General News
Below are links to stories of general interest in relation to aviation and airports.
Canadian Transport Minister Marc Garneau confirms no expansion, and no jets, at Toronto lakeside airport
Billy Bishop waterfront airport is a small airport in Toronto, on the lake edge close to central Toronto. It has a small number of passengers and its one runway is only about 1,200 metres. For several years there have been plans to expand the airport, extend its runway, and get jets instead of the turboprops at present. These plans have been strenuously opposed by people who did not want the much loved water front to have loud planes only perhaps 600 feet overhead. There is already a large airport, Pearson, outside Toronto. Now the local group, "NOJets .O" are delighted that the new Transport Minister Marc Garneau has confirmed that the expansion will not go ahead. The minister’s clarification means the expansion proposal has been stopped, and the threat of jets over the city's water front has been removed. This is a credit to the two and a half years of very active campaigning by Toronto citizens, wanting to preserve the quality of their area, and the public amenity of the lakeside. The decision is seen as a blow to Porter Airlines Inc. expansion plans and a potential aircraft order topping $2-billion for Bombardier Inc.
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Jeremy Corbyn reported as saying we should “look at the under-used capacity” of other airports
During a visit to a pre-school in Crawley, Jeremy Corbyn was reported as implying a 2nd runway at Gatwick would be better than a 3rd runway at Heathrow. He is known to oppose a Heathrow runway, due to inadequate air pollution controls. He is quoted as saying: “Gatwick already has spare capacity at the moment and does have facility to expand beyond 2019...“Gatwick is a possibility but I also think we should look at the under-used capacity all around the South and the South East so there’s also a question of expanding flights in Stansted and even Southampton and further afield in Birmingham.” The recent briefing produced for the AEF states: "The South East accounts for one third of the UK population but its airports handle nearly two-thirds of UK air travel. The Airports Commission argues that a new runway would be good for everyone. But in fact its own modelling suggests that traffic at regional airports would fall on average if a new runway was built at either Heathrow or Gatwick compared to a ‘no new runways’ scenario. Due to the limit of - at the maximum - 60% increase in air passengers, recommended by the Committee on Climate Change, it would make no sense to build a new runway if it simply redistributed traffic around the UK and increased congestion in the South East."
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Cabinet said to be ‘falling behind’ on Heathrow expansion decision (as runway sub-committee struggles)
The Standard reports that insiders (in the Cabinet?) say the Cabinet sub-Committee is having a very difficult time deciding what to do about a runway, and the schedule is slipping. It is not likely to be announced by the Autumn Statement by George Osborne on 25th November. The meetings of the Economic Affairs (Airports) Sub-Committee are secretive and Cabinet will not reveal even their dates. However, the Standard has been told that last week an “informal” gathering of its members was briefed by Sir Howard Davies, and that David Cameron and George Osborne also had updates separately from Sir Howard. "Other ministers at the gathering raised questions but none of them were seen to pose an insurmountable challenge to another runway in west London." Some sort of announcement still should be made before the Commons rises on 17th December. A second official meeting of the Cabinet sub-committee is understood to be due in the next week or two, so the DfT officials can present their analysis of the Airport Commission’s final report. It is understood that the full Cabinet would be able to discuss the sub-Committee's decision, and this could happen in December. The Standard says: "Few Cabinet ministers are expected to defy Mr Osborne and block a 3rd runway."
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2 ft diameter metal diffuser fell from plane near Chicago onto a water park (nobody hurt)
In July 2014, a 2 ft diameter piece of metal fell from a plane overhead, into the pool of a popular water park. Luckily it was early, before the water park opened. The metal piece came off an ExpressJet Embraer 145 XR taking off from Chicago O'Hare for Arkansas. Unknown to the pilots, the bolts on a piece of exterior equipment called a diffuser or a mixer were not securely fastened. The diffuser bounced off a play structure and plunging into an unoccupied children's splash pool. Nobody was hurt. The diffuser, a round, wavy steel piece, mixes hot air from the engine exhaust system with air pulled in by the fans. Weighing from 5 to 10 pounds, the part was attached with 8 bolts. However, the bolts were probably not secured properly. Investigations led to more findings of loose mixers and caused ExpressJet to step up inspections, and experts say these incidents are "extremely rare." The jet had been inspected in June 26, 2014, but the check didn't include the mixer. Neither engine manufacturer Rolls-Royce nor ExpressJet had any comment. List of some other items that have fallen from aircraft here.
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Treasury, DEFRA, DfT and DCLG departments agree to meet George Osborne’s 8% per year cuts target
Four government departments have provisionally agreed deep spending cuts of 8% per year for the next 4 years. They are the Treasury, the DfT, DEFRA and DCLG. They have agreed to cuts in a spending review intent on slashing £20 billion from the cost of government. Capital spending is not covered by these cuts. George Osborne has said that controlling £4 trillion of government spending over the next 5 years is essential to guarantee the UK's national and economic security. Osborne hopes that with these 4 departments agreeing to cuts, he can put pressure on ministers who are still resisting his demands for cuts in their departments, before his spending review on 25th November. The Home Office and the Foreign Office are not making cuts. With spending on health, international development, schools and education are protected, budgets in other departments are particularly vulnerable. Having reached a provisional settlement with the Treasury, Patrick McLoughlin, (Transport), Liz Truss, (Environment), and Greg Clark (Communities), will be allowed to join the government’s public expenditure committee as it imposes cuts on other departments. [There's certainly no public money available to pay for extra roads etc needed in association with a new runway - or bail out a failed scheme ....] It is worrying for the environment, for Defra (and later DECC).
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British Airways, in evidence to Transport Cttee, says that Heathrow runway is “unfinanceable” and a “white elephant”
British Airways has made its strongest attack yet on plans for a new Heathrow runway, saying its proposals are “unfinanceable” and a “white elephant”. The comments are in written evidence to the Commons Transport Select Cttee, dated 12th October, in its submission to its inquiry into surface access on October 27th. BA repeats its view that the cost of transport infrastructure for the runway scheme should not be funded by airlines and their customers. BA is the biggest airline (51%) at Heathrow. It says - dangerously - that because of the alleged "up to £147 billion" of benefits of a runway to the UK, new road and rail link for the airport should, like standalone transport schemes like M4 widening, be paid for by taxpayers. [That " up to £147 billion" benefit figure is highly dubious, and the Airports Commission's own expert economic advisors, Mackie and Pearce, warned that it includes double counting and should be treated with caution.] While avoiding any specific opposition in principle to expanding Heathrow, BA is not willing to pay - but it says the runway plan is is unaffordable and unfinanceable, and called into question the economic benefits. There has been speculation if Willie Walsh is just "browbeating aimed at cowing the CAA into lower charges” rather than stopping a Heathrow runway.
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Survey by SellingUp/Populus shows the serious impact of plane noise on attitudes of house buyers
The website guide on selling property, "Selling Up.com" had a survey done by Populus, into the impact of various negative features on the likelihood of getting an easy house sale. They looked at a range of things, like low energy efficiency, lack of storage space, poor mobile phone signal etc. They also looked at the impact of noisy neighbours and of noise from aeroplanes. The issues most likely to put off a buyer, so they would not proceed with a house purchase, were noisy neighbours and plane noise. The survey found for noisy neighbours, that 70% would not proceed with the sale when they know of the problem, and 17% would ask for a reduction in price. For plane noise, 41% would not proceed with the sale, and 34% would ask for money off, (including 23% who would ask for a "substantial amount or many thousands of £s off the price). The impact on the value of homes that are over-flown is a serious issue. Sellers are required to let a potential buyer know if they have a problem with noise. With the ambition of the industry to concentrate and narrow flight paths, meaning serious noise impacts for those below, this is a real concern - especially when there is no proper consultation about flight path changes, no legal redress and no compensation. (Compensation or double glazing is of no use if you want to enjoy a quiet garden)
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Telegraph reports Whitehall sources saying Cameron ‘preparing to drop opposition to Heathrow 3rd runway’
The Telegraph reports (Whitehall sources say) that David Cameron is believed to have decided it would not be too politically damaging to back a Heathrow runway. David Cameron personally pledged in 2009 that there would be no Heathrow runway (No ifs, No buts) but soon changed his mind. The government insists it will make an announcement on the next phase of the runway process before Christmas, but how firmly it will be backing one runway option is not yet clear. It may be Osborne who takes control over the issue, keen to be seen as building infrastructure..There is then to be a new public consultation on this in early 2016. David Cameron apparently hopes - as was always the intention of setting up the Commission, during the coalition government - that the Commission's recommendation would remove responsibility for the decision from himself. It would cover him from blame for breaking a pledge, and make that "politically acceptable." The problem is that the Airports Commission has produced vast reams of material in its reports. Few - including few politicians - have read much of it. Its recommendation is not in fact reflected in the details of the reports. The economic benefit of "up to £147 billion over 60 years" to the UK economy may really be as little as £1.4 billion. The regional airports would suffer, as would UK carbon targets. The noise and air pollution issues are not resolved, as the Commission's work shows.
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Beijing Capital Airlines hopes to get permission for direct flights between Birmingham and Hangzhou
Beijing Capital Airlines has requested rights to introduce weekly services at Birmingham from Beijing, and also the first direct link to the UK from the Hangzhou, the capital and largest city of Zhejiang Province in Eastern China. The airline wants this from 2016, according to the CAAC. The airline entered the long-haul market in September this year having introduced a first Airbus A330 into its fleet. The aircraft, a former Garuda Indonesia A330-200, has been used on weekly flights from Beijing and Hangzhou to Copenhagen. Its debut in the UK would see it replicate this Copenhagen operation at Birmingham with weekly flights from both Beijing and Hangzhou from April 2016. The Beijing route has been served in the past two summer schedules by China Southern Airlines and Hainan Airlines, but Hangzhou will be a new market not just for Birmingham, but the UK. KLM currently is the only airline with a direct link from Europe, at Schiphol, to Hangzhou. Beijing Capital Airlines has only held informal discussions with Birmingham airport’s management and no agreement has yet been reached should it get the green light from Chinese authorities. More should be know later this month. If Birmingham gets China flights, that is one less reason why a south east runway is needed for "vital business connectivity" to China.
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New inter-departmental ministerial “Clean Growth” committee to be set up, on air pollution
The FT reports that David Cameron has set up a new inter-departmental ministerial committee to look at air pollution issues. Oliver Letwin will chair cross-party meetings of the “Clean Growth” committee. Its remit will include vehicle emissions, climate change and green energy. This activity has been sparked by the VW scandal of "defeat" devices in cars, designed to give artificially low NO2 readings when cars are tested. There are fears of losses for the car industry if the problem is not contained. People have known for years that the theoretical figures for fuel efficiency of cars were artificially good, and that is now also shown to be deliberately influenced. The DfT is known to have been aware of the problems with NO2 emissions from diesel cars since October 2014, but done nothing. As well as Oliver Letwin, others on the Committee will be Sajid Javid, business secretary; Liz Truss, environment secretary; Amber Rudd, energy secretary; and transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin. The FT says it is not clear if the Committee would deal with air pollution from a potential Heathrow 3rd runway. Stephen Joseph, of Campaign for Better Transport, hoped the committee would mean the government would take air pollution more seriously and develop an effective cross-Whitehall strategy.