Airport News
Below are news items relating to specific airports
London City Airport gets new PR manager – fresh from 10 months as press officer at the DfT
London City Airport has strengthened its comms team with the appointment of the Department for Transport’s Andrew Scott as PR Manager, "as the airport develops plans for expansion and prepares to mark its 30th anniversary in 2017." Andrew Scott joins City Airport’s four-strong comms team and will be responsible for campaigns "which promote the airport’s time saving and convenience proposition to customers." His role will also include oversight of the UK and 6 key European markets, which are supported by PR agency Grayling. Scott was a press officer at the DfT for 9 -10 months since July 2015, before that a media officer at the Museum of London, and before that at WPP (a huge advertising and PR company). Barclaycard’s Kimberley Hayden has also joined City Airport’s comms team as internal comms executive, and will be "responsible for employee engagement, including production of Airport Life magazine, 500 free copies of which are circulated internally each month." The head of comms has been Charlotte Beeching, since December 2014. The airport now has new owners - Canadian pension funds - and is hoping to be allowed expansion "which would enable up to 6.5 million passengers by 2025."
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Gatwick promises to reduce plane noise (how?) as Forge Wood residents complain it is worse than expected
Forge Wood is a housing development just north east of Crawley and south east of Gatwick airport. They are in an area less than 2 kilometres from the end of the runway. The development was permitted by a decision of the High Court partly based on a statement by Gatwick Airport Ltd in 2010 that they ‘had not a shred of interest in a new runway.’ (That comment had been made by Sir David Rowlands, former Chairman GAL in a speech to Gatwick Airport Consultative Committee in January 2010.) The houses would be right under then flight path, if the 2nd runway was built. The noise is already bad, and one new resident who moved there in October 2015 said the planes are a lot noisier than she anticipated and she wants measures to improve the quality of life for locals. Another resident said: "When we bought our house here we didn't think the noise would be as bad as it is. If we have the window open the noise of the planes stops us from getting to sleep at night and I've been woken up at 4, 5 and 6am. We have a problem with planes both taking off and landing." Strangely the 5,000 or so people who will live in Forge Wood were not included in the Airports Commission's numbers of those to be badly affected by plane noise from a 2nd runway. Or some other new housing developments.
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CAA gives approval to new PBN flight path from Birmingham airport to the south
At the start of April, the CAA approved changes to flight paths at Birmingham Airport, that were deemed necessary because of the runway extension. There were trials of new flight paths to the south in 2014, which generated a lot of anxiety and anger. The opposition was especially strong in the Balsall Common area, where a lot of people were newly overflown. Planes were taking off further south on the longer runway than before the extension, and also landing further south - so were lower on the approach. The CAA considered 2 route options using Performance-based Navigation (PBN) technology, creating narrow, accurately flown paths. The CAA has gone through a long process, and has now approved Option 6, rather than Option 5, and say this has noise impact on fewer residents. The village of Balsall Green will be less impacted by this choice and they campaigned very effectively against the route being over them. But the smaller village of Barston, nearer to the end of the runway, will get relentless noise. The CAA has also instructed the airport to trial the use of Option 5, which is not quite as bad for Barston, for turbo-prop aeroplanes, which are less noisy than jets. Birmingham will do more work on the departure routes to the north, and then formally submit them for approval to the CAA.
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2nd runway at Dublin airport threatens Heathrow’s position as main IAG hub
Heathrow may face more competition for hub traffic from Dublin, if there is a 2nd runway in 2020 - and airlines prefer using Dublin rather than Heathrow. This might mean Heathrow being partly sidelined. In May 2015 Aer Lingus, the Irish flag carrier, was bought by IAG (International Airlines Group) - which owns British Airways. As part of IAG's takeover there was the benefit of new routes and more long-haul flights from Dublin, where Aer Lingus is one of the two main airline customers, along with Ryanair. Willie Walsh, IAG’s CEO, said in 2015 that owning Aer Lingus would allow IAG “to develop our network using Dublin as a hub between the UK, continental Europe and North America, generating additional financial value for our shareholders”. Willie Walsh believed that buying Aer Lingus was a wise move, as it was "inevitable" that Dublin would get a 2nd runway in the next few years. IAG believes that it can expand the group’s flights via Dublin or Madrid - especially if there is no new runway at Heathrow. It could have the impact of removing business from Heathrow - British Airways is the largest airline there with around 50% of the slots.
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Government decision expected soon, to allow Heathrow planning consent on ending Cranford agreement
Heathrow submitted a planning application in May 2013 for various additions to taxiways and other runway-associated infrastructure, to enable flights to take off towards the east, from the northern runway - after the ending of the Cranford Agreement in 2009. This was rejected in March 2014, and since then Heathrow appealed, and a planning enquiry took place in June 2015. The outcome should be announced imminently, maybe within weeks, with the Planning Inspector making his recommendation to the Government. Full runway alternation could halve the number of flights over Colnbrook during easterly operations, so this is welcomed by some. Those under the final approaches to the northern runway in areas such as Windsor, Datchet, Colnbrook and Poyle would see overflights reduce in total by 302, from 630 to 328 movements per day. However, there would be roughly 35,000 extra flights a year over Cranford, rather than from the southern runway. The Inspector recommended that, if the planning application is approved, there should be an insulation scheme for households that would otherwise only be entitled to relocation assistance.
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Dublin Airport may buy 40 homes, already badly affected by noise, in bid to step up 2nd runway plans
Dublin airport was given consent for a 2nd runway in 2007, but due to the recession it was not started. There are now plans to start work in 2017, for completion in 2020, though as much has changed in the years since 2007 on the aviation market, questions are asked about whether the original consent should still be valid. Due to the inevitably increased noise from the 2nd runway, it is likely that around 40 houses (mainly in the St Margaret's area 2-3km from the airport) would be bought by the airport, and negotiations are planned. Triple glazed window insulation will probably also be suggested for hundreds of other properties including schools. A spokeswoman for the St Margaret's Concerned Residents Group said the affected 30 home owners in her association are devastated but have no choice. The airport has assessed the level of noise necessitating house purchase based on 90 days of the airport's busiest months from June to September. Residents, some of whom have been in the area for three generations, fear that a 2nd runway, with increasing frequency, growth in long haul services and more larger aircraft Dublin would compound the noise problem. The 40 homes are those affected now. (There would be a whole lot more with a 2nd runway).
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Work to build Dublin 2nd runway could start in 2017 for completion in 2020
Dublin airport is to press ahead with building a 2nd main runway, resurrecting plans that were approved in August 2007 but then put on hold when Ireland was plunged into financial crisis after 2008. The 2 mile runway will be cost about €320 million (£258m) with work starting in 2017. It may be ready by 2020, to meet rising demand. Passenger numbers at Dublin are now back up to where they were before the recession, and although the airport is not yet at full capacity, it is congested at peak hours. There were around 25 million passengers in 2015. Passenger numbers are expected to rise further. Dublin to London is one of the world’s busiest international air routes, while the facility to pre-clear US immigration in Ireland has made Dublin popular with transatlantic travellers. Ireland cut is small charge of €3 on air tickets in 2013, while Northern Ireland continued to charge £13 in APD. Many people therefore travelled from Northern Ireland to Dublin, to save money. Ryanair has over 40% of the flights at Dublin backs the runway, as does IAG. Willie Walsh has said he might consider using Dublin more if Heathrow got a 3rd runway, and raised charges sharply. There are some conditions restricting night flights very slightly, (65 per night 11pm to 7am) with the 2nd runway.
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Teddington Action Group find evidence of slower rates of climb of large planes from Heathrow
The Teddington Action Group, formed by communities in the area affected by the noise of Heathrow take-offs towards the east, have been suffering from planes that climb particularly slowly. TAG have done research to show that many planes taking off from Heathrow have some of the lowest lowest climbing rates of any airport in the world. (For example, at 12km from "start of roll," an A380 at 2,200 feet, while at Dubai at 3,900 feet. Or a 777 at 1,600 ft at Heathrow and 3,100 feet at Chicago). The result is more noise from those under Heathrow flight paths. There are required minimum rates of take-off set out in the Heathrow Airport (Noise Abatement Requirements) Notice 2010. The requirements are that planes climb to 1,000 feet by 6.5 kilometres from the “start of roll”. Once they reach 6.5 kilometres from start of roll, planes are required to climb at a rate of not less than 4% or 1 in 25. But these rates of climb are so low and out of date that even a World War II Lancaster Bomber fully loaded could make that. TAG wants the regulations to be changed so that all aircraft must attain at least 2,500’ [up from 1,000’] by 6.5 kilometres from start of roll; and that thereafter all aircraft must keep climbing at a rate of at least 12% [up from 4%] until 6,000’ [up from 4,000’]
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On final day of public inquiry, HACAN East wins concession on noise insulation for residents, if expansion allowed
On the last day - 5th April - of the Public Inquiry into London City Airport’s expansion plan, local residents group HACAN East won an important concession. This requires Newham Council to hold a council meeting each year to explain how it is overseeing City Airport’s commitment to provide sound insulation for local residents, if the expansion plans are approved. In the past Newham Council has not ensured done this. The result of the Inquiry is expected to be known in the summer. The Planning Inspector will make a recommendation to the Government, which will make a final decision on permission. If the airport does expand, it will build a new taxiway to accommodate larger planes. HACAN East is opposed to the expansion, but relieved that Newham Council will be held publicly accountable for enforcing the airport's commitments. In its closing statement, HACAN East repeated its concerns about the insufficient noise mitigation measures promised to communities living within the 66db, 63db and 57db LAeq contours; the lack of any new measures to assist those outside the 57db LAeq contour; and the the absence of any work to assess the cumulative impact of London City and Heathrow aircraft on the many communities overflown by both airports.
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Teddington Action Group TAG gets response from Department of Health re. its input on health effects of aviation
The Teddington Action Group (TAG) is very active in opposing the recently intensified level of noise they experience from Heathrow flights. They recently asked the Department of Health what role they have in assessing the impact of aviation noise on public health and whether they have any influence over the Government’s aviation policy, which is developed by the DfT. The Dept of Health (in its not very reassuring response) said it is Public Health England (PHE) that provides advice and input into noise related health matters for the Department of Health, including aviation policy. PHE worked with the DfT on the Survey of Noise Attitudes 2014 (a field study investigating noise attitudes of people living close to airports) – PHE is represented on the project board that oversees the methodology and overall progress. PHE is steering the Health Impact Assessment process for the Airport Capacity Appraisal of Sustainability. On the Night Flight Restrictions consultation – PHE is providing ad-hoc advice to DfT on the evidence base. PHE has not yet had any involvement with the design of the Government’s Future Airspace Strategy. TAG asked about proper assessment of health impacts, and PHE said it plans to continue its engagement with the DfT by providing evidence-based advice and promote research especially on "interventions to protect and improve health."