Airport News
Below are news items relating to specific airports
Edinburgh – Call for cutback to airport expansion
Green campaigners are calling for plans to expand Edinburgh Airport to be scaled back due to soaring oil prices. BAA estimates Edinburgh Airport could almost treble in size over the coming decades with land being reserved for a possible 2nd runway. But research by WWF has concluded that millions of passengers will be put off flying due to higher ticket prices caused by soaring oil prices. (Edinburgh Evening News)
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Belfast City Airport – Residents’ anger at airport plan
Another 3,000 flights a year are to be allowed in and out of the George Best Belfast City Airport, a residents' group has claimed. Belfast City Airport Watch says it will bring the number of flights to 48,000 per year. Spokesperson Fiona McKinley said the new figures were revealed in a draft document produced by the Department of the Environment. (BBC)
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(Belfast City) – Campaigners slam secrecy on airport flights increase
Currently, the Airport is allowed up to 45,000 flights a year. The new draft Planning Agreement permits this total to rise by 3,000 to 48,000. The 48,000 total will take account of flights by private jets and charter aircraft, which are not counted within the 45,000 limit. However, these account for no more than 1,400 flights a year at most – leaving the way clear for an additional 1,600 flights over the current upper threshold. (Belfast City Airport Watch)
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Tories to block third runway at Heathrow
David Cameron indicated that a Conservative government is likely to block a 3rd runway for Heathrow, as he criticised Gordon Brown for "pig-headedly" pressing ahead with the scheme. The Tory leader called on the government to make Heathrow "better, not bigger" and denied that the party was abandoning its green agenda. His objections to Heathrow were not just environmental and he said the economic value of transfer passengers is disputed. (Guardian)
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(Gloucester, Staverton) Airport says runway plan is vital
Bosses at Gloucestershire Airport have claimed jobs will go and revenue will drop if a development is blocked. They want permission to demolish two properties at each end of the runway to allow commercial traffic to continue operating within the safety guidelines. Opponents say the scheme will lengthen the runway, attracting more commercial planes and more noise and pollution. (BBC)
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PM faked the case for Heathrow third runway claims Cameron
David Cameron today accused the Government of faking the case for Heathrow's third runway for the sake of political point-scoring. He charged Gordon Brown with exaggerating economic benefits and betraying the environment. Cameron backed former BA chief Bob Ayling who has dismissed the key economic argument for the expansion plans, which revolve around using Heathrow as a giant hub to attract transfer flights. (Evening Standard)
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Protests over Royal Mail Southampton Airport night flight plans
Royal Mail are making a controversial bid to introduce night flights at Southampton Airport. They want to divert their regular service into Bournemouth Airport for 6 months while work is carried out on the runway. However, the proposal has prompted a storm of protest and could be blocked by strict legal controls over night flying at Southampton, which were agreed years ago. (UK Airport News)
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Ambitious Southend airport seeks cash injection
Southend airport has been put up for sale as the owners seek the financial backing needed to extend the runway and build a new terminal in time for the London Olympics. Work has already started on a new airport car park at Southend airport, and there are also plans to start work on a new airport hotel this spring. (Flightmapping)
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The rise and fall of Stansted airport
The continued downward slide in the number of passengers using Stansted Airport has led campaign group Stop Stansted Expansion to call on BAA to scrap its misguided expansion plans for making the airport bigger than today's Heathrow with a second runway. Passenger numbers for the airport show a 4.4% reduction in Stansted passenger traffic for January to May 2008 compared with the same period last year. It now has no long haul services left. (SSE)
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Birmingham Airport claims expansion will benefit health
Birmingham International Airport published two reports today which it insists shows that far from harming the quality of life for local people, a planned £120 million runway extension will have an overall benefit on health and employment. The Liverpool university health impact study concludes the extension is not likely to result in "any meaningful health outcome" from changes in air quality. (Birmingham Post)