Airport News
Below are news items relating to specific airports
Edinburgh consultation on flight paths turns into omni-shambles as airport loses vital consultation data
Edinburgh Airport Watch, and many others, were shocked to learn that the integrity and accuracy of the airport's consultation process has been jeopardised by a computer upgrade. The airport has admitted that they lost 199 responses made over the last week. The data submitted between 10.31am on Monday, 29 August and 12.05pm on Friday, 2 September was accidentally not saved between these dates and times during a planned upgrade of the site. The airport has apologised for the inconvenience to those who now have to re-submit their response, and the consultation has been extended by a week (from the earlier end date of 12th September to 19th September) to give people the chance to submit again. The airport has 21 of the email addresses (out of the 199) lost submissions, so can inform those people. Local group, Edinburgh Airport Watch commented that trust in the airport had already hit rock bottom, and this latest blunder (even if not directly the airport's fault) only serves to further damage Edinburgh Airport's seriously tattered reputation among communities, especially in its consultation process. The group also have concerns about the area being consulted, with a huge number of people not being affected by the airport's flight paths. A large public meeting was held on 6th September.
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Gatwick airport applies to have LOWER costs for night flights in summer in 2017/2018
The local campaign group, Gatwick Obviously NOT (GON), has learned that Gatwick airport has applied to the CAA to be allowed to reduce the price charged to aircraft to land at night. The night period is considered, for charging, to be be 22.30 to 04.59. The current charge for the lowest noise category (Chapter 4) planes at to land at night in summer (1st April to 31st October) is £622. There is no charge for the winter period (November to March). Gatwick currently charges Chapter 4 aircraft the same £622 for the period 04.00 to 18.59 in summer, but £204 from 19.00 to 22.29. GON has asked Gatwick to reconsider. They have refused. GON has therefore asked Secretary of State, Chris Grayling, to direct them to think again, as is his right under section 38 (4) and (5) of the Civil Aviation Act 1982. Eight local MPs have written to Chris Grayling, saying: "It is therefore regrettable and in our view not acceptable that Gatwick Airport propose to charge significantly less for night flights than for day flights from 2017/18. This appears to be designed to increase demand for night flights in the run up to your review of the regulatory regime for such flights due in 2017. Any such increase would have devastating impacts on all communities in the vicinity the airport." GON is encouraging its members to write to MPs etc to make their views felt.
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London City Airport runway blocked by protesters in support of “Black Lives Matter”, who got there by dinghy
Flights at London City Airport were disrupted this morning after a group of protesters occupied the runway. Earlier reports said they were from Plane Stupid, but later reports say they are in support of "Black Lives Matter". Police were called to the airport at 5.40am to reports of demonstrators getting onto the runway. They got to the runway by using a small rubber dinghy to get across the Royal Docks. A statement released by the group said: "This morning activists in support of Black Lives Matter UK shutdown London City Airport... This action was taken in order to highlight the UK's environmental impact on the lives of black people locally and globally. As the largest per capita contributor to global temperature change and yet among the least vulnerable to its deadly effects, the UK leads in ensuring that our climate crisis is a racist crisis." The protesters are chained together, as the Plane Stupid group were in their protest occupation of the runway at Heathrow (13th July 2015, after the Airports Commission's final report). All flights due to land at London City airport have been diverted to Southend and Gatwick airports. Currently the Met Police say they are on the scene and "the incident is ongoing.” The runway was closed for around 6 hours. All 9 protesters were arrested and are in police custody.
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New consultation on TAG Farnborough proposals for airspace change called a blight on the countryside
In 2014 Farnborough did a consultation on changing its airspace. There were more than 13,000 comments, the vast majority overwhelmingly negative. Now “some aspects of the proposal” to the CAA have changed over many areas including parts of the South Downs National Park. More proposals from TAG Farnborough (which is a business only airport) to introduce a new area of “controlled” airspace are again open for consultation. The plans were described by East Hampshire District Council (EHDC) as “a blight on East Hampshire’s countryside, residents and businesses”. During the ongoing consultations, some of the fiercest resistance has come from Lasham Gliding Society – the UK’s largest gliding club – whose existence hangs in the balance if their airspace was reduced. TAG Farnborough currently uses class G airspace (uncontrolled airspace), which is shared with other airports and general aviation users. The proposed change would essentially mean it would have its own airspace in which to operate, and other users would be excluded. The consultation document is almost impossible for non-experts, or district or parish councils, to understand without help. The consultation is the minimum length - just 8 weeks - ending on 5th October. TAG's proposals have been described by opponents as the equivalent of a big limousine company “buying two lanes of the M25 exclusively for the use of the rich and famous”.
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Desperate to persuade MPs to back its runway, increasingly improbable claims by Heathrow of its benefit to the UK
Heathrow is making all possible efforts to persuade as many MPs as possible to back its 3rd runway bid, before the government (Chris Grayling) makes a statement on the matter - probably in October. Heathrow has now commissioned and paid for a "study" by CEBR, perhaps by Vicky Pryce with a foreword by her, that aims to give the impression that the 3rd runway will make an immense financial contribution to the UK. The study would not pass peer review. Its methodology is not given, and there is no justification for any of its claims. Heathrow says (it tries to avoid making it clear this is over 60 years) its runway would boost GDP by "£24,500" per family. It omits to say how many families it is considering, or the total GDP benefit. A bit of simple mathematics shows Heathrow is claiming a GDP boost of £458 billion over 60 years, as the ONS says there are 18.7 million families in the UK (2015). The Airports Commission's most optimistic scenarios gave a maximum benefit, over 60 years, of £211 billion. Its main forecast was for a UK benefit of £147 billion. This was seriously questioned as being exaggerated, even by the Commission's own financial advisors. This £458 billion figure, apparently plucked from thin air, is well over double that. And Heathrow says there will be so much benefit that by 2060 (with no rationale given) we could cut VAT by 2.5% due to the runway.
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Grayling gives consent for M4 to have hard shoulder converted into 4th lane, over 32 miles
Plans to convert the M4 hard shoulder (both directions) into a 4th lane of traffic have been given the go-ahead by Chris Grayling, Transport Secretary, for the Government. The proposals would see a 32-mile stretch of the M4 widened from three to four lanes from Hayes, west London, to Theale, Berkshire. That goes all the way past Heathrow, where there is already a serious air pollution problem. This stretch of road, from junction three to 12, would also be subject to variable speed limits under the scheme. Chris Grayling said there is a "critical need to improve the existing national road network" and the plans will "increase capacity, improve traffic flow and reduce journey times, thereby supporting economic development". Environmental and transport groups are outraged at the decision and claim having no hard shoulder will be a hazard for motorists. There are concerns about breakdowns, with no hard shoulder and more risk to breakdown operatives when trying to assist motorists by the road. The loss of the hard shoulder has been criticised as expanding motorways on the cheap, instead of investment in alternative options, including better rail. Jenny Bates, of Friends of the Earth, said the move will lead to more traffic, more NO2 air pollution where levels already break legal health limits - this just increases traffic without solving congestion.
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Edinburgh Airport Consultation on Flight Paths – public meeting on 6th September
Edinburgh Airport is currently consulting (ends 12th September) on changes to their flight paths. These changes affect a wide swathe around the airport, and are likely to impact on about 300,000 people across West Lothian, Falkirk and Fife areas, many in communities that have not been affected by aircraft noise previously. The local community group, Edinburgh Airport Watch, has organised a public meeting on 6th September, for people to understand the issues and what is at stake. It is to be chaired by Neil Findlay MSP. Edinburgh airport’s website has some more information, but there are few details on what is actually being proposed. There is insufficient detail of routes and how intensively they will be used, or over what times of day (or night). Many local communities are very concerned about changes that have already happened, and those that may happen in future, in terms of changes routes and concentration of routes. Some previously quiet areas that had no overhead flights, or few, now have very noticeably more. The airport wants to put in more flights at peak times, and that is a key driver of the changes. In 2015 the airport was forced to abandon a trial of a new westerly take-off (TURUR) route due to huge and widespread opposition. This route now cannot be used again without a full public consultation.
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Heathrow retail revenue in 2015 around 20-21% of total, at £568 million (£7.58 per passenger)
Heathrow Airport reported a retail revenue increase for the year ending 31st December 2016 of +8.4% in 2015 to £568 million. The revenue per passenger rose by +6.2% above the level in 2014, to reach £7.58. (The Moodie report said the figure was about £7.14 in 2014, £6.21 in 2012, £5.95 in 2011, and £5.64 in 2010). Over the year, Heathrow had an overall growth in revenue of +2.7% to £2,765 million in 2015. EBITDA was £1,605 million, up +3.0%. Heathrow also announced a +2.2% increase in passenger traffic in 2015 to 75 million. Then for the figures for the first 6 months of 2016 Heathrow said its retail revenue had risen by 7.7% year-on-year, to £280 million - and retail revenue per passenger rose +7.1% to £7.84. Of this, duty and tax free shops contributed £62 million, a +3.3% increase. Heathrow said that for the first 6 months of 2016, it made £62 million from duty and tax-free; £51 million from airside specialist shops; £24 million from bureaux de change; £22 million from catering; £55 million from car parking - with total retail revenue at £280 million. i.e. of total retail revenue 19 - 20% was car parking. Income from parking was £99 million in 2014 and £107 million in 2015. For the first half of 2016 the retail (including car parking) income was about 21% of total revenue.
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Gatwick income still around 22% from retail, 11.6% from parking, and 52% from aeronautical
Gatwick continues to get around 22 - 23% of its income from retail, as it has in previous years. Moodies' data shows that in the year that ended 31st March 2016 the airport reported a +2.3% increase in retail income to £152.5 million. But the net income per passenger decreased -3.7% to £3.67. Income per passenger from retail has stayed around the same figure as in 2011. Gatwick has added a great many retail shops in previous years (it now has 36 shops and 27 restaurants) and offers “collect on return.” Gatwick has done less well than it hoped on sales which it described as “challenging trading” due to "changes in passenger mix and adverse currency movements against Sterling." Income from food and drink and catering grew by around 2%. Car parking revenue for the year to 31st March 2016 was up +7.6% to £77.9 million and net income per passenger from parking increased by +7.3% to £1.47. So retail + parking is about £5.14 per passenger. Aeronautical revenue rose +5.4% to £350.8 million (so that is around £8.50 approx per passenger) and other income was up +9.7% to £91.9 million. Turnover increased +5.5% to £673.1 million while EBITDA was up +9.7% to £331.0 million. The airport made a profit before tax of £141.0 million.
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Flood of complaints from people upset by newly concentrated flight paths at London City airport
London City Airport’s decision to concentrate all its flights paths earlier this year, with changes from 4th February, has resulted in a flood of complaints. HACAN East, which speaks for residents under the flight paths, has launched a short report outlining some of the complaints they received in just one month. With hot summer weather and people being outdoors more, or opening their windows more, the problem of aircraft noise is at its worst as people are most aware of it. HACAN East said the newly concentrated flight paths have brought complaints from many areas for the first time. The complaints have come from vast swathes of east and south east London. Hundreds of people have said they did not have flights in the past, but now get them sometimes as often as every 3 minutes. People who moved to the area are now subjected to a level of noise they could not have expected, and they are affected by Heathrow arrivals as well as London City flights. People are especially upset if they moved from a noisy area, hoping they had moved to a quieter one. John Stewart said that HACAN East has met airport representatives who said they "have not closed their mind" to looking again at the concentrated flight paths but will not do so until next year after the Government (DfT) has issued its forthcoming consultation on national airspace policy.