AirportWatch Publications
A wealth of research demonstrates the UK's airport expansion policy needs fundamental
review. AirportWatch publications help campaigners and policymakers access the
essential arguments.
Some of the publications mentioned are produced by AirportWatch - others by our
member organisations. Also below are some links to other important and relevant
papers, produced by other bodies.
AirportWatch bulletins
AirportWatch produces news bulletins about every 6 weeks.
AirportWatch Bulletin October 2007
WWF report on business air travel - "Travelling Light"
WWF today launched "Travelling Light", a report into the appetite of British
business to reduce its flying, with a focus on the possibilities of 'virtual meetings'
through videoconferencing. The report also serves to launch WWF-UK's campaign
"One in Five" for companies to cut one in five business flights, over five years. 16.5.2008
(WWF-UK)
Key findings
- 62% of companies surveyed are already reducing their business travel footprint.
- A further 24% of companies are currently developing plans to do so.
- 89% of companies expect they will want to fly less over the next 10 years.
- 85% of companies say that videoconferencing can help them reduce their flying.
- 89% of companies believe that videoconferencing can improve their productivity.
"Fallible Forecasts"
- a critique of the 2007 air passenger forecasts. A report by AirportWatch's Aviation Economics Group.
The new forecasts produced by the Department for Transport are shown to be unreliable.
They depend on a series of questionable assumptions. "Fallible Forecasts" goes through forecasts for air traffic, for climate change damage and for the
forecast net economic benefits of new runways at Heathrow and Stansted, and finds
serious deficiencies in the Government's arguments. (March 2008)
"Flaws Galore"
The paper, entitled "Flaws Galore" compiled by AirportWatch's Aviation Economic Group, has identified over twenty
serious flaws in the Government’s economic case for expanding Heathrow airport.
It assesses the assumptions on future oil price, taxes on aviation, the economic
benefit of transfer passengers and the real value to business. The findings of
the new paper support the findings of the major report published recently from
the independent Dutch consultants CE Delft. (26.2.2008)
CE Delft Report on Heathrow economics - "The Economics of Heathrow Expansion"
CE Delft's report undermines the economic case for expansion at Heathrow. It
challenges Government claims that its current proposals to expand Heathrow will
benefit the economy to the tune of £5 billion. It argues the Government’s figures
are based on flawed research which overestimates the importance of aviation to
the economy. (14.2.2008) The Economics of Heathrow Expansion
The submission from the World Development Movement on the Heathrow consultation
The global challenge of climate change should form part of the scope of the consultation
for adding capacity at Heathrow. WDM’s response to the consultation therefore
focuses on the implications of extra capacity at Heathrow for tackling climate
change. (Feb 2008)
Friends of the Earth Briefing - Heathrow expansion - its true costs
(Jan 2008) The Heathrow consultation presents the economic case as a given. However, the
economic case is flimsy in the extreme. This briefing presents five main arguments
why it should not be accepted. In summary, the consultation misleads the public
as to the benefit of extra capacity at Heathrow. Under more realistic assumptions,
Heathrow expansion does not provide net economic benefits. Valuing climate change
properly means expansion has net economic costs. The prime justification for
expansion does not stack up.
"Aviation and Climate Change: Public Opinion and the Scope for Action"
A 'poll of polls' study reveals public support for Government action on climate
change. It reveals that a majority of people are willing to change their behaviour
to tackle climate change, but expect the Government to take the lead. The report
found that although 78% of people say they would alter their behaviour, 70% expect
a lead from the Government. (December 2007)
The report found there is no public appetite for airport expansion. Only 18%
support it. Indeed, 57% of people support “a policy aimed at slowing down the
growth in air travel”.
"Gatwick – destroying climate change targets"
A study of the emissions caused by aircraft using Gatwick Airport - (June 2007)
by GACC
Gatwick handles 17% of UK passengers.3 The distance flown by planes from Gatwick
is probably about equal to the national average – less than from Heathrow but
more than from other airports. That would indicate that aircraft from Gatwick
on their outward journeys emit about 6.5 Mt of CO2.
"Birds on the Move" - by the RSPB
A climatic atlas of European Breeding Birds. (January 2008). A Climatic Atlas
of European Breeding Birds - which maps potential changes in distribution of all
of the continent's regularly occurring nesting birds – shows that we need urgent
action to cut greenhouse gas emissions, and redouble our efforts for nature conservation,
if we are to avoid calamitous impacts on birds.
"
Birds on the move" - Introducing a Climatic Atlas of European Breeding Birds (723Kb)
Travel Trends 2006
- by the UK Government, Office of National Statistics (published 2008). Data and commentary from the International Passenger Survey. Contains information
on aviation. Travel Trends presents the main results from the International Passenger Survey (IPS) which
collects information on travel to and from the United Kingdom. The tabulations-only
edition of Travel Trends 2006 which was published in November 2007 has been replaced
by this edition which now also contains commentary. Travel Trends.
AirportWatch study on the December 2006 OEF report
A new study, carried out for AirportWatch in February 2007, found that the claimed
economic benefits of air travel in the Government’s Progress Report on the Future
of Air Transport published in December were largely based on a consultant’s report
paid for by the aviation industry. Despite growing concern about the impact of
aviation growth on climate change, the Progress Report confirmed the government’s
determination to press ahead with airport expansion, justifying this on the grounds
of economic benefit.
AirportWatch leaflet and flyer: WANTED - a rethink of UK aviation policy"
The December 2006 review of the Government's Aviation White Paper reaffirmed
its expansion plans. AirportWatch is calling for a fundamental rethink of government
policy on aviation. The leaflet (A4 - 4 pages) sets out the issues, and suggests
a way forward.
The solutions AirportWatch suggest include:
Reining back expansion so it is consistent with climate change targets
Recognising the limits rising oil prices will put on demand for air trips
Removing the tax-breaks the aviation industry enjoys
Reassessing air freight
Reducing the noise suffered by local communities
Respecting the county’s heritage, biodiversity and ancient woodlands
Revisiting Rail
Revising the economic assessment of the aviation industry
Reviewing the big expansion plans for the UK airports
Three important reports were published in autumn 2006, by organisations other
than AirportWatch:
* Pie in the Sky (Friends of the Earth) -
Why the costs of airport expansion outweigh the benefits.
Pie in the Sky, published by Friends of the Earth in Sep 06, debunks the claims
of the industry about the economic benefits of air travel and concludes that the
costs of expansion actually outweigh the benefits.
* The future starts here (Friends of the Earth and the Tyndall Centre) –
- the route to a low carbon economy.
The Tyndall Centre for Climate Change published a report in Sep 06 which show
the UK could move to a successful, low-carbon economy. However, it shows that
unless aviation is constrained, the rest of the economy will have to be re-structured
to make room for it.
* Predict and Decide (Environmental Change Institute, Oxford University)
Aviation, climate change and UK policy
The Environmental Change Institute, part of Oxford University, published a comprehensive
report (Predict and Decide) in Oct 2006 into the policy questions surrounding
aviation and climate change. It confirms almost everything we have been saying
about the need to constrain aviation growth.
The Two Faces of BAA
A report from AirportWatch in February 2006 was a devastating indictment of BAA,
revealing the harsh reality behind the responsible and green image that BAA tries
to cultivate. BAA is planning new runways at Stansted, Heathrow, Edinburgh and
possibly Gatwick and Glasgow, as well as an increase in flights at Southampton
and Aberdeen, where, last year, it introduced night flights. The report compares
the image BAA tries to present at each of its seven UK airports with the actual
effect its expansion plans will have on the residents and the local environment,
as well as BAA's close links with Government.
Emissions Impossible
An assessment - by the Aviation Environment Federation (Feb 2006) - of the noise
and air pollution problems at Heathrow airport and the measures proposed to tackle
them. Noise and air pollution pose severe environmental and public health problems
at Heathrow and in the surrounding area. Nonetheless, the Government and the
aviation industry wish to expand the airport, first by switching to ‘mixed mode’
operations (that is, ending the practice of runway alternation), and then by the
addition of a third runway.
"Aviation in a Low-Carbon EU" : (Tyndall Centre report - September 2007)
The Tyndall Centre's new report, "Aviation in a Low-Carbon EU" investigates to
what extent EU proposals to include aviation in its Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS)
would help deliver a low-carbon EU future. The EU plans to include aviation in
the EU ETS from 2011 for intra-EU flights, with ALL flights departing from or
arriving in the EU included from 2012.
"Fly Now - Grieve Later" (June 2005)
The Aviation Environment Federation has published "Fly Now – Grieve Later." The author is Brendon Sewill, who also wrote the "The Hidden Cost Of Flying" in 2003.
"Fly Now – Grieve Later" deals with climate change and the use of ‘economic instruments’. Economic instruments
are financial measures such as charges, taxes and subsidies which can affect the
environmental impact of aviation.
"Fly Now – Grieve Later" takes off where "The Hidden Cost Of Flying" landed. The scope has been broadened to make it more applicable to the EU and
beyond. The booklet looks at technical, economic, social and political angles
and considers the impediments to action.
See link below for summary (Word document) and link to the full publication (Adobe
Acrobat; 1.2 Mbtyes).
"The Hidden Cost of Flying" (2003)
This report was published in 2003, prior to the aviation White Paper. It deals
with the economic aspects of airport expansion. Things have moved on, but the
economic issues remain wholly relevant.
"Important decisions about the future of aviation are due to be announced around
the end of 2003 in a White Paper covering the next thirty years. The Department
for Transport (DfT) published consultation papers in July 2002 setting out proposals
for expansion at many airports, with options for new runways at Heathrow, Stansted,
Birmingham, East Midlands, and in Scotland; and possible new airports at Cliffe,
at Church Lawford between Coventry and Rugby, and perhaps at Bristol. Following
judicial review of the decision to exclude Gatwick, a further consultation is
being undertaken.
The airlines are lobbying hard for expansion while, not surprisingly, the plans
are creating substantial opposition. The environmental case against expansion
is well known: the growing impact of aviation on climate change, noise and pollution
around airports, destruction of landscape, wildlife and heritage. This booklet,
however, is designed to subject the economic case for aviation growth to critical
examination."
"Flying to Distraction" (CPRE - 2003)
A leaflet summarising the findings of Aviation, Noise and the Countryside. Includes
maps for 2000 and 2030 showing how the Government's forecasts for air travel would
impact on the tranquillity of the countryside and communities.
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AirportWatch has produced a number of publications in association with some the UK's leading campaigning organisations. These are essential reading for airport campaigners!
