Airport News
Below are news items relating to specific airports
Fears in Scotland & Northern Ireland that air links to London may be lost unless ring fenced
Some in northern Scotland fear they could lose their flights from Inverness to London. There was a BA servicve from Inverness to Heathrow until 1997, and then a service by BMI till 2008. Now Inverness just has a Flybe link to Gatwick, and Ryanair to Luton. Some in Scotland are saying unless there is more south east runway capacity, the less profitable domestic flights, such as to Inverness, will be replaced by more profitable long haul routes. There is also concern in Northern Ireland that they could lose some of their air links to London, though Theresa Villiers has recently said "There is a case for looking at whether there is any scope within the debate in Europe at the minute with how slots are allocated as to whether there is any scope for ringfencing certain flights to Heathrow to ensure and have a guarantee that these flights remain in the long term."
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Smartphone app trial to capture and map Heathrow flight noise
HACAN has teamed up with University College London (UCL) to enable local communities on the flight path into Heathrowto do something about the problem of noise pollution for themselves. A new free to download app, called Widenoise, on smart phones enables them to collect their own noise readings. Isleworth has been chosen as the project location because it is directly under the Heathrow flight path. The readings taken by the phones can then be mapped and the combined information shared by all. From the launch on 19th June, the project will run for 4 weeks, and local residents are being encouraged to take part. and send in readings. The project will include the first few weeks of the 'operational trials’ due to start on 1st July. It will give residents a really useful way measuring the impact of the trials.
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Vince Cable backs Birmingham, while Boris pushes for Stansted expansion (and the estuary)
The campaign to expand Birmingham Airport has gained a new ally – Business Secretary, Vince Cable. The airport recently launched a new London publicity campaign to persuade the Government to throw its support behind Birmingham at the expense of a third runway at Heathrow. Vince Cable said there was no resistance from residents to this expansion to Birmingham building up to being a "really serious international airport", and this would be a "short-term, pragmatic solution that would bring an awful lot more flights to the country” while extra runway capacity at an airport in the South East could take years to deliver. So Boris has been suggesting a 2nd Stansted runway (opposed even by the aviation industry) and Vince is backing Birmingham, as interim "solutions" to an alleged problem of capacity.
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Daniel Moylan given space in the Standard to push for estuary airport
Daniel Moylan, a very well paid close aide of Boris Johnson, has been given space in the Evening Standard (carrying on its campaign to give as much prominence as it can to any view proposing a new runway or airport) to push for an estuary airport. The article contains some truly stunning statements and mis truths. Such as needing 4 or 5 runways at an airport in order to successfully trade with China, and that Heathrow barely serves China. (It actually has more flights to Hong Kong and China than its European rivals). In an earlier statement in May, Daniel Moylan somewhat bizarrely said the airport in the Thames Estuary would "have huge long-term benefits. It’s not an exaggeration to say the effects will still be felt in 500 years’ time.”
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Evening Standard says Boris Johnson wants a 2nd runway at Stansted (and to be PM so he can build the estuary airport)
Boris says a 2nd Stansted runway, and high speed rail to the airport,as an "interim solution" would be, in his words, a “fantastic step in the right direction” to solving the South-East’s (alleged) air capacity crisis before building a new hub in the Thames Estuary. Boris is complaining that David Cameron, in response to the barrage of lobbying for a new runway at Heathrow, has not ruled it out after the next election in 2015 - and Boris says this is detracting from his plans for the mega airport in the Thames estuary. BAA said building runway 2 at Stansted "will not solve the UK’s hub airport capacity crisis" and would just "increase the amount of spare capacity there.” Boris's comments will be seen as an acceptance that the Government will not immediately opt for his estuary airport plan. Oh, and he wants to be Prime Minister too - so he can get the estuary airport plan through....
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“Grow Heathrow” in court facing eviction from their organic gardening site in Sipson – (now delayed a few weeks)
The "Grow Heathrow" community, who have turned an area in Sipson that was once a "derelict mess", into a thriving market garden, are facing eviction. However, the young people living there are popular with the local community, who want them to stay. When they arrived several years ago, they cleared as much as 30 tonnes of rubbish off the site, renovated greenhouses and now grow organic lettuces, courgettes,squashes etc. The site happens to be where a 3rd runway was to be built - a location in many of their neighbours' interests to protect. he owner of the land wants his land back, and a hearing at Central London County Court began on Monday but the judge has decided to take more time, so they are not due back in court for several weeks. The court is expected to weigh up the human rights and hard work of those who have moved in against the simple fact the land is not theirs.
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Munich residents vote against new 3rd runway at Munich airport – 54% said No
Munich residents voted against development of a 3rd runway, in a poll by the City of Munich, which owns 23% of the runway (state and federal government own the rest). Though the city only owns part of the airport, this is thought to be a veto. Munich Mayor Christian Ude said he would accept the result "without ifs or buts." Bavaria's state government, however, said it still hopes the runway could eventually be built.Munich is Germany's second-biggest airport. The vote has dealt another blow to airlines clamouring for growth in Germany. Just over 54% of polled voters were against the new runway and 45.7% in favour, according to preliminary results of the vote on Sunday. A German district government ruled in favour of the €1.2 billion Munich runway project almost a year ago. This vote shows, quote: "how difficult it has become to make clear the significance of important infrastructure projects in our country,' according to the Munich airport chief.
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Aer Lingus to switch from Belfast International to Belfast City Airport
The Chief Executive of George Best Belfast City Airport has dismissed the remarks made by BALPA link , that Belfast should have only one airport, at a Commons Select Committee hearing as laughable. He said the airport is a profitable privately run company, and cannot be closed down against their wishes. BALPA had said that Belfast City airport was not needed, and was creating over capacity for Belfast. Meanwhile Aer Lingus is thought to be switching its operations from Belfast International Airport to Belfast City Airport, after the City airport lost BMI Baby. Aer Lingus flies to Heathrow and 7 European destinations, but it is thought it may expand routes to regional UK airports from the City and compete with Flybe. The move could happen soon, and the City Airport would have Belfast's only Heathrow connection.
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Aircraft noise reducing property prices by up to 30% near Frankfurt airport
Residents in Frankfurt, whose homes are now blighted by noise from the new 4th runway, that produces much more aircraft noise than expected, now know their property values are being seriously reduced. A recent study found the decline is up to 30%, in 20 communities around the airport. Those who can afford to are moving out of the area. The cost of compensating all those affected would be enormous, and so they are saying that the noise has to be reduced substantially.
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600 homes to finally get £1,500 compensation for building of Manchester 2nd runway
Nearly 600 homeowners and 6 schools in Knutsford and Mobberley are to get a pay out for the building of Manchester Airport's 2nd runway. This will come from the airport's owner, the Manchester Airports Group. The householders say claimed their properties were devalued due to the noise from the planes since the runway opened in 2001. The schools will get £1,300 each. This has been brokered by local MP, the Chancellor George Osborne, and Jeff Gazzard. Two years ago 300 Knutsford and Mobberley residents were compensated. This is the final compensation and the end of an 11 year battle. The total payout comes to £1 million. The airport will also pay the council tax precept, £117,702. which is levied to fund Knutsford town council and Mobberley parish council, for one year.