Airport News
Below are news items relating to specific airports
Verdict on Heathrow runways Operational Freedoms trial – a ‘lot of pain for very little gain’
Campaigners against Heathrow expansion have said tests on using runways more intensively had been “a lot of pain for very little gain”. It follows an official verdict - by the CAA - that experiments carried out into methods of speeding up take-offs and landings had been “inconclusive”. John Stewart, of Hacan, said: “It appears that these trials brought little benefit to the airport. But they did deprive residents of their much-valued half-day’s break from the noise. To bring them back would be a lot of pain for very little gain.” Heathrow is seeking operational freedoms to make itself more resilient to disruptions. The two sets of trials held last year and in early 2012 failed to show clear-cut benefits, leading the CAA to conclude: “It is extremely difficult to reach any strong conclusions on the benefit or otherwise of the trial.” There had been a surge in complaints during the tests. Aviation minister Robert Goodwill has asked the Airports Commission to make a recommendation on the operational freedoms in its interim report in December.
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Willie Walsh tells AOA that a Heathrow 3rd runway will never be built – it is too politically difficult
Willie Walsh has said - at the Airport Operators Association in London - that a 3rd runway at Heathrow will “never” be built - as he claims politicians will always put their election campaigns over national interests. He said nimbyism will stop politicians from doing anything with the findings of Sir Howard Davies’s Airports Commission - and a new Heathrow runway is just politically too difficult.” He claims, rather bitterly, that “This is politics with a small ‘p’. The national interest gets lost as the individual politicians look to understand how this will impact on them getting elected.” Perhaps he is also considering self interest. Sir Howard Davies, also speaking at the AOA conference, said of the airport capacity/new runway decision: “Realistically this is the sort of decision that gets made early in a Parliament if it gets made at all,” as it is too contentious to be dealt with by politicians in the run-up to an election. The Airports Commission know any new runway would take “a decade or more to come into effect” and the process will likely be delayed by legal challenges. The commission already faces the threat of a judicial review after campaign group, Stop Stansted Expansion, initiated legal proceedings earlier this month.
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On Monday, opponents of the Frankfurt 4th runway celebrated the 2nd anniversary of their weekly protests
At Frankfurt, the Monday evening protests continue. They have just had, on Monday 21st, the second anniversary of the start of the protests. There have been so far a total of 75 Monday evening airport protests, and 19 vigils. Some of the terminal protests (German airport terminals are deemed to be public property, so people cannot legally be prevented from gathering there) had over 1,000 people. This week it was perhaps 250, but still noisy and determined. Residents now suffering aircraft noise, and an incomplete night fight ban say Fluglarm macht krank (aircraft noise makes you sick) and fear they are not only unproductive at work, and stressed, but also suffering health impacts from the noise and disturbed sleep. They are deeply opposed to the proposed plans to build a third airport terminal, which they say is not needed, and which would only contribute to pressure for yet more flights. Asian travellers passing through the airport are reported to be amazed and bemused, and take photos of the protests to send back home to their friends and family. Local politicians know the airport, and any expansion, is a toxic issue for voters.
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Ferrovial sells Heathrow stake to UK pension fund – the Universities Superannualtion Scheme – for £392m
Spanish infrastructure giant Ferrovial has further reduced its stake in Heathrow after agreeing to sell 8.65% of the airports group to UK pension fund, the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), for £392m. The USS is one of the UK's largest pension funds and is the scheme for universities and other higher education institutions in the UK. The deal, which values Heathrow at £4.5 billion,(plus the extra value of some £10 billion in debts) is the 4th time Ferrovial has trimmed its holding in Heathrow (or BAA as it was) in 2 years. It reduces Ferrovial's stake to 25%, down from 62% when it bought BAA in 2006 in a £10.3 billion deal. Heathrow Airport Holdings has, since 2006, had to sell Edinburgh, Gatwick and Stansted, but still owns Aberdeen, Glasgow and Southampton airports. Ferrovial will remain the largest shareholder in Heathrow following the deal with USS, which is expected to complete on Thursday. USS will hold the 7th biggest stake behind China Investment Corporation which bought 10% of Heathrow in October 2012.
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GACC warns that new flight paths proposed by NATS and Gatwick airport could affect thousands around Gatwick
GACC has reacted strongly to proposals to revamp many of the existing flight paths around Gatwick , which have been put forward for consultation jointly by NATS and Gatwick Airport Ltd. These plans, which are nothing to do with a 2nd runway, include new flight paths over areas which are at present peaceful – in order to increase the number of aircraft able to use the runway; more concentrated flight paths based on more accurate aircraft navigation, which will effectively make life hell for many people affected; a major reform of the pattern of aircraft queuing up to land, which will bring aircraft noise to many areas currently not affected; and the possibility of ‘respite’ by using two flight paths on alternate days. This consultation includes nothing to show where the new flight paths might be. Instead it is couched in general terms, asking people to comment on broad concepts. There are no maps, and it is apparently intended that no maps will be produced until after the end of the consultation, and NATS and Gatwick do not intend to hold a second consultation. GACC is advising its members to study the new consultation and to express their views forcefully.
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“BackHeathrow” (paid for by airport – not a grass roots campaign), send biased scare-mongering survey to half a million
A lobbying group - called BackHeathrow - funded by Heathrow Airport is to distribute a survey to half a million homes, to try and get some favourable views on a new Heathrow runway.They are using fear as a tactic, to get local people worried that they might lose their jobs if the airport was not allowed to expand. There is, of course, no prospect of Heathrow being closed - the BackHeathrow tactic is irresponsible and ill-advised. John McDonnell, the MP for Hayes and Harlington, bordering Heathrow to the north and under threat from a northern runway, said it was just another front organisation funded by the airport and another cynical spurious public relations exercise. John Stewart, chairman of HACAN, said BackHeathrow claims it is a grass roots campaign but no grass roots campaign has the sort of funding to send out half a million surveys. This is astoturfing, not a real citizens' initiative. BackHeathrow survey results must be treated with great scepticism, when/if they come out. It's so badly worded & biased as to be valueless. The "Have you stopped beating your wife?" type questions in the BackHeathrow survey are so loaded they'd make you laugh if they didn't make you angry.
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Is there a need for extra airport capacity? No says GACC in their response to Sir Howard Davies
In his speech on 7th October, Sir Howard went carefully through a list of reasons why more airport capacity in the south east is not needed, before concluding - in the second part of his speech gave his preliminary conclusion that a new runway would be needed. His speech is out for consultation until 31st October. In their response, GACC (Gatwick Area Conservation Campaign) say there is no need for a new runway. A few of their reasons include deficiencies in forecasts of future numbers of flights and passengers; also that over the past 20 years the number of passengers per aircraft had been increasing by 2% a year but DfT forecasts only assumed a 0.2% annual increase in future. GACC suggests the use of larger aircraft could be encouraged if airports based their landing charges on a per aircraft basis rather than, as at present, on the aircraft size and per passenger. GACC says the environmental disadvantages of each potential runway site may be so great that they should and will influence the decision as to whether or not extra capacity should be provided. There would also be adverse north-south in-migration problems.
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Irish Republic to scrap air travel tax – which was only €3 (had been €2 and €10 till 2010)
The Irish government has announced that it will be scrapping its tax on air travel. At present there is a tax of just €3 per flight, and this will end in April 2014. This has led to concerns about the potential impact on Northern Ireland's airports, where there is still Air Passenger duty of £13 per passenger (€26 per return flight) for short haul flights (not for long haul flights). Ryanair has immediately said it will increase its traffic at Irish airports by one million passengers a year - which is rather surprising, if the difference in tax from what it is now is just €3. It is not thought likely that many people will travel from Northern Ireland to Dublin to save €20 - the trip there and back might cost more. George Best Belfast City Airport said the move was "very unlikely to cause a stampede to Dublin for cheap flights". Stormont Finance Minister, Simon Hamilton, said the move by the Republic was "not really a surprise" and that it would be prohibitively expensive for Northern Ireland to match the cut. "The cost to the NI block grant and other public services would be significant - between £60 - £90 million a year," he said.
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Stop Stansted Expansion lodged papers at High Court alleging Airports Commission criteria “infected by apparent bias” due to Geoff Muirhead
The Stop Stansted Expansion group (SSE) have lodged papers at the Royal Courts of Justice alleging that the criteria being applied to decide on possible options for new runway sites in England are “infected by apparent bias”. SSE want High Court judges to order the Government-appointed Airports Commission to delay the publication of any shortlist of options until the criteria have been re-determined. They argue that there was apparent bias because Geoff Muirhead, a recently-resigned member of the Commission, had a conflict of interest. Mr Muirhead is a former chief executive of Manchester Airports Group (MAG), the owners of Stansted since February. He stepped down from the Commission three weeks ago after SSE warned Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin they would take legal action if he stayed. “For almost a year, Mr Muirhead was allowed to play a pivotal role on the Commission.” The High Court is being asked to order the Commission “to re-visit certain key decisions made by the Commission during the time that Mr Muirhead was involved”.
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Infratil sells Manston Airport for £1 (well, £350,000 with adjustments) to Ann Gloag
Infratil has agreed to sell Manston Airport to Lothian Shelf (710) Limited, an entity wholly owned by Ann Gloag, a co-founder of Stagecoach with her brother Brian Souter. She is a very rich woman. It was sold for cash consideration of £1, plus an adjustment for working capital variances and cash injected by Infratil between 14 October 2013 and transaction completion (which is expected to be around £350,000). Ann Gloag is an experienced investor who co-founded Stagecoach Group, the UK-listed public transport operator, along with her brother, Brian Souter. Infratil tried to look on the positive side, saying "Infratil Limited is very pleased to have found an acquiror with a vision for Manston Airport's future development," and "this sale will result in a more focused portfolio and improve our future cash flow position." Ann Gloag said she believes "there is real potential for growth that has not been fully captured. Having worked in the transport industry for over 30 years, I believe I am very well placed to help maximise opportunities for both freight and passengers at Manston." Sale completion will probably be on 29th November. Infratil bought Manston for £17 million in 2005.