General News
Below are links to stories of general interest in relation to aviation and airports.
Heathrow and Gatwick set out their rival claims at RunwaysUK conference on airport surface access
The organisation, RunwaysUK, which describes itself as a neutral platform for debate on the rival runway schemes, held an interesting and productive half day conference on surface access to airports. There were accounts by Heathrow, Gatwick, Heathrow Hub and the Thames estuary scheme proposers of their plans for road and rail access, as well as contributions by TfL, Network Rail and others with an interest. It is recognised that adding a runway in the south east would come with immense transport strains on existing transport infrastructure. In order to meet requirements on the amount of passengers (and staff) using the airport to be by public transport, the airports know they cannot depend on road access alone. The pressure of extra passengers on networks that are already stretched, especially at peak times, is recognised - though Gatwick and Heathrow do their best to say their passengers will add little, and merely make rail services more profitable out of peak hours. Vexed issues remain of how much the taxpayer pays for transport services the airports benefit from, and what the cost of added congestion to road and rail services - from millions of extra air passengers being added - would cost the economy.
Click here to view full story...
Heathrow’s bid for a 3rd runway includes doubling air freight – with associated increase in lorries
In Heathrow's proposal for a 3rd runway, it plans to double its cargo capacity. It hopes this will help its bid, due to the financial value of air freight. In the past, some of the air freight industry have said Heathrow ignored their needs. Heathrow is now saying that its key logistics role as a single primary air freight hub for the UK is important for the economy, for export competitiveness, and essential for British importers and exporters to enable them to access key global markets. Some 65% of the UK’s £400bn air freight exports already travel via Heathrow, almost all as belly hold in passenger planes. The airport plans to have its freight area improved with a new cargo railhead, and better road links. Speaking at the Runways UK conference on 2nd June, Simon Earle said local residents consulted by Heathrow were unhappy about the number of HGV lorries. Air pollution is already often in breach of air quality levels. An article by T&E bemoans the resistance to changes and to cuts in polluting emissions by the lorry manufacturers. That does not bode well for Heathrow air quality, with much higher numbers of HGV movements in future.
Click here to view full story...
American FoI documents show USA is barring John Stewart from the country on allegations it admits are unfounded
On 29th September 2011 John Stewart set off for the USA for a speaking tour. He was arrested and taken off the plane by armed US police at New York JFK airport, under suspicion - in theory - of threatening Barak Obama. But he was held for lengthy questioning. He remains barred from entering the US. Now the Telegraph's David Millward reports that official US documents obtained by The Telegraph under American FoI legislation have raised fresh questions over John's treatment. John spearheaded the campaign to block a 3rd Heathrow runway in 2010, and continues to lead the anti-runway campaign. Documents now show that less than an hour before John’s Delta Airlines flight landed at JFK – it received reports that he had made a threat against the president. The source of this incorrect information remains unknown. It is now clear that the US authorities knew as early as 4.29pm that: “previous reports were unsubstantiated”. But the questioning by the American secret service and FBI continued until around 9.15pm. The authorities decided to deport John, with no reason given, and with no redress.
Click here to view full story...
What Heathrow can do next following the PR coup of Question Time being held in Terminal 2…….
On Thursday 29th May, the BBC's "Question Time" was filmed in Heathrow's Terminal 2 building, which is due to open on 2nd June. In a blog, John Stewart (Chair of Hacan) takes a wry look at this PR coup of Heathrow in getting the Question Time gig, which can only be part of its runway bid. "Never mind the content. Admire the view. Set in a gleaming new Terminal 2. We are the UK’s airport of the future. The only possible location for a new runway. It is all part of Heathrow’s new PR strategy. " Heathrow's PR campaign is quite slick. John says: "No question Heathrow has upped its game since last time and setting the opponents of a 3rd runway a new challenge." As well as Question Time, there have been the adverts, the billboards and last year a week-long, gushing series from the BBC on the workings of the airport. Not to mention another documentary on the BBC next week looking inside BA. However, Heathrow knows the basic arguments against a new runway have not changed - and all the publicity strategy indicates the airport is not confident of victory.
Click here to view full story...
New noise report from CAA deemed to be ‘disappointing’ by HACAN
The CAA's new report, Managing Aviation Noise, suggests how the aviation industry can best manage aircraft noise, in order to reduce and defuse opposition. The CAA appreciates that noise is a very real issue, and that there has been very little improvement in the noise climate around airports since 2000. Speaking on behalf of HACAN, John Stewart welcomed the recognition of this fact, which reflects the experience of residents. By contrast, the aviation industry likes to give the impression that planes are getting very much quieter,and the noise problem is steadily improving. HACAN regards the CAA report overall as ‘disappointing’ and though it contains useful ideas on how to reduce the impact of aircraft noise on residents, it says very little about how the actual number of planes flying over communities can be cut - which is the big issue for local residents. The CAA report recognises that the noise problem has to be dealt with better than it is now, but its focus is on how new capacity can be developed and operated to minimise noise impacts and maximise community benefits, rather than whether the capacity - primarily a new south east runway - should be built.
Click here to view full story...
CAA urges UK aviation to improve noise performance and engage communities better, so it can continue to grow
The CAA have produced a new report about aircraft noise in the context of airport expansion. They realise that airports and airlines should do all they can to reduce noise. Some of their recommendations are that when looking to expand, airports should do more to ensure local residents see benefits from additional capacity – whether through funding community schemes, direct payments, or tax breaks. Also that airports seeking expansion should significantly increase spending on noise. mitigation schemes to get closer to international competitors – including full insulation for those most affected. Airlines should focus on noise performance when purchasing new aircraft, and airports should structure their landing charges to incentivise airlines to operate so called "cleaner" (lower carbon emissions?), and less noisy flights. The CAA also propose creating a new Airport Community Engagement Forum, bringing together local residents, the aviation industry, policy makers and planners focussed on how (not whether) new airport capacity can be developed and operated with least annoyance, or complaint, from those over flown.
Click here to view full story...
Green Tribunal cancels environmental clearance of Aranmula Airport (Kerala) so construction work has to stop
Building work has started on a controversial airport at Aranmula, in Kerala, south India. It has been deeply opposed. Now the southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal has cancelled the environmental clearance given to the airport project, which means any construction has to stop. In November 2013 the Ministry of Environment and Forests gave permission for the greenfield airport, based on the recommendations given by its Environmental Appraisal Committee, which had rejected all the local and expert objections. It is now clear that the plans break many laws, including the Kerala Conservation of Paddy Land and Wetland Act 2008. Much of the area of the proposed airport is currently paddy fields and wetlands. It also consists of hilly areas and a stream on which local farmers depend for agriculture. The new report says that conversion of paddy fields would impact on the remaining wetlands, disturb the food chain, and accelerate the depletion of fish resources as well as other flora and fauna in the local river basin. Opponents have staged a non-violent "satyagraha" or permanent attendance at the temple, in protest - the 100th day was on 21st May. It has been attended by 100 - 800 people every day. Remarkable.
Click here to view full story...
Heathrow’s hopes of ever more transfer passengers, to help keep its “global aviation crown”
A Telegraph article (by Natalie Thomas) is loud - as ever - in its calls for another Heathrow runway. The opening on 2nd June is the opportunity for a PR splurge by Heathrow on how it is losing out to middle eastern airports (which are not located in highly populated areas, or have flight paths over highly populated areas, like Heathrow) and how Heathrow is losing its "global aviation crown." The UK is no longer geographically in the right location to be the world's largest hub, and the UK is a democratic country, where major building projects have to be agreed. Natalie is enthusiastic about having as many transfer passengers as possible at Heathrow, to make it maximally profitable. "With a relatively small domestic market, Qatar’s aviation industry is built on international passengers using Doha as a transfer and stopover destination." Quite so. By contrast, London is a major destination in its own right, so the transfer argument is different. The article also enthuses about how the Queen's Terminal will be the home of the Star Alliance group of airlines, some of which "connect Britain to emerging markets" and these will be able to use transfer passengers more effectively" to "improve Heathrow’s competitiveness."
Click here to view full story...
Report on financial viability of Prestwick Airport to be kept confidential by government
A taxpayer-funded report on the future viability of Prestwick Airport will not be published, to protect commercially confidential information, despite at least £5 million of public money having been pledged to ensure its survival. This has led to accusations that ministers are expecting "blind faith" from the public when it comes to justifying spending taxpayers' money. The report follows a review that took 3 months. The airport has been losing millions of pounds under its previous owners. Although the full document is being withheld, Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is expected to report key findings to the parliament's Infrastructure Committee in June. The Scottish Government bought Prestwick for £1 in November 2013. Labour's infrastructure spokesman has said it was unacceptable for the report to be kept secret, and the public deserves to know how the £5 million will be repaid. The CEO of Edinburgh Airport, Gordon Dewar has claimed Government ownership of Prestwick was distorting competition in the Central Belt of Scotland. . Glasgow Airport chiefs are also said to be uneasy over the arrangement. Prestwick lost £9.7 million last year.
Click here to view full story...
Long-haul first class air travel dwindling despite Etihad and Emirates
First Class seats take up a larger proportion of a plane than economy class seats, and ever more so when the level of luxury involves a flat bed, a bathroom, lounge space etc. Data from CAPA shows that flights using Heathrow have the largest number of First Class seats of any airport in the world. Of the top 10 routes based on the number of First Class seats, Heathrow has 9. Of the top 25 global routes by number of First Class seats, Heathrow has 15. Of the 25 largest first class routes, 10 are trans-Atlantic - only one of these is Frankfurt-Chicago. However, though the levels of luxury being offered by Middle Eastern airlines, for customers to whom money is no object, is rising - overall there is a decline in the number of luxury seats. Some airlines are reducing the number, while a few are increasing. The top 4 routes for luxury travel are Heathrow-New York (by far the largest); 2nd is Heathrow- Dubai; 3rd Heathrow- Chicago; 4th Heathrow-Mumbai. CAPA says growth constraints at Heathrow have seen British Airways strategically grow through a larger share of high-yielding passengers (across premium passengers and premium economy).