Airport News
Below are news items relating to specific airports
Heathrow may oppose ban on night flights, and ban on 4th runway, as price for 3rd runway
Heathrow is to press the government to loosen the conditions attached to a 3rd runway going ahead, unwilling to agree either to a ban on night flights or on a 4th runway. These were two important conditions suggested by the Airports Commission, to make a 3rd runway acceptable to its neighbours. However, Heathrow sees the conditions as negotiable, and John Holland-Kaye brazenly said he was confident Heathrow would be given the green light to expand and that “it wouldn’t make sense” for the prime minister to oppose a new runway now. Even if Heathrow does not agree to important conditions. Holland-Kaye wants to have a "conversation" about conditions with government. It is used to trying to have "conversations" with local residents, in which the airport generally manages to get its way, with only minimal concessions. Heathrow does not want lose lucrative night flights: “We have a significant number of routes to Hong Kong and Singapore. That’s getting key trading partners into the UK to start their business. It’s very popular because it’s an important route." Holland-Kaye said the airport would “comment later on the package of conditions as a whole”, but he noted that “we do have the ability, physically” to build a 4th runway.
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Heathrow boss rules out footing the £5 billion bill for road and rail works – wants taxpayer to pay
The Airports Commission left the matter of who would pay for the approximately £5 billion needed to tunnel a section of the M25, and other surface access improvements, vague. The assumption has been made that the taxpayer would have to fund this, though the Airports Commission suggested that Heathrow would be able to find the funding from its investors for this. Now the CEO of Heathrow has dismissed the suggestion that the airport foots the £5 billion bill for road and rail work if a 3rd runway is built. Huge motorway engineering would be needed, to have the runway going over the motorway. John Holland-Kaye has ruled out paying for the surface access work. Though the government funds road and rail improvements under normal circumstances, tunnelling the M25 and dealing with hugely increased road traffic using an airport 50% larger than at present are not normal circumstances. Especially in times of huge economic savings being necessary in public finances. The Commission's final report said it considered the runway was commercially viable "without a requirement for direct government support. This remains the case even in a situation where the airport is required to fund 100% of the surface access costs." This would be by Heathrow "raising both debt and equity finance. This finance is then serviced through subsequent revenues and refinancing by the airport operator."
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Heathrow give every MP a tin containing Scottish shortbread (and chocolate) as PR stunt on air freight
On about 21st July, Heathrow airport had a tin containing chocolate and Scottish shortbread delivered to every MP. Its aim was to try to persuade them that it is vital to ship UK exports from around the country via Heathrow, rather than them being exported from other airports. While it could be questioned whether there is a need to ship langoustines and salmon all the way across the world, it could also be questioned whether Scottish companies would prefer to use a Scottish airport. With an increasing desire by many in Scotland to be more independent from England, Edinburgh and Glasgow airports would be happy to build up their own long haul routes and take care of their own exports. All the time that Heathrow dominates UK aviation, new routes to long haul destinations (such as those for exports) will not be profitable from regional airports. Is Scotland really happy to continue to ship its produce via Heathrow? Do those affected by the environmental impacts, especially noise, from Heathrow really want Scottish products being freighted and then re-freighted over their heads? And as shortbread has a shelf life of at least 6 - 12 months, why is it being air freighted at all? Surely transfer by ship would be cheaper and more fuel efficient?
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LAANC (Local Authorities Aircraft Noise Council) to consider legal action against “biased and flawed” Airports Commission report
LAANC, the Local Authorities Aircraft Noise Council, has said it is considering a legal challenge over the huge gaps and deep bias of the Airports Commission (AC) report. It will wait for a full report from its legal team before deciding its next steps. Founded in the 1960s to enable local authorities to collaborate on tackling noise pollution from Heathrow, it now addresses any form of disturbance. Its director Colin Stanbury, said his initial view was that the AC report contained serious gaps, including the flawed benefits methodology used, which dramatically overestimated the economic benefits. There are serious concens about the number of houses that would need to be built. "There was incredulity that Sir Howard had allowed Heathrow’s claim to stand that the massive cost of surface access changes would be picked up by the taxpayer ..." Air quality claims in the report were considered beyond common sense. And so on, for many issues including noise and air freight. But the AC's report was independent, and the AC has been wound up. Legal challenge may not be possible until there is a government report. The LAANC will produce its own non technical summary before end of summer to help people digest the AC report and analysis. The 2M group of councils is also taking advice on a possible legal challenge.
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MP’s Environmental Audit Committee launch inquiry into Heathrow 3rd runway impacts
Parliament's Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) has launched an inquiry into the implications for government commitments on air quality, noise and CO2 of a Heathrow 3rd runway. The Airports Commission, in recommending a Heathrow runway, said this should be subject to environmental and quality mitigation measures. This includes binding air quality commitments so that compliance with EU limits will not be delayed any further. They are at risk from increased road traffic for a larger Heathrow. EU limits for NO2 around Heathrow are already being exceeded. On increased aircraft noise, which would be unavoidable from a 3rd runway, the Commission proposed an aviation noise levy to fund mitigation measures, an independent aviation noise authority and a legally binding “noise envelope.” None of which really address the problem of up to 50% more flights, with the inevitable noise. The EAC inquiry is requesting submissions (deadline 3rd September) on whether proposed mitigations set out by the Airports Commission are realistic and achievable, and what the implications of adopting or not adopting those policies and mitigations are for wider government policy. The new Chairman of the EAC is Huw Irranca-Davies, since Joan Walley stepped down. Other EAC members are Rory Stewart and Caroline Lucas.
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Stansted and Manchester airports growing rapidly, with huge spare capacity
Manchester Airports Group (MAG), owners of Stansted and Manchester airports, have announced "unrivalled growth" last year in its annual results. Stansted is hopeful that it can grow significantly in coming years, from the strength of its region and catchment area. The number of passengers at Manchester airport rose last year (to 31st March) by 7.2% to 22.3 million in the year to March 31, the number at Stansted rose by 16.1%. MAG revenue increased by 10% to £738.4m and operating profits by more than 30% to £153.6m. The proportion of business passengers at Stansted was reported to have risen by 20%. (It was 14.2% of passengers in 2013). MAG says when it bought Stansted from BAA at the start of 2013, the estimated gross value added to the local economy was £750m - it is now estimated to be more than £1 billion. Stansted wants better train services with both a faster railway and one that has more resilience. Stansted has runway capacity to double its current number of passengers, to 35 million per year, and its CEO has been working to try to get more long haul flights. Previous flights to the USA have not been profitable. MAG will continue its investment in Stansted facilities beyond the current £265 million programme which is 50% complete.
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Slough Council secret deal with Heathrow includes gagging order, making it impotent in fighting for a better deal from Heathrow for 3 – 4 years
Residents of Colnbrook, close to Heathrow and due to be badly affected by a 3rd runway, submitted a FoI request to get the details for the secret, but legally binding, deal done between Slough Borough Council and Heathrow airport. The details of the deal are worrying. As well as finding out that Colnbrook, and help for the residents, do not feature in the deal, it has emerged that Slough Council has accepted what amounts to a self-imposed gagging order, unable to criticise Heathrow for the next 3 to 4 years,until Heathrow is granted a Development Consent Order (DCO). As well as a boost for investment in the town and improved access from central Slough to the airport, the secret agreement sees Heathrow commit to supporting the Council’s representations to Government to seek compensation for lost business rates, put by the council itself at up to £10 million earlier this year. In return, however, Cabinet is legally bound to giving public support for the airport until final permission, is granted. A Development Consent Order is at least three years away, possibly four. Residents expected that their council would have argued for "world class" compensation and mitigation.
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Colnbrook was “sold down the river for a pittance”; details of Slough Council’s secret Heathrow agreement now revealed
The people of Colnbrook, about a mile west of Heathrow's northern runway, have been trying to find out about the deal done by their council, Slough, with the airport - if there is a 3rd runway. Slough Borough Council has been reluctant to publish details, but has now been forced to do so. As Colnbrook residents feared, though they had been given assurances by the Deputy Leader, there is no provision to look after them. People are angry at what they see as deception of Colnbrook residents by Slough Council. A ward councillor, staunchly opposed to a new runway, has now provided the full legally binding agreement signed between the council and the airport. It shows that far from providing a package of mitigation for communities closest to the airport as repeatedly claimed by the council, Colnbrook is not mentioned once. There are no benefits for them. The deal sees a boost for investment in the town from Heathrow, including secret plans to “unlock” new commercial land in the borough regardless of whether a third runway is approved or not. It commits over half of the first year’s mitigation fund to paying for a study into relocation of the Grundon incinerator. It also only contains a period of 5 hours at night with no flights. There is also a gagging clause on the Council for years.
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Cabinet ‘stitch-up’ on Heathrow: Cameron chairing runway sub-Committee, locking out ministers who oppose 3rd runway
On the day MPs left for their summer break on 21st July, the Cabinet Office slipped out the names of 10 senior Tories on the Economic Affairs (Airports) sub-Committee. This committee will consider what to do about a new runway. Chaired by David Cameron it includes vocal supporters of a 3rd Heathrow runway including Chancellor George Osborne and Business Secretary Sajid Javid. There are concerns that the committee's membership deliberately excludes the Cabinet members (Justine Greening, Philip Hammond, Theresa May, Theresa Villiers - and even Boris). Also on the Committee are: Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin, Environment Secretary Liz Truss, Scotland Secretary David Mundell, Communities Secretary Greg Clark, Energy Secretary Amber Rudd, Cabinet Office minister Oliver Letwin and Chief Whip Mark Harper. The make up of the Committee is seen as indicating that David Cameron is ready to over-rule concerns from ministers who oppose the runway, and suggests the final decision will not be made by the Cabinet as a whole. John Stewart, Chair of HACAN, said: 'It certainly looks like a stitch-up. It could be Cameron is going for a solution he believes will work in the short-term but could backfire in the medium term because some of the Cabinet ministers who are against a third runway feel so strongly that it could be a resigning issue.'
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Stansted to have summer only flights to Orlando, Cancun and Las Vegas (competing with Gatwick)
At present, Stansted doesn't have flights to the profitable destinations of Orlando, Cancun and Las Vegas. Most people going to Orlando in Florida go from Gatwick, with Manchester as the 2nd largest route. Almost everyone going to Cancun from the UK goes from Gatwick. Most people going to Las Vegas go from Gatwick, with Heathrow in second place, and Manchester third. But now Stansted is planning flights by Thomas Cook to those three cities, just over a month this summer and next summer. Passengers to those three destinations make up about 3.6% of all Gatwick passengers. Passengers to Las Vegas from Heathrow only make up about 0.3% of total passengers. Manchester (same owners as Stansted) already has flights to Orlando and Las Vegas.