Airport News
Below are news items relating to specific airports
Heathrow protesters to barricade homes
BAA is to start buying 700 properties under threat from the 3rd runway, which has government backing but is opposed by the Tories and Lib-Dems. In response protesters from groups including Plane Stupid have escalated a campaign to "adopt" residents and are persuading them to barricade their homes. "seeing old ladies being frogmarched from their homes by police and BAA isn't going to look good on the teatime news is it?" (This is London)
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Global Infrastructure Partners announces board for Gatwick Airport
GIP has announced the following appointments to the Board of Gatwick, to take effect following completion of the acquisition in the 1st week of December. GIP will be investing through Ivy Bidco Limited, a company established for the purposes of making the acquisition. The board will be chaired by Sir David Rowlands, the former Permanent Secretary at the DfT. Also Michael McGhee, Bill Woodburn, Andrew Jurenko, and James van Hoften. (BAA)
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London Assembly call for Mayor to oppose 2012 night flights
The London Assembly has asked Mayor Boris Johnson to speak out against any attempt to allow night flights during the 2012 Olympic Games. A motion agreed unanimously at last week’s Mayor’s Question Time calls on him to write jointly with the Chair of the London Assembly to the Secretary of State for Transport and his relevant counterparts in the opposition parties to express their concerns. (Mayorwatch)
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New Gatwick owners – GIP – set out plans
The new owners of Gatwick. Global Infrastructure Partners, have promised a "relentless" focus on customer service. They have announced a new board to run the airport following its takeover from BAA, and want to "inject real competition into the London airports market." GIP expects to complete the acquisition of Gatwick in the first week of December. (TravelMole)
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Government refuses Gatwick inquiry
The Government has refused to hold a public inquiry into plans to expand the North Terminal, saying it should be left to "local democracy". The planned developemnt is bigger than the total size of many regional airports. GACC believes that to permit it with no detailed examination and no safeguards for the environment is a disgrace. The expansion would allow the airport to expand from its previous peak of 35 million passengers a year to 40 million. (GACC)
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Campaign for Heathrow transport hub set to gather pace
The campaign for Heathrow Hub, a proposed transport interchange at the world's second-busiest airport, is set to gather pace next month. Arup, the engineer that first proposed the hub, is understood to be meeting with representatives from interested parties, including Crossrail and Network Rail, in early December. Arup is believed to be gathering support ahead of the publication of refreshed plans later in the month. (Independent on Sunday)
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Bristol Airport expansion plan decision delayed
Bristol International Airport bosses will have to wait until February to hear whether their £150 million expansion plans will get the green light. A decision from North Somerset Council on the airport's proposal had been expected on December 9. But councillors will now have extra time to digest the plans to increase annual passenger traffic to 10 million by 2016 from the current level of 6 million a year. (This is Bristol)
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Infratil to sell Prestwick and Manston
Infratil may be planning to sell off its remaining airports. Prestwick and Manston could be sold within a year. They already sold their German airport back to the City of Lubeck this month at a near break-even price.
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Bristol – Local tourism jobs lose out with airport growth
Thousands of jobs in the local tourism industry have been lost despite Bristol Airport’s huge growth in recent years. This is shown in a new report from Stop Bristol Airport Expansion, which for the first time compares tourism data for the South West with airport growth figures. The soaring passenger numbers at Bristol Airport between 2001 and 2007 did not result in a boom for local tourism. In fact the tourism sector shrank by 10% in real terms. (SBAE) Report author Jeremy Birch said that given the figures in the study, there was no reason to think that BIA’s proposed 60% expansion is likely to reverse this trend.
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Gatwick – NO Runway pledge given by key Tory MP
At the AGM of GACC, Horsham MP Francis Maude made the pledge that a Conservative government would say no to a new runway at Gatwick. Mr Maude is the man in charge of implementing the next Conservative manifesto. He said "That is a firm Shadow Cabinet decision which will not be changed, whatever the pressure from the airlines. We will be authorising a high-speed rail link to the north of England". (Reigate etc Life)