Airport News
Below are news items relating to specific airports
SSE tell Airports Commission robust evidence will be needed on financial viability of any new runway
The speech delivered by Sir Howard Davies, on 7 October 2013 was described as setting out the Airports Commission's 'Emerging Thinking' on aviation capacity in the UK. It took the form of setting out some of the main arguments against increasing runway capacity in the UK, and it then dismissed each in turn - and stated that "Our provisional conclusion is that we will need some net additional runway capacity in the south east of England in the coming decades". Stop Stansted Expansion has submitted their comments, which advise against building any new runway capacity. They argue that the speech contained very little in terms of hard evidence to support the conclusion favouring a new runway. SSE question the financial viability of a new runway, as there is already so much spare runway capacity, and say people will expect to see robust evidence to demonstrate the Commission's grounds for its confidence that projects proposed have commercial viability. SSE also says the current DfT demand forecasts are not nearly strong enough - or reliable enough - to support a business case for a new runway.
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Opposition in Kerala, southern India, to proposed airport at Anakkara – with displacement of people and destruction of agricultural land
The Indian government is keen to increase the flow of tourists into Kerala. Though there are two large airports which serve the area, at Kochi and Thiruvanthapuran, there is pressure to build more. One of the sites under threat of an airport is Anakkara, which is inland, and less than 150 km from Madurai airport. There is considerable opposition - one source says the local people are united in their opposition - in the area, which is an agricultural area. The airport would take well over 500 acres, much of which now grows paddy, as well as pepper, coffee and cardamom cultivation areas. There is an Anti-Airport Agitation Council that is fighting the plans. They say hundreds of families would have to be relocated, as the area is densely populated. The purpose of the airport is solely to increase tourism, and would largely benefit the private sector. Those opposing the Anakkara plans have set up social networking campaign sites such s Save Anakkara Blog and Anti-Anakkara Airport on Facebook, explaining reasons why the airport project should not be implemented.
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Heathrow payment of £160 million boosts profits at Ferrovial
Heathrow Airport paid out £160m to its majority shareholder Ferrovial in the first nine months of the year, helping to boost net profit at Ferrovial by 2%. Ferrovial received dividends of €355m from its investments in airports and toll roads - causing Ferrovial's net profit to rise to €485m (£414m) in the nine months to September 30th. Heathrow had performed “exceptionally well” during the period, paying out £476m to its shareholders - including the Qatari and Chinese sovereign wealth funds -during the period, although the sum was inflated by a £300m one-off return from the sale of Stansted to MAG in February. Last week Ferrovial sold an 8.65% stake in Heathrow to the Universities Superannuation Scheme, for £392m, pushing its holding down to 25%. Ferrovial said funds from the USS deal would “greatly enhance the company’s flexibility to undertake new investments orientated towards international expansion”. British Airways has accused Heathrow of generating “excessive” returns for its shareholders at the cost of its customers.
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Durham Tees Valley Airport scraps mainstream holiday flights – now just links to Schiphol, Aberdeen and Jersey
Durham Tees Valley Airport has decided, after a review of its business, to axe its holiday flights in order to concentrate on business travel. The struggling airport will continue passenger flights to Amsterdam, Aberdeen and Jersey only - but all holiday charters will end next summer. Scheduled daily passenger flights to Schiphol (Amsterdam) - operated by KLM - and Eastern Airways' flights to Aberdeen will continue as normal, and Flybe link to Jersey. But the airport will be "streamlining operations and moving away from all mainstream holiday charter programmes". Tour operators affected by the move are Thomson/First Choice and Balkan Holidays. Thomson Holidays has cancelled its two flight destinations for 2014 from Durham Tees Valley. The terminal will undergo changes, making the operational area smaller . Investment in the new layout will make it more suited to customers on scheduled flights with "new retail offerings and business services". They are trying to keep some aviation use for the airport and will have their masterplan for public consultation from mid-November.
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Packed seminar confirms opposition to any new Gatwick runway
A packed seminar organised jointly by CPRE Surrey, CPRE Sussex and GACC on 25th October examined the arguments for and against a new runway at Gatwick. Some 150 representatives of county councils, borough, district and parish councils, planning officers and other experts, the Wildlife Trusts, plus four local MPs and one Member of the European Parliament, crowded into the conference centre at the Stanhill Court Hotel. There was also support from national representatives from WWF, and the National Trust. The opening speech was made by Cabinet member, Rt Hon Francis Maude, who said that the voice of opposition ‘needed to be heard with clarion certainty.’ Great concern was expressed about drawing more workers and passengers from around the country, climate change, increased noise, the impact of 40,000 extra houses, the pressure on schools, hospitals, local road and rail services. Also the recent unconventional decision by West Sussex council to support a new runway, on which the public had not been consulted. A resolution that “Those here would oppose any new runway at Gatwick airport” was passed with overwhelming support.
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Guernsey’s new €93 million airport upgrade set for completion by end of October
Guernsey’s new airport upgrade project is set to be completed by end of October 2013. The redevelopment was originally planned to take 22 months, but is set to be completed two months ahead of schedule. The work, which began in March 2012, includes removal of an dip in the runway. There is also a 120 metre runway extension to the west. This means the operational length of the runway is 1,463 metres, but the airport says the extension provides longer safety areas at both ends of the runway. The existing taxiway had to be extended to link the western end with the rest of the airfield, and complete reconstruction of the airport’s apron area and the terminal. They have also moved the approach lights, installing new ground lighting and navigational aids and relaying all surfaces. Guernsey airport has about 800 - 900,000 passengers per year, making it a bit less busy than Cardiff or Prestwick.
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Heathrow spreading ‘scare stories’ over investors, claims Willie Walsh
Willie Walsh, the boss of IAG, has rebuked Heathrow over investment claims and accused Heathrow of spreading “scare stories” and expertly “gaming” Britain’s regulatory system to bump up prices for airlines and passengers. He hit out at Heathrow over claims that it will lose investors if it is not allowed to generate higher returns. He said last week’s £392m purchase by Britain’s 2nd biggest pension scheme of a stake in the hub “blows a hole” in the airport’s arguments. The deal saw the Universities Superannuation Scheme buy an 8.65% holding from Ferrovial, Heathrow’s top investor. The sale was struck at a 13% premium to Heathrow’s Regulatory Asset Base – the regulator’s proxy for the airport’s value. Willie Walsh said that without question there is no shortage of investors who would be willing to take a stake in Heathrow. "It is almost insulting that they announce the sale of a stake to a significant player like USS at the same time that they have been arguing that if they don’t get excessive reward at Heathrow, investors will leave.”
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Manchester airport 28.5 ha car park in public safety zone given go-ahead, despite safety fears from residents
Plans for a 'gigantic' 9,000-space car park under Manchester Airport's flight path have been approved – despite claims it is an accident 'waiting to happen'. Manchester council agreed the proposals at its latest planning meeting, prompting shock from local residents. The airport says it needs the long-stay facility, near the Moss Nook area of Wythenshawe, to replace a 3,000-space car park being lost to part of the Airport City development. The airport claims it would cut traffic and pollution. But the plans will mean building in the airport's 'public safety zone' – the area around the end of a busy runway that is usually left undeveloped to protect people from planes. The risk of a plane crashing, on landing or take-off, is highest there. Residents and ward councillors fear any future plane crash would cause a massive explosion because thousands of petrol tanks would be in one place. Petitions containing more than 2,200 signatures were submitted opposing the move, along with 34 formal letters of objections, while local ward councillors had already voted against it last month. The car park will take uk at least 28.5 hectares of green land.
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London City Airport expansion plan – inadequate consultation by Newham – but campaigners have produced guidance on how to respond
London City Airport applied back in July for expansion. While the application does not propose to increase the number of flights, it crucially changes the split between scheduled jets and jet centre movements leading to a change in the 2010 baseline public safety zone. The application is to demolish some buildings and structures, and upgrade four aircraft stands, adding 7 new aircraft parking stands. It would also mean extension and modification of the existing airfield, including the creation of an extended taxi lane.There would be changes to parking and vehicle access, and an extension to the terminal building. The consultation in on the Newham Council website (though on some days it has not bee accessible) - it ends on 28th October. There is a huge list of documents, with no accessible detail, making comment by ordinary people nearly impossible. London City Airport campaigners have located the key information, and produced a simple response email which anyone can (adapt and) use. There are real fears of more noise from the airport and building space removed form the enlarged public safety zones. Do send in a reply if you agree these proposals should be opposed.
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Tiny Cambridge airport joins the bandwagon, of connecting flights to Schiphol or Paris
Much is said about the possibility of people in the UK taking flights to Amsterdam (or it could be Paris) to get other flights from there - avoiding going via a London airport. Now tiny Cambridge airport, with so few passengers that the CAA data only just record t hem, is claiming it is an international airport, with some flights laid on to Schiphol and Paris, from where people can get onward connections. The airport claims it is much faster to pass through the tiny airport than it would be at a larger London airport. It is making much of the link from Schiphol or Paris to the USA. To be honest, there are a large number of airports that already have flights to Amsterdam. Anyone flying only from the UK to Paris / Amsterdam would pay only the APD for the short haul flight, so they could save themselves so me £45 -50 or so. For anyone flying west from the UK to the USA, going via the European mainland does not make a lot of sense, geographically. Or in terms of carbon. But if they are flying east, and change at some European airport, at least they are taking the pressure off the crowded south east airports. Schiphol seems eager to get its hands on Brits.