Airport News
Below are news items relating to specific airports
Willie Walsh says “Be realistic about Heathrow expansion”
Willie Walsh gets to give his view on Guardian Comment. According to Willie, "Let's face reality. Rejecting growth at Heathrow would not make the slightest practical difference to the future of the planet." And "We must see things in perspective. If we closed every UK airport tomorrow, we would reduce global C02 emissions by 0.1%. And if we decide not to build a third runway at Heathrow, we will not reduce absolute emissions one iota."
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Birmingham Airport runway extension plans approved
Solihull’s planning sub committee said they would back the 400 m extension of the runway, subject to planning gain constraints on noise and environmental protection, to be agreed at a later meeting. In a unanimous vote they agreed to grant planning permission providing the Section 106 agreement met their approval. They said they had to consider the needs of the airport and the business sector, which wants B'ham to compete on the 'global stage'.(B'ham Post)
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Heathrow Airport’s former chief executive lied to get Terminal Five
The past and present bosses of Heathrow Airport have spun a web of lies in order to get a third runway, it has been revealed. John Stewart, chairman of anti-expansion group HACAN hs sourced letters and interviews in which BAA's previous chief executive lied to get a 3rd runway. Sir John Egan has been quoted as saying in a letter to residents towards the start of the Terminal 5 Inquiry in 1995: "T5 does not call for a 3rd runway." (This is Local London)
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BAA's hopes of securing a top price for Gatwick received a setback when it was revealed that passenger numbers at the airport in November were down 13.5% on the same month last year. This comes less than 2 weeks after BAA started the sale process, and will depress the price they are likely to achieve. However, they claim the airport has scarcity value as capital city airports rarely come up for sale. (Times)
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Cabinet split over proposed Heathrow third runway
Hilary Benn, the Environment Secretary, has broken cabinet ranks to warn that Heathrow’s controversial expansion plans should be rejected unless noise and air pollution are dramatically cut. He said Heathrow has a "problem" with air quality even before the construction of the proposed 3rd runway, new technology was not likely to solve the noise or air pollution problems - and failure to cut emissions was "not something that we can contemplate". (Sunday Times)
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Airport claims “Businesses must support Birmingham’s runway plans”
A property consultant puts his case for supporting Birmingham airport expansion. One quote is: "I'm not looking for an easy life, but I cannot overstate how much easier my job would be in making the case for the Midlands, which has so much going for it in terms of its workforce and skillbase, if we had a more impressive destination map for the region's main airport". Solihull Council will be deciding next week on a runway extension. (B'ham Post)
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Plan for Stansted second runway slips back
A second runway at Stansted will not be built until the 2nd half of the next decade at the earliest. The CAA has followed recommendations from the Competition Commission to exclude the £2.3bn project from the price control regime up to March 2014. The CAA’s decision means BAA will have no funding from higher charges to finance development work until a new price regime is introduced in 6 years. Traffic volumes at Stansted have fallen all year. (FT)
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Designer demo brings Stansted airport to a halt
The action to shut down Stansted was, in the words of one campaigner, "designer direct action", and those taking part were adamant there was no time to lose in tackling climate change. One explained: "If we fail, it will be the people on this runway, and our children, who’ll live with the consequences." The middle classes are angry, and direct action could become a recurrent problem for airlines and passengers unless the sector’s growth is checked. (Times)
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Heathrow next, warn activists who caused Stansted chaos
Environmental campaigners have vowed to step up direct action against British airports after protesters breached the security fence at Stansted. Members of Plane Stupid, which campaigns against climate change and air travel, chained themselves to a makeshift barrier close to the airport's runway. A spokeswoman for the group said it intended to repeat the action at Heathrow, where plans are under consideration to build a third runway. (Guardian)
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57 arrested as Stansted protest grounds flights
Police arrested 57 people after a protest by climate change activists forced flight cancellations and delays at Stansted. Queues grew and tempers frayed in the departure lounge after Ryanair cancelled 56 flights as a result of the early-morning protest by Plane Stupid. Activists broke into a secure area at around 3am, forcing the runway to remain closed till 8.10am. Ryanair called for an investigation into why BAA had failed to keep the airport secure. (Indy)