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Summaries of, and links to, the latest aviation news stories appear below. News is archived into topics
For a daily compilation of UK articles on national and regional transport issues, see Transportinfo.org.uk | For more stories about specific airports see Aviation Environment Federation Transport & Environment Anna Aero TravelMole Press releases from CAA IATA BA Ryanair easyJet Jet2.com For climate change ECEEE news and Guardian Climate and NoAA monthly analysisCheck Hansard for reports on Parliament |
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Latest news stories:
BT Drops Its Carbon Footprint with Teleconferencing
Replacing business travel with teleconferencing has allowed British Telecom to avoid more than 860,000 face-to-face meetings worldwide and saved at least 97,000 tons of carbon emissions, according to a new survey. The survey, conducted by the University of Bradford and SustainIT, looked at the economic, environmental and social impact of conferencing at BT.
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Stansted expansion inquiry starts
The public inquiry into BAA's plans to expand Stansted's capacity started on 30th May. BAA wants to increase passenger numbers from 25 to 35 million a year, and to increase the number of air traffic movements permitted from the airport from 241,000 to 264,000 a year. Plans were rejected by Uttlesford District Council so a final decision will now be made at the inquiry.
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Ancient forest threatened by airport expansion bid
Hatfield Forest has coexisted with humanity for generations without coming to much harm. But this week the forest, among the last remaining of its type in Europe, faces what its custodians at the National Trust say is the sternest test yet of its survival, the ever-increasing thirst for air travel. It lies too close to Stansted airport.
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Climate change activists plan Heathrow camp
Climate change activists said that they expected more than 2,000 people from all over Britain to join west London residents in a mass direct action against plans to expand Heathrow airport. The activists announced that they would set up a "high impact" climate camp near the airport between August 14-21
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Ryanair Likely To Give Conservative Outlook
Ryanair expects to give "very conservative" guidance when it publishes full-year results next month due to falling ticket prices. "There's no doubt in our minds that yields are going to be softer," O'Leary said of average ticket prices during a news conference in Milan.
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BAA airports passenger numbers down – 0.9% in November and down – 1.3% in October
November traffic figures – BAA’s airports BAA’s airports served a total of 7.8 million passengers in November; a drop of 0.9% compared with the same month last year. The comparison with last year is complicated by weather related disruptions in both years and the UKBA strike on 30 November 2011… 12 December 2011 October […]
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New WDM report shows ‘aviation loophole’ undermines flagship UK Government Bill
Britain cannot meet its target of reducing CO2 emissions by 60% by 2050 unless it includes international aviation emissions in the climate bill according to a new report, ‘Emissions Invisible’, from anti poverty campaigners the World Development Movement.
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Binge-flying culture is just beginning. The only way to stop it is a severe tax (Max Hastings)
Almost all of us are hypocrites on climate change. We will not quit our aviation habit until it really hurts our pockets. Mark Ellingham now declares that "binge flying" constitutes a huge threat to the global environment. "If the travel industry rosily goes ahead as it is doing, ignoring the effect that carbon emissions from flying are having on climate change, we are putting ourselves in a very similar position to the tobacco industry."
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Leeds Bradford Airport’s new owner in £70m growth pledge
The new owner of Leeds Bradford Airport (LBIA) completed the £145.5m deal – and immediately announced £70m plans to more than double passenger numbers. The sale of the airport to private equity group Bridgepoint brought a windfall for the five West Yorkshire councils which owned it – and a commitment by the new owner to "take the airport up a league".
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Redhill Aerodrome
Air France is considering launching a rival service to Eurostar on the London-to-Paris high-speed route. From 2010, foreign train operators will be entitled to operate international services within Europe and the French airline has signalled already that it may seek to recoup some of the traffic lost through the Channel Tunnel.
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Sir Monty urges Britain to vote for climate change in the local elections
Sir Montgomery Cecil, Aviator and Chairman of Spurt, used a series of advertisements in the national press to urge the great British public to vote Labour in this week's local elections. Enjoy Sir Monty's voting advice, as seen in Unlimited Spurt's adverts by Enough's Enough
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Flight turbulence over plans for Lydd airport expansion
Plans for Lydd airport in Kent to expand have put it at the centre of a clash between environmentalists and the aviation industry. The owners of Lydd's tiny airport, which currently handles only light aircraft and small private jets, want to cash in on the cheap-flights boom and have applied to extend its runway and build a new terminal. The RSPB is fighting back.
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The London Assembly oppose plans for a sixth terminal.
Members of the London Assembly have added their voices to the growing chorus of protest at plans for further expansion at Heathrow Airport by passing a motion, supported by all the main parties, condemning the Government's plans for a sixth terminal and third runway at the airport.
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Plans to change airspace over East Anglia revealed
Airspace above East Anglia could see significant changes to allow for expansion at Stansted and Luton airports, BBC Look East has discovered. New holding stacks are proposed close to the airports and over built-up areas although National Air Traffic Services (NATS) has said no plans are finalised.
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New flightpaths to expose new areas to noise
New flightpaths planned for Heathrow will expose many new areas to aircraft noise. NATS are currently drawing up plans for the additional routes. The work also includes new stacks. The Government is not planning to hold public inquires on the changes which are expected to take effect in 2009.
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Millions face life under flightpath
Hundreds of thousands more homes will be blighted by low-flying aircraft when flight paths are redrawn to deal with 1 million extra flights a year over Britain by 2015. The airspace to be redesigned is the most complex in the world, involving aircraft that use Heathrow, Stansted, Luton and smaller airports such as London City, Northolt, Southend and Biggin Hill.
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Swedish airport runway seized by climate activists
On 14 April, activists broke into Bromma Airport in Stockholm to occupy the runway for half an hour. A scheduled flight to Gothenburg was delayed, and some planes had to divert their landing. The 10 activists, linked by chains and carrying a huge banner which read "Stop domestic flights", managed to enter the airport and runway without being detected.
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Tranquillity of Hever destroyed by Gatwick jets
Hever Castle in Kent, Anne Boleyn's childhood home, is facing a new threat from the air as peaceful family days out are shattered by the incessant roar of jets heading for Gatwick Airport, just 10 miles away. Campaigners and management say the noise from aircraft is strangling its appeal as a tourist attraction and filming location. Its open-air theatre company is considering moving on because members are tired of having their performances ruined by overhead noise.
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Lydd Airport sheds a third of its jobs
Lydd Airport in Kent is to make a third of its staff redundant, saying it can no longer sustain operating losses. Staff were told that 25 jobs out of 77 will be lost as managers restructure and merge departments to save money. Managing director Zak Deir said opposition and delays to obtaining planning permission for expansion plans had put pressure on finances.
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Klimax Sweden occupy Airport runway – Stop Domestic Flights
Activists broke into Bromma Airport in Stockholm to occupy the runway for half an hour. The scheduled flight to Gothenburg – a very short distance indeed – was delayed, and some planes had to divert their landing. The ten activists, linked by chains and carrying a huge banner which read "Stop domestic flights", managed to enter the airport and runway without being detected.
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Referendums reject London Ashford (Lydd) Airport plans
People living near London Ashford Airport (Lydd) in Kent have voted against its plans for expansion in 2 town referendums. The airport wants to build a new terminal building to handle up to 500,000 passengers a year - the equivalent of 10 flights a day. It has also submitted a planning application for two runway extensions, together 444m (1,456ft) in length. Electors in Lydd and New Romney voted by 2:1 on 4th April against proposals to expand the airport.
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Air travel poses major threat to biodiversity, say scientists
Global air travel has become one of the greatest threats to biodiversity and public health by driving the spread of alien species and infectious diseases to new habitats, scientists report. The explosive growth of worldwide airlines has seen passenger numbers rise 8% a year in the past three years, creating travel networks that link remote and isolated ecosystems for the first time, boosting the spread of micro-organisms and insects to unprecedented levels.
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Low-cost flights herald age of ‘hypermobility’
The spread of low-cost air travel has created a phenomenon of "hypermobility" that has changed the leisure and career options for millions of people, according to an Oxford academic, and flying is no longer the preserve of the rich. Much of the growth in aviation within Europe had been triggered by the fall of the Iron Curtain and the enlargement of the European Union to include former members of the Warsaw Pact.
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IPCC 4th report – Billions face climate change risk
Billions of people face shortages of food and water and increased risk of flooding, experts at a major climate change conference of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) have warned. The bleak conclusion came ahead of the publication of a key report by hundreds of international environmental experts. The report states that the observed increase in the global average temperature was "very likely" due to man-made greenhouse gas emissions.
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IPPR: ‘Put green warnings on adverts for flights’
Ads for flights, holidays and cars should carry tobacco-style health warnings to combat the public's "addiction" to polluting transport and reduce climate change, the think-tank IPPR recommended. They also said carbon offsetting charges should be included in fares as part of radical efforts to cut CO2 emissions.
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RSPB concern to bird populations if Lydd airport is allowed to expand
Lydd Airport has submitted planning applications for a runway extension and new terminal. If permission is granted, this will expand their capacity from the 4,000 passengers per annum they currently handle, to half a million passengers - part of their strategy to increase capacity to 2 million passengers in the future. The RSPB is very concerned about the impacts these proposals could have on the local environment and its wildlife.
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Middle Eastern billionaire signs up for ultimate toy – an A380
A mystery Middle Eastern client has signed a letter of intent for the ultimate boys' toy - a VIP version of the double-decker Airbus A380 superjumbo. The client, whose identity remains a closely guarded secret, has asked Airbus for the first available manufacturing slot for an aircraft that executives have dubbed internally as "The Flying Palace".
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European Parliament set to back tough rules on aircraft emissions
In December 2006, the Commission tabled a legislative proposal to include aviation in the emissions-trading system (ETS). If approved by Parliament and Council, the scheme would enter into force as of 2011 for all intra-EU flights and one year later for all flights using EU airports. The contentious issues are: 1). the Commission's decision not to include international flights in the scheme until one year after intra-EU flights (in 2011), and; 2). the level of the cap that airlines will be subject to and the system for distributing allowances.
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Budget airline – Flyforbeans – to launch routes from Cardiff
A new budget airline - Flyforbeans - has been launched at Cardiff International Airport, with the promise of creating 100 jobs. It hopes to start flying to European destinations towards the end of 2007, with route details being made public by the autumn. The airline, launched by air consultancy SkyMerlin, said these would include airports in France, Germany, Italy, Spain and eastern Europe.
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MP tackles air noise battle
John Barrett MP has joined with other MPs near Scottish airports to step up Westminster moves to secure a fair deal for local residents affected by noise levels on their flightpaths. He has launched an Early Day Motion (EDM 1068) in parliament on the issue. It begins: "That this House notes with concern the disparity in the help provided by British Airports Authority (BAA) for residents affected by noise levels above an average of 66 decibels at Scottish airports as compared with English airports;"
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Anglesey airport brings rich potential
THE island of Anglesey could become a playground for the rich and famous once an RAF air base becomes available for private aeroplanes. The Welsh Assembly Government is funding a £1m new facility at RAF Valley, near Holyhead, to enable weekday flights to begin between Anglesey and Cardiff airport this summer.
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Virgin unveils Kenya route plans
Virgin Atlantic has announced it is to start daily direct flights from London to the Kenyan capital, Nairobi - a move that may trigger a price war with BA. Virgin expects to carry 100,000 people from the UK to Kenya in its first year. A 2nd daily flight might be added if there was demand, to capture more than 25% of the market.
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Liverpool John Lennon Airport the fastest-growing in UK
Liverpool John Lennon Airport was named as the fastest-growing in the UK. Passengers numbers climbed 13% in 2006 compared with the previous year, according to the CAA. Just under 5m people travelled through JLA, compared with 4.4m in 2005. The 13% increase at Liverpool was compared with a rise in passenger numbers at UK airports of just under 3%.
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Code sharing by airlines
A codeshare agreement, sometimes simply codeshare, is an aviation business arrangement where two or more airlines share the same flight. A seat can be purchased on one airline but is actually operated by a cooperating airline under a different flight number or code. The term “code” refers to the identifier used in flight schedule, generally the two-characterIATA airline […]
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Carbon footprint of products to be displayed on label package
The Carbon Trust is launching a green equivalent to the Fairtrade label - a consumer label which details the carbon footprint of a product and a commitment by its producer to reduce it. Several major brand products, including Walkers crisps (carbon footprint: 75g), Boots Organics shampoo (148g) and Innocent smoothies (294g), will test the use of the logo - a white arrow wrapped in a black letter C. Over time it is expected that many more will join.
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The Battle of Newquay: Green lobby launches war to curb domestic flights (Binge Flying?)
Next Tuesday, a British Airways 737 jet will begin taxi-ing on the runway at Gatwick airport in preparation for the short flight to Newquay in Cornwall. If BA bosses' ambitions are met, up to 140 passengers paying as little as £69 return could be kicking back in their seats ahead of the one-hour hop ahead of them.
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Sir Montgomery’s recognition of the few who fly for the many
Sir Montgomery Cecil, Chairman of spurt-aviation.com, is placing a huge motivational 96 sheet billboard en-route from Paddington to Heathrow Airport, so passengenrs aboard the Heathrow Express train, on the way to catch their plane, can ponder the magnificent contribution they are making.
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Business leaders back scheme for Edinburgh airport runway in Fife
A new runway for Edinburgh airport would be built in Fife, under proposals backed by businesses in the area. Consultants have drafted proposals to build a runway for Edinburgh airport 40 miles north, claiming it would cut traffic on the Forth Road Bridge. Fife's Federation of Small Businesses has backed the plans, which would see an airstrip built near Glenrothes as part of Edinburgh Airport, but the proposal has been condemned by environmental campaigners.
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Angry Heathrow residents disrupt Minister’s speech at Chatham House
Airport residents resort to direct action techniques for the first time, which marks a new phase in resistance to Heathrow airport expansion. They stormed the stage at an aviation industry conference and disrupted an address being made by the Transport Minister, Douglas Alexander.
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WDM say scrap airport expansion and raise aviation taxes
Commenting on today’s cross-party Commons Environmental Audit Committee report that the EU emissions trading scheme will have little effect on the growth in aviation’s contribution to climate change, the World Development Movement said the government must scrap its plans for airport expansion and introduce proper environmental taxes on the aviation industry. The government still fully supports a doubling of the number of air passengers between 2002 and 2020 and a doubling of air freight between 2002 and 2010.
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HACAN calls for a cut in Heathrow short haul flights
Campaign group HACAN ClearSkies has called for a cut in short haul flights at Heathrow to improve air quality in London. It comes a day after the Mayor, Ken Livingstone, admitted that his ambitious plans to cut carbon emissions in the Capital by 60% within 20 years will be scuppered by the growth in pollution from aircraft. If Heathrow and City airports expand as the Governments wants, London’s overall emissions could only fall by 20% over the next 20 years.
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ROAD AND RAIL ISSUES RELATING TO A SECOND STANSTED RUNWAY
A Press Statement, issued by Stop Stansted Expansion, says the announcement by BAA, the Spanish-owned operator of Stansted Airport, regarding the road and rail improvements necessary to support its 2nd runway proposal utterly fails to grasp the scale of the problems that would arise if Stansted were, as proposed, to become bigger than today's Heathrow.
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Oldest bird reserve threatened by plan to expand airport
Plans for a huge airport expansion on the south-eastern tip of Kent are threatening the oldest reserve under the management of the RSPB. Businessman, Sheikh Fahad al-Athel, is proposing a huge expansion of the small airport near the village of Lydd. The airport is close to the ecologically unusual Dungeness nature reserve. In winter it hosts about 60 species of birds such as goldeneye, smew and bittern.
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North Somerset Council raises big concerns about Bristol airport
Airport expansion plans by Bristol International Airport, which says that by 2015 it will be handling 9 million passengers a year, suffered a temporary setback at the hands of North Somerset Council. Airport bosses want to double the size of the terminal, build a 180-bedroom hotel, and increase the number of car parking spaces by a third. North Somerset councillors complained about night flights, problems with roads to the airport, and the level of CO2 emissions.
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All EU nations must back proposals to cut harmful emissions by 30% by 2020 or risk jeopardising the global effort to curb climate change, warn ministers. The call for unity among the 27-nation bloc was made by the UK Environment Secretary, David Miliband, and his Spanish and Slovenian counterparts. Failure to act would threaten efforts to get nations such as the US and China to agree to cap emissions. "We all know that the current Kyoto deal does not go far enough."
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International Development Secretary Hilary Benn asked consumers to aid "social justice" on Valentine's Day. Importing African flowers is better for the environment as they are not grown in heated greenhouses, he said. Almost a third of the UK's imported flowers come from Kenya, with about 70,000 people, most of them women, working on the country's flower farms. Producing and transporting any flowers, other than those that grow seasonally in Britain in spring and summer, is a high energy process.
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Supreme Court reserves judgement on ruling about UK air quality
On 6th March there was a one-day hearing in the Supreme Court in London on the UK's failure to meet legal limits for air quality. In parts of London the air pollution standards are regularly breached, putting the health of thousands of Londoners is at risk. It is not only in London that there are air pollution problems but in 16 UK regions. It is thought there are some 29,000 early deaths per year in the UK caused by air pollution, a higher number than those from obesity and alcohol combined. The UK government has not met the EU standards on nitrogen dioxide emissions and in London it is unlikely that clean air targets will be met until 2025, 15 years late. The environment charity, ClientEarth, argued in the Supreme Court that the national courts must enforce EU environment law in the UK. It is understood that the European Commission is encouraging the Supreme Court case because it would prefer to avoid a direct confrontation with the UK, which is objecting to other EU environmental rules. However, If the Supreme Court does not require action, the European Commission must. After the 6th March hearing, the court reserved judgement. However, Client Earth hopes this will be handed down before Easter.
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Why Manston is in the wrong place
Why Manston is not in the right place to be a larger passenger, or even freight, airport
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New plan revealed for flight-path Britain
Labour wants to cut CO2 emissions but it is also pursuing a dramatic expansion of Britain’s airways. Can the circle be squared? The National Air Traffic Services, has plans for many new flight paths and stacking areas, as well as heavier use on existing flight paths.
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Expansion plans for Battersea heliport
London's Battersea Heliport will become the focal point for a major commercial development following the £50m purchase of the site by von Essen Hotels, the country-house hotel chain founded by Andrew Davis. The redevelopment programme includes proposals for a new terminal for the heliport, to make the facility more attractive for business users. There are also plans for a new reception and business-meeting rooms.
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Environmentally aware bishop pledges not to fly for a year
The Bishop of London, who was criticised last year when he suggested that flying to go on holiday was sinful, has agreed not to fly for a year to prove his point. The Right Rev Richard Chartres, one of the Church of England's leading spokesmen on environmental issues, said he would not fly to meetings nor, since he took family breaks in Devon, to go on holidays.
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Sir Montgomery Cecil urges us to do our patriotic duty – and fly
Sir Montgomery has again, in his inimitable way, taken out advertising space as a reminder that - next time you hear someone whinge about global warming, tell them to stop being so miserable. "Remember what we at SPURT say: SOD THEM.LET’S FLY".
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Birmingham Airport to submit runway extension plans
Birmingham airport announced that it will be submitting a planning application to extend its runway by 400 metres to the south to handle an extra 40,000 flights a year. The £120 million extension would allow the airport to handle fully laden jumbo jets and increase capacity to 20 million passengers a year, double the number handled last year. Birmingham Airport is in line to receive a £25m grant as part of plans to extend its main runway.
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Proportions of business passengers at UK’s main airports – showing decline over past decade
In 2010, the proportion of business passengers (as compared to leisure, including visiting friends and family) was 29.9% at Heathrow, 20.4% at Gatwick, 29.5% at Manchester, 19.6% at Luton and 17.7% at Stansted. Data from the Health Protection Agency shows the proportion of business passengers has been falling steadily since 2000.
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Stansted – flight path to destruction of woodland
Nearly 25 hectares of irreplaceable ancient woodland will be lost if BAA’s plans to build a second runway at Stansted come to fruition, and 3 ancient woods will be lost. Less than 2% of Britain is covered with ancient woodland, our richest habitat for wildlife.
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Birmingham – BIA runway plan takes off
Birmingham International Airport will proceed with a £120 million runway extension, 12 years after the ambitious scheme was first proposed. A planning application to add 400 metres to the southern end of the existing runway is expected to be lodged with Solihull Borough Council by the summer.
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BAA plans £2.45bn second runway for Stansted
BAA plans to build a second runway at Stansted airport in a £2.45bn project with the first phase to be ready by 2015. Present capacity would more than double to 68m passengers a year by 2030, the same number of passengers handled by London Heathrow last year. The latest scheme is expected to run into fierce opposition.
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Devastating Heathrow noise map
Noise created by a third runway at Heathrow would be "devastating" to thousands of Londoners. Maps show that aircraft approaching the runway at Heathrow would use flight paths over north and south London before beginning their final descent over Kensington, Chelsea and Hammersmith.
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Heathrow – noise fears over ‘third runway’
A campaign group, 2M (2 Million voices - against Heathrow expansion) has published maps showing the effect it claims a third runway at Heathrow would have on thousands of people. 2M says residents living under new flight paths would suffer extra noise pollution if expansion went ahead.
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World’s leading scientific experts to deliver stark findings on climate change
The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPPC) begins its release of the long anticipated Fourth Assessment Report in Paris on 2 February 2007, which is set to provide the most credible evidence yet of the human link to climate change and its devastating impacts.
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Airlines face blitz on noisy planes flying over Glasgow
Airlines face massive fines in a noise crackdown at Glasgow Airport. A new hotline has been set up for residents affected by the noise from planes flying in and out of Glasgow Airport. The complaints line will log calls from members of the public and will help air traffic control crack down on carriers who deviate from established flight paths.
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British prawns go to China to be shelled
Supermarkets and food producers are taking their products on huge globetrotting journeys, despite pledging to cut their carbon emissions. Scottish prawns are being hand-shelled in China, Atlantic haddock caught off Scotland is being prepared in Poland and Welsh cockles are being sent to Holland to be put in jars before going on sale in Britain. (Sunday Times)
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Defra ups carbon offset standards
The UK government is to define criteria for carbon offsetting schemes to bring "greater clarity" to the industry. Environment Secretary David Miliband said offsetting was not "the answer" to climate change, but that the voluntary standards would "raise the bar".
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Tim Yeo wants domestic flights to be taxed out of existence – Jan 2007
Flights within the UK should be taxed almost out of existence, a leading Tory MP, said today. Tim Yeo, who chairs the House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee, said he wanted to see "virtually no" domestic flights taking off within a decade.
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Stern stands up to critics of his analysis
Sir Nicholas Stern hit back at critics of his analysis of the economics of climate change. The government-commissioned Stern review, published last October, found the costs of taking action on climate change now were small and the benefits large compared with much heavier penalties for delaying action.
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Spurious “Green Apple Environment Awards”. Delightful greenwash!
Ryanair plans to launch transatlantic flights with fares as low as £6 within 4 years. Michael O’Leary said he was looking to serve 6 US cities from European airports where it has bases. Though the cheapest flights for US passengers would be £6, revenues would be increased through the sale of food, duty free goods and in-flight entertainment. With taxes the one-way price would be around £86.
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Southampton Airport – more destinations, more flights
The airport master plan was unveiled in November 2006, for huge growth. Meanwhile, Flybe increases Southampton - Amsterdam flights (Sept 2006), to three times per day on weekdays and twice a day at weekends, starting in October. Also Southampton to Nice flights - (Sept 2006), and to Galway, due to begin in December. Flybe flies to more than 30 destinations across the UK and Europe from Southampton, including Malaga, Amsterdam, Faro, Chambery and Glasgow.
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BLAIR – I WON’T GIVE UP HOLIDAYS TO SAVE PLANET
Tony Blair said today he would not give up long-haul holiday flights as he argued the fight against climate change did not require unreasonable sacrifices. The Prime Minister rejected the need to set a personal example on greenhouse gases by taking breaks closer to home, insisting that science was the key to tackling global warming.
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Exeter airport sell-off nets county £60m
Devon County Council has sold Exeter International Airport for £60m. It was bought by Regional and City Airports Limited (RCA) - part of Balfour Beatty - in a deal described by the authority as good news for the airport and the local economy.
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Norway To Tackle Planes’ Greenhouse Gases
Norway plans to join Britain in offsetting greenhouse gases caused by bureaucrats jetting around the world, announcing it will buy emissions quotas to combat global warming.
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Budget airlines worldwide
The proliferation of budget airlines across Asia has made air travel affordable for millions, but this week's aircraft disaster in Indonesia has underlined the challenge for governments to ensure safety standards are met.
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Eddington Transport Study – December 2006
Eddington Report – in 2005 Gordon Brown asked Rod Eddington, who had just stood down as the Chief Executive of BAA, to carry out a study examining the transport infrastructure the UK economy would need over the next 30 years. This report was published in December 2006.
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Lydd Airport Planning Application Submitted
A planning application for a new passenger terminal and extended runway at a Lydd (London Ashford) Airport has been submitted. The plans seek to build capacity at the airport and offer flights further afield than presently. Overall, Lydd Airport is proposing to increase passenger numbers to 2 million per annum in 2011.
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Britain’s Dirty Secret – aircraft emissions
The government has been disguising the quantity of greenhouse gases that we create with our flights to and from the UK. The DfT has admitted that it works it out simply by counting the aircraft that take off from Britain. Those that land here are excluded.
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‘Progress Report’ on the 2003 Aviation White Paper – December 2006
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Office of Fair Trading’s decision on BAA monopoly
The Office of Fair Trading has decided to refer BAA to the Competition Commission. BAA owns 7 UK airports – Heathrow, Stansted, Gatwick, Southampton, Glasgow and Edinburgh. The OFT is to hold an eight-week consultation period before it makes the referral.
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Letter to the Times, 11th December, from leading MPs and Environmental Groups
Letter to the Times of 11th December 2006 - from leading MPs and Environmental Groups
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Sustainable Aviation Progress Report 2006
"Sustainable Aviation Progress Report 2006" - by the aviation industry. This is the first progress report after its launch in June 2006
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Michael McCarthy: Low-carbon consumerism – a new ethical choice
Virtually everything we wear, sit on, clean with, heat with or eat contains embedded carbon - which can be reduced if the manufacturing companies concerned try hard enough. Looking at the emissions from the goods we buy, and services we use, shows just how much a part we as individuals could play in cutting emissions by the purchasing choices we make. Out of the approx 11 tonnes CO2 produced by each person in the UK each year, aviation is about 0.68 tonnes.
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Chancellor’s Pre Budget Report 2006
The Chancellor announced that the doubling APD will be effective from 1st February 2007.
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