Airport News
Below are news items relating to specific airports
Manston – application for another legal challenge
A High Court judge announced that the legal challenge by local people, against the decision by the government to approve the DCO - to enable the airport to reopen, for air freight - was rejected. Mr Justice Lane refused the application for a judicial review of government approval of Riveroak Strategic Partners’ (RSP) plans to redevelop the former airport into a cargo terminal, rejecting claims of procedural unfairness, climate considerations and need for a freight hub. Campaigners struck back swiftly. Ramsgate resident Jenny Dawes lodged a fresh legal bid that again hinges on the economic arguments used to justify the development and the climate cost of a new airport. Ms Dawes, who has been crowdfunding her legal efforts, and is liable for the costs of the first request, has called for a planning judge to review the decision. Ms Dawes’ action has received support from the Aviation Environment Federation (AEF), which is highly critical of the DfT approval.
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High Court judge rejects application to legally challenge August 2022 approval of Manston expansion plans
A DCO (Development Consent Order) for the re-opening of Manston airport, and its use mainly for air cargo was approved by the government in August 2022. Then local residents, through Jenny Dawes, made an application for permission to get a Judicial Review of the decision, on 29th September 2022. A High Court judge has now announced that this legal challenge has been rejected. In her 1,200-page appeal, Jenny said the reopening "Manston Airport will cause irreparable harm to the people, environment and the economy of east Kent". The airport owners, RiverOak Strategic Partners’ (RSP), have applied for permission to upgrade and reopen the airport primarily as a freight airport, with some passenger services, with a capacity of at least 12,000 air cargo movements per year. The plans were given the go ahead in August despite planners recommending that the development consent order application (DCO) be refused. An earlier DCO for development of Manston as a freight airport was rejected by the High Court in February 2021.This was after Secretary of State for Transport, Grant Shapps, in July 2020 had decided to ignore the advice of the Planning Inspectorate in October 2019, that the DCO should be rejected.
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Swansea airport has had no passengers since 2004 – now plans a link to Exeter
Swansea Airport has announced it is launching flights to and from Exeter this year. There have been no scheduled passenger flights operating from Swansea Airport since 2004. Passengers who fly to Exeter from Swansea will be able to use the airport as an interchange, getting connecting flights to Spain, Ireland and the Channel Islands. The airport looks likely to be leased once more to its current operator, despite complaints about the way it has been run over the years. The airport is owned by Swansea Council and managed by Swansea Airport Ltd, which has served a notice requesting a new tenancy. The council has to respond by February 3, and cabinet will meet next week to decide. The council doesn't want to operate the airport itself because of the cost and also the "significant" carbon emissions involved. The authority is aiming to be "net zero" in carbon emissions by 2030.
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Heathrow local opponents ready to fight the airport’s expansion plans – again!
Writing in the Uxbridge Gazette, the Stop Heathrow Expansion group comment on the anticipated statement from Heathrow about its finances and outlook, and intentions on a 3rd runway. Stop Heathrow Expansion group says Heathrow has a lot of hurdles, if it wants to build a 3rd runway. "Stricter climate change and environmental laws have been in force since the last proposal was put forward; they will be a major stumbling block for another doomed attempt at R3". They also say spending so much money on what would probably end up as a bit of a "white elephant" would not be great for the airport's foreign shareholders, who want high dividends in the coming decade. And the local borough council, Hillingdon, remains totally opposed to the expansion plans, which would have overwhelmingly negative impacts on the area and its residents. Heathrow's full financial results will be released on 23rd February.
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Belgium to tax private jets and short haul flights using Brussels airport
The Belgian federal government is reviewing the taxation of planes landing or taking off in Belgium. New criteria are taken into account, such as greenhouse gas emissions, or the destination of the flight. Private jets, but also night flights will pay more. Currently any aircraft that lands or takes off from Brussels airport pays a fee based on the noise it generates on takeoff or landing. From April 2023, the tax will depend on noise, but also CO2 emissions, air pollution caused by the flight, the time of day or night at which the flight is made, and finally, the destination. The Federal Minister for Mobility Georges Gilkinet said “What I want to avoid is that Brussels airport becomes Europe’s noise dustbin and that it remains, on the contrary, among the best European airports. There is no reason why noisy planes which are refused elsewhere can continue to come to Brussels, and disturb the sleep of millions of Belgians“. Airlines are not happy about it. The other big change concerns private jets. They represent 3,000 flights per year or 12% of all Belgian air traffic.These measures represent a first step for the Minister, who is already planning more in the months to come.
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CAA new 2-week consultation about keeping Heathrow charge at £31.57
The CAA sets the maximum level of passenger charges that Heathrow can charge, generally for a 5 year period. Heathrow had few passenger for two years, due to Covid and the CAA allowed them to raise their passenger charges, while passenger numbers remained low. However, the numbers are now rising, and may be high next year. Back in June, the CAA said the cap would fall from £30.19 then to £26.31 in 2026. When the effects of inflation are removed, that is a 6% reduction every year. Now the CAA has published an interim cap consultation (8th December - for 2 weeks), which raises the cap from £30.19 this year to £31.57. By contrast, the charge was £19.36 pre-pandemic. Airlines believe the higher level of cap is unjustifiable, as based on 2023 traffic forecasts that are too low. Heathrow wants the high charges, in order to recoup its vast debts, pay its shareholders their dividends, and also perhaps for future expansion.
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EU approves France’s short-haul flight ban — but only so far for 3 routes from Paris
The European Commission has approved France’s plan to ban short-haul flights when there’s a decent rail alternative — but it will only affect 3 routes. French lawmakers in 2021 voted to prohibit short-haul domestic flights when there’s an alternative rail connection of two and a half hours or less. The original proposal, which required the green light from Brussels, was initially to affect 8 routes. Now the Commission has said the ban can only take place if there are genuine rail alternatives available for the same route — meaning several direct connections each way, every day. So it will just apply to journeys between Paris-Orly and Bordeaux, Nantes and Lyon. It includes linking flights from those airports. Three more routes might be added — between Paris Charles de Gaulle and Lyon and Rennes, and between Lyon and Marseille — if rail services improve. The EU executive said France was justified to introduce the measure provided it is "non-discriminatory, does not distort competition between air carriers,[and] is not more restrictive than necessary". It is not really going to make much of a dent in overall French aviation CO2 emissions.
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British Airways to double operations at Gatwick Airport
British Airways is planning to double its operations at Gatwick, instead of more at Heathrow. It is keen to compete against Heathrow. BA is understood to be planning to increase the number of aircraft based at Gatwick from 14 to between 24 and 28 in the next few years. Airlines are annoyed at the high level of landing charges, per passenger, at Heathrow as well as the problems of not having enough staff this summer. BA wants to grow (like all airlines - they have no Plan B) and intends that to be at Gatwick, for the time being. BA was among a number of airlines to decrease its presence at Gatwick, Britain’s second-busiest airport, during the pandemic. Arch-rival Virgin Atlantic moved its operations to Heathrow. BA returned to Gatwick last year with the launch of Euroflyer, a cut-price short-haul subsidiary that would operate independently in a similar vein to Cityflyer, which runs BA flights from London City Airport.
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Virgin Atlantic withdraws support for Heathrow 3rd runway, due to its high landing costs
The CEO of Virgin Atlantic, Shai Weiss, has said he does not support the expansion of Heathrow if it continues with its very high landing charges for passengers. Heathrow will be allowed, by the regulator, the CAA, to raise charges by 56% next year, to £30.19 a passenger, but will have to reduce them to 26.31 in 2026. Heathrow claims this will not provide them enough money to invest in a 3rd runway. But the airlines using Heathrow consider the charges too high, and a disincentive to passengers. Weiss said Heathrow’s plan to raise charges was “great for the airport and its mostly foreign shareholders” - including Qatar and China’s sovereign wealth fund – but “a bad deal for consumers, airlines, and the UK economy”. He wants the CAA to reform a “broken” system and “pay closer attention to the abuse of power by a de facto monopolistic airport”. ..."Until that happens, it is difficult to see how expansion at Heathrow can be supported.” He ruled out a return to Gatwick, which Virgin left during Covid, saying there was “no connectivity”. Virgin Atlantic had become more efficient since focusing all its operations on one London airport.
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Luton councillors in disagreement on whether £500m loans to Luton airport airport company are “secured” or not
Disagreement between opposing political parties has resumed over whether loans by Luton Borough Council to its airport company, Lution Rising, are secured or unsecured. The latest exchange came during debate on the local authority’s treasury management annual report at a full council meeting on 15th November. The opposition group leader said: “... there’s more than £500m of unsecured loans, which have been given to the airport company. I know I’m about to be told those loans are in fact secured on the assets of the company. But that’s nonsense. You can’t take as security for a loan like this assets which the council already owns. They’re effectively unsecured.” It is unclear whether the loans are secured, as they are to a separate entity, London Luton Airport Limited, trading as Luton Rising, and the council may legally be separate from that. Councillors approved the annual report on treasury management and prudential indicators for the year ending March 31st 2022.