Airport News
Below are news items relating to specific airports
At London City Airport Inquiry, HACAN East calls for noise insulation to match the best in Europe
HACAN East, the resident-led group opposing expansion of London City Airport called for insulation offered by City Airport to match the best in Europe. The call came during the opening week of the Public Inquiry into the airport’s expansion plans. John Stewart, Chair of HACAN East, said: "If expansion goes ahead the number of people overflown by City Airport planes will be higher than that of any airport in the UK, other than Heathrow and Manchester. Airports like Frankfurt or Charles de Gaulle in Paris are twice as generous with the insulation schemes offered to residents as London City." City Airport wants to enlarge its infrastructure to allow use by larger aircraft. Newham Council gave permission for the airport to expand in February 2015, but this was overturned by Boris Johnson on noise grounds the following month. The airport appealed against his decision. The result is this public inquiry. Lawyers for the Mayor argued in the opening week of the Inquiry that City Airport should compensate more people than it is prepared to do, if its expansion is allowed. HACAN East said they are concerned about the residents and communities outside the 57LAeq 16hr contour. Many of these people experience significant aircraft noise, but there is nothing in the airport's application to deal with those impacts
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Report by Mayor of London on runway issue: Boris pushes strongly for 4-runway hub in Thames estuary (or Stansted)
Boris Johnson, due to leave office as Mayor of London in early May, has delivered a blistering attack on a 3rd Heathrow runway - and put forward, again, his vision of a huge 4-runway hub airport in the inner Thames Estuary ("Boris Island"). The Airports Commission's imperfect report came down definitively backing a Heathrow runway, and ruled out the estuary option for a range of geographical, cost and environmental reasons. Boris says, in a report entitled "Landing The Right Airport", that a four-runway airport east of London is the only way to secure enough capacity. His other option is Stansted. He believes these sites "away from populated areas" were the "only credible solution". Daniel Moylan, Boris's aviation adviser, said the inner Thames estuary airport would cost £20bn to £25bn - with an extra £25bn required to building road and rail connections. He said the 3rd Heathrow runway is estimated to cost £18.6bn, not taking into account the cost of surface access and measures to stop congestion, which the new report claims could be as high as £20bn. The report concludes: "As part of its next phase of work, it is incumbent on Government to revisit the entire Airports Commission process and consider a full range of credible options – including alternative hub locations. A failure to do so will undermine any attempt to bring forward a National Policy Statement and leave a decision vulnerable to legal challenge.
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Mayor reveals cost to public health from noise due to Heathrow 3rd runway would be £20 – 25 bn over 60 years
A new report published by the Mayor of London and TfL has revealed that the long term health effects of exposure to the extra noise - due to a 3rd Heathrow runway - would be valued at a staggering £20 to 25 billion over 60 years. The figure is derived using methodology from the WHO, which values each lost year of healthy life at £60,000. That reflects the increased risk of heart attack, stroke, dementia and other disorders shown to be linked to prolonged exposure to aircraft noise. TfL calculate that while there are now about 766,000 people affected by an “annoying” level of noise from Heathrow, if the speculative improvements in noise exposure proposed by the Airports Commission do not actually happen, there could be as many as 986,600 affected. There could also be between 98,900 and 277,100 people newly affected by plane noise for the first time. The runway would also expose 124 more schools and 43,000 school children to a level of aircraft noise proven to be damaging to learning. TfL also says the number of daily journeys to Heathrow by passengers and staff is expected to rise from 200,000 to 430,000 by 2050. “At some locations, non-airport passengers will be unable to join rail services because of crowding exacerbated by passengers travelling with luggage towards central London.”
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Only airline backing a 2nd Gatwick runway remains Norwegian, for its own commercial reasons
Gatwick is struggling to get support for its runway. Its page listing supporters of a 2nd Gatwick runway is thin. The section of airports and airlines backing its runway is quite glaringly thin. They have support from Birmingham airport (for which a Heathrow 3rd runway would be a intense competition); support from GIP-owned Edinburgh airport - no surprise there; and support from Norwegian, a low cost airline, which is the 3rd largest using Gatwick. The two largest airlines at Gatwick, easyJet and BA, have both said they do not support a 2nd runway, and are not prepared to pay the extra charges. easyJet backs a Heathrow runway. In December 2015 Willie Walsh said: ..."there’s no business case for expanding [Gatwick]. I’m not knocking Gatwick — it’s a good airport and British Airways operates many flights there. However, very few airlines support the proposal, and no one would move there while Heathrow remains open." In October 2014 he said: “I’m not going to support anything that sees our charges at Gatwick or Heathrow rise." But now Bjorn Kjos, CEO of Norwegian, has said he will bring more planes to Gatwick; 50 Boeing 787 Dreamliners and 100 short-haul aircraft, if Gatwick gets a new runway. It is scarcely news. No comment in favour of a 2nd runway has been made by Thomson Airways, Gatwick's 4th largest airline.
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Gatwick MPs call on Transport Secretary: “Gatwick Airport must end misleading air quality claims”
Gatwick is misleading local residents about the environmental impact of their plans to build a 2nd runway, a group of South East MPs warned today. The MPs expressed their concerns about air quality claims and night flights in a letter to the Transport Secretary,Patrick McLoughlin. The Gatwick Coordination Group (GCG) - the MPs in areas close to and affected by Gatwick - is asking Mr Mcloughlin to stop Gatwick from running advertising campaigns which contradict expert environmental evidence, and mislead their constituents. Gatwick has repeatedly claimed the area around the airport “has never and will never breach legal air quality limits” and that it is the “greener” option for expansion. But the MPs as well as councillors and local representatives say the airport's claims ignore significant evidence in the Airports Commission's report. The GCG are demanding Gatwick makes clear the real impact of a 2nd runway on the local environment to nearby residents. The GCG also object to the DfT "drawing up plans for night flights at an expanded Gatwick, which would subject over 60,000 people in the Gatwick area to over 20 hours of continuous aircraft noise. It is incredible to think that the DfT is contemplating this when the Airports Commission made a stronger case for Heathrow which included a clear and viable recommendation for a ban on night flights”.
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London City Airport 4-week appeal under way, against Mayor’s refusal of expansion plans
A planning appeal by London City Airport, against refusal by the Mayor of London for its expansion plans is taking place at City Hall. It is due to last 3 - 4 weeks. Newham Council approved plans for the £200 million redevelopment in February 2015, but when they were referred to the Mayor for approval, he overruled the permission on grounds of too much aircraft noise. It appears the GLA (Greater London Authority) has little complaint about much of the application, and is supportive of the airport's growth in principle. However, noise is the key issue and there is a fundamental difference in the way the noise contours are being used, by the two sides. The contours using averaged noise for the airport's operations give a smaller 57dB area than if single noise measurements are used. Opponents of the airport's expansion, HACAN East, fear that the expansion plans would mean many thousand residents experiencing much higher amounts of noise. They say their supporter base believes that current noise levels are unacceptable. John Stewart, speaking for HACAN East said: “Our supporters have felt over the years that their voices have not been heard, not by the airport, not by Newham. Many residents close to the airport have felt abandoned. They have felt overwhelmed by this planning application which has lasted over two and a half years."
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Heathrow hopes prematurely announcing “client partners” to build its hoped-for runway will boost its chances
Heathrow does not have any sort of (public) consent from the Government to build a third runway. It had hoped to be given the "nod" for its runway in December 2015. But the government realised there were too many environmental and economic problems that the Airports Commission had not dealt with adequately, and no decision could be made. The government is how hoping to make some sort of statement - probably in mid July. There is a likely major legal challenge from 4 local councils to the airport's plans. Nevertheless, in an act of bravado (desperation?) Heathrow has announced that following "a competitive process Arup, CH2M, MACE and Turner & Townsend have been chosen to work alongside Heathrow Airport Limited to deliver Heathrow’s expansion as partners in the Programme Client....With the programme’s client partners now on board Heathrow is ready to begin the process of expansion as soon as Government gives the green light." ... "The client partners have been tasked with ensuring the programme is delivered to the highest industry standards in planning, innovation and quality." Quite what the contract is between Heathrow and these firms is not specified. Critics say Heathrow is jumping the gun, and "counting some very expensive chickens before they are hatched”. Gatwick is also trying the same sort of thing.
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HACAN estimate true cost of noise insulation for 3rd Heathrow runway at around £1.8 bn – not £700 m
Heathrow has set aside £700 million to insulate homes affected by noise from a 3rd runway. That would be for 160,000 homes, which is the number regarded as being within the 55 decibel Lden noise contour, with the worst affected getting the full cost paid and others getting up to £3,000 to pay for the work. But the community anti-expansion group HACAN calculates that insulating all these homes would cost at least double the £700 million figure. HACAN estimates the real cost at nearer £1.8 billion, based on data they obtained from two companies that provide sound insulation. UK Soundproofing Ltd of West Sussex and Tudor Windows of London considered the average semi-detached house would cost around £11,800 to fully insulate against noise. It does not appear that Heathrow's offer would be enough to do a proper job, even though they could probably get insulation cheaper by placing a huge contract. Heathrow is not intending to spend any more money on noise insulation, if it is not allowed a 3rd runway - and its insulation scheme is very poor in comparison with other large European airports. It is understood that Heathrow currently pays for soundproofing, including double glazing and loft insulation, at approximately 40,000 homes. The insulation is, of course, of no use if windows are open - or outdoor, in street, park or garden.
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£500m rail tunnel from Langley (Slough) to Heathrow T5 – consultation ends 4th April
The public consultation about the plan to build a 3.4 mile (5.5 km) tunnel from Langley (just east of Slough) ends on 4th April. The plans by Network Rail are to for a tunnel to take train passengers directly to Heathrow Terminal 5, avoiding having to go via Paddington. This will mean Thames Valley and Welsh commuters can travel more directly to Heathrow. Plans for the £500m rail tunnel have been on public display since 9th February. The scheme could take 5 years to build, with the tunnelling taking 15 months. There are the usual claims of huge economic benefits to the area. Network Rail first proposed building the tunnel in 2012, and they hope it would mean journeys from Slough to the airport would be reduced to 7 minutes and journeys from Reading to 26 minutes. Currently, bus services are the most direct route to Heathrow. The tunnel would be part a range of upgrade measures on the Great Western Main Line - currently including the redevelopment of Reading Station - which links London, Bristol and South Wales. The building phase of the tunnel project would mean extensive site access - and presumably disruption - at a number of sites around Richings Park, Colnbrook and Poyle. Slough Council is openly backing a Heathrow runway, hoping to get considerable benefits from it.
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Green field gravelled over – during the night – to become illegal Bristol Airport car park. Not an isolated incident
An illegal Bristol Airport car park has appeared after green fields were gravelled over during one night. Neighbours living close to the airport say just months after two unauthorised car parks were closed down, another has been created in what was a picturesque field. North Somerset Council confirmed the former field, which had around 100 holidaymakers cars parked on over the weekend, did not have permission and they are investigating. The access to the field, near the busy A38 may not be designed for this volume of vehicles. It appears that car parking businesses "hop from one location to another without any regard for planning laws or the health and safety of others." A resident said: "The residents living nearby now have the view of a car park and comings and goings all night, in what was a field." The Council said: ""People need planning permission to build car parks. However in green belt locations, such as this, the parking of cars would normally be inappropriate development."We can take enforcement action by serving an enforcement notice requiring the inappropriate use to cease. Failure to comply is a criminal offence for which the council could start legal proceedings." The Council shut down two unauthorised car parks in the area in January 2016, and they closed over 40 unauthorised airport car parks near Bristol airport in the past four years. Gatwick has similar problems.