General News
Below are links to stories of general interest in relation to aviation and airports.
DfT consultation on its Draft Aviation Policy Framework
The consultation on the government's Draft Aviation Policy Framework is now available on the DfT's website. The DfT says it "sets out the Government’s high level policy and seeks responses to questions on the benefits of aviation, aviation’s climate change impacts, noise and other local environmental impacts, how the diverse interests in the aviation debate can work together and the how aviation and the planning regime interact." The consultation period runs until 31 October. The main document, 98 pages, is at Draft Aviation Policy Framework The consultation document has 23 pages on the benefits of aviation to the UK, and 12 pages on its climate change impacts. It does have 24 pages on noise and other environmental impacts.
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Birmingham FoE: New aviation policy must consider people and the planet
With the release of today's Draft Aviation Policy Framework, Birmingham Friends of the Earth say environmental campaigners have been quick to remind the government of its promises. Having been elected on a platform with a commitment to build new aviation policy around climate change and quality of life considerations, the coalition should now deliver on this. With no check on the present rapid growth of air travel, the UK’s goal to cut its total carbon emissions by 80% by 2050 is not likely to be achieved, according to Birmingham FoE. It is also important that the government endorses the April 2012 recommendation from the Committee on Climate Change that emissions from aviation must return to 2005 levels by 2050. Birmingham Airport is campaigning hard for ever more passengers and it is essential that regional airports play their role within environmental limits.
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Peter Mandelson, in the Times, says Heathrow decision needs an independent panel
Peter Mandelson says Heathrow can be massively expanded even with Committee on Climate Change carbon targets, and "more flights need not be at the expense of tackling climate change." He says "politics and the search for partisan advantage make decisions about big infrastructure projects difficult. Local communities and pressure groups usually oppose them. The economic benefits of new developments are long-term and spread widely, while the drawbacks are more immediate and tangible for those affected." And "ministers should take the ultimate decision with due accountability to Parliament and the public." But "My proposal would be for the parties to hand the issue to an independent panel of wise people which, working to a clear timetable, would assess the evidence and recommend the best approach."
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Airport capacity consultation delayed by coalition tension – main policy consultation to be published today
The government will today publish its consultation on future UK aviation policy, covering noise, night flights, carbon emissions, air quality and regional airports. The more controversial part, on expanding south east airport capacity, with perhaps a new runway, or runways, has been so contentious, and caused such internal difficulties for the coalition government, that it will be postponed till an unknown date in the autumn. The line the industry and the media are all taking on the news is to bemoan the delay in dealing with the south east because expansion is, allegedly, so important to business. The media are also disappointed that for them the “sexy” part of the consultation has been delayed, particularly as many of them are under the impression that the Government will name airports, which is unlikely. The delay to the second part of the consultation is not a huge problem, but the current consultation is absolutely key, because it is the basic document which will set overall policy; if and where expansion is needed (the second paper) will fall within that framework.
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Government scraps NATS air traffic control sale plans
The Government has scrapped plans to sell its 49% stake in NATS. Transport Secretary Justine Greening said it was best for taxpayers, travellers and Nats if the Government retained its shareholding. The decision was welcomed by the Prospect union, which represents more than 3,000 air traffic controllers. But Prospect said "all eyes would now turn" on the Airline Group - a body of seven airlines including British Airways and Virgin Atlantic - which owns 42% of Nats. The Germany's state-controlled air traffic control body, Deutsche Flugsicherung, has been keen to buy this 42%. The Government can see that the strategic importance of Nats to the UK
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The Times says the aviation policy consultation to be published on 12th July, but capacity consultation delayed till autumn
The Times reports that part of the aviation policy consultation will be published tomorrow but that the call for evidence on airport expansion will be delayed until September. The consultation released on 12th July will be restricted to proposals on emissions, night flights, noise levels and regional airports. Justine Greening is expected to announce, tomorrow, that the Government is ready to listen to arguments on expanding Heathrow, Gatwick or Stansted, or building a new hub airport in the Thames estuary — but not yet. The delay is due to the internal political problems the coalition has on the airport issue, which it is finding hard to resolve. It is speculated that the Tory MPs keen on a 3rd Heathrow runway see the delay as evidence that the Government is coming round to accepting their case - in spite of Justine Greening's firm opposition.
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Richard Branson welcomes Heathrow four runways idea … with reservations
Branson has welcomed the idea of four runways at Heathrow airport but admitted there would be "casualties", adding that the government needed to be brave and take a decision in the national interest. He said he did not know if Monday's calls by the Free Enterprise Group of Tory MPs for two more runways were realistic, and "We need more capacity, and if an airport review really takes into account the needs of Britain, it's quite likely the review will say you need a couple more runways at least." He seems to be making out that if Heathrow does not get another runway or two, people will lose their jobs anyway, so it does not matter if some lose their homes etc now. Chilling and depressing stuff. Amazing that in some circles the man is regarded as environmentally aware. Talk about self interest. The man is a menace.
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Future oil supplies, peak oil, oil from shale, EROEI, oil prices etc
There is a lot of discussion in parts of the media about the existence of peak oil, whether oil from fracking shale will delay the peak for long, whether non-conventional forms of oil can keep a modern industrial society going for decades, and what changes are likely to oil prices in coming decades. In practice, there is a lot of conjecture, with different points of view and no future certainty. But it is worth looking at various articles on the subject. Here are a few that may be of interest - a very incomplete list though.
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Tourists to Spain face extra airport tax
Spain has increased the amount of departure tax it charges. The increase will be, on average, only perhaps 20% above the current level, but from the largest Spanish airports, it will be almost doubled. This will mean a rise of some €5 to €9 or so. The tax is charged to the airline, and they can choose whether to pass it on to the passengers - Ryanair certainly will get its passengers to pay. The tax is applied "retrospectively to customers who booked flights before 2 July 2012 and are travelling from 1 July onwards. Spain is implementing drastic measures to try to slash its budget deficit to 5.3% from 8.5% in 2011.
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Opponents hit back on industry campaign to stop increases in Air Passenger Duty
AirportWatch has hit back at the aviation industry’s A Fair Tax on Flying campaign with its own Fair Tax on Flying campaign – suggesting that the £8 billion plus tax subsidy the aviation industry already enjoys must be reconsidered. The industry is lobbying for no further rises in Air Passenger Duty. Next week Virgin is expected to spearhead a new assault on APD. Public awareness is needed to counter the industry’s suggestions that APD is “unfair” and “too high” when the aviation industry is benefiting from tax breaks through paying no VAT or fuel duty, at a time when the Coalition Government is having to make drastic cuts to public services, to save money. The airline lobby's new A Fair Tax on Flying website highlights ‘key facts’ convenient to their cause and glosses over others. AirportWatch shares the view of the industry campaign that there should be a "comprehensive study into the full economic effects of aviation tax in the UK" which the industry is calling for. The tax does indeed need to be fair.