Airport News
Below are news items relating to specific airports
National Trust claims Gatwick expansion would harm Wakehurst Place – and other historic properties
Wakehurst Place is a beautiful stately home in Sussex, owned by the National Trust. It is the country part of Kew Gardens botanical garden, with the world's largest seed conservation project. The wonderful old house has been used in many films. It is now one of the 13 historic properties that the National Trust says could be affected by a new Gatwick runway. These also include Penshurst Place in Kent, which was used as a location for current BBC Tudor drama "Wolf Hall." The National Trust said it was “highly sceptical” about proposed expansions to either Gatwick or Heathrow in its submission to the Airports Commission. The NT believes any airport expansion at either Heathrow or Gatwick would increase noise impact to residents and affect how people spend their leisure time. It has an impact on visitors to these historic and unique buildings. It also said it could affect filming possibilities at the venues because of increased aircraft noise. Hever Castle (former home of Anne Bolyen) is also very badly affected by noise from Gatwick landings, with real fears of reduced visitor numbers, if the amount of aircraft noise prevents the visit being a pleasant and peaceful experience.
Click here to view full story...
Bromley Council consultation on Biggin Hill Airport’s plans to greatly increase operating hours, especially at weekends
Biggin Hill airport is predominantly used by light aviation and business jets. It has operating hours at present of 6.30am to 10pm on weekdays, and 9am to 8pm on Saturdays and Sundays. However, the airport is now hoping to extend these significantly, by one hour more on weekdays, five and a half hours on Saturdays and four hours on Sundays. That would be a total of 114 hours per week. Local residents are very unhappy about this, and the local group, BRAAD (Bromley Residents Against Airport Development) is urging people to oppose this expansion, in the current consultation - which ends on on 13th March. BRAAD says Bromley is a peaceful residential borough, which attracts families from noisier environments because of the quality of life it has so far offered. However, Biggin Hill Airport has now expanded to the point of threatening the delicate balance between its business aspirations and the residents' rights to their amenities. The 114 hours proposed by Biggin Hill is much more than its rival private jet airports (London City, Farnborough, or Northolt - an the increase is largely at weekends, early in the morning and late at night, when people may find the noise even more intrusive.
Click here to view full story...
NetworkRail plans for improved rail link to Heathrow T5 from the west, by tunnel, go on show
NetworkRail has put plans for consultation, for a new rail tunnel, connecting the main line into London from the west with Heathrow Terminal 5. The proposed link, subject to planning permission, includes a 3.1 mile (5km) tunnel from the Great Western Main Line at Langley to T5. This could cut journey times between Reading and Heathrow and reduce road congestion, if passengers travelled by train instead of by car. A series of public consultation events is to be held in Iver and Slough. The rail plan was given the go-ahead by the government in 2012. There would need to be a new junction created between Langley and Iver stations. There are claims that the rail link would mean a quarter of people in the UK "within one interchange" of Heathrow. The tunnel only travels under 2 houses so is not expected to cause too much disruption locally. The tunnel would go ahead regardless of whether there is a new runway, or not. It is expected the tunnelling would take a year. It has the potential to make journeys from the west faster and easier. The timetable is for informal consultation now; formal public consultation in summer 2015; submission of application in early 2016; work starts spring / summer 2017; work completed and trains running by the end of 2021.
Click here to view full story...
All Party Parliamentary Group analysis shows a 3rd runway at Heathrow would be at the expense of surrounding airports
The All-Party Parliamentary Group of MPs (APPG) has submitted a report to the Airports Commission (and to the Government) showing that, according to the Commission’s own figures, there would be no overall increase in the number of UK passengers, flights or destinations as a result of a 3rd Heathrow runway. Instead, any increased activity at Heathrow airport itself would be fed almost entirely by re-distributing growth from other UK airports. This would me an more activity at Heathrow at the expense of regional airports, customers and the wider economy. The All Party Parliamentary Group's "Wider Economy" Report raises serious doubts about there being any net benefit to the wider UK economy, or to the regions, from a new Heathrow runway. It suggests the runway could even have a significant negative impacts on them. The Commission's figures show that with or without an extra runway at Heathrow, the growth rate of the UK passenger market from 2030 to 2050 is anticipated to be 1.4% per annum. It is predicted that a 3rd runway would cause a reduction of 207,000 flights per year, to and from regional airports by 2050. The total number of destination airports for flights from UK airports might also be lower, if there is a 3rd Heathrow runway.
Click here to view full story...
NATS to introduce “Time Based Separation” (TBS) at Heathrow to cut delays in windy conditions
Heathrow Airport is close to its maximum number of flights per year (480,000) and its runways take close to the most flights they can, most of the day. During periods when there is strong wind, there are currently often flight delays -causing inefficiency. Aircraft fly more slowly in relation to the ground (groundspeed) against a headwind, though the plane may be flying at the same speed as usual, in relation to the air (airspeed). Now NATS is introducing a system, called Time Based Separation (TBS), which it has been working on for some years. The aim is to reduce delays in windy conditions, so as many planes can land per hour as in still conditions, even if it is windy. The system works by separating arriving aircraft by time, rather than by distance. The separation distances are needed because of the wake vortices that planes generate - which can be dangerous for a following aircraft. However, the stronger the wind, the more rapidly a vortex is dissipated, so a smaller separation distance can be used. The Time Based Separation system will allow fewer delays during windy conditions, so more efficient operation. The system will start to be used at Heathrow at the end of March 2015 and NATS hope the system will be used at other capacity constrained airports around the world.
Click here to view full story...
East Grinstead Town Council states opposition to 2nd Gatwick runway plans
East Grinstead Town Council has voted against plans to expand Gatwick. At the meeting councillors were asked to vote for or against proposals for a 2nd runway, and 14 voted against the proposals, with three abstentions, due to conflicts of interests. Councillors agreed they still had "grave reservations" about the impact on the environment and community from the expansion plans. Council Leader Rex Whittaker said: "At this stage it would appear to this council that the commission has underestimated the potential negative impact on a beautiful, natural, mostly rural area, underestimated the costs needed to bring this option to Gatwick in local infrastructure, and over-estimated the economic benefits." Reasons for the opposition included pressures on housing, roads, the impact on the environment and Ashdown Forest, and reduced quality of life for residents. Councillors agreed that "the negatives far outweigh the positives....The roads and housing situation is bad enough without a second runway at Gatwick." An East Grinstead resident says she is being plagued by problem parkers outside her home who leave their cars, then head off to Gatwick on holiday. Recently one car parked outside her house and was left there for 9 days.
Click here to view full story...
Back Heathrow supporter number doubts after Zac Goldsmith sent supporter email
Some doubt has been cast on the validity of "Back Heathrow" after it emerged that anti-expansion campaigners were sent emails thanking them for their support for "Back Heathrow." Zac Goldsmith, MP for Richmond and north Kingston, was among those to receive an email thanking him for supporting the campaign, despite being well known for his strong opposition to a 3rd Heathrow runway. It would appear that someone has mischievously signed Zac up to the Back Heathrow website, without his knowledge or consent. It appears that other people (unconfirmed) in neighbouring boroughs have also had a letter from Back Heathrow, thanking them for their support, and this could amount to a “manipulation of data”. Back Heathrow has used deliberate scare tactics, to make people afraid of losing their jobs if there is no new runway. Zac said there are concerns that the supporter figures claimed by Back Heathrow need to be treated with caution, if there may be names on the list that should not be there. Back Heathrow said it was confident its system was not abused for bogus sign-ups and believed its supporter numbers were genuine. There are concerns that Heathrow may have been getting large numbers of its own employees to sign up, to back the runway, which would benefit HAL (Heathrow Airport Ltd) itself.
Click here to view full story...
Southwark Council backs Gatwick runway, hoping its residents will commute to airport jobs
Southwark Council has decided to back a Gatwick runway, and has entered into a partnership which it hopes would bring jobs and growth to the borough - if there is a runway. Southwark's Council Leader has written to Stewart Wingate to propose a Memorandum of Understanding that would mean the airport and council would work together on jobs.Southwark believes "Government policy makes airport expansion inevitable" so they want to get the most out of it for their residents. There is the hope that more frequent trains from London Bridge to Gatwick will enable local people "to access thousands of new jobs and apprenticeships and opportunities for businesses" - so they would all be using the already highly crowded rail links. The Council also says: "Noise from aircraft, particularly in the south of the borough is a real headache for local people as flights come in to land at Heathrow. Gatwick flights predominantly fly south of London over less built up areas so far fewer people will be affected." And Southwark is happy for all that misery to be put over the heads of others. Croydon also wants the jobs.
Click here to view full story...
Conservatives demand more routes for Cardiff Airport after £3.5m government loan
Tory party members have called for the value of Cardiff Airport to be made public - two years after it was sold to the Welsh Government for £52 million. Conservative politicians have criticised the airport's failure to attract new flights, but the Labour Welsh Government said securing routes was a long term process and that a route development loan had yet to come into play. In November 2014 ministers announced that Cardiff Airport was to get a £3.5m loan to help develop new routes, as part of the Welsh Government budget for 2015/16. That happened after Lufthansa-owned Germanwings said it would close its service to Dusseldorf in 2015. The Tories want the airport improved and then sold back to the private sector, and so far there is evidence that the money from hard-pressed taxpayers has achieved much. A LibDem councilor commented: “The big question remains... where is the plan?” Labour said: “The Conservatives need to show some patience, especially when demanding to see the results of a £3m loan that will not be available until the next financial year.”
Click here to view full story...
London City Airport expansion plan gets go-ahead but campaigners say it will create ‘noise ghettos and misery’
Newham Council has granted planning approval London City Airport's plans for an extended terminal, a new taxi-way and additional parking stands for larger aircraft. A new six-storey four-star hotel with up to 260 bedrooms will also be built on site. The expansion will increase the number of take-offs and landings at the airport from 70,000 a year to 111,000 and will almost double the number of passengers to 6 million a year by 2023. The number of aircraft stands will increase from 18 to 25, and the newer, larger planes they will accommodate will expand the airport’s reach from destinations in western Europe to Russia and North Africa. It has been described as a boost for London’s aviation capacity, while the arguments for and against a new runway at Heathrow or Gatwick (or neither) continue. There are claims for a large number of jobs, and Newham believes many will be for their residents - and there are claims of huge economic benefit for the local and UK economy. The expansion involves the tripling of the size of the terminal to 51,800 ft square and will see the number of flights increase from 38 to 45 during peak morning and evening rush hour times. Building work, subject to final planning approval being given by Boris, is expected to start by the end of 2015, with the first new aircraft seen on the runway in 2016.