General News
Below are links to stories of general interest in relation to aviation and airports.
DfT and BEIS backing drone routes, delivering packages – sometimes medicines or post
The DfT and BEIS have announced (at the Farnborough air show) government and industry funding for a range of aviation-related projects. The aim is partly to reduce the carbon emissions of some sorts of flights; also to boost the UK in global competition; and to create tech jobs in the UK. One of the ambitions is for the UK to have the "world's largest automated drone superhighway within the next 2 years." Skyway aims to connect Reading, Oxford, Milton Keynes, Cambridge, Coventry and Rugby, by drone "superhighway" routes, by mid-2024, and will receive more than £12m. There are also plans for links to Scottish islands and the Scilly Isles. Trials have been taking place over the past few years, and some items to be carried by the drones might be medications and post. The technology utilises ground-based sensors installed along the highway which provide a real-time view of where drones are in the airspace. There will be safety concerns, and probably noise concerns along the routes, which are not yet established. It is thought that people accept noise intrusion better, if they know the noise is being emitted for a justifiable reason.
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The madness of cutting down forests to grow food crops for supersonic aircraft biofuels
Dan Rutherford, shipping and aviation director at the ICCT (International Council for Clean Transportation, in the US) has set out the nonsense of United Airlines attempting to convince people that flying supersonic could be "low carbon" or "sustainable." United have said they intend to buy 15 supersonic jets, and fly them using 100% "low carbon" fuels. Dan's calculations show that, as well as fuels produced from renewably produced electricity being implausible at scale, fuels derived from crops of any sort would have high lifecycle carbon emissions. Already, crazily, in 2020, the US devoted about a third of its corn and soybean harvests to production of ethanol and biodiesel for road transport. The volume of jet fuel United would want for its (very high fuel consumption) supersonic jets would require millions of hectares of agricultural land, competing with food crops and driving up the price of food globally. United also has another 860 or so other planes, which it might try to fuel with novel fuels. And so called "sustainable aviation fuels" (SAF) derived from plants would probably, at best, reduce CO2 emissions by perhaps 27% compared to conventional jet fuel. Just say no to the "supersoynic" renaissance.
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Government’s brief airport landing slot amnesty ended on 8th July
The government’s short, one-off “amnesty” on airport slots rules, that started on 21st June, came to and on 8th July. The relaxation policy was announced by transport minister Grant Shapps and aviation minister Robert Courts on 21st June, to help airlines deliver a “realistic summer schedule” to minimise disruption and avoid last-minute flight cancellations. Airlines did not have to use 70% of their slots, which is the usual requirement. Airlines cancelled a lot of flights, as they did not have enough staff. Some relinquished slots may have been used by airlines that had better staffing. Airlines will now have to use 70% of their slots, or lose them. The level had been 80% before the pandemic. The necessity of using slots means a higher chance of airlines flying almost empty planes - with high unnecessary CO2 emissions. In March an MP got information from the DfT and CAA, to a parliamentary question, revealing that there had been almost 15,000 “ghost flights” (ie. with under 10% of passengers) that took off from the 32 UK airports between March 2020 and September 2021.
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“I have zero sympathy for victims of travel chaos – ban international flights”
As a contrast to the extensive, continuing press coverage of the difficulties of air passengers, who have been delayed at airports etc, a refreshing opinion piece, by writer Donnachadh McCarthy sees things differently. He says: "Sorry, but I have zero sympathy for the so-called victims of the chaos at our overwhelmed airports....To be fair to the two million Britons who flew abroad during the recent mid-term break, many may not understand how criminal their holiday flights actually are, with our media keeping people in carbon illiteracy. ... 4 return tickets to California cause the emission of about 9 tonnes of CO2. That is about the same as 12.5 years of electricity use by an average UK household. The 4 tickets to the Canaries would be 6 years. To New Zealand, 28 years. ... While [DfT] press releases are dripping with the word “sustainable”, they really mean sustainable in terms of increasing profitability and passenger numbers, not for climate." ... Until global CO2 emissions have fallen by 45by 2030, governments need to now ban all holiday flights, other than those needing to visit family on compassionate grounds.... Either we are serious about the climate crisis or we should admit we do not give a toss and we will fiddle and fly whilst the planet burns."
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Dutch environmental groups suing KLM for its misleading, greenwashing, adverts
Environmental groups are suing the Dutch subsidiary of Air France KLM over an advertising campaign that they allege breaches European consumer law by misleading the public over how environmentally "sustainable" its flights are. Dutch campaigners Fossielvrij NL, supported by environmental law charity ClientEarth and Reclame Fossielvrij, have filed the first lawsuit alleging greenwashing in the airline industry in the District Court of Amsterdam. KLM wants to persuade its customers that it is working hard to cut carbon emissions, while in reality doing practically nothing, and aiming to grow flights and emissions. Campaigners have launched hundreds of climate change-related suits against companies, governments and authorities to try to fight an escalating climate crisis. Campaigners want to stop KLM's 'Fly Responsibly' adverts, saying they violate the Dutch implementation of the EU's Unfair Consumer Practices Directive by giving the false impression its flights will not exacerbate the climate crisis.The Dutch court will decide whether the case can proceed before KLM has to file any defence, ClientEarth said.
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Gatwick Airport northern runway plans will add traffic that Surrey roads ‘cannot take’
Tandridge District Council's planning policy committee is concerned that the planned expansion of Gatwick airport (bringing their standby runway into routine use) will put too much strain on the roads around the airport. Councillors consider that the roads "cannot take" the extra traffic that will come with changes to the airport currently being proposed. Gatwick currently has a public consultation about some aspects, especially roads, of its growth plans. Most roads in the area, that would become busier, would not see any improvements. Gatwick claims that in 2019, its busiest year, it had 46.6million passengers and a record 47.4% of passengers and 40% of staff travelled to the airport by public transport including by rail, bus or coach. A Tandridge officers' report said the council was required to respond to various initiatives within legally set time frames. The report said: "The local implications of proposals surrounding Gatwick Airport are significant." Campaigners around the airport have a large number of concerns about more flights, more or altered flight paths, congested trains, more noise, more night flights, more air pollution and higher CO2 emissions, for the expansion.
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CAA confirms it wants Heathrow landing charges to fall from £30.19 to £26.31 for next 5 years
The CAA, as expected, has released its Final Proposals for the "H7" price control (5 year) period which runs from January 2022 - December 2026. The CAA is now undertaking a consultation on the proposal to which Heathrow, the airlines that use it, and others will respond. The CAA will consider the feedback it receives during this consultation before making a final decision on the H7 price control, which is expected later this year. The CAA has said that the average maximum price per passenger that airlines will pay Heathrow will fall from £30.19 today to £26.31 in 2026. (Heathrow was allowed an interim increase earlier this year, due to Covid issues). When the effects of inflation are removed, this is equivalent to nearly a 6% reduction every year (ie. down £1.87 in the first year, etc) from today’s level up to 2026. Heathrow has claimed huge losses due to the pandemic, and that it wanted the higher landing charge, to help recovery. But the CAA considers the return of high passenger numbers - that has been faster than anticipated - will bring in sufficient money into Heathrow, for its spending and investment requirements. The higher landing charge is not needed.
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Luton Rising apparently sinking as auditors resign
Local group, Ladacan, has found that the 2021 accounts of Luton Rising (the company that owns the airport, and is owned by Luton Council) reveal serious problems. The statement by company secretary Mark Turner that PricewaterhouseCoopers have resigned as auditors does not inspire confidence, in a company now burdened by eye-watering debt. The resignation follows a serious disagreement between the auditors and the directors over the valuation of the Airport. PricewaterhouseCoopers’ independent assessment put it in the range £835 to £1,300m, and they disagreed with the Luton Rising valuation of £1,488m. This is due to disagreement over the discount rate used in calculating the future value of current investment, and also about the impact of concession earnings. Luton Borough Council’s own auditors, Ernst and Young, have also been raising serious concerns during their efforts to sign off the Council’s own accounts. The valuation matters because of concerns about whether the money invested in the Luton DART light railway, under construction, will be recouped. There are concerns about whether Luton Council will have to provide yet more public money to the airport, and the lack of proper openness of the airport-council link.
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Government allows a temporary summer “amnesty” on airport slots rule, to help the industry
The Government has announced a temporary “amnesty” on the airport slots use rule, to prevent last-minute summer flight cancellations. The new regulations will allow a one-off “amnesty” on airport slots rules, enabling airlines to plan ahead and deliver a realistic summer schedule. This is being provided as an exceptional measure while industry makes progress in recruiting necessary staff. Recently, as the aviation sector got rid of so many staff during the first year and a half of the pandemic , it now has trouble finding workers willing to put up with the pay and conditions. So many flights had to be cancelled at short notice, and slots could not be used, to the lack of staff. The government will now give airlines a short window to hand back slots for the rest of the summer season that they are not confident they will be able to operate. Slots that are handed back would be available for other airlines to use in the current season before being returned to the airlines that normally own them in the next season. Due to Brexit, the UK no longer has to abide by EU slot rules.
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Heathrow hopes 54.4 million passengers, or 67% of 2019 levels, will now use the airport this year,
Heathrow is now forecasting that 54.4 million passengers, or 67% of 2019 levels, will now use the airport this year, up from the 52.8 million it predicted in April. Heathrow expects its adjusted earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) to rise 257% from 2021 to £1.37bn. Revenue is forecast to double to £2.6bn. In general, staffing and energy costs are about 45% of an airport’s operating costs, and Heathrow has said higher energy prices will drive up its operating costs by almost half to £1.2bn this year. In January it forecast its underlying earnings would be £1.04 billion. But the airport is aware of many factors that may reduce air passenger demand this year, including the cost of jet fuel, the cost of living crisis, the UK inflation rate (currently over 9%), the war in Ukraine and Covid perhaps returning. Airlines continue to have staffing problems, and now BA staff are intending to strike. Heathrow's finances remain very fragile.