Airport News
Below are news items relating to specific airports
Planned airport at Notre-Dame-des-Landes deemed one of Europe’s “Grands Projets Inutiles et Imposés”
While the authorities in Loire Atlantique are hoping to start work on the new Nantes airport, to be built over good farmland and wetland at Notre-Dame-des-Landes, (NDDL)opponents say this is premature. While the French Prime Minister, Manual Valls, is keen for work to get started, the main opposition group to the airport plan - ACIPA - say President François Hollande has recently confirmed that the legal challenges should be allowed to run their course. There are still some procedures to go through. Opponents produced a huge beach art protest - writing in the sand: " Pour le climat, pas d'aeroport a Notre-Dame-des-Landes." ACIPA points out that when the airport and its backers say they will be "resuming" work on the site, they never in fact started. ACIPA also points out that the tendering for work contract is also a PR thing, as various administrative permits must first be obtained. The new NDDL airport is being considered as one of a class of Grands Projets Inutiles et Imposés - big unnecessary imposed projects - along with HS2 in the UK, a new high-speed Lyon-Turin line, gold mining using cyanide in Romania, and a high speed rail line in the Basque Country. A people's tribunal in Turin will look at all these cases to reach a joint decision that will have ethical, moral, political value, in the broadest sense.
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New 5 minute film, by CAGNE, highlights concerns of residents about a 2nd Gatwick runway
Residents of areas around Gatwick launched a five-minute video, called ‘What does a new runway at Gatwick mean to you?" It was put together by Communities Against Gatwick Noise and Emissions (CAGNE), through Sally Pavey. The film shows reasons why some of the many people, including business owners as well as residents, affected by Gatwick are opposed to a 2nd runway. Some of the issues expressed in the film include the effect of a 2nd runway on traffic congestion near the airport (and further afield), the potential loss of business premises, the need for more social infrastructure to deal with extra employees at and around the airport, and the growth in the numbers of people affected by aircraft noise. CAGNE and groups largely experiencing noise from Gatwick departures to the west and working with groups troubled by Gatwick arrivals to the east of the airport. All are opposed to the recent increase in the concentration of flight paths, causing intense noise nuisance for thousands. There are also concerns about impaired sleep for some communities, due to noise continuing at night. Recent CAA data show an 15% increase in the number experiencing night noise in 2014, within the 48 dB contour.
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Willie Walsh keen to get 2nd Dublin runway, which has planning consent
Planning permission for a new east-west runway, 1.6 kilometres to the north and parallel to the existing main runway at Dublin airport was granted in 2007 and remains valid till 2017. However a new planning application may have to be lodged because the original permission contained 31 restrictive conditions including a requirement that no flights operate from the 2nd runway between 11pm and 7am. The airport's busiest time is the hour between 6am and 7am so airlines say a ban before flights taking off then is "impractical." The runway cost has been estimated at €300m. The likelihood of it being built is considered higher now after the IAG takeover of Aer Lingus which includes plans to use Dublin airport to feed traffic from Europe to North America. IAG's CEO Willie Walsh wants the runway, saying (predictably) Dublin airport is currently at full capacity during peak hours, leading to "congestion and delays". Mr Walsh says he was open to an agreement with Ryanair that would see it feed passengers to the Aer Lingus long-haul network, and an agreement could be reached by summer 2016. The Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) is re-examining its proposals for a second runway as passenger numbers have risen to more than 21 million in 2014 and it expects a rise of 15% this year.
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Work on the new Nantes airport at Notre-Dame-des-Landes might start by early next year
In 2008 plans to build a new airport for Nantes, 20 miles north of the city at Notre-Dame-des-Landes, were approved. The plan is to move the airport from its current site to the south of the city, Nantes Atlantique Airport, and build over farmland and wetlands, that are rich in wildlife and have good agriculture. The new "Aéroport du Grand Ouest" is intended to be a "gateway to western France" with up to 9 million passengers per year by 2050. For that tiny number, it wants two runways. It has been bitterly opposed for years, and while it was originally to open in 2014, work may now eventually start soon. Opponents have done everything they could to stop it, including huge occupations of parts of the site, scuffles with the authorities that sometimes turned unpleasant, a hunger strike, and recourse to legal challenges on European law. Finally it seems all legal avenues have been exhausted. The Prefecture of the Loire-Atlantic announced in effect that work on the airport will start, and a call for tenders has been launched. Compensation will have to be paid to those having their land expropriated, and environmental mitigation will have to be done - including protection of water voles. There are still people (zadistes) occupying shacks on part of the site, and they would have to be removed. Opponents do not believe any work can start yet. They say the airport is not needed, it is not consistent with climate targets, and the damage to farmland and habitats cannot be justified. .
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Patrick McLoughlin insists government has not yet decided on runway options, despite Osborne rumours
It is still thought likely that the government will make some sort of announcement on whether it backs a runway at Heathrow or Gatwick, by the end of the year. Whether that will come before Christmas Eve is anyone's guess. The Times reported that George Osborne may be convinced by the Airports Commission report and is therefore ready to rule out Gatwick, considering it is "Heathrow or nothing." But Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin has said that the Government may reject the recommendation of the Commission's report, that Heathrow should be expanded. He said the report had just given 3 “options” with a “preferred option”, rather than a ruling with much weight. "...we are looking at the options that it gave us. We are doing the work that is required to see how those three options stack up." He argued the Government would have to see if some of the report's recommendations were "actually doable", and that though the work of the Commission would make a decision on expansion easier, questions still remained. An ally of the Chancellor told the Times: “George doesn’t have a settled view on this. He just wants to see a runway built somewhere as soon as possible once all the proper processes are concluded.”
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Molesey hope to form an alliance with the Teddington Action Group, opposing a 3rd Heathrow runway due to unbearable noise impacts
Molesey, south west of Teddington, has been badly affected by aircraft taking off from Heathrow, when there are easterly winds (around 30% of the time). Now a Molesey woman, Fiona Fraser, who is tired of the aircraft noise, which even makes her windows and doors “shake and rattle” has stepped up her campaign against plans for a Heathrow 3rd runway - which could only make the situation worse. She is now linking the Molesey group up with the Teddington Action Group (TAG), which has been working effectively to get improvements to the noise problems they are caused by Heathrow. Fiona said that the aircraft noise - part of which comes from A380s flying lower than planes used to - is making life unbearable, especially early in the morning and last thing at night, up to 11.30pm. She commented: "... if it carries on I’ll have to move. I just feel very helpless.” Paul McGuinness, from TAG, has welcomed Elmbridge residents wanting to join the campaign against Heathrow's expansion. Community groups have been forming over a wide area affected by Heathrow [likewise at Gatwick]. Anyone opposed to the third runway proposals at Heathrow can help create a new Elmbridge action group by emailing fionafraser2013@gmail.com.
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Massive 170 acre business park planned outside Horley to produce a Gatwick airport city
Residents and businesses are shocked and appalled at news that Reigate and Banstead Borough Council has agreed in principle to use compulsory purchase orders (CPOs) for a business park on 172 acres of land off Balcombe Road, in Horley. That's equivalent to 85 football pitches. The council says major international businesses want to move to the area. Residents who would be affected say they knew nothing about the plan in advance. Green Party Surrey County Councillor Jonathan Essex said the development would use up green space, which separated homes in Horley, from nearby Gatwick airporta and "Horley should be a separate town, not just part of the urban sprawl of Gatwick." A local Conservative councillor said information about the plans could not be made public previously because it was "commercially confidential" andt that "Now we have made the decision we will be talking to and consulting with residents, employers and landowners who could potentially be affected." There is now a campaign called Keep Horley Green, to oppose the plans. They have a Facebook page and a petition to local MP Sam Giymah. People want green countryside preserved, rather then being covered in concrete. One of the properties under threat of compulsory purchase is Bayhorne Farm, 72 acres. 172 acres is a vast area for a business park - far larger than average. It would become an "aerotropolis" project.
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New group formed in Tunbridge Wells, TWAANG, against increased aircraft noise from Gatwick
The area to the west of Tunbridge Wells, and the town itself, have found themselves increasingly affected by aircraft noise from Gatwick over the past year or more. Now the local councillor for The Pantiles and St Mark’s ward has backed the formation of a new local group to oppose the noise nuisance, which many are finding intolerable. The new group is TWAANG - Tunbridge Wells Anti Aircraft Noise Group, set up due to an upsurge in complaints about plane noise and to get the voice of Tunbridge Wells heard. This group joins the many others that have sprung up recently, including Gatwick Obviously NOT - which originated around Penshurst, the Langton Green Village Society, the Speldhurst Action Group and the High Weald Councils Aviation Action Group. The new group is keen to work in conjunction with the other groups, avoiding any nimby tendency for each area to ask for the flight misery to be put over someone else. The increased number of flights has been especially noticed this summer, due to altered flight paths and also Gatwick having a busier summer than usual. The group's email is TWnotogatwick@gmail.com and local people are urged to get in touch and sign up, if they are concerned about plane noise.
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Heathrow staff face reduced pension rights and one third will get 30% reduction in salaries by 2018
Heathrow airport is preparing designers, architects and suppliers to build its third runway, though it has not has its runway plans approved - let alone all the stages of consultations, legal challenges, parliamentary stages and planning procedures. But Heathrow says it will be looking at contracts in January for the workers it will need in the first couple of years to get planning consent. John Holland-Kaye keeps up the PR and the spin, capitalising on every opportunity to do so, though refusing to agree to Heathrow paying for associated transport costs, or to no night flight, or even to rule out a 4th runway. But the Financial Times said that Heathrow is "also looking to make more savings on employee costs. By the end of 2018, Heathrow aims to have about a third of its employees on salary packages that are about 30% lower than existing terms and conditions." Heathrow has to cut its overheads, and agreed with the CAA to remove £600m of costs during the 5 years 2014 to 2018. The FT says it has already secured £400m of cost efficiencies. Heathrow is renegotiating its defined benefit pension plan, to cut costs. The changes include the introduction of an annual cap of 2% on future increases to pensionable pay for active members, resulting in a one-off reduction of £236m in the scheme’s liabilities.
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Birmingham airport to get 8 flights per week to Doha by Qatar Airways
After the runway extension at Birmingham was finally opened in May 2014, the airport has been keen to get some long haul flights to justify it. Now from March 2016 there are to be 8 flights per week by Qatar Airways Boeing 787s between Birmingham and Qatar. There will be one flight per day, but two on Saturdays. This means there is capacity for 100,000 people per year to fly between Birmingham and Qatar. The 787s have 22 business class seats,and 232 economy seats (= 254 seats. Variants of 787 seating plans can be from 242 to 335 passengers, so this few passengers is not particularly fuel efficient). Birmingham says they are the 4th airport (with Heathrow, Manchester and Edinburgh) in the UK to have flights to Qatar. This is being sold as being a useful link for people from the Midlands wanting to watch the World Cup final in 2022. Birmingham airport's CEO, Paul Kehoe is enthusiastic about "a choice of 152 destinations served by the airline, including South East Asia, China and Australasia” from Qatar, for "commercial and leisure links." With more Qatar flights from Edinburgh and Manchester, it will operate 71 flights per week between the UK and Qatar from March 2016. Again, reducing the alleged need for a new south east runway, for this sort of flight.