Airport News
Below are news items relating to specific airports
Heathrow ‘misses the point’ in claiming connectivity benefits from new rail lines, yet unbuilt
Heathrow will claim, in its runway submission to the Airports Commission on 16th May, that it can offer the shortest journey times (compared to Gatwick or the Thames estuary) to cities such as Sheffield, Bristol and Manchester and will do the most to bring growth to those regions by connecting them to international markets. Heathrow is arguing that the arrival of HS2, Crossrail, upgrades to London Underground’s Piccadilly line and the proposed rail link to the Great Western line will make access to the expanded airport much better, even with a 3rd runway. Heathrow will factor the rail links into its plans, even though only Crossrail is under construction and the other lines are only at various stages of planning. HS2 was voted through the Commons this week, but the plan to link it to the airport is on hold. HACAN says the airport’s owners have missed the point on this, as all the rail and road links will struggle to cope with the extra number of passengers that will use Heathrow if a 3rd runway is build. A new runway would mean another 260,000 or so flights a year. It is likely that the extra journeys generated by a 3rd runway would threaten gridlock on local roads and public transport networks.”
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Leeds Bradford still hopeful of airport rail link after Minister Robert Goodwill visits
New aviation Minister, Robert Goodwill. has visited Leeds Bradford airport and commented that a new rail link to the airport is “obviously desirable”. Mr Goodwill was at the airport for a whistle-stop tour, as part of a day of discussions with council and business leaders. One of the items to discuss was the possible improvement of road and rail links to the airport. This has been under discussion for several years. The local paper reports that "The Minister is visiting regional airports across the country in the wake of a new Government study, which has identified the six national congestion hotspots most in need of investment." He said he could understand why the airport is so keen to get improved rail links, to ease travel. But quizzed on if and when the Government would be ready to invest in the region’s airport, he said he was “rather reluctant to put a timescale on that decision”. “We have to look at other airports and priorities as well..... There is a study ongoing and it will depend on the price tag, the deliverability and planning issues." At present most people go to Leeds Bradford Airport by car or by taxi.
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Anti-third runway campaigners “put the boot in” at Westminster with a protest football game
Protesters - from the villages of Harmondsworth and Longford (to be destroyed by Heathrow's 3rd runway plan) played a protest football game on the green outside the Houses of Parliament. This was to highlight the "broken promises" of David Cameron over his "No ifs, no buts, no third runway" commitment to no expansion at Heathrow at the last election. The residents of the 2 villages feel they have been "kicked into the long grass" over new Heathrow expansion plans. The villagers travelled from west London too Westminster with Channel 5 TV cameras in tow, to set up their jumpers for goalposts on the green overlooked by Parliament. The team wore England shirts, with past quotes from senior politicians affirming cross-party opposition to a third runway emblazoned on their backs.The football organiser said "We will practice our kicking into the long grass, and our U-turns. The Conservative Government made promises that there would be no third runway before they were elected, and now it looks like they are going back on their word. If we can't believe them on this issue, how can we believe them about anything?"
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Eric Pickles decides against calling in Luton’s plans – trampling on views of local residents
Luton Airport operators LLAOL have announced that Eric Pickles, Secretary of State at the DCLG, has decided not to call in Luton airport's expansion plans. This means Luton Borough Council can now grant planning permission for works designed to achieve a doubling of annual passenger capacity. Local opponents of the expansion are horrified and saddened. Earlier a local opinion poll showed some 70% of the public who responded to the consultation over Luton Airport Expansion said "NO" to it. Local community group opposing the expansion, HALE, commented that the application is effectively large enough to be a NSIP (Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project) as it could perhaps add 10 million passengers per year. NSIPs have to be called in, as their scale and the extent of their influence warrant proper scrutiny, in detail. The airport and the government, have failed to take proper account of the local impacts of an extra 9 million passengers per year on local transport infrastructure, and the effect of noise from 60% more flights. "The throwaway comment at the end about being a good neighbour is meaningless ..." Luton Council gave consent to the plans in December but Eric Pickles asked to review the decision.
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Populus surveys done for Heathrow show only 48% back its expansion (26% back it strongly, 23% oppose it strongly)
To quote Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli; "There are lies, damned lies, and statistics." And so it is when opinion polls are done, and the organisation that commissions the poll wants a particular result out of it. Heathrow often gets Populus to ask people in boroughs near Heathrow what they think. They usually ask similar questions each time. One asks "Taking everything you know into account, do you currently support or oppose expanding Heathrow?" Over all boroughs surveyed, 26% strongly supported this; 22% somewhat supported; 11% somewhat opposed; 23% strongly opposed. See link So 48% support, and 34% oppose, with 18% neither supporting nor opposing. The figures were broadly the same a year earlier (with 46% supporting, but 43% opposing, and 10% neither supporting nor opposing). Heathrow says this is large, and growing, support. It is difficult to interpret the figures, as Populus only publishes a small bit of its results, with no methodology, such as the script of the interviewer, tone of the questions etc. Questions need to be asked about what information is given to people by Populus before they are asked their views.
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History Group appalled at possible demolition of ancient buildings around Gatwick
On Saturday 26th April the Charlwood History Group visited a number of fine historic buildings (18 of them are listed) which would be demolished if a new runway were to be built at Gatwick. The group visited the area which would be demolished, or made virtually uninhabitable, if a 2nd runway was to be built. The loss of these wonderful old buildings would be very sad, and a travesty. The Chairman of the Charlwood Society said: "If this were ever to happen it would be a tragedy for our local district, and for our heritage. We must see that it never happens." Of the 18 listed buildings, there are 5 that are listed by English Heritage as ‘Grade 2 star’ which puts them among the 6% most important historic buildings in England. Some of the stunning and important buildings under threat are Charlwood House, Rowley, the Beehive, Hyders and the Church of St Michael and All Angels. Henry Smith, MP for Crawley, joined the party for part of the tour.
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Keith Taylor, Green MEP on Lydd airport: We must look at fate of Manston and think again
Keith Taylor MEP says the Lydd airport area, in his European constituency, could be revived in a way to generate jobs and green growth - but not by expanding the airport or using it for yet more holiday flights. He is concerned about the low, and declining, number of airport jobs generated by ultra-low-cost flights, and that better employment could be generated on the site, with lower carbon emissions. Keith says the arguments for Lydd Airport expansion centres on an economic case that simply doesn't stand up. In reality, Lydd's remote position, and relatively inaccessible by public transport, means it already faces a competitive disadvantage compared with Gatwick. He says: "With the nuclear power station at Dungeness on its last legs, I believe it's time to turn the peninsula into a green energy zone. I'd like to see schemes like the Marsh Millions built on to offer local green business incentives to set up shops in the area, and provide people with jobs to build a life on." Lydd could be at the forefront of a new economic model, of economies refocused on tackling climate change.
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Does Lord Bradshaw reflect Lib Dem aviation policy?
The Evening Standard has reported that Lord William Bradshaw, who co-chairs the little-known Liberal Democrat parliamentary committee on transport has said he backs a Gatwick 2nd runway. Lord Bradshaw, who is a former railwayman, has said Gatwick should be allowed a 2nd runway if "it pays for an upgrade of the Brighton-to- London rail line" ... and because it offers "real improvements on the rail journey to London" for the residents of Sussex. Eh? A runway to improve rail services?? The Liberal Democrats have traditionally said they would not back a new runway at Heathrow or Gatwick. Their policy has been somewhat muddled and confusing over the past few years, with talk of a hub, and no net new runways. However, in the past they have been consistent in saying that the UK's carbon targets are at risk if aviation is allowed to expand. They may now be wavering, and no longer to be trusted in their rejection of new runways. Nick Clegg’s party now says it wants to see reassurances about environmental considerations – whether carbon emissions or local air and noise pollution – written into the final Davies report. A much weaker position.
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Local public meeting suggests possible uses for Manston – aircraft breaking, painting etc
A fighting fund has been set up in an attempt to save Manston airport . A large public meeting has been held, to back the airport's attempts to stay open, somehow, and raise money for the fund. Its aim is not clear. At the start of the meeting MP Sir Roger Gale revealed that he and fellow MP Laura Sandys had held meetings with a potential buyer for the airport. Sir Roger said the outcome of his negotiations with a "significant potential investor" will become clear in the next 4 - 5 days. There is a Save Manston Airport group, and a Why Not Manston? group. Among the ideas presented for the survival of the airport was the suggestion that Manston could become an aircraft recycling facility. The airport may already have a licence to carry out aircraft breaking. It was also suggested that Manston could become a specialist in aircraft painting, or that it could be run by the Council [and cost the council a fortune from its losses?] The issue of the noise, directly over Ramsgate, from old and unduly noisy freight planes using Manston remains a key local issue. As a functioning airport, it is just not in the right place.
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Stobart’s Carlisle airport on hold, and cuts to Flybe and easyJet routes from Southend
Stobart Group’s aviation division has suffered another blow, just a month after a High Court judge quashed its plans for Carlisle Airport. Flybe and easyJet have axed routes from Stobart’s Southend Airport. Flybe has cancelled flights to Cologne after only one week in response to an announcement from Ryanair that it is launching a route from nearby Stansted to Cologne. Meanwhile, easyJet has reduced the number of planes based at Southend from 4 to 3, scrapping flights to Krakow and winter services to Jersey and Palma, Majorca. Flybe’s routes from Southend are operated by Stobart Air’s aircraft under a franchising agreement. Flybe's other new routes to Rennes and Caen, Munster, Antwerp and Groningen will continue. Stobart had hoped the new routes would carry 200,000 passengers in 2015, rising to 700,000 by 2017. Stobart’s plans for Carlisle Airport had envisaged daily flights to Southend and Dublin, but that is held up by the legal challenges though Stobart will submit another planning application.