AAP Alpha Airports

RNS Number:5588E
Alpha Airports Group PLC
27 January 2000

                           ALPHA Airports Group Plc
                                Trading Update

We are pleased to report that overall trading for the second half 1999/00 has
been in line with expectations.

Our Inflight Retail business has consolidated its position in the inflight
market with a new UK contract awarded by  "go"- the low cost airline of
British Airways.

In ALPHA Catering Services, UK passenger meal volumes have been generally flat
and trading over the millennium period was weak. Following the award of a new
7 year contract with United Airlines - our key customer at Heathrow - we have
signed a long term lease for a new 79,000 square foot kitchen close by
Heathrow Airport. We will be fitting out this kitchen at a cost of up to #5m
over the next 9 months. In the meantime we will incur additional rent and
other dual-running costs of some #1.5m that will be expensed before the
kitchen opens in the Autumn.

The results of the valuation of the Group's UK pension fund as at April 1999
are now being finalised. This valuation indicates a deficit of about #2.0m
against a previous surplus of #1.5m.  This deficit will be amortised in
accordance with SSAP 24.

Within ALPHA Retail our initiatives to re-establish "travel retail" as a
value for money shopping delight have delivered positive results, with an
increase in the level of spend by passengers travelling outside the EU.
Initiatives to improve sales levels to passengers travelling within the EU
have shown mixed results, but we always expected sales in this category to
recover more slowly.


Enquiries:

ALPHA Airports Group Plc                     0181 580 3200
Kevin Abbott, Chief Executive
Stuart Siddall, Finance Director

Gavin Anderson & Company                     0171 457 2345
Marc Popiolek
Laura Hickman

END
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