Airport News
Below are news items relating to specific airports
Rival group of Morrison, NZSF and Infratil enters battle for Stansted airport
The process of the sale of Stansted is believed to have started. A team that is headed by Morrison & Co, which operates in New Zealand, Australia and Hong Kong, is making a bid. The team also includes the New Zealand Superannuation Fund and Infratil. The interest of Infratil in Stansted has surprised some industry observers because it is currently trying to sell its two smaller British airports – Prestwick and Manston – which have both lost Infratil a lot of money. Infratil, which runs about £2.5bn of assets, has twice written down Manston and Prestwick in the past two years, with their carrying value almost halving from £70m to £36m today. The two airports lost around £6m last year. The Morrison consortium is believed to have held early talks with Ryanair, and is in competition with Manchester Airports Group, which is in a potential deal with Australia’s Industry Funds Management. And others. The sale is complicated by the Government’s review of airport capacity in the south east, led Sir Howard Davies
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Manchester airport bosses enlist Hallé Orchestra in bid to land China flights
Manchester Airport’s wants direct flights to China, which would make sense as there are some 9,000 flights per year between Manchester and Heathrow, some for transfers to China flights from Heathrow. Direct flights would make more sense. Manchester airport is supporting the Hallé Orchestra on its first tour of China, in a bid to boost trade and increase exports from the north west. The delegation will enjoy receptions at the British Ambassador’s residence in Beijing. Local businesses are being offered the chance to join the 11-day tour – and take part in the trade mission. Companies may be eligible for government grants to help with travel costs and UK Trade & Investments will help firms to identify potential customers or partners in China and arrange meetings to set up deals. The airport wants to attract Chinese firms to its "Airport City".
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Heathrow third runway: London councils to hold local referenda
TBoris has backed local referenda across the capital to give Londoners a say on the prospect of a 3rd runway at Heathrow, and signalled he may conduct a London-wide poll on the issue in the future. He said this after Richmond announced they will hold a referendum soon to send a message to the government about the strength of feeling against Heathrow expansion. Another Tory-led council, Hillingdon, is also considering a local referendum on Heathrow. The leader of the council, Ray Puddifoot, said it was in favour of Johnson holding a London-wide poll. Boris says it is vital to knock the "foolish" idea of a third runway once and for all "because as long as business thinks that option is still alive, that is going to be the one the Treasury will continue to push." And if there was a 3rd runway, there would then be pressure for a 4th.
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Heathrow expansion referendum call by Richmond Council
Richmond Council Leader, Lord True, has said that people in Richmond are to have their say on Heathrow expansion in a referendum-style vote. The ballot would be held in May 2013, and give the borough's residents the chance to say "No" to expansion. Meanwhile, the Davies Commission on connectivity will provide an interim report to the Government no later than the end of 2013. Lord True said: "I deeply regret that the nightmare vision of Heathrow expansion that had been so wisely laid to rest by our coalition government has been resurrected. This time we must kill it off for good." He said Richmond residents were given hope, in 2010, of permanent relief from expansion - they trusted the word of those who gave that promise and it should not be broken. The leader of the opposition in Richmond questioned whether the vote would be a good use of taxpayers' money.
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Cameron likely to lose seats in constituencies affected by airport expansion
A Bloomberg article says voters affected by noise from Heathrow flights paths are likely to vote against the Conservatives at the next election, if they do not oppose expansion at Heathrow. Zac Goldsmith only won the Richmond Park district 2 years ago by 4,091 votes out of 59,268 from the Liberal Democrats. Cameron can’t afford to lose seats if he wants to retain power after the next election, scheduled for 2015. Conservative Brentford & Isleworth MP, Mary McLeod - with a majority of 2.000 - , says she was elected on the basis of no Heathrow expansion. Data from the EC and Britain’s CAA show that 725,000 people are affected by aircraft noise around Heathrow. Justine Greening's Putney constituency was held by Labour before 2005. Districts to the SE of London in Dartford, Chatham and Gillingham, all of which the Tories won from Labour in 2010, might be vulnerable if an estuary airport went ahead.
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BBC: Heathrow expansion: The alternatives to a third runway
The BBC has done a short analysis on the main suggestions for adding more runway capacity in the south east of England, and include a section on not building any more. They put a couple of points in favour and against, for Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Thames Estuary, Northolt and Birmingham - though many other points are left out. However, they include a comment from Jane Thomas, a senior FoE campaigner that "There should be a moratorium on any airport expansion at all. A bigger threat to our economy and our future is climate change. We need to look at the switch from short haul flights to rail." And a comment from John Stewart (Chair of AirportWatch) that "We don't have any hard evidence yet on demand. Former Transport SecretaryJustine Greening had the right approach, 'Is extra capacity needed? How much? Then, where?' "
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Nantes airport protest at the Eiffel Tower, complete with sheep and tractor
Over the weekend, the very active and energetic protest group against a new airport at Notre Dame des Landes, near Nantes, took their protest to Paris. This coincides with an environmental conference taking place in Paris, but which will not discuss the airport issue. The protesters managed to quickly get a tractor close to the Eiffel Tower, the main symbolic image of Paris, and erect a pen for some sheep they had brought with them, which they grazed on the grass around the tower in the Champ-de-Mars. All this was watched with great interest by bemused tourists, who took loads of photos, as seeing sheep, tractor and protesters under the Eiffel Tower is not something one expects to see every day. The protest is against President Hollande's support for building the airport, and his refusal to meet them. The protest continued over night.
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Viterbo – the 3rd Rome airport that is not going to happen
Note from a local resident in the area, involved in opposing the airport: The Viterbo committee put messages out nearly every day, countering the presumption that there will be a new Viterbo airport for Rome. The idea of Viterbo airport is a scam to keep the people of Ciampino quiet, including the mayors of two municipalities on the flight path, because it makes it look as if something is being done about the problem there, namely three times the traffic allowed for the airport. The authorities are saying "Look, we are doing something about overuse of this airport. When Viterbo airport is finished the air traffic will go there." But there isn't even a decent train line to Rome from VT and the whole operation would cost money that no govt has at the moment.
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Village of Mole Hill Green would be demolished by a 2nd Stansted runway
Simon Calder writes about prospects of another Stansted runway, which Michael O'Leary has told him "would account for all the growth you need in the South-east for 10 or 20 years." BAA withdrew a planning application for a 2nd runway shortly after the last election, but Stansted is now for sale. It a 2nd runway was built, the village of Molehill Green would be demolished. Stop Stansted Expansion says the weakening of this Government's position on runways is deplorable, but they expect the new Davies Commission to draw the same conclusion as a 1980s report, that an extra runway at Stansted would be: "An unprecedented and wholly unacceptable major environmental and visual disaster."
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Objections to plans for a 3rd runway at Vienna airport
Vienna airport has plans for a third runway, saying it is necessary due to increasing numbers of passengers etc. In July a consultation process started, on the environmental impact assessment. This has now closed, and there have been at least 25 appeals sent in. The second phase of the decision process will be handled by the Department of the Environment. Realistically, a final decision on the runway will not happen before 2014/15. Expansion opponents fear that their objections will not be listened to. A spokesman for the initiative opposing the runway plans said a few weeks ago that the construction of the road is already a foregone conclusion. The airport's dialogue forum says residents groups are happy that more stringent noise and night flight regulations had been incorporated than provided by law.