Airport News
Below are news items relating to specific airports
Advertising Standards Authority finds Heathrow advert about increased trade breaches their code and is ‘misleading’
In October 2014 about 13 people send in official complaints to the Advertising Standards Authority, on claims being made by Heathrow in its adverts. The ASA looked at 7 different complaints, and considered that 6 passed their standards. However, on the claim by Heathrow in its ads headed:"Expand Heathrow and its's the economy that takes off" the statement "Direct flights to long-haul destinations build twenty times more trade with them than indirect flights" was found to breach the ASA code. The ASA say the claim was not adequately substantiated and that the ad therefore breached the Code, both by being misleading and by not having proper substantiation. The ASA say the advert "must not appear again in its current form." They have told Heathrow "to ensure that they held robust substantiation for absolute claims made in their future advertising." The ASA ruling also says the claim was presented as objective facts rather than an educated assumption and that Heathrow's own report "One Hub or None"itself cautioned that direct flights would not automatically lead to more trade and that multiple factors could influence the amount of bilateral trade.
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On final day of Commission consultation, Heathrow raises extent of its noise insulation offer, if it gets a 3rd runway
As part of its attempt to get acceptance for a 3rd runway, Heathrow has had to raise its offer on noise insulation. On the last day of the Airports Commission consultation, it has made a significantly better offer, saying it "could" (sic) pay around £700 million - which is £450 million more than its previous offer in May 2014. This would cover parts of the 55 Lden noise contour area. The number of people within that contour was 725,500 in 2006 and over 314,000 dwellings. Heathrow says their offer now covers about 160,000 homes, and they have included two new areas, not previously covered by their scheme (no map is published).Heathrow has now raised the quality of its noise insulation offer to match those already used in Europe - its current noise insulation offers are far below these. In its new scheme, Heathrow says homes in designated zones "stand to have" (not "will") the " full costs of their noise insulation covered by the airport. In addition, up to £3,000 in noise insulation would be offered to homes further away from the airport." This would be acoustic double glazing; ceiling over-boarding in bedrooms; loft insulation and ventilation. Many noise affected homes already have double glazing and loft insulation ... and still suffer noise. Gardens and parks cannot be insulated. Campaigners said the improved offer was welcome, and should be carried out even if no runway is built, as it illustrates how poor and miserly the insulation schemes have been in the past.
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Datchet residents step up campaign against Heathrow Airport expansion
People in Datchet have been encouraged to send in responses to the Airports Commission consultation, to try to oppose a Heathrow runway - that would devastate their village. Datchet Parish Council has been helping residents to raise awareness locally about the consultation, with volunteers distributing 2,500 flyers. People fear a new runway would mean Datchet would be ruined, but they fear the Heathrow Hub option even more than the Heathrow north west runway option, because it would be 2 miles closer, with 50% more flights than at present, and at half the height - at about 600ft above Datchet. A resident commented: "We have a human right to a quality of life just like everyone else in this country and we should not have to live in noise and pollution hell! Does Heathrow expect us never to go outside?"
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MPs deliver letter to David Cameron to remind him to keep his “no ifs, no buts, there will be no 3rd runway” promise
On Tuesday 3rd February MPs and campaigners against Heathrow expansion staged a protest at Downing Street reminding the Prime Minister of his statement before the 2010 election, when he said “no ifs; no buts; there will be no third runway.” Conservative MPs Zac Goldsmith (Richmond Park & North Kingston) and Angie Bray MP (Ealing Central and Acton) will join the protest, with Kate Hoey MP (Vauxhall); Caroline Lucas MP (Green MP for Brighton Pavilion); Mary Macleod MP (Brentford and Isleworth); John McDonnell MP (Hayes and Harlington); John Randall MP (Uxbridge and South Ruislip); Andy Slaughter MP (Hammersmith); Adam Afriye (Windsor) and Baroness Jenny Tonge. John Stewart, chairman of HACAN, said: “We are deliberately targeting Downing Street because the decision about a new runway will be a political one. The politicians can override whatever recommendations the Airports Commission will come up with in the summer. This event once again demonstrates the cross-party nature of the opposition to a 3rd runway. It also shows the geographical spread of the current problems caused by Heathrow which can only get worse if a new runway is built. Representatives of groups from as far apart as Brockley and Teddington will be going into Downing Street.”
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GACC submits its response to Commission consultation – in what has been a “woeful week” for Gatwick runway
The response from GACC to the Airports Commission consultation emphasises all the environmental damage that would be caused by a 2nd Gatwick, and estimates that when the airport was operating at full capacity there would be around 100,000 more vehicles per day on the roads. Also around 90,000 more passengers per day on the trains - which would mean standing room only. GACC suggests that the eventual cost of a 2nd Gatwick runway could be twice as high as previously estimated. The cost of building a new underground station at East Croydon with a rail tunnel into central London (as indicated by the Airports Commission) plus the need to widen the M23 and M25, and to extend the M23 into London, plus the need to allow for climate change risks, could add an extra £10 billion to the £9.3 billion previously stated by the Commission. Most of this extra cost would fall on the taxpayer. According to Brendon Sewill, chairman of GACC: ‘This has been a woeful week for Gatwick. Virtually every County Council, Borough Council and District Council around Gatwick has voted to oppose a new runway. So have virtually every Town and Parish Council. So have virtually all the local Members of Parliament. The most woeful blow for Gatwick came when easyJet, Gatwick’s biggest airline, announced that it is opposing a new Gatwick runway.’
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Qatar Airways buys 10% stake in British Airways owner IAG
State owned Qatar Airways has bought a 9.99% stake in British Airways’ owner International Airlines Group, as part of its plan to become an ever larger part of global air travel. 'The fast-growing and well-financed Gulf airlines are a threat to US and European airlines. The Emirate now has a major role as a UK investor; it announced this week a deal to buy Canary Wharf. Qatar is also the largest shareholder in Barclays Bank and J Sainsbury, and the 2nd-largest investor in the London Stock Exchange. Doha-based Qatar Airways and IAG — which also owns Iberia — are now expected to forge closer working arrangements. BA and Qatar Airways already have a code-share agreement that enables their respective passengers to fly on some of the other airline’s flights, and these arrangements could be expanded. Qatar Airways (CEO is Akbar Al Baker - who says people in the UK should not be so touchy about aircraft noise ...) said it may increase its shareholding in IAG in future, although non-EU airlines are banned from owning majority stakes in EU carriers. The price of the recent Qatar purchase in IAG was not published, but is thought to be around £1.15bn. The Qatar Investment Authority has a 20% stake in Heathrow (HAL) creating possible conflicts of interest on landing charges.
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Hounslow spending on school improvement includes noise proofing a special needs school against aircraft noise
Work has started on a multi-million pound project to deliver improvements to a special needs school in Hounslow. A total of £9m is being invested in the redevelopment of the Lindon Bennett School, in Hanworth, to tackle the borough's shortage of places for pupils with special educational needs (SEN). The school is located just outside the Heathrow 55 Lden noise contour, meaning that it suffers considerable aircraft noise, mainly from take offs towards the east. A total of 70 new places will be created and the school will be extended and remodelled to include specialist teaching spaces, classrooms, offices, a hall and kitchen areas. The 2-year scheme to redevelop Lindon Bennett School is part of a wider schools expansion programme to provide more school places across the borough. But the amount of aircraft noise experienced means "where over-cladding on the existing roof is required we have to greatly improve its sound reduction properties to ensure that the noise generated from planes on the flight path doesn’t affect the children’s learning experience." There is no indication that Heathrow will be contributing to the extra costs involved.
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Group of MPs from areas affected by Gatwick oppose its 2nd runway plans in their response to Commission
The group of MPs from the Gatwick area, the “Gatwick Co-ordination Group” says building a new Gatwick runway would be a disaster for the area, causing transport gridlock and “irreparable damage” to the surrounding towns and countryside. The group includes 6 Conservative MPs, and is informally backed by Francis Maude, Cabinet Office minister. In their submission to the Airports Commission consultation, the group say Gatwick's plans are “overwhelmingly opposed locally” and would provide much weaker economic benefits than expansion at Heathrow. Expanding Heathrow is considered by many to be almost politically impossible. If the Commission did recommend a Gatwick runway, there would be a political backlash. Charles Hendry MP said: “There isn’t a single local MP who is supporting Gatwick and there is only one local authority [East Sussex] supporting it.” Crispin Blunt, MP for Reigate, said: “A recommendation and decision for a 2nd runway at Gatwick would be a catastrophe for local communities and a disaster for the national interest.” It is thought that the Conservative Party will drop their opposition to a 3rd Heathrow runway - so far they just say they will consider the Commission's recommendations.
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Gatwick’s biggest airline, easyJet, backs new runway at Heathrow – not at Gatwick – in response to Airports Commission
In its submission to the Airports Commission consultation (closes 3rd February) easyJet, which is the major airline using Gatwick, has backed a new runway at Heathrow - rather than at Gatwick. EasyJet says a Heathrow runway would be in the best interests of passengers, as fares would be lower. Landing charges would have to rise substantially for a Gatwick runway, which does not suit easyJet or its low cost passengers. It makes on average £8 profit per passenger. Gatwick tetchily responded that easyJet's response was just based on its own "narrow commercial interests" and that easyJet feared the extra competition a 2nd Gatwick runway would bring. (One might have thought they could dream up a slightly better retort). easyJet said: “Heathrow is in the best interests of passengers as it has the greatest demand. It is clear that long-haul airlines want to expand at Heathrow and if they can’t, they will do so not at Gatwick but at other airports such as Paris, Amsterdam and Frankfurt.” Easyjet also said: "We will respect the judgement of the Commission on [environmental] issues and our support for a runway at Heathrow is conditional on it meeting the relevant environmental conditions." EasyJet said it wanted to launch operations from Heathrow — although it would continue to use Gatwick - and a 3rd Heathrow runway would enable easyJet to base 30 aircraft there.
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KPMG analysis of global runway building, hoping to show UK being left behind, leaves out a runway…..
As a last minute bit of hype, to mark the close of the Airports Commission consultation, the pro-runway lobby "Let Britain Fly" commissioned a study by KPMG to look at plans in a range of countries to build runways. They produced an super-dooper graphic to persuade us all we are LOSING THE GLOBAL RACE (a term Heathrow especially likes to pepper its utterances with). Let Britain Fly is keen, as is Heathrow, to lead us to believe that the UK is to be "left behind" and that - using some highly distorted logic - unless the UK has a new runway (or two) all the UK's history, economic power etc will be cast aside, and we will become a backwater ..... Unfortunately the KPMG graphic is wrong in showing London having 6 runways. It actually has 7, including Southend (which has been celebrated by the industry as a London airport, and is officially recognised as such by the CAA). With 7 runways, the case being made by KPMG and "Let Britain Fly" falls apart. It shows London continuing to have more runways - even by 2036 - than any other city they compare, other than Beijing. Unfortunate that the KPMG analysis felt the need to distort the facts, in order to make its case - and in doing so, showed their assessment to be incorrect.