General News
Below are links to stories of general interest in relation to aviation and airports.
Airport protests about serious aircraft noise over residential areas near Shanghai Hongqiao
Local authorities in China are considering reducing the number of large airplanes used at Hongqiao Shanghai International Airport, to try to ease noise complaints from nearby residents. This is according to the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). Hongqiao airport is close to the city center, and there are many residential communities nearby. Complaints about noise levels began after the airport's new Terminal 2 was put into use ahead of the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai. Earlier two CPPCC members advised that more large planes be detoured to Shanghai Pudong International Airport to reduce noise levels at Hongqiao. The government's slow reaction to the problem has caused fierce conflicts between official departments and the people. Some 7,000 others from two communities about 500 meters from the new airport terminal, have taken turns over the past year to protest against the noise at the airport daily.
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Spate of suspiciously pro-Heathrow articles that have appeared in the Evening Standard. Why?
Something odd is going on at the Standard. There is a new editor, Sarah Sands. And the paper has done three days on the trot of large articles giving the maximum publicity it dares to promoting the BAA line that Heathrow has to be expanded. Without any new facts or particularly strong arguments to back up the hype. With the aviation policy due to start some time in the next few months, the Standard appears to be putting all its effort into changing the climate of opinion in London, by this rather unsubtle publicity drive. Who is paying for it? Who is behind it? Why is no other point of view being put? All rather suspicious. Not a sign of a well edited newspaper. And some of the economic claims are pretty laughable. But the Standard got Boris re-elected, so they hope they can work their magic again on the runway issue ...
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China set to overtake US become world’s biggest business travel market by 2015
China is expected to become the biggest market for business travel in 3 years. A recent study shows corporate travel [domestic and international] spending in China may rise by 17% to $202 billion this year and by another 21% to $245 billion next year. China is currently 2nd behind the US in terms of business travel spending with a total of $182 billion in 2011 compared to $250 billion in the US. The UK is ranked 4th globally for [business] travel spending at $38 billion with Japan in third position at $65 billion. China's international outbound business travel spending will increase by 27% next year. While the total amount spent is expected to surpass the US by 2015 as China continues its strong growth. No wonder the UK airports all want to get their hands on the Chinese passengers.
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IATA very excited about huge increase in Chinese aviation
China is now 2nd in the world for domestic air passengers, 7th for international passengers and 4th for international cargo. China has 19% of the world's population. Chinese carriers handled about 290 million passengers in 2011, an 8.2% year-on-year increase - with perhaps a 10% rise expected in 2012? Globally, IATA expects that: "Of the 877 million additional global air travelers expected to fly in 2015 than in 2010, more than 212 million will be on journeys within or connected to China.” Beijing Airport now has the 2nd highest number of passengers in the world (after Atlanta). IATA wants Beijing Airport to expand further, into an even more massive hub, or else for the Chinese to build a second huge hub airport. China is looking to increase its share of world trade from 10.4% to 15% and IATA thinks aviation connectivity will be critical to making that happen.
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Ryanair profit up 25% last year, but it might make significantly lower profits this year
Ryanair has warned of an impending storm that will hammer the aviation industry as surging fuel costs meet suppressed passenger demand. The airline has shown profit growth of at least 25% every year since 2009, but has admitted its profit will fall by up to 20% in the coming year. Michael O'Leary said: “We expect recession, austerity, currency concerns, and lower fares at new and growing bases in Hungary, Poland, provincial UK, and Spain to make it difficult to repeat this year’s results. We expect that any increase in fares will only partially offset higher fuel costs.” Ryanair said that higher oil prices next winter mean it will ground up to 80 aircraft – as it did for the first time last year – “rather than suffer losses flying at very low winter yields”. IATA has forecast that European airlines will collectively lose €600 million this year.
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Theresa Villiers: BAA free to make case for 3rd Heathrow runway. But adds “the commercial interest of BAA …. is not necessarily the same as the economic needs of the overall economy”
Theresa Villiers has confirmed that Heathrow may argue its case for another runway during the forthcoming aviation consultation. She told the FT that "of course we’ll consider their representations and the evidence they submit.” She also said the government had to balance the needs of the economy with concerns about the environmental impact of aviation. And also - very tellingly - that: "The commercial interest of BAA is one thing – it’s not necessarily the same as the economic needs of the overall economy. We have a wider picture to look at.” For far too long it has been generally assumed that what is good for BAA and the airlines is necessarily good for the rest of us. It is a relief that this government has seen through the spin, and is not persuaded by the arguments, which the aviation industry never backs up with hard facts.
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ABTA claims Brits spend on average £523 each before their foreign holidays ?
The Association of British Travel Agents (ABTA) has produced some research that makes out that encouraging millions of Brits to take their holidays abroad is of major net benefit to the UK economy (rather than a drain on it), because of all the stuff they buy before their hols. The study – conducted by the Centre for Economics and Business Research (Cebr) – unveils that British holidaymakers spend an average £532 each on services and products for their trip before they even leave the country. Total, £31.2 billion is spent every year in the country on foreign planning and preparing a holiday, which is about the same as holidaymakers spend while they are away – £31.6 billion. This includes the cost of transport to and from the airport and the flights to leave the UK (not much help if it is on Ryanair or a foreign airline). The outbound sector makes a great contribution to UK employment as well, with 624,920 directly employed by the sector and another 1.26 million working in the wider economy. This of course ignores the downside: the money taken out of the country, the loss of tourism jobs in the UK from fewer trips within the UK, the loss of all the economic benefit that would create ........ etc etc.
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John Stewart banned from USA – probably for life. For opposing Heathrow expansion.
A vote taking place in the European Parliament today is set to approve the Liese report on including aviation in the EU's ETS. Commenting on the likely outcome of the vote, Green MEP and shadow rapporteur Dr Caroline Lucas said the agreement will represent a small step in the right direction, but a truly missed opportunity compared to what should have been achieved. (Caroline Lucas)
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Earth’s environment getting worse, not better, says WWF ahead of Rio+20
A new report from WWF called "Living Planet" says that 20 years on from the Rio Earth summit, the environment of the planet is getting worse not better. There is swelling human population, mass migration to cities, increasing energy use and soaring CO2 emissions which mean humanity is putting a greater squeeze on the planet's resources then ever before. Particularly hard hit is the diversity of animals and plants. The report estimates that global demand for natural resources has doubled since 1996 and that it now takes 1.5 years to regenerate the renewable resources used in one year by humans. It takes 18 months for the planet to remove the CO2 produced in one year. By 2030, the report predicts it will take the equivalent of 2 planets to meet the current demand for resources. And the trend is getting worse, fast. Little is being done to slow the rate of damage.
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Eurostar’s bid to expand across Europe
Eurostar is looking at expansion out of London, adding up to 10 destinations to four European countries over the next five years. According to the Financial Times, the train operator is looking to run services from St Pancras in London to the Netherlands, Germany, southern France and Switzerland.This would be a direct challenge to airlines which have seen flights between London, Paris and Brussels severely hampered since the introduction of the train service in 1994.