General News
Below are links to stories of general interest in relation to aviation and airports.
Stop Stansted Expansion welcomes independent Aviation Connectivity Commission
SSE has welcomed the Government’s decision to establish an independent commission to look at aviation connectivity issues. They are disappointed the Government is not simply adhering to the policy which it laid down at the beginning of this Parliament, that there should be no more runways in the south-east. But it has been clear for some time now that, in response to heavy lobbying by the aviation industry, it was about to review this policy, and that this would include considering expansion at Stansted. There have been 3 independent assessments in the past which all concluded there should be no more runways at Stansted, (1960s - Chelmsford Inquiry; 1960s and 1970s - Roskill Commission; 1980s - Inspector Eyre). SSE has every reason to believe that this new commission will reach the same conclusion.
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New hub airport west of Heathrow “wins support of UK business” – Independent
Independent reports that British business is starting to get behind nebulous plans for a £60bn four-runway airport near Heathrow. It says a "world-leading infrastructure firm", which has worked on aviation projects in Latin and North America, is assessing sites for the scheme to the west and north-west of the airport. Potentially backed by Chinese sovereign wealth fund money, a secretive consortium of UK businesses plans to throw their scheme into the mix as a potential long-term successor to Heathrow. Potential sites, which must be flat with few nearby residential areas, are thought to have been identified along the potential High Speed Two rail line, which would link London and Birmingham, and the Great Western main line, so the airport would be within 30 minutes of London.
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Government announced the creation of independent Aviation Connectivity Commission – the call for evidence on airport capacity, due shortly, has been cancelled
The DfT has now announced that it has asked Sir Howard Davies to chair an independent Commission tasked with identifying and recommending to Government options for maintaining this country’s status as an international hub for aviation. It says the Commission will examine the scale and timing of any requirement for additional capacity to maintain the UK’s position as Europe’s most important aviation hub; and identify and evaluate how any need for additional capacity should be met in the short, medium and long term. In doing so, the Commission, will provide an interim report to the Government no later than the end of 2013 setting out its assessment of the evidence on the nature, scale and timing of the steps needed to maintain the UK’s global hub status; and its recommendation(s) for immediate actions to improve the use of existing runway capacity in the next five years – consistent with credible long term options. The Commission will then publish by the summer of 2015 a final report, for consideration by the Government and Opposition Parties. A decision on whether to support any of the recommendations contained in the final report will be taken by the next Government.
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Can the UK fly more without breaking climate change targets?
The aviation industry is bullish about its prospects of decoupling growth in aviation from the growth in emissions. At least Boeing and BAA are, and a host of airlines and airports that are part of the "Sustainable Aviation Council". The SAC's 2012 roadmap argues that virtually all of the extra GHG that would be emitted by this rise can be cut by a combination of sleeker aircraft, leaner engines, smoother ground operations, more direct flight paths and up to 40% use of biofuels in global aviation. It also suggests that the use of carbon trading would mean aviation's current carbon footprint could be halved even if passenger numbers more than doubled. But aircraft emissions cannot be airbrushed away through carbon trading, as Tim Yeo and others suggest. Given a new dash for gas in the UK, new road building and then more aviation, where are the CO2 cuts needed for permits to trade actually going to come from? Damian Carrington explores the issues.
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Is air pollution the biggest obstacle to a third runway at Heathrow?
Alan Andrews, from Client Earth (a group of environmental lawyers) writes that though Cameron's reshuffle might have removed a couple of high profile political obstacles to a third runway, it has not dealt with the more difficult obstacle: EU air quality limits. EU law sets legally binding limits on levels of harmful pollution in our air. These limits, which are based on WHO guidelines, govern a number of pollutants which are damaging to human health. The limits for NO2 are currently being broken in towns and cities throughout the UK. But they are worst in London – which is thought to have the worst levels of NO2 of any EU capital. Where limits are breached, EU law requires that an action plan be drawn up which achieves compliance in the “shortest time possible.” The Government’s plan for London shows that limits won’t be achieved until 2025. Alan explains how this means expanding Heathrow would be subject to legal challenge and EU opposition.
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Why the economic case for a third runway at Heathrow still won’t fly
In a long and comprehensive article, (worth reading it all) economist Ann Pettifor sets out the reasons why Heathrow does not need to be expanded, merely improved. The article goes through the many arguments about why Heathrow is already a much larger airport than its rivals, with better connections to significant business destinations. It looks at airport expansion in relation to economic growth (GDP), and finds no correlation. It notes Germany’s economic strength in 2010 and 2011, "which no one has suggested results in any significant way from the steady growth of Frankfurt airport." It comments "To the extent that Heathrow is a drag on London’s competitiveness, we argue that this relates far more to its poor facilities and problems around security and immigration services. Overall, the airport terminals seem more designed for the retailers than for passengers, and BAA have failed to upgrade the facilities adequately over many years" and says improving "the passenger experience would do far more at lower cost that a new R3".
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Thousands overflown by Heathrow ready to fight if the Conservatives resurrect expansion plans
Article by Gwyn Topham, on the noise issue at Heathrow. Hounslow'sdeputy leader of the council, Colin Ellar, points out: "The impact on hundreds of thousands of people is undersold, under-reported, never stated." "What we would really like is the mitigation of noise." Just in Hounslow there are dozens of schools badly affected by noise, with a plane overhead for part of the day every 90 seconds, making teaching very difficult. BAA have provided some sound insulation, but not air conditioning - making rooms stifling in summer with windows closed. There is no sound insulation possible with open windows, or when outdoors. Prestigious office blocks can afford air conditioning as well as double glazing, but this is not offered for the homes of ordinary residents. There are some 750,000 people living under Heathrow's flight paths. Slight improvements in aircraft are not enough to make a significant difference to noise perception.
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Evening Standard EXCLUSIVE: ‘Dithering’ Cameron puts off Heathrow decision – with Commission
The Standard, desperate as ever to promote a 3rd Heathrow runway, reports that David Cameron has announced that an independent commission will decide the future of Heathrow - but only after the next general election. He has called for a cross-party deal to settle the alleged "crisis" (Standard's words) in aviation capacity in the South-East. The issue is too divisive to be carried through without support from the 3 parties. The former business chief Sir Howard Davies will be asked to head the commission and recommend in summer 2015 whether a third runway or a new airport is needed. Sir Howard Davis was head of the CBI and was a deputy governor of the Bank of England. Labour said it was “sceptical” about a 3rd runway, a word the Standard says is carefully chosen to keep all options open. Mayor Boris Johnson has sworn to oppose such a plan in a “sustained public campaign”. Cameron said “I’m hoping to make an announcement about this over the coming days".
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Patrick McLoughlin replaces Justine Greening as Transport Secretary at the DfT
Patrick McLoughlin, who was Chief Whip, has now become Transport Secretary, replacing Justine Greening, who - because of her strong opposition to a 3rd runway at Heathrow - has been moved (to be International Development Secretary). The Campaign for Better Transport said it was "a big shame" to lose Greening because she was "actually putting in place a long-term strategy for transport, a rare thing". John Stewart, Chair of HACAN, said her removal heralded "big changes in aviation policy". Theresa Villiers, who was Aviation Minister, has been replaced by Simon Burns, with Theresa moved to become Northern Ireland Secretary. Patrick McLoughlin is MP for the Derbyshire Dales, and served briefly as a junior transport minister under Margaret Thatcher from 1989 to 1992. As a backbencher, he voted for a "rethink" on the Labour Government's policy of expanding Heathrow in 2009 when Villiers made this the Conservatives' policy. He is apparently afraid of flying, (or he was 20 years ago) and started his working life as a farm worker and a miner. The DfT Aviation team has also been reshuffled.
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So much for rising airport employment – airports plan for more automation
Airlines are laying the groundwork for the next big step in the increasingly automated airport experience: a trip from the curb to the plane without interacting with a single airline employee - so much less employment at airports. As well as automatic check in, and electronic boarding passes, airlines are now turning to technology that enables travelers to check their own bags and scan those boarding passes, with no staff. At the airport of the near future, "your first interaction could be with a flight attendant," Airlines hope this will quicken the airport experience for seasoned travelers—shaving a minute or two from the checked-baggage process alone—while freeing airline employees to focus on fliers with questions. IATA is pushing for extending a complete self-service airport experience to 80% of the world's fliers by 2020 in order to save the industry $2.1 billion a year.