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Latest news stories:
Gatwick expansion DCO inquiry begins – and will last for 6 months
The inquiry, by the Planning Inspectorate, into the DCO concerning Gatwick Airport's plan to use its emergency runway for routine flights started with an open session, and many people - both in favour of the plan, and against, allowed a brief time to speak. All those in favour were businesses, or business groups - or people in some way linked to the airport, and hoping its expansion would be good for their business in the short to medium term, and perhaps provide more good jobs. Those against were local councils and local residents who - with passion - put forward the range of negative impacts that the expansion would bring. Those would include the climate impacts of thousands more tonnes of CO2 per year; surface transport impacts; air pollution; noise pollution, especially at night; and social impacts of the pressure on local infrastructure, from many more workers at the airport, and many more air passengers. The inquiry is being held in Crawley, and is due to last six months. The submissions gave the impression that the businesses only looked at possible economic benefits, giving no consideration to local residents, or the environment - in the short or long term.
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Heathrow new CEO likely to want expansion in numbers, but no new runway
Thomas Woldbye, Heathrow’s new chief executive, is understood to have begun disbanding the 3rd runway team, and the airport's runway plans have been shelved, as leaked details of the airport’s “better not bigger” strategy can be revealed. Woldbye is instead understood to be exploring how to squeeze millions more passengers through the airport without expanding its footprint. This comes with Heathrow’s Spanish owner Ferrovial facing a protracted process to sell its stake to a Saudi-backed consortium for £2.4 billion. It is believed that a new Heathrow team is pulling together plans under the internal strapline of “better not bigger”, which was originally coined by anti-expansion campaigners. Leaked details of the plans reveal that annual passenger numbers could hit 96 million by 2036, up from the record 80.9 million in 2019, if all of its initiatives can be realised. A “core” case is understood to forecast a rise to 86 million passengers. One way to increase passenger numbers is to make more efficient use of the runway so that planes could take off and land closer together. They will also want to increase Heathrow’s annual flight cap from 480,000 to 505,000, though this would require government consent.
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Southampton Airport wants to cut down some trees, and cut the tops off others
Southampton Airport wants to cut off the tops of 25 trees in a 200-year-old woodland, Marlhill Copse, on grounds of aircraft safety. But the bid is set to be thrown out by city development chiefs, as it will harm the conservation area. However, a second application to remove 15 trees in the same woodland is recommended to approve the cutting down of 14 of them. In October 2023, Southampton City Council received the planning application from the airport which outlined its plan to reduce the tops of 24 individual trees and one group of broadleaf trees within Marlhill Copse in Bitterne Park, on the southern side of the airport over the M27. According to the report by officers recommending refusal, the reduction in height of the 25 trees included one oak by more than 13 metres, another by 12, metres and one Douglas Fir by more than 10 metres. The airport said the work related to the Civil Aviation Act, which gives the secretary of state powers to make direct orders restricting the height of trees; however, the order hasn’t been received, meaning the application had to proceed via the usual council’s planning process. The council’s planning committee is set to decide both applications on February 20th.
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Even with government money, Cardiff airport continues to make a loss
Cardiff Airport is continuing to make a loss as it struggles to attract passengers back to pre-pandemic levels. It lost £4.5m in the year to March 2023 according to company accounts, after receiving a government grant of £5.3m. The company, which is owned by the Welsh government, is hoping to make more use of its land to raise money.Welsh government ministers are currently supporting the airport through a grant worth £42.6m over four years. Over the years it has received millions in government loans. In 2021 Labour ministers wrote off a £42.6m loan they had given the airport, leaving it to repay £26.3m by 2045. The number of passengers using the airport in the year up to March 2023 was only 58% of the number using it before Covid.
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Jenny Dawes granted permission to appeal to the Court of Appeal against the dismissal of her application for judicial review of the 2nd Manston Airport DCO.
On 7 February 2024, the Rt Hon Lord Justice Warby granted Jenny Dawes permission to appeal to the Court of Appeal against the dismissal of her judicial review application challenging the decision of the Secretary of State to make a development consent order (DCO) for the re-opening of Manston Airport. In his Order, Lord Justice Warby reasoned that certain aspects of the High Court decision warranted appellate scrutiny and that the remaining arguments relating to "need' were properly arguable with a reasonable prospect of success. Those pushing for the re-opening of the airport claim that something that could be seen as "critical infrastructure" should not be delayed by legal challenge. In fact, there are serious questions about the "need" for this airport. In 2019 the Examining Authority ultimately concluding that a DCO (Development Consent Order) should not be granted as there was no need for it, with other factors also weighed against the development, including climate change. As well as the need argument, the impact on Manston of the potential growth of other London airports must be considered.
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Andrew Boswell’s legal case, needing the emissions from future use of infrastructure, could be vital
Environmental campaigner and retired scientist, Andrew Boswell, is challenging the granting of development consent for 3 major road building schemes near Norwich. The latest challenge in the ongoing case was heard in the Court of Appeal on 16th January. The case is about the need for new infrastructure schemes, such as roads or airports, to have the increased carbon emissions from their operation taken into account, not merely the carbon from their construction - which is the current legal position. Andrew Boswell claims former transport secretaries Grant Shapps and Anne-Marie Trevelyan’s allowing the schemes was unlawful as the DfT and National Highways failed to properly consider their cumulative emissions impact. His first challenge to the granting of DCOs was heard in the High Court last May, then subsequently dismissed by Justice Thornton in July 2023. He was later granted permission by the Court of Appeal on 18 October, with the Judge noting that Boswell’s case “has a real prospect of success” and acknowledging that “assessment of combined carbon emissions has potentially wide implications”. A date for the outcome of the Appeal Court hearing has not yet been determined.
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How Carlyle’s bet on unsuccessful Southend airport did not work out
Southend airport, barely used now, is at the centre of an escalating dispute between one of the world’s largest private equity groups and an impoverished infrastructure company. The $426bn investment firm Carlyle Group is demanding the early repayment of a £125mn loan made to the airport in 2021, when the aviation industry was reeling from international travel restrictions due to Covid. Carlyle says it has made multiple attempts to resolve the conflict with Southend airport’s London-listed owner, Esken, and that the airport has breached the terms of the loan on multiple occasions. Known as Stobart Group until a rebranding in 2021, Esken emerged in 2007. Among its first deals was the bet on Southend Airport, which it bought in a 2008 agreement worth around £21mn. The airport was doing reasonably well until Covid, but then cash-strapped airlines consolidated around larger hubs, every airline left. It cannot attract airlines. Nor can Esken's other airport, Carlisle. Esken wants to sell Southend and repay shareholders. Southend was never likely to succeed in getting many passengers.
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Schiphol Airport’s new report demands a reduction of aviation demand, to cut CO2 emissions
On 24th Schiphol airport published new research, showing the need for a strong reduction of air traffic demand in order to halt climate heating. The airport proposes the ‘Polluter pays’ principle, with measures such as a worldwide kerosene tax and a tax for business class and private flights. Schiphol’s research showed that at least a 30% CO2 reduction (when compared to 2019) is needed for Schiphol and European aviation to be on track in 2030. That’s more than the current Dutch goal of a 9% reduction. The research was commissioned by Schiphol to investigate what is needed in order to bring its CO2 emissions in line with the Paris Agreement, and it explains why “technological breakthroughs will come too late” and so-called “Sustainable Aviation Fuel” production has limits. It concludes that: “Demand management measures are necessary to align the aviation sector with the goals of the Paris Agreement.” One of the measures proposed is to convert the Dutch air passenger tax to a distance-based tax, and it should include long haul flights - which make up about 80% of emissions. Several other measures include expanding the European ETS to long haul flights.
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East Midlands Airport face criminal charges for River Trent pollution
Multiple criminal charges are being brought against East Midlands Airport Ltd by the Environment Agency for pollution entering the river system surrounding the airport. The prosecution follows a sustained campaign by the Derby Railway Angling Club, who have been working with Fish Legal to highlight chronic pollution of the Diseworth Brook and River Trent linked to discharges of de-icer used on aircraft and runways at the airport. East Midlands Airport Ltd is legally required to comply with an environmental permit issued by the Environment Agency for discharges of contaminated drainage water and provide data to the regulator to assess the impact of pollution coming from the airport on river water quality. The charges being brought relate to permit breaches and discharges of contaminated site drainage that took place in 2021 and 2022. The fishing organisations want revisions to the airport's permit to better control emissions of polluting de-icers into nearby rivers and for investment to raise standards of treatment of contaminated water from the site in line with other airports.
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Huge new airport planned near Warsaw, for up to 100 million annual passengers
Poland is planning a £7 billion new airport, about 25 miles west of Warsaw, that will be central and eastern Europe's biggest ever transport project. Centralny Port Komunikacyjny (CPK) - which translates as 'central communication port' - has not yet had full construction permissions. The first phase of building will be 2 runways and a terminal for up to 40 million passengers annually, due to be completed in 2028. They then want 2 more runways, to eventually handle 100 million passengers annually. It aims to link air, rail and road transport and sprawl over approximately 3,000 hectares. Deputy minister Marcin Horala said: "It involves phasing the construction according to the current market needs." Approvals have been granted in recent months by Polish ministers and the Civil Aviation Authority and the next stage is to be granted approval for a decision on location and a building permit. Various sites had been considered, 20 years ago. Now Wikipedia says "the land for the airport was first acquired under the Voluntary Acquisition Program. By the time the program ends (April 7, 2023), over 1,300 owners have registered with plots with a total area of almost 3,550 ha, which is 80% of the area for the construction of the airport".
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Greta Thunberg joins protest against expansion of Farnborough airport, that is only for private jets
The climate activist Greta Thunberg marched alongside local residents and XR activists to protest against Farnborough airport’s expansion plans. The airport, that only has private jets, submitted a planning application to Rushmoor borough council in September 2023 to increase the number of flights from 50,000 to 70,000 a year. The plan is also to increase weekend and bank holiday flights going from 8,900 to 18,000 per year, and for flights to be allowed an hour earlier and later at weekends, so changing from from 8am to 8pm currently, to 7am to 9pm. They also want to increase the weight of jets, so even bigger and heavier private jets can operate without restriction. Private jets produce far, far more CO2 emissions per passenger kilometer even than business/first class in commercial planes. They are used not only by politicians and top business people, for work purposes, but increasingly just for holidays and leisure. The large protest at the airport called for a total ban on private jets. Greta Thunberg attended, and said: “The fact that using private jets is both legally and socially allowed today in an escalating climate emergency is completely detached from reality.”
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Need for the very rich to publicise how they plan to decarbonise their lifestyles
Private jets are used, more than one might imagine, by the rich, famous and people high up in politics and business. The emissions generated are huge, and are widely seen as an incongruous anomaly, in a world where most people have woken up to the perils of increasing carbon emissions for life in coming decades and centuries. Those who support the use of private jets may claim it is not a real issue, and what has to change is better technology and different political frameworks. But there is a real problem in that many in our societies are influenced, in how they live their own lives, by how they see the rich and famous behaving. The "jet set" lifestyle is sold to people as something positive, to aspire to. Academic researcher, Steve Westlake, writes that leaders who maintain high-carbon lifestyles undermine trust and reduce everyone’s willingness to change their own behaviour - and this slows down the fight against climate change. Positive examples of low-carbon behaviour, especially by high-profile people, can have the effect of encouraging low-carbon behaviour in many people. The users of private jets etc could start to publicise measures they are taking to de-carbonise their own lifestyles.
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Some possible changes at Heathrow, to persuade ever more passengers to use it
People already badly affected by Heathrow are concerned about what might happen, with new Saudi ownership, after Ferrovial. The Saudi-backed consortium is poised to seize control of the airport, but it is far from a done deal. However, plans are already underway that could have ramifications for those living nearby. According to sources close to the bid, they have a multi-pronged strategy to broadly increase the number of passengers, even without — for the foreseeable future, at least — the construction of a third runway. Updating Heathrow’s technology is key in the strategy, with things like scrapping airline-specific check-in desks. There could be an App to get passengers to the shortest queue to drop off their luggage. Luggage tags could also be scrapped in favour of computer chips or QR codes linked to passenger booking information. And other changes. The thinking is that if the new owners can improve life for passengers, making it less stressful and decreasing waiting times, airlines will be able to persuade more people to fly. And more passengers mean more revenue for Heathrow, which currently gets £26.77 per person from its airline customers.
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Tory ministers block £30m cash that could help Labour mayor reopen Doncaster Sheffield airport
Conservative Ministers have blocked £30 million in funding that could help Oliver Coppard, South Yorkshire’s Labour Metro Mayor, re-open Doncaster Sheffield airport. Local Labour leaders have been working to revive the airport, which closed in November 2022. They hoped to use a £30 million cash pot - originally earmarked in 2022 for a rail link to the airport before it closed - to help pay for building work at the site. But Tory Transport Secretary Mark Harper has refused to let them re-route the cash - which will likely go unspent within the 5 year time limit. Doncaster Sheffield Airport (DSA) had domestic flights to London and low-cost airlines taking holidaymakers to European destinations, therefore taking money out of the local economy. When it closed, owners Peel Group said it was not “commercially viable” - despite Mr Coppard and Doncaster Council offering to underwrite operations for a year while a new airport operator could be found. Peel still own it.
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More Heathrow shareholders plan to sell stakes alongside Ferrovial
Ferrovial agreed to sell its 25% stake in Heathrow in November for £2.4bn to French private equity company Ardian (15%) and the Saudi Public Investment Fund (10%). Now 3 other Heathrow shareholders that together own 35% of the airport, have said they want to sell out too, as part of £2.4bn Ferrovial deal agreed. It has been suggested, by someone in the know, that Canadian pension fund Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ), Singapore sovereign wealth fund GIC and the UK’s Universities Superannuation Scheme all intend to exit. So with 25% and 35%, that is 60% of Heathrow's ownership. As part of the Ferrovial deal, the airport’s other shareholders were given the option to sell their own stakes at the same valuation, with the Saudis and Ardian offered first refusal. This could be a problem for the Ferrovial sale, and the £2.4bn deal could collapse if all the shareholders cannot find buyers. Ferrovial said it was a “condition” of the transaction that the “tagged shares” were also sold. Neither Ardian nor the Saudis are compelled to buy the new shares on offer. The Saudis don't want more than 10%. They might be able to find a 3rd investor to come in and buy the 35%.
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NGOs write to aviation Minister, asking that public money is NOT used for SAF research and development
Ten environmental organisations, that are concerned about the environmental impact of aviation, have sent a public letter to the Transport Minister, Mark Harper, asking that development of allegedly "sustainable" aviation fuels should NOT be given public funding. The organisations say it would be grossly unfair for taxpayer money to be given to this, bearing in mind that a majority of people in the UK either do not fly in any one year, or take just one return flight. The majority of flights are taken by a minority, more affluent than average. The letter says that “Industry-funded” should mean that the costs of any revenue support mechanism should be paid for solely by the aviation sector. Also that taxes such as Air Passenger Duty should not be earmarked for SAF research, but go towards public funding. They say that at no point should there be any potential for Treasury money to be used to cover any scheme costs; the scheme should be administered by a body that is not the Treasury, similar to how the Low Carbon Contracts Company operates regarding renewable energy generation.
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GIP, owner of Gatwick and Edinburgh airports, sold to US BlackRock asset management
Global Infrastructure Partners (GIP), which owns about £79bn of companies including Gatwick airport and the Suez wastewater group, has been sold to the US investment firm BlackRock in a $12.5bn deal. The takeover will make BlackRock the world’s 2nd-largest infrastructure investor, behind Australia’s Macquarie group. GIP was created in 2006, and has bought crumbling assets in the energy, transport and water industries, before fixing them and selling them on at a good profit. It now owns 40 companies generating more than $75bn in annual revenues. In the UK, its portfolio includes Gatwick, where it is a minority shareholder behind Vinci; it owns Edinburgh airport, bought in 2012; a stake in Peel Ports, which owns seven ports, and Hornsea 1, the project to build the world’s largest offshore windfarm in the North Sea. GIP bought City airport for £760m in 2006, and sold it to a Canadian-led consortium for £2bn in 2016. GIP’s bosses will now run BlackRock’s enlarged infrastructure business. BlackRock hopes to capitalise on a global acceleration in government infrastructure spending, which it hopes will boost their domestic economies.
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Might jet fuel be produced from human sewage?
A company called Firefly Green Fuels, based in Gloucestershire, is trying to make jet fuel out of human faeces. It is a waste stream that is currently not used, except for as fertiliser for agriculture (which is controversial, due to the danger of a range of chemicals that are not removed from sewage, and microplastic particles). Currently human waste, ie. sewage, breaks down and emits CO2, among other things. If sewage is used to make allegedly low carbon jet fuel, it would need complex treatment requiring a lot of energy, and there would be a further waste product in the end. Such fuels, which could just as well be used for vehicles etc on the ground, as for aviation, would emit just as much CO2 when burned as conventional fuels. Burned in jet engines, it would also produce contrails - which have their own atmospheric heating effect. Supposing jet fuel, or other vehicle fuel, could be produced from human sewage, there might then be a need for another agricultural fertiliser to replace it. The aviation industry is trying to find fuels that it can claim are "low carbon", if they are produced from carbon that has come from plants or animals - rather than fossil fuels.
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Key critic of Farnborough airport silenced by an ASBI, while the airport submits expansion plans
For four years, Colin Shearn, a 62-year-old retired corporate executive, led the Farnborough Noise Group, a watchdog for locals worried about the operations of Farnborough airport, the UK’s busiest private jet airfield. Then, one day in August, police came knocking at his door. They claimed he had conducted an “aggressive and relentless campaign against Farnborough airport” and he was accused of “bombarding” the airport and relevant authorities “with endless questions about air traffic”, while “adopting a belligerent and aggressive style, distorting or misrepresenting a point of view to suit his agenda”. He was issued with an "antisocial behaviour injunction (asbi)" – the successor to the asbo. He was ordered to stop “causing any harassment, alarm or distress, nuisance or annoyance to any person” in Surrey or Hampshire, or face jail or a fine, or both. Just after he was silenced, Farnborough announced that it planned to double weekend flights. Its latest planning application, now submitted to Rushmoor borough council, gives the airport a ceiling of 70,000 flights a year, including 19,000 at weekends, and allows for heavier aircraft to be used.
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Belgian State to pay €6 million plus €20,000 daily fines for misuse of Brussels Airport runway
In yet another development over the never-ending problem of noise pollution around Brussels Airport, the Belgian State has been found guilty of misusing one of the airport’s runways, leading to unnecessary nuisance for the residents of the neighbouring municipalities. According to international standards, Runway 01 at Brussels Airport, which is shorter than others, under specific weather conditions, but a court found that the state allows its use on a regular basis, leading to increased noise around the airport. Thus, 1,400 residents from some neighbouring municipalities have been awarded €6 million in damages, while the State must also pay €20,000 daily fines until the situation is resolved. Earlier this year, Belgian newspaper De Standaard revealed that the State has been paying over €25 million to residents around Brussels Airport in complaints over noise pollution dating back to 2020. Research published recently in Environment International indicates that people living near airports may be slightly more susceptible to heart attacks and related issues, with men aged over 65 worst hit, especially by night flights.
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Changes to Gatwick DCO in November, since the original application
The planning changes at Gatwick, converting the emergency runway for routine take-offs, is an attempt to "sneak" a second runway through the back door. Critics argue that the timing of Gatwick Airport's proposed changes to its expansion plans could result in people who have already commented on the plans mistakenly thinking their feedback still stands, even though the plans have now changed. Gatwick's expansion plans, to take the airport the size of Heathrow currently, are being examined by PINS, the Planning Inspectorate. Their examination may conclude in June 2024. Local group, CAGNE, says there are now some changes to the Gatwick expansion plans that were not in the original consultation. They say there will be a large increase in lorry movements due to replacing an incinerator with a waste sorting plant, not included in the Development Consent Order, traffic modelling or air quality, an incinerator that at the time of obtaining planning permission was meant to heat the north terminal. PINS needs to decide if the changes can be made to the application and included in the examination. Comments for the examination need to be submitted by 21st January 2024.
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Much of the allegedly “used” cooking oil being imported for SAF likely to be fraudulent
Analysis - by T&E - of latest biofuels data shows worrying rise in dubious "used cooking oil" imports as airlines increasingly try to promote biofuels as low carbon flying. The new report shows Europe currently imports 80% of the used cooking oil that it uses as fuel for cars, trucks and planes. About 60% of these imports come from China. With the global airline industry pushing for used cooking oil as a key ingredient in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), T&E has called for greater transparency to avoid used cooking oil (UCO) becoming a backdoor for palm oil. Europe does not produce anything like as much UCO as it wants to use. The push to import oils, with much of the allegedly "used" oil being dodgy, is set to grow as airlines push for more UCO as a key ingredient in SAF. European governments say it’s almost impossible to stop virgin oils like palm being labelled as "waste". There are also palm oil derivatives such as Palm Oil Mill Effluents (POME) and Palm Fatty Acid Distillate (PFAD). These are not waste, but by-products of the palm oil refining process, linked to significant environmental damage and ILUC.
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Luton expansion opposed by Hertfordshire County Council – NO conditions could make it acceptable
Hertfordshire County councillors say they are "vehemently opposed" to plans to increase passenger numbers at Luton Airport – and that NO conditions could make it acceptable. Luton Rising – the owners of the airport – have applied to increase the annual number of air passengers from 19m to 32m a year. The application is currently being examined by the Planning Inspectorate, PINS, as a ‘National Significant Infrastructure Project’. At a council meeting on 12th December, a motion backed by all political parties, pointed to the impact the expansion would have on traffic, on the environment and on noise. It called on PINS to recommend that the application is refused. Due to negative transport, environment and noise impacts, the expansion should be opposed, and was "difficult, if not impossible" to see any planning conditions that would make it ‘acceptable’. One councillor said: “We are in the middle of a climate emergency ... we have got to invest in transport that does not destroy the planet. Aircraft are one of the worst polluting forms of transport there are and we must seek to reduce it and not increase it.”
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Heathrow considering smaller ways to increase flights, rather than a 3rd runway
Heathrow is exploring options for expansion that would prioritise smaller improvements before considering if it could go for a 3rd runway. New Chief Executive, Thomas Woldbye, who joined in October, has apparently launched an internal review into the options to increase its capacity. No decisions have yet been made. One option under consideration is a new plan to initially focus on easier and cheaper improvements within the airport boundary, as there are serious concerns about the feasibility of a 3rd runway. The world has moved on since Heathrow got consent for a new runway, with travel demand altered since Covid, and a different political and regulatory environment, as well as far higher construction and financing costs than before. The cost estimate was £24 billion in 2019. Heathrow is also in the middle of a change in ownership, as Ferrovial agreed to sell their 25% stake to a consortium lead by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund (PIF). One major problem for a 3rd runway is having to put a section of the M25 into a tunnel (very costly) and demolishing local homes. The Climate Change Committee says there should be no airport expansion, unless the sector has a way to genuinely cut CO2 emissions.
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Saudi Arabia likely to take control of Heathrow
Saudi Arabia is likely to seize majority control of Heathrow as several shareholders are on the verge of accepting a lucrative offer from a consortium led by Saudi Arabia. Its Public Investment Fund (PIF) and investment firm Ardian, in which Saudi Arabia is an investor, struck a deal to buy Ferrovial’s 25% stake last month for £2.4 billion. Now, at least one other shareholder is close to selling, while other investors are expected to follow suit, tempted by what is seen as an unusually high price from the Saudis. Under Heathrow’s shareholder agreement, the other shareholders have the right to make the Saudi consortium buy their shares at the same valuation as the Ferrovial deal - which values Heathrow at £9.6 billion. This is more than double the £4.5 billion implied value of the airport’s equity last time a big stake was sold in 2013, to USS. If the smaller Heathrow shareholders sell their share to the PIF Saudi consortium,it could mean that it holds almost 60% of Heathrow, with the rest remaining with sovereign wealth funds of China, Qatar and Singapore, which might opt to hold onto their stakes.
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SAF technology developer Velocys running out of money, danger of insolvency
The board of directors of Oxford, UK-based Velocys has given its backing to an offer from a consortium of US, UK and Singapore investment houses to buy the company. Without an immediate injection of funds, Velocys is in danger of running out of cash next month and going into insolvency. Velocys has been developing technology to enable production of drop-in so-called sustainable aviation fuels (SAF) from a variety of waste materials and is involved in two projects in the UK and US to build commercial-scale SAF production plants. Velocys shares have fallen from a high of £5.80 a share during the past year to 0.23 pence, valuing the company at just under £4 million. Carbon Direct Capital had previously been expected to make a $15 million investment in Velocys but withdrew when it did not get further investment from other backers by the end of October. Companies trying to make jet fuel out of various waste materials have gone out of business in the past. It is very difficult to get a standard, cheap fuel from inconsistent, variable source waste materials. The UK government is keen to get SAF produced in significant amounts - but there are immense problems.
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St Albans MP, Daisy Cooper: Luton Airport expansion inquiry should be paused
Luton airport has applied to increase its capacity from 18 million to 32 million passengers per year. This expansion would bring both a big increase in flights and road traffic congestion. Local MP, Daisy Cooper, is strongly opposed to it. She says people living underneath the flight paths in St Albans and neighbouring areas already experience a negative impact on their health and wellbeing from noise, which would only get worse. The airport has repeatedly breached their legal noise and passenger limits since 2019 with impunity and the promised introduction of newer, quieter aircraft has been broken with no discernible improvements. She says claims about economic impact and job creation are also pretty spurious. Luton airport has not delivered the jobs it promised years ago. Luton's expansion would make it much harder for the UK to meet climate targets. The 2019 Advice from the government’s own Climate Change Committee is crystal clear: to meet the legally binding 2050 “net zero target” there should be no net expansion of capacity. The UK needs a proper policy on airport capacity, future flight numbers and future aviation carbon emissions. Until then, airport expansion plans should be halted.
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Spain may try to introduce a ban on short haul flights
The Spanish coalition government wants to ban short-haul flights when there is an alternative by train that takes less than 2.5 hours. The proposal comes from Spain's ruling Socialist Party (PSOE) and the far-left Sumar party, who reached an agreement to form a new progressive coalition government last month. The coalition between PSOE and Sumar is not enough to build a majority, therefore support is still needed from smaller regional parties, including Catalan independentists. The measure is intended to curb emissions from quick domestic flights and encourage more sustainable travel, as part of Spain’s 2050 climate action plan. It could affect flights from cities like Alicante, Barcelona, Seville and Valencia to Madrid. However, flights using the capital city to connect to international routes would not be included in the ban. France has introduced a similar measure but environmentalists have questioned how effective it is at reducing flying. There would be some problems with the train route on some of the journeys, involving changing trains. However, the majority of the carbon emissions from flying are from long haul flights, and these are not affected by the plan.
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Public inquiry into London City Airport proposals – to resume 15th January
The first session of a public inquiry into an appeal to expand London City Airport took place on 5th December. The airport had plans to raise the annual cap on passengers from 6.5 million to 9 million, that were rejected unanimously by Newham Council in July 2023, and subsequently appealed the decision. On 12th December the London City Airport Public Inquiry ws postponed until January because Newham Council's barrister is ill. It will now run for 2 weeks beginning 15th January. This inquiry, which began at Stratford Town Hall, will also consider plans to extend weekend flight hours to 18:30 on a Saturday, with an extra hour during the summer. Currently planes are not permitted to fly between 12:30 on Saturday and 12:30 on Sunday, a curfew that has been in place for 25 years. John Stewart, chair of HACAN East, the residents’ organisation challenging the proposals, said, “These proposals are highly unpopular. People greatly value their weekend break from the noise." There are also fears the plans would make Mayor Sadiq Khan’s target for a net-zero London by 2030 less achievable.
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Adverts for Air France, Lufthansa and Etihad banned by ASA for misleading environmental claims
Adverts for Air France, Lufthansa and Etihad have been banned, by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), for misleading consumers about the airlines' environmental impact. Air France's ad said it was "committed to protecting the environment" and Lufthansa urged passengers to "fly more sustainably". Etihad's ad used the words "environmental advocacy". The ASA said the ads did not show the impact airlines have on climate change. Lufthansa and Etihad removed the ads. The ASA said Air France did not provide a "substantive response" to its investigations, and that by claiming Air France enabled people to "travel better and sustainably", customers would think the airline offered a sustainable and environmentally friendly way to travel by air, which was not true. Lufthansa told the BBC it aimed to be carbon neutral by 2050. It said it had taken the decision to remove "fly more sustainably" from future ads. The ASA had picked up the adverts using an artificial intelligence (AI) system, which uses the technology to search for possible rule breakers. This has been just the latest in a string of upheld ASA decisions over greenwashing.
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DfT Consultation: Airport slot allocation system reform, to keep flying cheap
The grip of Britain’s biggest airlines on lucrative UK take-off and landing slots could be loosened under government proposals intended to give travellers more reliable flights and lower prices. The DfT has launched a consultation (ends 9th Feb 2024) on proposals to reform the way in which airlines get slots at airports. Slots are used to manage capacity at the busiest airports, such as Gatwick and Heathrow, and they are valuable assets, jealously guarded. The proposals suggest limiting “slot leasing”, meaning that instead of larger airlines monopolising slots, they can be allocated to smaller, newer and cheaper competitors if they are not used after a set period. Airport landing and take-off rights typically are awarded by historical use, with only a small number reserved for new entrants. The plans are likely to be welcomed by the public as high demand for travel since the pandemic has led to steep fare rises, which are expected to keep rising over the next ten to fifteen years, according to IATA. In the past, "ghost" flights have happened, by which airlines fly empty planes, just in order to keep their slot, and preventing it being sold to another airline.
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Climate charity Possible and law firm Leigh Day have made formal complaints to Virgin Atlantic and BA, over false sustainability claims
Virgin Atlantic and British Airways are facing formal complaints over their sustainable flight claims, after being accused of misleading potential customers about the environmental credentials of aviation and so-called "sustainable aviation fuels" SAF. Virgin Atlantic flew a plane, as a commercial PR stunt, powered by allegedly low carbon fuel, consisting largely of "used" cooking oil. This was partly funded by the UK government. Now the climate charity Possible and the law firm Leigh Day have filed formal complaints against the airlines, over their claims about reducing emissions from flights by use of SAF in future. There cannot ever be enough genuinely low carbon fuels, that do not cause other environmental harms, for more than a few flights. The airlines are misleading consumers over their claims on reducing carbon emissions from flights, as lay-people do not have the expertise to discern the limits of decarbonisation technology. There are unsupported claims that some SAF can give up to 70% carbon savings. But when burned in a jet engine, SAF produces almost the same CO2 emissions as kerosene, which then stays in the atmosphere. It also produces contrails and other non-CO2 effects.
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Ferrovial to sell its 25% stake in Heathrow for $3 billion to Ardian (15%) and Saudi Arabia’s PIF (10%)
Infrastructure giant Ferrovial has reached an agreement with two different buyers to sell its entire 25% stake in Britain's busiest airport, Heathrow, for £2.37 billion ($3.01 billion) the company said in a statement on Tuesday. Ferrovial said the buyers for the stake in FGP Topco - the parent company of Heathrow Airport Holdings Ltd - were private equity fund Ardian and Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF). Ardian would acquire a 15% stake and PIF a 10% stake. The transaction is subject to regulatory conditions and must comply with the right of first offer and full tag-along rights, which may be exercised by the other FGP Topco shareholders, Ferrovial added. Ferrovial expects to complete the sale by mid-2024. Ferrovial also has a 50% stake in three other British hubs: Aberdeen, Glasgow and Southampton. It also has a 49% stake in the new Terminal One at New York City's JFK airport.
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Virgin “SAF” flight – it’s just unrealistic aviation hype to delay real emissions cuts
There is to be a transatlantic flight by Virgin Atlantic, which is claimed to be fuelled 100% by so called "sustainable" aviation fuels (SAF). It is a publicity stunt, to attempt to persuade government, and the flying public, that in future flying can be low carbon - allegedly "guilt free". But there is never going to be enough genuinely low-carbon fuel for more than a tiny % of flights. Jet fuels produced by taking agricultural land are recognised as not acceptable. The only fuels that might justify the term "sustainable", e-fuels, would have to be made from hydrogen, produced from surplus renewably generated electricity, combined with CO2 captured from the air, processed using renewably generated electricity. When the fuel is burned in a jet engine, it produces CO2 in just the same way as kerosene. A huge amount of low carbon electricity would be needed to produce e-fuels, and that would far more effectively be used for terrestrial demand - heating, vehicles etc. The industry claims SAF can reduce the emission of CO2 overall by (up to) 70% compared to kerosene, depending on the fuel and several variables. There is a real danger that the SAF hype being promoted by airlines and governments will reduce pressure for a reduction in flying, which is the only real way to cut aviation CO2. Read the new report by AEF, "Sustainable Aviation Fuels - Hope or Hype?"
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Horsham MP, Jeremy Quinn, opposed to Gatwick expansion, partly due to road congestion and hospital access
In his response to the Planning Inspectorate’s (PI's) call for submissions on Gatwick’s Development Consent Order (DCO) application, Jeremy Quin, MP for Horsham, has said he cannot support the application in its current form. He remains deeply concerned with Gatwick’s failure to engage adequately with local councils and about the impact of potential expansion on local housing and services. He previously spearheaded a letter from local MPs asking Gatwick to delay their submission until they provided local councils with detailed analysis of the impact on the local environment, residents and infrastructure. There would be many more flights, a need for more housing, and millions more car journeys by staff and passengers. “Journey times to A&E are already at the absolute limit of acceptability. I do not want many Horsham residents to have to navigate vastly increased congestion and 14 years of construction-related delays simply to reach their local hospital. ... were Gatwick’s plans to proceed this would inevitably lead to slower journey times and increased demand, in that context the arguments in favour of local hospital provision need to be revisited.”
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Gimmick trans-Atlantic flight by Virgin, using used cooking oil + oil derived from corn
Next week, Virgin Atlantic will operate the first transatlantic flight on a large aircraft using what is calls 100% “sustainable aviation fuel” (SAF). The fuel to be used is derived from used cooking oil and oil from corn (maize). “The huge elephant in the room of all these biofuels is there simply is not the volume of feedstock available to go anywhere near the amount of fuel that is currently being burned in the world’s airliners,” said Guy Gratton, associate professor of aviation and environment at Cranfield University. Matt Finch, UK policy lead at the think-tank Transport & Environment, said there are problems with using used cooking oil to produce SAF as the feedstock has a limited supply and is already used regularly by the automotive industry to produce biodiesel. The corn-based fuel being used in the flight is what is known as a “first generation biofuel”, which is effectively banned from production in the UK and EU, due to the adverse environmental impact of growing food to be used as fuel. It just drives deforestation. Cait Hewitt, policy director at the Aviation Environment Federation, added: “This is basically a showpiece flight isn’t it? Rather than anything that could be seriously replicated in terms of day to day commercial operation of aviation.”
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Role of the advertising industry in promoting high carbon lifestyle choices
Some quotes from an article about advertising and flying: "More than half of Delta Air Lines’ approximately $151m ad spend from October 2022 to October 2023, for example, was spent advertising long-haul flights, encouraging travellers to rack up air miles to use for more travel, and pushing upgrades to premium classes, although the airline also spent tens of millions of dollars to advertise its commitment to “sustainable aviation fuels”. Qatar Airways, meanwhile, directed more than 85% of its advertising spend during the same year into marketing business class and long-haul flights exclusively. Short-haul flights are not necessarily environmentally preferable, particularly flights that could be replaced by a rail trip; they emit more carbon dioxide per kilometre than long-haul flights, making them more carbon intensive. However, long-haul flights emit more in total; they account for only 6% of total flights, yet are responsible for 51% of air travel emissions." See the whole article.
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Research paper from Chatham house suggests way to fairly reduce air travel demand
A new research paper, from Chatham House, sets out how UK demand for air travel could be managed, and reduced to a level that might be compatible with climate targets. At the current level of air travel demand (that the government is unwilling to challenge) the aviation sector will far exceed its target emissions, out to 2050. The Chatham house paper suggests that "in the UK the top 20% of earners fly 5 times more often than the poorest 20%. It may be possible to achieve a 36% reduction in demand by 2030 if a future demand-management policy shifted behaviour so that most people who currently take more than one return flight per year reduced that number by one return flight and took no more than 4. This would leave the 77% of the UK population who currently take no more than one return flight unaffected. This is a moderate level of behaviour change... affecting only a small proportion of people with a high consumption of flights. Under the frequent flyer levy proposal, produced by the New Economics Foundation and climate charity Possible in 2021, leisure passengers would be charged no frequent flyer levy on their first return flight, increasing to an indicative figure of £585 on their 10th flight of the year.
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France and Kenya set to launch Cop28 coalition for global taxes, including aviation, to fund climate action
The taskforce, set to be launched at Cop28, will consider the feasibility of levies on shipping, aviation, financial transactions and fossil fuels. The aim is to push for new ways to raise more money for climate action. The governments are in advanced discussions with a handful of European and Global South countries that could join the coalition in Dubai. France’s development minister said the goal is to agree on specific proposals by Cop30, in two years’ time. Those could then be negotiated in relevant international institutions, like the OECD, the UN or the G20. Many country leaders and climate experts see taxes as among the most promising so-called innovative sources of finance that could help plug the large gap in the provision of climate funding to vulnerable countries. Countries are not going to provide the funds demanded for "loss and damage" and the Green Climate Fund, from existing tax revenues, so these new ones are needed. Taxes on fossil fuel extraction and the emissions of the shipping industry could raise up to $210 billion and $60 billion a year respectively, according to a recent study - and aviation between $4 and $150 per year. But it could take years to get the details agreed, with different levies in different countries - let alone enforcement.
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More night train services are starting up in Europe, so people can avoid flying
At their best, fares for night trains can be good value, combining the cost of a bed for the night and hundreds of miles of travel, but prices quickly ramp up on busy routes, often putting them out of reach for most travelers. Wherever they run, night trains are complicated, labor intensive and expensive to operate – one of the major reasons they went into decline in the first place. Until now, the quality of accommodation has been patchy, ranging from modern and comfortable to basic and outdated. But there is now a renaissance in Europe. Spreading quickly from Scandinavia, the flygskam (flight shame) phenomenon is encouraging climate-conscious travelers to seek alternatives to short-haul air travel. Led by Austrian Federal Railways’ (ÖBB) “Nightjet” network, overnight links between major European cities have been restored and expanded over the last few years. There are now also small one-person "pods" on some trains. Working with Swiss Federal Railways and Germany’s Deutsche Bahn, ÖBB has reinvigorated overnight routes linking main hubs in Vienna and Zürich with cities in Germany, Austria, Italy, Hungary, Poland, the Czech Republic and, more recently, Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam. See full article.
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Denmark is proposing a small tax on all flights, half the revenue to produce SAF and half for pensions
Denmark has announced a new proposal to implement a “green tax” on all flights in an effort to fund a sustainable-energy transition for its domestic air travel. The plan is to charge passengers (in Danish krones) around $9 for flights within Europe, $35 for medium-distance flights and $56 for long-distance flights by 2030. The policy would come into effect at the start of 2025. The tax might raise 1.2 billion krones (about €160 million) per year, and it is alleged this would help airlines to fuel all domestic flights (Denmark is a small country ...) with so-called Sustainable Jet Fuel by 2030. Part of the revenue would support pension increases for elderly citizens. Denmark's Minister for Climate, Energy and Utilities said “The flight sector in Denmark must — as all other sectors — lower its carbon footprint and get on board a green future. ” Initiatives to lessen air travel are generally more popular in Europe than in the US, where lack of government initiative and there is less good alternative high-speed travel infrastructure. Magdalena Heuwieser, co-founder of the Stay Grounded network, said Denmark has enough rail connections to ban all domestic flights, and that would be much more sustainable than a push for SAF.
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Dutch government scraps plan to cap flights at Schiphol next year
Facing pressure from the US government and the EU, the Dutch government has given up on a plan to cap the maximum number of flights at Amsterdam's Schiphol airport next summer, calling the decision "a bitter pill". This a win for the airlines, that had opposed the cap - and a loss for environmental and resident groups living near Schiphol that had supported the cap. There is a national election on November 22nd, so the attitude of the next government might differ. The plan to cap the number of flights at Schiphol at around 450,000 flights, or 10% below 2019 levels, had been primarily driven by the desire to cut noise pollution. It had also been cheered by environmentalists as needed to reduce carbon dioxide and NOx emissions. The cuts were starting to hit airlines, having to reduce the number of Schiphol flights, so losing money. So the US government threatened retaliation if the Dutch went ahead with the plan, which the US said violated the US-EU Air Transport Agreement. The cap will now await a Supreme Court ruling and further European Commission feedback expected next year. Airlines said they wanted to "fly more quietly and sustainably" without cutting numbers ....
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Stansted Airport Watch winding down – to become a Trust, the SAW Foundation
Stansted Airport Watch (‘SAW’) has announced its intention to convert into a Trust Fund to be known as the Stansted Airport Watch Foundation (‘the SAW Foundation’). The proposal will be put to a Special General Meeting (’SGM’) of its members later in November and, in accordance with the SAW Constitution, will require a two-thirds majority of the members present to be approved. SAW Chairman Brian Ross explained the reasoning behind the proposal: “Some of the most experienced members of SAW Executive Committee have recently retired and others, including myself, have signalled their intention to retire in the near future, after having given more than 20 years’ voluntary service to the campaign. As they say, none of us are getting any younger!” The Foundation will not be a member organisation. All of SAW’s assets would be transferred to the SAW Foundation. The intention would be to replace the initial trustees, continuing from SAW, with representatives from local district, town and parish councils - to ensure that there is awareness of local environmental impacts of the airport.
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Heathrow owner Ferrovial (25%) probably keen to sell its stake
The Heathrow owner with the largest share (25%), Ferrovial, has opened the door to selling its stake, as it is unclear if it will ever be able to build a 3rd runway. A top executive at Spanish infrastructure giant Ferrovial said it would look at the merits of bidders if there are offers. It is likely that buyers are being informally sounded out about buying the 25% stake. Recently the regulator, the CAA, ruled that Heathrow will have to cut its passenger charge from £31.57 to £25.43 next year, so the airport will be less profitable. One exit option could be for Ferrovial to sell up to one of its fellow shareholders. Heathrow has proved a lucrative investment for its shareholders, giving them £4 billion in dividends between 2012 and 2020. Though in 2020 the Supreme Court gave permission a 3rd runway, Heathrow got rid of its expansion team, and would have to do a lot of work to reinstate the now outdated plans - against fierce opposition.
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Luton Airport car park to be demolished after fire destroys more than 1,500 cars
A car park at Luton Airport which almost collapsed in a huge blaze on October 10th is set to be demolished. The fire in the multistorey Terminal Car Park 2 was declared a major incident, and ended up destroying around 1,500 cars. Over than 100 firefighters were deployed to bring it under control, while flames spread across multiple floors of the car park and caused a partial collapse of the structure. It's believed the fire started due to an electrical fault or leaking fuel line in a diesel car, possibly a Range Rover. The car park will now be "fully demolished" along with any cars parked on the ground to third levels. As many as 1,500 cars were inside when the blaze broke out - and it is unlikely any would be salvageable. Most of the insurance claims for the cars have been settled. There are (before the fire) 4 official car parks at Luton airport.
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First commercial flight by Indonesian airline, Garuda, using palm oil
Indonesian airline, Garuda, has flown its first commercial flight using palm oil-blended jet fuel. The 737-800NG aircraft flew from the capital Jakarta to Surakarta city, about 550 kilometres (340 miles) away. Garuda conducted several tests including a flight test on the new fuel earlier this month and an engine ground test in August. The palm-oil blended jet fuel is produced by Indonesian state energy firm PT Pertamina at its Cilacap refinery, using hydroprocessed esters and fatty acid (HEFA) technology and is made of refined bleached deodorized palm kernel oil. Countries that grow palm oil (usually having caused deforestation and loss of valuable wildlife habitat) want it used in jet fuel, as well as in a vast number of foods and household products. The airline industry is desperate for people to believe that so-called "sustainable aviation fuels (SAF)" can be produced and make flying "low carbon". Using palm oil in jet fuel certainly will not do that, if the whole lifecycle of the product is considered. The European Union has imposed import restrictions on the palm oil in jet fuel, due to the worsening deforestation problem. Indonesia has mandated 3% biofuel blending by 2020 for jet fuel, but implementation has been delayed.
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Motion passed by London Assembly to protect Richmond Park from increased Heathrow flight paths
A motion has been passed by the London Assembly to protect Richmond Park from increased Heathrow flight paths. The airport submitted proposals for "airspace modernisation" with the aim of making journeys quicker, saving a bit of time. The Friends of Richmond Park has said these proposals could see up to 60,000 arrival flights passing over the park per year. Currently there are no arrival flights, just departures. The Liberal Democrats who put the motion forward have also urged Heathrow to "go back to the drawing board". A Heathrow spokesperson said: "No decisions have been made on which flight path options could be adopted from the recently published shortlist." The Liberal Democrat's transport spokesperson and London Assembly member, Caroline Pidgeon pointed out that thousands of Londoners make their decisions about where to live, based on knowing where flight paths are - and have been for decades - so they can avoid them. "We also know that noise pollution from aircraft can contribute to a range of mental and physical health problems, most often linked to disturbances in our sleep cycles."
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Dutch legal action against KLM misleading adverts
In April 2022, the Dutch advertising watchdog (like the UK’s ASA) ruled that a KLM promotion telling customers they could fly carbon-emission free was misleading. Then in July 2022 the Dutch environmental group "Go Fossil Free" filed a lawsuit against KLM at the court in Amsterdam. Their aim is to end KLM's misleading advertisements about 'sustainable flying'. KLM's marketing leads people to believe that that flying won't worsen the climate emergency. But carbon offsets, biofuels and promises of future technologies are false solutions – there's no such thing as sustainable flying. The group have a petition that people are invited to sign. KLM is planning to expand its business with more flights – like all airlines worldwide – while aggressively lobbying against climate action. But the truth is that the number of flights overall have to be reduced. The campaigners believe it is time for KLM to tell the truth about their fossil-fueled product: flying is one of the fastest ways to heat up the planet. They want KLM to stop misleading claims that carbon offsetting and alternative fuels can make flying sustainable. It was hoped there would be a ruling in 2023.
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Gatwick Northern Runway consultation sees opposition
Crawley Borough Council and 9 other local authorities have submitted a string of concerns to the Planning Inspectorate (PI) about Gatwick’s plans to bring its northern runway into regular use for departing flights. The proposals were accepted for examination in August and are expected to be looked at by an Examining Authority panel (ExA) of the PI in early 2024. Crawley's planning committee agreed to submit a holding objection to the plans – one which could be changed should the airport address the concerns raised. A spokesman said the council has a wide range of concerns with the airport’s expansion project, "including the uncertainty regarding future economic benefits for residents, the airport’s ability to operate within acceptable and enforceable limits without causing environmental harm, the impacts of construction, air quality, traffic and a lack of active travel solutions.” The other nine authorities, who issued a joint statement with Crawley were East Sussex County Council, Horsham District Council, Kent County Council, Mid Sussex District Council, Mole Valley District Council, Reigate and Banstead Borough Council, Surrey County Council, Tandridge District Council and West Sussex County Council.
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Transport Select Committee urges DfT to redraft planning policy statements to align with net zero objectives
The Transport Select Committee has criticised the DfT's planned revision of the National Networks National Policy Statement (NNNPS) for not giving sufficient weight to Net Zero. The Committee has published its analysis of the government’s proposals to revamp planning policies for nationally significant road and rail infrastructure projects (NSIPs). They urged ministers to redraft sections that would be used to determine whether major new projects are compatible with net zero legislation, based on the carbon emissions that would be produced during and after their construction. In its current form, the NNNPS would not cut emissions in live with decarbonisation targets. The Committee also made recommendations on the way the DfT looks at different options for projects, how to make its decision-making more transparent, and that calculations of future demand should be more transparent. It proposes that there should be an over-arching Transport NPS, including airports, which would consider new infrastructure, its carbon emissions and impact on sites of biodiversity or geological interest.
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Airlines oppose Dutch plan to phase out EU fossil fuel subsidies
Airline bosses are, unsurprisingly, opposed to a Dutch plan for an EU-wide phase-out of fossil fuel subsidies. They say it should not be introduced, while rail travel is so expensive, and the airline sector does not yet have low carbon fuels. The Dutch government announced last month that it spent up to €46.4bn in 2023 supporting the use of fossil fuels, either through direct subsidies or tax schemes that indirectly led to more polluting energies being used. More than €3.6bn went to airlines, as fuel supplied for use in aviation is currently fully exempt from taxation in the EU. The Dutch government is keen to reform the tax system and cutting subsidies was “crucial” to achieving a transition to lower carbon industries, and net zero by 2050. An EU proposal to update energy rules in 2019, which aimed to remove many fossil fuel subsidies, stalled as it requires unanimous approval from all 27 member states, which it is unlikely to get. The Dutch government introduced a cap on flights at Schiphol earlier in the year.
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Thomas Woldbye has taken over from Holland-Kaye as CEO of Heathrow
Thomas Woldbye has officially taken over as Heathrow CEO, from John Holland-Kaye. The airport hopes it will improve and grow under his leadership, and says he will "oversee the airport’s multi-billion £ plans to upgrade existing facilities over the next three years to provide an even better service for passengers, including the next generation security programme and new baggage system for Terminal 2." John Holland-Kaye was CEO for over 9 years, and pushed for a third runway, getting parliamentary approval for it, before Covid struck. Thomas Wooldbye was previously CEO of Copenhagen Airport from May 2011 – September 2023, and recently pushed through terminal expansion plans there. Previously, he worked for A.P. Møller-Maersk for 27 years.
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CMA supports CAA decision that Heathrow price cap must fall to £25.43 by 2024
The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) has issued a verdict largely supporting the Civil Aviation Authority’s (CAA) pricing decision concerning Heathrow Airport. The CAA had previously mandated that Heathrow reduce average passenger charges from the current £31.57 per passenger to £25.43 by 2024, maintaining this sort of price until the end of 2026. Heathrow had sought to increase these charges to £40 per passenger, while British Airways, Delta Air Lines, and Virgin Atlantic Airways lobbied for charges below £20 per passenger. In its announcement last month, the CMA endorsed the CAA’s pricing strategy but highlighted the need for further consideration of minor pricing-related issues. The CMA’s final verdict was officially confirmed on October 17th. It was seen as a fair level, enabling Heathrow to encourage investors, but not over-charge passengers. Neither Heathrow nor the airlines are happy with the decision. There may be inadequacies in the regulatory framework, including the formula used to set fees at Heathrow.
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Leeds Bradford Airport to start £100m terminal expansion and refurbishment
Leeds Bradford Airport (LBA) has announced it will invest more than £100 million into what it says is a ‘vital’ regeneration of its terminal facilities which will dramatically improve the passenger experience etc. The work, which already has planning permission, will start in autumn this year and is expected to complete in 2026. Farrans Construction has been appointed as the contractor to deliver the first phase of the project, the construction of the terminal extension. The regeneration will see a three-storey extension – the equivalent of 9,500 square meters – to the existing terminal, alongside a significant refurbishment of the current terminal building. There will be more aircraft stands, more seating, faster security, new shops and eateries, and a larger baggage reclaim area and immigration hall, as well as improved access for passengers with restricted mobility. They talk of a lot more jobs, direct and indirect, and claim a huge input into the local economy. That, of course, ignores the amount of money lost to the economy, by far more people flying out of the UK on holiday, than flying in.
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Stansted night flights – how the airport gets far more than its theoretical summer maximum
If you feel that there are more Stansted night flights than ever, you’d be right. Stansted Airport Watch (SAW) has finally been able to establish what’s been happening. Stansted is allowed a maximum of 13,700 flights a year during the 6½-hour core night period from 11.30pm to 6.00am [ the 8 hours from 11.00pm to 7.00am. However, the DfT only restricts the number of night flights during the 6½ hours from 11.30pm and 6.00am.]. That, incidentally, is more than twice the number allowed at Heathrow, so local residents in this part of the world are entitled to feel they have drawn the short straw. And that’s not the whole story. The annual limit of 13,700 night flights is divided into a summer limit of 8,100 and a winter limit of 5,600. The summer period coincides with British Summer Time, and normally lasts for 31 weeks. The local group, Stansted Airport Watch has found that these theoretical levels have been exceeded, partly as unused numbers from earlier periods can be included. Also because of "dispensations" for delayed flights. So Stansted handled over 10,500 night flights last summer without breaching the statutory limit of 8,100.
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Application to appeal against Manston airport court decision denied
An appeal, by Ms Jenny Dawes, against a court decision not to quash the development consent order (DCO) for Manston airport has been rejected. A bid for a Judicial Review into the decision to give the Manston airport project the go ahead was dismissed last month but claimant, Ramsgate resident Jenny Dawes, then appealed that judgement. Now Mr Justice Dove has refused the appeal application and notice of the refusal was sent by the Judge’s clerk on October 9th. The DCO was initially granted in July 2020 when the Department of Transport approved the application to create an air freight hub at the site. Ms Dawes may now apply to the Court of Appeal for permission to appeal. This would ask the court to overturn Mr Justice Dove’s decision and his refusal to allow an appeal of that decision. Ms Dawes has 21 days to apply to the Court of Appeal for permission to appeal.
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Could Heathrow ever afford to build a 3rd runway?
The possibility of more airport expansion, and growth in the number of flights and passengers, is a serious problem of increasing carbon emissions. Heathrow is to have a new chief executive, Thomas Woldbye, from Copenhagen airport in October - replacing John Holland-Kaye. He has to decide whether to try to get a 3rd runway. As well as the increased CO2, Heathrow has the problem of paying for its expansion. Could it ever afford it? Since it got final approval for expansion in February 2020 (Appeal Court), costing about £14 billion, the costs of construction and financing will have hugely increased. Heathrow has vast debts, which it has increased to raise the regulatory value of their assets. Heathrow now has £16bn of borrowings and posted a loss this year largely due to the rising cost of its inflation-linked loans. The team working on the expansion was disbanded a few years ago, and there are no current estimates of the cost. The forecast for the demand for flying, oblivious of the climate destabilisation now underway, is for over 50% more passengers by 2050. The airport’s shareholders and board are yet to decide whether to push forward with a 3rd runway, and over what timeframe.
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Ice block from plane crashes through house roof in Banbury
A Banbury woman was left with a £12,000 hole in her roof, thought to have been caused by a block of ice falling from a plane. She heard a massive bang, went upstairs and could see blue sky through a hole into her loft, and out of the roof. She found bits of grey ice on the landing floor. Nobody was hurt. Having called out the fire brigade, a firefighter told her it was likely caused by ice falling from an aircraft on its way into Heathrow. The repair will cost about £12,000, through insurance. Some previous incidents of ice blocks falling from planes have been water from the plane toilets. Others are water in the undercarriage bay when the aircraft took off which formed into ice and stays as a block of ice whilst cruising at 35,000ft. As the airplane cames in to land at 3,000 or 4,000ft, the undercarriage would be put down and the slightly melted ice would fall out. There is information about other incidents, in previous years, of objects - often ice blocks - falling from planes. See link.
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JR application to stop Manston airport Development Consent Order denied by judge
An application for Judicial Review of the Manston airport DCO has been rejected by a judge. The DCO was initially granted in July 2020 when the DfT approved the application by RiverOak Strategic Partners to make the airport an air freight hub. That was refused in the High Court in February 2021 following a legal challenge by Ramsgate resident Jenny Dawes and supporters which resulted in the DfT Secretary of State conceding the decision approval letter issued from the Minister of State did not contain enough detail. The DCO was granted for a second time in August 2022 by then Transport Minister Karl McCartney. In response Jenny launched a 2nd JR application, trying to stop the airport plans. The application was initially dismissed by Mr Justice Lane in January but then allowed on partial grounds in a review by Mrs Justice Lieven in March. The latest hearing was before Honourable Mr Justice Ian Dove in July. Jenny plans to appeal the judgement, and remains "firmly of the view that the government’s decision to proceed with Manston Airport, in the face of expert evidence to the contrary and in the context of the worsening climate crisis, is nonsensical."
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Tories have accepted over £290,000 in donations in kind from UK airports
Airport operators have lavished Britain’s last three prime ministers with VIP services worth more than £200,000 since the 2019 election, analysis by openDemocracy has found. Liz Truss, Boris Johnson and Theresa May are among the Conservative MPs who have accepted more than £275,000 in donations-in-kind from airport operators, while Conservative Party HQ has also taken more than £13,500 in donations from airport operators. This is mainly in the form of luxury suites at the airports, with chauffeurs, meals etc. It comes as the government signals its backing for airport expansions, in contrast with advice from its own climate advisers, the Climate Change Commission, that adding runways to Heathrow and Gatwick would be incompatible with the UK’s net zero goals. The Department of Transport told openDemocracy it was “supportive of airport expansion where it can be delivered in a sustainable way”. There can be little doubt that these gifts in kind to politicians are to make the recipients favourable to aviation sector expansion plans. Other named Tory MPs have accepted gifts in kind from airports.
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Planning Inspectorate approves Liverpool airport expansion plans
The UK Planning Inspectorate has granted Liverpool John Lennon airport’s (LJLA) Lawful Development Certificate (LDC) appeal for a large area of land that is to be utilised for the continued expansion of the airport. The local Council, Halton, rejected the airport’s initial LDC application, once it became aware of the actual facts behind the loss of the land. The airport plans 14 acres of solar panels east of Dungeon Lane, the energy from which will be used by the airport. However, the airport appealed and this may been influenced by politics. Local campaigners are devastated at this news, since the evidence against the airport expansion in the case was damming. The solar farm is part of a wider £100m project by the airport. Other components of the initiative include a new road for the airport, a large warehouse to the south of the airport, expansion of the existing terminal, and extension of the runway.
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Gatwick airport expansion: people have till 29th October to register to be an “interested party”
Gatwick has now had its expansion plans - to convert its emergency runway into a full runway, for take-offs only - accepted by the Planning Inspectorate. This is part of the DCO process (Development Consent Order) as the Gatwick expansion is called as a project of national significance. So the plans will go into the examination process, by which organisations and members of the public can give their opinion on the plans. This means submitting evidence and applying to appear at the public hearings. The cut off date to register to be an "interested party" is Sunday, October 29th. That means people can give their opinion at a later date. People can register online. After October, 29 the Planning Inspectorate then has 6 months to carry out an examination. During this time registered commentators will be invited to give further details about why they have responded in the way they did. The inspectorate's report will then be sent to the relevant Secretary of State, who will make the decision to grant or refuse development consent.
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CMA upholds CAA cut to Heathrow’s landing fees
The UK competition watchdog, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), has provisionally upheld a ruling to force Heathrow to cut its landing fees in a long-running dispute between airlines and the airport. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), the industry regulator, in March ordered the airport to cut its charges to airlines from £31.57 per passenger to £25.43 from next year. Both sides lodged appeals with the CMA, as Heathrow wanted there to be no cut and airlines wanted a larger cut. The CMA's recent provisional ruling found “the CAA was not wrong in most of [its] decisions”. It noted that the CAA was “wrong in relation to one small element” of the calculation it made for an allowance for exceptional events that might reduce passenger numbers, and it had not fully taken into account the impact of Covid on air travel demand. But the CMA said these were expected to have “only a small net impact” on the level of the charges. The CMA will make its final ruling on October 17th.
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People should have their say on Stansted noise – by 28th August
Stansted Airport is currently consulting on its Noise Action Plan (‘NAP’) for the next 5 years. Members of the public are free to comment either on the airport’s proposals or by simply putting forward their own proposals for reducing Stansted's noise impacts. Stansted Airport Watch (‘SAW’) strongly encourages local residents, parish and town councils and others to have their say on the draft Stansted NAP, but time is short because the consultation closes at midnight on Monday 28 August 2023. All major UK airports have a legal duty to produce noise action plans every five years and to consult the public about their proposals for limiting the noise impacts of their operations. SAW's Martin Peached said of the NAP that "it lacks ambition. It contains 50 so-called “actions” but these are generally of a minor issue and many are quite meaningless. All too often Stansted Airport only gives a commitment “to consider”, “to review”, “to monitor” or “to discuss”, and so on. The commitments need to be much more meaningful and more ambitious.” SAW gives details for people wanting to comment about issues such as night flights, reverse thrust on landing and the noisiest planes.
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Meloni government plans to cap price of flights to Italian islands
Airlines have called on the European Commission to step into a row over the Italian government’s plan to cap air fares on certain routes. Giorgia Meloni’s right-wing government has outlined plans for price caps on flights between mainland Italy and Sicily and Sardinia after ticket prices rose 70% on those routes. Airlines are angry at the proposals, which represent an unusual attempt to cap fares. Trade body Airlines for Europe (A4E) called on Brussels “to clarify with Italy that this intervention impacts the free and deregulated air transport market in Europe”. A4E said capping fares on these routes would “violate” the rights of airlines “to compete wherever possible, set prices and define services as they see fit." Under the Italian plan, airfares during the high season would be capped at 200% of average prices while the use of “profiling algorithms” that may impact prices would also be limited, according to a statement from the prime minister’s office. Legislation on the European air travel market allows for price regulation to and from remote regions “only in specific cases . . . to ensure both territorial connectivity and affordability."
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Official opening for Southampton runway extension on 21st September
The first plane has taken off from the newly extended runway at Southampton airport. The extension will allow larger planes, to more destinations, for more passengers. They will largely be people flying abroad on holidays. The runway extension was fiercely opposed, but finally upheld by the Court of Appeal. Construction of the extension began in April 2023. An official opening will take place on September 21st.
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Gatwick Airport’s two-runway expansion plans that would double its capacity
Gatwick's Development Consent Order (DCO) papers have been submitted to the Planning Inspectorate, and can be seen by the public. The DCO hearing will probably last for about 6 months, and start by the end of 2023. The airport’s current annual capacity is 32.8million passengers. It wants to double that by building space for an extra 100,000 flights a year, partly by making even more use of its one full runway, and by changing the emergency runway, so it can handle take-offs (it is too short for landings). The project "would also include the development of supporting infrastructure and facilities to enable increased capacity at Gatwick airport to service 75 million passengers per year by 2038". Final sign off will be decided by the Secretary of State. There is a consortium of 10 local councils (Tandridge, Crawley, East Sussex, Horsham, Kent CC, Mid Sussex, Mole Valley, Reigate and Banstead, Surrey CC and West Sussex CC that is opposed to the expansion plans. They had significant concerns about the poor initial consultation, and poor engagement with the public, by Gatwick before the application was submitted.
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Flying in Europe can be up to 30 times cheaper than train, says Greenpeace
Europe’s cheap flights and pricey train tickets promote high carbon forms of transport, campaigners say, with “outrageous” tax breaks encouraging people to emit more CO2 as they head on holiday. Train tickets are double the price of flights for the same routes, on average, according to an analysis from Greenpeace. They compared tickets on 112 routes on 9 different days, and found train travel was more expensive than flying, on average, on 79 of the 121 routes they studied. On many routes, there were individual days where the train was cheaper than the plane, even if the average cost was greater. Trains beat planes on eight or nine of the nine days tested on 23 of the routes. Half of these were deemed “great” for having regular and reliable connections, a good speed and tickets below €150. eg. Lisbon-Porto and Madrid-Barcelona, Berlin-Prague, Zurich-Vienna and Prague-Budapest. None of the best routes involved the UK, France, Spain or Italy. In Europe, airlines pay no taxes on kerosene and little tax on tickets or VAT. Their emissions are only priced for flights within Europe – at a level below the social cost of carbon. These are effectively subsidies for air travel.
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Grayling leads amendment to energy bill, to get more government funding for SAF
Rishi Sunak is under pressure from over 60 Tory MPs ito subsidise manufacturers of low-carbon aviation fuel in the UK to help the industry [allegedly] cut emissions. The MPs have signed an amendment to the government’s energy bill calling on ministers to introduce financial support to create a UK industry producing so-called "sustainable aviation fuels" (SAFs). The only possible hope the aviation industry has to cut its CO2 emissions in future, while growing as much as possible, is finding magical fuels that are considered low carbon. (Large hydrogen fuelled planes, or electric planes, are not realistic for decades, if ever). The amendment to the energy bill, tabled by former Conservative transport secretary Chris Grayling, calls on the government to step in to create a “price stability mechanism” to incentivise fuel companies to produce more SAFs. That is just what the sector wants. A subsidy from the public purse, for more flying. The government has pledged £165mn to encourage manufacturers to open at least five plants producing SAF, that they hope will start to be built by 2025. The extra subsidy would be even more.
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AEF’s Cait Hewitt: “I hope the era of aviation exceptionalism is over”
Cait Hewitt, Policy Direct or at the Aviation Environment Federation (AEF) talks about the problem of UK aviation's planned expansion, and the absence of any measures to make any real dents in its growing carbon emissions. Well worth reading. A few quotes: [on the current government's Jet Zero strategy that is built on highly “ambitious” assumptions of future technology, that does not yet exist.] Cait: “If you went to the doctor as a smoker, and said, ‘What shall I do?’ And the doctor said, ‘I think you should carry on with your 40-a-day habit, because I’m a very optimistic person, I believe in future there’s going to be some technology that will allow us to replace your lungs.’ Would you describe that person as ambitious or just completely reckless?” She acknowledges that people want to fly, but wishes that holidays were less about “an impressive sounding destination, and more about experience and adventure, and having time with your family. For children, you can do lots of fun stuff without having to travel that far.” She longs for is a sense of emergency and urgency to start to be demonstrated by politicians about the serious changes already becoming apparent from a warming planet.
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Scottish Greens: ‘Slap super rich with £1,000 tax every time they fly in a private jet’
People flying in private jets would be slapped with a £1000 tax every time they fly, to offset climate damage, under Scottish Green plans. The party said the “super tax” could be levied on any private flyer who lands in Scotland - with cash used to fund green policies like public transport schemes. Green climate spokesman Mark Ruskell said just 1% of people cause about 50% of all global flight CO2 emissions. He claimed a private jet super levy could raise some £75 million in revenues for the Scottish Government. Aviation is one of the few policy areas excluded from the SNP and Greens’ power-sharing deal at Holyrood. Now the party is challenging the SNP to use its devolved Air Departure Tax (ADT) to implement the measure. ADT could only be levied on departing flights. Hundreds of private jets land in, and take off from, Scotland every week. “This isn’t people having an annual family holiday to Spain - it’s luxury, often half-empty, and completely unnecessary private flights which are fuelling the burning of our planet... It’s time for us to say their private jets are not welcome in Scotland."
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Heathrow asks airlines to carry excess fuel despite carbon impact
Airlines flying to Heathrow have been told to carry as much fuel as possible in their tanks because of supply problems at the airport, between Sunday 23 July to Monday 31 July. Also to take off without too much fuel, loaded from Heathrow. For planes to fly to Heathrow with more fuel than necessary means they are heavier, and therefore burn more jet fuel. That increases CO2 emissions. Fuel tankering, ie. buying more fuel than needed at an airport where it is cheaper, should be discouraged due to the higher CO2 footprint. The airport declined to comment on the cause of the supply issue. It does not have day-to-day control over fuel supply, which is handled instead by Heathrow Hydrant Operating Company and Heathrow Airport Fuel Company, which are both owned by consortiums of oil companies. So large is the demand for fuel for Heathrow that it requires a constant supply transported via pipeline from ExxonMobil’s Fawley refinery near Southampton. ExxonMobil is also building a replacement pipeline to the airport.
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Around 10% of departing flights from the UK are private jets
One in ten departures from UK airports are now private jets, analysis of official data after the pandemic, by the climate charity Possible, has found. In the 10 years before Covid, private jets accounted for about 7.5% of all UK departures. That rose to over 20% at times during the pandemic, and it is now about 10%. On average the private planes carry 3 passengers. The emissions per passenger can be ten times those of the same trip in a commercial plane. In order to reduce the CO2 emissions from UK aviation, the number of private jet flights needs to be cut. Analysis of Air Passenger Duty (APD) data showed that about 20% of the smallest private jets paid no APD. A bit over 50% paid the same APD as premium economy passengers and around 25% paid the highest rate. Rather than largely being for business trips, most are now for leisure. The tax on these high carbon planes should be raised. Due to the tax on petrol and diesel, someone driving from London to Edinburgh could pay three times more tax than if they were flying by private jet. Currently private jets attract no VAT, no fuel duty and often only a low rate of APD.
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New NEF report indicates UK airport growth and air travel growth do not boost the economy
A new report, by Dr Alex Chapman of the New Economics Foundation, sets out the real environmental downsides of the growth in flight numbers. It shows that the the sector has no realistic way to cut its carbon emissions. And contrary to the apparent impression given by the industry and the UK government, the economic assumptions that underpin support for growth in air travel are dated and have not been reviewed for some years. Contrary to expectations, growth in business passenger numbers has effectively ceased and new passengers now derive exclusively from the leisure market. Though there are social benefits from flying on holidays or to visit friends and family, these may be largely for a minority - and the negative impacts are felt by far more. The airline sector is one of the poorest job creators in the economy per £ of revenue. Two decades of evidence confirms that air transport growth runs counter to the interests of the UK’s domestic tourism industry, as far more money is taken out of the country than brought into it. The net national effect is a large travel spending deficit which contributes to the UK’s overall current account deficit. There is an urgent need for new, comprehensive UK aviation policy, and assessment of impacts of its future growth.
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Dale Vince, Ecotricity founder, to launch UK’s first electric airline in 2024
The green energy tycoon Dale Vince is planning to launch an electric airline, "Ecojet", which he thinks is "a move designed to prove polluting industries can decarbonise." The hope is it will launch early in 2024, with a 19-seater plane travelling on a route between Edinburgh and Southampton (which could be done by train). The planes will run initially on kerosene-based fuel for the first year, before being retrofitted with engines that convert so-called green hydrogen into electricity. Vince said: “A lot of people seem to think that people who are eco-conscious want everyone to live a life of self-denial in a cave. Green living is not about giving things up – everything we like to have in this life can be done in a net zero life.” That, of course, depends on producing an immense amount of zero-carbon electricity without causing other environmental damage. Ecojet will at first have several 19-seater planes capable of travelling for 300 miles. Vince hopes to expand the number of routes out to cover all of Britain’s big cities. Then 18 months later, he hopes to have 70-seater planes capable of flying to Europe. The company is in the process of applying for a licence from the Civil Aviation Authority and securing takeoff and landing slots at airports.
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Heathrow, consultation on Noise Action Plan, called to act on noise disturbance
People around Heathrow are being asked to respond to a public consultation on how to limit noise disturbance coming from the Airport. Its Noise Action Plan 2024-28 is, in theory, trying to devise a strategy for how it aims to limit disturbance caused to those living nearby. The strategy is required by law, and the Airport administration is currently running a consultation on its proposals. It aims to develop a preferential night route trial for planes aimed at providing predictable periods of respite from night operations. It also proposes work on a Noise Insulation Scheme (NIS), which provides noise insulation for households and community buildings, with first beneficiaries set to be contacted this October. The West Windsor Residents Association (WWRA) which has concerns about the health impacts of the noise and sleep disturbance caused, which cause more illness, earlier death, reduced work performance, and impaired learning. WWRA councillor, Wisdom Da Costa, has encouraged people to report noise disturbances at night directly to Heathrow, which can be made using an online form, by email to noise@heathrow.com or by calling 0800 344844.
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London City airport expansion plans rejected by Newham – it will appeal to the GLA
London City airport is considering next steps after its local council, Newham, rejected its expansion plans. The airport wants to raise annual passenger numbers from 6.5 million to 9 million by extending the operating hours on Saturdays, until 6.30pm. There would also be 3 additional early morning flights on weekdays. Concerns were raised over increased noise pollution and emissions if extra flights were allowed. Flights are not allowed from 12.30pm Saturdays to 12.30pm Sundays to provide respite for nearby residents under a long-standing curfew. The airport says it needs more flights to cope with post-Covid passenger demand, with more destinations, especially on Saturdays. The council considers that the extra flights would “result in a materially new and substantial harm” through noise pollution. The application will now be referred to the Greater London Authority for a final decision. John Stewart, of HACAN East said "People value the weekend break from the noise. It was brought in because people live so close to the airport. Newham Council was right to reject the proposal to eat into it."
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Gatwick submits plans for second runway to double passenger numbers
Gatwick has formally submitted plans for a £2.2bn second runway, as the airport looks to double its passenger numbers to 75 million a year. There are the usual claims of more jobs and "a £1bn annual boost to the region", which ignores the impact of yet more holiday flights, taking money out of the region and reducing tourism spend in the UK. The additional flights would significantly worsen noise and air pollution, as well as carbon emissions, from the airport. The 30,000-page application for a Development Consent Order to convert its standby runway for routine use was lodged with the Planning Inspectorate on 6th. The process is expected to take about a year before it reaches the Transport Secretary for final approval. The project will convert the emergency runway by moving its centreline 12 metres north, allowing planes to take off while others come in to land on the existing runway. There are road changes with additional local road lanes and flyovers. Gatwick has hopes work will start in 2025 for the runway to be in use by 2030. The political decision may potentially be just before or after a general election in 2025. The extra million tonnes of CO2 per year are totally inappropriate, with worsening climate change and global heating already apparent.
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Report by the CCC to government shows failure on climate targets, including on airports and aviation
The Climate Change Committee, the government’s advisors on climate, have produced their 2023 report, which shows that targets are being missed on nearly every front. Fewer homes were insulated last year under the government-backed scheme than the year before. There is little progress on transport emissions, no coherent programme for behaviour change, and still no decision on hydrogen and boilers for home heating. Meanwhile the installation of new wind and solar farms and the upgrading of the electricity grid are still too slow to meet net zero. The lack of urgency of government and a failure of political leadership means progress has stalled. Greenhouse gas emissions have been falling by just under 3% a year, but this will need to double over the next eight years. Chris Stark, chief executive of the CCC, said what is missing is the right political leadership, at a high level to get actions done. On aviation it says there needs to be a framework to manage airport capacity. There has been continued airport expansion in recent years, counter to the CCC assessment that there should be no net airport expansion across the UK.
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Gatwick Airport expected to submit second runway DCO application within two weeks
The long-awaited Development Consent Order (DCO) application to convert Gatwick Airport’s emergency runway into a second runway is expected to be submitted within the next two weeks. No date has been given. Gatwick wants to rebuild its Northern Runway, which is currently used as a standby and for maintenance, to be used by smaller departing aircraft. This would include moving the centre line of the runway further north by 12m, bringing it within global safety standards to operate dual runway departures. The plan also include provision for road changes, a new pier, improvements to existing terminal buildings and additional parking and hotels. Due to the scope of the plans, the scheme has been deemed a Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project meaning that a DCO is needed before construction can start. The DCO application is expected to comprise of 25,000-30,000 pages with approximately 100 plans. Gatwick is using its legal advisors’ SharePoint site to submit the documents. Most of Gatwick's passengers are leisure travellers, for holidays or visiting friends and family. The flights enabled by the extra runway would lead to an increase of perhaps 1 million tonnes of CO2 emissions per year. At a time of climate crisis.
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