We recognise the importance of partnership working across all aspects of our business, including corporate responsibility. 

We work together with our business partners on many issues, such as aircraft noise performance, safety and air quality. For example:

• The Gatwick Airline Operators Committee (AOC) on our aircraft washing consents
• The Airside Safety Group - with airlines, handling agents, caterers, cleaning companies and fuel companies
• The Flight Operations Performance Committee (FLOPC) – a monthly meeting that we chair, with major airline base captains, our own team, NATS (National Air Traffic Services), BALPA (British Airline Pilots’ Association) and the Department for Transport
• The Ground Noise Committee - a quarterly meeting that we chair, attended by British Airways, local council representatives and members of GATCOM, our consultative committee.

We actively engage with these stakeholders in and around the airport, and their feedback enables us to understand our business better in a wider community context.

Progress cannot be made in isolation, and this section sets out some examples of our approach, with some views from the people we’ve worked with over the year.

Delivering good service

Passenger services sub-committee
Peter Hall, Chairman:
“The Passenger Services Sub-Committee of the Gatwick Airport Consultative Committee (GATCOM) provides feedback and suggestions to airport management on the Gatwick passenger experience. It is made up of 12 volunteer passengers representatives and four members of GATCOM.

The group act as critical friends commenting on operational performance and providing input and suggestions on new airport developments at the design and planning stage. PSSC members give about ten to twelve days a year as unpaid volunteers. The group meets with airport management quarterly and also reports at each GATCOM meeting.”  

‘May I Help?’
The ‘May I Help’ initiative is a good example of successful partnership working, helping the passenger journey through airport, working together as one team. Staff wearing high visibility sweatshirts worked with business partners including: 

• Welcome Hosts at the security portals and check-in kiosks
• MacLellan providing porters around the forecourts, oversize baggage and in arrivals
• Reach – retail hosts in the departure lounge.

It’s also a great opportunity to involve our behind the scenes employees - airport managers who aren’t usually on the front-line are trained and happy to help.

Safety and security - Project Griffin

Project Griffin is a anti-terrorism initiative started by the City of London Police in association with financial institutions in 2004.

Inspector Kevin Swinney of Sussex police has been working in partnership with BAA Gatwick to bring Project Griffin to the airport. “Gatwick is the first airport in Europe to adopt Griffin. Representatives from a variety of organisations attend the awareness days, scheduled throughout the year. Delegates will hear presentations from police on a variety of topics that will enhance the protective security at the airport.”

Community engagement

Gatwick Airport Consultative Committee (GATCOM)
Our consultative committee, GATCOM is one of the most important ways of keeping people informed and getting feedback about what we do. It is made up of a wide range of interests, is independently chaired and, during 2007, discussions included: government decisions and consultations, noise and track keeping, air quality, climate change, surface transport, passenger service, master planning and capital investment.

GATCOM has a specialist sub committee with volunteer members advising the airport on service issues (the Passenger Services Sub Committee – see above), and technical specialists in the Noise and Track Keeping Advisory Group and the Ground Noise Group.

The new chairman, Dr John Godfrey took over from Peter Bryant OBE in July 2007. Peter chaired the committee for 12 years, and his many achievements include raising the profile of GATCOM and steering the group through some sensitive issues including the government’s SERAS runway studies, and night flights. Dr Godfrey has led a review of how GATCOM is set up for the future, which will be implemented in July 2008.

John Godfrey “GATCOM acts as a critical friend to Gatwick. The committee provides a sounding board of interested and knowledgeable local people: businesses and communities, whose future is bound up with its own.

“Gatwick's commitment to corporate responsibility is important. GATCOM works with the airport management and their stakeholders to develop an agreed vision for the airport’s future, and to bring clarity to the commitments which the airport makes to its neighbours: this is a two-way relationship, of great value to all partners.”

The local economy

We work with a range of local business and economic groups to improve our understanding of Gatwick’s economic benefits, and to play a positive role as a major organisation in the area.

Jeremy Taylor, Chief Executive, CADIA
"We value the open relationship that the business community enjoys with Gatwick Airport.  The airport is a key driver to the economy of the Gatwick Diamond and we are able to advise on how that driver can affect local businesses, for better or worse.  Every business has to take account of its surroundings and we feel that Gatwick is very aware of its place and is keen to listen to the business community through both formal and informal channels.”

Community investment - volunteering

Feedback from partners we have worked together with in community volunteering has been positive, and reinforces our commitment to employee volunteering.

Richard Allen, Operations Director, Surrey Education Business Partnership:
"The close partnership that has been established between our two organisations is immensely valuable to the wider world of education and the preparation of young people for the working environment.”

Peter Moxley, National Centre for Young People with Epilepsy:
"…what particularly impressed me was the way in which each individual approached work and combined so effectively as a team. The work undertaken was of a really high standard and has already been admired by many of our staff…Thank you".

John Hunt, Chief Executive, Fulcrum:
"BAA Communities Trust was instrumental in making this village community project come alive. Without their … support, the students would never have been involved in such a life changing experience, and the children of the Bakshi Panch home would still have no real education and be destined to live in squalor."

The Gatwick Greenspace Partnership

We have supported the Gatwick Greenspace Partnership (formerly the Horley Crawley Countryside Management Project since the early 1990s. We worked with them in 2007 on:

• biodiversity protection and enhancement in a 68 hectare area of our land to the east of the London to Brighton railway line. This is part of our community commitments, and enables us to make sure any loss of biodiversity from new airport development projects can include corresponding enhancements to the biodiversity of this area.
• the Environment Centre (located in this area) to improve its biodiversity value and access around the site. Hedges have been repaired, scrub removed from meadow margins and an ongoing programme of tree planting and maintenance continues. Our survey programme shows that over 80 species of animals and birds live in or visit the area, including rare and protected species such as the woodcock and great crested newts.

Our continued funding of the Gatwick Greenspace Partnership has meant that important biodiversity management work has continued in the local area, including coppicing and the removal of plantation conifers in ancient woodland, heath land restoration and pond work. More than 500 working days of volunteer work were recorded in the last year.