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Latest news stories:
Green field gravelled over – during the night – to become illegal Bristol Airport car park. Not an isolated incident
An illegal Bristol Airport car park has appeared after green fields were gravelled over during one night. Neighbours living close to the airport say just months after two unauthorised car parks were closed down, another has been created in what was a picturesque field. North Somerset Council confirmed the former field, which had around 100 holidaymakers cars parked on over the weekend, did not have permission and they are investigating. The access to the field, near the busy A38 may not be designed for this volume of vehicles. It appears that car parking businesses "hop from one location to another without any regard for planning laws or the health and safety of others." A resident said: "The residents living nearby now have the view of a car park and comings and goings all night, in what was a field." The Council said: ""People need planning permission to build car parks. However in green belt locations, such as this, the parking of cars would normally be inappropriate development."We can take enforcement action by serving an enforcement notice requiring the inappropriate use to cease. Failure to comply is a criminal offence for which the council could start legal proceedings." The Council shut down two unauthorised car parks in the area in January 2016, and they closed over 40 unauthorised airport car parks near Bristol airport in the past four years. Gatwick has similar problems.
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London City Airport appeal on expansion – blog by Alan on why Hacan East are fighting for the local communities
Newham Council granted planning approval in February for London City Airport’s plans for expansion, allowing an increase in the number of flights from 70,000 per year to 111,000 and almost double the number of passengers, up to 6 million a year by 2023. In March 2015 Boris Johnson refused the plans, on noise grounds. The airport appealed, and the hearing starts on 15th March. Alan Haughton, from the local campaign group Hacan East will be speaking at the appeal, against the airport's plans, representing the interests of the local community. Alan has worked for many years, to oppose the high handed manner in which the airport (owned till very recently by GIP, as a means to make quick, huge, profit) rides roughshod over the interests of local people. In a blog, Alan explains why he and Hacan East have worked so hard, unpaid, to give their community a voice. Alan says: "What we see happening at London City Airport is happening across London. Developers and businesses, working closely with Local Councils, are forcing their will on Communities for profit. ... We attend the Planning Enquiry with no QC, no legal representation, no ‘experts’. We can’t afford those. ... For me though, it’s about justice, about community, about local residents and community groups standing together to defend our local environment."
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More psychological torture from Heathrow – with its leaflet for local people on compulsory purchase
Heathrow has posted, First Class, a leaflet (Heathrow Community Matters Bulletin, March 2016) to all the homes in the area threatened with compulsory purchase for a runway - and to an unknown number of other homes where the runway would make life virtually unliveable. This has not caused reassurance to many, but increased anger and resentment. Heathrow will keep people, who have already lived with blight and uncertainty for years, in a state of anxiety and uncertainty for yet longer. Heathrow's Nigel Milton wrote the leaflet, and uses the most evasive and emollient language he can for the unpleasant reality of people being evicted from their homes, against their will. He says Heathrow has been holding sessions for local residents to discuss "issues associated with Heathrow expansion." .." the first point at which you will be able to ask Heathrow to buy your house will be after the Government designate their National Policy Statement for expansion at Heathrow... We would expect this to be somewhere between summer 2017 and summer 2018."...."If people wait until a third runway planning consent is received to sell us their home, they will be eligible for the terms of our offer i.e. unblighted market price plus 25%, stamp duty, legal and moving costs. We currently expect to receive planning consent in 2020." More stressful waiting .... more anxiety .... more years unable to make any future plans. It is cruel.
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SNP to launch consultation on plan to cut Scottish air passenger duty by 50%, starting April 2018
The Scottish National Party (SNP) say they will cut Air Passenger Duty (APD) by 50% between April 2018 and 2021, if they win the Holyrood election on 5th May 2016. There is now a public consultation on this proposal. Control of APD is due to be devolved to Holyrood when the Scotland Bill becomes law, so it is no longer administered by the UK government. The Scottish Labour party has said a reduction would most benefit wealthier people, and should not go ahead. The majority of flights are taken by more affluent people, who can afford multiple short breaks as well as long haul holidays. Details of the APD consultation were announced by Finance Secretary John Swinney during a visit to Edinburgh Airport. The 50% cut in APD would start in April 2018, and be done in stages till 2021. The industry would like cutting APD to increase the amount of profitable high spending tourists to Scotland. They hope this would boost jobs and bring economic benefits. The amount of Scottish money taken out of the country on even cheaper flights is not counted, nor the jobs lost as Scots spend their holiday money abroad. Climate campaigners fear the net effect will be higher carbon emissions from Scottish aviation, if the ticket price is cut.
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Airports and MPs put pressure on George Osborne ahead of budget, on APD after its devolution
Air Passenger Duty (APD) will be devolved to the Scottish Parliament, and the ruling Scottish National Party are saying they would cut the tax by 50%. This has raised fears among airports in the north of England, such as Newcastle, that they could lose passengers to Scottish airports. Chancellor George Osborne is expected to announce the devolution of APD to the Welsh Assembly during his budget on 16th March. The Airport Operators Association (AOA) has had a survey done - but do not publish any details of it, so nothing can be verified. They claim that 60% of the MPs they questioned (no indication of which ones, what questions etc) thought APD should be charged at the same rates across the UK, regardless of devolution. The AOA has also written to Osborne asking him to use the budget to respond to last year’s discussion paper issued by the Treasury focusing on the potential impact of APD devolution on English regional airports. The industry already pays no VAT and no fuel duty. It wants there to be reduced APD, or not tax at all, on flights. There can be no logical justification for an industry that largely serves leisure travel to pay no tax and make no contribution to public finances. Thirty Tory MPs have also written to Osborne, concerned about the impact on Bristol airport if there APD was not charged by Cardiff airport.
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Justine Greening believes Cameron and Cabinet will abandon Heathrow 3rd runway plans
Justine Greening, MP for Putney, long standing opponent of a 3rd Heathrow runway, and International Development Secretary, has said that David Cameron will abandon plans to build a 3rd Heathrow runway. She predicted that the Cabinet would conclude that Heathrow should not be expanded. Instead a new “long term” strategy should be drawn up to decide on a "sensible" future airport policy for the UK. The Telegraph says this risks a backlash and potential legal challenge from pro airport campaigners. Those wanting a new runway claim that it is needed to prevent flights and businesses going to other countries in Europe in the decades ahead. Last autumn Sir Jeremy Heywood, the Cabinet Secretary and Britain’s most senior civil servant, warned ministers not to comment on the runway issue before an announcement due to concerns that the final decision could be vulnerable to legal challenge by the losing side or its backers. Justine Greening said she did not think the Cabinet would back Heathrow as it was not a smart decision. “Trying to expand Heathrow is like trying to build an eight bedroom mansion on the site of a terraced house. It is a hub airport that is just simply in the wrong place.” She had said earlier that she might resign if Heathrow was granted a runway, but she my have changed her mind.
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Block of ice (from plane?) crashes through edge of roof of family home in Chelmsford
People living under flight paths not infrequently suffer from objects that fall from planes, the most common of which appears to be lumps of ice. Now (on 4th March) there has been yet another incident where a block of ice has landed on a house, narrowly missing people. The house is under a Stansted flight path, in Chelmsford, Essex and is the home of a couple and their two teenage children. The ice block, described as perhaps football size, crashed through the overhang of their roof, missing going through the bedroom ceiling by just a few feet. That part of the bedroom is where the couple sleep. The ice block left a gaping hole in the roof. Members of the family were asleep at the time, and were woken by a noise they thought was a bomb going off. The couple now face a repair bill of thousands of pounds. Had the block been only a few inches closer to the window, the couple fear it would have impacted the window, which would have shattered it - with the bed just feet away. The CAA have been contacted, to ascertain if the ice is indeed from a plane. Ice can form naturally on aircraft flying at high altitudes which falls when the plane descends into warmer air and the ice breaks away. The CAA says it is not liable for damage due to an ice fall. Other incidents of objects, including ice, falling from planes.
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AEF analysis of the ITC report: its “conclusion that environmental impacts should be no barrier to expansion is unfounded”
A new report published by the Independent Transport Commission (ITC), a think tank supported by Heathrow and Gatwick, has argued that environmental concerns should not prevent a new runway being built. Now the Aviation Environment Federation (AEF)has come out with a damning assessment. The report argues that “it is foreseeable that a range of solutions will enable forecasts of future growth to be delivered within acceptable environmental boundaries even without a “step-change” in technology”. AEF points out that what "acceptable environmental boundaries" are not clearly defined. On CO2 emissions AEF says the ITC has put too much faith in future market based measures to trade emissions, and used unjustifiably optimistic forecasts of fuel efficiency improvements (1.6% per year, when others expect 0.8% at best). On noise AEF says the ITC does not even consider health impacts, uses implausibly optimistic assumptions and some unclear use of noise measurements. On air pollution, the ITC argues this is largely not the airports’ responsibility and hopes levels will improve soon. AEF concludes: "Without clearer definitions of what constitutes “acceptable environmental boundaries”, and evidence that these can be achieved, the report’s conclusion that environmental impacts should be no barrier to expansion is unfounded."
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HACAN East starts crowdfunding appeal for campaign to fight altered London City Airport flight paths
Local resident-led group HACAN East has launched a crowdfunding campaign to fight the new, concentrated flight paths for planes to and from London City Airport. HACAN East is seeking to raise £25,000, in order to campaign to reverse these changes - which they describe as Noise Ghettos - within 12 months, when the CAA will review airspace changes. In February, new concentrated flight paths began operating over many parts of east & south-east London, leaving parts of many boroughs with levels of aircraft noise not previously experienced. HACAN East know that taking on the might of the aviation industry is not easy. It is only by the local community coming together that residents can win, to get the flight paths changed - and the noise reduced. People in the noise affected areas feel these "noise ghettos" are completely unacceptable. City Airport did not consult residents about the flight path changes. The levels of aircraft noise and pollution have increased to unacceptable levels - reducing people's quality of life. At busy time of the day, planes can be coming over one every minute or so. They also suffer from Heathrow flights. Crowdfunding details here,if you are able to help.
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European Commission consultation on less strict rules on state subsidies for aviation sector
The European Commission wants to loosen state aid rules for Europe’s regional airports and ports, reducing the red tape burden on government investment below a certain threshold. The European state aid regulator, the Directorate-General for Competition, has launched a public consultation on the planned changes, with the aim of presenting an updated initiative by this autumn. The consultation ends on 30th May, and there will then be another. The European Commissioner for Competition said the aim was to make state aid investment easier, to create jobs. The Commission has reviewed 54 cases of financial support for airports (and more than 30 for ports). The revision would be one of the last steps of a sweeping overhaul of Europe’s rules governing public subsidies. Under the draft plans now out for consultation, the cultural industry and the overseas regions would also get looser conditions for gaining state aid. The EU rules for state aid to airports and airlines were last changed in March 2014. The rules said state aid is allowed if there is seen to be a genuine need for accessibility by air to a region. One category was for operating aid to regional airports (with less than 3 million passengers a year) to be allowed for a transitional period of 10 years under certain conditions.
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ICAO progress on a CO2 “market based mechanism” stalled by differences between developed and developing countries
International aviation talks at the UN body, ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation) have hit a roadblock over a plan to limit CO2 emissions for aircraft. The reason is a clash between developed and developing countries on how they view their "common but differentiated responsibilities." High-level officials from the EU, the USA, China, and others are scrambling to devise the plan before an ICAO governing council meeting in May. A special meeting has been called for April in Montreal for policy makers from about a dozen countries to confer on the plan. It hopes to agree a plan for "carbon-neutral growth" (ie. an MBM - a "market based measure" that means not cutting aviation CO2 but buying permits from other sectors, which do actually reduce emissions) in the aviation sector from 2020 onwards. However the MBM has to be agreed by all the 190 ICAO member countries in September, or risk the EU breaking off talks and imposing its own emissions trading scheme (ETS) on international airlines. The CO2 emissions from global aviation would be - if it was a country - the 7th largest. The problem is developing countries with fast growing aviation sectors such as China and India want to be allowed to emit more and grow. But countries with long developed aviation sectors do not want to be disadvantaged relatively. There are difficulties to do with competition and the ICAO's own principle of non-discrimination.
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“Independent” transport think tank, pro-runway, finds the environmental challenges can all (honestly…) be overcome …
Heathrow is well aware that it has an almost insurmountable set of environmental obstacles that, in any logical system, would make a 3rd runway out of the question. However, it keeps hoping that it can persuade enough key people that all is well, and all environmental problems will just melt away. Now, in a slightly desperate attempt to get politicians etc to ignore the evidence, a report has been done by an organisation called the "Independent Transport Commission." This is a body partly funded by Heathrow, by Gatwick, by NATS and many others. The report "The sustainability of UK Aviation: Trends in the mitigation of noise and emissions", written by RDC Aviation Ltd, sets out to show that the aviation industry can soon overcome problems of noise, air pollution and carbon emissions - and adding a new runway will be problem-free. The report is thin on good detail to back up these claims. It is high on hopes, aspirations and what could be termed "mindless optimism" that new technologies will work out well, and everything that could help the aviation industry will do so. None of the real problems of an expanding industry, with additional problems from the sheer increase in plane numbers are dealt with. A report, which is hard to describe as "independent" in any meaningful sense of the word, advocates sacrificing the environment if holds the industry's growth back.
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Local firms dispute Gatwick’s claims that a 2nd runway would be good for business or for the area
Backers of a 2nd Gatwick runway (few as they are) such as the Gatwick Diamond are keen to promote the view that it would greatly help local business. However, many businesses in the area would, in reality, be harmed by it. Employers fear the airport's expansion would mean higher wage expectations and wage inflation. As there is almost no local unemployment, it would become hard to employ local staff. There would also be much more road and rail congestion, from all the extra travel demand generated - with a negative impact on local companies. The pressure on office space and business locations would increase, pricing some firms out of the area. Where are they to relocate to? Gatwick is meant to have an "Engagement Charter" (written in 2014) through which it keeps in contact with local "landowners and occupiers" but some say they have had no contact from Gatwick. There is meant to be one to one support from the airport - especially on compulsory purchase. Sally Pavey, Chair of CAGNE, commented: “At last local businesses are starting to realise what a second runway at Gatwick will mean for them. It’s not going to be all good news for them.” Local campaign GACC produced an excellent, easy-to-read 6-page paper in December 2014, "Bad for Business" setting out a range of topics, illustrating how negative the runway's impacts would be.
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Heathrow Villagers welcome legal warning to Cameron, by 4 councils, of legal threat if 3rd runway is approved
Four Conservative-run local authorities have appointed a legal team, (Harrison Grant Solicitors) warning that if the Government did not rule out a 3rd Heathrow runway, then legal action will be launched. The four are the London Boroughs of Hillingdon, Richmond-upon-Thames, Wandsworth and the Royal Borough of Windsor & Maidenhead. All are long-standing opponents of a 3rd runway. The solicitors have written to the Prime Minister on their behalf explaining how "insurmountable environmental problems" would make government backing for a new runway "irrational or otherwise unlawful". Local campaign group in the Heathrow Villages, "Stop Heathrow Expansion" representing residents in the south of Hillingdon whose lives would be directly impacted by the runway, welcomed the letter. Christine Taylor, Harlington resident and Stop Heathrow Expansion supporter, said: "Residents of the Heathrow Villages have had enough – we’ve been fighting this for over 30 years. We want to draw an end to the repeated threat of Heathrow expansion on our communities." Rob Gray, the voice of the "Back Heathrow" group, complains residents will be furious that councils are spending money. He ignores the fact that residents could be equally furious that Heathrow has, yet again, put the councils in the position where they have little choice other than to defend themselves from the airport's plans.
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Anti-insect paint and electric planes: technology fixes for aviation CO2 cannot match sector’s growth
The aviation industry has a real problem with the inevitable increase in its carbon emissions in future, if it grows at the rate intended. The sector has no global cap for the future, and no pathway by which to cut its emissions (other than buying carbon permits from other sectors, which actually reduce carbon). So there are a lot of bright ideas of ways to make minimal, inconsequential carbon savings - nowhere near the scale required if the industry grows at 4% or so annually - for years ahead. Winglets have been effective in making around 4% carbon savings. Some of the proposals include hi-tech coatings on planes that dead insects slide off, reducing drag; repairing sections of chipped paint; reducing weight in the plane by lighter seats etc; a new tailfin design that could cut fuel usage by 0.5%; and so on. Once a plane has its winglets, it will not continue to get 4% more efficient per year. The airspace management industry is attempting to make small CO2 savings by slightly more efficient routing of planes, (some of these changes are causing new aircraft noise problems) and using continuous descent approach. These incremental improvements pale in comparison to the industry’s growth. There are no technological solutions to allow for ever-expanding global aviation, and keep to global CO2 goals.
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Heathrow holding “Business Summits” in Leeds and Manchester, attracting SMEs with hopes of lucrative runway supply deals
Heathrow is hoping to get backing from small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) in the regions, by tempting them with the prospect of lucrative contracts to supply the construction of the 3rd runway (which it presumes it will be getting). It also hopes it can persuade companies that another Heathrow runway will boost their businesses. Heathrow says it will "need more SMEs from the Northern Powerhouse in Heathrow’s supply chain to deliver an expanded Heathrow.” To help get more SMEs on board, there will be "Business Summits in Manchester (7th June) and Leeds (29th September). The days "will consist of speed-dating style sessions of interviews with procurement managers representing businesses based at the airport. By forging connections and winning new business, SMEs have the opportunity to enter Heathrow’s supply chain before development work kicks off as well as using the airport’s international presence to project their brand globally." There is also an annual Heathrow’s flagship Summit which takes place at the airport each November. Heathrow is hoping to lure them, saying: "with the airport spending over £1.5 billion annually with over 1,200 suppliers from around the UK....[the role of SMEs] will grow with the airport’s expansion."
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Manchester airport granted planning consent for huge programme of building works on terminals etc
Manchester airport has huge expansion plans. The City Council’s planning committee has approved part of a £1bn building plan. The Manchester Airport Transformation Programme (MAN-TP) will expand and reconfigure Terminal 2, as a "super terminal" with a new elevated road, and a 7-storey car park and also reconfigure Terminal 3. It wants to demolish Terminal One and its car park. The airport hopes over the next decade the project "will see the airport continue to develop as a global gateway for the UK, directly to and from the North." The airport sees itself as a key part of the Northern Powerhouse idea. The expansion will also create space for 50 food and retail businesses - (airports need to boost profits.) Local Ringway Parish Council are deeply opposed to the planned developments, and say the airport is "our worse enemy." They have been fighting the airport's plans for decades. Ringway PC says the impact on the environment will be ‘massive’. “They build on farmland, knock down old houses and they just don’t care. They don’t care about the environment, about small villages being decimated ...It’s a one-sided exercise, because planning applications from the airport will always be waved through." The building will overshadow local houses, make the roads busier and worsen noise pollution.
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Local people in Chiswick get more crowd-funded air pollution monitors
Air pollution in London is a growing problem, and people are justifiably very concerned about its health impacts. The local campaign group in Chiswick, CHATR, has been involved with moves to get more air pollution monitors installed. With the help of Chiswick Brentford and Isleworth neighbours, the Hounslow Green Party has installed the 3rd round of air pollution monitors targeting the A4/M4 corridor. This follows from monitoring results in summer 2015 that showed pollutants over EU limits. The proposed development schemes presented for the "Golden Mile" - that extends from Chiswick to Osterley- and also a 3rd runway, are expected to have significant adverse effects on already bad quality air. Scientific studies are showing increasing ill health, particularly caused by NO2 and particulates. This ill health is expensive not only in human terms, but in the costs to the NHS and to society. Chiswick would be directly below the arrivals flight path for a 3rd Heathrow runway, so it could suffer from far higher pollution from so many aircraft - emitting NO2 - only perhaps 2,000 feet overhead. The Green Party stresses how changes to transport are urgently needed. The air pollution monitors has been sourced from Mapping for Change, a citizen’s science project.
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Four councils affected by Heathrow threaten to take legal action against Government if it backs Heathrow runway
Four Conservative controlled councils - Hillingdon, Richmond upon Thames, Wandsworth and Windsor & Maidenhead councils - are preparing to sue the government over a proposed 3rd Heathrow runway. The four councils are near Heathrow, and affected adversely by it. The warning to David Cameron, from their lawyers, says an escalation in the number of flights would be “irrational and unlawful”. The legal letter to No 10 says court proceedings will be launched unless the Prime Minister categorically rules out expansion of Heathrow. It says “insurmountable environmental problems” around the airport mean it can never be expanded without subjecting residents to excessive pollution and noise. The councils have believed, since the launch of the (government appointed) Airports Commission's final report, that it made a “flawed assessment” of Heathrow’s ability to deal with environmental issues (noise, NO2, and carbon emissions among them). The councils also say David Cameron’s previous promise - "No ifs, No buts, no 3rd runway" - had created a “legitimate expectation” among residents that there would be no runway. The authorities have appointed Harrison Grant, the solicitors that led a successful High Court challenge in 2010 against the former Labour government’s attempt to expand Heathrow.
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ClientEarth gives government final legal warning – to act on air pollution within 10 days
Environmental law organisation, ClientEarth, has sent a final legal warning to the UK government which gives the Environment Secretary, Liz Truss, 10 days to act on air pollution or face action in the High Court. ClientEarth won a Supreme Court judgement on air pollution against the government in April 2015. They have now issued the legal letter because Defra's plans to tackle illegal levels of pollution fall woefully short of what was ordered by the Court. The government's current plans, which it was ordered to produce by the Supreme Court after losing to ClientEarth last year, do not envisage the UK to have legal levels of air pollution until 2025 - because of the delay in getting older more polluting vehicles off the roads altogether. ClientEarth has asked the government to produce new plans with a list of measures that will bring air pollution within legal limits in the shortest time possible and put these plans out to public consultation. If ClientEarth does not receive a satisfactory reply within 10 days, it will launch legal proceedings in the High Court. It will ask the High Court to compel ministers to submit improved plans. NO2 from diesel vehicles is creating much of the problem - a key issue for airport expansion, which generates high levels due to aircraft and road vehicles.
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BALPA wants DfT and CAA to fund drone strike research – fears of cockpit hit or engine fire
Pilots' union British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA) are calling for research into what would happen if a drone hit an airliner, after 23 near-misses around UK airports between 11th April and 4th October 2015. In one incident a drone passed within 25m (82ft) of a Boeing 777 near Heathrow. Twelve of the incidents were classed as "A" rated, the most serious rating, by the independent Airprox board, meaning there was "a serious risk of collision". Other incidents given the most serious rating include a drone coming within 20m (66ft) of a Embraer 170 jet on its approach to London City Airport above the Houses of Parliament on 13th September. Also a Boeing 737 had a near miss with a drone shortly after take-off from Stansted. BALPA wants the DfT and the CAA to back research into the possible consequences of a collision with a passenger jet. The effect could be serious if a drone smashed into the cockpit windscreen, or if it crashed into an engine. Unlike with bird strikes, the drones carry lithium batteries - there is concern these could cause a serious engine fire. The consequences of a drone hitting a plane would depend on a number of factors such as the size and speed of the drone and the location of the collision.
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Union fears up to 900 IT jobs at British Airways to be out-sourced to India
British Airways plans to off-shore many of its IT jobs to India, in a move to cut costs. Sites affected by the offshore outsourcing plan include BA Heathrow (700 redundancies projected at Waterside), BA Newcastle (100 redundancies projected) and other sites run by the airline. BA is transferring its “end-user” UK IT jobs to Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) in India. The GMB union says BA is also flouting visa rules,on rolling Tier 2 visas, which are meant to be for when employers want to internally move a member of staff from one post to another. John McDonnell attended a protest against the off-shoring plans, as many of the people to lose their jobs live in his constituency, in Hayes. BA staff are angry - GMB's Mick Rix said: “BA’s reward for their colleagues’ loyalty is redundancy and to replace them with another company’s cheap labour brought in from abroad on dubious visas.” Despite the job cull, BA is enjoying huge profits by charging a “high price for a premium service” but wants to have the “cost base of a low cost carrier.” BA claims only about 200 UK jobs would be lost, and it employs around 35,000 people in the UK. This is yet another warning that the aviation is not a secure provider of jobs - and claims of job gains with airport expansion needed to be viewed with caution.
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New academic paper shows how “Technology myths” are unduly influencing aviation climate policy
A new research study by a group of academics from a range of countries has looked at claims made by the aviation industry that it will achieve substantial carbon savings in future. They conclude that many of these claims could be described as "myths" as they have often just been used to give favourable publicity to the industry, before rapidly being proven to be over-hyped. Some of these technologies are alternative fuels, such as animal fats or jatropha; also solar power planes; or new forms of aircraft. None of these hoped-for technologies have any likelihood of making more than small contributions to future fuel efficiency. At best, they will be small improvements per plane - set against far larger growth of the industry - resulting in a large overall increase in carbon emissions. The authors make the point that the hype and the positive media coverage that the "myth" technologies permit are damaging. The unrealistic hopes for low carbon flying in future convinces politicians (who maybe happy to be so persuaded) to give the industry the benefit of the doubt, and permit its continuing growth - ever hoping for a marvellous new technology, just around the corner, which will lead to "sustainable" flying. The unjustifiably optimistic PR of the industry has implications for decisions such as that of a new runway in the south east.
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German-owned air traffic company, ANS, takes control (from NATS) of Gatwick tower services below 4,000 feet
Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower services at Gatwick are being provided, since 1st March, by a subsidiary company of German air navigation service provider DFS Deutsche Flugsicherung. The wholly owned DFS subsidiary—Air Navigation Solutions (ANS)—replaces NATS, and is now responsible for air traffic and approach services below 4,000 feet around the airport. NATS continues to provide approach control guidance to Gatwick from its Swanwick area control center. While the German government owns 100% of DFS, NATS is a public-private partnership; the UK government owns 49% of it; airlines own 42%; employees 5% and Heathrow 4%. Gatwick originally tendered for the services in late 2013, but NATS challenged this through the UK High Court of Justice. It won an injunction in October 2014 that suspended the contract award, and the matter was finally settled out of court. NATS is proud that it managed to deal with a record of 934 movements in a single day. Local campaign GACC believe the change will probably make very little practical difference because all the same staff will be operating the Gatwick control tower - just with a different employer. NATS says it has seconded 24 employees to support ANS for 2 years.
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300 black “No 3rd runway” planes planted in Southall, by local anti-noise campaigns
On 29th February, campaigners from EANAG (the Ealing Aircraft Noise Action Group) and West London Friends of the Earth ceremonially planted 300 small black card planes in Southall. The planes, each saying "No 3rd runway" at Heathrow were planted on Norwood Green. The number signifies the extra number of planes that would over-fly the area, if there was a 3rd Heathrow runway. The Ealing and Southall area is affected by take-offs from Heathrow, when the airport is on easterly operations - planes taking off towards the east. Flights can be from about 6.45am to 11.45pm. Aircraft overfly much of the borough on a major flightpath from Norwood Green over south Hanwell, Northfields, south and central Ealing and parts of Acton. There are currently around 20 planes per hour overhead, but this would hugely increase with a new runway. Local residents say life and work in the borough's homes, schools and businesses are continually disrupted by aircraft noise. It interrupts conversation, thought and sleep and prevents residents from enjoying their gardens and the local parks. The planting was joined by Jon Ball, a Liberal Democrat Ealing Councillor and Meena Hans, the Green Party GLA candidate for Ealing and Hillingdon.
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“Why we must thank the Heathrow 13” – Teddington Action Group blog
An excellent blog by TAG (the Teddington Action Group) says we all owe a debt of gratitude to the Heathrow 13. They say: No-one chains themselves to railings for want of something better to do. No-one risks prison for the hell of it .... That this small group of people were willing to do so is testament both to their courage and to their fear ... They had to take action, as this government simply does not have the political will to take unpopular decisions to face [the climate threat] head on .... What is left when the democratic process fails? ....Species are dying out; people are dying prematurely.... Yet the profiteers and the nay-sayers carry on their merry way. Heathrow is effectively saying [even with] another quarter of a million planes in the sky. "We’ll manage to stay within global warming limits. Maybe. Sort of. It’ll be fine. Trust us, dearie!" .... The Paris Agreement signatories agree to restrict global warming levels to ‘well below’ two degrees C.... This requires extensive CO2 mitigation measures which the UK Government seems to be sublimely unaware .... to even countenance more runways in any shape or form .... The Heathrow 13 (climate suffragists?) .... have our gratitude .... We cannot leave it to a few brave people to shoulder this burden for us. It is everyone’s fight.
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Top Gatwick bosses stand to make personal fortunes if airport price raised by 2nd runway
The Sunday Times has found that several of Gatwick's senior bosses are signed up to a bonus scheme that should pay out handsomely if the airport is sold. In small print in Gatwick’s 2011 accounts the bonuses of “certain members” of its board are directly linked to the amount GIP gets from sale of the airport. It has long been suspected that Stewart Wingate, Nick Dunn (and others?) would stand to gain significantly, themselves, if they could raise the value of the airport by getting a 2nd runway. Now the disclosure has proved it. The cap on how much they could make is not revealed. Gatwick lent the executives £2.8m to buy into the share scheme, with the interest-free loans repayable once they sell their shares. GIP owns 42% of the airport, with much of the rest held by investors from Abu Dhabi, California, Korea and Australia. Gatwick have been doing all they can to block a Heathrow runway, to get their own. They are also doing all they can to increase the maximum number of flights per hour through flight path changes - again to raise the airport's price. GIP bought Gatwick for £1.5 billion in 2009, and has just sold London City airport for almost x3 what they paid for it - and almost x32 its annual underlying profits.
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Anger at revelation that Gatwick bosses to personally profit (millions of £s) if 2nd runway allowed
The Gatwick Area Conservation Campaign (GACC) has expressed anger at the revelation in the Sunday Times that Gatwick bosses are set to benefit personally by several million pounds if permission is given for a 2nd runway. GACC says a 2nd runway would bring misery to tens of thousands of people. There would be three times as many people affected by serious amounts of aircraft noise, and new flight paths over peaceful areas. About 50,000 people would suffer from worse air quality. A new runway would mean traffic jams on motorways and local roads, overcrowding on the trains and an influx of new workers with a need to build 40,000 new houses on green fields. But with all these negative impacts on ordinary people, Gatwick bosses would walk away with huge bonuses. GACC chairman, Brendon Sewill, commented: "Until now Gatwick Airport Ltd have tried to persuade the public that a 2nd runway would be in the national interest. Now the cat is out of the bag! There is no real need for a new runway at Gatwick." GACC will be investigating how far these new bonus payments will be subject to the normal full 45% rate of income tax. Despite making large profits, Gatwick Airport has paid no corporation tax since being bought by GIP due to tax fiddles similar to those operated by Starbucks or Google.
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Report for Heathrow shows the Compton route is indeed being flown differently and more noisily than before
People complaining about Heathrow flights on the Compton route have been adamant there have been changes, planes are over different areas and they are lower. Heathrow has said, month after month, that these people are mistaken. Now research carried out by consultants have shown there are indeed changes. The report says there has been an increase in traffic from 2007 to 2015 – from 65 flights per day to 89 per day. There has been an increase in the proportion of flights using the northern edge of the departure route rather than across the 3km swathe. There has been an increase in the number of heavy aircraft (e.g. 747s and A340s) using the Compton route, and many are now going to ultra-long-haul destinations, so are very heavy with fuel; these planes are now lower over areas near the airport - and therefore noisier. The consultants say the Compton route was designed before huge planes like the A380, which has difficulty flying it. Though Heathrow is meant to fine aircraft that do not stick to the NPR, this has not been happening. The planes cannot stick to the route - but are still using it as if they could. A very unsatisfactory situation. Heathrow says it will be working with NATS and members of the Heathrow Community Noise Forum this year to "revisit the procedures used on the Compton route."
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With referendum awaited, 10 – 15,000 attend another massive protest against new Nantes airport
On the 9th January, there were estimated to have been 20,000 people at huge protests against the planned new airport for Nantes in countryside at Notre-Dame-des-Landes. Then on 26th January, the local court confirmed that 11 families would be evicted from their homes on the ZAD (zone à défendre) within about two months. On 13th February, President Hollande declared there would be a referendum on whether the airport should be built. This has caused local concerns. But neither the date nor the exact questions, nor the scope of the consultation's geographical area, have been settled. In response to the referendum proposal, the local campaign organised another massive demonstration (manifestation), to show the authorities the strength of feeling against the airport. Around 10,000 to 15,000 people came, from all across France. There are over 100 support committees across the country. They filled all 4 lanes of two local dual-carriageways, for many hours - in a peaceful protest, with a festival atmosphere. Two of the Heathrow 13 (spared prison on 24th February, with suspended 6 week sentences for their Heathrow runway occupation) attended the protest, showing solidarity from the London campaign. Campaigners in Turkey, against the new Istanbul airport, also sent messages of support.
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Heartfelt blog about the likelihood of increased depression and mental health impacts of relentless aircraft noise exposure
Many people have found the burden of aircraft noise, to which they have been recently and unexpectedly exposed, to be highly stressful. The stress is made worse by the apparent absence of any means to reduce or put an end to the problem. In a recent blog, someone who suffers both from depression and exposure to intense aircraft noise, has set out the necessity of taking mental health seriously. The blog says the effect of the relatively new phenomenon of concentrated flight paths appears to be worryingly under-researched. It is not know what levels of noise are safe. Research suggests that existing sufferers of mental illness are generally more sensitive to noise than others. The impact of narrow, concentrated flight paths overhead, with a plane as often as every 60 - 90 seconds can have particularly negative impacts on these people. Some research suggests higher rates of depression. For those with clinically recognised depression, the feeling that those who manage airspace will not act to reduce the problem, and will not take their complaints and pleas for change seriously, only exacerbate the mental anguish. The writer asks that mental health impacts are given much more attention. Intense exposure to aircraft noise - with no realistic prospect of it being improved - may come at high cost to vulnerable groups in society.
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Surface transport to airports report published by Transport Committee
The Commons Select Committee on Transport has published its report on "Surface Transport to Airports." This says Government failure to take a clear lead on integrated transport planning is a major obstacle to better surface access to the UK's airports. They urge Government to set out an integrated transport plan which connects airports across the country, "boosting regional access and economic development." The Committee looked at UK airports with over one million passengers per year. They believe that poor surface access restricts growth, adversely affects the passenger experience and forces airport users, local commuters and airport employees to choose to use cars to get to the airport, exacerbating local environmental concerns. [Heathrow and Gatwick were not the key focus of the inquiry.] The report says a lack of leadership on strategic planning, and a lack of co-ordination. They say the lack of a decision over airport capacity in the south east means that it is difficult to see how regional airports fit into the national picture. [Deciding once and for all not to build a new runway would make the situation clearer? AW] The report recommends that the forthcoming draft National Policy Statement on airports should contain policy on the surface access implications of long-term airport capacity, and this should include measures for improving access to airports that have existing spare capacity.
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London City airport sold to Canadian Pension funds, for £2 billion (bought by GIP in 2006 for £760 million)
A Canadian-led consortium of pension funds has beaten rivals to buy London City airport, from GIP, which paid £760 million for it. So that is a hefty profit. The valuation has proved controversial because the largest airline at City airport, BA, threatened to pull most of its aircraft out of the airport if the new owner raised airline charges to cover the high sale price. Willie Walsh, CEO of BA's owner IAG, considers £2 billion a foolish price. GIP owns 75% of the airport, and Oaktree Capital own 25%. The consortium that has bought the airport is led by the Ontario Teachers’ pension fund. It includes Borealis Infrastructure, which manages funds for one of Canada's largest pension funds, and also Japanese pension funds. The consortium is made up of AIMCo (Alberta Investment Management Corporation), OMERS (Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System), Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan and Wren House Infrastructure Management. Kuwait’s Wren House Infrastructure Management is an investment vehicle owned by the Kuwait Investment Authority. The Canadian Teachers’ pension fund has $160bn in assets, and already owns 4 airports (share of Birmingham, Bristol, Brussels and Copenhagen). HS1 Ltd is jointly owned by Borealis Infrastructure and Ontario Teachers Pension Plan, both Canadian pension funds. GIP bought the airport for an estimated £750m in 2006 from Dermot Desmond, the Irish financier, who paid just £23.5m for it in 1995 from Mowlem.
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Willie Walsh says Brexit will not have ‘material impact’ on IAG’s business
A Brexit vote would not have a material impact on the airline business, according to Willie Walsh, chief executive of International Airlines Group (IAG). Last year, he said he was “pro-Europe”, adding that he believed the UK is better off within the EU from a business point of view. On Radio 4's Today programme he said IAG had taken advice from a number of sources, looked at it within the company and done a risk analysis. Though there is a lot of uncertainty, the view of IAG is that leaving the EU would not have much impact on them. The low cost airlines fear Brexit could mean higher air fares. Ryanair apparently plans a poster campaign on his own planes, encouraging customers to vote to stay in the EU. Heathrow and Gatwick airports are in favour of Britain staying in the EU, for their businesses. Willie Walsh had previously spoken out about the impact of a possible Brexit on Ireland’s economy, but urged fellow Irish chief executives to stay out of the debate. IAG has announced profits of €2.34bn for the year ending 31 December 2015 – a year-on-year increase of 125%. Helped by the low price of jet fuel, (and savings not passed on to passengers?)
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Heathrow 13 get suspended, 6 week, prison sentences with community service and fines
The Heathrow 13 sentencing took place at Willesden Magistrates court, with the defendants fully expecting that all, or most, of them would be given custodial sentences. A crowd of about 300 cheered the Heathrow 13 as they arrived, and remained outside - with speeches and music - all day. By lunch time, mitigations had been discussed for all the defendants, and they emerged for lunch. Finally at about 4pm, the news filtered out to the crowd that all 13 had 6 weeks prison sentences, suspended for one year. The term could have been 13 weeks, but was reduced to 6 weeks as they had properly considered safety and were all of good character. In addition, ten have to do 120 hours of community service, and 3 (those with previous convictions) have to do 180 hours. There will also be fines, ranging from £500 to £1,000. It was learned that an email had been sent to the court, that morning, from Sir David King - past chief scientist to the UK government - saying that the defendants should not be imprisoned, as their concerns about carbon emissions are justified. Delighted have their freedom, the activists say the campaign against any new runway will continue. One commented that what was intended as a deterrent to climate direct action seems to had the opposite effect.
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Wingate and Holland-Kaye among signatories of letter saying Britain should stay in EU
Heathrow and Gatwick bosses John Holland-Kaye and Stewart Wingate have signed a letter by about 200 of UK businesses, saying Britain should remain in the EU. John Holland-Kaye said: "A vote to remain offers the best of both worlds – it secures our place as a powerhouse in the global economy, while remaining in the world’s largest free trade zone. Heathrow believes that the UK will be better off remaining in a reformed EU. We are the UK’s only hub airport, connecting Britain to over 80 long haul destinations, and handling over a quarter of UK exports – but we recognise that for business to thrive we also need to be part of the single European market. Membership of the EU has made air travel affordable and convenient, with regular flights to the continent from all parts of Britain - fuelling jobs, exports and economic growth." Comments have already been made by EasyJet boss Carolyn McCall and TUI's former chief Peter Long, warning that the cost of flights would rise if Britain leaves the European Union. People in the aviation industry believe there would be potential "uncertainty" if Brexit meant the UK has to renegotiate crucial trade deals with international partners.
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“Hurdles” campaign shows the seven insurmountable hurdles faced by a Heathrow 3rd runway
he combined groups opposed to a 3rd Heathrow runway have started a "Seven Hurdles" campaign, setting out some of the key problem posed by a new runway. The hurdles that would have be overcome would be: security, homes, noise, air pollution, costs, carbon emissions, and opposition. An Advan is touring parts of London that would be affected by a new runway, and will be in action for three days, stopping off at various key places. It began its trip on Monday 22nd at Chiswick Town Hall, to a lively reception from the local group, CHATR (Chiswick Against the Third Runway), before heading west. On 23rd it will be in central and east London, and then outside the court in Willesden on 24th, for the sentencing of the Heathrow 13. The details of the seven hurdles are explained in short briefings. They include the 725,000 people already affected by Heathrow plane noise; the increased risk of accident if there are another 50% more flights; the impossibility of the UK meeting its carbon targets if aviation is allowed further expansion; and the cost of at least £5 billion from the UK taxpayer to pay for surface access infrastructure. Not to mention huge and passionate opposition by thousands.
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Airport noise community groups write to David Cameron calling for review of airspace policy
In an open letter to David Cameron, which was co-ordinated through the Aviation Environment Federation (AEF), community groups concerned about the impacts of flight path changes have called on the Government to bring forward a review, both of airspace policy and the process for consultation and engagement. The letter describes the current approach for making airspace changes as “not fit for purpose” and demands that a moratorium on flight path trials and airspace decisions is introduced until a new policy is put in place. Flight path trials over the last few years have led to significant community disturbance around major airports across the UK, especially where communities have been overflown for the first time. In many cases, flight path trials were cancelled early following vociferous reactions from the public. The Government and the CAA were expected to consult on proposals to change the policy and process for making changes to flight paths early this year. However, this has been delayed until at least the summer, when the Government will make a statement on a possible new runway. The letter’s 24 signatories stress that the airspace policy review is required urgently to address existing problems and should be independent of any future decisions on airport capacity.
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Istanbul with its massive 3rd airport expected to soon take hub business away from Heathrow
The massive new 3rd airport for Istanbul - Istanbul Grand Airport (IGA) - big enough to take 150 million passengers per year in due course, is due to open on October 29th 2017. With 3 runways built in the first phase, it will have six runways and four terminals when completed. It would mean Istanbul having an airport larger than any in Europe. It will replace Atatürk Airport and provide the capacity that Turkish Airlines wants for huge expansion. Turkey is not doing well in cutting its carbon emissions overall, with more coal power stations planned and inadequate targets. A total of 25 new airports have opened in Turkey in the last 10 years. It is thought that by 2028, the new Istanbul airport may have enough capacity to shift passengers away from Paris Charles de Gaulle airport, Heathrow, Schiphol, and Dubai. Even with the existing airports, Istanbul has been taking share from competitors for transfer traffic between Europe and Asia. Istanbul is one of the top-five largest feeders for Europe. It is likely that even if a 3rd runway was built at Heathrow, Istanbul would overtake Heathrow. It is better located to be a major hub airport, and would take its business. That is expected to start even before 2020. The President of Turkish Airlines says: “The world used to be focused on Northern Europe and America. In this century, it’s our turn.”
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Gatwick begins search for contractors for £75m planning work for its (pipe dream) 2nd runway project
Heathrow and Gatwick continue to slug it out, in their runway battle. With neither willing to accept reality, both are bigging up their confidence in their imminent expansion, and runway success. Gatwick has now announced it is searching for bidders to carry out £75 million worth of design and planning work in preparation for a 2nd runway. The work is separated into three frameworks: airport planning services (especially for infrastructure associated with the runway); architectural, structural and building services projects, and multi-discipline design and engineering for projects greater than £5 million. Gatwick says the work is part of £2.5 billion worth of transformation spending that it aims to have completed by 2021. Gatwick's Development Director hopes this will impress the construction industry, and make them eager to get lucrative work. The runway works in total are expected to cost perhaps £9 billion. But Heathrow is apparently close to choosing preferred bidders for its four pre-collaboration packages on its 3rd runway. It is thought the firms include Arup, Atkins, Jacobs and Mace. Recently a number of the UK’s biggest construction firms wrote a letter to chancellor George Osborne urging him to approve a Heathrow runway. Gatwick says the contractors were ”misguided” in writing the letter, as Heathrow's runway bid is "destined to fail."
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Witness statement by Prof Alice Bows-Larkin for Heathrow 13 trial clearly shows CO2 problem of a new runway
Alice Bows-Larkin, a Professor in Climate Science and Energy Policy at MACE at Manchester University, gave written evidence at the trial of the Heathrow 13, for their action at Heathrow in July 2015. Her witness statement (11 pages + references) is a closely argued and highly expert assessment of the need for the emissions from aviation to be restricted. It is well worth reading. Just a few of the points she raises are that the UK has signed up to the ambition of the Paris Agreement to keep global temperature rise to below 2 degrees C. This is not consistent with an increase in the CO2 emissions from UK aviation above their capped level. There is no justification for international aviation to be excluded for global ambitions to limit CO2. Even if there is some carbon trading scheme, aviation needs to be fully included. If ‘negative emission sources’ that can remove CO2 from the air (unlikely) "do not materialise in time, ‘well below 2°C’ will only be achieved by a wholesale shift away from fossil fuel combustion. This would mean that CO2 produced by the aviation sector would also need to be reduced to near zero. This ... would be largely uncontested." Prof Larkin says in ther view the Government's intention to build a new runway, raising UK aviation CO2 emissions, "implies a misunderstanding by UK Government of the scale of CO2 mitigation that a 2°C goal relies upon – let alone a ‘well below’ 2°C target."
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Willie Walsh making the right noises on IAG’s small future fuel efficiency improvements per passenger
British Airways and IAG have not been at the forefront of trying to achieve progress on limiting their airline CO2 emissions. BA is still a long way behind even some other airlines in its fuel efficiency, per passenger-kilometre. A 2014 fuel efficiency ranking of the top 20 transatlantic airlines released by the ICCT put British Airways in last place. The report calculated that its fleet using an average of 51% more fuel for each kilometre travelled than top ranked Norwegian Airlines, while Spanish carrier Iberia - also owned by IAG - used 30% more. BA was also not among the signatories of an open letter, published in November and signed by 28 airline bosses, calling for a market-based solution for tackling aviation emissions. Now Willie Walsh says he has a target for IAG of an 8% cut in per-passenger CO2 by 2020 compared to 2015. This is per passenger emissions, while the total number of passengers grows. ie. a net increase in emissions. Tim Johnson, from the AEF, commented: "Any deal must be environmentally effective, and ambitious enough to reduce aviation emissions in line with the Paris Agreement's goal to limit temperature rises to 1.5C." ICAO predicts the CO2 emissions from global aviation could rise by 68% from their 2010 level by 2020.
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“All that noise & just so people can stop off in Heathrow’s duty free”: Darren Johnson makes the case against airport expansion
"The London Assembly has a longstanding opposition to Heathrow expansion for a very clear reason. We don't need it and we don't want it." So says Darren Johnson, speaking for the Green Party on the London Assembly. In a blog, he says a 3rd runway at Heathrow would undermine efforts to tackle air pollution and climate change, and increase noise for millions of Londoners. TfL and the GLA could help fund a legal challenge by London borough councils' to a Heathrow runway. With a new runway, around 30% of the extra Heathrow passengers would simply be "people who would otherwise fly out of another London airport.".... Why are we considering taking 10m passengers a year from other London airports and concentrating them all at one of most polluted hot spots in the country?" The government's latest modelling shows, to keep aviation within its carbon cap, "it would need to impose a carbon tax on fuel adding £100 to the cost of a return flight to Ibiza by 2050, even if there is no airport expansion.... In other words, we’d build a new runway in a London airport – then tax people so no more flights were taken across the UK as a whole." ... "Why create so many problems when we could easily get the extra passenger journeys out of existing capacity at other British airports?"
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ICAO proposal to slightly reduce CO2 emissions from new planes, only after 2023, not seen as sufficiently ambitious
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the United Nations’ aviation agency, has approved the first-ever binding agreement to achieve CO2 emissions reductions from new aircraft. New efficiency standards will apply to all new commercial jets delivered after 2028, as well as existing jets produced from 2023. This might achieve a cut in CO2 of about 4% in cruise fuel consumption, compared to the level in 2015. This is a very low level of ambition. Environmental groups, specifically the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) said the proposed standards were a missed opportunity and would have little real effect in curbing emissions. The standard excludes aircraft that are already in use, and as most airlines have lifetimes of 20-30 years, it will take decades to cover the current fleet. ICCT says some of the top performing commercial aircraft were already achieving the standard – with room to spare. By 2020, 8 years before the proposed standards were even due to come into effect, the average aircraft would already be 10% more efficient than the ICAO standard. ICAO recognised that "the projected doubling of global passengers and flights by 2030 must be managed responsibly and sustainably.” However, this does very little to achieve that. The exclusion high CO2 emitting international aviation and shipping was a major weakness of the Paris Agreement in December.
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Emirates adds 6th daily A380 flight to Heathrow, and Oman Air breaks slot price record
Heathrow slots are very much in demand, from airlines across the world, especially those at key times of day - such as early morning. Now Oman Air has set a record by paying $75 million for a pair of take-off and landing slots. It has one pair already. The small airline is understood to have bought the pair — which includes a highly prized early morning arrival — from Air France-KLM. The price beats the $60 million paid by American Airlines a year ago, for a slot bought from the Scandinavian carrier SAS. It is understood that Air France also sold another slot for a lower price to Emirates. That means Emirates will have six daily flights to Dubai from Heathrow, and it will use the slot for another A380, starting summer 2016. The slot bought by Oman Air is for a [popular with those over flown in London] a 5.30am arrival from Muscat. Heathrow slots have been changing hands for ever larger amounts of money recently. They are best value for lucrative flights to the USA and for fast-growing Gulf airlines wanting to get passengers through their Middle East hub airports. Last year Virgin Atlantic mortgaged its portfolio of Heathrow slots to raise £200m in a bond issue. The Sunday Times comments that "The high prices commanded by Heathrow may also reflect doubts among airlines over whether the airport will ever get a third runway."
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Heathrow 13: Jailing peaceful protestors could “lead to more disruption” in future, experts say
The protesters who disrupted flights last summer have been told to expect jail when they are sentenced next week (24th) - the maximum jail term for their offence would be 3 months. However, it is possible that jailing the “Heathrow 13” could encourage environmental activists to cause more damage in future protests. The reason is that academics believe a custodial sentence would inspire demonstrators to cause more damage in future – because it would remove the incentive to seek a trial by magistrate rather than trial by jury. Environmental protestors involved in peaceful direct action generally make sure they cause less than £5,000 damage. Beneath this threshold, they are likely to be tried by a magistrate – and receive a lighter sentence (not prison) than if they had been tried by a jury. But if Judge Deborah Wright does jail the Heathrow 13, activists in the future may be inclined to do what it takes to secure a jury trial. Juries are considered less likely to convict than magistrates. Dr Graeme Hayes of Aston University believes the precedent is that non-violent protestors are dealt with leniently by magistrates. If that is no longer the case, there is the risk that "some activists may decide to cause more property damage.” Professor Brian Doherty, professor of political sociology at Keele University, agreed.
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Virgin flight to New York had to return to Heathrow due to laser attack (6-7 miles west of airport)
A Virgin flight (VS025) heading to New York turned back to Heathrow after a laser beam was shone into the cockpit, Virgin Atlantic has said. The crew told air traffic control there was a "medical issue" with one of the pilots after the laser hit flight VS025 after take-off at 20:13 GMT on Sunday 14th. The flight turned back some way west of Ireland, after burning off and dumping excess fuel, in order to land safely. The radio clip of the conversation between air traffic control and the pilot indicated the laser attack may have happened some 6 - 7 miles west of Heathrow (the plane took off towards the east and turned west). The plane was landed safely, as the other pilot was not affected. [What happens if both pilots are affected ....] Shining lasers at planes is illegal. A new law introduced in 2010 means someone can be charged with "shining a light at an aircraft in flight so as to dazzle the pilot". Balpa general secretary Jim McAuslan said lasers were "incredibly dangerous", and called for the government to classify them as "offensive weapons". Aircraft are attacked with lasers at an alarming rate and with lasers with ever-increasing strength. Between January 2009 and June 2015 more than 8,998 laser incidents across the country were reported to the UK CAA. In 2014, there were 1,440 incidents, with 168 at Heathrow, which has the highest number.
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Residents ‘adopt’ the 13 Plane Stupid activists facing jail over Heathrow runway occupation
There was a great atmosphere on Valentines Day in the Five Bells pub in Harmondsworth, as 13 residents,most of whom face losing their homes if a 3rd runway is built, each ‘adopted’ one of the 13 Plane Stupid activists who face jail after occupying a runway at Heathrow. There was a specially-made Valentines Day cake, with the words; "Heathrow - you're breaking our hearts." The 'adopters' each drew the name of the activist they would 'adopt'. They have promised to write to the activists and support them in any way they can, if they go to jail. A second remarkable cake, with the face and name of each of the Heathrow 13, was made by the mum of one of the activists, Cameron Kaye. John Stewart, chair of HACAN, the residents’ group which opposes a new runway, said, “The event was good fun. There was a warm mood of mutual support in the room. It was made 100% clear that the activists won’t be alone when they are sentenced in 10 days time. Residents and direct action protesters are united as one in their determination to stop a third runway." The serious purpose of the event was to show "the bond of unity there is between the people who put their bodies on the line at Heathrow and the residents who face losing their homes."
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NASA JPL scientist explains why he gave up flying: “I don’t like harming others, so I don’t fly.”
Academics fly a lot, and there is the presumption that this is essential for their work and for international university connections etc. A climate scientist, Dr Peter Kalmus (who works for the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory) has decided that his own lifestyle is not consistent with his understanding of rising anthropogenic carbon emissions. "I try to avoid burning fossil fuels, because it’s clear that doing so causes real harm to humans and to non-humans, today and far into the future. I don’t like harming others, so I don’t fly." He says: "I experienced a lot of social pressure to fly, so it took me three years to quit. Not flying for vacations was relatively easy." Long trips by road to visit family were a bit harder. He comments that he knows scientists who fly a lot, but “just don’t think about it” and "most people simply don’t know the huge impact of their flying—but I also suspect that many of us are addicted to it. We’ve come to see flying as an inalienable right, a benefit of 21st-century living that we take for granted." "In today’s world, we’re still socially rewarded for burning fossil fuels. We equate frequent flying with success; we rack up our “miles.” This is backward: Burning fossil fuels does real harm to the biosphere, to our children, and to countless generations—and it should, therefore, be regarded as socially unacceptable."
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Campaigners vow to fight new Edinburgh Airport flight path plans “all the way”
The campaign group, Stop Edinburgh Airspace Trial (SEAT) against plans for a new Edinburgh flight path has vowed to "fight it all the way". A report was published by Edinburgh Airport recently, with findings from last year's TUTUR trial. The aim of the trial was to get planes departing every minute at peak times instead of every two minutes.That would make more money for the airport. SEAT say noise during the trial caused "misery" but the airport declared it was a technical success. The trial was stopped after 4 months, 2 months early, on 28th October, after nearly 8,000 complaints from 567 individuals. The airport said 57% of the complaints were not about trial flights but were about aircraft operating on flight paths that have existed for a long time - as there were some changes to these. Edinburgh says no decision will be made on the new flight path's future until the end of 2016, but of course, the airport wants to keep the maximum number of flights it can handle per hour, especially at peak times - regardless of annoyance to those overflown. Helena Paul, from SEAT, said the report seriously underestimated the volume of complaints and the sense of outrage people felt. It was grossly unfair to impose noise levels of over 80 decibels on people who bought their homes far from any flight paths.
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François Hollande announces there will be a local referendum on the contentious new airport at Notre-Dame-des-Landes
In late January, the court in Nantes ruled that the remaining people living in the "ZAD", where the planned airport would be at Notre-Dame-des-Landes, should start to be removed after 25th March. However, now President Hollande - realising that this has become an issue of huge national significance and hours after three Green lawmakers joined his cabinet as part of a government reshuffle - has said there will be a local referendum to decide if the new airport should happen. Hollande hopes to put an end to the matter, which has dragged on for years, with elections in France in 2017. The referendum may not be popular with proponents of the airport, though some consider there is a majority in support locally. It is also a concern for opponents, who ask: who will be polled - from how far around Nantes? People from Rennes and Brittany? What will the questions be? Will the alternatives be given? However, François Hollande has said the schedule is settled: "Work must begin in October. If the answer is yes in the referendum, everyone will have to accept the airport. If its "No" we all know that it is a project that has been spearheaded by the government, the government will have to assume the consequences." The evictions cannot proceed, now there is to be a referendum. The 11 families, including 4 farms, are given a breathing space.
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Letter: “Prison sentences for Heathrow 13 activists would threaten our right to protest”
A range of high-profile signatories have sent an open letter to the Guardian, in support of the Heathrow 13, who occupied part of Heathrow's northern runway on 13th July 2015. They say that giving the activists prison sentences would be unjust and disproportionate, for what they did - and would represent a “massive threat” to the right to peaceful protest in the UK. Those signing the letter include MPs John McDonnell and Caroline Lucas, as well as key people in Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, NEF, NUS, and a range of environmental and social campaigning organisations. The letter says "prison is an utterly disproportionate punishment, and would mark yet another example of heavy-handed treatment leading to the suppression of political dissent in the UK today." The 13 members of "Plane Stupid" were found guilty in January of aggravated trespass and entering a security-restricted area of an aerodrome. District judge Deborah Wright said the “astronomical costs” of their action to Heathrow, with 22 flights cancelled, meant likely jail sentences on 24th February. This would be very unusual, for first offences. One of the lawyers for the Heathrow 13 said civil disobedience had a “constitutional role” to play in a democracy, and that conditional discharge was usually the starting point for this offence.
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Belfast residents claim planned airport expansion would make it one of 5 loudest in UK
George Best Belfast City Airport could become one of the UK's five noisiest if controversial expansion plans to allow the airport to have more than 2 million passengers per year are allowed. Dr Liz Fawcett, of Belfast City Airport Watch (BCAW), gave evidence to the Regional Development Committee at Stormont, saying that some 18,000 people could be affected by noise if the expansion goes ahead. She called for an independent regulator to be set up, to strike a better balance between commercial interests and nearby residents' well-being. They also want robust fines for airlines. Recently the Planning Appeals Committee recommended that the 2 million limit should be lifted – provided that other noise control measures are put in place. More than 50,000 people across Belfast and north Down are affected by undesirably high levels of aircraft noise. That number is higher than at Gatwick or at Stansted. Dr Fawcett said if the airport is allowed its expansion, it could become one of the five noisiest in the UK in terms of population impact. It would also just mean the transfer of passengers and jobs from Belfast International airport. BCAW also wants airport planning agreements to be properly implemented and enforced. The airport continues to press for the greater number of passengers.
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Aviation emissions must be accounted for in carbon budgets, AEF says in evidence to CCC
The Committee on Climate Change put out a call for evidence last year, on its 5th Carbon Budget, which will cover the period 2028-32. The Government must legislate the level of the 5th Carbon Budget by June 2016. The CCC has recommended that the CO2 emissions from international aviation must be accounted for in the setting of the 5th carbon budget to provide the appropriate framework for future climate change policy. But the CO2 emissions from international shipping are fully included. AEF, the Aviation Environment Federation, say it is particularly important to have aviation CO2 properly included now as the Government has indicated its theoretical support for a new runway in the South East, which could significantly increase the scale of the UK aviation emissions challenge. It is disappointing that the CCC did not recommend formal inclusion of aviation in the carbon budget, which would provide greater certainty in relation to the sector’s future development. AEF believes that the CCC's recommended approach of setting the budget with a view to aviation’s formal inclusion in future budgets provides a ‘next best’ alternative. The CCC has long recommended that in order to allow for aviation’s future inclusion in carbon budgets, Government should plan on the assumption that emissions from the sector in 2050 should not exceed their level in 2005 – 37.5 MtCO2 – allowing for a 60% growth in aviation passengers between 2005 and 2050.
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Edinburgh airport declares its (fiercely opposed) TUTUR flight path trial a “technical success”
Edinburgh Airport, owned by GIP, ran the deeply unpopular flight TUTUR path trial in mid 2015. The aim was to get aircraft off the tarmac every minute at peak times – such as early morning – rather than every two minutes as is currently the case. And that would help increase the value of the airport, for GIP. Due to intense opposition and thousands of complaints about noise, it was ended two months early. Scottish journalist, Gina Davidson, has written about the problems. Edinburgh airport says it wants to be a good neighbour, but dismissed the mass of complaints about TUTUR as being from a ‘relatively small number of people, living in pockets of West Lothian.’ Unsurprising the airport announced this week that the trial had been a “technical success”.For overflown communities, such as Broxburn, Uphall, Linlithgow, and Blackness, it was not a success. And many of them are sure that even now, planes have not reverted to the old routes - but are still over-flying their homes. Edinburgh airport knows it will have a battle on its hands should it decide to attempt to make the TUTUR route permanent. There is now also a petition about noise in Cramond and Barnton, which are also facing more take-offs over them, in some wind conditions. Opposition is getting organised.
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Figures reveal that passenger journeys to and from Heathrow are increasingly been made by road
New statistics from the DfT reveal that passenger journeys to and from Heathrow airport are increasingly been made by road. The figures, issued in response to a FoI request made by the Teddington Action Group (TAG), show that passenger journeys by car and taxis rose by 2,000,000 in 2014 (the last year for which figures are available). In 2013, the aggregate number of private car and taxi/minicab journeys was 25 million. In 2014 they had risen to 27 million (an increase of nearly 10%). TAG says this trend would appear to call into question the assertion made by John Holland Kaye (CEO of Heathrow) on 4th November 2015 to Parliament's EAC, that there has been no increase in polluting vehicular journeys in the vicinity of the airport. He had been asked how Heathrow could meet Air Quality targets with a 3rd runway (when an increase of up to 54% in passenger journeys to and from the airport might be anticipated). Heathrow has a show-stopper problem for its runway plans, from air pollution. It needs to get its passengers and its staff to get to (and from) the airport by rail. In 2014, 59% of passengers arrived by car, taxi or minicab. Another 13% arrived by bus or coach. 28% arrived by rail or by Tube. Getting passengers out of their cars will be hard. The air pollution from Heathrow's air freight is already a problem, let alone if volume was doubled.
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Patrick McLoughlin evidence to Transport Cttee – he “very much hoped” to give runway location decision by July
The Commons Transport Committee held an oral evidence session on 8th February, inviting Transport Secretary of State, Patrick McLoughlin, to comment on the decision by the government to delay a statement on the location of a possible new runway. The tone of the session was that the Committee was eager for a decision to be made rapidly, with concern that undue time was being taken. Mr McLoughlin explained that even an EU referendum in June would not rule out a decision before Parliament's summer recess. He said though there has been a delay, partly due to air pollution problems and the VW "defeat" scandal, he hoped the government was ensuring all necessary research had been done, to minimise the chance of legal challenges causing yet further delays. The timetable the government is working to is a runway by 2030, though Heathrow and Gatwick would prefer it to be by 2025. Mr McLoughlin said he "very much hoped" there would be a statement to Parliament at least several days before summer recess (starts 21st July) to allow time for MPs to comment etc. He stressed how the 2008 Planning Act would make pushing a runway through fast, and gave the various timings, with only 6 months for a planning inquiry and examination in public.
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Faster jet stream, due to climate change, could make transatlantic flights slower (and costlier)
Carbon emissions from global aviation are known to worsen climate change - but now climate change is set to worsen flight times, according to new research. Climate change is likely to cause a faster jet stream, and that will add thousands of hours to journey times and increase airline fuel bills. Dr Paul Williams, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Reading, combined climate models with the software used by aviation companies to calculate the best routes each day. This showed the impact of a 15% faster jet stream, with flights from Europe toward the USA taking somewhat longer, against the wind. The wind could help speed the flights going eastwards, but the overall impact is a longer round trip. There are currently about 300 round trips per day, across the Atlantic, meaning the delay adds up to about 2,000 extra flying hours per year, $22m in extra fuel and 70m extra kilogrammes of CO2 emitted. Earlier work showed other impacts of rising temperatures on aviation, including bumpier, more turbulent flights and reducing the weight planes can carry. The impact of the faster jet stream will mean worse environmental impacts from aviation, as well as raising ticket prices. The jet stream also occurs in other part of the northern hemisphere, and in the southern hemisphere, and would have the same effect on planes there.
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Holland-Kaye still not prepared to accept ban on night flights before 6am, even to get 3rd runway
Heathrow's CEO, John Holland-Kaye, says the airport has yet to "engage" with the government and airlines about the possibility of ending night flights, before making any commitment. A ban on flights before 6am was one of the conditions the Airports Commission stipulated - in July - must be met for a 3rd runway to be built at Heathrow. But 7 months after the publication of the commission's report, Heathrow is still avoiding giving any confirmation it is prepared to accept that requirement. In December the government announced there would be a further delay in making a runway location decision, which cam as an unpleasant surprise to Heathrow - which had presumed it would be given the nod, but with a range of conditions. Holland-Kaye has tried to avoid any condition on his hoped-for runway, that might be irksome or costly. He continues to make bullish statements about how likely he feels the runway will be approved. He tries to make out that there would be fewer night flights with a 3rd runway.... and he is yet to "engage" with the government on the subject. Heathrow, in its PR, mistakes local support for a 3rd runway by people employed by the airport, or hoping to work there - for (quite different) support more widely among those not depending on Heathrow for their income.
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Study by Imperial College indicates health impacts of particulate air pollution last decades after exposure
The longest-running study so far - by Imperial College - has analysed long-term mortality risks of Britons exposed to historic particulate pollution. It has found that health impacts from particulate air pollution persist for years. The study did not look at NOx. The analysis of 368,000 British people over 38 years showed that those living in the most polluted places have a higher risk of dying than those in areas with the least air pollution. The deaths were from respiratory problems, like pneumonia, emphysema and bronchitis, and also from cardiovascular problems, like heart attacks. The leader of the study, Dr Anna Hansell, said there was an association between exposure to air pollution in 1971 with mortality in 2002-09. However, more recent exposures to polluted air are more harmful, with more impact from exposure to polluted air in 2001 on health in 2002 -09. "There is an imperative that, because the effects are so long-lasting, we really ought to act on it. We have to think about what we are doing to the long-term health of the population.” There are 29,000 premature deaths per year in the UK - or 5% of all deaths - blamed on air pollution. The impact of particulate air pollution on children, whose lungs can be stunted for life, has been of particular concern to experts.
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Belfast City Airport campaigners call for independent airport noise regulator to look after interests of residents
Because of its geographical location, the noise created by Belfast City Airport flights affects a large number of people in the city. The local campaign, Belfast City Airport Watch (BCAW) is an umbrella group representing more than a dozen local community organisations, and works to limit the noise they suffer. BCAW's Dr Liz Fawcett told committee members the establishment that the creation of a powerful independent airport noise regulator in Northern Ireland would help strike a better balance between commercial interests and nearby residents' well-being. It should ensure conformity with existing noise control measures. The airport is currently capped at 2 million passengers per year, but wants to increase this number - which would mean a considerable increase in the noise. BCAW say if the 2 million cap was raised, it could turn the airport into one of the noisiest in the UK. They want an independent noise regulator to deal effectively with public complaints and produce "meaningful" 5-year action plans aimed at minimising aircraft noise. They also want a wider airports strategy for Northern Ireland, considering how routes are shared between the two Belfast airports, to complement Dublin airport, without duplication of routes.
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ICAO trying to negotiate standards for fuel efficiency requirements for new and future planes
Talks are going on - till 12th February - in Montreal at ICAO, on global fuel efficiency standards for aircraft. The proposals would mean makers of the world's largest passenger jets would be forced to upgrade models currently in production, or stop producing certain models as early as 2023 (or maybe 2028). Planes currently flying are not included. Big improvements in aircraft CO2 emissions are needed, as the sector was left out of the Paris agreement. The sector intends to continue growing fast - with emissions rising much faster than any feasible fuel efficiencies. As well as the fuel efficiency of planes, ICAO is meant to be (after 6 years) finalising a "market-based mechanism" for all airlines later this year - as a two-part strategy. There are differences between countries on how tight the fuel efficiency standard should be, on a scale of 1 - 10 (10 being the best). The US and Canada are pushing for more stringent targets than the EU. Environmental groups say the EU is dragging its feet. Airbus may have to change the engines on the A380, and the Boeing 747-8 may no longer be produced. Aircraft makers are not keen on having to make costly improvements to planes now in production. The tougher standard for new designs could go into effect by 2020.
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Construction firms – wanting the lucrative work – urge George Osborne to support third Heathrow runway
Thirteen of Britain's largest construction and development firms (including the bosses of Balfour Beatty, Morgan Sindall, Laing O'Rourke, Mace,Atkins UK, and BAM Nuttall), have written to George Osborne, urging him to live up to his declaration that "we are the builders" by supporting the building of a third runway at Heathrow. As one comment under the article puts it: "Construction companies advocating a big construction project. Whatever next?....." The letter to the Chancellor says Heathrow has provided a "steady base of work" during the economic downturn and expansion would bring "a £15.6 billion order book to the UK supply chain". They also try to encourage the Chancellor by saying the OECD considers the UK has historically underspent on infrastructure, partially due to "long decision-making processes". The construction companies, which of course stand to gain massively from the building project, say: "We are writing to encourage your support for Heathrow expansion." It has been pointed out that you only have permanent jobs in construction if there is a new project to move on to, once one is complete.. Hence the construction firms are lobbying hard; they have expected work out of Heathrow, and may not have contingency should Heathrow not get the go head. The firms appear - conveniently - unaware of the very considerable economic and environmental problems that building a runway would create.
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Disappointing first results of Slough’s Strategic Partnership with Heathrow
In February 2015 Slough Borough Council formed a new "Strategic Partnership" with Heathrow, which the council hope would give it a privileged position and economic benefits, if a 3rd runway was approved. A new status report about the Partnership appears to have disappointed some councillors on the Overview & Scrutiny Committee. The deal was said to be overall, at “amber” status. The ‘Heads of Terms working group’ has so far secured (unspecified) funding for business start-up, air quality monitoring, and employment training, but little else. Last quarter the Partnership saw joint traffic surveys paid for by Heathrow, saving the Council a claimed £50,000, and funding for an extension of the 7 series bus service, the main link for many of the 7,000 Slough residents working at Heathrow. Developing a more “mutually beneficial relationship” with Heathrow is now one of the key outcomes from Slough’s 5 Year Plan. But the Partnership has so far done nothing to deliver a programme of mitigation to offset the effects of the airport for the communities most impacted as set out in the agreement last February. It appears to just be a new funding stream for the Council. Strategic Partnership meetings are not advertised, not open to the public, and minutes are not published. There is meant to be better dialogue with residents.
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Professor Stansfeld on how noise pollution, including aircraft noise, can damage health
Stephen Stansfeld is a Professor of Psychiatry at Queen Mary University of London, who has done a lot of work the health impacts of noise, including aircraft noise. He comments that as well as physical (cardiovascular) illness, there can be significant emotional response to noise pollution, including negative feelings noise can create such as disturbance, irritation, dissatisfaction and nuisance, as well as a feeling of having one’s privacy invaded. But annoyance can vary widely between different people. Noise can have different impacts depending on how much it interferes with your activities, the fear you feel associated with the source of the noise, your coping mechanisms and even your belief about whether the noise is preventable. "For example, you’re likely to feel more annoyance to aircraft flying overhead if you feel the airport is taking no measures to regulate the noise." He also says that the evidence suggests mental ill-health may increase the risk of annoyance by noise - rather than the other way round. Sleep disturbance from noise may have more effect on the elderly, children, those who work shifts or have poor health. He suggests - if screening or masking is not possible - we could design our society "to be less noisy in the first place."
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Changes brought in by NATS on February 4th means new noise ghettos in east London
On 4th February, NATS implemented the first phase of its LAMP (London Airspace Management Programme). It says this was approved by the CAA in November 2015. It means that routes into and out of London City airport will be altered, and routes will be concentrated – using PR-NAV (precision navigation). The changes involve use of a “point merge” system for arrivals, with the joining points to the ILS out at sea. They will mean all the planes from Westerly departures will be routed over for Bow, Leyton, Leytonstone, Wanstead, Redbridge, Barkingside, Collier Row and Harold Hill. For Easterly departures, all the planes will be routed over Barking Riverside, Dagenham, Elm park and Hornchurch. And for Easterly arrivals, all the planes will be routed over Bexley, Sidcup, New Eltham, Mottingham, Catford, Dulwich Village, Herne Hill, Brixton, Stockwell and Vauxhall. The changes are described by NATS in glowing terms – about “more efficient flights, saving fuel and reducing CO2 emissions, reducing noise, keeping aircraft higher for longer and minimising areas regularly overflown.” And, of course, enabling more flights to be crammed into crowded airspace – to enable the aviation industry to increase the number of flights. HACAN East is talking to its lawyers about a JR against the CAA for failure to consult.
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London City Airport’s price tag under scrutiny after BA threatens to pull out most flights
The sale of London City Airport could be in jeopardy after British Airways, the largest airline based there (40% of the flights), threatened to pull out most of its aircraft. The second largest airline there has about 20% of the flights. The airport was put up for sale by GIP in in August 2015. BA fears that the high price of £2 billion could force its new owners to raise landing fees, and BA says it is not prepared to pay. Willie Walsh said the £2 billion price would mean a multiple of 44 times London City's earnings (EBITDA), though the airport said it was a multiple of 28. Walsh said the airport had "very high" airport charges of £19 per passenger, one of the most expensive after Heathrow, and with higher charges he would not make enough profit. The number of passengers at London City airport has grown from 2m in 2005 to an estimated 4.3m in 2015. The airport’s value could also be limited by its battle to get planning permission for a £200m development that would increase the number of passengers to 6m by 2023. The plans were blocked last year by Boris, over aircraft noise concerns. London City is appealing against this. The introduction of Crossrail in 2018, which will cut down the journey time from Canary Wharf to Heathrow, could be a real threat to the airport.
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First EU-wide report on aviation’s environmental impacts shows growing challenges
A new report by European environment and aviation agencies – the European Aviation Environmental Report – has been published, by the European Environment Agency, and EASA. The aim of the initiative is to "monitor, promote and strengthen the EU’s efforts for a more sustainable European aviation sector." The report looks at a range of issues for European aviation, including its noise impact, its carbon emissions, and local air quality. It is aware that "the historic rate of improvement in various areas (e.g. technology and design) has not kept pace with past growth in the demand for air travel leading to increased overall pressures (e.g. emissions, noise) on the environment, and this trend is forecast to continue." The report is aware that future growth of the sector, out to 2035, will require environmental improvements. On noise, the report says around 5 million people in Europe were exposed to aircraft noise levels above 55 dBA Lden in 2012. While average jet aircraft noise decreased by around 4 dB per decade since 1960, the improvement has recently slowed to 2 dB per decade. On carbon emissions, the report says CO2 emissions from aviation have increased by around 77% between 1990 and 2005 and a further 5% from 2005 to 2014. They are likely to rise by a further 45% up to 2035. They note that biofuel development has been slow, and that a market based mechanism for global aviation carbon emissions is needed.
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The collapse of oil prices has killed what little serious interest airlines ever had in biofuels
The aviation industry has tried to persuade itself and others that it can continue increasing its annual jet fuel consumption, but by using biofuels, this can (magically) all be low carbon in future. But biofuels have proved not to be much more than wishful thinking. A long article in Forbes shows just how unlikely biofuels are to be the "get out of jail" card the industry hoped for. The airline industry has so far managed some PR successes in nurturing the perception among the public that biofuels are the solution for "green" aviation, while they have done little more than play around the edges of biofuel experimentation. Forbes says there are main reasons why biofuels won't help. (1). Biofuels are now, and may always be, too expensive. Even before the collapse of oil prices over the last 8 months it had become quite obvious that aviation biofuels aren’t likely to be price-competitive with carbon-based fuels any time in the foreseeable future. (2). Biofuel production is not now, and likely never will be, produced in sufficient volumes. The enormity of the demand makes it practical impossibility. (3) Biofuels are not now, and likely never will be, widely accessible. It concludes: "...airline executives’ legal and practical obligation to their shareholders will prevent them from making any biofuel purchase commitments of significant size."
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CAGNE fears Arrivals Review proposal to change joining point to ILS could bring noise misery for many
CAGNE is a group set up to support residents, especially those in west Sussex, affected by Gatwick's operations to the west of the airport. While welcoming many of the recommendations by the Gatwick Arrivals Review, published last week, CAGNE is concerned about some recommendations. The Review proposed that when there is no wind, or light wind only, that the airport operates more flights on easterly operations (meaning landings approach from the west, and take off the east). CAGNE fears this would expose more residents well to the west of Gatwick to more arrivals noise. The Review also recommended that arrivals should join the ILS (the final straight line approach to the runway) nearer to the runway. In 2013, the CAA changed the distance of the joining point from around 7 - 12 nautical miles out to around 10 - 12 nautical miles, claiming this was for safety. The Review suggests returning this to 8 nautical miles. The impact of this would be that people living 7 - 9 nautical miles or so (about 8 - 10 miles) from the runway would suffer more noise. Some of these people have either not had plane noise before, or not had it for two or three years. Most of the people affected will be unaware of the proposed change, and they have not been consulted. CAGNE wants to raise awareness of the proposed change, and ensure people know the details of how they would be affected - so they can comment.
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Heathrow to work on research into impact of runway on SMEs and their exports (imports?)
Heathrow Airport is to commission a report to look into the impact of a potential 3rd runway on the UK’s SME (Small and Medium Enterprise) community across the country. It will be a consultation by Heathrow itself and a small business support group called Enterprise Nation. The study starts in February, will seek the views of Enterprise Nation’s community of over 65,000 small businesses to gauge how they feel the airport’s development plans will impact them. The aim is for Heathrow to try to prove that its runway will help the UK to export more. (It does not mention imports - which are actually larger by tonnage and by value than exports.) Heathrow says that once completed, the findings will be used to develop an SME growth strategy within Heathrow’s expansion plans, focusing on what can be done to drive SME export growth in line with the Government target of over £1 trillion of UK exports by 2020. John Holland-Kaye made the usual comments including the runway providing "up 40 new trading links and improve domestic connectivity; making it cheaper and more efficient for SMEs to sell their products in fast growing markets around the world,” The findings of the report are due in April. Earlier Heathrow said the value of its air freight in 2014 was £101 billion. But the value of its exports was £48 billion. That is 47.5% of the total – a bit under half. The rest is imports.
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EasyJet’s Carolyn McCall says it is “unfair” for airlines to have to pre-fund airport expansion – wants someone else to pay
Carolyn McCall, CEO of easyJet, has claimed it is "very unfair" to expect airlines to fund runway building and airport expansion before the work takes place. She said "quite a big negotiation" will have to take place, whether (if) Heathrow or Gatwick is chosen. The cost of the expansion at Heathrow would be about £18.6 billion; Heathrow Hub at £13.5 billion, or Gatwick at 9.3 billion. Ms McCall has a main base at Gatwick, but backs a runway at Heathrow, expecting easyJet could make more money there. Willie Walsh of IAG has often said that the cost of Heathrow expansion is "outrageous" and insisted "we wouldn't be prepared to pay for or to support the development". Carolyn McCall said the issue of pre-funding is a massive issue for airlines - and therefore for airline passengers - as it would mean more expensive air fares for perhaps up to 10 years before the runway was completed. She claimed it was "a very unfair way of funding infrastructure development which is to the benefit of the country."... "There are lots of negotiations to be had between Heathrow and airlines, including us, as to how we would operate at Heathrow and at what cost and with what infrastructure." She wants a runway.[But she wants someone else to pay for it, so flying for leisure can become even cheaper.]
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Andrew Tyrie says economic case for a new runway unclear and based on “opaque” information
Andrew Tyrie is the chairman of the influential Commons Treasury select committee. He has now said parliament and the public had been left partly in the dark on the case for a new runway, because the Airports Commission's analysis is not good enough. He said the decision on airport expansion is being taken on the basis of information that was “opaque in a number of important respects.” Mr Tyrie said the robustness of the Airports commission’s conclusions could not be determined from the information in its report. “Parliament has demanded more transparency over the environmental case. At least as important is the economic case.” Mr Tyrie said it was impossible to tell if the potential economic benefits for the UK of the proposals by Heathrow or Gatwick differed significantly from one another, or even if the benefits of building either are significantly different from not building any new runways. "A decision as controversial as this — one that has bedevilled past governments for decades — requires as much transparency as reasonably possible.” Andrew Tyrie has written to George Osborne calling for more details of the calculations that led to the Commission recommending a Heathrow runway. He also called for the process to be moved from the DfT to the Treasury.
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Campaigners plaster Osborne’s constituency with “No 3rd runway” signs, to remind him of the cost to the taxpayer
Campaigners against Heathrow expansion have plastered Knutsford, in George Osborne’s constituency - Tatton in Cheshire - with No Third Runway signs. They put up the signs in Knutsford's main street in the heart of the constituency, and one outside Conservative Party headquarters in the town. A new runway would cost the taxpayer billions of pounds. The date was chosen to coincide with the date on which tax returns must be submitted. The cost to the taxpayer of the infrastructure needed for a 3rd Heathrow runway are expected to be up to £20 billion. Only considering the cost of tunnelling the M25, and associated costs, was considered by the Airports Commission to be £5 billion. Working out how much £5 billion is, divided among the whole UK population, comes to over £77 per person. HACAN has also worked out that £5 billion would buy 83,000 new social homes or thousands of hip replacements, primary or secondary school teachers - or many huge new hospitals. (Figures below) HACAN Chair John Stewart, said, “The billions of pounds of Government money that would be needed for 3rd runway road and rail schemes might even make the Chancellor, George Osborne, think twice about backing it.”
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Compensation debate delays government decision on taxiway works to allow end to Cranford agreement
The Government is still considering Heathrow's appeal over taxiway works needed to enable more departures over Cranford. The taxiway works are needed to enable scheduled easterly take-offs from the northern runway, which were previously banned under the Cranford Agreement. This verbal agreement was made 60 years ago, that planes would not take off towards the east, from the northern runway. On easterly operations, planes all therefore take off on the southern runway, and all planes land on the northern runway. The Cranford Agreement was ended by the government in 2009. But though Heathrow can have a small number of take offs from the northern runway, it needs to do taxiway work, in order to use it fully. Hillingdon Council has refused permission for this work, partly due to air pollution fears, and hence the Heathrow appeal. It Heathrow wins the appeal, and the work is done, there could be roughly 35,000 extra flights a year over Cranford (but no increase in the overall 480,000 flights per year at Heathrow). The ending of the Cranford agreement would mean less noise for some areas, but more for others. The delay is due to debate over compensation, help with relocation, or insulation for affected householders.
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Gatwick Airport Ambassador switches allegiance to Heathrow, and runway bid fails to gain traction with business
Back in early 2015, Emma Jones - the founder of Enterprise Nation - a small business support platform, was working for Gatwick airport and promoting its usefulness for business. She is quoted by Gatwick in March 2015 as saying how many of the UK's 5 million small businesses were looking to ‘Go Global’ and sell their products and services abroad. "To do so requires an easy-access airport and low cost flights to meet new contacts, research markets and source suppliers. It’s for these reasons that I support expansion at Gatwick ...." Then in November, Emma was appointed by David Cameron as one of six leading entrepreneurs to be business ambassadors with a focus on helping more small businesses export their products and services. And she is now working with Heathrow. It has been announced that Heathrow is to carry out a consultation with Enterprise Nation, to explore the impact of expanding Heathrow on the UK’s small and medium sized enterprises (SME). Emma said: "A quarter of all UK exports by value already travel through the airport. It will be interesting to see how an expanded Heathrow could make a real difference at a time when more people than ever before are starting and growing businesses
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ICAO rejects request by 5 MEPs to attend meeting on CO2 emissions from aviation
The UN's agency for aviation, the ICAO, has a Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP), that looks at the problem of carbon emissions from aviation globally. There will be a meeting of CAEP in Montreal, from 8 to 12 February. Its aim is to talk about how offsetting CO2 emissions would work globally, how fuel burn will be measured, and who will be reported to. It is a technical meeting to discuss moves to create a market-based mechanism to make airlines pay for their CO2 output. The CAEP will also look at greening planes, with a new fuel efficiency standard. Now five MEPs (four from the Parliament’s Environment Committee and one from the Transport Committee) have requested, through the EC President, Jean-Claude Juncker, that they attend the meeting of CAEP, due to their interest in the CO2 emissions issue. However, their request has been rejected, though some MEPs will have a meeting in May. The CAEP drafts environmental rules and has 22 states and 15 observers, made up of other states, industry and one NGO. The way the UN process works is that the CAEP agrees a standard, which is then sent to the ICAO Council for formal approval. Nine of the 22 voting states are European. The EU also contributes about one third of ICAO's funding.
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Arrivals Review for Gatwick suggests a range of measures to slightly reduce the noise problem
The Arrivals Review, by Bo Redeborn and Graham Lake, has now been published. It has made a series of recommendations for ways in which the aircraft noise problem might be slightly reduced - without limiting the capacity of the airport at all. These recommendations are copied below. The report is wide-ranging, with a lot of issues covered. Below just what is says on four topics (chosen arbitrarily by AirportWatch, to give a taster of the report) is included. These are 1). The decision to move the joining point onto the ILS to be a minimum of 8nm from touchdown, rather than the 10nm used at present. 2). Changing the way Gatwick uses its runway in nil or low wind. 3). Deterring flights being delayed to take-offs occur during the night period, as a Key Performance Indicator. 4). The noise complaints policy needs to be improved. (The review comments: "the current limit of one noise complaint per day per household is considered wholly unacceptable by those residents addressing this issue with the review. It is easy to understand their point of view.") They propose: "that Gatwick should establish an enhanced complaints policy with no daily limit and a fully transparent procedure, as soon as possible, using an on-line form as the sole electronic complaint registration medium." The Review also recommends the establishment of a Noise Management Board (NMB) by summer 2016.
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“Independent Arrivals Review” for Gatwick airport, published by Bo Redeborn and Graham Lake
The Gatwick Airport Arrivals Review, led by Bo Redeborn and Graham Lake, carried out for the airport, has been published. The purpose of the review was: "To make sure everything that can reasonably be done to alleviate issues raised by the local community is being done." and "To understand if the way Gatwick communicates with and provides information to the local community, including the handling of complaints, is fully adequate." The review set out some practical steps to slightly reduce the noise problems being experienced, including increasing CDA, reducing "stacking", setting up an independently chaired noise management board, and improving the noise complaints system - among other things. However, Gatwick's welcome for the review is carefully worded; the normal weasel words are in there. Such as: "Gatwick Airport has welcomed the report and its recommendations and will examine the report’s conclusions with a view to proceeding with as many of them as possible in the shortest practicable time." And "There is no silver bullet that will ever eliminate the problem of aircraft noise but taken together I believe that these measures can make a real difference." And "We want to act as soon as possible on these recommendations so people can start to feel the difference but we cannot do so alone."
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Brexit up in the air: implications for aviation if the UK votes to leave the EU
CAPA, the Centre for Aviation, has set out some of the issues that UK aviation might face, if the UK chose to leave the EU - Brexit. CAPA says the biggest source of benefits to UK aviation from EU membership is in the area of traffic rights and the nationality of airlines. Any airline owned and controlled by nationals of EU member states is free to operate anywhere within the EU without restrictions on capacity, frequency or pricing. The European Common Aviation Area (ECAA) covers 36 countries and 500 million people. CAPA believes if the UK were to leave the EU, its airlines would no longer enjoy automatic access to this market, although the UK might negotiate continued access. The most obvious way for the UK to do this would be to participate in the ECAA Agreement in the same way as countries such as Norway currently do. CAPA says it would be questionable whether continued pan-European access would be popular in the EU for easyJet which has caused significant competitive damage to European legacy airlines. Being Irish, Ryanair would continue to have access to the European market, but if the UK had left the EU, this could cause Ryanair difficulties operating in what is its largest country market. Hence Michael O'Leary is backing the UK's continued EU membership.
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