airport's overall offering to the airlines.

A targeted product

"Previously, all airports treated all airlines equally, but in recent years we have successfully collaborated with the airlines operating at Copenhagen Airport to adapt our products and offering to meet their demands. We have therefore started a strategic collaboration with our largest network carrier, SAS, designed to strengthen their transfer product. We are therefore now also collaborating with our second-largest customer, Norwegian, to operate most of their traffic from Pier A, and that is also why we have built CPH GO which is targeting a number of pure European low-cost carriers which need a simple, targeted airport product," said Henrik Peter Jørgensen.

In addition to the opening of easyJet's new service to Basel, Monday, 1 November will see the opening of two other new routes, as Cimber Sterling opens a new service to Tel Aviv, Israel, and Ukrainian-based AeroSvit opens a service to Kiev.