Airport News
Below are news items relating to specific airports
Frankfurt airport protesters have picnic breakfast in the peace, away from aircraft noise, outside airport boss’ house
About 20 protesters against the unacceptable noise caused by Frankfurt airport met on Saturday morning to set up their picnic breakfast outside the house of the Frankfurt Airport boss. His house is in a quiet area, not overflown, unlike theirs. They just wanted, on this warm, heatwave morning, to enjoy breakfast in peace outdoors - something they can no longer do in their own homes and gardens. There were no slogans or chanting, but just a peaceful breakfast. And there was no sign of the boss, Schulte, whose shutters remained resolutely closed throughout.
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Manchester Airport unveils plans to concrete former greenbelt land with ‘World Logistics Hub’
Manchester Airport has announced plans to concrete over former greenbelt land (removed form the greenbelt in July 2012) around Sunbank Lane to make way for a 'World Logistics Hub'. The area currently contains residential houses and greenfields and also borders onto an SSSI. The plans involve construction of around 43 warehouses and office units of various sizes on land adjacent to the A538, as well as 1,473 car parking spaces, and form part of the wider Airport City Enterprise Zone. Though the airport anticipates many jobs being created over 15 years, it is likely many of these are jobs displaced from elsewhere as businesses relocate due to lower business rates. The Airport have published an 'informal' consultation document and intend to submit a formal planning application during August with a 21 day consultation.
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New Berlin airport could face further delays – even into summer or autumn 2013
Berlin's new Brandenburg airport, the opening of which is already delayed till March 2013, is likely to be still further delayed - even to summer or autumn 2013. It was meant to open in June 2012, but delay was caused by problems with the fire safety systems. The airport is trying to speed up the process, as delay is costing a great deal of money. Besides the modifications to the fire systems, authorities have now found that tens of thousands of local residents will need to have their properties soundproofed against aircraft noise owing to a mix-up in planning flight paths. This noise insulation could cost €591 million for houses in the airport's vicinity against noise, which it would cost if noise can never exceed a maximum level of 55dB. The company had previously filed an application to allow noise levels to exceed 55dB up to 6 times a day. But this has been withdrawn, allowing only one excess of 55dB in two days. The regular, large scale noise protesters at Frankfurt airport may be influencing their decision.
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Luton airport expansion plans for 18mppa given decisive “thumbs down” on environmental grounds
Luton Airport's owner (Luton Borough Council) and operator (London Luton Airport Operations Ltd) have together announced they are set to submit plans to increase capacity to allow for a maximum of 18 million passengers per year, from current levels of around 10 million. The reasons put forward by Luton Borough Council for these proposals centre around creating wealth, and they hope it would allow the airport to "continue to deliver sustainable growth" benefiting residents and passengers". The local campaign group HALE (Hertfordshire Against Luton Expansion), which opposes further expansion at the airport, commented that Luton Borough Council in only interested in milking the airport for cash, and talk of "sustainable" airport growth is an oxymoron. Another local campaign group, LADACAN (Luton & District Association for the Control of Aircraft Noise) criticised the absence of any mention of the environmental impact of increased aircraft noise, which would inevitably be a result of a flight leaving every 90 seconds - resulting in continuous noise over people’s heads starting at 6 am in the morning. Public consultation on the plans is scheduled to start on Sept 3rd.
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Saga of Spain’s unused, over-budget, delayed, badly planned airport at Castellon
Castellón-Costa Azahar Airport is an airport in eastern Spain. It has become a symbol of the wasteful spending that has sunk Spain deep into a recession and a banking crisis. It was officially declared "open" by local authorities in March, 2011 despite having no airlines signed up to land there, nor government approval to operate. Delayed for several years and at a current cost of €150 million, commercial flights were due to begin on 1 April 2012 but, as of August 2012, there have been none and it now might open in January 2013. A $375,000, 79 feet tall statue of Carlos Fabra, a local politician, was erected in the airport. Fabra has been under judicial investigation in connection with several cases of corruption and tax evasion - the statue is now some €127,000 over budget. The runway has had to be dug up and rebuilt as it was too narrow for safe operation.
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Walsh confirms the closure of Bmibaby in September with job losses
IAG will press ahead with plans to close no-frills Bmibaby on 9th September. When IAG bought Bmi recently they said they would sell Bmibaby after a 3-month consultation process with Bmibaby staff. This has now finished, and the decision is to sell. Around 350 jobs will be lost at Bmibaby.IAG had already cut various Bmibaby routes from June, and now the remaining flights from Birmingham and East Midlands end in September. No buyer could be found for Bmibaby, though Bmi Regional was sold at the end of May. BA is taking on around 1,500 of Bmi’s 2,700 staff – mostly pilots and cabin crew. The decision on which airlines’ will get the 12 Heathrow slots being given up by BA will probably be made in December.
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London City Airport complains that Southend airport is calling itself a London airport
London City Airport has hit out at IATA's decision to allow Southend to call itself "London Southend", stating "what's next, London Basingstoke?" Southend is 45 miles from central London, and an hour by train. That means quite a trip into London for passengers. There are also bizarrely named London Ashfore (= Lydd) and "London Oxford". Of course, though Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted are all, realistically, London airports, London City Airport wants to be the only London one, as the only airport with a London post code. LCY said: "You have to feel for the visitor who expects to land in London and ends up in a field on the east coast." So much for Birmingham airport hoping to substitute for a London airport runway.
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Stop Stansted Expansion celebrates its 10th birthday
There was only time for a brief pause during a busy Stop Stansted Expansion committee meeting on August 3rd, to celebrate the campaign group’s 10th birthday. After a quick group photograph and a slice of cake it was back to work, dealing with the Government’s latest consultation on future aviation policy. SSE's Chairman, Peter Sanders, reminded everyone of what SSE has achieved in its decade and the remarkable success is stopping a 2nd runway, after a long fight. They list 10 key achievements, as well as the runway win. However, the Government is again looking at airport capacity in the South East and SSE is again working hard behind the scenes trying to prevent a repeat of the threat of Stansted becoming another Heathrow.
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Manchester Airports Group secures £1bn boost to buy Stansted in deal with Australian investors
Manchester Airports Group has struck an £1bn deal with Australian investors in preparation to try and buy Stansted. The deal is conditional on the sale of Stansted going ahead. Australian infrastructure group, Industry Funds Management, has won the contest to buy a 35% stake in the MAG. This will lay the foundations for a takeover of Stansted. MAG is currently jointly owned by Greater Manchester’s ten town halls. The share of MAG owned by Manchester City Council would fall from 55% to 35%, and the other 9 councils would jointly have a 30% stake, down from 45%. Manchester council would have equal voting rights as IFM. All 10 town halls approved the new structure. However, BAA says it will now take its case to the Supreme Court after its case was rejected by UK Court of Appeal last week. MAG already owns Manchester, East Midlands and Bournemouth airports.
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Carlisle Airport – plans approved in principle, but legal and planning obstacles still remain
Plans to redevelop Carlisle Airport have been cleared in principle, by Carlisle City council, with an 11 - 1 vote, for air freight flights and passenger flights, but with many conditions. There could still be a judicial review by Peter Eliott. The Planning officer recommended “on balance” that councillors approve the plans, even though allowing the freight distribution centre in open countryside was against policy. The airport currently loses money, and the council hopes it will become profitable and bring money into the local economy. However, the council’s aviation consultants doubted whether scheduled passenger flights and air freight would survive for long. The airport can only survive if it is cross-subsidised by the freight distribution centre, and this may be illegal under EU law. Stobart are trying to make out that Carlisle can be as well used as Southend airport has become, but they are not readily comparable.