London businesses are to fund a major campaign for airport expansion after Sir Howard Davies said the Airports Commission provisionally is backing new runways in the South-East. Business group London First will put pressure on the main political parties to heed the Commissions’s recommendations when published after the 2015 election. The “Let Britain Fly” campaign will cost £250,000 and London First is seeking £25,000 each from businesses, trade unions and London boroughs. The cash will be used to fund academic studies and advertising. The lobby group insists it will not campaign in favour of one particular airport. It believes extra flights can be put on at Heathrow, Stansted and Gatwick in the next five years regardless of the outcome of a decision on runways. The City of London Corporation is set to contribute to the campaign, with Canary Wharf Group, Sir Robert McAlpine, the Berkeley Group, John Lewis and Segro also committed. “London First” is an aggressively pro-growth lobby organisation, whose stated mission is to “make London the best city in the world in which to do business.”
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10 October 2013
London businesses are to fund a major campaign for airport expansion after the Government’s aviation supremo Sir Howard Davies backed new runways in the South-East.
Business group London First will put pressure on the main political parties to heed the recommendations of the Davies commission when its report is published after the 2015 election.
The “Let Britain Fly” campaign will cost £250,000 and London First is seeking £25,000 each from businesses, trade unions and London boroughs. [The “Let Britain Fly” campaign has no website and there is no other mention of it anywhere online, other than this story. Not even on the London First website.
The cash will be used to fund academic studies and advertising. The lobby group insists it will not campaign in favour of one particular airport.
It believes extra flights can be put on at Heathrow, Stansted and Gatwick in the next five years regardless of the outcome of a decision on runways.
London First’s Rob McIvor said: “We are bringing together various businesses and other organisations that want politicians to commit to being guided by the Airports Commission’s recommendations and acting swiftly once they have been made. We cannot afford to see this kicked into the long grass yet again.”
He said that, in the short term, the group would be calling for more flights at the major London airports, improved transport links and the lifting of price caps.
He added: “Long term, we believe we will need to build new runways in the South-East but we are open minded about where they will be. The important thing is for all the main parties to commit to tackling the capacity crunch after the 2015 election.”
The City of London Corporation is set to contribute to the campaign, with Canary Wharf Group, Sir Robert McAlpine, the Berkeley Group, John Lewis and Segro also committed.
Earlier this week, airports chief Sir Howard ruled there was no alternative to building extra runways in the South -East to cope with rising passenger demand.
In December, he will announce a shortlist of potential runway sites from 58 submissions.
His commission will then whittle this down to make a recommendation in 2015, which could involve new runways at more than one airport.
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19.9.2013
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the information below is from their website at http://www.runwaysuk.com/about-runways-uk
There is also another aviation lobby group called the Aviation Foundation, (whose members are Virgin Atlantic, Heathrow, British Airways’ parent company IAG, business groups and the TUC). http://www.aviation-foundation.org/ They have a pledge on their website to get people, companies etc to sign up to back aviation expansion. http://www.aviation-foundation.org/Pledge/index.asp
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There is also a group called A Fair Tax on Flying, which wants APD and aviation taxes to be cut, to make flying even cheaper (it is already undertaxed, paying no fuel duty and no VAT) which has a website at http://www.afairtaxonflying.org and a Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/afairtaxonflying
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There were also campaigns by the aviation industry, called Freedom to Fly, and Flying Matters, both of which colllapsed several years ago. https://www.airportwatch.org.uk/?p=2721
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Earlier:
2 September 2013
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9.5.2013
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Article from January 2009 …….. along much the same lines ………
12.1.2009 (BBC)
Unions and business leaders have joined the airline industry in urging the government to approve the construction of a third runway at Heathrow.
The Future Heathrow Group warns in newspaper adverts “Heathrow’s status as a
global hub is at stake”. The union Unite says 172,000 jobs may be at risk.
But opponents of the runway plan to demonstrate at Heathrow later.
Gordon Brown is expected to give the plans the go-ahead this week, despite the
opposition of some 50 Labour MPs.
‘Gateway to world’
The Future Heathrow group has taken out newspaper adverts which say the expansion
is vital for the British economy’s long-term competiveness.
It argues other major European airports have already expanded and are ready to
take advantage when the market starts to recover.
CBI director-general Richard Lambert said: “Heathrow is our gateway to the world
and we need to ensure that it remains a world-class airport capable of serving
the needs of a global economy.”
Baroness Jo Valentine, chief executive of business group London First, said:
“Business needs to fly and will do so long after the current economic turmoil.”
The union Unite said Heathrow’s modernisation would not only safeguard jobs but
create an additional 50,000 in construction and services.
Joint general secretary Derek Simpson said: “We sincerely believe that Heathrow’s
modernisation is the only way to reduce aircraft emissions and cut disruption.”
Airport operator BAA says it needs to build a new runway to meet passenger demand.
But the Institute of Public Policy Research think-tank said conditions for meeting
noise and emissions targets must be attached to any approval of the third runway.
Opponents, including residents living near the airport and environmentalists,
are continuing to fight the expansion plans.
Environment protesters will gather at Heathrow’s Terminal 1 on Monday evening
to demonstrate against the plans in a protest organised by the action group Climate
Rush.
Fight to go on
And some protesters have vowed to continue their fight even if it does get the
go-ahead.
John Stewart, chairman of the Heathrow Association for the Control of Aircraft Noise (HACAN) and [member of, not chairman of] No Third Runway Action Group (NoTRAG) said they would consult their lawyers and mount a legal challenge.People will fight the government in the courts, in their communities, in the town halls and, if necessary, on the tarmac of Heathrow Airport.”
More than 50 Labour MPs are opposed to the proposal and Environment Secretary
Hilary Benn has voiced reservations about any development’s environmental impact.
There were calls for a high-speed rail link between UK cities instead of the
third runway, which the Conservatives supported.
But government has said the short runway at Heathrow was still needed.