Airport News
Below are news items relating to specific airports
Passengers down – 1.3% in October, compared to October 2010, at BAA’s airports
In October, the number of passengers at Heathrow was down 1.3% compared to October 2010; at Stansted down - 4.9%; at Edinburgh up + 1.8%; at Glasgow up + 0.3%. Over all BAA's UK airports passengers were down - 1.3% and Air Transport movements down - 0.8%. Cargo was down - 7.5% for all BAA airports, down - 7.2% at Heathrow, and down - 11.4% at Stansted. Heathrow's domestic passengers were down - 17% and BAA's domestic passengers across their airports down 9.9%.
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BAA has decided not to submit a planning application for the taxiway works
BAA has decided not to submit a planning application for the taxiway works necessary for aircraft to routinely take-off over the village of Cranford. Take-offs to the east from the northern runway have until now been prevented by the Cranford agreement. The government is committed to ending the Cranford agreement. The consultation will not take place during the 'Operational Freedoms' trial, as BAA believes this could lead to confusion between the two.
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Manston Campaigners anger at bid to introduce night flights
People living near Manston are very concerned there will be more noisy night flights. Currently the airport is not allowed any flights between 11pm and 7am. In new plans, Infratil says it will limit flights between 11.30pm and 6am to less than 2 per night, but leaves them free to fly as many planes as they want, (forecast to be an average 6.4 per night) unrestricted by noise limits, between 11 and 11.30pm and between 6 and 7 am. Some nights there could be more.
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St Erth British International Helicopters plan dropped
In order to save money, by selling their Penzance heliport site to Sainsburys (which has planning consent), British International Helicopters had a planning application to create a new heliport at St Erth, some 8 miles north east of Penzance. This plan has now been dropped. The heliport would largely be used for flights to and from the Scilly Isles. There will inevitably be more noise for people locally, who strongly opposed the move. The helicopters will move to Newquay instead of St Erth.
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Nantes campaigners set off by bike and tractor on 400km journey to get to Paris by 12th
The protestors against a new airport at Nantes have set of on their week long, 400 km ride by bicycle and tractor to Paris for a rally on Saturday 12th. This is a key part of their campaign against the building of a new airport, on a greenfield site. The campaigners argue that the airport is not needed, does not make economic sense, and will do great damage both to the local environment, and by increasing carbon emissions.
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Upset over Pickles’ airport business dinner with the industry before granting consent
Local government secretary Eric Pickles has come under fire for attending a private dinner with Farnborough airport chief executive Brandon O'Reilly just days before plans to almost double its capacity were finally approved. The dinner, at the 5-star Savoy hotel in February, was hosted by the lobbying firm Bell Pottinger. Guidance from Mr Pickles’s own department states that planning ministers are ‘strongly advised’ to decline requests for such meetings.
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Lord Foster’s Thames Estuary airport plan ‘pie-in-the-sky’ too close to oil terminal and devastating to wildlife
Foster's plan for a 4-runway airport in the Thames Estuary has been branded as a "daft pie-in-the-sky" scheme. Medway council say building it near existing gas terminals was a "potentially lethal mix". Nearby is one of the world's largest liquefied natural gas terminals. Medway council say the Isle of Grain was one of the worst places anyone could build a new airport. Friends of the Earth said building the airport would have a "devastating impact" on wildlife.
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Lord Foster unveils ambitious airport plans for Hoo Peninsula
Lord Foster has revealed ambitious plans for a multi-billion pounds transport hub connecting the UK's main sea ports and creating a huge new airport in Kent. The Thames Hub plans bring together a new river barrier and crossing, a 4 runway international airport on the Hoo Peninsula, and a shipping and rail complex.Foster says it will "lay the foundations for the future prosperity of Britain" and "create jobs across the UK and boost the economies ..." etc etc
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Home demolished for Gloucestershire Airport runway growth – for CAA “safety requirements”
A family home has been demolished to make way for a controversial runway extension. The demolition is part of a £4 million scheme to allow safety areas at either end of the runway to be extended by 30 metres to meet CAA requirements. Most of the work should be completed by the end of the year, but installation of new technology enabling aircraft to land in bad weather will be in 2012.This could lead to more flights and bigger aircraft using the airfield.
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Government won’t rule out plans for Boris Island airport in Thames Estuary
Plans for a Thames Estuary airport have not been ruled out completely by the government. Justine Greening said the coalition was willing to examine options to increase capacity in the region. "The Mayor is obviously a keen campaigner for the scheme and it will be something we look at..." said a DfT spokesman. She left open the possibility that the airport plan – dubbed Boris Island – could still be part of the agenda. They also back expansion at many airports.