Welcome to AirportWatch
We are an umbrella movement uniting the national environmental organisations, the airport community groups, and individuals opposed to unsustainable aviation expansion
NATS Terminal Control North Airspace consultation extended by 4 weeks (to 19th June) - but Stop Stansted Expansion says it is pointless unless key questions are answeredThe consultation by NATS on proposals to redraw the aircraft route map across
a large area of south-east England has been extended by four weeks.
In welcoming the decision by NATS to extend the consultation period for the proposed
new flight paths by 4 weeks SSE has warned that the extension will be pointless
unless vital gaps in the information so far provided by are rapidly remedied by
NATS. In particular, SSE is concerned that the consultation fails to offer any
explanation for NATS' preferred options, or to provide any substantive information
on the other options considered.
SSE has been highly critical of the inadequacies of the NATS consultation and
has written repeatedly to NATS in this context. However, NATS has so far failed
to respond to requests from SSE and other organisations for urgent answers to
some 35 questions on the alternatives considered. (8.5.2008) More ..... |
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EasyJet to raise fares after fuel costs lead to £57m first-half lossEasyJet sounded the death knell for the era of low-cost air travel as it revealed
that first-half losses quadrupled due to the record price of oil.
EasyJet said that they would raise its one-way fares – currently averaging about
£50 – by nearly 10%, or about £4, if the price of oil remained buoyant. This would
be in addition to an array of optional charges, for luggage or priority boarding
etc, introduced to offset its fuel bill. (8.5.2008) More ..... |
Archbishop of Canterbury is backing Heathrow demo and risking wrath of PMThe Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, is backing the mass demonstration
against a third runway at Heathrow, on 31st May, putting him on a collision course
with Gordon Brown and risking the wrath of Downning Street. Dr Williams, who has
almost given up taking flights, will write a letter of support to be read out
at the march. He will not attend because of other commitments.
(8.5.2008) More ..... |
Airline emissions 'far higher than previous estimates'The aviation industry's failure to curb its soaring carbon emissions could lead to the "worst case scenario" for climate change, as envisaged by the United Nations. An unpublished study by the world's leading experts has revealed that airlines
are pumping 20% more CO2 into the atmosphere than estimates suggest, with total
emissions set to reach between 1.2 billion and 1.5 billion tonnes annually by
2025.
(6.5.2008) More ..... |
* Date for your diary*Thursday, 22nd May: "Does London Need a Bigger Heathrow?"The next in the series of Evening Standard debates.
6.30pm for 7pm, at the RSA, 8 John Adam Street, London WC2N 6EZ . Chair: Anne McElvoy Confirmed Panel: Rt Hon Ruth Kelly MP (Secretary of State for Transport) Baroness Valentine (Chief Executive Officer, London First) To book a ticket - Evening Standard website |
* Date for your diary*Tues 20th May - Protest vigil calling for a halt to airport expansion and immediate and real Climate Action NowOrganised by we CAN (a group of concerned mothers and young people). 6pm onwards - outside the House of Commons.
Please bring a candle and a green awareness ribbon to show you want the government
to take real leadership on this issue.
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* Date for your diary*Saturday May 31st HeathrowMarch to Rally and Carnival in SipsonStarts 12 noon: at Hatton Cross The Government expects to make its decision about Heathrow expansion in June. We expect this to be the biggest demonstration against expansion in Heathrow’s history. It will be all legal and peaceful. More details on the - Make A NOise website |
Heathrow - new planning rules 'will push through third runway'The proposals for a third runway could be decided within less than a year by a new planning commission - sparking fears it will be railroaded through in the face of widespread opposition from Londoners. The same process could be used for the proposed switch to using current runways for both take-offs and landings. The Government believes the new Infrastructure Planning Commission, due to start work next year, is vital to stop key projects of national importance being delayed for years. (28.4.2008) More ..... |
Ryanair increases travel chargesRyanair is to increase its check-in charges by £1 to £4 per passenger and by
£2 to £8 per bag from 6th May to try and reduce its airport costs. Ryanair is
encouraging travellers to check-in online and take only hand luggage. Many Ryanair
passengers will find that they pay more in taxes, fees and charges than for the
flight itself.
For example, if you travelled to Dublin on Saturday with two pieces of luggage,
you could end up paying an additional £47.12 on top of your £14.99 flight. (6.5.2008)
More ..... |
Newmarket Council raise Stansted flightpath concernsNewmarket Town Council has backed the growing campaign against proposals which could see planes waiting to land at Stansted Airport ‘stacked’ over some of the town's most important stud land. At a meeting last week, town councillors agreed to submit an objection to the NATS plan, which could see planes put in a holding position close to Newmarket. They believed the proposals would be devastating for Newmarket's ‘tranquil environment’, which has made it ideal for racehorse breeding. (3.5.2008) More ..... |
Council agree Carlisle Airport redevelopment planCarlisle city councillors have agreed to the expansion of Carlisle airport, with a revised list of planning conditions acceptable to airport owner Andrew Tinkler. A £35 million scheme for a new runway, terminal, hangars, warehousing and offices
had been in doubt after Mr Tinkler stormed out of a meeting earlier this month
over conditions attached to planning approval. However, the Government Office for the North West could still effectively scupper the scheme
if, within 28 days, it calls a public inquiry.
(28.4.2008 More ..... |
European airlines face squeeze on profit - while US airlines make huge lossesThe American airline industry lost $1.5 billion in the first 3 months of 2008 and European carriers may be the next to feel the pain, as high oil prices drive up operating costs. The situation for some European airlines will get worse as much of their oil hedging ends in the next 2 months, and carriers now paying about $80 will soon pay the full market rate, which could trigger a crisis. The most likely outcome is that airlines will reduce capacity and shut down routes not operating with near-full planes, while others will seek mergers in the hope of big cost reductions. (25.4.2008) More ..... |
Holidays still a priority despite economic uncertaintyMore than half of Brits are to continue with their holiday plans despite current
economic uncertainty, according to new research. Almost 60% will not cancel or
alter their summer holiday plans. 66% would search for travel deals to get the
best price, 60% would self cater instead of eating out.
65% of respondents said they would be inspired to travel to the US and Canada
to take advantage of the favourable exchange rate. Only 7% would cancel their
holiday completely while a mere 4% admitted they might freeload from wealthier
relatives. (28.4.2008) More .....
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Travel boom makes Air China soarAir China has reported a 147% rise in quarterly profits, helped by a travel boom sparked by the rapid growth in the Chinese economy. The airline made net profits of £75m) in the first 3 months of 2008. The strengthening yuan against the US dollar has also helped, and Air China is expected to get a boost from people travelling to the Olympics. (25.4.2008) More ..... |
CAA figures for UK air freight in 2007The CAA figures for 2007 show the top air freight airports, by tonnage, in descending order being Heathrow, Nottingham East Midlands, Stansted, Gatwick, Manchester, Belfast International, Luton, Prestwick, Kent and Edinburgh. The annual tonnage was almost unchanged from the 2006 figure, at 2,325,772 tonnes. More ..... |
Oil prices rise to yet another record - over $117 a barrelThe price of aviation jet fuel is over 69% higher than this time last year, at
$144.5 per barrel. IATA's jet fuel price monitor estimates the new fuel price
per barrel for 2008 at $121.6 and the impact on this year's fuel bill of the
global airline industry as + $58 billion. (22.4.2008) IATA figures
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Plane Stupid Scotland occupy roof of Scottish ParliamentTwo environmental activists from the Plane Stupid Scotland, climbed onto the
roof of the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh to protest against plans for expansion
of Scottish airports, which will make it all but impossible to block new roads
and runways. (14.4.2008) More .....
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Heathrow plans crash zone for runway three on M25/M4 motorway junctionPlans for a 3rd runway at Heathrow flout safety guidelines by placing a proposed
crash-landing zone on top of a motorway junction (M25 / M4). It has emerged that
the motorway junction, 650 yards from the end of the proposed runway, will be
in the crash landing zone or “public safety zone” where there is an accepted higher
risk of an accident.
( Map to show the runway and motorway junction). 13.4.2008 More ..... |
Sir Nicholas Stern takes bleaker view on global warmingThe internationally influential Stern report on climate change underestimated the risks of global warming and should have presented an even bleaker view of the future, according to its own author. He said "We underestimated the risks . . . we underestimated the damage associated with the temperature increases . . . and we underestimated the probabilities of temperature increases." (17.4.2008) More ..... |
Heathrow - BA postpones long-haul move to T5British Airways has delayed moving most of its long-haul flights to Heathrow's new Terminal 5 until June. The new £4.3bn terminal has been plagued by problems, especially with its baggage handling, since it opened. Almost all of BA's long-haul flights were supposed to switch from Terminal 4 to Terminal 5 on 30 April. No date in June has yet been given for the move. The delay in moving will have
a knock-on effect on other airlines, which had been due to move into Terminal
4 once BA had left. (11.4.2008) More ..... |
Pressure mounts on BAA’s monopoly - Competition Commission publish reportThe government will review the economic regulation of the UK's airport system
after a report said that BAA may be failing airlines and consumers.
The Competition Commission stressed that it had not yet reached any conclusions
over the fate of BAA. However, it added that it would set out its remedies to
any competition problems in August, "whether requiring the sale of one or more
of BAA's airports or otherwise". (22.4.2008) More ..... |
Stop Stansted Expansion helps communities to get to grips with 2nd runway application at 40+ community meetingsMore than 40 community presentations have been lined up for the coming months
by Stop Stansted Expansion (SSE) to help people get to grips with proposals for
a second runway at Stansted and to explain how to lodge objections.
SSE has agreed to speak at parish and town council meetings across Essex, Hertfordshire
and Suffolk as part of its drive to alert local communities to the threat posed
by BAA's plans, with more dates being added all the time. (8.4.2008) .
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Ryanair faces probe over advertsRyanair faces a probe by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) after a string of complaints about its adverts. The carrier has been referred by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) which has found Ryanair in breach of rules seven times in two years. The ASA said exaggerated claims about flight availability at advertised prices, and prices that omitted taxes and charges had misled consumers. Formal referrals to the OFT were rare, said the ASA's director general Christopher Graham - the last occurring in 2005. (9.4.2008) More ..... |
Birmingham Airport expansion 'will cancel out green policy'Birmingham's ambitious plans to slash its carbon emissions will be negated by the expansion of the city's airport. The admission from the city's deputy leader came after environmental campaigners said the local authority's radical green plans did not tally with its support for BIA. Earlier this year, the city council unveiled radical plans to cut emissions by 60% in the city by 2026. (8.4.2008) More ..... |
Heathrow - British Airways puts bill for T5 launch chaos at £16mBritish Airways have given investors fresh cause for worry after it revealed that it lost £16m due to the disastrous opening of Terminal Five. While T5 seems to be slowly working out the kinks, BA has had a 5% drop in premium traffic in March compared to the same month a year ago. A weakening of BA's business class market could be debilitating to the company's efforts to stave off the worst effects of a fuel bill that will jump by 20% to £2.5bn this year. (4.4.2008) More ..... |
Formation of the "CO2 " group of local Councils Opposing a Second Runway at StanstedCouncils representing over six million people have formed a new alliance, to
oppose expansion of Stansted and Heathrow, and unacceptable environment impacts
on their communities. The leaders of the CO2 group will be joining forces with the leaders of the ‘2M
Group’ of London councils.
The new CO2 cross-party group is made up of councils including Essex County Council, Hertfordshire County Council, Suffolk County Council, Braintree District Council, and East Herts District Council and Uttlesford District Council - and expressions of interest from other councils. (7.3.2008) More ..... |
'Jet-setting' government clocked up 300 million air miles last yearThe Conservatives have calculated that Whitehall departments and major public bodies clocked up more than 300 million "air miles" last year. The figures came after the Sustainable Development Commission warned the Government that it urgently needed to "raise its game" to reduce its environmental footprint. The highest air travel totals were the Foreign Office (90.5 million miles), the Ministry of Defence (43.4 million, excluding military travel) and the Department for International Development (42.2 million). More ..... |
Air passengers 'at risk from toxic fumes' onboard aircraftThousands of air passengers are put at risk each year from toxic fumes leaking
into aircraft cabins, according to a leading organization representing over 500,000
aviation workers globally in 3 continents.
The Global Cabin Air Quality Executive (GCAQE), formed in 2006, is calling for
a full public inquiry into the ongoing ‘Contaminated Air’ issue on UK aircraft,
in light of substantial evidence that numerous chemicals such as tricresyl phosphate
and tributyl phosphate, present in oils and lubricants, leak daily into cabin
air supplies. Chemicals known to have immuno- and neuro- toxic effects. (27.3.2008)
More ..... |
Plan for Stansted second runway unveiledBAA has submitted its application to build a second runway at Stansted, doubling
the size of the airport. If approved, the plans would also see a new terminal by 2015, serving 68 million passengers a year by 2030. The Stop Stansted Expansion (SSE) described the application as "going beyond environmental vandalism and being
tantamount to a declaration of war on the local community and global environment". (11.3.2008) More ..... |
Government figures hide scale of CO2 emissions, says NAO reportBritain's climate change emissions may be 12% higher than officially stated,
according to a National Audit Office investigation. The lower figure shows UK emissions
to be 656m tonnes of CO2 in 2005, but more accurate figures show emissions to
be in the region of 733m tonnes in 2005, as they include international aviation
and shipping emissions. (17.3.2008) More ..... |
Revealed: the plot, between the Government and BAA, to expand HeathrowBAA colluded with government officials to “fix” the evidence in favour of a new third runway at Heathrow. Documents reveal that BAA executives prevented the use of data in the consultation document which showed that the expansion would cause unlawful levels of pollution and extra noise. The Environment Agency, has now criticised the Department for Transport (DfT) consultation. ( 9.3.2008) More ..... |
Aircraft numbers may double by 2026Airbus is warning that more runways are needed to accommodate a doubling of the global aircraft fleet by 2026. They predict that globally over 28,500 passenger and freight aircraft would be flying by 2025 - more than double the current total of 13,284. They said Britain will be the third largest customer for new aircraft, after the USA and China, with 1,100 jets to be added to UK aviation. Airbus expects global passenger traffic to grow at an average of 4.9% a year. (8.2.2008) More ..... | ||
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Join us!
We don't have a subscription-based membership, but we are building up a network
of individuals and groups interested in the environmental aspects of aviation,
whether local noise and disturbance, or more nationally on climate change or equity.
If you share our concern about aviation or airport expansion, we would love to
hear from you.
JOIN US !
We don't have a subscription-based membership, but we are building up a network of individuals and groups interested in the environmental aspects of aviation, whether local noise and disturbance, or more nationally on climate change or equity. If you share our concern about aviation or airport expansion, we would love to hear from you.
JOIN US !
Emissions from aviation and climate change
Should we really give up flying?
Should I fly less?
Aviation and damage to the environment
Flying and climate change
Air travel and global warming
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