General News
Below are links to stories of general interest in relation to aviation and airports.
Danny Alexander admits some of the Govt £50bn infrastructure fund could go to build Heathrow 3rd runway
Chief Secretary to the Treasury: Danny Alexander's admitted in Parliament that some of the £50 billion funding from the Infrastructure (Financial Assistance) Bill could be used for a third runway at Heathrow. This emerged as Danny Alexander laid out the details of the Bill in the Commons. He acknowledged that in principle some of the £50 billion fund intended to kick-start the UK economy could be used on a 3rd runway. He also admitted the Government was not imposing a time limit on the fund (sunset clause), leaving the door open for it to be allocated to the controversial third runway at a later date. The intention of this funding is to create 140,000 jobs in the construction industry, and would not be added to the country's borrowing figures, but the companies benefiting from loans would pay a commercial interest rate to offset the risk to the taxpayer.
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BBC: Heathrow expansion: The alternatives to a third runway
The BBC has done a short analysis on the main suggestions for adding more runway capacity in the south east of England, and include a section on not building any more. They put a couple of points in favour and against, for Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Thames Estuary, Northolt and Birmingham - though many other points are left out. However, they include a comment from Jane Thomas, a senior FoE campaigner that "There should be a moratorium on any airport expansion at all. A bigger threat to our economy and our future is climate change. We need to look at the switch from short haul flights to rail." And a comment from John Stewart (Chair of AirportWatch) that "We don't have any hard evidence yet on demand. Former Transport SecretaryJustine Greening had the right approach, 'Is extra capacity needed? How much? Then, where?' "
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‘High value’ air passengers may get fast-track passport checks
The UK Border Agency told the Commons Home Affairs Select Committee that it is working on plans for fast-track passport lanes for rich travellers at Heathrow and other British airports, to avoid such long immigration queues. "High-value" people who were considered valuable passengers by the airlines or valuable to the British economy would be given priority treatment at immigration control. Already people from "old Commonwealth" countries, who do not need a visa to enter Britain are fast-tracked. It is for the committee to decide if this happens. The UKBA said it is intended to demonstrate that Britain was "open for business" but it will be controversial and divisive. UKBA declined to give any further detail on who would qualify as a "high-value business person" but it is likely to include frequent business-class flyers.
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EasyJet strikes deal for Parliamentary air travel
A year after offering free flights to MPs returning to deal with the summer riots, easyJet has been added to the list of preferred airlines for both Houses of Parliament. A deal for one year will allow cheaper flights than flag carriers for European flights, and works through the Parliament travel management company Hillgate Travel. They will get discounts on EasyJet fares. EasyJet is increasingly marketing itself as a business airline and wants more business passengers. They say they have over 9.5 million business passengers per year. From this winter it will be offering reserved seating and has been actively selling packages to the corporate market. Ryanair has complained in the past that the European parliament uses a flight booking system that excludes budget airlines.
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New PPS to George Osborne is sister of PR executive Roland Rudd who advises BAA
Amber Rudd has been appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to George Osborne. Her brother is a very successful and influential PR man, who was ranked in March as the most powerful PR professional in the country. "This is Money" commented last year that: in 2010 he "enjoyed a £2.9 million salary. His clients include controversial commodities trader Glencore, Spanish-owned airports operator BAA, BSkyB and Vodafone." For BAA he campaigned for a third runway at Heathrow. Amber Rudd has expressed her enthusiasm about a Thames estuary airport.
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You-Gov poll shows huge majority believe airport expansion would cause environmental damage
A YouGov-Cambridge forum poll of voters has shown that 34% believed a new Heathrow runway would help trade, while 34% were more concerned by the potential damage of noise and carbon emissions. By a two-to-one margin of 50% to 25%, Conservatives emphasise the economic gains over the environmental damage. By contrast, Labour voters are slightly more inclined to take the environmental perspective – by a 35%-33% margin – as are Liberal Democrats more emphatically, by 45% to 34%. Of Conservatives, 63% believe airport expansion will cause a great deal or a fair amount of damage, which is less than the 72% of Lib Dems. New coal power stations are rated as the most damaging, with a score of 48% and expanding Heathrow comes close behind with a score of 43%.
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Why is the allegedly responsible, green, Co-op sponsoring the anti-APD campaign?
The Co-op's travel company, Co-operative Travel, which last year merged with Thomas Cook, is backing the campaign against Air Passenger Duty. The Co-op prides itself on being ethical, and states that "Our pioneering involvement in Fairtrade and combating climate change reflects the values of our members and their desire to build a better future for themselves, their families, their communities and the wider world." But not, apparently, when it comes to its Travel company. On learning of the Co-op's support for the anti-APD campaign, Cait Hewitt from the Aviation Environment Federation said: "It's extraordinary that it seems the Co-op is using their customers' money to support industry lobbying to cut aviation taxes". John Stewart commented: "The involvement of Co-operative Travel with this campaign badly tarnishes its claim to be green and ethical. Many of its members will be shocked at its decision to join this alliance." The Co-op could do with some complaints about this double standard.
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Hambleton Council condemned by Ombudsman for failure of planning administration
In April this year Hambleton Council was condemned by the Local Government Ombudsman for maladministration. They said the council had committed “an extreme and most serious failure of planning administration”, after it failed to monitor planning conditions at Bagby Airfield (put in place to protect local residents) for so long that it has now lost the power to intervene against longstanding unauthorised use. The airfield has been operating in contravention of its planning permission for several years but the council missed opportunities to take action. As a result the unauthorised use became immune from enforcement action. Outside of the biggest South East airports, planning conditions are the only way in which the environmental impacts of airports and airfields are regulated.
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Commons Transport Committee set up inquiry to scrutinise the Government’s aviation strategy
The Transport Committee has published the terms of reference for a new inquiry that will examine the Government's aviation strategy and will focus on aviation capacity in the UK. The Davies Commission will not produce its final report until 2015. Louise Ellman, the Transport Committee's Chair, said she believed a strategy for aviation capacity should not be delayed further. She is inviting the public to submit their views, by 19th October. Her committee aims to influence the Government during the policy development process "with sensible but challenging recommendations and to make sure that aviation policy stays high on the political agenda." The Committee will look at connectivity, economic impacts, APD, making best use of existing airport capacity, noise and carbon emissions.And "Do we need a step-change in UK aviation capacity? Why?"
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‘Olympics effect’ sees passenger numbers fall at Heathrow and Stansted in August
Passengers at BAA's London airports, Heathrow and Stansted fell in both August and in July, due largely to the Olympics. Heathrow passengers were down, compared to August 2011, by - 1.9% (with ATMs down -0.3%) and Stansted passengers were down - 5.2%, (with ATMs down -4.4%). In July Heathrow passengers were down, compared to July 2011, by - 4.4% and at Stansted by - 5.3%. In August, passengers were up slightly at its Scottish airports, Glasgow and Aberdeen. BAA said it did not expect to make up the shortfall this year. Gatwick, which only hosted a minority of Olympic arrivals, saw marginal growth of + 0.2%. Virgin Trains has also reported that Olympic revenues were far below the forecasts.