Airport News

Below are news items relating to specific airports

 

Scotland – Funding needed for new international air services

The Scottish Council for Development and Industry said financial support from government was needed to develop new routes and claimed a Scottish route development fund, axed by Brussels under state aid rules, should be restored after a court ruling questioned the ban. It also called for the restoration of the Heathrow service from Inverness, a guarantee for the existing service between Aberdeen and Heathrow and other help. (Press & Journal)

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REDBRIDGE: MP joins chorus of concern over City aircraft noise

A Redbridge MP is to take up the apparent increase in flights over the borough with aviation authorities after a flood of complaints from residents. Lee Scott said he was "very concerned" about the "significant" increase in noise from planes flying over the borough in recent months. People have noticed a significant rise in the number of planes since the spring. BAA said there had been no increase in flights from Heathrow, and offered no explanation.

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Chinese Investment Corporation buys 10% stake in Heathrow – so Ferrovial now owns only about 34%

China Investment Corporation (CIC), which is China's sovereign wealth fund, has bought a 10% stake in the firm that owns Heathrow airport - which was called BAA and is now Heathrow Ltd. CIC was set up in 2007 to invest some of China's foreign exchange reserves. Despite concerns in other countries about Chinese access to key assets, the UK has been developing closer business ties with China. This is CIC's 2nd major investment in UK infrastructure, as in January, it bought 8.68% of the firm behind UK utility group Thames Water. The latest airports deal will see CIC pay £450m for a 10% stake in Heathrow Airport Holdings Ltd. CIC International, a subsidiary of China Investment Corp, is paying £257.4m to Ferrovial for a 5.7% holding in Heathrow Ltd and £192.6m to its other owners for an additional 4.3%. The deal comes less than 3 months after Qatar Holding, the Middle Eastern sovereign wealth fund, reached an agreement with Ferrovial, Britannia Airport Partners and Singapore’s GIC to buy 20% of Heathrow Ltd for £900m. Ferrovial’s stake in Heathrow will fall from 49% to 33.7%.

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London – Paris traffic down 50% since launch of Eurostar services in 1994

London and Paris are only around 350 kilometres apart. Passenger numbers on this air route peaked in 1994 at just under 4 million, since when the introduction of the high-speed Eurostar rail services has gradually taken an increasing share of the total travel market. Gatwick and Stansted services to Paris disappeared completely. Annual passengers in 2008 were half the number in 1994. There are now 102 flights a week from Heathrow to Paris.

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Southend Campaigners’ fury over police photos

Campaigners have criticised police for taking their photos at Southend Airport. Greenpeace Southend members were invited to talk with Liberal Democrat transport spokesman, MP Norman Baker, about the site plans in the airport's cafe, which is open to the public. He visited the site and met local members of Greenpeace and SAEN. A Greenpeace member found the taking of photos unpleasant and intidating. The police said they thought people might disrupt the meeting.

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Lydd – Matthew Horton Q.C. to represent LAAG on 24th Sept

Lydd Airport Action Group (LAAG) is pleased to announce that Matthew Horton QC will represent Lydd Airport Action Group at Shepway’s full council meeting to determine Lydd Airport’s planning application for a runway extension and new terminal. Mr. Horton is recognized as one of the foremost barristers’ in the country specializing in Planning and Environmental law. The full council meeting will now be held on Thursday September 24th, 2009 at 7pm. (LAAG)

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London City Airport – Critic of airport under attack

A former Havering mayor, Cllr Galpin, has been accused of "jumping on the bandwagon" too late in a battle to stem the number of aircraft flying over Havering. Cllr Georgina Galpin and Romford MP Andrew Rosindell launched a petition last week in Hornchurch against the expansion of City Airport after receiving scores of complaints from local residents. Earlier this month Newham Council agreed to allow the terminal to increase flights by 50%. (Recorder)

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Farnborough – Counting the Carbon Cost of Airport’s Big Plans

The consultation period for the Farnborough airport expansion application closes on 27th July. CPRE Hampshire has clarified that while the average annual carbon footprint for a UK resident is about 12 tonnes CO2, one return flight to Geneva from Farnborough produces about 6.7 tonnes oer passenger. 25,000 such flights per year at present produce about as much CO2 as 35,000 people. The proposed expansion is about the same as 17,500 extra people.

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Conservative MP calls for council to back Southend Airport

James Duddridge MP [Conservative - for Rochford & Southend East] told the Commons that councillors should back the expansion of Southend Airport rather than worrying about political point-scoring. He was speaking in the adjournment debate. He opposed the 3rd runway at Heathrow and also the proposals for an airport in the Thames Estuary, known as Heathrow-on-Sea or Boris Island, but he fully supports the expansion of Southend.(UK Airport News)

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‘Wrong time for expansion’ at Leeds-Bradford

The boss of the largest airline operating from the airport has criticised the £28 million expansion plans given the go-ahead this week by Leeds councillors. Chief executive of Jet2.com accused LBIA’s owners Bridgepoint (which bought the airport at the top of the market) of planning the terminal extension mainly to boost shopping facilities to recoup the £140 million it paid, and he believes the extension could push up costs for his company and others. (Telegraph&Argus)

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