Airport News
Below are news items relating to specific airports
Heathrow passengers up 2.2% last year compared to 2014; ATMs up 0.3%; air cargo down 0.2%
Nearly 75 million passengers travelled through Heathrow in 2015, an increase of 2.2% on 2014 and the airport’s highest ever number of annual passengers.The number of flights (air transport movements) was up 0.3% on 2014. The number of seats per aircraft increased by 2.1% to 209, and passengers per aircraft rose to 1.9% to 160. But the average load factor remained constant at 76.5%. (For 2013, Heathrow said its average load factor was 76.4%, and average number of passengers per aircraft was 154.8). At the end of 2015, over 20 daily A380 departures and arrivals were operated by eight airlines "Heathrow continued to play a leading role in helping Britain’s exports reach global markets, with the UK’s largest port by value recording cargo volumes of 1.5 million metric tonnes for the year." That is Heathrow's way of saying the cargo tonnage fell by 0.2% in 2015 compared with 2014. Heathrow says "emerging markets continued to be a driver of traffic growth at Heathrow", with passenger volumes up 8% to Latin America and 6% to the Middle East. They also say passenger volumes during 2015 were up 14% to China. That's confusing, as the increase in passengers to the "Asia/Pacific" area, which includes China, only rose by 0.3% for the year. Heathrow itself admits it has terminal capacity for 90 million passengers, so at 75 million, it is not "full". The Airports Commission said that would not happen till 2030.
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Anger at disgraceful failure of the CAA or London City Airport to consult properly on flight path changes
In a blog about the disgraceful failure of London City Airport and the CAA to consult properly on changes to flight paths, John Stewart explains just how unjust this is. The CAA allowed London City Airport to concentrate all its flight paths without any meaningful consultation with residents. In effect, the changes will mean the creation of noise ghettos, from 4th February 2016. The approximately 70% of the time, when the wind is westerly, Bow, Leyton, Leytonstone, etc will get all the departures from the airport, and Thamesmead will get arrivals. The 30% of the time with easterly winds, departures will go over Barking Riverside, Dagenham and Hornchurch, and arrivals will go over Sidcup, New Eltham, etc. Most of these communities have not been informed about the changes, or the noise to which they will be subjected to. In 2014 London City carried out the most minimalist of consultations and said the changes were not significant. Before Christmas, the CAA agreed with City Airport that the change was not significant. Hacan East believes the changes are very significant. The recent report by Helios seriously criticised the CAA for its inadequate consultations. Hacan East says the CAA has let people affected by London City Airport down badly, and there has been injustice. "As Thomas Jefferson might have said, “When injustice becomes law, rebellion becomes duty.” "
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Sunday Times reports how Heathrow has paid its owners dividends of £2.1 billion since 2012 – but just £24 million in Corporation Tax
The Sunday Times reports that Heathrow has paid its owners back £2.1 billion in dividends, starting in 2012. But it has only paid a total of £24 million in corporation tax since 2006, with that payment being last year. Heathrow's owners are rewarded whenever the value of the airport increases. If new airport infrastructure is built, the passengers pay for it through the £20 cost on their ticket (and other spending), and the owners benefit.. The CAA calculates how much is spent on investment, and allows Heathrow’s investors to earn a return on the total. The more Heathrow spends, the more its backers can earn. If Heathrow was to spend £17.6 billion on its expansion, the value of the airport would be considered to have increased that much. Due to the huge debts Heathrow has (£12.5 billion out of the £16 billion Ferrovial paid in 2006) the airport's banks prevented dividends to owners, until 2012. They got £240 million in 2012, which has risen to £2.1 billion. Some of the proceeds of the sale of Gatwick, Edinburgh etc has been used for dividends. The Sunday Times says: ..."with a debt-to-assets ratio of about 85% is one of the most heavily indebted airports in the world." Heathrow will have to recoup the money by high passenger charges, years before the runway is built and open, as otherwise Heathrow's massive investors are not prepared to take the financial risk. Heathrow is no longer a company quoted on the stock exchange, but that could happen in future.
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Heathrow hopes putting in electric car charging points will make it seem more “green”
The New Year has barely begun, and Heathrow is off on (...yet another ...) 8 months or so of it PR and spin, hoping to persuade those who matter to approve a 3rd runway. So it has put out a woolly statement about various very minor measures it is taking to slightly limit its environmental damage. John Holland-Kaye said: “2015 saw us commit to a series of action plans that will make us a better neighbour, by reducing noise, emissions and traffic." How? They have installed 135 charging stations for electric vehicles. No matter that most of the UK's electricity is not produced from renewable sources. And some of their vehicles are (sic) "zero emission" cars - if such a thing was possible. Perhaps realising that is not terribly impressive, John H-K says “But we know that we need to do more, and in the coming months will set out even more ambitious plans that will make an expanded Heathrow the most environmentally responsible hub airport in the world.” Yes? Heathrow have a few suggestions for other improvements, none making a big difference. Such as: measures to encourage staff to car share to work, or even cycle; phasing out noisier "Chapter 3" aircraft; by March its Air Quality Strategy for 2020 and its Action Plan will be published; and there will be a new App providing real-time public transport and traffic information for passengers. And updated "blueprints" on progress....
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Solar farm built by Stobart at Southend airport – another allowed close to Bournemouth airport
A new 2.5 megawatt ‘Solar Photovoltaic Array’ has been built by Stobart Developments on 3.2 hectares of unused grassland at the north of the Southend airport site. The airport hopes around 20% of its annual electricity requirement will now be generated by the panels. There will be over 9,500 panels, "mounted on 3 metre high steel frames supported on approximately 2600 piles across 37 rows. The layout of the panels has been specially designed to prevent reflective glare affecting approaching aircraft and the air traffic control tower." There had previously been concerns about glare from the panels affecting pilots. There is now also to be a solar farm under Bournemouth Airport's flight path, about 720 metres to the west of the airport. It has been approved by planners at East Dorset District Council. Questions were initially raised over air passengers' safety when the proposals were revealed, due to the glare and reflection on sunny days. The airport had objected to it, due to solar glare, saying "the effect on operations is pronounced and severe throughout the year, making aircraft operations unsafe if the development was to go ahead." However, their complaints were then conditionally withdrawn after a "glint and glare" study was done.
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Heathrow again promoting its “sticking plaster” solution of adobe huts for school noise problem
Last April, keen to persuade politicians that a 3rd Heathrow runway should be allowed, the airport said it was installing noise insulation at the 42 schools and other community buildings (31 in Hounslow) where it promised in 2005 to carry out the work. It has taken 10 years so far. Heathrow said in April 2015 that a total of 10 schools would have adobe structures in their playgrounds by the end of the year. They now say 7 are done with 7 more in the pipeline. The domes are meant to provide a quieter place in the playground, where the aircraft noise of about 87 decibels outside (Hounslow Heath infant school) is cut to 70 decibels. Bearing in mind that average speech is around 60 decibels, and a teacher needs to be able to project their voice at least 10 decibels over background noise, that is still not good. There are concerns that the adobe structures don't solve the noise problems for schools under Heathrow flight paths. The issue for young children is that they need to play together, and hear each other while playing. That is not easy with a plane nearly over head every minute. The educational disadvantages of schools affected by aircraft noise are now sufficiently well researched; considerable evidence exists to show that it can mean young children suffer impaired performance.
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Protests and mobilisations on Saturday 9th January against evictions for planned Nantes airport at NDDL
On Saturday 9th January, there will again be huge mobilisations of people against the planned new Nantes airport at Notre-Dame-des-Landes, in western France. Not only will there be gatherings at NDDL itself, and in Nantes but the many support committees in other places across France will plan mobilisations too. These included a bike convoy and a protest on foot in Paris, where people will be singing and dancing and giving out literature. The protest is because the authorities plan to carry out compulsory evictions on the 11 families and 4 farms in the ZAD (the zone à défendre), which are due to start in January. They are in the area where Vinci, the company planning to build the airport, want to start work. There is to be a court hearing on 13th January to request their removal, with a fine of € 200 to € 1,000 / day / person and the seizure and sequestration of property and farm animals. People who are passionate that the airport should not be built are not prepared to see these evictions. The government had agreed they would not happen until all legal remedies had been fully exhausted - and they have not. The airport opponents believe it would make better environmental and economic sense to improve the existing Nantes airport, rather than ruin valuable natural habitats and destroy productive farmland. They want a proper independent study done.
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Sadiq Khan’s environmental concerns mean rightly opposing Heathrow runway – but vanish in relation to Gatwick
Labour Mayoral candidate, Sadiq Khan, backed a runway at Heathrow until June 2015, when he came out against it, partly realising the air quality problems had an unacceptably bad impact on Londoners. Due to the extent of Heathrow opposition, he realised he would not be elected if he backed a Heathrow runway. Sadiq has made various statements about how he is concerned the environment and wants to be" the greenest mayor London’s ever had.” He also has plans to "put radical environment improvements ‘front and centre’" in his campaign, plant 2 million tree, and implement a major extension of the “ultra-low emissions zone” – which bans the most polluting vehicles. All that is great. But his care for the environment runs out when it comes to Gatwick. He backs a 2nd runway there, and is trying to persuade the Labour party to do so too. Appreciating just how unpopular airport expansion is at Heathrow, largely due to the extensive negative impacts over a wide area, Sadiq appears keen to dump that sort of misery on those who are not able to vote against him - living outside London. He appears to have been taken in by Gatwick's PR and charm offensive, believing there would be thousands of jobs for people in Croydon and his constituency, Tooting. A combination of nimbyism and self-interest. He also backs expansion of London City Airport.
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Heathrow 3rd runway to provide a good range of destinations purely for exotic leisure travel
Heathrow has been trying to persuade politicians, business leaders, and the world at large that it needs a new runway in order to boost the UK economy, because of all the business flights and vital business "connectivity" connections. Quietly, in the Airports Commission's Final Report, released on 1st July 2015, the importance of the business and economic benefits were down-played, and more emphasis was put on the desirability of more - and cheaper - leisure flights, how more holidays improved people's sense of well-being etc. Page 70 said: "Leisure flights have a high social value. Empirical analysis focused on passengers travelling on holiday or to visit friends and family has shown how the access to leisure travel affects mental health and well-being." And now it emerges that many of the alleged "new" destinations that Heathrow might be able to fly to, with a 3rd runway, are unashamedly purely for exotic holidays. Some of the airports mentioned are Kilimanjaro, making it easier for trekkers and people of safari; Quito, making it easier to get to this UNESCO World Heritage site city; Memphis, where tourists can easily visit Elvis' former home, Graceland; Salt Lake City, for easy access to the ski areas; and Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala), for the best beaches. So all the devastation and the immense environmental and social impact of a new runway is so rich tourists can have slightly easier trips on their holidays.
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“Gatwick Obviously NOT” given permission to take their JR of the CAA to the Appeal Court
The group, "Gatwick Obviously NOT" (GON) has received the welcome news that their appeal to be allowed to make a Judicial Review (JR) against the CAA has been successful. They have now won Permission to go to a Full Hearing in the Appeal Court. In March 2015, Martin Baraud, the Chair of GON, served a JR upon the CAA, with Gatwick Airport Ltd and the Secretary of State for Transport as an ‘Interested Party’. The “Ground of Claim” is that there has indeed been a change in the use of airspace and that the CAA should first have consulted on such change before it was put into effect by GAL and NATS. In August, they were refused permission to proceed with the JR. Taking advice from their QC, John Steel, they appealed. GON say the judge, Mr Justice Haddon-Cave, while refusing the Permission, added a postscript, seeming to suggest that there may be an issue about the need for consultation for ‘seismic’ events (such as the flight path changes introduced without notice) that is more a matter for the law-makers, not the lawyers. Now GON are pleased that the Judge The Rt. Hon. Lord Justice Burnett has stated that the case - very significantly - must be held in the Appeal Court rather than the High Court. This is in order to "'obtain an authoritative ruling on the meaning of relevant provisions, which govern similar arrangements at airports other than Gatwick".