General News
Below are links to stories of general interest in relation to aviation and airports.
Hydrogen unlikely to become fuel for aircraft – it is no magic bullet solution for aviation CO2
Over the past decades many have investigated the possibility of using hydrogen as jet fuel, in the hope of keeping the aviation industry growing without massively increasing carbon emissions. A new paper from the Netherlands is enthusiastic about the use of hydrogen, saying it could be a good fuel as it is light. The professor writes: “It is a defect that kerosene is so irrationally cheap, which triggers much unnecessary air travel. A worldwide tax on kerosene - if at all politically possible - should be something to pursue.” However desirable it might be to fuel planes with hydrogen, the reasons it has been rejected in the past are first that producing hydrogen itself takes a huge amount of energy. Then it must be stored, very cold, in tanks far larger than (maybe 4 times as large) those used now on aircraft, even if stored as slush, not compressed gas. Metal hydride storage is also possible. All the options increase the weight of engines etc, outweighing the fact the hydrogen is lighter than kerosene. There could be challenges to using premixed injection with hydrogen rich fuel, since the reaction rate for hydrogen is faster than for jet fuel - there is a danger of flashback, which would have to be dealt with. The problem with contrails and non-CO2 impacts would be as great as with conventional jet fuel.
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New Eurostar service London to Amsterdam soon, and to Frankfurt in maybe 3 years
High-speed trains from London to Frankfurt could be launched in the next 3 years (or may be more) helping the UK maintain links to mainland Europe post-Brexit. German rail operator Deutsche Bahn has announced plans to run direct trains between London St Pancras and Frankfurt as early as 2020. The new service would complete the 400-mile journey through the Channel tunnel in 5 hours. Deutsche Bahn was given permission to build the direct line in 2013, but plans were halted due to a lack of high-speed trains. The trains are still behind schedule, and this is delaying launch of the route. When more trains are delivered, Deutsche Bahn will prioritise routes from Frankfurt to Belgium and northern France, before the UK (which will by then have left the EU). A new chief executive of Deutsche Bahn is to be announced before long, and progress on the London to Frankfurt route may progress once he/she is appointed. In November 2016 it was announced that Eurostar is pressing ahead with plans for direct services between London and Amsterdam, despite a drop in passenger numbers. Eurostar said plans for the new route were “progressing well” and might start by the end of 2017? The new service would provide a rival to airlines transporting 3 million people a year from London to Holland.
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EIB lending Schiphol airport €350 million to build a new terminal and new pier
The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the European Union's nonprofit long-term lending institution, that is publicly owned, and whose shareholders are the member states of the EU. It says it uses its financing operations to bring about European integration and social cohesion. The member states set the bank's broad policy goals. It aims to support sound investments which further EU policy goals, and it says one of its objectives is environmental sustainability. Another is developing trans-European Networks of transport and energy, and as such it has funded many airport projects and airport expansions. It approved lending nearly €4 billion for the first phase of the new Terminal 3 at Frankfurt Airport. It is now lending some €175 million to Schiphol Airport, which is the first instalment of a total financing of €350 million for expansion. Schiphol plans to build a new terminal and a new pier, to cope with 15 million more passengers per year. In addition, the airport will relocate and renew other parts of the related infrastructure, such as internal roads and car parks. The EIB says as Schiphol is the "showpiece" of the Netherlands, this is essential. Earlier the EIB lent money to Schiphol to build the 5th runway. The new pier is planned to be completed by the end of 2019. The terminal is planned to open for operations in 2023.
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No assurances given by DfT Minister of State, John Hayes, on Heathrow 3rd runway and surface access
Sarah Olney, the LibDem MP for Richmond Park, secured a debate in Westminster Hall on "Heathrow Expansion: Surface Access" on 28th February. Sarah and Ruth Cadbury and Tania Mathias made relevant points about transport, and asked the Minister for replies. John Hayes spoke, but avoided giving any substantive answers to any of the questions. There are serious concerns about the increased number of lorries, for Heathrow freight, that are likely to blight neighbourhoods close to Heathrow if a 3rd runway is built, and this would probably contribute to worse air pollution locally. Heathrow has "pledged" that with a 3rd runway there would be no increase in road trips. (How this could be monitored, let alone enforced, is never stated). It is unclear how there could be a 50% increase in air freight, with no additional road vehicle trips, but Heathrow stresses the allegedly huge benefits to the UK of the additional air freight. John Hayes reply includes waffly non-committal statements like: "It is important to appreciate that, as we move to the point at which Heathrow Airport Ltd lodges its planning application, it will be expected to provide that kind of detailed analysis as part of the planning process." And "It is absolutely right that a plan anticipating changes in freight movements is made and is subject to scrutiny and debate. We will inspect that plan, and the Government will expect the developers at Heathrow to deliver a cogent, well argued, proper assessment of the impact of any changes in the volume or character of freight traffic ...."
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Fears that protecting environment in the courts will become prohibitively expensive, as ‘cost cap’ scrapped
New rules came into force today which could dramatically reduce the ability of individuals and non-governmental organisations to bring legal challenges to protect the environment. The government is scrapping automatic "cost caps" which limit the costs of losing a case in England and Wales. We have the current cost caps due to the international Aarhus Convention, which was ratified by the government in 2005. Opponents claim the changes will make it "impossible" to "hold the government to account". The government says people will not be expected to pay above their means, but they could still be virtually bankrupted, if they lose the case, having to sell their house. The normal "loser pays rule" means that successful claimants can claim their legal costs back from the defendant. The caps on costs (started in 2013) if you lose the case currently stand at £5,000 for an individual and £10,000 for an organisation. The change would mean the loser having to pay both their own legal costs, and those of the winner. ClientEarth, Friends of the Earth and the RSPB are challenging the rule change in the courts, arguing those bringing such cases would be exposed to huge and uncertain financial risk. The Aarhus Convention requires legal action to protect the environment not to be "prohibitively expensive". It is particularly a concern due to Brexit.
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Progress on green aircraft taxiing solutions is slow – unlikely to make huge improvements in fuel use or NO2?
For several years there have been attempts to cut the amount of aircraft engine noise and CO2 emissions from taxiing. Worldwide perhaps 2.6% or so of total aviation carbon emissions might be from taxiing, and it increases noise close to the airport. Some of the electrical solutions to the problem have come to nothing, and been quietly dropped. eg. a Honeywell/Safran EGTS joint venture that was abandoned last year, and a joint venture involving L-3 and Crane Aerospace, called GreenTaxi, also disappeared. There are two remaining possible systems: WheelTug nose wheel electric drive system and IAI’s TaxiBot semi-robotic pilot-controlled vehicle. IATA is enthusiastic about how these will cut fuel consumption from taxiing in future, and there is a conference on the subject in Singapore in May. The aviation lobby group "Sustainable Aviation" has said Heathrow could eventually, if there was the technology, cut "100,000 tonnes of CO2 per year". That is about 0.5% of its total emissions of some 19MtCO2. WheelTug requires a plant to be modified, and the APU to power two motors on the front wheel. Neither Boeing nor Airbus is supporting the development. The TaxiBot system is further down the certification route since it does not require modification to an aircraft. It lifts and holds the aircraft nose wheel, and then transports the aircraft without using the aircraft’s own engines.
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Government needs to provide clarity on possible jobs across the UK created by 3rd runway
When the Government announced Heathrow as its preferred option in October 2016 it downgraded the economic benefits of a 3rd runway substantially. The Airports Commission Final Report assessed the economic benefit to the whole of the UK, over 60 years, might be up to £147 billion (their assessment of need scenario). Heathrow often uses a much higher figure of "up to £211 billion" and omit to say it is for all the UK, over 60 years. In October, the DfT, calculating the possible economic benefits in a different way, thought a more likely figure was £61 billion. This is benefits only. But if the costs are taken off, the benefit falls to something more like £6 billion (£2 - 11 billion or so range). Heathrow, and the DfT, say there will be huge benefits to the regions, and large numbers of future jobs. The figures Heathrow has on its website are based on the £147 billion estimate. These have not been corrected, in the light of the reduced DfT estimate. So what is the actual value of a third runway to the English regions, Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland? All that we do know is that it will be considerably less than the promises made by Heathrow to so many MPs and local councillors. The onus is on Heathrow and the DfT to come up with revised estimates of the employment benefits to the regions. So far, it has failed to do so. .
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New anti-airport expansion group formed in Hounslow – BASHR3 – after launch of DfT’s NPS consultation on 3rd runway
A new anti-airport expansion group has been set up by residents of Hounslow and Brentford. The group, Brentford and Hounslow Stop Heathrow Expansion (BASHR3), has been launched in the wake of the government's National Policy Statement (NPS) consultation on proposals for a northwest runway at Heathrow. There are serious concerns in the borough about the increased noise, traffic and air pollution - amplified by the recent report by the Commons Environmental Audit Committee, that is highly critical of the government's implausible assurances on these issues. Brentford resident Dave Waller has helped set up the new campaign group as many more lives will be blighted by another flightpath. BASHR3 is urging people to attend the DfT consultation events, and submit their responses. Dave Waller commented on the air pollution issue: "If the third runway goes ahead, it is sure to get worse and we will be forced to move out of the area. Our lives will also be blighted by an increase in noise caused by the new flightpath, which will cut across Brentford." People concerned about Heathrow health impacts are encouraged to join BASHR3. Website and on Twitter at @bashrunway3 The first consultation event for Hounslow residents is February 27th at Hounslow Civic Centre from 11am to 8pm.
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Investigation reveals Heathrow airport staff are set targets to get passengers to spend money in shops
The Sun has used an undercover reporter to work as one of Heathrow's Passenger Ambassadors, whose job is to boost retail sales in the terminals. There is a Channel 4 Dispatches programme on this, also showing how airport passengers are getting a raw deal from changing money. In 2016 the airport made a record £612 million in retail income, which is rent from retailers and from car parking charges. This was up 7.7% compared to 2015, while aeronautical income remained unchanged at £1,699 million. Heathrow's retail division now makes up 22% of its revenues - £612 million out of £2,807 million. The 150 Passenger Ambassadors help travellers once they are through security, and are set strict targets about persuading them to visit shops and spend money. These are between £2,500 to £4,000 per day, and the most successful senior ambassadors claim to hit £10,000 per day. They are told: “The majority of the role will involve interacting with passengers, persuading them to shop if they had not planned to, or encouraging them to spend more by talking to them about offers and promotions across the Terminal….The average spend per passenger must go up as a result of your presence on the terminal floor.” The job description says: "A minute should not pass without a conversation with one or more passengers.”
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Willie Walsh and aviation insiders think Heathrow hopes of getting planning consent by 2020 are unrealistic
The Times reports that Willie Walsh, head of British Airways’ parent company IAG, (Heathrow’s biggest customer), said that Heathrow's target for its runway plans were over optimistic. He did not think the timetable of getting the support of MPs in the Commons within 12 months and then getting the planning process completed - through all the legal and planning hurdles - in a further 2 years was realistic. Those timings are highly optimistic, but Heathrow is preparing to start work on a 3rd runway in three years from now - in 2020. An airline insider told The Times that DfT officials had privately told industry bosses that planning permission would not be won until 2021. There will be legal challenges, and those could mean the timetable could slip even further. Heathrow wants to get its runway built by 2025, so it could increase the number of flights by 50% by 2030, compared to the number now. Heathrow has said it wants to apply to raise the number of flights from its legal cap now, of 480,000 per year, to 505,000 from 2021 - if it has been granted planning approval for the runway. That might involve one or two fewer flights in the night period, but a loss of some runway alternation during the day - perhaps softening people up for the worse noise, and shorter respite periods, there would be with a 3rd runway.