General News
Below are links to stories of general interest in relation to aviation and airports.
Labour drops support for Heathrow runway and unveils new HS2 route to Birmingham
Labour will abandon its previous support for building a Heathrow 3rd runway. Ed Miliband had opposed its construction when he was in Government, but failed to persuade Gordon Brown to drop the party's commitment to runway 3. Maria Eagle, the shadow Transport Secretary, will confirm the move in a speech to the AOA, saying that "the local environmental impact means this is off the agenda". She will ask for cross-party consensus on this. She will unveil a new route for HS2
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US-wide activist network to be set up to oppose aviation growth
A new US-wide activist network is to be set up to oppose the soaring growth of aviation in America. The decision was taken after Americans heard from British campaigners John Stewart & Dan Glass about the success of similar networks in the UK. The new network will bring together local airport community campaigns with climate change activists and will press for investment in fast, affordable rail and coach systems as viable alternatives to many short distance flights.
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Commission recognises climate impact of unconventional oil in fuel quality directive
The EU is committed to cutting the CO2 impact of fuel production by 6% by 2020 from 2010 level. So it has to set "values" for each fuel, on the carbon intensity of the extraction process. Conventional fuels have a value of 87.5 gCO2/ MJ of energy. Fierce lobbying from Alberta, which has huge tar sands reserves, led to a delay in setting a tar sand oil standard.. The EU plans to give oil from tar sands a value of 107g CO2/MJ and oil from shale 131.5 g. To be decided in December. UK is one country to oppose the higer tar sand level.
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Institution of Mechanical Engineers urges UK aerospace to consider ambitious futuristic tecnologies
The IMechE has produced a report saying UK aerospace should be considering seemingly improbable options, like pilot-free planes, solar powered flight, planes flying at x5 the speed of sound, and a system by which individual units can be released and float down to the designated area where the passenger needs to go ... and flying pigs .... The UK is currently the second biggest aerospace manufacturer in the world but is being challenged by emerging economies.
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Ryanair plans huge growth in European passenger numbers with 300 new planes
Financial Times article
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Will the High Speed 2 rail line reduce emissions? Comments to AskLeo&Lucy
Leo & Lucy, writing in the Guardian, are doing a bit of "crowd sourcing" to get lots of view on views and evidence on whether High Speed 2 would cut UK carbon emissions, or cut UK domestic fligths, or not.
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BAA opts to sell Edinburgh airport for £500m and keep Glasgow
BAA is putting Edinburgh Airport up for sale with an estimated price tag of about £500m. They chose Edinburgh instead of Glasgow, as it would fetch a higher price, is performing better and would be easier to sell. Bidders include GIP (owns Gatwick), Manchester Airports Group, Borealis Infrastructure, and Macquarie. BAA is now starting sale preparations and expects to formally approach the market in the New Year in order to agreeing a sale by Summer 2012.
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Aviation industry turn on Greening over her opposition to 3rd runway – by John Stewart
The aviation industry is furious over the appointment of Justine Greening as the new transport secretary, and immediately swung its publicity machine into action, saying she is "compromised". That’s what not agreeing with BA is called? The industry is making a lot of her perceived conflict of interest of representing a constituency under the flight path. They don't like having a transport secretary who doesn’t share their view on a key aspect of aviation policy.
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New minister – Justine Greening – compromised over Heathrow expansion, says Willie Walsh
The Telegraph reports Willie Walsh taking the first possible opportunity - predictably - to complain about the appointment of Justine Greening, saying it is a "scandal" and she will not maintain a neutral position on aviation. He will write - together with the CEOs of the Airport Operators Assn and of ABTA - to her asking for APD to be scrapped. Their letter will also call on the Government to launch a study on the value of Heathrow as a hub airport.
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Justine Greening Named As Transport Secretary
Putney MP Justine Greening has been announced as new transport secretary, after Philip Hammond stepped in to fill the void at the Ministry of Defence following Liam Fox's resignation. Greening was elected to Parliament in 2005 and was made economic secretary at the Treasury following the 2010 general election. Greening was a vocal opponent of Labour's plans to build a 3rd runway at Heathrow. Many of her constituents live under the Heathrow flight path.