Airport News
Below are news items relating to specific airports
Boris Johnson rows back from his £40bn Estuary airport
Boris says he is no longer committed to an estuary airport & hinted that new high-speed rail links could be the answer. He now concedes there may be alternative ideas to "Boris island" but it is "extremely superficially attractive." And "More and more freight is now coming by air. If London is going to remain competitive we have to think about air capacity." He blamed "nimby activists" for problems securing a location for airport expansion.
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Birmingham Airport Urges Government to Rethink APD
BIRMINGHAM Airport and other regional airports and airlines have joined forces to urge the Chancellor of the Exchequer to abandon the ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to APD following its decision to reduce taxation on long haul flights from airports in Northern Ireland. In a joint letter sent to Mr Osborne, they welcomed the Chancellor’s decision and said it trusted this would pave the way for reductions on services from all the UK regions outside of London.
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Heathrow runway trial will relax noise limits and cause more noise for many
People living under Heathrow flight paths face increased noise after the introduction of new runway rules. BAA is to trial a scheme allowing the use of both runways simultaneously from July to Sept 2012. Currently, those living under the flight path have a respite from noise when the runways alternate at 3pm. Under the trial, which will also run from November to February, the threshold for triggering emergency dual use of the runways will be lowered. Residents could face increased noise from losing some of their respite periods.
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Manston airport dragging its heels over its night flight plans
Manston airport continues to want night flights, to keep it in business. It makes out that without being allowed more, the airport would not be able to deliver on its (fairytale) Master Plan. In Oct 2010 Ramsgate Town Council held its own mini-consultation and rejected night flights, and in Nov 2010 a report from consultancy Bureau Veritas on the airport's proposals concluded the costs outweigh the benefits. Still no news from the airport on night flying plans.
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Belfast City residents welcome concession of airport court case but are cautious about inquiry move
Residents have reacted cautiously to news that the Environment Minister is considering modifying the noise regulations governing the operation of the airport. He has announced an inquiry which will investigate how the current planning agreement between the Department and the airport can be altered. The Department is dropping its defence in a legal battle with Belfast City Airport Watch over the planning agreement. Over 11,000 people are affected by aircraft noise.
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Newcastle Airport expands in £3.2m investment with extension to the terminal
Plans have been unveiled for a £3.2m investment to extend the airport for the first time since 2004. The terminal will have a 5,000sq ft annex which will house the new security checks, cutting the time passengers spend queuing. Work may start in October, in phases, with the project scheduled for completion in spring 2012. The extension comes after work to refurbish the departure gates. The airport hopes the work will increase international trade links.
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BA buys 6 pairs of slots at Heathrow from bmi
British Airways has bought the slots from bmi, which now gives it 45% of the slots at the country’s major airport. This has increased speculation that the International Airline Group (IAG) of which BA is a part, could buy more slots from the loss making bmi or even take over the whole airline. The 6 pairs of slots, estimated to cost between €100m and €150m, will be used to expand both BA’s short and long haul services, possibly including new destinations.
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Aviation industry won’t take no for an answer on Heathrow expansion
The government has made it quite clear that it will not support a 3rd runway at Heathrow. Despite this, BA recently in their LDF response, asked Hillingdon Council to block development, except airport-related development, around the airport to leaveroom for expansion. The council refused on 7th September. Also BAA is holding onto the houses that it purchased when it was expecting to build a 3rd runway, presumably because it too has not given up on expansion.
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Newquay Airport: Passenger numbers down and down, subsidy up and up
Newquay airport gets a msssive public subsidy it is. Passenger numbers were supposed to be 550,000 and rising by 2012. Instead they are 239,246 and falling (figures based on provisional statistics for August 2011, annualised). Meanwhile the official subsidy from Cornwall Council has risen to £3.5m, though cynical observers might consider this only part of the story.
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Lydd airport says “Lydd Airport ‘could take strain off Gatwick and Heathrow’ “
Airport managers say they can become an operation big enough to save people a trip to Gatwick or Heathrow if they can expand. The public inquiry ended on 16th September. Opponents argued Lydd Airport was not needed and objected on the grounds of environment, safety and need. The airport hopes to become a local regional airport, serving local people, and provide some much-needed jobs to the local community. Permission for the runway extension has been given.