General News
Below are links to stories of general interest in relation to aviation and airports.
Petition to British Airways to get them to stop profiting from promoting trips to SeaWorld
A petition calling on British Airways to stop selling trips to see captive whales and dolphins at SeaWorld has attracted more than 94,500 signatures. It is calling on BA to end their links with attractions that include captive marine mammals. The increasing number of signatures on the petition comes as 2 new beluga whales are delivered to SeaWorld San Diego. The animals' natural habitat is in arctic and sub-arctic waters, swimming huge distances each year. A lifetime in a concrete tank awaits them at SeaWorld, and "training." Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC), a charity that works to protect cetaceans, is backing the petition as part of a wider campaign to stop tour operators, including BA, Virgin Holidays and Thomas Cook, from offering trips to see captive whales and dolphins. BA responded to the petition on change.org, attempting to wash its hand of responsibility, by saying that it was up to consumers whether or not they opted to book trips to SeaWorld. BA is currently selling 3-day passes to SeaWorld Orlando. WDC said for BA to somehow claim that by selling these trips it is not part of the problem is bizarre.
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Tourism gap between London and the regions widens – ever more tourist spend going to London
VisitEngland is to tackle the widening gap between tourism to London and the rest of England. Since 2008 the number of inbound trips to London has increased by 14%, while the number of trips to other areas of England is still 4% lower than it was before the recession. A conference entitled: "Mind the Gap: Addressing the Tourism Divide" is discussing whether there is enough investment in infrastructure outside London. The regions want a larger proportion of tourism income. The Deputy chair of the Regional Growth Fund Independent Advisory Panel said: "We now need to ... boost tourism outside London. This means promoting the use of regional airports and making in-bound tourists more aware of all the visitor attractions across the country with ready-made packages they can take up before they leave home." VisitScotland said securing new direct flight routes has been invaluable to their increase in tourism. A report for Visit Britain in late 2013 showed tourism spending in London was 47% by international tourists (53% domestic) but 21% international (79% domestic) for the rest of England. No reason for further emphasising the London/regions divide by yet another south east runway.
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New UK runway consent unlikely before March 2020 at the earliest, due to necessary National Policy Statement etc
Speaking at the RunwaysUK Surface Access debate on 2nd June, Oliver Mulvey of the Airports Commission Secretariat confirmed that final go-ahead by the government for any new runway would take at least a year following publication of the Commission’s final report after the General Election in 2015. Planning consent for a new runway is unlikely to come before March 2020 (with an election in May 2020) despite government efforts to streamline the controversial planning process using the Airports Commission. It would take the new government at least a year to produce the necessary National Policy Statement on runways. It might take 2 years to agree the NPS. After that, Mr Mulvey confirmed there are 2 possible routes: "The first is a planning application under the 2008 Planning Act. The other is the Hybrid Bill route, as for HS2. Both have their own risk and costs associated with them. ....All our dates show the middle of the next decade [2025] as the earliest a new runway could open.” The planning process for a NSIP (Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project) - which a runway would be - is itself a long process.
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Airports Commission publishes discussion on the UK’s existing regional airport capacity
The Airports Commission is calling for evidence on the connectivity and business models of the UK’s existing airport capacity. It has released a discussion paper - its 6th - entitled "Utilisation of the UK’s Existing Airport Capacity" which considers the national aviation picture from which the Commission is considering the shortlisted options for additional capacity in London and the south east. This call for evidence focuses on the domestic and international connectivity provided by regional airports and airports serving London and the south east other than Heathrow and Gatwick, and considers what recommendations the Commission could usefully make to shape this national picture. It says all airports other than Gatwick and Heathrow are critical to the Commission’s analysis, and they will continue to play a crucial national role, especially at a time when the major London airports are operating very close to capacity. The discussion document looks at "connectivity trends at these airports, how the business models of these airports are developing and whether the connectivity provided by these airports can be enhanced." Deadline for comment is 25th July.
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“Little Red” airline had only 37.6% load factor in 2013 – lowest in industry
Virgin Atlantic's domestic airline, Little Red, has had poor ticket sales in the first year of its launch, in March 2013. Its planes have been on average less than 40% full (37.6%). The point of Little Red is to feed passengers from the north of England and Scotland into Virgin Atlantic’s long-haul network from Heathrow. Its low use has been public knowledge since its launch. The CAA's airline data is now available for the year. Little Red's load factor is the lowest in the aviation industry - well behind rivals BA and easyJet, with load factors (proportion of seats filled) of 72.4% and 77.8% respectively for 2013. In an interview with The Telegraph last month, Virgin Atlantic’s chief executive, Craig Kreeger, refused to reveal Little Red’s load factor, saying rumours of the service’s demise had been “greatly exaggerated”. Virgin claims its load factor will rise this year. A shockingly high carbon way to travel, if the plane is largely empty. Virgin cuts its losses in 2013 to £51m from £102m.
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DfT signs first public service obligation to protect Dundee Airport to Stansted route
Air links between Dundee and London have been secured for the next 2 years with funding put in place today by the UK government. The public service obligation (PSO) agreed between the UK government and Dundee City Council guarantees £2.85 million to keep the route open, with flight times between the 2 airports at around 90 minutes. The funding comes from the new Regional Air Connectivity fund announced by Danny Alexander at Spending Round 13. This is the first funding of its kind. Robert Goodwill, UK Aviation Minister said: "Regional airports have a key role to play in our long term economic plan for the nation’s future prosperity, and the government is committed to ensuring they have access to London and vice versa." The Regional Air Connectivity fund can be used to maintain important regional air connections, where they are in danger of being lost. The government doubled the size of the fund to £20 million per year in the 2014 Budget. The government aims to set up a second PSO agreement for the Newquay-London air link later this year, for business and tourism.
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Heathrow uses glitch-free opening of T2 to try and persuade people it can build a 3rd runway
Heathrow's new Terminal 2 - which cost the airport £2.5 billion - opened on 4th June, with no problems. It had a very low key and unambitious opening, with just 6,000 passengers on the first day of operation – 0.03% of its 20 million passenger capacity - thereby avoiding the chaotic scenes which accompanied the opening of Terminal 5 in 2008. John Holland-Kaye, who takes over as Heathrow’s chief executive next month, claimed the new terminal would help Heathrow's quest for a 3rd runway, as they managed to do it without anything going wrong (there were months of practices to ensure problems were avoided) and with Heathrow staying open. Mr Holland-Kaye, who is paid to say this sort of thing, said perceptions and the "political landscape" about Heathrow had changed (no evidence given) over the past 5 - 6 years. "We have been able to listen much more to the local community and changed our plans to be more acceptable. We have coming together a possibility of building a political consensus around Heathrow".... But that really isn't true....
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CEO of Birmingham airport says airlines should be encouraged to use regional airports
Paul Kehoe, chief executive of Birmingham Airport has urged the Government to get behind 'great airports for great cities'. Addressing a cross party reception of MPs, lords and business leaders in London following the Queen's Speech, he said more needed to be done to maximise the use of what capacity the country has now in its city regions. The south east has a disproportionate amount of UK airport capacity. Kehoe says Birmingham can now cater for long-haul flights to destinations such as China and the west coast of the US and will be even closer to the capital when,or if, HS2 opens. Next month, it will be the first airport outside of London to host a flight to and from China. He told MPs: "The West Midlands is the only region in the UK with a positive balance of trade with China, with our advanced manufacturing base leading the way. He wants to see government action to make better use of the airports and runways we have already. This means changes to tax rules to encourage airlines to use regional airports for long haul routes.
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Thousands across France will converge on Nantes for 5/6th July – many marching with walking stick relay
Over the weekend of 5th and 6th July , there will be another massive mobilisation at Notre Dame des Landes, against the planned new airport - to replace the existing Nantes airport. Thousands will attend from across France. There are around 200 support committees across the country, working to oppose the airport. Now there will be "convergences" from across France, where people are already setting out to walk to the protest. Others will travel, by bike, and many also by vehicle - having attended protest rallies in the areas from where they start. The chosen symbol for these marches, or "caravans" will be their walking sticks. Remembering the civil protests in the 1970s against a military camp at Larzac, those walking will bring with them a walking stick (engraved with their name, and the region from which they come), and the rhythmic noise of these clacking on the tarmac will be, as with the Larzac march to Paris in 1978, the sound signature of this part of the protest. Those who cannot complete the whole march will pass on their walking sticks as a relay, so they arrive at Notre Dame des Landes.
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Gatwick claims that with better public transport it will be “road & rail ready” for 2nd runway by 2021
Gatwick has produced a glossy document setting out how it will have fantastic road and rail links in place by 2021, that there will be no road or rail congestion, and everyone will have smoother and easier journeys. And at no cost to anyone. There are some stunning omissions. Most things that are inconvenient are just left out. They say "Gatwick will increase the cost efficiency in the rail industry by filling off-peak trains as well as providing passengers for trains operating in the opposite direction to peak commuter services. While it is estimated that, on the busiest trains, only 5% of travellers will be air passengers, the overall benefit they will bring will be around £3 billion in additional fare income." Gatwick says: "Junction 9 of the M23 ... will need to be upgraded to cater for expansion. Gatwick has committed to funding a doubling of this motorway junction capacity." The only thing Gatwick has said it will pay for. Also: "we have re-designed the local road network to be no busier than it is today, even after a general increase in demand, which will lessen local noise and air quality effects of background traffic, benefit economic activity and the quality of life of those using and living along the affected roads." Really? Who writes this stuff?