Airport News
Below are news items relating to specific airports
Birmingham Airport launches ad campaign on its long haul network for manufacturers
Birmingham Airport has put together a series of political adverts on the importance of aviation to the UK manufacturing sector. This is to influence the Airports Commission. Paul Kehoe at Birmingham Airport has been very vocal in his opposition to the idea of a hub airport in London and these adverts - which will run until July 19th which is the deadline date for airport proposals to the Commission - reflect this. The campaign features a number of high-profile figures from across the manufacturing industry, including managing director of MG Motor who reiterates the point that some of Britain's most important companies are based in the Midlands, south-west and north of the country. Birmingham is submitting its plans for massive growth and a new runway to the Airports Commission. Birmingham Airport's Paul Kehoe said: "These adverts make a serious point - our aviation sector is currently failing to adequately serve the majority of UK businesses that are located outside of the south-east."
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Local Enterprise Partnerships and their lobbying for expansion of their airports
There are Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) in the areas of influence of Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports (and others). These LEPs were set up to lead economic growth and job creation within its local areas. So not surprisingly, they all back expansion of the airport within their area. In June a large number of people from the public and private sectors met at the Gatwick Diamond Economic Growth Forum on the subject of aviation growth. The Coast to Capital" LEP urged those attending to" find their voice and speak out in support of capacity expansion at Gatwick Airport, as they will benefit from the resulting economic growth." At Heathrow the Enterprise M3 LEP, including a number of local business leaders, has had a meeting to hear about Heathrow’s current position on aviation capacity in the UK. They concluded that maintaining and developing Heathrow’s position as an international airport hub was vital to the economic success of the Enterprise M3 area - and that any change in hub status would result in a loss of jobs from the area. Stansted's LEP is also very supportive of its expansion.
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Rigby Group (owns Coventry airport) having bought Exeter airport also buys a large aviation management company
Sir Peter Rigby’s Patriot Aerospace Group bought the controlling interest in Exeter Airport from Balfour Beatty very recently. They have now concluded another deal buy RCAM (Regional and City Airport Management Ltd) which is a specialist airport management company responsible for the overall operation of Blackpool and City of Derry Airports. RCAM deals with up to 3m passengers a year and also a range of cargo, freight, corporate and general aviation services. Sir Peter has owned Coventry Airport since 2010 and has always made it clear that he intends to resume passenger flights when he can. Patriot Aerospace says it will be possible now to “leverage synergies” between Exeter and Coventry, making a return of passenger flights from Coventry Airport more likely. Patriot Aerospace also owns British International Helicopters (BIH) which is the UK's largest British helicopter operating business. Sir Peter wants to capitalise on the opportunity to grow regional airports, due to the alleged airport capacity shortage in the south east. .
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Only a 4-runway hub airport will do, says new study for Boris (done by York Aviation)
As their response to the Airports Commission discussion paper on airport operational models the Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, has had a report commissioned from York Aviation - a company that has produced many reports for the aviation industry over recent years. This report, (not yet publicly available) not surprisingly bearing in mind Boris's continuing support for a huge new hub airport for London, comes out saying London needs a new huge, 4 runway hub airport. The findings of the report were made public by City Hall two weeks before the Mayor submits his proposals to the Airports Commission. Boris is against Heathrow expansion, so unsurprisingly, the York Aviation report says Heathrow is not the right site for a 4 runway hub, as it lacks the space to configure the facilities and its expansion would be a blight on local residents (ignoring the blight that would be caused for others elsewhere?). York Aviation comes up with all the usual stuff about need for flights to emerging markets, need for the UK to retain its hub supremacy, and so on. Nothing new.
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Carlisle airport resurfacing and freight centre still held up by High Court ruling
Stobart Group still plan a 394,000sq ft freight-distribution centre, and resurfacing of the runway for scheduled passenger flights to London and Dublin. But the airport development cannot start until the High Court rules on a legal challenge, brought by Irthington farmer Gordon Brown. He is seeking a judicial review of the Carlisle City Council’s decision to grant planning permission for the airport scheme, which he says does not comply with the council’s development plan and that planning officers gave councillors “erroneous and seriously misleading advice”. There are also questions on EU state aid rules and a planning condition. Work has begun on upgrading the sewers around Irthington, and this will remove another obstacle to the airport redevelopment plan - as this was one of the conditions in the planning approval, granted in February. The sewer upgrade, which will triple the capacity of the network, should be finished by October. The new sewer will mean treated effluent will no longer be discharged into a tributary of the River Irthing.
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GACC warns of widespread blight being caused by runway proposals submitted to Airports Commission
Gatwick Airport are due to publish their plans for a new runway by the Airports Commission deadline of 19th July. GACC, the main environmental community group concerned with the airport, warn that the runway proposal will result in widespread blight in the area. Thousands of people will find tens of thousands of pounds is knocked off the value of their houses, which will be hard to sell except at a substantial loss. "Working men and women will find themselves unable to move to take up a new job; retired couples will find their hopes dashed of moving to a smaller house in another area. Anxiety will be caused to thousands of people and some may be driven to desperation." In the days of BAA there was a Property Market Support Bond, so the airport would buy houses at the pre-blight price. The airport now says that scheme is under review and nothing will be decided until the Airports Commission reports in 2015. GACC says this demonstrates a callous disregard for the local community. GACC has asked the Commission to insist that all airports which are due to put forward plans for new runways should introduce a scheme for dealing with blight.
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Heathrow Airport board approve submitting 3rd runway plan (with option for 4th) to Airports Commission
The board of Heathrow Airport Holdings is reported to have authorised its management to present its case to build a 3rd runway to the Airports Commission, in July. Heathrow is considering several options for the runway's location. It wants the runway as soon as possible. Heathrow will also tell the Commission that they should have the option to build a 4th runway at some later date, if there is sufficient demand for it. Heathrow believes funders will be willing to stump up the £10 billion or so, with sufficient certainty of the returns on their investment. But some Heathrow shareholders are privately warning they could reassess their willingness to pay for a 3rd runway if the CAA enforces an effective cut in the airport's charges to airlines over the next 5 years. Heathrow repeatedly emphasises that a huge hub airport is best for the airlines, as that enables them to be the most profitable. The Airports Commission has the task of ensuring that the UK retains its status as a key hub for global aviation, not merely catering for UK demand for air travel. The phrase "a world class airport for a world class city" is popular with the Heathrow lobby.
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Belfast City Airport: Reality dawns earlier now for unhappy airport neighbours
Over 8,000 people in North Down, south and east Belfast suffer from levels of aircraft noise that are considered to cause "significant community annoyance" - over 57 decibels - according to a new report by the Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology. Belfast City Airport has published a draft action plan which includes a proposal to begin operating a noise compensation scheme for local residents affected by loud noise – but only those affected by noise levels of over 63 decibels. Residents say aircraft noise has become worse since Aer Lingus launched 3 routes from the City Airport at the end of March. There is a 6.30am take off to Faro, 7 days a week and on weekdays, there are then 5 BA departures beginning at 6.35am, and all before 7am. The planes have been getting bigger over the last ten years. A resident asked: "Surely they should stick the big jets at the International Airport and keep the regional flights at the GBCA." Belfast City Airport Watch does not believe that an airport situated in a densely populated urban area is the right location for international flights due to the noise and health impact on local people.
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Noise respite trials on areas of Heathrow flight paths – results due in the autumn
Between November 2012 and March 2013, NATS conducted a trial (in association with BA and HACAN) of providing defined periods of noise respite to people living directly under the Heathrow flight paths. NATS says this is an example of using air traffic control to help reduce the burden of aircraft. The Heathrow noise respite trial explored routeing the 16 - 17 flights that arrive at Heathrow each morning between 4.30am and 6.00am. There were defined zones in the approach area above London and over Berkshire that were ‘active’ sequentially week by week. Pilots were directed by air traffic controllers to avoid flying through the zone that was active for that particular week. There were inner and outer quiet zones were established for each of the two runways which resulted in eight zones in total. Diagram below shows how the zones worked. The results, including community responses, will be available in the autumn and will indicate whether such noise respite would be beneficial in future.
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Gatwick Airport paid no Corporation Tax in three years
Gatwick Airport has a £1.2 billion capital investment programme to improve its infrastructure and facilities. But it paid no corporation tax for three consecutive years despite making £638m in profit before tax. Gatwick tried to defend this position, saying: "Whilst year on year we have lessened our financial losses we have yet to make a profit after tax. As a result the airport has not paid corporation tax ...Our current £1.2bn capital investment programme and existing asset base, together with the associated debt structure, result in depreciation and interest costs which reduce our operating profits to a loss before tax." In the 2012/13 year, Gatwick Airport made £227.1m profit before tax, a 2.5% increase, as it benefited from flights to new destinations in China, Russia, Indonesia, and Turkey. Despite this, it reported a net financial loss of £29.1m, citing asset depreciation and £226.7m of capital investment in the year. Corporation tax is only levied on a company's net profit. In the UK the corporation tax rate is 23%. Under UK tax law, corporations can claim tax allowances on certain purchases or investments made on business assets.Campaign group UK Uncut estimates that clever accounting rules and complex tax avoidance schemes cost Britain £12bn annually.