General News
Below are links to stories of general interest in relation to aviation and airports.
Heathrow display 2 versions of their “economic benefit” poster – one saying £100 billion, the other “up to £211 billion” … (Over 60 years)
Heathrow airport has two different versions of its massive poster near Terminal 5. They have the same text, with claims of the alleged economic benefits to the UK of a new runway. One poster says "Expand Heathrow and you grow the economy by £100 billion." And other nearby says "Expand Heathrow and you grow the economy by up to £211 billion." They cannot both be right. Is this merely a matter of picking wildly different figures out of the air? Heathrow airport responded that: "£100bn was our conservative estimate. When the Airports Commission analysed it they estimated up to £211bn across UK." What the massive posters fail to say it these purported benefit are not for one year. They are over a 60 year period, 2026 to 2086. ie. not a huge amount per year, (£2 - 3 billion maximum, on a generous estimate) bearing in mind the huge tourism deficit (perhaps £10 - £13 billion per year); or the loss to the Treasury as air travel pays no VAT and no fuel duty, (amounting to perhaps £10 billion per year). But the Airports Commission estimate of £211 billion economic benefit from a new NW Heathrow runway comes with many caveats - by the Commission itself. They say the "results should be interpreted with caution, given the innovative methodology used..." So more that are difficult to substantiate.
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Heathrow funded report suggests using RAF Northolt as an interim 3rd runway for domestic flights
Heathrow airport set up and funds a body called the "National Connectivity Task Force" (NCTF). This produced a report in March, looking at regional connectivity - and putting arguments that suit Heathrow. (Gatwick airport, unsurprisingly strongly disagrees with it). As well as saying how important links to regional airports are from Heathrow, though these have progressively been cut as long haul flights are more profitable, the NCTF report says RAF Northolt airport, just a few miles north of Heathrow, should be used as an extension to Heathrow, for smaller planes to regional airports. As this news broke about the same time as the Germanwings plane tragedy, it did not get press attention. What Heathrow wants is to have Northolt brought into service, as an interim measure, before it can get a new runway. If Gatwick was chosen for a runway, Heathrow could use Northolt for domestic flights it has been promising regional airports, in order to get their backing for a Heathrow runway. Heathrow says the Northolt runway could not be used at the same time as a Heathrow north-west runway. RAF Northolt does not comply with the safety standards required for a civilian airport. Its runway ends just short of the busy A40.
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The liberal case for a new runway: debunked point by point by the AEF
A Liberal think tank, Centre Forum, has produced a report backing a new runway - but it has made various mistakes in its analyses. James Lees, of AEF, sets out some of these. The report is ((!?) funded by Heathrow, Gatwick, Let Britain Fly and GTMC. They ask to what extent one person’s "freedom" to fly can be curtailed in the interests of protecting the "freedom" of another (to enjoy peace and quiet, clean air and to avoid catastrophic climate change). The report claims that a runway is needed to enable flying to be cheap enough for everyone, not just the rich. James argues that the demand for flights comes largely from those affluent to take several flights per year - not those on low incomes flying once per year. The report says the CO2 emissions from aviation can be tackled entirely through economic measures such as carbon taxes or carbon trading. It says restrictions on runway capacity are a crude and inefficient alternative. James argues that analysis by the Airports Commission indicates that if a new runway is built, the cost of emitting a tonne of CO2 would have to rise from around £5 today to somewhere between £364 to £1316 (which is entirely unrealistic) in order to keep emissions at a sustainable level. And more points ...
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Aviation most obvious sector for environmental tax shift – away from taxation of labour. T&E blog
In a recent blog, Andrew Murphy from the NGO, T&E (Transport & Environment) writes about how ending the generous tax exemptions aviation enjoys would create a level playing field between all transport modes. It would also help meet our 2030 climate targets, and answer the EU’s call for a shift away from labour taxation. The European Commission has highlighted the need for a shift away from high labour taxation and towards environmental and consumption charges instead. That would be an effective way to boost employment, but little has been done on this during the past year. The OECD reported last year that European countries have some of the highest taxes on labour. In looking for concrete ideas for an environmental tax shift, aviation is the most obvious source. It is less carbon efficient than other forms of transport and within the EU is it expected to grow almost twice as fast as its lower-carbon competitor, rail. Despite this, aviation receives some of the most favourable tax treatment of any industry. In the EU it pays no VAT and no fuel duty, and these exemptions add up to almost €40 billion every year – meaning member states are missing out on labour tax cuts that might be able to create 400,000 jobs.
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Gatwick opposition groups and MPs hand in letter to Downing Street, asking PM to recognise devastating impact of Gatwick runway
Six local groups and four MPs opposing a 2nd Gatwick runway, and the increased noise nuisance caused by Gatwick airport, handed in a letter to 10 Downing Street today. They urge the government to recognise the strength of local opposition to a 2nd Gatwick runway, and changes to flight paths. They are asking the Prime Minister to recognise the devastating impact of a 2nd runway, the lack of local political support and the strength of feeling among local residents against changes to flight paths already in and out of Gatwick. The delegation will hand in the letter, signed by the chairs of the groups representing residents in Sussex, Kent and Surrey, that surround Gatwick and are affected by it. Together, the groups represent tens of thousands of people. Sally Pavey, Chair of local group CAGNE commented: "Throughout this process, we’ve been hugely disappointed with Gatwick’s lack of consultation with the local area. CEO Stewart Wingate continues to portray the airport as an ‘easy option’ for expansion, while ignoring the concerns of thousands of local residents. Also that it will cost the taxpayer billions in infrastructure bills and the devaluation of vast areas of the south-east with aircraft noise." CAGNE have also submitted an official complaint to the Airports Commission, on the actions of Gatwick airport in lobbying Heathrow councils to back a Gatwick runway.
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Launch of the Global Anti-Aerotropolis Movement (GAAM) as the number of planned Aerotropolis developments is rising fast
An aerotropolis is a sort of "airport city" with the urban development centred around an airport, and with the airport at its core. They are the focus of rapid growth in aviation-dependent tourism and trade, and can vary greatly in scale and sectoral focus. Increasingly, aerotropolis developments not only deal with logistics, warehousing, manufacture, assembly and business, but also funnel inbound tourists - arriving by air - through shopping malls, hotels, entertainment complexes and cultural venues. The rapid and intense urbanisation requires large, preferably greenfield, sites. Some of these sites are literally 100 square kilometres in area.This means building over huge areas of farmland, loss of good agricultural land, and often the eviction of rural communities. The briefing "What is an Aerotropolis, and why must these developments be stopped." sets out many of the negative impacts of these developments. Environmental and climate justice campaigners, aviation and tourism critics, human rights activists, and other concerned citizens and groups have now formed the Global Anti-Aerotropolis Movement (GAAM) to raise awareness of this new sort of socially and ecologically harmful mega-airport development.
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Gatwick claims support for 2nd runway – but does not reveal necessary methodological detail about its polls
Gatwick Airport has had two surveys done, to try to show there is support for their runway. One is of councils in London. Gatwick knows almost every council, except East Sussex, in its area has voted to oppose a 2nd runway. So Gatwick has been asking London councils instead, in the hope of better results. Many London councils know the highly negative impacts Heathrow, and its flight noise, cause for their residents, and therefore are opposed to any more. Some have said they back a Gatwick runway (believing, questionably, that there must be a new runway somewhere) in order to save their residents more problems. Some London councils hope Gatwick could provide jobs for their workers. The second survey is of residents in Kent and in West Sussex, and again, Gatwick claims significant support for their runway, compared to Heathrow. However,Gatwick does not publicise any of the actual data of their surveys. That is very significant, because without knowing the questions asked, the script leading up to the questions, and the options given, the results are almost meaningless. Their earlier consultation, in spring 2014, contained (till forced to add another option) no means of saying "No" to either options, but just various shades of "Yes." Who knows whether these surveys contained the appropriate alternative response options?
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Ryanair announce to Stock Exchange it has “not considered or approved any transatlantic project and does not intend to do so.”
In September Ryanair announced it was buying 100 Boeing 737-MAX planes, and has also secured options on another 100 of the slightly larger, 737 200 (200 seats). These planes, in the plans of Ryanair, are to thrash the low cost opposition in Europe.Their range is not long enough for transatlantic flights as they could barely reach New York. Ryanair needs to buy a large number of longer haul planes, to make a transatlantic service viable, and Mr O'Leary has said he cannot get those planes for 4 - 5 years, at least. But in February, Michael O'Leary told a conference he was planning £8 transatlantic flights after perhaps 5 years. This got Gatwick airport very excited, putting out a blog on their website that states: “The announcement this week that Ryanair’s Board has approved plans to launch new low-cost long-haul services is significant news but really should come as no surprise to many of us in the aviation industry as this is a development that has been signposted for some time." Today Ryanair has had to put out an announcement to the Stock Exchange, to avoid confusion caused by press speculation that: "In the light of recent press coverage, the Board of Ryanair Holdings Plc wishes to clarify that it has not considered or approved any transatlantic project and does not intend to do so."
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Manchester Airport says it is the main airport for the north – Heathrow expansion is not needed for the regions
Charlie Cornish, the CEO of Manchester airport and MAG, says "it is just plain wrong to say that only Heathrow can connect the UK to global growth." His comments were in response to a report by a body called the National Connectivity Task Force NCTF), that is pushing for a 3rd Heathrow runway, in the belief it would be the best option for regional airports like Newcastle and Durham Tees Valley, if they get more Heathrow slots for their flights. The NCTF are submitting their report to the Airports Commission, hoping to influence them. Mr Cornish said Manchester Airport, the only UK airport other than Heathrow to have 2 runways, was thriving as an international hub in its own right. He said: “It is just plain wrong to say that only Heathrow can connect the UK to global growth, or that businesses in the UK’s regions need to fly through Heathrow to reach these markets....“Manchester Airport is truly the international gateway for the North, demonstrated by the fact that it serves over 4 million long haul passengers a year, up by 20% over the last 5 years....The north does not need another runway at Heathrow to connect to global markets....The biggest economic benefit will come from new services direct from the regions, with passengers not having to fly through a London airport to reach their final destination.”
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Gatwick says Birmingham backs its runway – they definitely don’t want the competition of an expanded Heathrow
Gatwick Airport has a blog on its website by Karen Lumley, the Conservative MP for Redditch. She is a keen aviation expansion supporter, and in her blog backs Gatwick over Heathrow, for a new runway. Ideally she - and other MPs in the Birmingham area - would like to see Birmingham airport expanded. But they are nervous of Heathrow expanding, as it is close enough to take trade away from Birmingham. But Gatwick is far enough away not to be a direct threat. Birmingham is too far south to have a flight to a London airport (train travel is fast and easy), so the new London runway idea cannot be "sold" to them with promises of new connecting flights in future - which works for airports further away. The attitude of Manchester airport, significantly further north than Birmingham, is to oppose either new runway, at Heathrow or Gatwick, due to the amount of public money which would inevitably have to be spent on transport and social infrastructure - even if the airports paid for all the on-airport costs of the expansion.