Airport News
Below are news items relating to specific airports
Crispin Blunt MP: Too many unanswered questions make Gatwick obviously NOT the right choice
Crispin Blunt is the MP for Reigate and Chair of the group of MPs against a new Gatwick runway, the Gatwick Coordination Group. In an article, he sets out why there must not be a 2nd Gatwick runway. He writes that Gatwick wrongly puts about the view that one runway will solve our (alleged) "aviation crisis" and that it doesn’t matter where it’s put. He says the local impacts of a Gatwick runway cannot be justified and would not provide the sort of airport capacity needed. "Gatwick talk about the importance of trust. Yet, they have eroded trust by refusing countless times to speak to the local public about the impact of expansion on surrounding communities, while this week senior representatives found time to attend political events organised by local politicians around Heathrow." Some of the many reasons not to allow Gatwick a runway are insufficient workforce, severe housing and infrastructure pressures, lack of transport resilience, and doubts about Gatwick's business calculations - which are kept secret. Unfortunately, Crisipin Blunt is now advocating a runway at Heathrow - apparently oblivious of the equally horrendous consequences for the areas to be badly affected there.
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Gatwick area MPs hope to have CAA assurance that aircraft noise misery from PR-NAV will soon be addressed
MPs Paul Beresford, Crispin Blunt and Sam Gyimah, representing the people being overflown by the new departure routes from Gatwick have had a meeting with Mark Swan, the Director for Safety and Airspace regulation for the CAA. They needed to discuss the CAA's implementation of PR-NAV use of flight paths and its impact on local residents. The CAA asked for the public to comment on the implementation (named PIR) and that ended on 5th January. People in south Reigate, Redhill and Holmwood have been badly affected by aircraft noise pollution, for the first time, as they are outside the NPR (Noise Preferential Route) which were adhered to in the past. The CAA has the authority to require Gatwick to alter these flight paths following their PIR review. Mark Swan told the MPs that "We will not allow the status quo to be sustained". The MPs want the routes to be returned as soon as possible to the pre-PRNAV pattern. Mr Swan also stated that the CAA had sufficient authority to approve appropriate technical solutions that return paths towards the previous pattern. Gatwick Airport management have avoided attending meetings with angry and upset local residents, and have been slow to acknowledge there was a serious problems caused by flight paths. The MPs said: "We will sustain the pressure to try and deliver a summer less blighted than last year."
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Manchester Airport says it is the main airport for the north – Heathrow expansion is not needed for the regions
Charlie Cornish, the CEO of Manchester airport and MAG, says "it is just plain wrong to say that only Heathrow can connect the UK to global growth." His comments were in response to a report by a body called the National Connectivity Task Force NCTF), that is pushing for a 3rd Heathrow runway, in the belief it would be the best option for regional airports like Newcastle and Durham Tees Valley, if they get more Heathrow slots for their flights. The NCTF are submitting their report to the Airports Commission, hoping to influence them. Mr Cornish said Manchester Airport, the only UK airport other than Heathrow to have 2 runways, was thriving as an international hub in its own right. He said: “It is just plain wrong to say that only Heathrow can connect the UK to global growth, or that businesses in the UK’s regions need to fly through Heathrow to reach these markets....“Manchester Airport is truly the international gateway for the North, demonstrated by the fact that it serves over 4 million long haul passengers a year, up by 20% over the last 5 years....The north does not need another runway at Heathrow to connect to global markets....The biggest economic benefit will come from new services direct from the regions, with passengers not having to fly through a London airport to reach their final destination.”
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Heathrow says it did not know flight path changes were continuing – blames NATS for not telling them
Heathrow and NATS had flight path trials during summer 2014, which ended on 12th November, due to intense opposition. See details. But complaints have continued and people have been adamant that the trials have not ended. Heathrow has given assurance after assurance that the trials have ceased, implying people are imagining the noise - or have become over-sensitive to it. Now Heathrow and NATS have had to apologise. Heathrow says it did not know the trial affecting the "Compton" route to the south west and west of Heathrow had not ended, as NATS had not informed them. As NATS and Heathrow work closely together, that is very hard to believe. Even if it could be credible, it reveals a markedly dismissive attitude to the thousands of upset residents, who have complained week after week. The airport had made no apparent effort to establish the facts, for many months. The areas particularly affected by this change are Virginia Water, Ascot, Binfield and some parts of Bracknell, which are experiencing a concentrated flight path. John Holland-Kaye said: "Because of the assurances we received [from NATS], we in turn told residents in good faith that no changes had occurred. That is unacceptable and I unequivocally apologise to local residents." However, NATS say they changed the route to improve the safe and efficient management of traffic departing from Heathrow and they are not planning to revert to previous procedures.
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GACC says Gatwick’s rash promise to cap landing charge at £15 puts its runway plan in doubt
Gatwick airport have made a very rash promise not to raise their landing charges above £15 (plus inflation) for 30 years, if they get a 30 contract from the government (details not specified). Brendon Sewill, of GACC said: “The whole runway project is in doubt.... Gatwick’s rash promise not to raise airport charges above £15 per head .... seriously puts in question whether building a new runway at Gatwick is a viable business proposal – either for the present owners or for the new owners if Gatwick is sold.” The Airports Commission calculate that Gatwick charges would need to rise to ‘between £15 and £18, with peak charges of up to £23. GACC points out that Gatwick’s promises are meaningless unless they are put into a legal agreement binding on the present airport owners - and future owners. If so, the £15 would become a legal maximum - rather than the current £9. Even at £15, some airlines, and passengers might well decide instead to use much cheaper airports such as Stansted or Luton. GACC has pointed out to the Airports Commission the risk that Gatwick may have fewer passengers than forecast, in which case the cap of £15 may not be sufficient to cover the costs of a new runway and new terminal. Brendon Sewill asks: “What would happen if the money runs out when the new runway is only half built?”
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Gatwick “promises” to cap landing charges to £15 + inflation for 30 years (if it gets an unspecified 30 year “contract” from Government)
Gatwick airport, in frenetic publicity in the months before the Airports Commission runway recommendation (expected late June) has made various pledges - in the hope of currying favour. It says it will "bear all the main risks" of a new runway. Sir Roy McNulty, chairman of Gatwick, has written to Sir Howard Davies saying - among other things - that the landing charge will be kept at £15 (plus inflation) for 30 years. As long as there is no new Heathrow runway. (It is currently £9). Sir Roy said it is "in return for Government agreeing a 30 year contract" though exactly what that means is not explained. Presumably a contract that there will be no other runway? Gatwick also says it will "bear all the main risks of the expansion programme . . . including long-term risks related to traffic levels, market pricing, construction and operating costs”. How exactly? Gatwick's main airline, EasyJet, is not happy with charges rising to £15. The Airports Commission consultation documents considered Gatwick's estimate of £15 to be too low, and instead considered "average charges rising to between £15 and £18, with peak charges of up to £23." These higher levels were due to lower estimated levels of air passenger demand than Gatwick's optimistic figures, and higher infrastructure costs. [ Airports Commission’s consultation document Page 47].
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Open email to the aviation industry & Government – from people suffering from aircraft noise
Someone living near Heathrow, now experiencing significantly worse noise from more concentrated flight paths, has written an open email to complain about the noise, and the repeated assurances that "nothing has changed." Thousands living under Heathrow take off routes believe things have indeed changed. The writer says: "I am gravely concerned at the level of anger which is rising in the blogs, tweets, Facebook and other social media as I am seeing increasing desperation within these groups. People are genuinely suffering noise disturbance, sleep disruption, disruption to concentration, interference with normal activities - and a high degree of stress and depression..... If this matter doesn't get resolved soon ... I can see even the most moderate and respectable members of the community losing the plot and undertaking actions that are out of character with their positions in society....[I] don't know what to do to resolve the disparity between the lies we are being told and the truth, to calm people down..... And am utterly dismayed by the apparent lack of concern or expedited action by senior politicians and councillors...The people or persons responsible for this noise onslaught need to bow their heads in shame at the mental and physical stress that they are causing."
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Scandinavian Airlines sells a 2nd pair of Heathrow slots – now leaving it 19 pairs (after October)
In February, Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) announced that it was selling one of its 21 slot pairs at Heathrow, to an unknown buyer airline, for perhaps $60 million, from 29th March. SAS said they would be maintaining their seat capacity to/from Heathrow through the use of larger aircraft on remaining flights. Furthermore, SAS saidit would consider the use of other London airports instead. SAS holds the 5th highest number of Heathrow slot pairs. It has now also announced that it is to sell another slot pair,leaving it just 19 pairs, to Turkish Airlines. This sale will take place from 25th October, and is an afternoon slot - which is less expensive at around $22 million, than the earlier sale, of a morning slot. SAS is not thought to want to sell any more slots. ATW has reported that "Over recent months, Virgin Atlantic has said it was looking to lease out two of its Heathrow slot pairs, while now-defunct Cyprus Airways missed out on a deal to sell some of its slots to Qatar Airways." But Cyprus Airways sold a slot for $31 million in June 2014.
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Gatwick’s Tom Denton says the controversial new flight navigation system is here to stay at Gatwick
Tom Denton, Head of Corporate Responsibility at Gatwick, has admitted that the airport would not rush to making changes to the use of PRNAV despite public opposition. He said: "There was an acceptance that SHOULD there be detrimental impact we would seek to revert to previous methods." However, there have been perceived detrimental impacts, and Gatwick does not intend to revert. Residents in many areas - to the north and north west of the airport in particular - have been complaining about the use of more concentrated flight paths, which is what PRNAV (also called PBN - Performance Based Navigation) creates. This has meant that more planes fly in these new narrow corridors - though fewer planes fly in some other areas. The Chairman of GATCOM (Gatwick Consultative Committee) wrote to Stewart Wingate.to ask Gatwick to honour a previous agreement to stop using PRNAV. Gatwick is one of the first UK airports to introduce the system, because Mr Denton said the quieter airspace around Gatwick meant PRNAV was easier to implement there. Tom Denton said the matter would be assessed "on a factual basis" and not emotional responses.
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Troubled Berlin Brandenburg airport, due to open in June 2012, could be shut down in late summer unless €1.1 billion is raised
Berlin Brandenburg (BER) airport was intended to be a huge new airport for Berlin, so Berlin-Schönefeld and Tegel airports could close. The BER was initially due to open in June 2012. It had a catalogue of problems with fire safety, smoke extraction system, and fresh air supply in the event of fire. The launch has been delayed and delayed .... last year it was hoped it might open this year. Now the airport's CEO has announced that it is possible the construction of the airport may need to be shut down this summer, if a further €1.1 billion cannot be raised. Some €4.3 billion has already been spent, but that only lasts till this summer. Extra costs have been incurred due to the late opening, as well as the extra construction costs. A decision on how €1.1 billion can be raised is needed urgently, perhaps through bank loans, government grants or from an investor. The money has to not only be agreed by Berlin, Brandenburg and the federal government, but also needs approval from the EU Commission. Current total costs amount to €5.4 billion. Additional plans suggest additional costs amounting to an extra €2.19 billion. Although the airport has yet to open, officials are planning a possible third runway for approximately €1 billion and other new projects such as an additional terminal, expanded baggage system and another freight facility. The total additional spending would amount to €3.2 billion.