Airport News
Below are news items relating to specific airports
Cautious welcome from Belfast City residents for airport noise consultation
Local residents have given a cautious welcome to news that the Environment Minister, will hold an inquiry and consultation aimed at addressing the issue of aircraft noise linked to George Best Belfast City Airport. Belfast City Airport Watch (BCAW) want protection for local residents and their quality of life. They say: “A far higher number of residents living near City Airport have to suffer unacceptable levels of noise than is the case at major UK airports such as Stansted or Gatwick." They also face more noise this year from several new international routes operating out of City which are likely to push up noise levels even further. BCAW wants the consultation to result in a tougher airport Planning Agreement which is properly enforced. Many thousands of Belfast people suffer levels of noise above those recommended by the WHO.
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John McDonnell MP calls for publication of all contacts between aviation industry & ministers
In a letter to the Guardian, John says that since the government decided against a 3rd runway, BAA and the aviation industry have mounted a vastly expensive lobbying campaign to reverse this decision. Now we have the revelation that companies have been able to buy access to ministers with the opportunity to influence policy. "I am calling for the publication of all contacts between the aviation industry and ministers, civil servants and party officials at all levels." If the government "seeks to ride roughshod over the democratic wishes of our people on this issue, we will call up the largest environmental direct action campaign this country has seen. It won't just be a campaign about a runway it will be a campaign to reclaim democracy and demand honest politics."
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Heathrow’s third runway is not happening – move on. John Stewart.
It turns out that the stories about the government having changed its mind on a Heathrow 3rd runway were just rumours, set off by the aviation industry as part of their PR machine. The Financial Times quotes George Osborne's office: "There is no softening on the question of a third runway at Heathrow." This is significant, as the chancellor was the man consistently fingered as pushing for a review of the policy on Heathrow. In November 2011 the Chancellor said the government would "explore all options for maintaining the UK's aviation hub status, with the exception of a third runway at Heathrow". In reality, the practical and political difficulties of building a 3rd airport at Heathrow are insuperable. The high-profile aviation industry campaign has not produced any convincing evidence to back up its vociferous claims that the UK economy will suffer unless there is additional runway capacity. John McDonnell has called for publication of all contacts between the aviation industry and ministers, civil servants and party officials at all levels, to reveal lobbying.
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Simon Jenkins: London’s airports and a string of broken promises
What value a politician’s promise? As London airport policy returns to centre stage, this issue is centre stage. Nothing in London politics has been more cynical than the “historic pledges” given by governments to residents around Heathrow, Stansted and Gatwick airports. Time after time local people have been told that if only they would capitulate and accept giant jets flying over their homes, “There will never be any question of further expansion in the future.” The congestion and noise pollution associated with major airports in residential areas are now regarded, in most countries, as unacceptable. The aviation industry once promised to invent engines so quiet that airport noise would be a thing of the past. In London, millions must have been devoted to lobbying successive governments to break the promises of no expansion from their predecessors.
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Belfast City Airport Drops Runway Extension plans – comment from BCAW
Belfast City Airport Watch give a cautious welcome to the news that the airport has dropped its plan for a runway extension. But BCAW say the City Airport is, in any case, transforming itself into an international airport (with 9 international routes this summer) which - because of the larger, and so noisier planes required - is likely to exacerbate the existing noise nuisance suffered by thousands of residents. What’s needed is tougher noise regulation so there can be a balance between the commercial interests of the airport, and the health and quality of life of residents. BCAW welcome the fact that the Department of the Environment is about to hold an inquiry to look at the noise issue, and hope residents will get better protection from noise as a result of it. They feel that the City airport should not be an international airport, while there’s an existing international airport – Belfast International – just up the road with plenty of spare capacity.
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Thousands gather at German airports to protest against aircraft noise
On Saturday 24th, thousands across Germany - perphaps as many as 30,000 - took part in protests at airports, against airport expansion and aircraft noise. At Frankfurt airport there were around 10,000 people, wanting a night flight ban from 22:00 until 6:00 and a cap on the number of take-offs and landings each day. At Berlin there were about 10,000 protesters against the planned new Brandenburg airport. And at Munich airport, over 500 people had a picnic in the terminal, protesting against a planned 3rd runway, the decision on which is due in June. There were also protests at Halle, Düsseldorf, Leipzig, Bonn and Cologne - as well as at Nantes.
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Heathrow: The whirlpool of uncertainty is playing to the aviation industry’s advantage
John Stewart, Chair of AirportWatch and of HACAN, writes about the flurry of publicity over the past few days, with speculative stories about the prospects of a third Heathrow runway. John says this whirlpool of uncertainty is playing to the aviation industry’s advantage. This campaign is aiming to change opinion in government, and is one lacking supporting facts and figures, and is based on innuendo, off-the-record briefings, private lunches and advertising slogans. The campaign is typified by the BAA adverts plastered across the London underground. MPs have said they cannot remember such a sustained campaign from any industry.
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Luton Airport expansion plans ‘ludicrous’, says Herts County Council
Herts County Council say the plans are ludicrous and the application needs to be called in and decided by the Secretary of State. They say they are surprised "how little intelligence accompanies this consultation" and that having two consultations and two applications going on in parallel is very confusing for everyone.The Cabinet Member for the Environment said: "I would urge the borough and the operator to consider their respective positions and - regardless of the merits or otherwise of growth at the airport - come forward with a mutually acceptable proposal"
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EasyJet flights from Southend to 9 destinations start on 2nd April
EasyJet starts its flights from Southend on 2nd April. They say there will be 70 easyJet flights per week. They will start a ski flight to Geneva at the end of the year. The easyJet launch programme includes family destinations, city breaks and a few business routes. There will be 9 destinations, rising to 10 with the addition of Geneva. Alicante, Amsterdam, Barcelona Berlin, Faro, Ibiza, Jersey, Majorca and Malaga. Amsterdam is proving the most popular route to and from Southend. There will also be two routes to Ireland by Aer Lingus, to Waterford and to Dublin. EasyJet say Southend is their 11th UK base, bringing 3 new A319s and "over 150 employees" to the airport. They expect over 800,000 passengers in the first year.
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Boris Johnson: Heathrow third runway will not be built while I’m mayor
Boris yesterday said that reviving the plan "would be an environmental disaster". He said: "It would mean a huge increase in plans over London, and intolerable traffic and fumes in the west of the city – and it will not be built as long as I am Mayor of London. That is why the Government is right to look at all new solutions for extra aviation capacity except the third runway at Heathrow." The Department for Transport said last week opposition to a third runway at Heathrow is a "Coalition policy" that will not change. Ken LIvingstone also opposes a 3rd runway at Heathrow, arguing short-haul capacity should instead be switched from Heathrow to Gatwick and Stansted to open up more long-haul slots to emerging markets including India and China.