Airport News
Below are news items relating to specific airports
Airports Commission figures show Heathrow runway to provide, at the most, just 12 more long haul destinations
The Airports Commission said that a very important reason for building a new runway, and Heathrow in particular, was to increase the connectivity with "long-haul destinations in new markets." And so it would be logical to believe their analysis would show that a new runway at Heathrow, (or Gatwick) would show a large increase in these routes. The Commission's own work [using their Assessment of Need scenario, carbon capped] forecasts that while Heathrow (2011) had 57 destinations with at least a daily flight, this would only rise to 63 without a new runway. It would only rise to 73 with a 3rd runway. That is just 10 more. For the UK as a whole, including all airports, the Commission forecasts that the number of long haul destinations in 2011 was 61, and this would rise to 82 even without a new runway. The total number would only rise to 87 with a new Heathrow runway. That is just 5 more. And their figures indicate that the number of long haul destinations from regional airports would fall from 23 to 21 by 2050 and be slightly lower than they would have been without a new runway. So much for boosting the "Northern Powerhouse." The Commission said a Heathrow runway could provide "up to 12 additional long-haul destinations."
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Commons Transport Committee start short inquiry into surface access for larger UK airports
The House of Commons Transport Committee has invited submissions for a short inquiry (ends 12th October) on surface transport at airports. "The inquiry will examine whether strategic connections to airports fulfil current and future requirements in terms of range and capacity. The Committee is interested to assess the effectiveness of the Government's approach to planning surface access to airports, as well as understanding whether the Government is making full use of its powers to influence the selection of infrastructure and accompanying modes of transport to and from airports." The inquiry is only for airports with over 1 million passengers per year, and it is not looking at air quality issues of surface transport (which is regrettable, for Heathrow and Gatwick). The Committee want submissions on how increased numbers of passengers and air freight in future are being planned for; whether better surface access could free up existing spare capacity in airports (Luton and Stansted perhaps); the Government's role in planning surface access to airports in conjunction with airport owners, local authorities and Local Enterprise Partnerships. They also want submissions on the funding and the DfT's role in ensuring planning is joined-up.
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Clean Air in London says Defra NO2 consultation is a ‘Plan for plans by others’ and inadequate
The Supreme Court ruling in April said DEFRA must consult on strict new air pollution plans that must be submitted to the European Commission (EC) by 31 December 2015, in accordance with a mandatory order in ClientEarth vs Defra. Shortly before the result of the Labour leadership election on 12th September, DEFRA announced a consultation, to end of 6th November. This consultation is a necessary step before the UK lodges formal plans with the EC. It proposes to restrict diesel vehicles from a number of city centres by 2020, and impose charges on them. However, "Clean Air in London" (CAL) says this passes all responsibility, without money or new powers, to local authorities - and is a "plan for plans by others." They say DEFRA is flouting the Supreme Court ruling and provoking the EC. They want the EC to send the UK a Reasoned Opinion (a.k.a. final written warning) on NO2 by February 2016. CAL says the consultation shows DEFRA does not understand that limit values must be achieved everywhere. This has major consequences for runway schemes at Heathrow or Gatwick, and also HS2, because consent for a scheme should not allow an area that is compliant to become non-complaint on air quality, or delay the ability of a non-complaint area to become compliant.
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Heathrow trial of some planes using 3.2 degree approach (not 3 degrees) starts 14th September
Heathrow airport knows it has a massive problem in trying to persuade people that adding a new runway would not greatly increase the amount of noise that residents around the London area are exposed to. So it has various ideas about how it might manage this. It is starting a trial 14th September (ending on 16th March 2016) for planes to approach the airport at an angle of 3.2 degrees, rather than the normal 3 degrees. Heathrow says this is optional and airlines can take part if they like. They say this will only affect planes on the final approach into Heathrow (approx. 10 nautical miles from touchdown), and will be trialled on westerly and easterly arrivals. The claim is that a plane 10 miles away from touchdown would be 215 feet higher. So around Clapham a plane might be at 3,400 feet rather than at 3,185 feet. WIth less height difference near the runway. That really does not make a huge amount of difference to the noise perceived. Heathrow says planes will continue at 3.2 degrees right up to landing, though not in bad weather. However another possibility is a "2 segment" approach, where the plane levels off to 3 degrees for landing. "Even 3.2 degrees could interfere with the ability to use low power/low drag and reduced landing flap techniques." The 3.2 degree approaches have been used at Frankfurt and residents do not report any significant benefits.
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Scottish MSPs call for the Edinburgh flight path trial, that is reducing people to tears, to be ended early
Edinburgh Airport started a trial of a new flight path in June, due to continue till 24th December. The purpose of the route is to enable the airport to have take-offs every minute, rather than every two minutes. It has resulted in a narrow, concentrated flight path over areas that did not have much plane noise before, and this has caused real distress. People are especially infuriated because the CAA allows NATS to run trials with no consultation of the public. This consultation is currently only needed once the trial has been done (and it pretty much a fait accompli). Campaigners of SEAT (Stop Edinburgh Airspace Trial) launched a petition against the trial and have won the support of cross-party Lothian MSPs, including Labour’s Neil Findlay who yesterday led the debate. Four MSPs spoke up in a debate at Hollyrood, saying it is not acceptable that people now badly affected by noise were not consulted, and they want the trial ended early. Alison Johnstone (Green Party Scotland) said the relentless noise, often from 5am all day through till midnight, had reduced people to tears due to stress and sleep deprivation. She added, re. the CAA: "Just because you don't have to consult, doesn't mean you shouldn't."
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Leeds Bradford airport back Heathrow runway, hoping to get contracts for Yorkshire
The Airports Commission found, in its analysis, that with a Heathrow 3rd runway there would ultimately be fewer - not more - links to the UK's regional airports. It found that Heathrow would only serve 4 domestic destinations by 2030, compared to the 7 is now serves. Which those would be is not clear, but many regional airports have little to gain from Heathrow expansion, as their potential long haul routes would not be profitable. However, some regional airports have been persuaded to back Heathrow. Leeds Bradford airport says they hope it "would bring wealth and jobs to Yorkshire." At a dinner at the House of Commons for 8 local MPs, Heathrow laid out its plans to get Yorkshire firms involved in the development of the third runway, with Yorkshire firms in the supply chain. They say some Yorkshire firms were involved in the building of Terminal 5 and the redevelopment of Terminal 2. There will be a supply chain conference in Leeds on 15th October. Heathrow has handed out £200m in contracts to Yorkshire businesses over the past 3 years. There were meant to be 4 daily flights between Heathrow and Leeds Bradford from December 2012, but there are still only 3 - the 4th still planned.
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Heathrow offers “personal shopper” service, to ensure rich passengers are helped to spend
For Heathrow, getting passengers to shop at the airport is vital. The airport is said to have made something like £480 million from retail in 2013, with passengers spending around £1.8 billion in total. Passengers spend on average about £38 each in the airport. And some passengers spend a very great deal. Heathrow has a Personal Shopper service "which offers travellers an accredited stylist with free of charge service and provide them an individually tailored retail style." For those too dim, impressionable or incapable of locating what to splash their cash on, and how to find the most pretentious and expensive designer brands, they can book their own shopper who will tell them what to buy. This truly is hyper-consumerism gone mad. Some quotes: "Everyday, there will be personal shoppers who are fluent in Arabic, French, Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish that will provide free of charge services to all passengers"....Supermodel Erin O’Connor said: “Travel has been and still is a huge part of my life. The Personal Shoppers at Heathrow have incredible fashion and beauty insight which means they can pull a selection for me before I even arrive at the airport. I can make the most of my time before I board my flight and know that I will have everything I want for my trip.” And it offers free beauty treatments.
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London Assembly votes decisively that “there is no circumstance under which Heathrow expansion would be acceptable”
Sir Howard Davies and Phil Graham, from the (now closed) Airports Commission, attended a Question and Answer session at the London Assembly. It is fully recorded and can be seen here. Over the two hour session, they answered questions on a range of issues including economics, reasons for rejecting Gatwick, noise, night flights, conditions imposed on Heathrow, air pollution, adequacy of surface access, amount of money needed to be paid by the taxpayer for surface access improvements, carbon emissions, impact on regional airports etc. Assembly members did not appear particularly persuaded by the replies they received. After the Q&A session, a motion was voted on. It was passed unanimously (13:0). The full text of the amended Motion is: “That the Assembly notes the answers to the questions asked and reiterates its belief that there is no circumstance under which Heathrow expansion would be acceptable.” The motion was proposed by Richard Tracey, and seconded by Darren Johnson. The Assembly say this is an absolute NO to Heathrow.
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Boris writes to all MPs and Peers to say 3rd runway at Heathrow ‘will fail on every level’
London's mayor, Boris Johnson, a potential successor to PM David Cameron, said a 3rd Heathrow runway was doomed to fail, complicating an already fraught issue for the government. The Airports Commission said the runway would offer Britain the best way of adding long-haul routes to new markets that it said were "urgently required". But Boris said the report itself showed a Heathrow runway would not solve capacity issues, and its own figures indicate it would lead to fewer domestic routes and very little increase in new long haul routes. "Their report very clearly shows that a third runway will fail both London and the UK on every level." Boris and Justine Greening have sent a dossier to about 1,500 MPs and peers setting out the flaws in the Commission's report. They say the runway would harm attempts by George Osborne, Johnson’s leadership rival, to build a “northern powerhouse”. Boris still wants a new airport in the Thames estuary, that was rejected by the Commission. He said: “The Airports Commission has spent several years in the production of a gigantic ball of wool that they are now attempting to pull over the eyes of the nation.”
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Number of noise complaints around Chicago O’Hare airport rise to over 2.1 million up to end of July 2015
The number of complaints about aircraft noise from O'Hare Airport topped 2 million during the first 7 months of this year — 8 times the number filed in all of 2014. The total number of complaints so far this year hit a record 2,150,258, according to a report the city provided to the O'Hare Noise Compatibility Commission. Though 35% of the complaints in July came from 10 addresses, the total number of addresses from which complaints came was 44,502, compared with 2,705 in July 2014. Noise complaints have soared since October 2013 when a 4th east-west parallel runway [O'Hare has 8 runways] opened and the FAA changed O'Hare flight patterns. The majority of flights take off and land westbound and eastbound. A 5th east-west runway is due to open this October. Then a 6th east-west runway in planned. Air traffic activity has been temporarily altered this summer due to the runway construction. Some of the runways are in the "fly-quiet" noise abatement program, on which pilots are asked to follow recommended procedures to reduce noise between 10 pm and 7 am, but it is up to the pilot to decide whether to follow the guidelines. Though it is in a "fly quiet" area, Schiller Park is among the communities where the noise has been worse. Its mayor said: "It's just distressing. ...Our people cannot take it any more. It's just insane."