Airport News
Below are news items relating to specific airports
Plane crazy as skies get busier with planes from City over Havering
Residents are up in arms and one is being forced to move as increased flights over their homes quite literally shake them from their sleep. The increase is partly due to London City Airport redirecting its flight paths over Havering, a spokesman admitted this week. A resident has kept a log of the flights and says they are most frequent between 7.30am and 9.30 and 4.30pm and 7.00pm, sometimes jetting overhead every four minutes. (Romford Recorder)
Click here to view full story...
Oil rich sheikhs to fund ‘Boris Island’ airport in middle of Thames estuary
Oil rich Arab sheikhs are prepared to fund London Mayor Boris Johnson's ambitious £40billion plan to build an airport in the middle of Thames estuary, according to its supporters. The project might be entirely bankrolled and owned by Gulf states such as Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates and even the Chinese are interested. It would replace Heathrow and plans show it would dwarf the capacity of Heathrow's existing two runways. (Mail)
Click here to view full story...
Tories pledge to axe Heathrow third runway
Julian Brazier, the Shadow transport minister, has confirmed that the Tories will include a commitment to scrap plans for a t3rd runway at Heathrow in their general election manifesto. Brazier said building more runways round London is not the answer. However, he added they want to focus instead on improving capacity at regional airports and building more high-speed trains. Only a quarter of Heathrow passengers are doing business in Britain. (Standard)
Click here to view full story...
BA all-business flight grounded by engine fault on second day
The new British Airways business-class-only flight to New York, which launched to much fanfare yesterday, has been struck by an engine fault. The problem left the aircraft grounded at London City Airport for nearly two hours on only its second day. It was carrying mainly travel press. The part was an engine sensors which had to be delivered from Gatwick and then tested. (Times)
Click here to view full story...
BA to axe short-haul flights if third runway is blocked
BA says it will be forced to scrap "significant" numbers of domestic and European flights out of London if no 3rd runway is built at Heathrow. The Tories have pledged to ditch the Government's plan for extra capacity at Heathrow if they win power. Willie Walsh said BA, which lost £401 million last year, would focus on more profitable long-haul services if it was stopped from expanding its way out of the recession. (Evening Standard)
Click here to view full story...
Newham Council sued on City flights rise
Newham Council has been taken to court for allegedly failing to consult residents before allowing a 50% increase in flights from City Airport. Fight the Flights said it was suing because the council approved the expansion in October without consulting residents and other affected boroughs - and failed to consider the government's policy to reduce aviation emissions to below 2005 levels by 2050. They say councils should have a duty to cut emissions. (BBC)
Click here to view full story...
Heathrow Airport Queen’s Building demolition work beginning
Demolition of the oldest building at Heathrow has begun as part of a £1bn refurbishment. The Queen's Building at Terminal 2, which opened in 1955, will be knocked down by January 2010 when demolition of the rest of the terminal will begin. BAA said Terminal 2 serves 8 million passengers per year but it will serve 20 million when refurbishment is complete in 2013. (BBC)
Click here to view full story...
Judge defers ruling on Carlisle man’s airport challenge
A Carlisle man who is fighting plans for redevelopment of the airport took his challenge to the scheme to the High Court. Thomas Gordon Brown, of Irthington, objects to the granting of planning permission for a freight storage and distribution facility at the Crosby-on-Eden airfield. The site’s owner, Stobart Air Ltd, secured permission earlier this year, but opponents believe the Carlisle City Council decision was "unlawful" and should be overturned.
Click here to view full story...
BA’s new luxury, all-business New York flight taxis for take-off from London City Airport
BA is defying the aviation gloom to launch a luxury, all-business class transatlantic service to New York from London City Airport today. It is BA's first ever to New York from City. BA will use two specially configured A318 aircraft and use the BA001 flight number made famous by Concorde. The planes are equipped with just 32 flat-bed seats (the plane could fit in over 110) that can lie flat, and the latest OnAir communications technology. (Telegraph)
Click here to view full story...
Campaign group takes council to court over expansion of London City Airport
Newham Council is being taken to court today by local residents over its decision to allow a 50% increase in flights at London City Airport without considering changes to Government policy on climate change or consulting local people. Fight The Flights says that before approving the airport's expansion in July this year, the council should have considered the Government's intention to reduce aviation emissions to below 2005 levels by 2050. (FoE)