Airport News
Below are news items relating to specific airports
The Battle of Newquay: Green lobby launches war to curb domestic flights (Binge Flying?)
Next Tuesday, a British Airways 737 jet will begin taxi-ing on the runway at Gatwick airport in preparation for the short flight to Newquay in Cornwall. If BA bosses' ambitions are met, up to 140 passengers paying as little as £69 return could be kicking back in their seats ahead of the one-hour hop ahead of them.
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Business leaders back scheme for Edinburgh airport runway in Fife
A new runway for Edinburgh airport would be built in Fife, under proposals backed by businesses in the area. Consultants have drafted proposals to build a runway for Edinburgh airport 40 miles north, claiming it would cut traffic on the Forth Road Bridge. Fife's Federation of Small Businesses has backed the plans, which would see an airstrip built near Glenrothes as part of Edinburgh Airport, but the proposal has been condemned by environmental campaigners.
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HACAN calls for a cut in Heathrow short haul flights
Campaign group HACAN ClearSkies has called for a cut in short haul flights at Heathrow to improve air quality in London. It comes a day after the Mayor, Ken Livingstone, admitted that his ambitious plans to cut carbon emissions in the Capital by 60% within 20 years will be scuppered by the growth in pollution from aircraft. If Heathrow and City airports expand as the Governments wants, London’s overall emissions could only fall by 20% over the next 20 years.
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ROAD AND RAIL ISSUES RELATING TO A SECOND STANSTED RUNWAY
A Press Statement, issued by Stop Stansted Expansion, says the announcement by BAA, the Spanish-owned operator of Stansted Airport, regarding the road and rail improvements necessary to support its 2nd runway proposal utterly fails to grasp the scale of the problems that would arise if Stansted were, as proposed, to become bigger than today's Heathrow.
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Oldest bird reserve threatened by plan to expand airport
Plans for a huge airport expansion on the south-eastern tip of Kent are threatening the oldest reserve under the management of the RSPB. Businessman, Sheikh Fahad al-Athel, is proposing a huge expansion of the small airport near the village of Lydd. The airport is close to the ecologically unusual Dungeness nature reserve. In winter it hosts about 60 species of birds such as goldeneye, smew and bittern.
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North Somerset Council raises big concerns about Bristol airport
Airport expansion plans by Bristol International Airport, which says that by 2015 it will be handling 9 million passengers a year, suffered a temporary setback at the hands of North Somerset Council. Airport bosses want to double the size of the terminal, build a 180-bedroom hotel, and increase the number of car parking spaces by a third. North Somerset councillors complained about night flights, problems with roads to the airport, and the level of CO2 emissions.
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Supreme Court reserves judgement on ruling about UK air quality
On 6th March there was a one-day hearing in the Supreme Court in London on the UK's failure to meet legal limits for air quality. In parts of London the air pollution standards are regularly breached, putting the health of thousands of Londoners is at risk. It is not only in London that there are air pollution problems but in 16 UK regions. It is thought there are some 29,000 early deaths per year in the UK caused by air pollution, a higher number than those from obesity and alcohol combined. The UK government has not met the EU standards on nitrogen dioxide emissions and in London it is unlikely that clean air targets will be met until 2025, 15 years late. The environment charity, ClientEarth, argued in the Supreme Court that the national courts must enforce EU environment law in the UK. It is understood that the European Commission is encouraging the Supreme Court case because it would prefer to avoid a direct confrontation with the UK, which is objecting to other EU environmental rules. However, If the Supreme Court does not require action, the European Commission must. After the 6th March hearing, the court reserved judgement. However, Client Earth hopes this will be handed down before Easter.
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Expansion plans for Battersea heliport
London's Battersea Heliport will become the focal point for a major commercial development following the £50m purchase of the site by von Essen Hotels, the country-house hotel chain founded by Andrew Davis. The redevelopment programme includes proposals for a new terminal for the heliport, to make the facility more attractive for business users. There are also plans for a new reception and business-meeting rooms.
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Birmingham Airport to submit runway extension plans
Birmingham airport announced that it will be submitting a planning application to extend its runway by 400 metres to the south to handle an extra 40,000 flights a year. The £120 million extension would allow the airport to handle fully laden jumbo jets and increase capacity to 20 million passengers a year, double the number handled last year. Birmingham Airport is in line to receive a £25m grant as part of plans to extend its main runway.
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Birmingham – BIA runway plan takes off
Birmingham International Airport will proceed with a £120 million runway extension, 12 years after the ambitious scheme was first proposed. A planning application to add 400 metres to the southern end of the existing runway is expected to be lodged with Solihull Borough Council by the summer.